Sensory Lab
We consider Sensory Academy to be a laboratory for your learning process through awareness and experimentation.
At our homestead in wilderness surroundings everything is set for you to explore your sensory systems. Here, you can examine how selected stimuli affect your own neuro responses, and learn about your own sensory capacities, limitations and needs.
Our activity-based content is built around a nature-connectednes approach which fits the unique, remote, rural, arctic settings. It revolves around
Any visit to this homestead is based on collaborative, shared principles. You take part in everyday life as it really is in this place. Shared facilities make for a participatory approach, with a community building perspective. You may very likely experience meaningful encounters and make new friends if other guests are here simultaneously.
Digital interfaces
Despite appearances, we’re not out to renounce modern technology and digital solutions. To any extent technological/digital solutions can help us help you in a sustainable way, we welcome them.
Arctic Homestead Experience: Analogue version
We draw upon eight pillars, which can can be seen as core values, as well as concrete principles of practice and work.
At the homestead, our core activities are based on analogue activities in IRL nature, preferably with a focus on connectedness, interconnectedness, and the growth, harvesting and processing of the natural ressources we need, in other words: consumption and human growth by sustainable design.
Eight specific praxis methods are encompassed at our homestead, and in our logo.
These eight pillars of Sensory Academy are rooted in different phrameworks, but their combined «wholeness» is what we believe makes this place a safe and meaningful home away from home.
Diversity and regenerative outlook
We welcome diversity and start by trying to contibute to the development of biodiversity in three dimensions, which is of essential significance to dealing with climate challenge on a personal Action Design level.
Being of service to
The founder of Sensory Academy stands with one leg firmly planted in health sciences, and the other in the experience economy business, with the result being that Sensory Academy is inspired by both domains and thus forms a hybrid. Sensory Academy is, although a commercial hospitality hosting location, also strongly value-driven, and theory-based in the humanities. With a solid grounding in health theories, we apply methods and principles from health sciences and a cross disciplinary practice field to provide a health promoting framework for sharing space, content and community with our guests and clients. Our outlook on this (less commercial, and more «co creation» and «sharing economy» inspired) perspective roots in the «service dominant logic» explored in particular by Robert Lusch and Stephen Vargo, and we dedicate ourselves to offering a value proposition, not to a «market» of «consumers«, but to this global «service ecosystem» of «co-creators«, ultimately making our guests «participants«, never «customers«.
Ordinary, simple work
We take pride in the fact that this place is SIMPLE. Here, we cut the tree, we stack the firewood, we get the firewood, we light the fire, we check the oven. We repeat. We look at the weather forecast. We look at the sky. We predict snow… or fail at it. We sit by the campfire. Together. We hike the mountains. Then we snowshoe through the snow. We watch the northern lights. We row the rowboat on to the fiord. We catch fish. Or not. We pull the rowboat back up onto the shore. We fillet the fish. Or find something else to eat. We prepare it. And eat it too. We pick berries. We make jam. And eat it all waay too soon. We pick flowers. We smell the flowers. We ferment. We dry. Then we ice fish. Or not. We bake bread. We visit the neighbours. We host our guests. We host our space. We feed and caress the cat. We appreciate sunrises. We enjoy sunsets. We take days off. We work hard. We get up and light a fire. We sit in silence. We sing out loud, when no one hears us.
Occupational science
Occupational science is our essential theoretic foundation. It is based on the idea that human occupation is vital to thriving. Activity therefore becomes means as well as goal itself. We consider occupation – or activity – to be a universal human right (occupational justice). So we aim to make as much of our facilities as universally accesible as possible. And open to the idea, that activity can be many things…. including non-action…
Human being, doing, becoming & belonging
Our approach to health, goes through the term «occupation» and is four-sided, because it’s based on four principles, or manifestations. We call this the HD3B-approach: Human Doing, Being, Becoming and Belonging. Get better acquainted with your own sensory profile, your way of being human, doing, becoming and belonging, while you surrender yourself to the impressive powers of Arctic nature.Sensory Academy presents you with an amazing space… for you to disconnect & reconnect, while achieving new insights and skills about senses and stimuli… Imagine getting the opportunity to really have the time, the awareness and the knowledge to understand how and why your SENSES, and the way you process stimuli, are connected to every challenge and pleasure of your daily life… to everybody’s behavior and life choices… When it comes to thriving and life quality in general, we’re usually so focused on superior cognitive and emotional processes…mind, thoughts, emotions…as if they were detached from our essential self… or as if they would in fact BE our essential self. When they are merely neurological response. We seem to forget they root way deeper. Every experience we have, origins from our fundamental existence as sensory beings in a world of stimuli… overwhelmed, underwhelmed, or in balance… Our needs, wishes, pleasures, pains, aspirations, worries, conflicts… in the end, every one of these point back to our basic sensory condition. Imagine going home from a visit with us, carrying a new and completely awesome toolbox, along with enhanced navigational skills for everyday life, whether at work or at home…
Sensory Integration theory (neuro science)
(content is under construction)
Contemplative practices
Sensory Academy is not affiliated with any religious teism, although we acknowledge and respect people’s spiritual beliefs as individually and collectively meaningfull. We ask of all guests and participants the same acknowlegement and respect. Multiple studies and decades of research confirm actual beneficial health effects from contemplative practices, and at Sensory Academy we sometimes introduce generically adaptable phrameworks actively and pragmatic, to work towards enhanced sensory awareness, without this being attributed to a specific «dogma», even less «guru».
The location of our educational retreat centre, Solli Farm, is specifically chosen due to strict sensory criteria, such as a rich spectrum of natural sensory stimuli, along with the absence of sensory «pollution», visual, auditive or otherwise… This, we think, offers our guests optimal conditions for the personal work and recreation you come here to do.
Ethics
At Sensory Academy, the ethical dimension is woven into the mere fabric of the vision. For instance, our ambitions towards sustainable development, is what constitues an ethical dimension. As is our search for scientific validity and reliability in what we «preach n’ practice». Thus, we are clear on which choices we make, and the consequenses of them. On one hand some might bring forth better quality in our solutions, on the other hand, some might reduce your sense of immediate satisfaction and effortlessnes. This isn’t a luxurious resort. We remain immensely dedicated to contributing as best we can, to the steady, sustainable development of human impact on planet earth, and of humanity. In the etikk chapter, you can read more about which concrete actions we take in everyday life in accordance with the UN 17 goals for sustainable development, which are part of UN Resolution 70/1, the 2030 Agenda. It’s in Norwegian, though.