HOUSE OF BEAR

North Karelia with Heart and Nature

COURSES AND RETREATS * GUIDED JOURNEYS TO SACRED NATURe SITES * FINNISH SAUNA TREATMENTS

* MENTORING & CONSULTATIONS * CULTURE PRODUCTION * CULTURAL RESEARCH

Embrace Your Uniqueness. Trust Your Nature. Be Yourself.

Discover the beauty of your true self through earth-honoring methods and explore the rich wisdom culture of North Karelia.

House of Bear is deeply rooted in the ancestral traditions of North Karelia. Our work is grounded in both Karelian and Finnish nature-based cultural heritage, offering practical methods for natural well-being and wisdom that have stood the test of time. We embrace both cross-cultural and contemporary approaches to shamanic practice.

At House of Bear, our mission is to provide courses, retreats, and other services that connect you with nature and culture for personal well-being and inspiration. We bring specialized expertise from North Karelia to enrich your journey.

What is the ancient cultural tradition in North Karelia about?

According to the Finnish folklorists, the oldest form of Finnish culture and folklore is shamanistic, animistic wisdom culture. By studying rock paintings and carvings, we can travel back thousands of years in time. The latest evidence of the shamanistic practice is the 4,400-year-old shaman wand found in Humppila in June 2021 by the archeologists of University of Turku. It is a ritual artefact dating from the Neolithic Stone Age. North Karelia is an archaeologically significant area, and here you can find, for example, Heinävesi rock paintings, as well as numerous footsteps and table stones. The ancient power place of Koli mountain and the sacred lake of Pielinen offer world-renowed destinations of spiritual awakening and renewal.

Nature-mindedness means deep respect for nature. Each entity of nature has its own purpose, its own life, and its own soul. So has each human being. Finding one’s own nature and true essence is a process in which a human being experiences wholeness. Integrity is found and arises from respecting and nurturing the well-being of the body, emotional life, spirituality, and mind.

Your Guide in Culture and Nature: Helena Karhu

Helena Karhu, M.Soc.Sc. with advanced studies in Tourism Science, is a North Karelian retreat guide, cultural producer, and researcher. As the founder of House of Bear, Helena’s mission is to foster self-awareness through the exploration of folk cultures and wisdom traditions. Born in Joensuu, North Karelia, Finland, Helena’s ancestral roots run deep in this region, and she is dedicated to sharing the beauty and wisdom of her homeland with travelers, inviting them to find rest and rejuvenation in nature.

Currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology at the University of Eastern Finland, Helena is also the chairwoman of Pielisen Tietäjäkeskus ry., an association focused on promoting and preserving the ancestral wisdom traditions of North Karelia. With over 15 years of experience in meditation and mindfulness practices, she has guided meditation sessions for groups for about a decade and has been involved in cultural production for over 20 years.

Helena brings a wealth of international experience to her work, having spent over 13 years in Denmark, including a long-term residence in Copenhagen. Her global journey has taken her to the Northern and Arctic regions, including Greenland and Fairbanks, Alaska. Her passion lies in illuminating the cooperative and empowering aspects of ancestral practices, allowing individuals to rest in their true selves while embracing their potential. Helena is known for her inspiring and positive guidance, emphasizing simplicity and the natural flow of life.

Where is House of Bear Located?

House of Bear operates as a nomadic practice, bringing its services to various beautiful guest houses and retreat centers across North Karelia and Finland. While I am based in Joensuu, Finland, my work takes me to a variety of picturesque locations throughout the region.

House of the Bear is official partner of Koli National Park.

TESTIMONIALS OF OUR WORK:

“I am grateful for the work you do, it is valuable and wildly inspiring. Things suddenly start to fall into place and I feel like I'm on the verge of something bigger and amazing in life. For the first time, I dare and trust more than ever before. Thank you for your warm and authentic way of dealing with people, as well as your wisdom and courage.” - A Finnish participant for a retreat

More feedback for the work of House of Bear:

“I still haven’t sent you feedback about the Summer Retreat. It is hard to put into words all that it meant to me. The weekend brewed for a long time in my mind and body afterwards. And I still feel it. It was great and gentle program. I was impressed with the tasks and everything we did. It was wonderful, and really important to be able to see and experience how attentively and with gentleness and at the same time comfortably you guided the course and what we did. I enjoyed how different traditions came together over the weekend. I found it really empowering to be among two sensitive and powerful sages. I am happy and grateful that I found you. Thank you for being there and doing your valuable work. ”

“The retreat weekend gave me more than I could have expected. Clearly I was supposed to be involved in this and right now! My self - knowledge and also my self - esteem got a completely huge boost and this has brought big things into my own life right now. Also my life mission and what I want to do got more confirmation. That's the way I am, but now that too was further confirmed and reassured that I am on the right road. I'm not in the goal, but now I enjoy this trip and whatever it brings to me. :) It felt like the forces and energies in us moving over the weekend could have even move the mountains! Now I feel liberated and grateful as well as happy! thanks thanks thank you!"

“We were like flying in the air the whole return trip to Helsinki, we were in such wonderful feelings and sensations. Thanks for a memorable weekend! This will continue to live in our hearts and lives forward. Grateful. Thank you both, wonderful shaman women. It was lucky to be involved, I really hope the roads still meet. ”

Responsibility and Sustainability

At House of Bear, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment. We strive to accommodate the diverse needs of our clients with care and consideration.

Our ethical commitment drives us to support a diverse, sustainable, and nature-focused society. To align with these values, we provide vegetarian food at all our courses and retreats and ensure our spaces are pet-friendly.

We encourage reducing traffic emissions by prioritizing public transportation and carpooling whenever possible. We also choose products and services that are organic and support local, independent businesses, including small guesthouses.

Our communications and materials promote nature-centric values, emphasizing the protection of forests, waterways, and wildlife. We are proud to donate a portion of our income to various causes, including the Finnish Nature Conservation Association, WWF, and the local hedgehog protection group (Tuupassiilit ry).

House of Bear is in the process of applying for the Sustainable Travel Finland label and is committed to the STF standards as part of our collaboration with Koli National Park and Finnish Forest Services.

Invitation

We invite you to share your positive experiences with House of Bear, as we strive to be a responsible choice in relation to local nature and culture. Your feedback and recommendations are greatly appreciated.

We encourage you to continue participating in our courses, events, and retreats if you’ve had a positive experience and to inform others about your experiences.

Together, let’s take responsibility by supporting recycling, carpooling, and ecological compensation.

Sustainable Travel Finland Pledge

On my journey I pledge to appreciate nature, and this I will do with great pleasure.

The wilderness lets me relax and connect, I promise to treat it with the utmost respect.

Its forests and lakes should remain plastic-free, so I will not leave any rubbish behind me.

The cleanest tap water shall quench my thirst, because in my choices the climate comes first.

In nature, it’s our equal right to roam free. This should be enjoyed responsibly.

The berries and mushrooms are there to be eaten, but I’ll stick to the paths that are already beaten.

Long before humans the wildlife’s been there, so I won’t set up camp just anywhere.

I shall respect all those around me, letting everyone enjoy these surroundings equally.

In preserving our nature we all have a part to play, and this pledge I embrace will show us the way.

CONTACT

Helena Karhu

+358 (0)40 5148788

info@karhuntalo.com

Based in Joensuu, Finland.