We’re participating in Oulu’s Delta Art Days, and the program will be hosted by Hanna Ojala and Matti Pääaho — thank you to both of them!
The weekend kicks off with the opening of Hanna’s “Portraits of Nature” exhibition on Thursday at 8 PM. Exhibition at Olosauna Lounge 20.8.–2.9.
Weekend program:
Delta Dances Fri 21.8. at 8 PM (90 min). Free admission.
Delta Dances is an epic, radiant, and joyful highlight of the art days! In this uplifting dance celebration, movement turns into joy, and the shared energy starts to carry the whole shore. DJ Blissbringer will spin an incredible musical journey whose mood invites everyone to celebrate life and summer together. Here everyone can move in their own way — alone or together, eyes closed or wildly in the feeling.
The dancing takes place in the immediate surroundings of Olosauna, with the DJ playing on the roof, and indoors at Olosauna in case of rain. Delta Dances is linked to the “Portraits of Nature” photo exhibition at Olosauna Lounge.
DJ Blissbringer (Matti Pääaho) builds journeys out of sound, where the music awakens, resonates, and moves you. He’s a sought-after ecstatic dance DJ who can get even the shyest dancer’s feet tapping.
Movement Images of the Soul x Portraits of Nature — body-conscious dance workshop (duration 90 min.) Sat 22.8. at 12 PM. Tickets from Olosauna’s website, €12.
Are you longing for authenticity, freedom, and depth of movement? Have you always wanted to dance exactly as only you can, but never felt there was enough space or time for it? Now there is.
Together we’ll do gentle yet deeply exploratory exercises that soften the body and heart and bring out your true nature, into movement. The aim is to learn to listen to your own flow of life and loosen the mind’s grip, giving the body the freedom to move exactly the way that’s natural for it. What awaits is a moment that is both softly enjoyable and endlessly fascinating, during which everyone gets to sink deep into themselves and their inner world.
In this workshop you’ll move entirely in your own style, but as a spark for movement I’ll give you impulses to draw from. It’s fascinating to notice how boundaries can actually free you to explore entirely new qualities of movement, and how structure helps you find something fresh and inspiring. The exercises are simple, and you’re welcome to really settle into them, taking your time. There’s no rushing in this workshop, no hurrying, no straining, pushing, or forcing — our only interest is enjoying our own body, our movement, and our life. The exercises draw inspiration from Continuum Movement, the “Wilding the Body” concept, and Tero Saarinen’s movement language. No prior dance experience is needed — this is more of a movement meditation — but even if you’ve danced for years, you’re sure to find new insights in this workshop.
At its best, the workshop can expand the space to freely be yourself, boost confidence in standing behind and beside yourself, and broaden your thinking — and above all your bodily experience — of what your own movement can and does feel like. So come explore the essence of your own movement, your own nature. You’re warmly welcome to dive into the dizzying depths of your own body, into the calm home of your own soul. The workshop takes place at Olosauna Lounge, whose walls are deepened by the stunning images of the “Portraits of Nature” photo exhibition.
Workshop instructor Hanna Ojala is a multidisciplinary artist who has danced her whole life. She has walked a long path from super-achiever to someone who savors life, especially through creativity, connection with nature, yoga, poetry, and photography. Hanna is trained as a yoga instructor, an instructor in dance/movement therapy methods, a VitalDanza instructor, and a deep relaxation instructor. She has led workshops and courses ranging from creative dance to voice work, and from deep relaxation to building body awareness. Through her long personal experience, Hanna has explored various methods of self-knowledge and healing, and has found that the most effective ones are rooted in embodiment and safely experiencing it. In every class she leads, Hanna strives to be completely honest and open — with herself, with the other participants, and with the present moment — which helps create the conditions for a liberating journey of self-exploration and sensitive interaction. In addition to all this, Hanna is firmly grounded, and creating a safe atmosphere — where respecting each participant’s boundaries and the safety of the work are paramount — matters deeply to her.
Flow Yoga x Portraits of Nature (duration 90 min) Sun 23.8. at 12 PM. Tickets from Olosauna’s website, €12.
This yoga class is built on shared movement: the same flow, the same breath, and the supportive energy of the group. Yoga becomes a shared experience that is meant to be felt and to have an effect. The practice is designed so that movement starts to be felt — not just in the body, but in how you breathe, focus, and experience. The energy varies: sometimes flowing with strength, sometimes pausing to refine and deepen.
This yoga class also isn’t just about following the teacher’s movements — you’ll learn something new and be inspired along the way. You’ll get clear guidance, but also room to make the practice your own. You’ll explore and discover what really works for you.
This class suits you if you’ve tried yoga before, or if you’re a brave first-timer. You want yoga to give you an experience that lingers even after the class ends. You’ll leave the class in a different state than you arrived in — and this time, you’ll know why. (Bring your own yoga mat.)
This yoga class takes place at Olosauna Lounge, on whose walls the stunning images of the “Portraits of Nature” photo exhibition breathe.
Class instructor Matti Pääaho is the founder and head teacher of Joogastudio Oulu. He has taught thousands of students over nearly 25 years, first in dance and later in yoga. His teaching combines yoga, body awareness, and movement so the practice never stays superficial. Matti’s classes emphasize clarity, precision, safety, and understanding of the body — but also experience, presence, and insight. The practice can be calm or challenging, but it doesn’t have to be about performance. Matti has had the unique opportunity to train in yoga teaching under several international master teachers. He is also a TRE® facilitator, a Thai yoga massage therapist, and a DJ.
Safe Haven x Portraits of Nature — body-conscious resting workshop (duration 90 min.) Sun 23.8. at 2 PM. Tickets from Olosauna’s website, €12.
“If I could choose the place where I’d be born into this world, what would it be?”
When a person is deeply connected with themselves — with their own nature, both inner and surrounding — they can feel that being human is, at its core, a shared experience, even though each person’s own way of expressing it is personal and unique. The elements of nature combine into a whole that is greater and vaster than the sum of its parts. It is ancient, and at the same time rooted right here in this moment. It’s something to be approached with appreciation and respect, because without it — what’s left of us, what’s left for us. In this workshop, it’s safe to take a moment to breathe, and simply be and rest in your own presence.
To sense that maybe this, exactly as it is, is good enough. Sometimes you have to stop, even for a small moment, so that after some time you’ll have the strength to grow and reach again — consciously, when it’s time. In this workshop, you’re allowed to enjoy the sun’s rays on your eyelids and breathe in the fresh sea air all the way down to a cellular level.
The workshop focuses on relaxing grounding, breathing out relief, gentle body-awareness exercises, and recognizing and strengthening your own boundaries.
We get to spend a supported moment together in a safe shared space — yet each person is there for themselves. In this workshop there’s no need to stretch or reach; everything is allowed to simply be as it is — this moment is already complete, just as it is.
As concrete tools, the workshop draws on dance/movement therapy methods, gentle yoga, mindful breathing, and deep relaxation techniques. The workshop takes place at Olosauna Lounge, whose walls are opened up by the stunning images of the “Portraits of Nature” photo exhibition. (Bring your own yoga mat or similar mat.)
Workshop instructor Hanna Ojala is a multidisciplinary artist who has walked a long path from super-achiever to someone who savors life, especially through creativity, connection with nature, yoga, dance, poetry, and photography. Hanna is trained, among other things, as an instructor in dance/movement therapy methods, and as a yoga and relaxation instructor. She has led workshops and courses ranging from creative dance to voice work, and from deep relaxation to building body awareness. Through her long personal experience, Hanna has explored various methods of self-knowledge and healing, and has found that the most effective ones are rooted in embodiment and safely experiencing it. In every workshop she leads, Hanna strives to be completely honest and open — with herself, with the other participants, and with the present moment — which helps create the conditions for a liberating journey of self-exploration and nurturing interaction. In addition to all this, Hanna is firmly grounded, and creating a safe atmosphere — where respecting each participant’s boundaries and the safety of the work are paramount — matters deeply to her.