Explore Community weekends AT JUST LOVE FOREST
“Community is much more than belonging to something; it’s about doing something together that makes belonging matter.”
Community Weekend is the heartbeat of Just Love Forest
Once each month, friends old and new gather on the land to share a simple rhythm of satsang, service, nature connection, music, rest, and meaningful conversation. Together we care for the forest, share meals, sit around fires, sing, walk the trails, and remember the quiet medicine of being together in a sincere way.
You’re welcome to participate as fully or as gently as you like. Some come to lend hands in service. Some come to rest and reconnect. Most come for both.
Our intention is to create a space that feels human, grounded, and real, where community is not something performed, but something lived.
The arc of the weekend
Community Weekend is designed as an open doorway into the life of Just Love Forest. Some who gather with us have been returning for years, while others are arriving for the very first time to simply get a taste and feel the spirit of this land. We hold both with equal warmth. This is a weekend where new faces are gently welcomed and familiar ones are greeted like family, all meeting in a shared atmosphere of kindness, curiosity, and care.
Unlike our retreats, which invite a full-weekend immersion, Community Weekend is intentionally spacious and flexible. It is the one time when you’re welcome to come for a single evening, a day, or the full weekend. Whether you join us for Friday night under the trees, a full Saturday of connection and service, or a quiet Sunday in nature, you’re invited to experience the forest in the way that feels most natural and accessible to you. Many come for a first glimpse and return again and again.
Friday Ram Dass satsang Gatherings
What to expectOur Friday evening Ram Dass Satsang is an Ashram-inspired gathering rooted in the lineage of Neem Karoli Baba and the teachings of Ram Dass. Together we explore a selected passage from one of Ram Dass’ books, reflecting on how the teachings meet our own lives right now.
This is not an academic study, but a shared inquiry. We listen, we speak honestly from our own experience, and we allow the forest itself to be part of the conversation.
We weave in a little kirtan, simple, heartfelt chanting, and close the evening with a guided meditation, inviting the mind to settle and the heart to soften.
Whether you are deeply familiar with the lineage or simply curious, you are warmly welcome. No prior experience is needed just an open heart and a willingness to be present.
SATURDAY SERVICE DAY
What to expect Saturday is our community service day. It’s a time when we care for the land together and, in doing so, care for one another. This is a gentle, inclusive space where people of all ages, backgrounds, abilities, and experience levels can participate in meaningful ways.
There is always a range of tasks available, from light and meditative to more active and hands-on. Some may find themselves tending gardens, walking trails, preparing shared spaces, or assisting with simple land stewardship projects. Others may simply lend presence, conversation, or quiet attention to the rhythm of the day. Every contribution matters.
You are invited to come exactly as you are. No special skills are required, and there is no pressure to do more than feels right for your body and energy. We move at a human pace, take breaks when needed, and share time in conversation, belly laughs and quiet connection with the forest.
Service here is not about productivity alone. It is a practice of belonging. It’s a way of forming relationship with the land, with each other, and with the simple joy of offering our hands and hearts in care.
Saturday night sound and song circle
What to expect On Saturday evening we gather in a simple circle of sound and song. This is not a performance space, but a shared and welcoming one. This is a place to explore the human voice as a bridge to connection, courage, and presence.
All are welcome here, regardless of musical experience or confidence. Some may feel moved to sing, play an instrument, share a chant, or offer a poem. Others may prefer to listen, hum quietly, or simply rest in the collective atmosphere of sound. Every way of participating is valued.
Together we create a gentle field where voices can emerge without pressure or expectation. It is often in these relaxed, supportive spaces that people discover new confidence, rediscover old songs within themselves, or feel the simple joy of making sound in community.
The evening unfolds organically. Sometimes it’s playful, sometimes meditative, always rooted in kindness and mutual encouragement. What matters most is not how something sounds, but that it is shared with sincerity and received with care.
Sunday shinrin-yoku Nature and forest therapy
What to expect Sunday invites a gentle return into relationship with the living world through our Nature and Forest Therapy experience, inspired in part by the Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing. This is a slow, sensory-based journey of remembering that we are not separate from nature, but an intimate part of it.
We begin the day with a warm welcome and unhurried arrival. Guests are greeted by founder Bala in the yurt for deep introductions and a simple rose tea ceremony, creating space to arrive not only to the land, but to one another. From there, we share a nourishing lunch before moving into the afternoon’s forest therapy journey.
Over the course of approximately three hours, you’ll be guided through gentle invitations that awaken the senses — touch, sound, sight, taste, intuition — and open pathways for authentic connection with the forest. Along the way, you’ll hear stories and history of the land, deepening a sense of place and belonging. There is no hiking goal or destination; we move slowly, allowing the forest itself to set the pace and become the teacher.
We close our time together with a shared forage tea gathered from the land, a tradition that changes with each month and season. This final circle offers a moment to reflect, integrate, and savor the subtle yet profound ways nature meets us when we take the time to truly listen.
“The purpose of community is not simply to make us feel comfortable, but to help us grow into who we truly are.”
EXPLORE COMMUNITY WEEKENDS
Explore Community Weekends
If something in you softens as you read this. Maybe its a sense of curiosity, a quiet longing, or simply the feeling that you’d like to experience the forest for yourself, we invite you to follow that thread.
Community Weekend is often the simplest way to come say hello. Whether you join us for a single gathering or an entire weekend, this is a gentle entry point into the life and rhythm of Just Love Forest.
Visit this link to explore upcoming Community Weekends and find a time that aligns with your calendar. When the moment feels right, we’ll be here to welcome you.