We are Avarana

working from the outside in

Avarana is the result of our professional experience and personal passion for people and planet.

We have worked across Asia, Africa and Europe in the areas of sustainable development, environmental protection, human rights and peace building since the early 2000’s. We have come to the conclusion that working with business, public sector, other organisations and individuals on their reason for existence and putting that to work will also make this world a better place. Our own purpose and interests remain unchanged. We want to see a better world for everyone and ensure that the planet is able to sustain us into the future. What is different in Avarana is our approach.

In 2001, while Sami was working in Northern Namibia on a small environmental project, Annamari was finishing her studies at Oxford University and travelled to Northern India, where she first came to contact with yoga.

The summer of 2006 took us on our respective paths to live in the UK. After finishing his term with UNDP in Ethiopia, Sami joined WWF UK to start his 11 year career with the organization globally. Annamari’s move to London was the start of her six years of living and breathing the pulse of the big city, working in a consultancy and finally with Amnesty International’s International Secretariat.

We met in Bhutan in 2012, which is also where we first lived and worked together, and where we married in 2015. You can read more about our life in Bhutan from this article (Venlan Gloria artikkeli PDF). Following a round the world honeymoon in 2016, we continued our work in the areas of environment, peace and constitution-building in Myanmar. We have both worked across Asia and Africa with everyone ranging from small community organizations, small to multinational companies, governments, high-level politicians to academics and activists. Both of us have served the United Nations, worked for the private sector, and in small civil society organizations. From Ethiopia to Myanmar, our professional efforts have been directed at securing a better future with and for people living in complex environments. This has not always been easy, but throughout the years we have remained optimistic. We’ve led programmes and teams in different parts of the world, and large initiatives that aim to solve some of the biggest environmental and governance challenges faced by human-kind. Conclusion of all this. At the end of the day, it all boils down to people.

Already when we met, the practice of yoga had been an important part of each of our lives.  Together, we have continued to develop and deepen our practice of yoga and meditation, as well as understanding of Buddhist traditions. In 2018, we decided to take our practice to the next level by completing a Yoga Alliance Certified 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training with Paul Dallaghan at Centered Yoga, Thailand. Since then, we have continued our studies with yin yoga and yoga philosophy, amongst others. Our practice of yoga and meditation has played a key role in informing our approach to work, and helped us to centre our own purpose within working-life. We now share our practice at Studio Yin, Movement Centre, and private classes in Helsinki. We also organise retreats related to yoga, improvement of physical and mental wellbeing.

In 2018, we returned to Finland, our home country, and set up this company. Avarana is the evolution of our individual and shared journeys. We want use our practical experience combined with cutting-edge research to support individuals and organisations to perform with purpose. We want people and business to profit, while taking care of people and planet. Decisions, investments and actions, good or bad,  always come back to people. We in Avarana believe that people want to make good choices. The alternatives and pathways to get there exist. We want to work with you to uncover them and put them into action. We go for the journey with you. Mind your business – operate from a place of purpose. That’s us.