Pirts Practitioner Training in Latvia | Solstice Retreat June 2026

2026 Pirts Practitioner Training in Gulbene, Latvia

Solstice & Jāņi Pirts Retreat & Practitioner Training

June 20-30, 2026 in Gulbene, Latvia

Facilitators: Anrijs and Aija (click to learn more)

Experience an immersive Latvian pirts retreat rooted in solstice, song, fire, and land-based tradition. Includes Jāņi cultural immersion and pirts practitioner training in Latvia.

Retreat Overview

June 20–24, 2026 | Solstice & Jāņi Dienas Immersion (Rural Latvia, location TBD)

Participants arrive in Latvia and enter a shared cultural immersion centered on Līgo and Jāņi, the most sacred seasonal holidays in Latvian tradition. These days are devoted to acclimation, relationship-building, song, fire, wreath-making, foodways, and honoring the sun at its peak. This opening period grounds participants in the cosmology, ethics, and communal spirit that underpin authentic pirts practice.

June 25–30, 2026 | Pirts Practitioner Training (Gulbene, Latvia)

Following the solstice, the group gathers in Gulbene, a region known for strong pirts heritage, to engage in an intensive four-day pirts knowledge and practice training, culminating in a closing feast and integration.

Who This Retreat Is For

This retreat is designed for:

All who are interested in ancient European land-based cultural practices
Aspiring and practicing pirts practitioners
Sauna and massage professionals seeking lineage-based training
Cultural practitioners and healers drawn to Baltic traditions

Those wishing to study pirts not as a service, but as a relational, ethical, and seasonal practice

Registration

If you are interested in this Pirts Retreat & Practitioner Training, use the form below to sign-up for the pre-registration. You will receive more information as it becomes available.

Meet The Facilitators

Maija West

Building a culture of trust, by following the lead of matriarchs and peacemakers

Maija is a dual citizen of Latvia and the United States. Her practices are related to her heritage on my mother's side and are beginning to also be influenced by the pre-Germanic roots of her father's side. Her mother's name is Laima Danilovs and she fled the occupation of Latvia by the Russians and Germans during WWII and settled in California with her family as a displaced person. Her mother's people come from near the Gauja River and the Aloja region north of Cēsis. The Latvians are land-based people who have survived 800 years of occupation, and make up five different Peoples.

She is currently living as a settler on the unceded lands of the Salinan, Chalon and Ohlone Peoples in California, in the United States. She is passionate to share what she has learned about her own cultural recovery for those who may benefit.

As the founder and managing partner of Matriarch Makeover, she champions women’s voices, believing that women’s leadership is vital in shaping the future. Her journey has also led to my lifelong commitment to bridging divides, strengthening communication, and creating spaces where transformation can take root.

Aija Harrison

Body de-armouring, pirts rituāli, apmācības, mandalas, veseluma atgūšana

Aija is learning how to live life easier, happier, healthier embracing self-discovery and self-growth. Aija’s passion is a Pirts (Latvian sauna) ritual, when the individuals can slow down and reconnect with their body. Her guided ritual is powerful, deep, nourishing and subtle at the same time. Aija is dedicated to help making the connection between mind and heart, to connect with themselves and the world, to activate the life force energy, to dive into the depths of their own awareness that may never have been, empowering people to reconnect with their inner strength.

Aija is passionate about the transformative power of Body De-armouring as well. With a focus on presence and deep connection, her guided de-armouring session allows people to express themselves, vulnerability, release the emotional armor held in the body for years and years bringing back inner peace, freedom and self love.

Anrijs Tamisārs

Anrijs is a certified Latvian pirts master with formal medical training, bringing together traditional Baltic sauna practice and a strong foundation in human physiology and health. His work is rooted in classical Latvian pirts protocols, which approach the sauna as a structured, intentional practice supporting physical recovery, nervous system regulation, and emotional well-being.

With training in anatomy, circulation, respiratory health, and thermoregulation, Anrijs applies a medically informed lens to heat exposure, breathwork, and pacing—prioritizing participant safety, consent, and individualized care. He works with traditional slotas (birch and oak whisks), herbal infusions, and guided rest to support detoxification, musculoskeletal release, and deep relaxation.

Anrijs is known for his calm, attentive facilitation style and his ability to adapt the pirts experience for a wide range of participants, including those new to sauna practice. His approach balances evidence-informed health principles with cultural fidelity, ensuring that the pirts is offered respectfully, responsibly, and in alignment with its Latvian origins.

He regularly works in retreat, educational, and small-group settings, offering a grounded and professionally held experience that supports restoration, resilience, and embodied well-being.