THIS IS US

WILD NAYA ACADEMY 2026 – Let’s Jam
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A personal invitation from us - Bernadette & Canny
Hello, beautiful soul,
We are Bernadette Schwarz and Canny Schmitz, and we are thrilled to share with you the announcement of the next WILD NAYA ACADEMY 2026 - Let's Jam.
Yes - WILD NAYA continues to live on. 
And it evolves. With us. With you. And with what the world needs right now.

After the third Academy, a big question arose for us:
Do we continue - or do we let it go?
It was time for a pause. Time to listen inwardly. Time to realign.

For a while, no one came forward to carry the concept on - but deep down, we knew:

WILD NAYA is not over.
Encouraged by many conversations with friends, family, and companions, we became aware once more of how special this space truly is.
So we decided to keep the name WILD NAYA, to protect its heart - and to wait for the right moment.

2024: Transformation & Roots
In 2024, we moved to Germany together and founded the Holistic Sound & Movement Centre at the beautiful Hariksee.

A time of arriving. Of building. Of rooting deeply.

From this new foundation, clarity began to grow within us:

The WILD NAYA ACADEMY is ready to return - in a new form.
Deeper. More authentic. More focused.

What awaits you at WILD NAYA ACADEMY 2026
In this new chapter, we are placing the focus on what moves us as musicians, sound travellers, and handpan learners:
 

Handpan workshops (3 hours in the morning)Jamming together - in duos, small groups, and the big circleOpen Mic afternoons - a chance to share your gifts in the first two days!Meet inspiring Jam Leaders who will guide you to explore and jam freely

And so much more...

Many participants of past Academies have shared how challenging group jamming can be:

When do I start? How do I hold back? What makes a piece really groove - without pressure? What if it gets overwhelming when too many people are playing together?

That's why, in 2026, our focus will be on these very questions:
 

The building blocks of jamming - clear, playful & deep

Ear training & musical sensitivity - listening rather than just hearing

Pauses, dynamics & togetherness - the space between the notes

Handpan playing techniques

Expression through movement and voice

Creative group learning

So that, by the end of the week, a shared piece of music will emerge.

We create spaces for depth, connection & lightness.
For sound, silence, and everything in between.
For you - and our shared vibration.

A place like a dream
We've found a magical location in Belgium - surrounded by nature, held by community, infused with music.
A place where we can learn, listen, laugh, jam, and grow together.

Who we are
I, Bernadette - Founder of the WILD NAYA ACADEMY, born in Graz, Austria.
For many years, I've been moving between art, intuition, and movement:

I'm an artist, special education teacher, yoga teacher, wilderness trainer, dream weaver (since 2011), NUAD massage practitioner, founder of Casa Ananda Graz - a space of diversity - and co-founder of our Holistic Sound & Movement Centre at Hariksee. I love creating spaces, being with plants, weaving wreaths, crafting small willow artworks for the garden, and painting whenever I can.

I, Canny - Artist, wilderness trainer, tattoo artist, and handpan musician.
My journey has always been guided by the worlds of music and art.
The connection to nature, the body, intuition, and creative expression shapes my life - and the way I resonate with people.
My music is born in the moment - sensitive, honest, and full of heart.

If you don't know WILD NAYA yet, 2026 is the perfect time to join us.
And if you've been part of it before - you already know that something truly special awaits you.

We can't wait to meet you.
To discover, play, and create together.
To let music flow through us.
To grow through connection and shared experience.

With love,
Canny & Bernadette