Teacher

Riikonen Juha

I am a full-time teacher at Valamo College, TT Juha Riikonen. I teach theological subjects. My courses of responsibility are related to the Orthodox lifestyle, such as “Get to know Orthodoxy” and “Do I feel like an Orthodox?” I also teach retreat courses. My special expertise is related to church history. In my second profession, I am a historian. My doctoral dissertation dealt with the canonical, or church administrative, dispute between the Finnish Orthodox Archbishopric and the Moscow Patriarchate in the years 1945–1957. The topic is very topical again, as the political situation in Europe has become tense due to the war in Ukraine. My hometown of Ilomantsi and Karelianism are an important part of my identity.

Teacher

Koistinen Minna

I am Minna Koistinen from Heinävesi, a nature guide, a Forest Mind guide, a Master of Theology and a Bachelor of Arts, and I am also currently studying to become a natural product advisor. I work as a textile work guide for people with intellectual disabilities and mental health rehabilitation and do nature guidance as a light entrepreneur.

Graduating as a nature guide in the spring of 2023 was a great way to combine everything I had done in my life up until that point and everything I had accumulated over the years. Nature is a diverse treasure trove, which already serves as a place of refreshment and recovery for us. In addition, nature offers many craft materials and ingredients for natural cosmetics - nature supports human well-being in many ways.

Nature offers people the opportunity to stop in the present moment. Lately, I have been thinking a lot about why it is so difficult for people to ground themselves in the present moment, the mind likes to tinker in the past or the future. In nature, orientation to the present moment happens automatically, which is why when walking on forest paths, the mind calms down and the feeling is peaceful, then you can tell yourself that with every step I have already arrived, being is here and now.