8-day retreat PLAYtoGROW:
Experience permaculture with all your senses.
With the PLAYtoGROW method and the haptic Infinity Tools, we playfully immerse ourselves in the logic of nature. We learn to read the landscape, actively participate on-site, and together create a vibrant ecosystem. Through Contextcraft and Design Thinking methods, you translate the code of nature and the principles of permaculture into your own life and work. It's a time for true regeneration and renewed clarity in the healing stillness of Ambas Dham.
- When: April 22–29, 2026
- Where: Ambas Dham, Piedmont (Italy)
- Places: Strictly limited to 10 participants
- Investment: €1,120 total
(€600 program & tools + €520 organic full board & accommodation)
We begin by observing closely: We read the landscape, recognize patterns and dynamics of nature, and understand biomimicry as a design principle. Using the Infinity Tools, we construct and relate the three ethical pillars (Earth Care, People Care, Fair Share) and the twelve principles of permaculture within the space. In doing so, we delve deeply into the elements: We explore how humus is formed and how organisms work behind the scenes, understand how water shapes the landscape and stores energy, and experience how, in the Kon-Tiki, controlled fire transforms organic material into nourishing biochar – a key building block for living Terra Preta soils.
We bring knowledge directly into the earth and transform the land. During Permablitz, the garden awakens: We prepare beds, spread compost, apply mulch, and feel the texture and moisture of the soil in our hands. Together, we plant seeds and seedlings, create fruit tree communities (companion planting), and learn why diversity brings stability. The immediate surroundings are also included as we mindfully collect wild herbs and understand their functions in the ecosystem as indicator plants, as well as food and medicinal plants.
To fully process our experiences, we consolidate our insights and collaboratively design a model of a fictional garden. At the end of the retreat, we broaden our perspective: Using methods from design thinking and our Infinity Tools, we transfer the principles of permaculture from nature directly into your personal living and working space. In this way, permaculture becomes a true compass for your own context.
Systems thinker & life designer
To understand permaculture not just as gardening, but as a mindset for a regenerative life.
Garden visionaries & doers
Those seeking in-depth design knowledge and wanting to learn practically how to transform landscapes and gardens into functioning ecosystems.
nature lovers
Those seeking a powerful place for deepening, expansion, retreat and genuine encounter in a small community.
And of course, everyone who wants to ;)
The seclusion of Valle Antrona creates a natural barrier against the noise of everyday life and opens up a vast space for radical concentration. Here you move within a mature collection of traditional stone houses, transformed with deep devotion into a place of retreat.
The place breathes the raw, honest energy of the mountains while simultaneously offering the protective comfort of a home for the soul. A light-filled temple space forms the tranquil center for our collaborative work, while the surrounding wilderness, with its waterfalls and nearby Lake Antrona, serves as a living textbook of nature. Ambas Dham is a place between worlds, inviting you to leave the beaten path. Here you will find the peace to not only conceive regenerative visions but to deeply anchor them in your actions, amidst the stillness of the high Alps.
Ambhas Dham
in Cheggio · Valle Antrona · Piedmont
Flow
10 minutes on foot
Beautiful lakes
in the neighborhood
PLAYtoGROW Permaculture Retreat in Piedmont
Dates: April 22 (arrival at noon) – April 29, 2026 (departure at noon).
Retreat program design: 600 euros per person (incl. 8 days PLAYtoGROW Permaculture conception, implementation & support by Solarpunk NOW, Infinity Tools and all working materials).
Accommodation and meals: 520 euros per person (accommodation in twin or multi-bed rooms including vegetarian/vegan organic full board). This amount is payable on site.
Note: Arrival and departure are to be arranged independently.
Unsere Workshop-Spielregeln (Storno)
Da die Plätze streng auf 10 limitiert sind und es Verpflegung gibt, brauchen wir gegenseitige Planungssicherheit. Wir machen es fair, transparent und auf Augenhöhe:
1. Der Solarpunk-Joker (Ticket-Übertragung)
Dein Ticket ist zu 100 % übertragbar! Wenn du kurzfristig krank wirst, gib dein Ticket einfach an eine Kollegin oder einen Freund weiter. Schreib uns einfach kurz den neuen Namen.
2. Wenn du stornieren musst (Rücktritt)
- Bis 27 Tage vor dem Event: 100 % Erstattung.
- Bis 14 Tage vor dem Event: 50 % Erstattung.
- Weniger als 7 Tage vor dem Event: Keine Erstattung möglich (aber Ticket-Weitergabe erlaubt!).
3. Wenn wir stornieren müssen
Sollten wir krankheitsbedingt ausfallen oder die Mindestteilnehmerzahl (8 Personen) bis 7 Tage vorher nicht erreichen, sagen wir ab. Du erhältst sofort 100 % deines Geldes zurück oder buchst kostenfrei um. (Bereits gebuchte Reisekosten können wir leider nicht erstatten).
Agnes Friedrich & Denny Ehrlich
The founding duo of Solarpunk NOW puts the design of living systems directly into your hands. Agnes (permaculture designer) and Denny (systems innovator) have developed PLAYtoGROW, a method that combines design thinking with ecological principles. This makes complex relationships tangible and empowers you to understand the logic of nature and flexibly apply this knowledge to your everyday life.
Bhavani Devi is our host for the permaculture course in Piedmont. Guardian of this special place, she is rooted in a deep connection to nature and a practiced healer. Having grown up amidst spiritual traditions and wild landscapes, she has followed the path of medicine for many years and brings profound experience in facilitating ritual spaces.
With mindful presence, she holds the space for our time together, designs cacao ceremonies, and accompanies us with ritual singing by the fire.
