Deep Winter Reset
Seven nights in the wild, snowy beauty of Northern Sweden — an off-grid retreat combining stillness, reflection and connection, so you return to everyday life more alive, more vibrant, more confident than you've felt in years.
A week to come home to yourself
Snowshoeing and fire circles, ice bathing and saunas, mindfulness, creativity, nourishment — the perfect blend of relaxation and reconnection, where you can truly feel at home with nature and with yourself.
"When people arrive here, they just stop. They breathe. They rest. They come back to themselves."
The essentials
Where this began
Over the last few years, while building my complementary clinic and teaching the subjects I love, I became increasingly passionate about helping others grow, heal and thrive.
But somewhere along the way, I realised I had forgotten to do the same for myself.
During a lecture on burnout, I suddenly recognised that I was completely burnt out. I had spent years supporting others while quietly carrying more and more myself.
I knew I needed to reconnect.
Living on the northeast coast, I had discovered how deeply the sea could calm my nervous system. So, in January, I set myself a challenge: to enter the North Sea every morning in January.
What began as a simple ritual became a turning point.
The cold water, the sunrise and the wildness of nature brought me back into the present. My energy began to return, my mind became clearer and I started creating pathways out of the overwhelm I had allowed to build.
It planted a seed.
What if winter could be a time of deep reset?
Then, through a re-connection with Catherine, the idea of creating something together in Sweden began to unfold.
We wanted to create more than a retreat. We wanted to create a space to pause, reconnect and restore — somewhere nature could take over and gently awaken what has become buried beneath the noise of everyday life.
A space to rest.
A space to simply be.
A space to reconnect with yourself and with others who are seeking the same.
Because sometimes we don't need to push harder. Sometimes we need to stop, breathe and listen. And perhaps, in that stillness, we can rediscover the inner fire that was always there.
This is your invitation to reset, reconnect and rekindle.
Jep's Place
We will be hosting the event at Petra and Jan's wilderness home and retreat space "Jep's Place" — a stunning off-grid sanctuary nestled in the snowy hills of Borgvattnet, Jämtland.
Jep's Place is entirely off-grid. Mobile signal is sparse, and solar power and charging points are limited. I encourage you to switch off your phone when you arrive, and leave it off as much as you feel able to. Trust me — that simple act can be life-changing.
Can you imagine it now? Switching off your phone on arrival, and surrendering to the peace and calm. Nestling in for the week. Trusting what unfolds. Allowing time, space and this nurturing retreat to gently recharge and reignite you from within.
This is a place where reindeer roam free across the village roads and frozen lakes. A place of vast, magical night skies. You'll spend cosy afternoons around the fire pit in the outdoor kitchen lodge, and we'll laugh, sweat and natter in the sauna hut, before rolling in the deep, soft snow to cool off. Jämtland is a place of magical tranquility that will fill your soul, and I cannot wait to welcome you here.
Cabins by the fire, food from the land
Accommodation
Beautiful, cosy forest cabins, heated by wood-fired stoves and surrounded by forest and silence. Each cabin is shared between two to three guests. Comfy beds, linen and towels are provided. There's a separate toilet a few steps from your cabin door, with shower facilities and further toilets at the central retreat house.
The stove keeps the space warm, filling the cabin with a gentle glow and soothing scent, lit by soft lamplight. After each wonderful night's sleep, you'll wake to the quiet beauty of the surrounding wilderness.
Meals
You'll be so well nourished — in body, mind and spirit. We'll eat delicious, local, natural, home-cooked food in line with the seasons, my values, and my experience as a holistic nutritional therapist.
Have dietary requirements? Let me know when you book and I'll make sure you're looked after throughout the week.
How the week unfolds
- iGentle meditation and reflection
- iiGuided sharing circles
- iiiCreativity — art, writing, journalling
- ivTime for stillness & connection
- vSlow living — fermenting, cooking, nutrition, natural skincare
- viWood-fired sauna
- viiSnowshoe walking through magical forests
- viiiIce bathing if you feel called to
Join us
Spaces are limited to twelve guests, on a first come, first served basis, with a deposit / first instalment required upon booking.
Prices are quoted in Pounds Sterling (GBP) and Swedish Kronor (SEK). If you'd like to pay in another currency, please let me know on your registration form.
Group bookings of three people save £200 / 2,500kr pp — please include the names on the registration form and the discount will be applied to instalment 1.
- DepositDue at time of booking £490 / 6,000kr
- Instalment 1Due 30 November 2026 £750 / 9,500kr
- Instalment 2Due 30 January 2027 £750 / 9,500kr
Registration form opens in Google Forms.
What's included
Included
- Accommodation for 7 nights
- All meals
- All core activities listed above
- Group transfer to/from the retreat location, from Östersund
Not included
- Your own travel to Östersund (see below)
- Additional snowshoeing, sauna or ice bathing experiences, and any other activities beyond the core programme, which can be arranged at an extra cost
What else do you need to know?
Dietary requirements
Whilst we try our best to be inclusive, Jep's Place is an off-grid retreat centre in the Swedish wilderness, with restricted cooking facilities. We cannot promise to cater for all diets. If you have any dietary requirements, please outline them on the registration form when you book, and await our reply before making any payment — this is just to ensure that we can cater for you. Thank you!
Transfer
Due to our remote location, and the time it takes to get here in winter conditions, one group transfer is included, to and from the retreat, from Östersund, for all guests. Timings are below.
Arrival and departure time
There will be one group transfer available, each way, as follows. We will contact you nearer to the time, to find out if you will be arriving by train, plane, automobile or other magical form of transport!
- We will meet you in Östersund at 11:00 on Monday 22nd February for the transfer to the retreat.
- We will drop you back to Östersund by 13:00 on Monday 1st March for your onward travel.
Getting to Östersund
You can get to Östersund easily via plane to Åre Östersund airport, or via direct, day or night trains to Östersund Central Station. Östersund is a small, picturesque city in the Jämtland region of Sweden. Set on the edge of a beautiful lake (which will be frozen in January, with skating and walking trails across it — weather permitting), it has plenty of shops, restaurants, coffee places, hotels and an amazing spa near the airport, should you choose to spend a night there before or after the retreat. Click here to see what else you can do whilst in Östersund.
What to bring
You do not need any specialist equipment for the retreat, but you will need warm winter boots, and a warm winter jacket, both suitable for winter in northern Sweden. A suggested packing list will be sent out nearer the time.
Refund policy
There is a 14-day cooling-off period from the date of booking. If you cancel within this window, your deposit will be fully refunded. Refunds are processed within 14 days of written notice.
Deposits are non-refundable after the 14-day cooling-off period. Instalments are non-refundable from 30 days before the retreat (from 22 January 2027). If you cancel before 22 January 2027, any instalments paid may be refunded at our discretion and only if your place can be filled by someone else. If you miss an instalment payment, your place will be forfeited and your deposit will not be refunded. Any first instalment already paid may be retained unless your place can be filled by someone else.
Cancellation by the organiser
In the unlikely event that the minimum number of participants is not reached by 30 November 2026, the retreat may be cancelled and all monies paid (including deposits) will be fully refunded.
Contact details
Drop me an email anytime on info@thefunctionalhygienist.com and I will be only too happy to answer your questions.
This event is offered by Caroline Smith.
Come and rekindle your inner fire.
22 February – 1 March 2027 · Jep's Place, Borgvattnet, Jämtland · 7 nights, off-grid