Wellbeing that lasts —30 years of Finnish wisdom
- Method Putkisto
- 7 hours ago
- 3 min read
"Finnish Method Putkisto — a life-changing method." — Newby Hands, Harper's Bazaar
What if five days in Finland could change the way you feel in your body for the rest of the year — and beyond? This isn't a promise. It's what happens.
There are moments when everything falls into place. The right setting, the right people, and just the right time to pause — and begin again. For 30 years, this retreat has been that moment for women from across the world. And this summer, Marja Putkisto's milestone anniversary retreat at Vanajanlinna is something especially remarkable.
Finland in summer: a place where something shifts
Imagine waking to pale Nordic light at five in the morning. The air is cool and clean, scented with pine and morning dew. A still lake mirrors the sky. No traffic, no noise — just birdsong and the quiet of a Finnish summer morning, unhurried and utterly your own.
Vanajanlinna is one of Finland's most extraordinary estates — a grand manor house set within ancient forests and beside shimmering water. When the summer light pours through its windows, something inside you begins to soften. Your body opens. Your mind stills. And something you may have forgotten about yourself gently wakes up.
"You don't leave Finland the same way you arrived. Something settles in your body — and stays."
What is Method Putkisto — and why does it work?
Method Putkisto isn't exercise in the traditional sense. Developed by Marja Putkisto over nearly 40 years, it approaches the body through its structures, potential, and awareness — working with deep muscles, breath, and fascia to create lasting change from the inside out.
The results are visible. Within days, posture lifts. Stiffness releases. The face softens and brightens. But what participants return for, year after year, is something less easy to measure: the feeling of being at home in your own body again.
Deep stretching and core work release long-held tension and restore fluid movement
Breathing techniques calm the nervous system and decompress joints
Face Up exercises naturally lift features, improve tone, and bring brightness back to the eyes
Nordic Walking with Francis — activating up to 85% of your muscles, with a touch of British wit
Personal assistants in every session, ensuring your body gets exactly what it needs, precisely when it needs it
More than a course. A complete experience.
The days are beautifully designed — mornings in movement, afternoons deepening your practice, evenings around the table with nourishing food and the kind of conversation that only happens when people feel genuinely at ease. There are massages, swims in the lake, walks through the forest, and music that seems to find exactly the right note at exactly the right moment.
Details matter here. Because this retreat understands that wellbeing isn't only what you do — it's how you feel while you're doing it.
"The good feeling stays with you — I come back every year." — LINDA
"Marja's way of meeting a person is unique — present, precise, and profoundly supportive." — LOUICE
A 30-year milestone — with a surprise
This year marks 30 years since Marja published her first book — and the retreat carries that spirit. Something special is planned. We'll let it be a surprise. What we can say is this: it will be worth the journey from anywhere in the world.
No prior experience of Method Putkisto is needed. You are welcome exactly as you are. Come alone or bring a friend — new faces are always met with warmth, and the friendships formed here have a habit of lasting long after Finland.
The wellbeing you carry home
What changes in Finland doesn't stay in Finland. It travels home in the way you carry yourself, breathe in a difficult meeting, or notice the tension leaving your shoulders as you finally remember how. You'll leave with a practice that is genuinely yours — one that heals, restores, and quietly surprises you.
This is the promise of 30 years: not a quick fix, but a real understanding of your body. Tools that stay with you. An experience your body will never forget.
Practical Information
Location: Vanajanlinna Castle, Finland
Duration: Five days
Led by: Marja Putkisto and her team of expert assistants
Suitable for: All levels – no prior experience required
Includes: Daily movement sessions, guided walks, Face Up exercises, massage treatments, evening gatherings and full board dining
© Method Putkisto
