Unplug: A Digital Detox Weekend
September 25–27
4 Karališkių St., Karališkių Village, Želva Parish, Ukmergė District, Vilnius County
🍁 Two nights, three days, and not a single screen. Just you, nature, and an authentic expierence
When was the last time you went an entire weekend without checking your phone even once? When was the last time you woke up on your own, not because of a phone notification or an alarm? “Unplug” is a transformative weekend where phones, tablets, and computers take a break, replaced by the scent of the forest, walks in nature, art therapy, the warmth of a campfire, reflection on positive transformative ideas, the ritual of baking traditional sourdough rye bread and pretzels in an ancient Pompeian oven, communal cooking, and cozy sauna rituals and treatments.
🍁 Why Unpluging Is Important Today
The average person checks their phone about ninety-six times a day, which means that during waking hours, they reach for their device every ten minutes. This constant, fragmented state of attention quickly turns into chronic fatigue, which is referred to in scientific and popular literature as “screen fatigue.” It is no coincidence that over the past few years, digital detox vacations have become one of the fastest-growing travel trends in the world surveys show that more than two-thirds of travelers now consciously seek opportunities to step away from constant connectivity, even if only for a short time, and this experience is of particular interest to the younger, constantly connected generation.
The benefits of such a temporary retreat are confirmed by both personal experience and research: sleep improves, anxiety levels decrease, the ability to concentrate for longer periods is restored, and relationships with those around us become more authentic when we no longer share our attention with a screen. Physically, this is felt as a relaxation of the nervous system and it is precisely this effect that we aim to enhance by combining digital unpluging with the physiologically powerful sauna ritual, in which heat and cold naturally restore the body’s balance.
🍁Why This Works Better in Nature Than in the City
Taking a break from screens is beneficial in and of itself, but its healing power increases severalfold when it takes place not in a city apartment with the phone turned off, but far from the city’s information noise - from that constant, all-pervading sphere of thoughts and stimuli that envelops us in the modern urban environment. The forest, the fields, and the quiet space of a village serve not merely as a beautiful backdrop, but as a form of therapy in their own right.
Scientists call this the attention restoration theory: the constant, artificial focus on screens, tasks, and notifications exhausts the brain’s ability to concentrate, while the natural environment, with its gentle, unobtrusive charm, allows this ability to restore itself naturally, without requiring conscious effort. Empirical studies examining the effects of forests on the human body (known as shinrin-yoku, or “forest bathing”) consistently show significantly lower levels of cortisol (the primary stress hormone), lower blood pressure, reduced activity of the sympathetic nervous system, and an enhanced parasympathetic response that promotes relaxation, compared to the same amount of time spent in an urban environment. In other words, the body physiologically distinguishes the forest from the city even when the mind is not consciously aware of it.
This is precisely why the TuoTuEsi village is located in a secluded setting that preserves Lithuania’s ethnographic rural traditions, far from the noise and information overload of the city. It is not merely a beautiful place for peaceful relaxation; the natural environment of the Ethnographic Village is an integral, actively functioning, and transformative part of the experience. The environment is designed not so much for entertainment or commercial rural tourism as for life-changing transformations. A genuine environment of natural vegetation, water, earth, and fire - enhanced by sauna rituals and contrasts - creates a physiological effect that no urban space, no matter how quiet, could replicate.
🍁 Who Is This Weekend For?
§ For professionals who work remotely, whose workday and free time have merged into one endless stretch of screen time, and who need a clearly defined break.
§ For managers and decision-makers whose mental fatigue builds up faster than they can recognize it, and for whom a short, intense retreat is more effective than long but fragmented vacations.
§ For those in creative and intellectual professions, for whom a constant stream of stimuli inhibits the possibility of deep concentration and the emergence of insight.
§ People who have just gone through a period of intense work or personal stress and need not entertainment, but genuine, physical, and mental recovery in the natural world.
§ Teams working remotely or digitally who, from time to time, need to spend time together in person to get to know one another better and strengthen their “team spirit” in a natural setting, rather than just interacting through screens.
This weekend is not for those seeking only entertainment or a luxurious getaway. It is designed for people who consciously choose a brief but profound break from constant screen-based connectivity. Participants must be 18 years of age or older.
🍁 Three-Day Program
Friday
§ 5:00 PM – Arrival, tea, and an introductory discussion in a group circle
§ 6:00 PM – Phones are turned in for safe storage (see the section “How the Unpluging Works”)
§ 7:00 PM – Communal dinner prepared with local, seasonal ingredients
§ 9:00 PM – A peaceful evening spent away from work-related conversations by the old oak altar, a quiet moment under the starry sky or with a favorite book
§ 10:30 PM – Time for sleep
Saturday
§ 8:00 a.m. – A gentle morning: breathing exercises, light stretching
§ 9:00 a.m. – Breakfast prepared together in a quiet, mindful setting
§ 9:45 – Kneading sourdough rye bread dough and lighting the Pompeii oven (the dough will rise and bake while other activities are taking place)
§ 10:00 – A walk through the woods and fields with no specific destination, simply observing the surroundings
§ 12:00 – Reflections on “screen fatigue” and the transformative implications of digital daily life
§ 1:00 PM – Art therapy
§ 3:00 PM – Cooking lunch together, with everyone contributing their own part. Shaping and baking bread rolls, tasting fresh bread at the communal table
§ 5:00 PM – Holistic sauna treatments and rituals: five hours of aromatherapy, contrast therapy, skin exfoliation, birch whisks, bathing, skin nourishment, and other treatments
§ 10:30 PM – Rest and sleep
Sunday
§ 8:00 a.m. – Morning exercises
§ 10:00 a.m. – Breakfast prepared together
§ 11:00 a.m. – Walk in nature
§ 12:00 – Farewell circle: what useful insights and action plans will we take with us as we return to our transformed daily lives
§ 1:00 PM – Pick up phones and depart
Note: This is a flexible program that may be adjusted based on weather conditions and participants’ actual needs.
The main principle of the program cycle is a short, intensive 2–3-day weekend format with a strict, pre-announced cell phone policy and a packed schedule of activities, as research shows that the first and second days are the hardest (anxiety, poor sleep, the reflexive urge to “check” for messages), while the turning point occurs on the third day, when attention spans lengthen and participants begin to notice their surroundings and calm down.
🍁 How the Unpluging Process Works
Upon arrival, phones are placed in a lockable cabinet with individual compartments. Every evening, a twenty-minute window is set aside to check the most important messages, so loved ones or work are never left without contact. A single landline number provided by the organizer is available all weekend for emergencies. Before the program begins, participants sign a brief agreement covering voluntary participation, respect for other participants, confidentiality regarding shared personal insights, and a commitment to adhere to the phone policy.
Agreement on the temporary storage of cell phones and other electronic devices—see link.
🍁 The Ritual of Baking Bread in a Pompeian Oven
One of the most meaningful rituals of this weekend is the rye bread and rolls, kneaded by the participants themselves, leavened with natural sourdough, and baked in the Pompeii oven. This is not just a culinary experience: scientists who have studied the effects of sourdough bread-baking workshops have found a significant improvement in mood, reduced stress and anxiety, increased relaxation, and a stronger sense of connection with nature, all brought about by a multisensory experience: the aroma of the sourdough, the motions of kneading, the warmth of the fire, and the sight of freshly baked bread. Working with dough by hand is similar to meditation. It requires full attention to the here and now, naturally pushing aside the usual whirlwind of thoughts.
In Lithuanian culture, bread has never been merely food. It has been and remains a symbol of community, hospitality, and well-being: sharing it signified friendship, and the round shape of the loaf symbolized the sun and the cycle of the world. By baking bread together, participants not only create something tangible with their own hands - they join a long, quiet lineage of generations in which food was prepared slowly, patiently, and collectively, not by pressing a single button on an app. Fresh, still-warm bread is served at a communal table - it’s one of the coziest moments of the weekend, when the group gathers together, sharing not only the loaf but also conversation.
What You’ll Take Home
The effects of “unplugging” are felt even after the weekend:
§ Deeper, more restful sleep - two nights without blue light and the constant stream of nighttime notifications help the nervous system fully relax for the first time in a long while.
§ Regained ability to concentrate - after the weekend, most participants notice that work tasks require less effort, and their minds wander less often.
§ Reduced background anxiety -physical relaxation during the sauna ritual and time spent in nature leave you feeling noticeably calmer for several days after returning.
§ A concrete, proven plan for setting boundaries with your phone in everyday life, you return not only refreshed, but also with a real tool for digital detox and an action plan, not just good intentions.
§ A renewed connection with yourself and the people around you - whether through conversation, thought, or silence experienced without the mediation of a screen, lingers in your memory long after the trip, unlike a typical vacation.
Three days spent in the great outdoors and in the authentic heat of a sauna offer something a week by the sea with your phone in hand cannot: not entertainment, but renewal (a digital detox).
Reserve your spot today, every day spent without a digital break is a day when your attention belongs to something other than yourself.
🍁 What’s Included in the Price
§ Accommodation (two nights) in an ethnographic cottage (two rooms, a bathroom, three beds, and six mattresses), in the sauna loft (six mattresses), or in the chapel (six mattresses). Bedding (pillows, pillowcases, blankets, and sleeping bags) is provided on-site. You’ll be able to light the stove in the rooms yourself using firewood.
§ Meals (vegetarian breakfast, lunch, and dinner are prepared communally)
§ Guided holistic sauna treatments and rituals
§ Art therapy
§ Breathing, exercise, and reflection practices, as well as guided walks
§ Cell phone storage service and emergency response protocol
🍁 What to Bring
Warm, comfortable clothing for walks, swimwear for the sauna, and most importantly - an open mind for an experience where there’s no room for screens.
🍁 Price and group size
120 € per person - a full weekend package including lodging, meals, a sauna ritual, and guided activities.
Groups consist of six to ten participants so that everyone feels noticed and the experience remains intimate and personal.
Space is limited, so your reservation is confirmed only after paying a portion of the price in advance (a deposit of 60 Eur; see the booking form below). If the event is canceled due to unforeseen circumstances, you will be notified no later than two days before the event, and your advance payment will be refunded to the specified account.
🍁 Reservation Form and Advance Payment
“Unplug” digital detox weekends are scheduled for the second half of each month. You can book in advance by filling out the reservation form for the following upcoming “Unplug” weekend dates: September 25–27, 2026; October 30–November 1, 2026; November 27–29, 2026.
Note: If you have trouble filling out the form, please call or send a text message with the subject “Atsijungimas” to 062095101 (Darius).
🍁 Leaders
Prof. Darius Plikynas (Vilnius University, Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics), village resident (tel. 062095101, email: darius.plikynas@gmail.com).
For many years, I worked in a digital technology environment, spending more than 10 hours a day in front of three screens, with a phone nearby, and often spending my free time in front of a screen as well after a mentally demanding workday. Unfortunately, our bodies have limited resources, and after several years, my health began to decline. I sought ways to naturally recover from the fatigue, stress, lack of concentration, and feelings of emptiness and meaninglessness caused by screens and the digital environment. To that end, I created a natural, rustic space as close to nature as possible, where I gladly share my experience and knowledge and, as much as I can, help others in their quest for a healthier, more meaningful, and fuller life not just on screens...
Justina Kamarauskaitė: artist, teacher, and creator.
🍁Useful links for participants
I. About the TuoTuEsi Village
§ Holistic sauna experience - the main page about the 5-hour sauna ritual, aromatherapy, whisking, contrast treatments, and prices: tuotuesi.lt/tuotuesi/pirtinimas
§ Rentals: cottage and guest house -information on accommodation options (cottage living room, entire cottage, sauna loft, guest house) and prices for groups of various sizes: tuotuesi.lt/tuotuesi/nuoma
§ How to get there - exact address, distance from Vilnius (~70 km) and Kaunas (~95 km), navigation tips (GPS gives incorrect directions via Laumėnai, so it’s important to follow the instructions): tuotuesi.lt/tuotuesi/pirtinimas/kaip-atvykti
§ Reviews - experiences shared by past participants about sauna rituals and the atmosphere of the village: tuotuesi.lt/tuotuesi/pirtinimas/atsiliepimai
§ Nature Hikes - information on additional walking and hiking trails around the village (Labanoras Forest, Lake Alnis): tuotuesi.lt/tuotuesi/žygiai
§ Festivals and events - an archive of past community events and festive weekends: tuotuesi.lt/tuotuesi/šventės
II. Scientific Research on the Benefits of Digital Detox and Nature Therapy
§ The effect of forest therapy (shinrin-yoku) on cortisol levels - a systematic review and meta-analysis confirming a significant reduction in the stress hormone following time spent in a forest environment: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31001682
§ Forest therapy and preventive medicine (2026) - the latest review on the effects of shinrin-yoku on the immune and nervous systems: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12921901
§ A systematic review of Attention Restoration Theory - the scientific basis for why natural environments restore the ability to concentrate: tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10937404.2016.1196155
§ The Impact of Baking Sourdough Bread on Well-Being (University of Oxford) - a study on how working with dough by hand influences relaxation and a sense of connection with nature: psy.ox.ac.uk/publications/2093528
§ Definition and Research on Digital Detox (Wikipedia, with references) - a general overview of the effects of digital disconnection: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_detox
§ BBC Travel: The Rise of Digital Detox Weekends Around the World - a journalistic overview with expert commentary on the reasons behind the popularity of this type of getaway: bbc.com/travel/article/20250507
§ Global Wellness Institute: Wellness Tourism Trends for 2026 - an overview of the rise of heat rituals and digital detox in the global wellness market: globalwellnessinstitute.org