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Forest, Fire & BuddyA 4-Day Retreat · held in English.
Long Eddy, NY
Regular: $799 (2 of 6 spots left)
Forest, Fire & BuddyA 4-Day Retreat · held in English.
Four days in nature, three hours from the city.
No tasks, no deadlines, nothing to decide. Movement, play, real conversations, chef-cooked meals, evenings by the fire with vinyl records under the stars, and practices that bring you back from your head into your body.
It lands on Labor Day weekend on purpose: two full days of practice, one slow morning to return, and not a single vacation day spent.
A long weekend designed to help you slow down, reconnect, and feel more alive.
And this time, live music. On Sunday night, New York based Ukrainian jazz pianist and composer Fima Chupakhin plays Music For Daydreaming — an ambient live set of piano and soft electronics, first presented at Burning Man in 2025. We listen the way it is meant to be heard: lying by the fire, watching the stars.
Just arrive. We'll take care of the rest.
• Long Eddy, NY
• Beautiful historic farmhouse
• 8 chef-prepared meals
• 12+ hours of guided practice across two full days
• Sauna, pond, bonfires
• Music For Daydreaming: a live ambient set under the stars by pianist Fima Chupakhin
• Professional photos included
• Held in English
• Group of up to 18 participants
Rated 9.8/10 by participants across our last two retreats.
The Situation
There's passive rest — beach, Netflix, sleep in. It works. And then there's the kind of rest that actually resets something deeper: the habit of watching yourself, the tension you stopped noticing, the distance from your own body that's become the default.
When the situation changes, we often hesitate, overthink, or freeze.
You might recognize yourself here:
• You live mostly in your head: analyzing, editing, watching yourself from the outside.
• Feelings stay inside: you have them, you just do not show them.
• Functional but flat: everything works, nothing feels alive.
• Performing even when nobody asked.
• Hard to be present, even on vacation.
• Beach-and-Netflix rest does not reset you. Your body pauses, your head keeps running.
The Practices
The switching off happens through: the practice, the people, the nature, and the distance. All four are essential. None of them work as well without the others.
What you take home:
• More time in your body, less automatic self-monitoring.
• A quieter mind that does not narrate every second.
• Real contact with people, no small talk required.
• Permission to be unfinished, uncertain, in process.
• Energy that comes from play and people, not caffeine.
• A few more seconds between stimulus and reaction. A slightly wider window.
What to expect
The retreat unfolds over four practice sessions
Landing
First contact with the group and with your body. Exercises that switch off city mode through action, not explanation. Why: so Saturday does not start in your head.
Creativity & Improvisation
The longest session, the core of TISTO's method. Imagination, spontaneity, physical freedom, improvisation in pairs and groups. On the lawn when weather allows. Why: to experience that being seen mid-process is safe.
Silence, Contact and Presence
A silent afternoon first: two to three hours with no talking, by the water, in the sauna, in a hammock. Then deep listening, close contact, presence with another person. These are the exercises people keep thinking about weeks later. Why: real contact starts with quiet.
Play & Closing Circle
The loosest session and often the strongest. After two full days the defenses are down and play becomes real. This time it gets a whole day of its own — the part of the retreat our July and August participants kept asking to be longer.
What you’ll experience
Fire and conversations
Vinyl, tea, and silence
Practices on the lawn and indoors
One long dinner
Close Contact & Attention Practices
RetreatSchedule
Friday, September 4 · Arrive & Land
6:00–8:00 PM arrival, check-in, tea from the road
8:30 PM Welcome dinner
9:30 PM Bonfire, sauna for those who want
Saturday, September 5 · The Day of Immersion
8:30 AM morning warm-up, coffee outside, optional swim
9:00 AM breakfast
10:00 AM–12:30 PM Morning Session (2.5 hrs)
1:00 PM Lunch
2:00–4:30 PM silent hours: no talking, no plans. Pond, sauna, hammock, forest
4:30–6:00 PM Evening Session (1.5 hrs)
6:00–7:30 PM free time, sauna
7:45 PM grill: one long dinner at one table
9:30 PM vinyl, tea, fire under the stars
Sunday, September 6 · The Day of Creation
8:30 AM warm-up, 9:00 AM breakfast
10:30 AM–1:00 PM Morning Session
1:00 PM lunch
2:00–3:00 PM free hour
3:00–6:00 PM the big creative session
7:45 PM festive dinner
9:30 PM Music For Daydreaming: live set under the stars
Monday, September 7 · Labor Day: 9:00 AM breakfast
11:00 AM–12:30 PM closing circle
1:00 PM departure + Optional: a waterfall trail on the way home
Inside the room
Retreat team
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Igor Kliuchnyk
Actor. Theater director. Founder of TISTO Studio. 11+ years leading sessions across Ukraine, Europe, and the US.
Igor Kliuchnyk
Co-founder of TISTO · Actor · Theater Director
Co-founder of Beautiful Flowers Theatre and NAFTA Theatre. Co-founder and director of Parade Fest International Theater Festival. TEDx speaker on transformation through play.
15+ years working at the intersection of theater, education, and leadership. Founded TISTO School in Ukraine — 1,000+ graduates, 20+ programs, 21 corporate clients including EPAM, GlobalLogic, and SoftServe. Led teams of 200+ people using theater-based methods.
Since 2022 — co-founder of Rescue Now humanitarian foundation (450,000+ people assisted, partnerships with UNICEF, USAID, UN).
Mariia Skyba
Retreat manager
Mariia Skyba
Mariia keeps the operational side of TISTO moving — making sure every event actually happens and everyone finds their way there.
She coordinates the full event cycle, keeps everyone in the loop, and communicates personally with every participant. She knows every person in the TISTO community and has a talent for bringing the right people together — noticing what makes each person unique and creating connections that feel natural.
Known for being someone you can always reach and talk to, Masha knows the ins and outs of every TISTO event and the people behind it. If you have a question, an idea, or simply want to know what’s coming next — she’s your person.
Special Guest - Fima Chupakhin
Music For Daydreaming · live under the stars, Sunday night
Special Guest - Fima Chupakhin
Fima Chupakhin is a New York based Ukrainian jazz pianist, film composer, and producer: a Fulbright Scholar, a Ukrainian Film Awards Best Composer nominee, with performances at major U.S. festivals and iconic New York venues.
Music For Daydreaming is his ambient, piano driven project: intimate piano, soft electronic textures, slowly unfolding soundscapes — music to get lost in for a little while. It premiered at Burning Man in 2025.
On Sunday night it plays live: by the fire, under the open sky.
Information& Details
Retreat: Forest, Fire & Buddy
Dates: September 5 to 7
Location: Long Eddy, NY.
Stay: The Compound, a century-old farmhouse with a barn on a private pond
Food: private chef. 8 meals
Group: 12-17 people
Practice: 12 Hours of Play-Based TISTO Sessions
Experience Level: No experience needed
Language: English
A photographer joins us, everyone gets the photos
Prices
Early Bird: $749 SOLD OUT
Regular: $799 (2 of 6 spots left) for 4 days — that's $187 a day with lodging, chef-cooked meals, sauna, photos, and all practices included. No hidden costs.
Late Bird: $849
A $150 non-refundable deposit reserves your spot