experience
Just love
Febuary Hanuman Tuesdays
Hanuman Tuesdays
A weekly devotional day for gathering and practicing independently in nature
February Dates: 10th, 17th, 24th
JOIN US FOR A DONATION-BASED DAY OF INTENTION & DEVOTION AT JUST LOVE FOREST 🧡
Arrival by 10:00 AM
Day practice · Optional evening puja · Optional overnight stay
Hanuman Tuesdays are held as a quiet, devotional day for spiritual practice at Just Love Forest, a forest ashram rooted in the living traditions and lineage of Neem Karoli Baba and Ram Dass, and guided by the path of Bhakti Yoga the yoga of love, service, and devotion.
Tuesdays are traditionally dedicated to Hanuman, the embodiment of courage, humility, strength, and selfless service. We honor this through intentional conversation, simplicity, and time for personal spiritual practice on the land.
The Day
We gather at 10:00 a.m. for a brief welcome and orientation.
After introductions, we enter quiet for the remainder of the day.
Participants are invited to hike to Bhakti Mountain, a sacred 40-minute walk through the forest. At the top, you’re welcome to sit in quiet practice, read spiritual texts, reflect, pray, or simply rest in the beauty of the land.
If the walk does not feel right for you, you’re welcome to remain at Basecamp in our meditation yurt.
Independent personal practice is held from approximately 1:00–5:00 p.m.
There is no group facilitation during the silent hours; this time is yours.
Meals & Evening Options
Please bring your own lunch to enjoy quietly during the day.
You’re welcome to:
Depart quietly at 6:00 p.m., or
Stay for a simple plant-based dinner that we provide at 6:30 p.m., followed by
Puja & Aarti from 7:30–8:30 p.m., departing before the gates close at 9:00 p.m.
For those staying overnight:
Quiet hours begin at 9:00 p.m.
Morning Puja & Aarti at 6:30 a.m.
A light, plant-based breakfast that we will provide around 9:00 a.m.
Departure by 10:00 a.m.
Shared Agreements
Phones are turned off or fully silenced upon arrival to support presence and inward listening.
To preserve the peace of the land and the shared container:
No pets (unless previously discussed)
No alcohol
No smoking
Food brought onto the land must be vegan or vegetarian
This space is open to people of all faiths and backgrounds who are rooted in compassion. If devotional practices are new to you, you’re warmly welcome. Come with curiosity, humility, and an open heart.
What to Bring
Your own vegan or vegetarian lunch
A personal water bottle
Comfortable shoes with good traction
An optional small offering for the forest or Bhakti Mountain (flower, fruit, or poem)
Journal or spiritual texts (optional)
Sunscreen or rain layer if needed
Flashlight if staying past dark
Personal spiritual musical instrument (non-electronic)
If staying overnight:
Queen-size top & bottom sheets
Pillow & case
Blankets
Toiletries
Season and weather-appropriate clothing
Offering (Dāna)
Everything for this practice is offered on a donation basis to help care for the land and sustain the Ashram.
Suggested offerings:
Day pilgrimage & silent practice: Dāna any amount (optional)
Dinner & overnight stay: $30–50 suggested donation
Give what you’re able. No one is turned away for lack of funds.
Join us in the Ashram.
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN
Just Love, always,
Bala & Nivay
February Just Love Forest Ashram Community Weekend: Meditation, Service, Sound Circle & Forest Therapy
Immerse yourself in a weekend filled with meditation, service, a drum circle, and forest therapy, all within the warm embrace of our vibrant community. Connect with like-minded individuals and experience the healing power of nature and human connection.
Whether you're seeking relaxation, inner peace, or simply a chance to unwind in the company of wonderful people, this weekend promises to rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit. Come join us as we embark on a journey of self-discovery and collective harmony.
We can't wait to share this enriching experience with you. See you there!
February meditation: Guided FRIDAY NIGHT Meditation & SATURDAY MORNING SILENT MEDITATION
🌟 Friday – Meditation Overnight
JOIN US FOR A DONATION-BASED Meditation Overnight AT THE JUST LOVE FOREST ASHRAM 🧡
4:30 PM Arrival
Just Love Forest is held as a Forest Ashram, open to all, but rooted in the living traditions and lineage of the great Indian saint Neem Karoli Baba, and following the path of Bhakti Yoga, the yoga of love.
Our Friday Evening Meditation Retreats are donation-based. Everyone is welcome. Simply offer what you can to help us offset food costs and maintain the space.
Each evening will include:
Guided Meditation with Mitch – open to all paths, lineages, and traditions.
Pooja & Aarti Ceremony – an ancient Hindu Vedic practice honoring the elements and the four directions.
This sacred space is open to people of all faiths. If you feel called, you may bring a sacred object from your own tradition with a spiritualist, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, or otherwise to place on the altar and receive blessings.
If these practices are new to you, don’t be afraid. Come with curiosity, come to learn, come to share in community. Our invitation is simple: all hearts are welcome.
As part of this we will offer an Indian food dinner before our meditation. You're welcome to come for the evening and depart around 8pm or stay overnight in one of our canvas bell tents, all donation based.
Saturday morning we will wake up and offer a silent meditation from 7:00am - 8:00am and then Pooja & Aarti Ceremony again from 8:00-8:30am, followed by breakfast.
Join us in the forest. Breathe. Sit. Pray. Share the sacred.
Everything for this event is donation-based. We appreciate your support of our efforts.
Bala and Mitch are all certified Mindfulness Meditation Teachers, graduated from Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach's 2-year Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certificate Program through the Awareness Training Institute and the University of Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center. As part of this 2-year program, they completed a 6-month DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity, and Accountability) training.
February Service and Community Gardening Day
Many people arrive with a quiet desire to serve, paired with uncertainty about whether they have the “right” skills to offer. Saturday Service Day at Just Love Forest exists for exactly this place of curiosity.
This day is not about arriving with expertise. It is about arriving as you are - open, willing, and interested in discovering new ways to contribute. Each person brings something different: strength, patience, attentiveness, creativity, or simply a readiness to learn. Every form of participation is valued.
Together, participants care for the living systems that support both the land and the community. There is always ongoing work in the community garden, along with seasonal trail and grounds care, and special building projects designed to be accessible to a wide range of ages and abilities. Everyone is encouraged to choose work that feels safe and comfortable for them. While learning is welcomed, personal safety and well-being always come first.
Service at Just Love Forest is not measured by productivity or output. It is understood as a pathway to purpose and interdependence - a way of remembering that community is built when people allow themselves to both offer support and receive it. Often, participants discover abilities they did not know they had simply by working alongside others.
The day includes time to work, pause, connect, and share a nourishing meal together. By the end of the afternoon, the land is more cared for, and so is the sense of belonging among those who gathered.
Saturday Service Day
Arrive by 10:30 AM
Lunch is provided for free and is vegan and plant-based
Please bring work gloves and sturdy shoes
Participants are encouraged to choose work that feels safe and comfortable
Most tools are provided; any additional requests will be shared in advance
If not staying for the evening sound and song program, participants should plan to depart at 4 PM
No special skills are required to take part. Presence, care, and willingness are what make the day meaningful.
We will contact you with exact details of the work projects the week before our gathering.
February Song & Sound Circle
Song & Sound Circle
Many people arrive at the Sound & Song Circle carrying a quiet longing to connect, paired with uncertainty about whether they have a “good voice,” musical experience, or anything to offer.
This gathering exists precisely for that tender edge.
The Sound & Song Circle is not a performance space. It is a shared listening space—one where voices, instruments, silence, and simple presence are all equally welcome. Some participants sing freely. Others hum softly, keep rhythm, or simply sit and receive the sound. Every way of being is valued.
Together, we create a field of sound that is less about making music and more about feeling resonance—within ourselves, with one another, and with the forest around us. Songs may be simple chants, familiar melodies, improvised tones, or wordless sound. Instruments are welcome, but not required. Your voice, breath, or attentive listening is enough.
There is no pressure to sing alone, lead, or share unless you feel called. You are always free to participate in the way that feels safest and most nourishing for you. Many people discover that their voice naturally emerges over time, simply by being held in the collective sound.
The circle unfolds slowly, with room for pauses, laughter, emotion, and rest. The forest itself becomes part of the experience - holding the sound, echoing it back, and grounding the gathering in place.
Sound & Song at Just Love Forest is a practice of attunement and belonging. It reminds us that community is built not by perfection, but by showing up and allowing ourselves to be heard, or simply to listen, together.
By the end of the evening, many leave feeling more open, more settled, and quietly connected to something larger than themselves.
––––––––––
Sound & Song Circle
Arrive at 4:30 PM
All voices and levels of experience are welcome
Instruments are optional; listening is participation
You may sing, hum, drum, sit quietly, or come and go as needed
This is a substance-free, family-friendly gathering
If you are also attending the Service Day, participants should plan to stay on site through the evening
No musical skill is required. Presence, curiosity, and care are what make the circle meaningful.
We will share any additional details the week of the gathering.
Potluck Dinner (Vegan & Vegetarian)
Our evening begins with a shared vegan and vegetarian potluck meal. Participants are invited to bring a dish to share with the group.
We typically gather with around 15 people, so a modest dish that can serve several is perfect. Please also bring your own serving dish and serving utensils, as these are not provided on site.
If you’re new to potlucks or unsure what to bring, simple offerings are always appreciated - soups, salads, grain dishes, roasted vegetables, breads, or fruit are all wonderful choices.
Sharing a meal together is an important part of the evening, offering a chance to connect, settle in, and arrive fully before entering the Sound & Song Circle.
How Registration Works
Registration happens in two simple steps.
When you click one of the links below, you’ll first be taken to Stripe to securely submit your payment. Once your payment is complete, you’ll be automatically redirected back to our website to share a few important details so we can best support your stay.
Complete your payment
You’ll choose your contribution amount on our secure Stripe payment page.Share your details and preferences
After payment, you’ll be redirected to confirm your accommodation choice, share food preferences, complete any required waivers, and submit any questions for our team.
Payment is required before continuing to step two.
The cost for the Saturday night song and sound circle is $50+tax and includes the experience, potluck meal and optional overnight stay.
Click here to pay & then begin registration
QUESTIONS OR SPECIAL NEEDS?
We’re here for you! Contact Bala at contact@justloveforest.com for any questions or accommodations.
CONSIDER MEMBERSHIP
If you find yourself wanting to return again and again throughout the year, membership is a simple way to stay connected and supported.
Membership is for those who feel drawn to build ongoing relationships with the land and community showing up regularly, deepening friendships, and participating in the shared rhythm of service, ceremony, and care.
For $50 per month, members receive several benefits, including one of the most meaningful:
Members may attend the entire monthly Community Weekend for a flat contribution of $50.
That means you can join Friday meditation, Saturday service and song, and Sunday forest therapy without worrying about individual session costs. It’s our way of keeping these gatherings financially accessible while encouraging consistency and relationship over time.
Membership also supports the ongoing stewardship of Just Love Forest by helping care for the land, maintain shared spaces, and sustain a place where community can continue to gather with intention and heart.
There’s no pressure to attend every month. Membership simply creates a steady bridge between you and the forest, so you can come when you’re able and feel held when you do.
If you’re longing for a place to belong, not just to visit once, but to return to, membership may be the right next step.
February Green Burial Tour
“Become the Forest”
Our green burial grounds, within the embrace of the Just Love community, honor the cycles of life and death with profound reverence. Our green burial sanctuary in Poetry, Georgia, just outside of Rome, is a sacred space where nature, healing, and community intertwine. Here, surrounded by the timeless beauty of the forest, we offer green burial and cremation burial for both beloved humans and pets - a return to the earth that celebrates life.
At the heart of our work is a deep commitment to healing - through nature, ritual, and meaningful connection. Our offerings are uniquely integrated within a vibrant, nature-centered community. With the compassionate guidance of death doulas and support that honors your story, we create a space where love and transformation are held sacred.
This is more than a resting place; it is a sacred partnership with the earth, an invitation to become the forest.
We have 3 burial sites: Bhakti Mountain Summit, The Sacred Forest, and our pet burial ground, Circle of Paws. You can explore them all.
Upcoming free tours for 2026 are: February 15th, April 5th, May 24th, June 21st, August 30th, September 20th, October 18th
Emerging from Winter
Emerging from winter
A warm, late-winter overnight gathering to gently emerge from hibernation - held in a heated yurt, surrounded by care and community.
This late-winter overnight gathering is designed to be warm, gentle, and deeply nourishing, even in the heart of the cold season.
We’ll spend our time together primarily in a heated yurt, wrapped in warmth, tea, and shared presence. Outdoor time is minimal, optional, and approached slowly, with care for comfort and safety. The focus is not on enduring the cold, but on being held by the space, the practices, and the community.
Through breathwork, story, simple ceremony, shared meals, and restful sleep together, we’ll take a quiet inventory of what has shifted through the winter months and begin to sense what’s ready to re-emerge as we move toward the Spring Equinox.
Evening stargazing is weather-permitting and entirely optional, followed by a cozy return to the yurt for hot chocolate and reflective readings by candlelight. The morning unfolds gently with meditation, a slow forest walk, and warm foraged tea.
If you’ve been craving connection, grounding, and renewal, but feel unsure about winter conditions, this gathering was created with you in mind. You’ll be warm, supported, and never asked to push beyond your comfort.
Come rest. Come breathe. Come begin to wake up again, together.
Green Burial 101 Virtual Tour with Q&A
Green Burial 101: A Virtual Introduction
Join us for Green Burial 101, an online gathering exploring the beauty and simplicity of natural burial. Learn how our green cemeteries work, take a virtual tour of them, and engage in a live Q&A. Whether planning for yourself or a loved one, this session offers insights into eco-friendly burial.
Stay tuned for upcoming talks on end-of-life wishes and creating an advanced directive.
📅 Sunday, February 22nd at 1:00pm 📍 Online via Zoom | 🎟 Free – Registration required
February Hermitage Experience
Hermitage at Just Love Forest
The Hermitage at Just Love Forest is an intentional, land-based experience of solitude, simplicity, and deep listening. Rooted in a long human lineage of seekers, mystics, artists, and everyday people who stepped into periods of intentional seclusion, hermitage here offers a refuge from modern noise and distraction, inviting participants to return to clarity and presence.
Duration
Hermitage experiences are held within a shared container, with all participants beginning on the same start date. Minimum stays: eco-village is 3 days, deep forest is 4 days. This allows enough time to settle, listen, and arrive more fully. From there, the length of each stay is individualized, with end dates shaped by the participant's needs and set to the final date listed for that session. This structure allows for both continuity and flexibility, honoring different rhythms while supporting the care of the land.
Guests arrive together for orientation and an exploration of the land, then settle into quiet, solo time in either an eco-village bell tent or a more secluded forest site, with the forest itself serving as their teacher and silence as their guide. The experience is not a conventional retreat or program to complete; there is no prescribed agenda, only space to rest, reflect, create, or simply be. Hermitage is shaped collaboratively through pre-arrival consultation and held with care for both the individual and the integrity of the land.
Consultation
This 60-minute consultation is the first step in co-creating a personalized hermitage experience at Just Love Forest. After scheduling, you’ll complete a brief questionnaire to guide the conversation. Together, we’ll explore where you are, what you most need, and your intentions for retreat time. We’ll discuss timing, levels of support, and recommend a structure aligned with your energy, goals, and capacity. You’ll also have space to ask questions so you can move forward with clarity and confidence.
Consultation fee: $50
CLICK TO SCHEDULE YOUR CONSULTATION
For general questions, please don’t hesitate to connect with us at contact@justloveforest.com
MARCH Hanuman Tuesdays
HANUMAN TUESDAYS
A WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL DAY FOR GATHERING AND PRACTICING INDEPENDENTLY IN NATURE
march Dates: 3rd, 10th, 24th
JOIN US FOR A DONATION-BASED DAY OF INTENTION & DEVOTION AT JUST LOVE FOREST 🧡
Arrival by 10:00 AM
Day practice · Optional evening puja · Optional overnight stay
Hanuman Tuesdays are held as a quiet, devotional day for spiritual practice at Just Love Forest, a forest ashram rooted in the living traditions and lineage of Neem Karoli Baba and Ram Dass, and guided by the path of Bhakti Yoga the yoga of love, service, and devotion.
Tuesdays are traditionally dedicated to Hanuman, the embodiment of courage, humility, strength, and selfless service. We honor this through intentional conversation, simplicity, and time for personal spiritual practice on the land.
The Day
We gather at 10:00 a.m. for a brief welcome and orientation.
After introductions, we enter quiet for the remainder of the day.
Participants are invited to hike to Bhakti Mountain, a sacred 40-minute walk through the forest. At the top, you’re welcome to sit in quiet practice, read spiritual texts, reflect, pray, or simply rest in the beauty of the land.
If the walk does not feel right for you, you’re welcome to remain at Basecamp in our meditation yurt.
Independent personal practice is held from approximately 1:00–5:00 p.m.
There is no group facilitation during the silent hours; this time is yours.
Meals & Evening Options
Please bring your own lunch to enjoy quietly during the day.
You’re welcome to:
Depart quietly at 6:00 p.m., or
Stay for a simple plant-based dinner that we provide at 6:30 p.m., followed by
Puja & Aarti from 7:30–8:30 p.m., departing before the gates close at 9:00 p.m.
For those staying overnight:
Quiet hours begin at 9:00 p.m.
Morning Puja & Aarti at 6:30 a.m.
A light, plant-based breakfast that we will provide around 9:00 a.m.
Departure by 10:00 a.m.
Shared Agreements
Phones are turned off or fully silenced upon arrival to support presence and inward listening.
To preserve the peace of the land and the shared container:
No pets (unless previously discussed)
No alcohol
No smoking
Food brought onto the land must be vegan or vegetarian
This space is open to people of all faiths and backgrounds who are rooted in compassion. If devotional practices are new to you, you’re warmly welcome. Come with curiosity, humility, and an open heart.
What to Bring
Your own vegan or vegetarian lunch
A personal water bottle
Comfortable shoes with good traction
An optional small offering for the forest or Bhakti Mountain (flower, fruit, or poem)
Journal or spiritual texts (optional)
Sunscreen or rain layer if needed
Flashlight if staying past dark
Personal spiritual musical instrument (non-electronic)
If staying overnight:
Queen-size top & bottom sheets
Pillow & case
Blankets
Toiletries
Season and weather-appropriate clothing
Offering (Dāna)
Everything for this practice is offered on a donation basis to help care for the land and sustain the Ashram.
Suggested offerings:
Day pilgrimage & silent practice: Dāna any amount (optional)
Dinner & overnight stay: $30–50 suggested donation
Give what you’re able. No one is turned away for lack of funds.
Join us in the Ashram.
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN
Just Love, always,
Bala & Nivay
Loving Awareness retreat with sitaram dass - A Just Love Forest Ashram Spiritual Practice Retreat
Loving Awareness with sitaram dass
A Just Love Forest Ashram Spiritual Practice Retreat
Loving Awareness is an open invitation into presence itself. It is the heart practice of resting in what is here, moment by moment, and letting the wisdom of the body, the land, and the heart become our guide. This retreat offers a spacious immersion into the simple yet profound art of being awake with life as it is, without needing to fix or perform. Here at Just Love Forest we trust that the quiet of the woods, the rhythm of the seasons, and the company of kind hearts help each of us remember what we already are.
Loving Awareness is for anyone who longs to reconnect with inner spaciousness, to soften into their own ever-present love, and to meet life with clarity and compassion. Whether you come seeking renewal, grounding, insight, or simple rest, this retreat provides practices that help you come home to yourself.
This retreat is hosted by Sitaram Dass, Ram Dass’ longest term caretaker, a spiritual counselor, author, meditation teacher, kirtan singer, and longtime student of Ram Dass. Sitaram’s path is rooted in bhakti, the yoga of love and devotion, and he has dedicated his life to supporting others in waking up to the heart’s own presence. He is the director of the Sacred Community Project and the author of From and for God, a contemplative collection of spiritual writings. Throughout his work he strives to lower barriers to contemplative and devotional practices, offering accessible support, teachings, and community for seekers around the world. His presence brings warmth, grounded insight, and devotion to every moment of practice.
Over our time together at Loving Awareness we will explore practices that help us rest in the heart’s natural openness. We will move gently between guided meditation, mindful silence, movement that awakens the body, and practices rooted in presence. Forest walks and contemplative time outdoors allow the land itself to become a teacher, helping us deepen our capacity to feel, notice, and receive what arises. Evening gatherings offer shared reflection, quiet ritual, lots of kirtan, and space to integrate the day.
Some days will hold stillness. Others will invite deep listening. All will offer vastness beneath the surface of the ordinary. This retreat is not about becoming someone new but remembering someone ancient: the one who lives from the heart and meets life with warm awareness.
Loving Awareness welcomes all who come with openness and curiosity. Come with what you carry, exactly as you are. Here you will be invited to rest in love’s own awareness and to let that presence shape your experience of the world.
Registration is now open: www.justloveforest.com/lovingawareness
This weekend retreat will be followed by an optional week-long Forest Sadhana Immersion: https://sacredcommunityproject.org/forest-sadhana.
5 day Forest sadhana experience with sitaram dass & Bala
We’ve hosted the Ram Dass Summer Camp for three years now and it’s a favorite event for many. This year we’ve teamed up with a large Ram Dass-inspired community (www.sacredcommunityproject.org) to offer a much larger heartfelt gathering. Sitaram Dass, Founder of SCP, was Ram Dass’ longest caretaker. And in the process he was profoundly affected by his “Loving Awareness” and wanted to share this love through gatherings and practices in sacred community.
april meditation: Guided FRIDAY NIGHT Meditation & SATURDAY MORNING SILENT MEDITATION
🌟 Friday – Meditation Overnight
JOIN US FOR A DONATION-BASED Meditation Overnight AT THE JUST LOVE FOREST ASHRAM 🧡
4:30 PM Arrival
Just Love Forest is held as a Forest Ashram, open to all, but rooted in the living traditions and lineage of the great Indian saint Neem Karoli Baba, and following the path of Bhakti Yoga, the yoga of love.
Our Friday Evening Meditation Retreats are donation-based. Everyone is welcome. Simply offer what you can to help us offset food costs and maintain the space.
Each evening will include:
Guided Meditation with Mitch – open to all paths, lineages, and traditions.
Pooja & Aarti Ceremony – an ancient Hindu Vedic practice honoring the elements and the four directions.
This sacred space is open to people of all faiths. If you feel called, you may bring a sacred object from your own tradition with a spiritualist, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, or otherwise to place on the altar and receive blessings.
If these practices are new to you, don’t be afraid. Come with curiosity, come to learn, come to share in community. Our invitation is simple: all hearts are welcome.
As part of this we will offer an Indian food dinner before our meditation. You're welcome to come for the evening and depart around 8pm or stay overnight in one of our canvas bell tents, all donation based.
Saturday morning we will wake up and offer a silent meditation from 7:00am - 8:00am and then Pooja & Aarti Ceremony again from 8:00-8:30am, followed by breakfast.
Join us in the forest. Breathe. Sit. Pray. Share the sacred.
Everything for this event is donation-based. We appreciate your support of our efforts.
Bala and Mitch are all certified Mindfulness Meditation Teachers, graduated from Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach's 2-year Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certificate Program through the Awareness Training Institute and the University of Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center. As part of this 2-year program, they completed a 6-month DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity, and Accountability) training.
APRIL Just Love Forest Ashram Community Weekend: Meditation, Service, Sound Circle & Forest Therapy
Immerse yourself in a weekend filled with meditation, service, a drum circle, and forest therapy, all within the warm embrace of our vibrant community. Connect with like-minded individuals and experience the healing power of nature and human connection.
Whether you're seeking relaxation, inner peace, or simply a chance to unwind in the company of wonderful people, this weekend promises to rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit. Come join us as we embark on a journey of self-discovery and collective harmony.
We can't wait to share this enriching experience with you. See you there!
April Service and Community Gardening Day
Many people arrive with a quiet desire to serve, paired with uncertainty about whether they have the “right” skills to offer. Saturday Service Day at Just Love Forest exists for exactly this place of curiosity.
This day is not about arriving with expertise. It is about arriving as you are - open, willing, and interested in discovering new ways to contribute. Each person brings something different: strength, patience, attentiveness, creativity, or simply a readiness to learn. Every form of participation is valued.
Together, participants care for the living systems that support both the land and the community. There is always ongoing work in the community garden, along with seasonal trail and grounds care, and special building projects designed to be accessible to a wide range of ages and abilities. Everyone is encouraged to choose work that feels safe and comfortable for them. While learning is welcomed, personal safety and well-being always come first.
Service at Just Love Forest is not measured by productivity or output. It is understood as a pathway to purpose and interdependence - a way of remembering that community is built when people allow themselves to both offer support and receive it. Often, participants discover abilities they did not know they had simply by working alongside others.
The day includes time to work, pause, connect, and share a nourishing meal together. By the end of the afternoon, the land is more cared for, and so is the sense of belonging among those who gathered.
Saturday Service Day
Arrive by 10:30 AM
Lunch is provided for free and is vegan and plant-based
Please bring work gloves and sturdy shoes
Participants are encouraged to choose work that feels safe and comfortable
Most tools are provided; any additional requests will be shared in advance
If not staying for the evening sound and song program, participants should plan to depart at 4 PM
No special skills are required to take part. Presence, care, and willingness are what make the day meaningful.
We will contact you with exact details of the work projects the week before our gathering.
April Song & Sound Circle
Song & Sound Circle
Many people arrive at the Sound & Song Circle carrying a quiet longing to connect, paired with uncertainty about whether they have a “good voice,” musical experience, or anything to offer.
This gathering exists precisely for that tender edge.
The Sound & Song Circle is not a performance space. It is a shared listening space—one where voices, instruments, silence, and simple presence are all equally welcome. Some participants sing freely. Others hum softly, keep rhythm, or simply sit and receive the sound. Every way of being is valued.
Together, we create a field of sound that is less about making music and more about feeling resonance—within ourselves, with one another, and with the forest around us. Songs may be simple chants, familiar melodies, improvised tones, or wordless sound. Instruments are welcome, but not required. Your voice, breath, or attentive listening is enough.
There is no pressure to sing alone, lead, or share unless you feel called. You are always free to participate in the way that feels safest and most nourishing for you. Many people discover that their voice naturally emerges over time, simply by being held in the collective sound.
The circle unfolds slowly, with room for pauses, laughter, emotion, and rest. The forest itself becomes part of the experience - holding the sound, echoing it back, and grounding the gathering in place.
Sound & Song at Just Love Forest is a practice of attunement and belonging. It reminds us that community is built not by perfection, but by showing up and allowing ourselves to be heard, or simply to listen, together.
By the end of the evening, many leave feeling more open, more settled, and quietly connected to something larger than themselves.
––––––––––
Sound & Song Circle
Arrive at 4:30 PM
All voices and levels of experience are welcome
Instruments are optional; listening is participation
You may sing, hum, drum, sit quietly, or come and go as needed
This is a substance-free, family-friendly gathering
If you are also attending the Service Day, participants should plan to stay on site through the evening
No musical skill is required. Presence, curiosity, and care are what make the circle meaningful.
We will share any additional details the week of the gathering.
Potluck Dinner (Vegan & Vegetarian)
Our evening begins with a shared vegan and vegetarian potluck meal. Participants are invited to bring a dish to share with the group.
We typically gather with around 15 people, so a modest dish that can serve several is perfect. Please also bring your own serving dish and serving utensils, as these are not provided on site.
If you’re new to potlucks or unsure what to bring, simple offerings are always appreciated - soups, salads, grain dishes, roasted vegetables, breads, or fruit are all wonderful choices.
Sharing a meal together is an important part of the evening, offering a chance to connect, settle in, and arrive fully before entering the Sound & Song Circle.
How Registration Works
Registration happens in two simple steps.
When you click one of the links below, you’ll first be taken to Stripe to securely submit your payment. Once your payment is complete, you’ll be automatically redirected back to our website to share a few important details so we can best support your stay.
Complete your payment
You’ll choose your contribution amount on our secure Stripe payment page.Share your details and preferences
After payment, you’ll be redirected to confirm your accommodation choice, share food preferences, complete any required waivers, and submit any questions for our team.
Payment is required before continuing to step two.
The cost for the Saturday night song and sound circle is $50+tax and includes the experience, potluck meal and optional overnight stay.
Click here to pay & then begin registration
QUESTIONS OR SPECIAL NEEDS?
We’re here for you! Contact Bala at contact@justloveforest.com for any questions or accommodations.
CONSIDER MEMBERSHIP
If you find yourself wanting to return again and again throughout the year, membership is a simple way to stay connected and supported.
Membership is for those who feel drawn to build ongoing relationships with the land and community showing up regularly, deepening friendships, and participating in the shared rhythm of service, ceremony, and care.
For $50 per month, members receive several benefits, including one of the most meaningful:
Members may attend the entire monthly Community Weekend for a flat contribution of $50.
That means you can join Friday meditation, Saturday service and song, and Sunday forest therapy without worrying about individual session costs. It’s our way of keeping these gatherings financially accessible while encouraging consistency and relationship over time.
Membership also supports the ongoing stewardship of Just Love Forest by helping care for the land, maintain shared spaces, and sustain a place where community can continue to gather with intention and heart.
There’s no pressure to attend every month. Membership simply creates a steady bridge between you and the forest, so you can come when you’re able and feel held when you do.
If you’re longing for a place to belong, not just to visit once, but to return to, membership may be the right next step.
april FOREST THERAPY - the Japanese Practice of Shinrin yoku, “Forest Bathing”
Forest Therapy Day at Just Love Forest
Come experience the transitions of the season through a slow, sensory immersion in the forest. Color, texture, sound, scent, and the subtle movement of wind and light will be noticed using all of your senses. This day is designed to help you step out of urgency and into a more natural rhythm of presence, connection, and rest.
Arrival and Opening Circle
Please plan to arrive by 10:30 AM. We will gather in our yurt to begin the day together with a gentle rose tea ceremony, offering time to arrive fully and connect with one another. This opening circle includes deep, spacious introductions, an orientation to the day, and a sharing of the history of the land and its living lineage. This time helps create safety, trust, and a shared container for the experience ahead.
A nourishing plant-based lunch will be served late morning, allowing us to settle, ground, and prepare our bodies for the afternoon in the forest.
Forest Therapy Experience
Around 1:00 PM, we will transition into the forest for approximately three hours of guided forest therapy. We typically begin by honoring the land and all beings who live here, stating intentions, and asking permission to enter into deeper relationship with the forest.
Guided by a certified forest therapy guide, you will be offered a series of simple, open ended invitations designed to support nervous system regulation, sensory awareness, and connection with the living world. This is not a hike and there is no destination to reach. We move slowly, with frequent pauses, allowing the forest to meet each person where they are.
Closing Circle and Forest Tea
We will return from the forest in the late afternoon for a closing forest tea ceremony, usually around 4:30 PM. The tea is always something unique and seasonal, foraged or prepared in relationship with the forest and the time of year. We will share closing reflections and offer space to gently integrate the day before departing around 5:00 PM.
About Forest Therapy
Forest therapy, also known as forest bathing or Shinrin Yoku, is a guided practice that supports mental, emotional, and physical well being through intentional time spent in forest environments.
The medicine received from nature is multifaceted. Psychologically, time in the forest supports calm, clarity, and emotional regulation through quiet, color, and sensory richness. Physiologically, research has shown that time spent in forests increases exposure to phytoncides, the organic compounds released by trees. These compounds have been linked to increased activity of natural killer (NK) cells, an important component of immune function, while also supporting heart health and reducing stress hormones in the body.
After several hours of peaceful immersion, many people leave feeling more grounded, connected, and at ease across mental, emotional, and physical dimensions of their being.
Sliding Scale Payment
Everyone is welcome, regardless of ability to pay. This Forest Therapy Day is offered on a sliding scale to support accessibility while also stewarding the land and the people who care for it.
After registering, you will be directed to a payment page where you may choose the amount that feels appropriate for you.
Forest Day Retreat Standard Rate: $125
This is the recommended rate and supports certified guides while helping steward and protect the 716 acre Just Love Forest nature preserve.
Forest Day Retreat Sustainer Rate: $200
For those who are able to contribute at a higher level, helping us pay it forward and expand access for others.
Forest Day Retreat “It’s All Good” Rate: $50
Warmly accepted for those for whom this amount feels accessible, offered as a gesture of reciprocity and care for the forest.
Please have each individual RSVP separately.
If you have questions or would like more information, feel free to email contact@justloveforest.com.
We look forward to welcoming you into the forest.
April Green Burial Tour
“Become the Forest”
Our green burial grounds, within the embrace of the Just Love community, honor the cycles of life and death with profound reverence. Our green burial sanctuary in Poetry, Georgia, just outside of Rome, is a sacred space where nature, healing, and community intertwine. Here, surrounded by the timeless beauty of the forest, we offer green burial and cremation burial for both beloved humans and pets - a return to the earth that celebrates life.
At the heart of our work is a deep commitment to healing - through nature, ritual, and meaningful connection. Our offerings are uniquely integrated within a vibrant, nature-centered community. With the compassionate guidance of death doulas and support that honors your story, we create a space where love and transformation are held sacred.
This is more than a resting place; it is a sacred partnership with the earth, an invitation to become the forest.
We have 3 burial sites: Bhakti Mountain Summit, The Sacred Forest, and our pet burial ground, Circle of Paws. You can explore them all.
Upcoming free tours for 2026 are: February 15th, April 5th, May 24th, June 21st, August 30th, September 20th, October 18th
april Hanuman Tuesdays
HANUMAN TUESDAYS
A WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL DAY FOR GATHERING AND PRACTICING INDEPENDENTLY IN NATURE
APRIL Dates: 7TH, 21ST, 28th
JOIN US FOR A DONATION-BASED DAY OF INTENTION & DEVOTION AT JUST LOVE FOREST 🧡
Arrival by 10:00 AM
Day practice · Optional evening puja · Optional overnight stay
Hanuman Tuesdays are held as a quiet, devotional day for spiritual practice at Just Love Forest, a forest ashram rooted in the living traditions and lineage of Neem Karoli Baba and Ram Dass, and guided by the path of Bhakti Yoga the yoga of love, service, and devotion.
Tuesdays are traditionally dedicated to Hanuman, the embodiment of courage, humility, strength, and selfless service. We honor this through intentional conversation, simplicity, and time for personal spiritual practice on the land.
The Day
We gather at 10:00 a.m. for a brief welcome and orientation.
After introductions, we enter quiet for the remainder of the day.
Participants are invited to hike to Bhakti Mountain, a sacred 40-minute walk through the forest. At the top, you’re welcome to sit in quiet practice, read spiritual texts, reflect, pray, or simply rest in the beauty of the land.
If the walk does not feel right for you, you’re welcome to remain at Basecamp in our meditation yurt.
Independent personal practice is held from approximately 1:00–5:00 p.m.
There is no group facilitation during the silent hours; this time is yours.
Meals & Evening Options
Please bring your own lunch to enjoy quietly during the day.
You’re welcome to:
Depart quietly at 6:00 p.m., or
Stay for a simple plant-based dinner that we provide at 6:30 p.m., followed by
Puja & Aarti from 7:30–8:30 p.m., departing before the gates close at 9:00 p.m.
For those staying overnight:
Quiet hours begin at 9:00 p.m.
Morning Puja & Aarti at 6:30 a.m.
A light, plant-based breakfast that we will provide around 9:00 a.m.
Departure by 10:00 a.m.
Shared Agreements
Phones are turned off or fully silenced upon arrival to support presence and inward listening.
To preserve the peace of the land and the shared container:
No pets (unless previously discussed)
No alcohol
No smoking
Food brought onto the land must be vegan or vegetarian
This space is open to people of all faiths and backgrounds who are rooted in compassion. If devotional practices are new to you, you’re warmly welcome. Come with curiosity, humility, and an open heart.
What to Bring
Your own vegan or vegetarian lunch
A personal water bottle
Comfortable shoes with good traction
An optional small offering for the forest or Bhakti Mountain (flower, fruit, or poem)
Journal or spiritual texts (optional)
Sunscreen or rain layer if needed
Flashlight if staying past dark
Personal spiritual musical instrument (non-electronic)
If staying overnight:
Queen-size top & bottom sheets
Pillow & case
Blankets
Toiletries
Season and weather-appropriate clothing
Offering (Dāna)
Everything for this practice is offered on a donation basis to help care for the land and sustain the Ashram.
Suggested offerings:
Day pilgrimage & silent practice: Dāna any amount (optional)
Dinner & overnight stay: $30–50 suggested donation
Give what you’re able. No one is turned away for lack of funds.
Join us in the Ashram.
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN
Just Love, always,
Bala & Nivay
Intimacy & Connection Retreat
2026 Intimacy Retreat at Just Love Forest
Intimacy & connection Retreat
Registration is now open by clicking here
This year’s Intimacy Retreat at Just Love Forest is our first retreat designed specifically for two people to attend together - whether as romantic partners, close friends, or family members. This is a space for anyone seeking to cultivate deeper connection, trust, and understanding in their relationship.
True intimacy goes beyond words. It’s about presence, vulnerability, and learning to meet each other with openness and curiosity. Through guided exercises, rituals, and time immersed in nature, this retreat provides a unique opportunity to explore what it means to truly see and be seen by another.
Who Is This Retreat For?
- Individuals & romantic partners looking to nurture connection, playfulness, and trust
- Friends who want to deepen their bond through shared experience
- Family members who seek a new way to relate and honor each other
- Any person ready to explore authentic, heart-centered relationships
What You’ll Experience
- Somatic & Trust-Building Exercises to deepen connection and dissolve barriers
- Labyrinth Walk & Fire Ceremony for reflection and transformation
- Sound Journey & Bonding Practices to explore new dimensions of intimacy
- Forest Bathing Hike & Vows Ceremony for connection, renewal, and commitment
- Pre- & Post-Retreat Virtual Gatherings (April 30 & June 5) to integrate and stay connected
What’s Included?
- Two nights of lodging in bell tents, complete with mattress and bedding
- Nourishing plant-based meals and snacks throughout the retreat
- A beautiful natural setting to support rest, renewal, and deep presence
- Carefully curated group experiences, rituals, and time for personal reflection
📅 Retreat Dates: April 24th - 26th, 2026
If you and someone in your life are ready to step into deeper connection whether through love, friendship, or family, this retreat will be a journey of discovery, healing, and shared presence.
Registration opening soon
MAY Hermitage Experience
Hermitage at Just Love Forest
The Hermitage at Just Love Forest is an intentional, land-based experience of solitude, simplicity, and deep listening. Rooted in a long human lineage of seekers, mystics, artists, and everyday people who stepped into periods of intentional seclusion, hermitage here offers a refuge from modern noise and distraction, inviting participants to return to clarity and presence.
Duration
Hermitage experiences are held within a shared container, with all participants beginning on the same start date. Minimum stays: eco-village is 3 days, deep forest is 4 days. This allows enough time to settle, listen, and arrive more fully. From there, the length of each stay is individualized, with end dates shaped by the participant's needs and set to the final date listed for that session. This structure allows for both continuity and flexibility, honoring different rhythms while supporting the care of the land.
Guests arrive together for orientation and an exploration of the land, then settle into quiet, solo time in either an eco-village bell tent or a more secluded forest site, with the forest itself serving as their teacher and silence as their guide. The experience is not a conventional retreat or program to complete; there is no prescribed agenda, only space to rest, reflect, create, or simply be. Hermitage is shaped collaboratively through pre-arrival consultation and held with care for both the individual and the integrity of the land.
Consultation
This 60-minute consultation is the first step in co-creating a personalized hermitage experience at Just Love Forest. After scheduling, you’ll complete a brief questionnaire to guide the conversation. Together, we’ll explore where you are, what you most need, and your intentions for retreat time. We’ll discuss timing, levels of support, and recommend a structure aligned with your energy, goals, and capacity. You’ll also have space to ask questions so you can move forward with clarity and confidence.
Consultation fee: $50
CLICK TO SCHEDULE YOUR CONSULTATION
For general questions, please don’t hesitate to connect with us at contact@justloveforest.com
MAY Hanuman Tuesdays
HANUMAN TUESDAYS
A WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL DAY FOR GATHERING AND PRACTICING INDEPENDENTLY IN NATURE
MAY Dates: 19TH, 26th
JOIN US FOR A DONATION-BASED DAY OF INTENTION & DEVOTION AT JUST LOVE FOREST 🧡
Arrival by 10:00 AM
Day practice · Optional evening puja · Optional overnight stay
Hanuman Tuesdays are held as a quiet, devotional day for spiritual practice at Just Love Forest, a forest ashram rooted in the living traditions and lineage of Neem Karoli Baba and Ram Dass, and guided by the path of Bhakti Yoga the yoga of love, service, and devotion.
Tuesdays are traditionally dedicated to Hanuman, the embodiment of courage, humility, strength, and selfless service. We honor this through intentional conversation, simplicity, and time for personal spiritual practice on the land.
The Day
We gather at 10:00 a.m. for a brief welcome and orientation.
After introductions, we enter quiet for the remainder of the day.
Participants are invited to hike to Bhakti Mountain, a sacred 40-minute walk through the forest. At the top, you’re welcome to sit in quiet practice, read spiritual texts, reflect, pray, or simply rest in the beauty of the land.
If the walk does not feel right for you, you’re welcome to remain at Basecamp in our meditation yurt.
Independent personal practice is held from approximately 1:00–5:00 p.m.
There is no group facilitation during the silent hours; this time is yours.
Meals & Evening Options
Please bring your own lunch to enjoy quietly during the day.
You’re welcome to:
Depart quietly at 6:00 p.m., or
Stay for a simple plant-based dinner that we provide at 6:30 p.m., followed by
Puja & Aarti from 7:30–8:30 p.m., departing before the gates close at 9:00 p.m.
For those staying overnight:
Quiet hours begin at 9:00 p.m.
Morning Puja & Aarti at 6:30 a.m.
A light, plant-based breakfast that we will provide around 9:00 a.m.
Departure by 10:00 a.m.
Shared Agreements
Phones are turned off or fully silenced upon arrival to support presence and inward listening.
To preserve the peace of the land and the shared container:
No pets (unless previously discussed)
No alcohol
No smoking
Food brought onto the land must be vegan or vegetarian
This space is open to people of all faiths and backgrounds who are rooted in compassion. If devotional practices are new to you, you’re warmly welcome. Come with curiosity, humility, and an open heart.
What to Bring
Your own vegan or vegetarian lunch
A personal water bottle
Comfortable shoes with good traction
An optional small offering for the forest or Bhakti Mountain (flower, fruit, or poem)
Journal or spiritual texts (optional)
Sunscreen or rain layer if needed
Flashlight if staying past dark
Personal spiritual musical instrument (non-electronic)
If staying overnight:
Queen-size top & bottom sheets
Pillow & case
Blankets
Toiletries
Season and weather-appropriate clothing
Offering (Dāna)
Everything for this practice is offered on a donation basis to help care for the land and sustain the Ashram.
Suggested offerings:
Day pilgrimage & silent practice: Dāna any amount (optional)
Dinner & overnight stay: $30–50 suggested donation
Give what you’re able. No one is turned away for lack of funds.
Join us in the Ashram.
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN
Just Love, always,
Bala & Nivay
May meditation: Guided FRIDAY NIGHT Meditation & SATURDAY MORNING SILENT MEDITATION
🌟 Friday – Meditation Overnight
JOIN US FOR A DONATION-BASED Meditation Overnight AT THE JUST LOVE FOREST ASHRAM 🧡
4:30 PM Arrival
Just Love Forest is held as a Forest Ashram, open to all, but rooted in the living traditions and lineage of the great Indian saint Neem Karoli Baba, and following the path of Bhakti Yoga, the yoga of love.
Our Friday Evening Meditation Retreats are donation-based. Everyone is welcome. Simply offer what you can to help us offset food costs and maintain the space.
Each evening will include:
Guided Meditation with Mitch – open to all paths, lineages, and traditions.
Pooja & Aarti Ceremony – an ancient Hindu Vedic practice honoring the elements and the four directions.
This sacred space is open to people of all faiths. If you feel called, you may bring a sacred object from your own tradition with a spiritualist, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, or otherwise to place on the altar and receive blessings.
If these practices are new to you, don’t be afraid. Come with curiosity, come to learn, come to share in community. Our invitation is simple: all hearts are welcome.
As part of this we will offer an Indian food dinner before our meditation. You're welcome to come for the evening and depart around 8pm or stay overnight in one of our canvas bell tents, all donation based.
Saturday morning we will wake up and offer a silent meditation from 7:00am - 8:00am and then Pooja & Aarti Ceremony again from 8:00-8:30am, followed by breakfast.
Join us in the forest. Breathe. Sit. Pray. Share the sacred.
Everything for this event is donation-based. We appreciate your support of our efforts.
Bala and Mitch are all certified Mindfulness Meditation Teachers, graduated from Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach's 2-year Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certificate Program through the Awareness Training Institute and the University of Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center. As part of this 2-year program, they completed a 6-month DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity, and Accountability) training.
may Just Love Forest Ashram Community Weekend: Meditation, Service, Sound Circle & Forest Therapy
Immerse yourself in a weekend filled with meditation, service, a drum circle, and forest therapy, all within the warm embrace of our vibrant community. Connect with like-minded individuals and experience the healing power of nature and human connection.
Whether you're seeking relaxation, inner peace, or simply a chance to unwind in the company of wonderful people, this weekend promises to rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit. Come join us as we embark on a journey of self-discovery and collective harmony.
We can't wait to share this enriching experience with you. See you there!
May Service and Community Gardening Day
Many people arrive with a quiet desire to serve, paired with uncertainty about whether they have the “right” skills to offer. Saturday Service Day at Just Love Forest exists for exactly this place of curiosity.
This day is not about arriving with expertise. It is about arriving as you are - open, willing, and interested in discovering new ways to contribute. Each person brings something different: strength, patience, attentiveness, creativity, or simply a readiness to learn. Every form of participation is valued.
Together, participants care for the living systems that support both the land and the community. There is always ongoing work in the community garden, along with seasonal trail and grounds care, and special building projects designed to be accessible to a wide range of ages and abilities. Everyone is encouraged to choose work that feels safe and comfortable for them. While learning is welcomed, personal safety and well-being always come first.
Service at Just Love Forest is not measured by productivity or output. It is understood as a pathway to purpose and interdependence - a way of remembering that community is built when people allow themselves to both offer support and receive it. Often, participants discover abilities they did not know they had simply by working alongside others.
The day includes time to work, pause, connect, and share a nourishing meal together. By the end of the afternoon, the land is more cared for, and so is the sense of belonging among those who gathered.
Saturday Service Day
Arrive by 10:30 AM
Lunch is provided for free and is vegan and plant-based
Please bring work gloves and sturdy shoes
Participants are encouraged to choose work that feels safe and comfortable
Most tools are provided; any additional requests will be shared in advance
If not staying for the evening sound and song program, participants should plan to depart at 4 PM
No special skills are required to take part. Presence, care, and willingness are what make the day meaningful.
We will contact you with exact details of the work projects the week before our gathering.
may Song & Sound Circle
Song & Sound Circle
Many people arrive at the Sound & Song Circle carrying a quiet longing to connect, paired with uncertainty about whether they have a “good voice,” musical experience, or anything to offer.
This gathering exists precisely for that tender edge.
The Sound & Song Circle is not a performance space. It is a shared listening space—one where voices, instruments, silence, and simple presence are all equally welcome. Some participants sing freely. Others hum softly, keep rhythm, or simply sit and receive the sound. Every way of being is valued.
Together, we create a field of sound that is less about making music and more about feeling resonance—within ourselves, with one another, and with the forest around us. Songs may be simple chants, familiar melodies, improvised tones, or wordless sound. Instruments are welcome, but not required. Your voice, breath, or attentive listening is enough.
There is no pressure to sing alone, lead, or share unless you feel called. You are always free to participate in the way that feels safest and most nourishing for you. Many people discover that their voice naturally emerges over time, simply by being held in the collective sound.
The circle unfolds slowly, with room for pauses, laughter, emotion, and rest. The forest itself becomes part of the experience - holding the sound, echoing it back, and grounding the gathering in place.
Sound & Song at Just Love Forest is a practice of attunement and belonging. It reminds us that community is built not by perfection, but by showing up and allowing ourselves to be heard, or simply to listen, together.
By the end of the evening, many leave feeling more open, more settled, and quietly connected to something larger than themselves.
––––––––––
Sound & Song Circle
Arrive at 4:30 PM
All voices and levels of experience are welcome
Instruments are optional; listening is participation
You may sing, hum, drum, sit quietly, or come and go as needed
This is a substance-free, family-friendly gathering
If you are also attending the Service Day, participants should plan to stay on site through the evening
No musical skill is required. Presence, curiosity, and care are what make the circle meaningful.
We will share any additional details the week of the gathering.
Potluck Dinner (Vegan & Vegetarian)
Our evening begins with a shared vegan and vegetarian potluck meal. Participants are invited to bring a dish to share with the group.
We typically gather with around 15 people, so a modest dish that can serve several is perfect. Please also bring your own serving dish and serving utensils, as these are not provided on site.
If you’re new to potlucks or unsure what to bring, simple offerings are always appreciated - soups, salads, grain dishes, roasted vegetables, breads, or fruit are all wonderful choices.
Sharing a meal together is an important part of the evening, offering a chance to connect, settle in, and arrive fully before entering the Sound & Song Circle.
How Registration Works
Registration happens in two simple steps.
When you click one of the links below, you’ll first be taken to Stripe to securely submit your payment. Once your payment is complete, you’ll be automatically redirected back to our website to share a few important details so we can best support your stay.
Complete your payment
You’ll choose your contribution amount on our secure Stripe payment page.Share your details and preferences
After payment, you’ll be redirected to confirm your accommodation choice, share food preferences, complete any required waivers, and submit any questions for our team.
Payment is required before continuing to step two.
The cost for the Saturday night song and sound circle is $50+tax and includes the experience, potluck meal and optional overnight stay.
Click here to pay & then begin registration
QUESTIONS OR SPECIAL NEEDS?
We’re here for you! Contact Bala at contact@justloveforest.com for any questions or accommodations.
CONSIDER MEMBERSHIP
If you find yourself wanting to return again and again throughout the year, membership is a simple way to stay connected and supported.
Membership is for those who feel drawn to build ongoing relationships with the land and community showing up regularly, deepening friendships, and participating in the shared rhythm of service, ceremony, and care.
For $50 per month, members receive several benefits, including one of the most meaningful:
Members may attend the entire monthly Community Weekend for a flat contribution of $50.
That means you can join Friday meditation, Saturday service and song, and Sunday forest therapy without worrying about individual session costs. It’s our way of keeping these gatherings financially accessible while encouraging consistency and relationship over time.
Membership also supports the ongoing stewardship of Just Love Forest by helping care for the land, maintain shared spaces, and sustain a place where community can continue to gather with intention and heart.
There’s no pressure to attend every month. Membership simply creates a steady bridge between you and the forest, so you can come when you’re able and feel held when you do.
If you’re longing for a place to belong, not just to visit once, but to return to, membership may be the right next step.
May Green Burial Tour
“Become the Forest”
Our green burial grounds, within the embrace of the Just Love community, honor the cycles of life and death with profound reverence. Our green burial sanctuary in Poetry, Georgia, just outside of Rome, is a sacred space where nature, healing, and community intertwine. Here, surrounded by the timeless beauty of the forest, we offer green burial and cremation burial for both beloved humans and pets - a return to the earth that celebrates life.
At the heart of our work is a deep commitment to healing - through nature, ritual, and meaningful connection. Our offerings are uniquely integrated within a vibrant, nature-centered community. With the compassionate guidance of death doulas and support that honors your story, we create a space where love and transformation are held sacred.
This is more than a resting place; it is a sacred partnership with the earth, an invitation to become the forest.
We have 3 burial sites: Bhakti Mountain Summit, The Sacred Forest, and our pet burial ground, Circle of Paws. You can explore them all.
Upcoming free tours for 2026 are: February 15th, April 5th, May 24th, June 21st, August 30th, September 20th, October 18th
may FOREST THERAPY - the Japanese Practice of Shinrin yoku, “Forest Bathing”
Forest Therapy Day at Just Love Forest
Come experience the transitions of the season through a slow, sensory immersion in the forest. Color, texture, sound, scent, and the subtle movement of wind and light will be noticed using all of your senses. This day is designed to help you step out of urgency and into a more natural rhythm of presence, connection, and rest.
Arrival and Opening Circle
Please plan to arrive by 10:30 AM. We will gather in our yurt to begin the day together with a gentle rose tea ceremony, offering time to arrive fully and connect with one another. This opening circle includes deep, spacious introductions, an orientation to the day, and a sharing of the history of the land and its living lineage. This time helps create safety, trust, and a shared container for the experience ahead.
A nourishing plant-based lunch will be served late morning, allowing us to settle, ground, and prepare our bodies for the afternoon in the forest.
Forest Therapy Experience
Around 1:00 PM, we will transition into the forest for approximately three hours of guided forest therapy. We typically begin by honoring the land and all beings who live here, stating intentions, and asking permission to enter into deeper relationship with the forest.
Guided by a certified forest therapy guide, you will be offered a series of simple, open ended invitations designed to support nervous system regulation, sensory awareness, and connection with the living world. This is not a hike and there is no destination to reach. We move slowly, with frequent pauses, allowing the forest to meet each person where they are.
Closing Circle and Forest Tea
We will return from the forest in the late afternoon for a closing forest tea ceremony, usually around 4:30 PM. The tea is always something unique and seasonal, foraged or prepared in relationship with the forest and the time of year. We will share closing reflections and offer space to gently integrate the day before departing around 5:00 PM.
About Forest Therapy
Forest therapy, also known as forest bathing or Shinrin Yoku, is a guided practice that supports mental, emotional, and physical well being through intentional time spent in forest environments.
The medicine received from nature is multifaceted. Psychologically, time in the forest supports calm, clarity, and emotional regulation through quiet, color, and sensory richness. Physiologically, research has shown that time spent in forests increases exposure to phytoncides, the organic compounds released by trees. These compounds have been linked to increased activity of natural killer (NK) cells, an important component of immune function, while also supporting heart health and reducing stress hormones in the body.
After several hours of peaceful immersion, many people leave feeling more grounded, connected, and at ease across mental, emotional, and physical dimensions of their being.
Sliding Scale Payment
Everyone is welcome, regardless of ability to pay. This Forest Therapy Day is offered on a sliding scale to support accessibility while also stewarding the land and the people who care for it.
After registering, you will be directed to a payment page where you may choose the amount that feels appropriate for you.
Forest Day Retreat Standard Rate: $125
This is the recommended rate and supports certified guides while helping steward and protect the 716 acre Just Love Forest nature preserve.
Forest Day Retreat Sustainer Rate: $200
For those who are able to contribute at a higher level, helping us pay it forward and expand access for others.
Forest Day Retreat “It’s All Good” Rate: $50
Warmly accepted for those for whom this amount feels accessible, offered as a gesture of reciprocity and care for the forest.
Please have each individual RSVP separately.
If you have questions or would like more information, feel free to email contact@justloveforest.com.
We look forward to welcoming you into the forest.
GAY by NATURE
Gay by Nature
3rd Annual Spring Gathering for Gay Men
May 28–31, 2026
A soulful spring retreat for gay men, by gay men, held in the heart of Just Love Forest. Slow down, breathe deeper, and reconnect through forest therapy, yoga, fire-circle sharing, and unhurried time on the land. Expect nourishing plant-based meals, gentle hiking (including a Bhakti Mountain picnic), optional morning meditations with Bala, evening circles, and spacious downtime to simply be.
Dates:
Thursday–Sunday, May 28–31, 2026
Arrival Thursday at 4 PM for dinner, yoga, and a fireside welcome.
Check-out by Sunday late morning, with an optional nearby Little River Canyon excursion before.
Rates (per person + tax)
Deluxe Canvas Bell (Queen): Thu–Sun $900 (Early Bird $800)
Nylon Bell Tent (Twin/Full): Thu–Sun $700 (Early Bird $600)
Self-Camping (BYO tent): Thu–Sun $350 (Early Bird $300)
Early Bird window: February 15 – March 31 2026
All options include 6 plant-based meals, full programming, and access to the yurt gathering space and trails. Payment plans available.
Why come:
Begin or deepen your journey in a circle that welcomes your whole self with softness, strength, curiosity, and joy, held by forest and community.
Questions? bala@justloveforest.com
EARLY REGISTRATION OPENS SOON
JUNE Hanuman Tuesdays
HANUMAN TUESDAYS
A WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL DAY FOR GATHERING AND PRACTICING INDEPENDENTLY IN NATURE
june Dates: 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th
JOIN US FOR A DONATION-BASED DAY OF INTENTION & DEVOTION AT JUST LOVE FOREST 🧡
Arrival by 10:00 AM
Day practice · Optional evening puja · Optional overnight stay
Hanuman Tuesdays are held as a quiet, devotional day for spiritual practice at Just Love Forest, a forest ashram rooted in the living traditions and lineage of Neem Karoli Baba and Ram Dass, and guided by the path of Bhakti Yoga the yoga of love, service, and devotion.
Tuesdays are traditionally dedicated to Hanuman, the embodiment of courage, humility, strength, and selfless service. We honor this through intentional conversation, simplicity, and time for personal spiritual practice on the land.
The Day
We gather at 10:00 a.m. for a brief welcome and orientation.
After introductions, we enter quiet for the remainder of the day.
Participants are invited to hike to Bhakti Mountain, a sacred 40-minute walk through the forest. At the top, you’re welcome to sit in quiet practice, read spiritual texts, reflect, pray, or simply rest in the beauty of the land.
If the walk does not feel right for you, you’re welcome to remain at Basecamp in our meditation yurt.
Independent personal practice is held from approximately 1:00–5:00 p.m.
There is no group facilitation during the silent hours; this time is yours.
Meals & Evening Options
Please bring your own lunch to enjoy quietly during the day.
You’re welcome to:
Depart quietly at 6:00 p.m., or
Stay for a simple plant-based dinner that we provide at 6:30 p.m., followed by
Puja & Aarti from 7:30–8:30 p.m., departing before the gates close at 9:00 p.m.
For those staying overnight:
Quiet hours begin at 9:00 p.m.
Morning Puja & Aarti at 6:30 a.m.
A light, plant-based breakfast that we will provide around 9:00 a.m.
Departure by 10:00 a.m.
Shared Agreements
Phones are turned off or fully silenced upon arrival to support presence and inward listening.
To preserve the peace of the land and the shared container:
No pets (unless previously discussed)
No alcohol
No smoking
Food brought onto the land must be vegan or vegetarian
This space is open to people of all faiths and backgrounds who are rooted in compassion. If devotional practices are new to you, you’re warmly welcome. Come with curiosity, humility, and an open heart.
What to Bring
Your own vegan or vegetarian lunch
A personal water bottle
Comfortable shoes with good traction
An optional small offering for the forest or Bhakti Mountain (flower, fruit, or poem)
Journal or spiritual texts (optional)
Sunscreen or rain layer if needed
Flashlight if staying past dark
Personal spiritual musical instrument (non-electronic)
If staying overnight:
Queen-size top & bottom sheets
Pillow & case
Blankets
Toiletries
Season and weather-appropriate clothing
Offering (Dāna)
Everything for this practice is offered on a donation basis to help care for the land and sustain the Ashram.
Suggested offerings:
Day pilgrimage & silent practice: Dāna any amount (optional)
Dinner & overnight stay: $30–50 suggested donation
Give what you’re able. No one is turned away for lack of funds.
Join us in the Ashram.
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN
Just Love, always,
Bala & Nivay
UNTAMED: REWILDING THE FEMININE
UNTAMED: REWILDING THE FEMININE
June 11th - 14th, 2026
Untamed: Rewilding the Feminine is an invitation into the ritual wild. A return to what has always lived beneath the surface. A remembering of the woman who existed before the softening pressures of expectation, the taming of instinct, and the weight of being good. This retreat is for every woman longing to shake off the domestication of shoulds and step into the raw, unedited pulse of her own life force.
Across four days held within the ancient quiet of the forest, we will journey through the elemental gateways of earth, fire, water, and sky. Together we will create a sacred container where grief and joy are not opposites but twin teachers. Through movement, breath, story, and silence we will reclaim the forgotten parts of ourselves, the ones that have waited patiently for space to speak again. This is a place where permission reigns. Where your inner wild woman is not only welcome but wanted.
Our time together will include spacious circles for sharing, guided journeys for remembering, and rituals shaped by the land itself. There will be moments of fierce clarity and moments of soft unraveling, opportunities to rest in sisterhood and opportunities to stand alone beneath the canopy of trees and hear your own heartbeat again. We honor the thresholds each woman carries into this gathering: the losses that altered her, the longings she has not yet spoken, the quiet wisdom she has not yet trusted.
Evenings will invite a deeper descent. Firelight ceremonies. Drum and breath. Gentle forest wanders. Conversations that drift between laughter and tears. Mornings will offer grounding practices, movement to awaken the body, and invitations to meet yourself with tenderness. The pace is intentional, allowing each participant to choose how deeply she steps in. Nothing is forced. Everything is allowed.
Untamed is not about becoming someone new. It is about remembering someone ancient. The woman who knows how to listen to her body, honor her rhythms, and speak from her bones. The woman who has survived loss and still loves. The woman who is both gentle and unbreakable.
The work is deep, but the invitation is simple: come exactly as you are, especially the parts that feel inconvenient, too much, not enough, or still finding their voice. Bring your grief. Bring your wonder. Bring the wild threads of yourself that have waited for a place to belong.
We will hold them all.
Limited to 20 women.
Registration Opens Soon
June Just Love Forest Ashram Community Weekend: Meditation, Service, Sound Circle & Forest Therapy
Immerse yourself in a weekend filled with meditation, service, a drum circle, and forest therapy, all within the warm embrace of our vibrant community. Connect with like-minded individuals and experience the healing power of nature and human connection.
Whether you're seeking relaxation, inner peace, or simply a chance to unwind in the company of wonderful people, this weekend promises to rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit. Come join us as we embark on a journey of self-discovery and collective harmony.
We can't wait to share this enriching experience with you. See you there!
June meditation: Guided FRIDAY NIGHT Meditation & SATURDAY MORNING SILENT MEDITATION
🌟 Friday – Meditation Overnight
JOIN US FOR A DONATION-BASED Meditation Overnight AT THE JUST LOVE FOREST ASHRAM 🧡
4:30 PM Arrival
Just Love Forest is held as a Forest Ashram, open to all, but rooted in the living traditions and lineage of the great Indian saint Neem Karoli Baba, and following the path of Bhakti Yoga, the yoga of love.
Our Friday Evening Meditation Retreats are donation-based. Everyone is welcome. Simply offer what you can to help us offset food costs and maintain the space.
Each evening will include:
Guided Meditation with Mitch – open to all paths, lineages, and traditions.
Pooja & Aarti Ceremony – an ancient Hindu Vedic practice honoring the elements and the four directions.
This sacred space is open to people of all faiths. If you feel called, you may bring a sacred object from your own tradition with a spiritualist, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, or otherwise to place on the altar and receive blessings.
If these practices are new to you, don’t be afraid. Come with curiosity, come to learn, come to share in community. Our invitation is simple: all hearts are welcome.
As part of this we will offer an Indian food dinner before our meditation. You're welcome to come for the evening and depart around 8pm or stay overnight in one of our canvas bell tents, all donation based.
Saturday morning we will wake up and offer a silent meditation from 7:00am - 8:00am and then Pooja & Aarti Ceremony again from 8:00-8:30am, followed by breakfast.
Join us in the forest. Breathe. Sit. Pray. Share the sacred.
Everything for this event is donation-based. We appreciate your support of our efforts.
Bala and Mitch are all certified Mindfulness Meditation Teachers, graduated from Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach's 2-year Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certificate Program through the Awareness Training Institute and the University of Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center. As part of this 2-year program, they completed a 6-month DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity, and Accountability) training.
June Service and Community Gardening Day
Many people arrive with a quiet desire to serve, paired with uncertainty about whether they have the “right” skills to offer. Saturday Service Day at Just Love Forest exists for exactly this place of curiosity.
This day is not about arriving with expertise. It is about arriving as you are - open, willing, and interested in discovering new ways to contribute. Each person brings something different: strength, patience, attentiveness, creativity, or simply a readiness to learn. Every form of participation is valued.
Together, participants care for the living systems that support both the land and the community. There is always ongoing work in the community garden, along with seasonal trail and grounds care, and special building projects designed to be accessible to a wide range of ages and abilities. Everyone is encouraged to choose work that feels safe and comfortable for them. While learning is welcomed, personal safety and well-being always come first.
Service at Just Love Forest is not measured by productivity or output. It is understood as a pathway to purpose and interdependence - a way of remembering that community is built when people allow themselves to both offer support and receive it. Often, participants discover abilities they did not know they had simply by working alongside others.
The day includes time to work, pause, connect, and share a nourishing meal together. By the end of the afternoon, the land is more cared for, and so is the sense of belonging among those who gathered.
Saturday Service Day
Arrive by 10:30 AM
Lunch is provided for free and is vegan and plant-based
Please bring work gloves and sturdy shoes
Participants are encouraged to choose work that feels safe and comfortable
Most tools are provided; any additional requests will be shared in advance
If not staying for the evening sound and song program, participants should plan to depart at 4 PM
No special skills are required to take part. Presence, care, and willingness are what make the day meaningful.
We will contact you with exact details of the work projects the week before our gathering.
June Song & Sound Circle
Song & Sound Circle
Many people arrive at the Sound & Song Circle carrying a quiet longing to connect, paired with uncertainty about whether they have a “good voice,” musical experience, or anything to offer.
This gathering exists precisely for that tender edge.
The Sound & Song Circle is not a performance space. It is a shared listening space—one where voices, instruments, silence, and simple presence are all equally welcome. Some participants sing freely. Others hum softly, keep rhythm, or simply sit and receive the sound. Every way of being is valued.
Together, we create a field of sound that is less about making music and more about feeling resonance—within ourselves, with one another, and with the forest around us. Songs may be simple chants, familiar melodies, improvised tones, or wordless sound. Instruments are welcome, but not required. Your voice, breath, or attentive listening is enough.
There is no pressure to sing alone, lead, or share unless you feel called. You are always free to participate in the way that feels safest and most nourishing for you. Many people discover that their voice naturally emerges over time, simply by being held in the collective sound.
The circle unfolds slowly, with room for pauses, laughter, emotion, and rest. The forest itself becomes part of the experience - holding the sound, echoing it back, and grounding the gathering in place.
Sound & Song at Just Love Forest is a practice of attunement and belonging. It reminds us that community is built not by perfection, but by showing up and allowing ourselves to be heard, or simply to listen, together.
By the end of the evening, many leave feeling more open, more settled, and quietly connected to something larger than themselves.
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Sound & Song Circle
Arrive at 4:30 PM
All voices and levels of experience are welcome
Instruments are optional; listening is participation
You may sing, hum, drum, sit quietly, or come and go as needed
This is a substance-free, family-friendly gathering
If you are also attending the Service Day, participants should plan to stay on site through the evening
No musical skill is required. Presence, curiosity, and care are what make the circle meaningful.
We will share any additional details the week of the gathering.
Potluck Dinner (Vegan & Vegetarian)
Our evening begins with a shared vegan and vegetarian potluck meal. Participants are invited to bring a dish to share with the group.
We typically gather with around 15 people, so a modest dish that can serve several is perfect. Please also bring your own serving dish and serving utensils, as these are not provided on site.
If you’re new to potlucks or unsure what to bring, simple offerings are always appreciated - soups, salads, grain dishes, roasted vegetables, breads, or fruit are all wonderful choices.
Sharing a meal together is an important part of the evening, offering a chance to connect, settle in, and arrive fully before entering the Sound & Song Circle.
How Registration Works
Registration happens in two simple steps.
When you click one of the links below, you’ll first be taken to Stripe to securely submit your payment. Once your payment is complete, you’ll be automatically redirected back to our website to share a few important details so we can best support your stay.
Complete your payment
You’ll choose your contribution amount on our secure Stripe payment page.Share your details and preferences
After payment, you’ll be redirected to confirm your accommodation choice, share food preferences, complete any required waivers, and submit any questions for our team.
Payment is required before continuing to step two.
The cost for the Saturday night song and sound circle is $50+tax and includes the experience, potluck meal and optional overnight stay.
Click here to pay & then begin registration
QUESTIONS OR SPECIAL NEEDS?
We’re here for you! Contact Bala at contact@justloveforest.com for any questions or accommodations.
CONSIDER MEMBERSHIP
If you find yourself wanting to return again and again throughout the year, membership is a simple way to stay connected and supported.
Membership is for those who feel drawn to build ongoing relationships with the land and community showing up regularly, deepening friendships, and participating in the shared rhythm of service, ceremony, and care.
For $50 per month, members receive several benefits, including one of the most meaningful:
Members may attend the entire monthly Community Weekend for a flat contribution of $50.
That means you can join Friday meditation, Saturday service and song, and Sunday forest therapy without worrying about individual session costs. It’s our way of keeping these gatherings financially accessible while encouraging consistency and relationship over time.
Membership also supports the ongoing stewardship of Just Love Forest by helping care for the land, maintain shared spaces, and sustain a place where community can continue to gather with intention and heart.
There’s no pressure to attend every month. Membership simply creates a steady bridge between you and the forest, so you can come when you’re able and feel held when you do.
If you’re longing for a place to belong, not just to visit once, but to return to, membership may be the right next step.
June FOREST THERAPY - the Japanese Practice of Shinrin yoku, “Forest Bathing”
Forest Therapy Day at Just Love Forest
Come experience the transitions of the season through a slow, sensory immersion in the forest. Color, texture, sound, scent, and the subtle movement of wind and light will be noticed using all of your senses. This day is designed to help you step out of urgency and into a more natural rhythm of presence, connection, and rest.
Arrival and Opening Circle
Please plan to arrive by 10:30 AM. We will gather in our yurt to begin the day together with a gentle rose tea ceremony, offering time to arrive fully and connect with one another. This opening circle includes deep, spacious introductions, an orientation to the day, and a sharing of the history of the land and its living lineage. This time helps create safety, trust, and a shared container for the experience ahead.
A nourishing plant-based lunch will be served late morning, allowing us to settle, ground, and prepare our bodies for the afternoon in the forest.
Forest Therapy Experience
Around 1:00 PM, we will transition into the forest for approximately three hours of guided forest therapy. We typically begin by honoring the land and all beings who live here, stating intentions, and asking permission to enter into deeper relationship with the forest.
Guided by a certified forest therapy guide, you will be offered a series of simple, open ended invitations designed to support nervous system regulation, sensory awareness, and connection with the living world. This is not a hike and there is no destination to reach. We move slowly, with frequent pauses, allowing the forest to meet each person where they are.
Closing Circle and Forest Tea
We will return from the forest in the late afternoon for a closing forest tea ceremony, usually around 4:30 PM. The tea is always something unique and seasonal, foraged or prepared in relationship with the forest and the time of year. We will share closing reflections and offer space to gently integrate the day before departing around 5:00 PM.
About Forest Therapy
Forest therapy, also known as forest bathing or Shinrin Yoku, is a guided practice that supports mental, emotional, and physical well being through intentional time spent in forest environments.
The medicine received from nature is multifaceted. Psychologically, time in the forest supports calm, clarity, and emotional regulation through quiet, color, and sensory richness. Physiologically, research has shown that time spent in forests increases exposure to phytoncides, the organic compounds released by trees. These compounds have been linked to increased activity of natural killer (NK) cells, an important component of immune function, while also supporting heart health and reducing stress hormones in the body.
After several hours of peaceful immersion, many people leave feeling more grounded, connected, and at ease across mental, emotional, and physical dimensions of their being.
Sliding Scale Payment
Everyone is welcome, regardless of ability to pay. This Forest Therapy Day is offered on a sliding scale to support accessibility while also stewarding the land and the people who care for it.
After registering, you will be directed to a payment page where you may choose the amount that feels appropriate for you.
Forest Day Retreat Standard Rate: $125
This is the recommended rate and supports certified guides while helping steward and protect the 716 acre Just Love Forest nature preserve.
Forest Day Retreat Sustainer Rate: $200
For those who are able to contribute at a higher level, helping us pay it forward and expand access for others.
Forest Day Retreat “It’s All Good” Rate: $50
Warmly accepted for those for whom this amount feels accessible, offered as a gesture of reciprocity and care for the forest.
Please have each individual RSVP separately.
If you have questions or would like more information, feel free to email contact@justloveforest.com.
We look forward to welcoming you into the forest.
June Green Burial Tour
“Become the Forest”
Our green burial grounds, within the embrace of the Just Love community, honor the cycles of life and death with profound reverence. Our green burial sanctuary in Poetry, Georgia, just outside of Rome, is a sacred space where nature, healing, and community intertwine. Here, surrounded by the timeless beauty of the forest, we offer green burial and cremation burial for both beloved humans and pets - a return to the earth that celebrates life.
At the heart of our work is a deep commitment to healing - through nature, ritual, and meaningful connection. Our offerings are uniquely integrated within a vibrant, nature-centered community. With the compassionate guidance of death doulas and support that honors your story, we create a space where love and transformation are held sacred.
This is more than a resting place; it is a sacred partnership with the earth, an invitation to become the forest.
We have 3 burial sites: Bhakti Mountain Summit, The Sacred Forest, and our pet burial ground, Circle of Paws. You can explore them all.
Upcoming free tours for 2026 are: February 15th, April 5th, May 24th, June 21st, August 30th, September 20th, October 18th
JUNE Hermitage Experience
Hermitage at Just Love Forest
The Hermitage at Just Love Forest is an intentional, land-based experience of solitude, simplicity, and deep listening. Rooted in a long human lineage of seekers, mystics, artists, and everyday people who stepped into periods of intentional seclusion, hermitage here offers a refuge from modern noise and distraction, inviting participants to return to clarity and presence.
Duration
Hermitage experiences are held within a shared container, with all participants beginning on the same start date. Minimum stays: eco-village is 3 days, deep forest is 4 days. This allows enough time to settle, listen, and arrive more fully. From there, the length of each stay is individualized, with end dates shaped by the participant's needs and set to the final date listed for that session. This structure allows for both continuity and flexibility, honoring different rhythms while supporting the care of the land.
Guests arrive together for orientation and an exploration of the land, then settle into quiet, solo time in either an eco-village bell tent or a more secluded forest site, with the forest itself serving as their teacher and silence as their guide. The experience is not a conventional retreat or program to complete; there is no prescribed agenda, only space to rest, reflect, create, or simply be. Hermitage is shaped collaboratively through pre-arrival consultation and held with care for both the individual and the integrity of the land.
Consultation
This 60-minute consultation is the first step in co-creating a personalized hermitage experience at Just Love Forest. After scheduling, you’ll complete a brief questionnaire to guide the conversation. Together, we’ll explore where you are, what you most need, and your intentions for retreat time. We’ll discuss timing, levels of support, and recommend a structure aligned with your energy, goals, and capacity. You’ll also have space to ask questions so you can move forward with clarity and confidence.
Consultation fee: $50
CLICK TO SCHEDULE YOUR CONSULTATION
For general questions, please don’t hesitate to connect with us at contact@justloveforest.com
AUGUST Hermitage Experience
Hermitage at Just Love Forest
The Hermitage at Just Love Forest is an intentional, land-based experience of solitude, simplicity, and deep listening. Rooted in a long human lineage of seekers, mystics, artists, and everyday people who stepped into periods of intentional seclusion, hermitage here offers a refuge from modern noise and distraction, inviting participants to return to clarity and presence.
Duration
Hermitage experiences are held within a shared container, with all participants beginning on the same start date. Minimum stays: eco-village is 3 days, deep forest is 4 days. This allows enough time to settle, listen, and arrive more fully. From there, the length of each stay is individualized, with end dates shaped by the participant's needs and set to the final date listed for that session. This structure allows for both continuity and flexibility, honoring different rhythms while supporting the care of the land.
Guests arrive together for orientation and an exploration of the land, then settle into quiet, solo time in either an eco-village bell tent or a more secluded forest site, with the forest itself serving as their teacher and silence as their guide. The experience is not a conventional retreat or program to complete; there is no prescribed agenda, only space to rest, reflect, create, or simply be. Hermitage is shaped collaboratively through pre-arrival consultation and held with care for both the individual and the integrity of the land.
Consultation
This 60-minute consultation is the first step in co-creating a personalized hermitage experience at Just Love Forest. After scheduling, you’ll complete a brief questionnaire to guide the conversation. Together, we’ll explore where you are, what you most need, and your intentions for retreat time. We’ll discuss timing, levels of support, and recommend a structure aligned with your energy, goals, and capacity. You’ll also have space to ask questions so you can move forward with clarity and confidence.
Consultation fee: $50
CLICK TO SCHEDULE YOUR CONSULTATION
For general questions, please don’t hesitate to connect with us at contact@justloveforest.com
AUGUST Hanuman Tuesdays
HANUMAN TUESDAYS
A WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL DAY FOR GATHERING AND PRACTICING INDEPENDENTLY IN NATURE
august Dates: 4th, 11th, 18th, 25th
JOIN US FOR A DONATION-BASED DAY OF INTENTION & DEVOTION AT JUST LOVE FOREST 🧡
Arrival by 10:00 AM
Day practice · Optional evening puja · Optional overnight stay
Hanuman Tuesdays are held as a quiet, devotional day for spiritual practice at Just Love Forest, a forest ashram rooted in the living traditions and lineage of Neem Karoli Baba and Ram Dass, and guided by the path of Bhakti Yoga the yoga of love, service, and devotion.
Tuesdays are traditionally dedicated to Hanuman, the embodiment of courage, humility, strength, and selfless service. We honor this through intentional conversation, simplicity, and time for personal spiritual practice on the land.
The Day
We gather at 10:00 a.m. for a brief welcome and orientation.
After introductions, we enter quiet for the remainder of the day.
Participants are invited to hike to Bhakti Mountain, a sacred 40-minute walk through the forest. At the top, you’re welcome to sit in quiet practice, read spiritual texts, reflect, pray, or simply rest in the beauty of the land.
If the walk does not feel right for you, you’re welcome to remain at Basecamp in our meditation yurt.
Independent personal practice is held from approximately 1:00–5:00 p.m.
There is no group facilitation during the silent hours; this time is yours.
Meals & Evening Options
Please bring your own lunch to enjoy quietly during the day.
You’re welcome to:
Depart quietly at 6:00 p.m., or
Stay for a simple plant-based dinner that we provide at 6:30 p.m., followed by
Puja & Aarti from 7:30–8:30 p.m., departing before the gates close at 9:00 p.m.
For those staying overnight:
Quiet hours begin at 9:00 p.m.
Morning Puja & Aarti at 6:30 a.m.
A light, plant-based breakfast that we will provide around 9:00 a.m.
Departure by 10:00 a.m.
Shared Agreements
Phones are turned off or fully silenced upon arrival to support presence and inward listening.
To preserve the peace of the land and the shared container:
No pets (unless previously discussed)
No alcohol
No smoking
Food brought onto the land must be vegan or vegetarian
This space is open to people of all faiths and backgrounds who are rooted in compassion. If devotional practices are new to you, you’re warmly welcome. Come with curiosity, humility, and an open heart.
What to Bring
Your own vegan or vegetarian lunch
A personal water bottle
Comfortable shoes with good traction
An optional small offering for the forest or Bhakti Mountain (flower, fruit, or poem)
Journal or spiritual texts (optional)
Sunscreen or rain layer if needed
Flashlight if staying past dark
Personal spiritual musical instrument (non-electronic)
If staying overnight:
Queen-size top & bottom sheets
Pillow & case
Blankets
Toiletries
Season and weather-appropriate clothing
Offering (Dāna)
Everything for this practice is offered on a donation basis to help care for the land and sustain the Ashram.
Suggested offerings:
Day pilgrimage & silent practice: Dāna any amount (optional)
Dinner & overnight stay: $30–50 suggested donation
Give what you’re able. No one is turned away for lack of funds.
Join us in the Ashram.
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN
Just Love, always,
Bala & Nivay
Being Men: A Modern Masculinity Retreat
Being Men: A Retreat for Modern Masculinity
Friday, August 7th – Sunday, August 9th, 2026
Optional Swimming Hole Adventure Stay-Over on Monday
To be a man in this world is to walk a path full of contradictions - strong and soft, protector and nurturer, leader and one who surrenders to the flow of life. Too often, we are told we must be one thing or the other, that vulnerability and power cannot coexist. But we know the truth: that real masculinity is expansive, not restrictive. That to stand fully in who we are means embracing every part of ourselves.
Being Men is a recurring gathering for those who feel called to a different kind of masculinity - one rooted in camaraderie, authenticity, and self-discovery. Our first event was a powerful reminder of what is possible when men come together with open hearts. This full weekend retreat is the next step. A deeper dive into shared experiences, honest conversation, and the kind of brotherhood that is both rare and necessary.
Over the course of the weekend, we will explore what it means to be a man in today’s world - not through lectures, but through real engagement, through story, through movement, through time spent in nature. Expect deep discussion, shared rituals, nature therapy, and a heck of a lot of fun. Expect moments of laughter, moments of silence, moments of recognition. Expect to be challenged in the best possible way.
And if you want to stretch the experience a little further, we’ll have an optional stay-over on Monday, where we’ll head to the swimming hole and let it all soak in.
If you are seeking something real - if you are ready to stand alongside other men who are asking the same questions, walking the same journey - then this is for you.
Come as you are. Show up for yourself. Show up for each other.
REGISTRATION OPENS SOON
4th Annual Ram Dass Summer Camp
Fourth Annual Ram Dass Summer Camp 🧡🐒
Join us for our largest event of the year! This is a heart-opening journey into the lineage of Bhakti Yoga - the yoga of devotion and love.
This year’s gathering promises a rich tapestry of Aarti rituals, meditation, forest therapy and late-night mountaintop kirtans, where we’ll sing our hearts out beneath the vast summer sky. Gather around the fire for satsang chats, where we’ll share our paths, our questions, and our joys, deepening into the practices of love and remembrance.
Special guests will grace us with soul-stirring kirtan, along with our own beloved Naga Das guiding us in transformative breathwork. And of course, Bala will lead satsang discussions that invite us into the heart of Ram Dass’s teachings. Stay tuned for even more special guests to be announced soon!
This is a community-centered gathering in the forest, intentionally designed to be financially accessible. While there are some basic contribution guidelines, please don’t let finances keep you from this celebration of love. Reach out to us if you feel called.
Come to sing, to share, to sit together, and to deepen into devotion, connection, and love. We can’t wait to welcome you into the circle.
REGISTRATION OPENS SOON
August Just Love Forest Ashram Community Weekend: Meditation, Service, Sound Circle & Forest Therapy
Immerse yourself in a weekend filled with meditation, service, a drum circle, and forest therapy, all within the warm embrace of our vibrant community. Connect with like-minded individuals and experience the healing power of nature and human connection.
Whether you're seeking relaxation, inner peace, or simply a chance to unwind in the company of wonderful people, this weekend promises to rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit. Come join us as we embark on a journey of self-discovery and collective harmony.
We can't wait to share this enriching experience with you. See you there!
August meditation: Guided FRIDAY NIGHT Meditation & SATURDAY MORNING SILENT MEDITATION
🌟 Friday – Meditation Overnight
JOIN US FOR A DONATION-BASED Meditation Overnight AT THE JUST LOVE FOREST ASHRAM 🧡
4:30 PM Arrival
Just Love Forest is held as a Forest Ashram, open to all, but rooted in the living traditions and lineage of the great Indian saint Neem Karoli Baba, and following the path of Bhakti Yoga, the yoga of love.
Our Friday Evening Meditation Retreats are donation-based. Everyone is welcome. Simply offer what you can to help us offset food costs and maintain the space.
Each evening will include:
Guided Meditation with Mitch – open to all paths, lineages, and traditions.
Pooja & Aarti Ceremony – an ancient Hindu Vedic practice honoring the elements and the four directions.
This sacred space is open to people of all faiths. If you feel called, you may bring a sacred object from your own tradition with a spiritualist, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, or otherwise to place on the altar and receive blessings.
If these practices are new to you, don’t be afraid. Come with curiosity, come to learn, come to share in community. Our invitation is simple: all hearts are welcome.
As part of this we will offer an Indian food dinner before our meditation. You're welcome to come for the evening and depart around 8pm or stay overnight in one of our canvas bell tents, all donation based.
Saturday morning we will wake up and offer a silent meditation from 7:00am - 8:00am and then Pooja & Aarti Ceremony again from 8:00-8:30am, followed by breakfast.
Join us in the forest. Breathe. Sit. Pray. Share the sacred.
Everything for this event is donation-based. We appreciate your support of our efforts.
Bala and Mitch are all certified Mindfulness Meditation Teachers, graduated from Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach's 2-year Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certificate Program through the Awareness Training Institute and the University of Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center. As part of this 2-year program, they completed a 6-month DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity, and Accountability) training.
August Service and Community Gardening Day
Many people arrive with a quiet desire to serve, paired with uncertainty about whether they have the “right” skills to offer. Saturday Service Day at Just Love Forest exists for exactly this place of curiosity.
This day is not about arriving with expertise. It is about arriving as you are - open, willing, and interested in discovering new ways to contribute. Each person brings something different: strength, patience, attentiveness, creativity, or simply a readiness to learn. Every form of participation is valued.
Together, participants care for the living systems that support both the land and the community. There is always ongoing work in the community garden, along with seasonal trail and grounds care, and special building projects designed to be accessible to a wide range of ages and abilities. Everyone is encouraged to choose work that feels safe and comfortable for them. While learning is welcomed, personal safety and well-being always come first.
Service at Just Love Forest is not measured by productivity or output. It is understood as a pathway to purpose and interdependence - a way of remembering that community is built when people allow themselves to both offer support and receive it. Often, participants discover abilities they did not know they had simply by working alongside others.
The day includes time to work, pause, connect, and share a nourishing meal together. By the end of the afternoon, the land is more cared for, and so is the sense of belonging among those who gathered.
Saturday Service Day
Arrive by 10:30 AM
Lunch is provided for free and is vegan and plant-based
Please bring work gloves and sturdy shoes
Participants are encouraged to choose work that feels safe and comfortable
Most tools are provided; any additional requests will be shared in advance
If not staying for the evening sound and song program, participants should plan to depart at 4 PM
No special skills are required to take part. Presence, care, and willingness are what make the day meaningful.
We will contact you with exact details of the work projects the week before our gathering.
august Song & Sound Circle
Song & Sound Circle
Many people arrive at the Sound & Song Circle carrying a quiet longing to connect, paired with uncertainty about whether they have a “good voice,” musical experience, or anything to offer.
This gathering exists precisely for that tender edge.
The Sound & Song Circle is not a performance space. It is a shared listening space—one where voices, instruments, silence, and simple presence are all equally welcome. Some participants sing freely. Others hum softly, keep rhythm, or simply sit and receive the sound. Every way of being is valued.
Together, we create a field of sound that is less about making music and more about feeling resonance—within ourselves, with one another, and with the forest around us. Songs may be simple chants, familiar melodies, improvised tones, or wordless sound. Instruments are welcome, but not required. Your voice, breath, or attentive listening is enough.
There is no pressure to sing alone, lead, or share unless you feel called. You are always free to participate in the way that feels safest and most nourishing for you. Many people discover that their voice naturally emerges over time, simply by being held in the collective sound.
The circle unfolds slowly, with room for pauses, laughter, emotion, and rest. The forest itself becomes part of the experience - holding the sound, echoing it back, and grounding the gathering in place.
Sound & Song at Just Love Forest is a practice of attunement and belonging. It reminds us that community is built not by perfection, but by showing up and allowing ourselves to be heard, or simply to listen, together.
By the end of the evening, many leave feeling more open, more settled, and quietly connected to something larger than themselves.
––––––––––
Sound & Song Circle
Arrive at 4:30 PM
All voices and levels of experience are welcome
Instruments are optional; listening is participation
You may sing, hum, drum, sit quietly, or come and go as needed
This is a substance-free, family-friendly gathering
If you are also attending the Service Day, participants should plan to stay on site through the evening
No musical skill is required. Presence, curiosity, and care are what make the circle meaningful.
We will share any additional details the week of the gathering.
Potluck Dinner (Vegan & Vegetarian)
Our evening begins with a shared vegan and vegetarian potluck meal. Participants are invited to bring a dish to share with the group.
We typically gather with around 15 people, so a modest dish that can serve several is perfect. Please also bring your own serving dish and serving utensils, as these are not provided on site.
If you’re new to potlucks or unsure what to bring, simple offerings are always appreciated - soups, salads, grain dishes, roasted vegetables, breads, or fruit are all wonderful choices.
Sharing a meal together is an important part of the evening, offering a chance to connect, settle in, and arrive fully before entering the Sound & Song Circle.
How Registration Works
Registration happens in two simple steps.
When you click one of the links below, you’ll first be taken to Stripe to securely submit your payment. Once your payment is complete, you’ll be automatically redirected back to our website to share a few important details so we can best support your stay.
Complete your payment
You’ll choose your contribution amount on our secure Stripe payment page.Share your details and preferences
After payment, you’ll be redirected to confirm your accommodation choice, share food preferences, complete any required waivers, and submit any questions for our team.
Payment is required before continuing to step two.
The cost for the Saturday night song and sound circle is $50+tax and includes the experience, potluck meal and optional overnight stay.
Click here to pay & then begin registration
QUESTIONS OR SPECIAL NEEDS?
We’re here for you! Contact Bala at contact@justloveforest.com for any questions or accommodations.
CONSIDER MEMBERSHIP
If you find yourself wanting to return again and again throughout the year, membership is a simple way to stay connected and supported.
Membership is for those who feel drawn to build ongoing relationships with the land and community showing up regularly, deepening friendships, and participating in the shared rhythm of service, ceremony, and care.
For $50 per month, members receive several benefits, including one of the most meaningful:
Members may attend the entire monthly Community Weekend for a flat contribution of $50.
That means you can join Friday meditation, Saturday service and song, and Sunday forest therapy without worrying about individual session costs. It’s our way of keeping these gatherings financially accessible while encouraging consistency and relationship over time.
Membership also supports the ongoing stewardship of Just Love Forest by helping care for the land, maintain shared spaces, and sustain a place where community can continue to gather with intention and heart.
There’s no pressure to attend every month. Membership simply creates a steady bridge between you and the forest, so you can come when you’re able and feel held when you do.
If you’re longing for a place to belong, not just to visit once, but to return to, membership may be the right next step.
August Green Burial Tour
“Become the Forest”
Our green burial grounds, within the embrace of the Just Love community, honor the cycles of life and death with profound reverence. Our green burial sanctuary in Poetry, Georgia, just outside of Rome, is a sacred space where nature, healing, and community intertwine. Here, surrounded by the timeless beauty of the forest, we offer green burial and cremation burial for both beloved humans and pets - a return to the earth that celebrates life.
At the heart of our work is a deep commitment to healing - through nature, ritual, and meaningful connection. Our offerings are uniquely integrated within a vibrant, nature-centered community. With the compassionate guidance of death doulas and support that honors your story, we create a space where love and transformation are held sacred.
This is more than a resting place; it is a sacred partnership with the earth, an invitation to become the forest.
We have 3 burial sites: Bhakti Mountain Summit, The Sacred Forest, and our pet burial ground, Circle of Paws. You can explore them all.
Upcoming free tours for 2026 are: February 15th, April 5th, May 24th, June 21st, August 30th, September 20th, October 18th
august FOREST THERAPY - the Japanese Practice of Shinrin yoku, “Forest Bathing”
Forest Therapy Day at Just Love Forest
Come experience the transitions of the season through a slow, sensory immersion in the forest. Color, texture, sound, scent, and the subtle movement of wind and light will be noticed using all of your senses. This day is designed to help you step out of urgency and into a more natural rhythm of presence, connection, and rest.
Arrival and Opening Circle
Please plan to arrive by 10:30 AM. We will gather in our yurt to begin the day together with a gentle rose tea ceremony, offering time to arrive fully and connect with one another. This opening circle includes deep, spacious introductions, an orientation to the day, and a sharing of the history of the land and its living lineage. This time helps create safety, trust, and a shared container for the experience ahead.
A nourishing plant-based lunch will be served late morning, allowing us to settle, ground, and prepare our bodies for the afternoon in the forest.
Forest Therapy Experience
Around 1:00 PM, we will transition into the forest for approximately three hours of guided forest therapy. We typically begin by honoring the land and all beings who live here, stating intentions, and asking permission to enter into deeper relationship with the forest.
Guided by a certified forest therapy guide, you will be offered a series of simple, open ended invitations designed to support nervous system regulation, sensory awareness, and connection with the living world. This is not a hike and there is no destination to reach. We move slowly, with frequent pauses, allowing the forest to meet each person where they are.
Closing Circle and Forest Tea
We will return from the forest in the late afternoon for a closing forest tea ceremony, usually around 4:30 PM. The tea is always something unique and seasonal, foraged or prepared in relationship with the forest and the time of year. We will share closing reflections and offer space to gently integrate the day before departing around 5:00 PM.
About Forest Therapy
Forest therapy, also known as forest bathing or Shinrin Yoku, is a guided practice that supports mental, emotional, and physical well being through intentional time spent in forest environments.
The medicine received from nature is multifaceted. Psychologically, time in the forest supports calm, clarity, and emotional regulation through quiet, color, and sensory richness. Physiologically, research has shown that time spent in forests increases exposure to phytoncides, the organic compounds released by trees. These compounds have been linked to increased activity of natural killer (NK) cells, an important component of immune function, while also supporting heart health and reducing stress hormones in the body.
After several hours of peaceful immersion, many people leave feeling more grounded, connected, and at ease across mental, emotional, and physical dimensions of their being.
Sliding Scale Payment
Everyone is welcome, regardless of ability to pay. This Forest Therapy Day is offered on a sliding scale to support accessibility while also stewarding the land and the people who care for it.
After registering, you will be directed to a payment page where you may choose the amount that feels appropriate for you.
Forest Day Retreat Standard Rate: $125
This is the recommended rate and supports certified guides while helping steward and protect the 716 acre Just Love Forest nature preserve.
Forest Day Retreat Sustainer Rate: $200
For those who are able to contribute at a higher level, helping us pay it forward and expand access for others.
Forest Day Retreat “It’s All Good” Rate: $50
Warmly accepted for those for whom this amount feels accessible, offered as a gesture of reciprocity and care for the forest.
Please have each individual RSVP separately.
If you have questions or would like more information, feel free to email contact@justloveforest.com.
We look forward to welcoming you into the forest.
SEPTEMBER Hanuman Tuesdays
HANUMAN TUESDAYS
A WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL DAY FOR GATHERING AND PRACTICING INDEPENDENTLY IN NATURE
SEPTEMBER Dates: 1ST, 8TH, 15th, 22ND, 29th
JOIN US FOR A DONATION-BASED DAY OF INTENTION & DEVOTION AT JUST LOVE FOREST 🧡
Arrival by 10:00 AM
Day practice · Optional evening puja · Optional overnight stay
Hanuman Tuesdays are held as a quiet, devotional day for spiritual practice at Just Love Forest, a forest ashram rooted in the living traditions and lineage of Neem Karoli Baba and Ram Dass, and guided by the path of Bhakti Yoga the yoga of love, service, and devotion.
Tuesdays are traditionally dedicated to Hanuman, the embodiment of courage, humility, strength, and selfless service. We honor this through intentional conversation, simplicity, and time for personal spiritual practice on the land.
The Day
We gather at 10:00 a.m. for a brief welcome and orientation.
After introductions, we enter quiet for the remainder of the day.
Participants are invited to hike to Bhakti Mountain, a sacred 40-minute walk through the forest. At the top, you’re welcome to sit in quiet practice, read spiritual texts, reflect, pray, or simply rest in the beauty of the land.
If the walk does not feel right for you, you’re welcome to remain at Basecamp in our meditation yurt.
Independent personal practice is held from approximately 1:00–5:00 p.m.
There is no group facilitation during the silent hours; this time is yours.
Meals & Evening Options
Please bring your own lunch to enjoy quietly during the day.
You’re welcome to:
Depart quietly at 6:00 p.m., or
Stay for a simple plant-based dinner that we provide at 6:30 p.m., followed by
Puja & Aarti from 7:30–8:30 p.m., departing before the gates close at 9:00 p.m.
For those staying overnight:
Quiet hours begin at 9:00 p.m.
Morning Puja & Aarti at 6:30 a.m.
A light, plant-based breakfast that we will provide around 9:00 a.m.
Departure by 10:00 a.m.
Shared Agreements
Phones are turned off or fully silenced upon arrival to support presence and inward listening.
To preserve the peace of the land and the shared container:
No pets (unless previously discussed)
No alcohol
No smoking
Food brought onto the land must be vegan or vegetarian
This space is open to people of all faiths and backgrounds who are rooted in compassion. If devotional practices are new to you, you’re warmly welcome. Come with curiosity, humility, and an open heart.
What to Bring
Your own vegan or vegetarian lunch
A personal water bottle
Comfortable shoes with good traction
An optional small offering for the forest or Bhakti Mountain (flower, fruit, or poem)
Journal or spiritual texts (optional)
Sunscreen or rain layer if needed
Flashlight if staying past dark
Personal spiritual musical instrument (non-electronic)
If staying overnight:
Queen-size top & bottom sheets
Pillow & case
Blankets
Toiletries
Season and weather-appropriate clothing
Offering (Dāna)
Everything for this practice is offered on a donation basis to help care for the land and sustain the Ashram.
Suggested offerings:
Day pilgrimage & silent practice: Dāna any amount (optional)
Dinner & overnight stay: $30–50 suggested donation
Give what you’re able. No one is turned away for lack of funds.
Join us in the Ashram.
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN
Just Love, always,
Bala & Nivay
Chant for Love FALL 2026: mantra meditation & forest therapy Retreat
Chant for Love Retreat returns September 10th-13th!
Relax into the first weekend of Spring to experience bliss, love and community with Radha Rose, Bala Yancey and Josh Klein. This weekend retreat will introduce you to mantra meditation and kirtan. Enjoy magical sound healing experiences with sacred mantras enhanced with nature therapy and cacao.
Nurture your spiritual connection. Cultivate a sense of calm, grounding and focus. Replace old habits with inspiring and heartwarming Mantra Meditation, Kirtan and Sound Healing practices.
Enjoy the late summer with a special excursion to Little River Canyon.
Whether this is your first retreat or 108th, if you are brand new or far on your spiritual path:
The CHANT FOR LOVE 2025 Retreat is for you if you seek to open up your heart and your voice with experienced Bhakti yoga guides in an inclusive spiritual community.
See details for the September Retreat
⚘
September meditation: Guided FRIDAY NIGHT Meditation & SATURDAY MORNING SILENT MEDITATION
🌟 Friday – Meditation Overnight
JOIN US FOR A DONATION-BASED Meditation Overnight AT THE JUST LOVE FOREST ASHRAM 🧡
4:30 PM Arrival
Just Love Forest is held as a Forest Ashram, open to all, but rooted in the living traditions and lineage of the great Indian saint Neem Karoli Baba, and following the path of Bhakti Yoga, the yoga of love.
Our Friday Evening Meditation Retreats are donation-based. Everyone is welcome. Simply offer what you can to help us offset food costs and maintain the space.
Each evening will include:
Guided Meditation with Mitch – open to all paths, lineages, and traditions.
Pooja & Aarti Ceremony – an ancient Hindu Vedic practice honoring the elements and the four directions.
This sacred space is open to people of all faiths. If you feel called, you may bring a sacred object from your own tradition with a spiritualist, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, or otherwise to place on the altar and receive blessings.
If these practices are new to you, don’t be afraid. Come with curiosity, come to learn, come to share in community. Our invitation is simple: all hearts are welcome.
As part of this we will offer an Indian food dinner before our meditation. You're welcome to come for the evening and depart around 8pm or stay overnight in one of our canvas bell tents, all donation based.
Saturday morning we will wake up and offer a silent meditation from 7:00am - 8:00am and then Pooja & Aarti Ceremony again from 8:00-8:30am, followed by breakfast.
Join us in the forest. Breathe. Sit. Pray. Share the sacred.
Everything for this event is donation-based. We appreciate your support of our efforts.
Bala and Mitch are all certified Mindfulness Meditation Teachers, graduated from Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach's 2-year Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certificate Program through the Awareness Training Institute and the University of Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center. As part of this 2-year program, they completed a 6-month DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity, and Accountability) training.
september Just Love Forest Ashram Community Weekend: Meditation, Service, Sound Circle & Forest Therapy
Immerse yourself in a weekend filled with meditation, service, a drum circle, and forest therapy, all within the warm embrace of our vibrant community. Connect with like-minded individuals and experience the healing power of nature and human connection.
Whether you're seeking relaxation, inner peace, or simply a chance to unwind in the company of wonderful people, this weekend promises to rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit. Come join us as we embark on a journey of self-discovery and collective harmony.
We can't wait to share this enriching experience with you. See you there!
September Service and Community Gardening Day
Many people arrive with a quiet desire to serve, paired with uncertainty about whether they have the “right” skills to offer. Saturday Service Day at Just Love Forest exists for exactly this place of curiosity.
This day is not about arriving with expertise. It is about arriving as you are - open, willing, and interested in discovering new ways to contribute. Each person brings something different: strength, patience, attentiveness, creativity, or simply a readiness to learn. Every form of participation is valued.
Together, participants care for the living systems that support both the land and the community. There is always ongoing work in the community garden, along with seasonal trail and grounds care, and special building projects designed to be accessible to a wide range of ages and abilities. Everyone is encouraged to choose work that feels safe and comfortable for them. While learning is welcomed, personal safety and well-being always come first.
Service at Just Love Forest is not measured by productivity or output. It is understood as a pathway to purpose and interdependence - a way of remembering that community is built when people allow themselves to both offer support and receive it. Often, participants discover abilities they did not know they had simply by working alongside others.
The day includes time to work, pause, connect, and share a nourishing meal together. By the end of the afternoon, the land is more cared for, and so is the sense of belonging among those who gathered.
Saturday Service Day
Arrive by 10:30 AM
Lunch is provided for free and is vegan and plant-based
Please bring work gloves and sturdy shoes
Participants are encouraged to choose work that feels safe and comfortable
Most tools are provided; any additional requests will be shared in advance
If not staying for the evening sound and song program, participants should plan to depart at 4 PM
No special skills are required to take part. Presence, care, and willingness are what make the day meaningful.
We will contact you with exact details of the work projects the week before our gathering.
september Song & Sound Circle
Song & Sound Circle
Many people arrive at the Sound & Song Circle carrying a quiet longing to connect, paired with uncertainty about whether they have a “good voice,” musical experience, or anything to offer.
This gathering exists precisely for that tender edge.
The Sound & Song Circle is not a performance space. It is a shared listening space—one where voices, instruments, silence, and simple presence are all equally welcome. Some participants sing freely. Others hum softly, keep rhythm, or simply sit and receive the sound. Every way of being is valued.
Together, we create a field of sound that is less about making music and more about feeling resonance—within ourselves, with one another, and with the forest around us. Songs may be simple chants, familiar melodies, improvised tones, or wordless sound. Instruments are welcome, but not required. Your voice, breath, or attentive listening is enough.
There is no pressure to sing alone, lead, or share unless you feel called. You are always free to participate in the way that feels safest and most nourishing for you. Many people discover that their voice naturally emerges over time, simply by being held in the collective sound.
The circle unfolds slowly, with room for pauses, laughter, emotion, and rest. The forest itself becomes part of the experience - holding the sound, echoing it back, and grounding the gathering in place.
Sound & Song at Just Love Forest is a practice of attunement and belonging. It reminds us that community is built not by perfection, but by showing up and allowing ourselves to be heard, or simply to listen, together.
By the end of the evening, many leave feeling more open, more settled, and quietly connected to something larger than themselves.
––––––––––
Sound & Song Circle
Arrive at 4:30 PM
All voices and levels of experience are welcome
Instruments are optional; listening is participation
You may sing, hum, drum, sit quietly, or come and go as needed
This is a substance-free, family-friendly gathering
If you are also attending the Service Day, participants should plan to stay on site through the evening
No musical skill is required. Presence, curiosity, and care are what make the circle meaningful.
We will share any additional details the week of the gathering.
Potluck Dinner (Vegan & Vegetarian)
Our evening begins with a shared vegan and vegetarian potluck meal. Participants are invited to bring a dish to share with the group.
We typically gather with around 15 people, so a modest dish that can serve several is perfect. Please also bring your own serving dish and serving utensils, as these are not provided on site.
If you’re new to potlucks or unsure what to bring, simple offerings are always appreciated - soups, salads, grain dishes, roasted vegetables, breads, or fruit are all wonderful choices.
Sharing a meal together is an important part of the evening, offering a chance to connect, settle in, and arrive fully before entering the Sound & Song Circle.
How Registration Works
Registration happens in two simple steps.
When you click one of the links below, you’ll first be taken to Stripe to securely submit your payment. Once your payment is complete, you’ll be automatically redirected back to our website to share a few important details so we can best support your stay.
Complete your payment
You’ll choose your contribution amount on our secure Stripe payment page.Share your details and preferences
After payment, you’ll be redirected to confirm your accommodation choice, share food preferences, complete any required waivers, and submit any questions for our team.
Payment is required before continuing to step two.
The cost for the Saturday night song and sound circle is $50+tax and includes the experience, potluck meal and optional overnight stay.
Click here to pay & then begin registration
QUESTIONS OR SPECIAL NEEDS?
We’re here for you! Contact Bala at contact@justloveforest.com for any questions or accommodations.
CONSIDER MEMBERSHIP
If you find yourself wanting to return again and again throughout the year, membership is a simple way to stay connected and supported.
Membership is for those who feel drawn to build ongoing relationships with the land and community showing up regularly, deepening friendships, and participating in the shared rhythm of service, ceremony, and care.
For $50 per month, members receive several benefits, including one of the most meaningful:
Members may attend the entire monthly Community Weekend for a flat contribution of $50.
That means you can join Friday meditation, Saturday service and song, and Sunday forest therapy without worrying about individual session costs. It’s our way of keeping these gatherings financially accessible while encouraging consistency and relationship over time.
Membership also supports the ongoing stewardship of Just Love Forest by helping care for the land, maintain shared spaces, and sustain a place where community can continue to gather with intention and heart.
There’s no pressure to attend every month. Membership simply creates a steady bridge between you and the forest, so you can come when you’re able and feel held when you do.
If you’re longing for a place to belong, not just to visit once, but to return to, membership may be the right next step.
september Green Burial Tour
“Become the Forest”
Our green burial grounds, within the embrace of the Just Love community, honor the cycles of life and death with profound reverence. Our green burial sanctuary in Poetry, Georgia, just outside of Rome, is a sacred space where nature, healing, and community intertwine. Here, surrounded by the timeless beauty of the forest, we offer green burial and cremation burial for both beloved humans and pets - a return to the earth that celebrates life.
At the heart of our work is a deep commitment to healing - through nature, ritual, and meaningful connection. Our offerings are uniquely integrated within a vibrant, nature-centered community. With the compassionate guidance of death doulas and support that honors your story, we create a space where love and transformation are held sacred.
This is more than a resting place; it is a sacred partnership with the earth, an invitation to become the forest.
We have 3 burial sites: Bhakti Mountain Summit, The Sacred Forest, and our pet burial ground, Circle of Paws. You can explore them all.
Upcoming free tours for 2026 are: February 15th, April 5th, May 24th, June 21st, August 30th, September 20th, October 18th
september FOREST THERAPY - the Japanese Practice of Shinrin yoku, “Forest Bathing”
Forest Therapy Day at Just Love Forest
Come experience the transitions of the season through a slow, sensory immersion in the forest. Color, texture, sound, scent, and the subtle movement of wind and light will be noticed using all of your senses. This day is designed to help you step out of urgency and into a more natural rhythm of presence, connection, and rest.
Arrival and Opening Circle
Please plan to arrive by 10:30 AM. We will gather in our yurt to begin the day together with a gentle rose tea ceremony, offering time to arrive fully and connect with one another. This opening circle includes deep, spacious introductions, an orientation to the day, and a sharing of the history of the land and its living lineage. This time helps create safety, trust, and a shared container for the experience ahead.
A nourishing plant-based lunch will be served late morning, allowing us to settle, ground, and prepare our bodies for the afternoon in the forest.
Forest Therapy Experience
Around 1:00 PM, we will transition into the forest for approximately three hours of guided forest therapy. We typically begin by honoring the land and all beings who live here, stating intentions, and asking permission to enter into deeper relationship with the forest.
Guided by a certified forest therapy guide, you will be offered a series of simple, open ended invitations designed to support nervous system regulation, sensory awareness, and connection with the living world. This is not a hike and there is no destination to reach. We move slowly, with frequent pauses, allowing the forest to meet each person where they are.
Closing Circle and Forest Tea
We will return from the forest in the late afternoon for a closing forest tea ceremony, usually around 4:30 PM. The tea is always something unique and seasonal, foraged or prepared in relationship with the forest and the time of year. We will share closing reflections and offer space to gently integrate the day before departing around 5:00 PM.
About Forest Therapy
Forest therapy, also known as forest bathing or Shinrin Yoku, is a guided practice that supports mental, emotional, and physical well being through intentional time spent in forest environments.
The medicine received from nature is multifaceted. Psychologically, time in the forest supports calm, clarity, and emotional regulation through quiet, color, and sensory richness. Physiologically, research has shown that time spent in forests increases exposure to phytoncides, the organic compounds released by trees. These compounds have been linked to increased activity of natural killer (NK) cells, an important component of immune function, while also supporting heart health and reducing stress hormones in the body.
After several hours of peaceful immersion, many people leave feeling more grounded, connected, and at ease across mental, emotional, and physical dimensions of their being.
Sliding Scale Payment
Everyone is welcome, regardless of ability to pay. This Forest Therapy Day is offered on a sliding scale to support accessibility while also stewarding the land and the people who care for it.
After registering, you will be directed to a payment page where you may choose the amount that feels appropriate for you.
Forest Day Retreat Standard Rate: $125
This is the recommended rate and supports certified guides while helping steward and protect the 716 acre Just Love Forest nature preserve.
Forest Day Retreat Sustainer Rate: $200
For those who are able to contribute at a higher level, helping us pay it forward and expand access for others.
Forest Day Retreat “It’s All Good” Rate: $50
Warmly accepted for those for whom this amount feels accessible, offered as a gesture of reciprocity and care for the forest.
Please have each individual RSVP separately.
If you have questions or would like more information, feel free to email contact@justloveforest.com.
We look forward to welcoming you into the forest.
Just Love Forest Fest
join us for our first year of our new spiritual festival: Just Love Forest Fest
Just Love Forest Fest is a weekend-long gathering in the heart of the forest devoted to presence, connection, and remembrance of what truly matters.
Over the course of the weekend, you’re invited into 10 thoughtfully curated spiritual workshops and experiential offerings, guided by seasoned facilitators and community members. These experiences span a wide range of paths and practices all rooted in embodiment, listening, reverence for the land, and living from the heart.
Days unfold slowly and intentionally, with opportunities for nature-based practices, contemplative exploration, creative expression, somatic experiences, and shared ritual. There is no pressure to do it all. You’re encouraged to follow what calls you, rest when needed, and trust your own rhythm.
As evening arrives, the forest softens into a different kind of magic. Wholesome devotional and acoustic music gatherings invite us to sing, listen, and be together by firelight. Gentle, embodied dance spaces open naturally, expressive, sober, and heart-centered,offering a joyful way to move energy and celebrate life beneath the stars.
Just Love Forest Fest is alcohol-free, family-friendly, and rooted in care for both people and place. It’s a space for sincere connection, spiritual curiosity, and remembering ourselves as part of something larger - community, earth, and love itself.
Come as you are. Stay as long as you need. Let the forest hold you.
REGISTRATION OPENS SOON
OCTOBER Hanuman Tuesdays
HANUMAN TUESDAYS
A WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL DAY FOR GATHERING AND PRACTICING INDEPENDENTLY IN NATURe
OCTOBER Dates: 6TH, 13TH, 20th, 27TH
JOIN US FOR A DONATION-BASED DAY OF INTENTION & DEVOTION AT JUST LOVE FOREST 🧡
Arrival by 10:00 AM
Day practice · Optional evening puja · Optional overnight stay
Hanuman Tuesdays are held as a quiet, devotional day for spiritual practice at Just Love Forest, a forest ashram rooted in the living traditions and lineage of Neem Karoli Baba and Ram Dass, and guided by the path of Bhakti Yoga the yoga of love, service, and devotion.
Tuesdays are traditionally dedicated to Hanuman, the embodiment of courage, humility, strength, and selfless service. We honor this through intentional conversation, simplicity, and time for personal spiritual practice on the land.
The Day
We gather at 10:00 a.m. for a brief welcome and orientation.
After introductions, we enter quiet for the remainder of the day.
Participants are invited to hike to Bhakti Mountain, a sacred 40-minute walk through the forest. At the top, you’re welcome to sit in quiet practice, read spiritual texts, reflect, pray, or simply rest in the beauty of the land.
If the walk does not feel right for you, you’re welcome to remain at Basecamp in our meditation yurt.
Independent personal practice is held from approximately 1:00–5:00 p.m.
There is no group facilitation during the silent hours; this time is yours.
Meals & Evening Options
Please bring your own lunch to enjoy quietly during the day.
You’re welcome to:
Depart quietly at 6:00 p.m., or
Stay for a simple plant-based dinner that we provide at 6:30 p.m., followed by
Puja & Aarti from 7:30–8:30 p.m., departing before the gates close at 9:00 p.m.
For those staying overnight:
Quiet hours begin at 9:00 p.m.
Morning Puja & Aarti at 6:30 a.m.
A light, plant-based breakfast that we will provide around 9:00 a.m.
Departure by 10:00 a.m.
Shared Agreements
Phones are turned off or fully silenced upon arrival to support presence and inward listening.
To preserve the peace of the land and the shared container:
No pets (unless previously discussed)
No alcohol
No smoking
Food brought onto the land must be vegan or vegetarian
This space is open to people of all faiths and backgrounds who are rooted in compassion. If devotional practices are new to you, you’re warmly welcome. Come with curiosity, humility, and an open heart.
What to Bring
Your own vegan or vegetarian lunch
A personal water bottle
Comfortable shoes with good traction
An optional small offering for the forest or Bhakti Mountain (flower, fruit, or poem)
Journal or spiritual texts (optional)
Sunscreen or rain layer if needed
Flashlight if staying past dark
Personal spiritual musical instrument (non-electronic)
If staying overnight:
Queen-size top & bottom sheets
Pillow & case
Blankets
Toiletries
Season and weather-appropriate clothing
Offering (Dāna)
Everything for this practice is offered on a donation basis to help care for the land and sustain the Ashram.
Suggested offerings:
Day pilgrimage & silent practice: Dāna any amount (optional)
Dinner & overnight stay: $30–50 suggested donation
Give what you’re able. No one is turned away for lack of funds.
Join us in the Ashram.
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN
Just Love, always,
Bala & Nivay
october Just Love Forest Ashram Community Weekend: Meditation, Service, Sound Circle & Forest Therapy
Immerse yourself in a weekend filled with meditation, service, a drum circle, and forest therapy, all within the warm embrace of our vibrant community. Connect with like-minded individuals and experience the healing power of nature and human connection.
Whether you're seeking relaxation, inner peace, or simply a chance to unwind in the company of wonderful people, this weekend promises to rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit. Come join us as we embark on a journey of self-discovery and collective harmony.
We can't wait to share this enriching experience with you. See you there!
october meditation: Guided FRIDAY NIGHT Meditation & SATURDAY MORNING SILENT MEDITATION
🌟 Friday – Meditation Overnight
JOIN US FOR A DONATION-BASED Meditation Overnight AT THE JUST LOVE FOREST ASHRAM 🧡
4:30 PM Arrival
Just Love Forest is held as a Forest Ashram, open to all, but rooted in the living traditions and lineage of the great Indian saint Neem Karoli Baba, and following the path of Bhakti Yoga, the yoga of love.
Our Friday Evening Meditation Retreats are donation-based. Everyone is welcome. Simply offer what you can to help us offset food costs and maintain the space.
Each evening will include:
Guided Meditation with Mitch – open to all paths, lineages, and traditions.
Pooja & Aarti Ceremony – an ancient Hindu Vedic practice honoring the elements and the four directions.
This sacred space is open to people of all faiths. If you feel called, you may bring a sacred object from your own tradition with a spiritualist, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, or otherwise to place on the altar and receive blessings.
If these practices are new to you, don’t be afraid. Come with curiosity, come to learn, come to share in community. Our invitation is simple: all hearts are welcome.
As part of this we will offer an Indian food dinner before our meditation. You're welcome to come for the evening and depart around 8pm or stay overnight in one of our canvas bell tents, all donation based.
Saturday morning we will wake up and offer a silent meditation from 7:00am - 8:00am and then Pooja & Aarti Ceremony again from 8:00-8:30am, followed by breakfast.
Join us in the forest. Breathe. Sit. Pray. Share the sacred.
Everything for this event is donation-based. We appreciate your support of our efforts.
Bala and Mitch are all certified Mindfulness Meditation Teachers, graduated from Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach's 2-year Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certificate Program through the Awareness Training Institute and the University of Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center. As part of this 2-year program, they completed a 6-month DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity, and Accountability) training.
october Service and Community Gardening Day
Many people arrive with a quiet desire to serve, paired with uncertainty about whether they have the “right” skills to offer. Saturday Service Day at Just Love Forest exists for exactly this place of curiosity.
This day is not about arriving with expertise. It is about arriving as you are - open, willing, and interested in discovering new ways to contribute. Each person brings something different: strength, patience, attentiveness, creativity, or simply a readiness to learn. Every form of participation is valued.
Together, participants care for the living systems that support both the land and the community. There is always ongoing work in the community garden, along with seasonal trail and grounds care, and special building projects designed to be accessible to a wide range of ages and abilities. Everyone is encouraged to choose work that feels safe and comfortable for them. While learning is welcomed, personal safety and well-being always come first.
Service at Just Love Forest is not measured by productivity or output. It is understood as a pathway to purpose and interdependence - a way of remembering that community is built when people allow themselves to both offer support and receive it. Often, participants discover abilities they did not know they had simply by working alongside others.
The day includes time to work, pause, connect, and share a nourishing meal together. By the end of the afternoon, the land is more cared for, and so is the sense of belonging among those who gathered.
Saturday Service Day
Arrive by 10:30 AM
Lunch is provided for free and is vegan and plant-based
Please bring work gloves and sturdy shoes
Participants are encouraged to choose work that feels safe and comfortable
Most tools are provided; any additional requests will be shared in advance
If not staying for the evening sound and song program, participants should plan to depart at 4 PM
No special skills are required to take part. Presence, care, and willingness are what make the day meaningful.
We will contact you with exact details of the work projects the week before our gathering.
october Song & Sound Circle
Song & Sound Circle
Many people arrive at the Sound & Song Circle carrying a quiet longing to connect, paired with uncertainty about whether they have a “good voice,” musical experience, or anything to offer.
This gathering exists precisely for that tender edge.
The Sound & Song Circle is not a performance space. It is a shared listening space—one where voices, instruments, silence, and simple presence are all equally welcome. Some participants sing freely. Others hum softly, keep rhythm, or simply sit and receive the sound. Every way of being is valued.
Together, we create a field of sound that is less about making music and more about feeling resonance—within ourselves, with one another, and with the forest around us. Songs may be simple chants, familiar melodies, improvised tones, or wordless sound. Instruments are welcome, but not required. Your voice, breath, or attentive listening is enough.
There is no pressure to sing alone, lead, or share unless you feel called. You are always free to participate in the way that feels safest and most nourishing for you. Many people discover that their voice naturally emerges over time, simply by being held in the collective sound.
The circle unfolds slowly, with room for pauses, laughter, emotion, and rest. The forest itself becomes part of the experience - holding the sound, echoing it back, and grounding the gathering in place.
Sound & Song at Just Love Forest is a practice of attunement and belonging. It reminds us that community is built not by perfection, but by showing up and allowing ourselves to be heard, or simply to listen, together.
By the end of the evening, many leave feeling more open, more settled, and quietly connected to something larger than themselves.
––––––––––
Sound & Song Circle
Arrive at 4:30 PM
All voices and levels of experience are welcome
Instruments are optional; listening is participation
You may sing, hum, drum, sit quietly, or come and go as needed
This is a substance-free, family-friendly gathering
If you are also attending the Service Day, participants should plan to stay on site through the evening
No musical skill is required. Presence, curiosity, and care are what make the circle meaningful.
We will share any additional details the week of the gathering.
Potluck Dinner (Vegan & Vegetarian)
Our evening begins with a shared vegan and vegetarian potluck meal. Participants are invited to bring a dish to share with the group.
We typically gather with around 15 people, so a modest dish that can serve several is perfect. Please also bring your own serving dish and serving utensils, as these are not provided on site.
If you’re new to potlucks or unsure what to bring, simple offerings are always appreciated - soups, salads, grain dishes, roasted vegetables, breads, or fruit are all wonderful choices.
Sharing a meal together is an important part of the evening, offering a chance to connect, settle in, and arrive fully before entering the Sound & Song Circle.
How Registration Works
Registration happens in two simple steps.
When you click one of the links below, you’ll first be taken to Stripe to securely submit your payment. Once your payment is complete, you’ll be automatically redirected back to our website to share a few important details so we can best support your stay.
Complete your payment
You’ll choose your contribution amount on our secure Stripe payment page.Share your details and preferences
After payment, you’ll be redirected to confirm your accommodation choice, share food preferences, complete any required waivers, and submit any questions for our team.
Payment is required before continuing to step two.
The cost for the Saturday night song and sound circle is $50+tax and includes the experience, potluck meal and optional overnight stay.
Click here to pay & then begin registration
QUESTIONS OR SPECIAL NEEDS?
We’re here for you! Contact Bala at contact@justloveforest.com for any questions or accommodations.
CONSIDER MEMBERSHIP
If you find yourself wanting to return again and again throughout the year, membership is a simple way to stay connected and supported.
Membership is for those who feel drawn to build ongoing relationships with the land and community showing up regularly, deepening friendships, and participating in the shared rhythm of service, ceremony, and care.
For $50 per month, members receive several benefits, including one of the most meaningful:
Members may attend the entire monthly Community Weekend for a flat contribution of $50.
That means you can join Friday meditation, Saturday service and song, and Sunday forest therapy without worrying about individual session costs. It’s our way of keeping these gatherings financially accessible while encouraging consistency and relationship over time.
Membership also supports the ongoing stewardship of Just Love Forest by helping care for the land, maintain shared spaces, and sustain a place where community can continue to gather with intention and heart.
There’s no pressure to attend every month. Membership simply creates a steady bridge between you and the forest, so you can come when you’re able and feel held when you do.
If you’re longing for a place to belong, not just to visit once, but to return to, membership may be the right next step.
October Green Burial Tour
“Become the Forest”
Our green burial grounds, within the embrace of the Just Love community, honor the cycles of life and death with profound reverence. Our green burial sanctuary in Poetry, Georgia, just outside of Rome, is a sacred space where nature, healing, and community intertwine. Here, surrounded by the timeless beauty of the forest, we offer green burial and cremation burial for both beloved humans and pets - a return to the earth that celebrates life.
At the heart of our work is a deep commitment to healing - through nature, ritual, and meaningful connection. Our offerings are uniquely integrated within a vibrant, nature-centered community. With the compassionate guidance of death doulas and support that honors your story, we create a space where love and transformation are held sacred.
This is more than a resting place; it is a sacred partnership with the earth, an invitation to become the forest.
We have 3 burial sites: Bhakti Mountain Summit, The Sacred Forest, and our pet burial ground, Circle of Paws. You can explore them all.
Upcoming free tours for 2026 are: February 15th, April 5th, May 24th, June 21st, August 30th, September 20th, October 18th
october FOREST THERAPY - the Japanese Practice of Shinrin yoku, “Forest Bathing”
Forest Therapy Day at Just Love Forest
Come experience the transitions of the season through a slow, sensory immersion in the forest. Color, texture, sound, scent, and the subtle movement of wind and light will be noticed using all of your senses. This day is designed to help you step out of urgency and into a more natural rhythm of presence, connection, and rest.
Arrival and Opening Circle
Please plan to arrive by 10:30 AM. We will gather in our yurt to begin the day together with a gentle rose tea ceremony, offering time to arrive fully and connect with one another. This opening circle includes deep, spacious introductions, an orientation to the day, and a sharing of the history of the land and its living lineage. This time helps create safety, trust, and a shared container for the experience ahead.
A nourishing plant-based lunch will be served late morning, allowing us to settle, ground, and prepare our bodies for the afternoon in the forest.
Forest Therapy Experience
Around 1:00 PM, we will transition into the forest for approximately three hours of guided forest therapy. We typically begin by honoring the land and all beings who live here, stating intentions, and asking permission to enter into deeper relationship with the forest.
Guided by a certified forest therapy guide, you will be offered a series of simple, open ended invitations designed to support nervous system regulation, sensory awareness, and connection with the living world. This is not a hike and there is no destination to reach. We move slowly, with frequent pauses, allowing the forest to meet each person where they are.
Closing Circle and Forest Tea
We will return from the forest in the late afternoon for a closing forest tea ceremony, usually around 4:30 PM. The tea is always something unique and seasonal, foraged or prepared in relationship with the forest and the time of year. We will share closing reflections and offer space to gently integrate the day before departing around 5:00 PM.
About Forest Therapy
Forest therapy, also known as forest bathing or Shinrin Yoku, is a guided practice that supports mental, emotional, and physical well being through intentional time spent in forest environments.
The medicine received from nature is multifaceted. Psychologically, time in the forest supports calm, clarity, and emotional regulation through quiet, color, and sensory richness. Physiologically, research has shown that time spent in forests increases exposure to phytoncides, the organic compounds released by trees. These compounds have been linked to increased activity of natural killer (NK) cells, an important component of immune function, while also supporting heart health and reducing stress hormones in the body.
After several hours of peaceful immersion, many people leave feeling more grounded, connected, and at ease across mental, emotional, and physical dimensions of their being.
Sliding Scale Payment
Everyone is welcome, regardless of ability to pay. This Forest Therapy Day is offered on a sliding scale to support accessibility while also stewarding the land and the people who care for it.
After registering, you will be directed to a payment page where you may choose the amount that feels appropriate for you.
Forest Day Retreat Standard Rate: $125
This is the recommended rate and supports certified guides while helping steward and protect the 716 acre Just Love Forest nature preserve.
Forest Day Retreat Sustainer Rate: $200
For those who are able to contribute at a higher level, helping us pay it forward and expand access for others.
Forest Day Retreat “It’s All Good” Rate: $50
Warmly accepted for those for whom this amount feels accessible, offered as a gesture of reciprocity and care for the forest.
Please have each individual RSVP separately.
If you have questions or would like more information, feel free to email contact@justloveforest.com.
We look forward to welcoming you into the forest.
NOVEMBER Hanuman Tuesdays
HANUMAN TUESDAYS
A WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL DAY FOR GATHERING AND PRACTICING INDEPENDENTLY IN NATURE
NOVEMBER Dates: 3RD, 10TH, 17TH
JOIN US FOR A DONATION-BASED DAY OF INTENTION & DEVOTION AT JUST LOVE FOREST 🧡
Arrival by 10:00 AM
Day practice · Optional evening puja · Optional overnight stay
Hanuman Tuesdays are held as a quiet, devotional day for spiritual practice at Just Love Forest, a forest ashram rooted in the living traditions and lineage of Neem Karoli Baba and Ram Dass, and guided by the path of Bhakti Yoga the yoga of love, service, and devotion.
Tuesdays are traditionally dedicated to Hanuman, the embodiment of courage, humility, strength, and selfless service. We honor this through intentional conversation, simplicity, and time for personal spiritual practice on the land.
The Day
We gather at 10:00 a.m. for a brief welcome and orientation.
After introductions, we enter quiet for the remainder of the day.
Participants are invited to hike to Bhakti Mountain, a sacred 40-minute walk through the forest. At the top, you’re welcome to sit in quiet practice, read spiritual texts, reflect, pray, or simply rest in the beauty of the land.
If the walk does not feel right for you, you’re welcome to remain at Basecamp in our meditation yurt.
Independent personal practice is held from approximately 1:00–5:00 p.m.
There is no group facilitation during the silent hours; this time is yours.
Meals & Evening Options
Please bring your own lunch to enjoy quietly during the day.
You’re welcome to:
Depart quietly at 6:00 p.m., or
Stay for a simple plant-based dinner that we provide at 6:30 p.m., followed by
Puja & Aarti from 7:30–8:30 p.m., departing before the gates close at 9:00 p.m.
For those staying overnight:
Quiet hours begin at 9:00 p.m.
Morning Puja & Aarti at 6:30 a.m.
A light, plant-based breakfast that we will provide around 9:00 a.m.
Departure by 10:00 a.m.
Shared Agreements
Phones are turned off or fully silenced upon arrival to support presence and inward listening.
To preserve the peace of the land and the shared container:
No pets (unless previously discussed)
No alcohol
No smoking
Food brought onto the land must be vegan or vegetarian
This space is open to people of all faiths and backgrounds who are rooted in compassion. If devotional practices are new to you, you’re warmly welcome. Come with curiosity, humility, and an open heart.
What to Bring
Your own vegan or vegetarian lunch
A personal water bottle
Comfortable shoes with good traction
An optional small offering for the forest or Bhakti Mountain (flower, fruit, or poem)
Journal or spiritual texts (optional)
Sunscreen or rain layer if needed
Flashlight if staying past dark
Personal spiritual musical instrument (non-electronic)
If staying overnight:
Queen-size top & bottom sheets
Pillow & case
Blankets
Toiletries
Season and weather-appropriate clothing
Offering (Dāna)
Everything for this practice is offered on a donation basis to help care for the land and sustain the Ashram.
Suggested offerings:
Day pilgrimage & silent practice: Dāna any amount (optional)
Dinner & overnight stay: $30–50 suggested donation
Give what you’re able. No one is turned away for lack of funds.
Join us in the Ashram.
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN
Just Love, always,
Bala & Nivay
november meditation: Guided FRIDAY NIGHT Meditation & SATURDAY MORNING SILENT MEDITATION
🌟 Friday – Meditation Overnight
JOIN US FOR A DONATION-BASED Meditation Overnight AT THE JUST LOVE FOREST ASHRAM 🧡
4:30 PM Arrival
Just Love Forest is held as a Forest Ashram, open to all, but rooted in the living traditions and lineage of the great Indian saint Neem Karoli Baba, and following the path of Bhakti Yoga, the yoga of love.
Our Friday Evening Meditation Retreats are donation-based. Everyone is welcome. Simply offer what you can to help us offset food costs and maintain the space.
Each evening will include:
Guided Meditation with Mitch – open to all paths, lineages, and traditions.
Pooja & Aarti Ceremony – an ancient Hindu Vedic practice honoring the elements and the four directions.
This sacred space is open to people of all faiths. If you feel called, you may bring a sacred object from your own tradition with a spiritualist, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, or otherwise to place on the altar and receive blessings.
If these practices are new to you, don’t be afraid. Come with curiosity, come to learn, come to share in community. Our invitation is simple: all hearts are welcome.
As part of this we will offer an Indian food dinner before our meditation. You're welcome to come for the evening and depart around 8pm or stay overnight in one of our canvas bell tents, all donation based.
Saturday morning we will wake up and offer a silent meditation from 7:00am - 8:00am and then Pooja & Aarti Ceremony again from 8:00-8:30am, followed by breakfast.
Join us in the forest. Breathe. Sit. Pray. Share the sacred.
Everything for this event is donation-based. We appreciate your support of our efforts.
Bala and Mitch are all certified Mindfulness Meditation Teachers, graduated from Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach's 2-year Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certificate Program through the Awareness Training Institute and the University of Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center. As part of this 2-year program, they completed a 6-month DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity, and Accountability) training.
november Just Love Forest Ashram Community Weekend: Meditation, Service, Sound Circle & Forest Therapy
Immerse yourself in a weekend filled with meditation, service, a drum circle, and forest therapy, all within the warm embrace of our vibrant community. Connect with like-minded individuals and experience the healing power of nature and human connection.
Whether you're seeking relaxation, inner peace, or simply a chance to unwind in the company of wonderful people, this weekend promises to rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit. Come join us as we embark on a journey of self-discovery and collective harmony.
We can't wait to share this enriching experience with you. See you there!
november Service and Community Gardening Day
Many people arrive with a quiet desire to serve, paired with uncertainty about whether they have the “right” skills to offer. Saturday Service Day at Just Love Forest exists for exactly this place of curiosity.
This day is not about arriving with expertise. It is about arriving as you are - open, willing, and interested in discovering new ways to contribute. Each person brings something different: strength, patience, attentiveness, creativity, or simply a readiness to learn. Every form of participation is valued.
Together, participants care for the living systems that support both the land and the community. There is always ongoing work in the community garden, along with seasonal trail and grounds care, and special building projects designed to be accessible to a wide range of ages and abilities. Everyone is encouraged to choose work that feels safe and comfortable for them. While learning is welcomed, personal safety and well-being always come first.
Service at Just Love Forest is not measured by productivity or output. It is understood as a pathway to purpose and interdependence - a way of remembering that community is built when people allow themselves to both offer support and receive it. Often, participants discover abilities they did not know they had simply by working alongside others.
The day includes time to work, pause, connect, and share a nourishing meal together. By the end of the afternoon, the land is more cared for, and so is the sense of belonging among those who gathered.
Saturday Service Day
Arrive by 10:30 AM
Lunch is provided for free and is vegan and plant-based
Please bring work gloves and sturdy shoes
Participants are encouraged to choose work that feels safe and comfortable
Most tools are provided; any additional requests will be shared in advance
If not staying for the evening sound and song program, participants should plan to depart at 4 PM
No special skills are required to take part. Presence, care, and willingness are what make the day meaningful.
We will contact you with exact details of the work projects the week before our gathering.
november Song & Sound Circle
Song & Sound Circle
Many people arrive at the Sound & Song Circle carrying a quiet longing to connect, paired with uncertainty about whether they have a “good voice,” musical experience, or anything to offer.
This gathering exists precisely for that tender edge.
The Sound & Song Circle is not a performance space. It is a shared listening space—one where voices, instruments, silence, and simple presence are all equally welcome. Some participants sing freely. Others hum softly, keep rhythm, or simply sit and receive the sound. Every way of being is valued.
Together, we create a field of sound that is less about making music and more about feeling resonance—within ourselves, with one another, and with the forest around us. Songs may be simple chants, familiar melodies, improvised tones, or wordless sound. Instruments are welcome, but not required. Your voice, breath, or attentive listening is enough.
There is no pressure to sing alone, lead, or share unless you feel called. You are always free to participate in the way that feels safest and most nourishing for you. Many people discover that their voice naturally emerges over time, simply by being held in the collective sound.
The circle unfolds slowly, with room for pauses, laughter, emotion, and rest. The forest itself becomes part of the experience - holding the sound, echoing it back, and grounding the gathering in place.
Sound & Song at Just Love Forest is a practice of attunement and belonging. It reminds us that community is built not by perfection, but by showing up and allowing ourselves to be heard, or simply to listen, together.
By the end of the evening, many leave feeling more open, more settled, and quietly connected to something larger than themselves.
––––––––––
Sound & Song Circle
Arrive at 4:30 PM
All voices and levels of experience are welcome
Instruments are optional; listening is participation
You may sing, hum, drum, sit quietly, or come and go as needed
This is a substance-free, family-friendly gathering
If you are also attending the Service Day, participants should plan to stay on site through the evening
No musical skill is required. Presence, curiosity, and care are what make the circle meaningful.
We will share any additional details the week of the gathering.
Potluck Dinner (Vegan & Vegetarian)
Our evening begins with a shared vegan and vegetarian potluck meal. Participants are invited to bring a dish to share with the group.
We typically gather with around 15 people, so a modest dish that can serve several is perfect. Please also bring your own serving dish and serving utensils, as these are not provided on site.
If you’re new to potlucks or unsure what to bring, simple offerings are always appreciated - soups, salads, grain dishes, roasted vegetables, breads, or fruit are all wonderful choices.
Sharing a meal together is an important part of the evening, offering a chance to connect, settle in, and arrive fully before entering the Sound & Song Circle.
How Registration Works
Registration happens in two simple steps.
When you click one of the links below, you’ll first be taken to Stripe to securely submit your payment. Once your payment is complete, you’ll be automatically redirected back to our website to share a few important details so we can best support your stay.
Complete your payment
You’ll choose your contribution amount on our secure Stripe payment page.Share your details and preferences
After payment, you’ll be redirected to confirm your accommodation choice, share food preferences, complete any required waivers, and submit any questions for our team.
Payment is required before continuing to step two.
The cost for the Saturday night song and sound circle is $50+tax and includes the experience, potluck meal and optional overnight stay.
Click here to pay & then begin registration
QUESTIONS OR SPECIAL NEEDS?
We’re here for you! Contact Bala at contact@justloveforest.com for any questions or accommodations.
CONSIDER MEMBERSHIP
If you find yourself wanting to return again and again throughout the year, membership is a simple way to stay connected and supported.
Membership is for those who feel drawn to build ongoing relationships with the land and community showing up regularly, deepening friendships, and participating in the shared rhythm of service, ceremony, and care.
For $50 per month, members receive several benefits, including one of the most meaningful:
Members may attend the entire monthly Community Weekend for a flat contribution of $50.
That means you can join Friday meditation, Saturday service and song, and Sunday forest therapy without worrying about individual session costs. It’s our way of keeping these gatherings financially accessible while encouraging consistency and relationship over time.
Membership also supports the ongoing stewardship of Just Love Forest by helping care for the land, maintain shared spaces, and sustain a place where community can continue to gather with intention and heart.
There’s no pressure to attend every month. Membership simply creates a steady bridge between you and the forest, so you can come when you’re able and feel held when you do.
If you’re longing for a place to belong, not just to visit once, but to return to, membership may be the right next step.
november FOREST THERAPY - the Japanese Practice of Shinrin yoku, “Forest Bathing”
Forest Therapy Day at Just Love Forest
Come experience the transitions of the season through a slow, sensory immersion in the forest. Color, texture, sound, scent, and the subtle movement of wind and light will be noticed using all of your senses. This day is designed to help you step out of urgency and into a more natural rhythm of presence, connection, and rest.
Arrival and Opening Circle
Please plan to arrive by 10:30 AM. We will gather in our yurt to begin the day together with a gentle rose tea ceremony, offering time to arrive fully and connect with one another. This opening circle includes deep, spacious introductions, an orientation to the day, and a sharing of the history of the land and its living lineage. This time helps create safety, trust, and a shared container for the experience ahead.
A nourishing plant-based lunch will be served late morning, allowing us to settle, ground, and prepare our bodies for the afternoon in the forest.
Forest Therapy Experience
Around 1:00 PM, we will transition into the forest for approximately three hours of guided forest therapy. We typically begin by honoring the land and all beings who live here, stating intentions, and asking permission to enter into deeper relationship with the forest.
Guided by a certified forest therapy guide, you will be offered a series of simple, open ended invitations designed to support nervous system regulation, sensory awareness, and connection with the living world. This is not a hike and there is no destination to reach. We move slowly, with frequent pauses, allowing the forest to meet each person where they are.
Closing Circle and Forest Tea
We will return from the forest in the late afternoon for a closing forest tea ceremony, usually around 4:30 PM. The tea is always something unique and seasonal, foraged or prepared in relationship with the forest and the time of year. We will share closing reflections and offer space to gently integrate the day before departing around 5:00 PM.
About Forest Therapy
Forest therapy, also known as forest bathing or Shinrin Yoku, is a guided practice that supports mental, emotional, and physical well being through intentional time spent in forest environments.
The medicine received from nature is multifaceted. Psychologically, time in the forest supports calm, clarity, and emotional regulation through quiet, color, and sensory richness. Physiologically, research has shown that time spent in forests increases exposure to phytoncides, the organic compounds released by trees. These compounds have been linked to increased activity of natural killer (NK) cells, an important component of immune function, while also supporting heart health and reducing stress hormones in the body.
After several hours of peaceful immersion, many people leave feeling more grounded, connected, and at ease across mental, emotional, and physical dimensions of their being.
Sliding Scale Payment
Everyone is welcome, regardless of ability to pay. This Forest Therapy Day is offered on a sliding scale to support accessibility while also stewarding the land and the people who care for it.
After registering, you will be directed to a payment page where you may choose the amount that feels appropriate for you.
Forest Day Retreat Standard Rate: $125
This is the recommended rate and supports certified guides while helping steward and protect the 716 acre Just Love Forest nature preserve.
Forest Day Retreat Sustainer Rate: $200
For those who are able to contribute at a higher level, helping us pay it forward and expand access for others.
Forest Day Retreat “It’s All Good” Rate: $50
Warmly accepted for those for whom this amount feels accessible, offered as a gesture of reciprocity and care for the forest.
Please have each individual RSVP separately.
If you have questions or would like more information, feel free to email contact@justloveforest.com.
We look forward to welcoming you into the forest.
november Green Burial Tour
“Become the Forest”
Our green burial grounds, within the embrace of the Just Love community, honor the cycles of life and death with profound reverence. Our green burial sanctuary in Poetry, Georgia, just outside of Rome, is a sacred space where nature, healing, and community intertwine. Here, surrounded by the timeless beauty of the forest, we offer green burial and cremation burial for both beloved humans and pets - a return to the earth that celebrates life.
At the heart of our work is a deep commitment to healing - through nature, ritual, and meaningful connection. Our offerings are uniquely integrated within a vibrant, nature-centered community. With the compassionate guidance of death doulas and support that honors your story, we create a space where love and transformation are held sacred.
This is more than a resting place; it is a sacred partnership with the earth, an invitation to become the forest.
We have 3 burial sites: Bhakti Mountain Summit, The Sacred Forest, and our pet burial ground, Circle of Paws. You can explore them all.
Upcoming free tours for 2026 are: February 15th, April 5th, May 24th, June 21st, August 30th, September 20th, October 18th
DECEMBER Hanuman Tuesdays
HANUMAN TUESDAYS
A WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL DAY FOR GATHERING AND PRACTICING INDEPENDENTLY IN NATURE
DECEMBER Dates: 1ST, 8TH,15TH
JOIN US FOR A DONATION-BASED DAY OF INTENTION & DEVOTION AT JUST LOVE FOREST 🧡
Arrival by 10:00 AM
Day practice · Optional evening puja · Optional overnight stay
Hanuman Tuesdays are held as a quiet, devotional day for spiritual practice at Just Love Forest, a forest ashram rooted in the living traditions and lineage of Neem Karoli Baba and Ram Dass, and guided by the path of Bhakti Yoga the yoga of love, service, and devotion.
Tuesdays are traditionally dedicated to Hanuman, the embodiment of courage, humility, strength, and selfless service. We honor this through intentional conversation, simplicity, and time for personal spiritual practice on the land.
The Day
We gather at 10:00 a.m. for a brief welcome and orientation.
After introductions, we enter quiet for the remainder of the day.
Participants are invited to hike to Bhakti Mountain, a sacred 40-minute walk through the forest. At the top, you’re welcome to sit in quiet practice, read spiritual texts, reflect, pray, or simply rest in the beauty of the land.
If the walk does not feel right for you, you’re welcome to remain at Basecamp in our meditation yurt.
Independent personal practice is held from approximately 1:00–5:00 p.m.
There is no group facilitation during the silent hours; this time is yours.
Meals & Evening Options
Please bring your own lunch to enjoy quietly during the day.
You’re welcome to:
Depart quietly at 6:00 p.m., or
Stay for a simple plant-based dinner that we provide at 6:30 p.m., followed by
Puja & Aarti from 7:30–8:30 p.m., departing before the gates close at 9:00 p.m.
For those staying overnight:
Quiet hours begin at 9:00 p.m.
Morning Puja & Aarti at 6:30 a.m.
A light, plant-based breakfast that we will provide around 9:00 a.m.
Departure by 10:00 a.m.
Shared Agreements
Phones are turned off or fully silenced upon arrival to support presence and inward listening.
To preserve the peace of the land and the shared container:
No pets (unless previously discussed)
No alcohol
No smoking
Food brought onto the land must be vegan or vegetarian
This space is open to people of all faiths and backgrounds who are rooted in compassion. If devotional practices are new to you, you’re warmly welcome. Come with curiosity, humility, and an open heart.
What to Bring
Your own vegan or vegetarian lunch
A personal water bottle
Comfortable shoes with good traction
An optional small offering for the forest or Bhakti Mountain (flower, fruit, or poem)
Journal or spiritual texts (optional)
Sunscreen or rain layer if needed
Flashlight if staying past dark
Personal spiritual musical instrument (non-electronic)
If staying overnight:
Queen-size top & bottom sheets
Pillow & case
Blankets
Toiletries
Season and weather-appropriate clothing
Offering (Dāna)
Everything for this practice is offered on a donation basis to help care for the land and sustain the Ashram.
Suggested offerings:
Day pilgrimage & silent practice: Dāna any amount (optional)
Dinner & overnight stay: $30–50 suggested donation
Give what you’re able. No one is turned away for lack of funds.
Join us in the Ashram.
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN
Just Love, always,
Bala & Nivay
DECEMBER Hermitage Experience
Hermitage at Just Love Forest
The Hermitage at Just Love Forest is an intentional, land-based experience of solitude, simplicity, and deep listening. Rooted in a long human lineage of seekers, mystics, artists, and everyday people who stepped into periods of intentional seclusion, hermitage here offers a refuge from modern noise and distraction, inviting participants to return to clarity and presence.
Duration
Hermitage experiences are held within a shared container, with all participants beginning on the same start date. Minimum stays: eco-village is 3 days, deep forest is 4 days. This allows enough time to settle, listen, and arrive more fully. From there, the length of each stay is individualized, with end dates shaped by the participant's needs and set to the final date listed for that session. This structure allows for both continuity and flexibility, honoring different rhythms while supporting the care of the land.
Guests arrive together for orientation and an exploration of the land, then settle into quiet, solo time in either an eco-village bell tent or a more secluded forest site, with the forest itself serving as their teacher and silence as their guide. The experience is not a conventional retreat or program to complete; there is no prescribed agenda, only space to rest, reflect, create, or simply be. Hermitage is shaped collaboratively through pre-arrival consultation and held with care for both the individual and the integrity of the land.
Consultation
This 60-minute consultation is the first step in co-creating a personalized hermitage experience at Just Love Forest. After scheduling, you’ll complete a brief questionnaire to guide the conversation. Together, we’ll explore where you are, what you most need, and your intentions for retreat time. We’ll discuss timing, levels of support, and recommend a structure aligned with your energy, goals, and capacity. You’ll also have space to ask questions so you can move forward with clarity and confidence.
Consultation fee: $50
CLICK TO SCHEDULE YOUR CONSULTATION
For general questions, please don’t hesitate to connect with us at contact@justloveforest.com
December meditation: Guided FRIDAY NIGHT Meditation & SATURDAY MORNING SILENT MEDITATION
🌟 Friday – Meditation Overnight
JOIN US FOR A DONATION-BASED Meditation Overnight AT THE JUST LOVE FOREST ASHRAM 🧡
4:30 PM Arrival
Just Love Forest is held as a Forest Ashram, open to all, but rooted in the living traditions and lineage of the great Indian saint Neem Karoli Baba, and following the path of Bhakti Yoga, the yoga of love.
Our Friday Evening Meditation Retreats are donation-based. Everyone is welcome. Simply offer what you can to help us offset food costs and maintain the space.
Each evening will include:
Guided Meditation with Mitch – open to all paths, lineages, and traditions.
Pooja & Aarti Ceremony – an ancient Hindu Vedic practice honoring the elements and the four directions.
This sacred space is open to people of all faiths. If you feel called, you may bring a sacred object from your own tradition with a spiritualist, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, or otherwise to place on the altar and receive blessings.
If these practices are new to you, don’t be afraid. Come with curiosity, come to learn, come to share in community. Our invitation is simple: all hearts are welcome.
As part of this we will offer an Indian food dinner before our meditation. You're welcome to come for the evening and depart around 8pm or stay overnight in one of our canvas bell tents, all donation based.
Saturday morning we will wake up and offer a silent meditation from 7:00am - 8:00am and then Pooja & Aarti Ceremony again from 8:00-8:30am, followed by breakfast.
Join us in the forest. Breathe. Sit. Pray. Share the sacred.
Everything for this event is donation-based. We appreciate your support of our efforts.
Bala and Mitch are all certified Mindfulness Meditation Teachers, graduated from Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach's 2-year Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certificate Program through the Awareness Training Institute and the University of Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center. As part of this 2-year program, they completed a 6-month DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity, and Accountability) training.
december Just Love Forest Ashram Community Weekend: Meditation, Service, Sound Circle & Forest Therapy (Copy)
Immerse yourself in a weekend filled with meditation, service, a drum circle, and forest therapy, all within the warm embrace of our vibrant community. Connect with like-minded individuals and experience the healing power of nature and human connection.
Whether you're seeking relaxation, inner peace, or simply a chance to unwind in the company of wonderful people, this weekend promises to rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit. Come join us as we embark on a journey of self-discovery and collective harmony.
We can't wait to share this enriching experience with you. See you there!
december Service and Community Gardening Day
Many people arrive with a quiet desire to serve, paired with uncertainty about whether they have the “right” skills to offer. Saturday Service Day at Just Love Forest exists for exactly this place of curiosity.
This day is not about arriving with expertise. It is about arriving as you are - open, willing, and interested in discovering new ways to contribute. Each person brings something different: strength, patience, attentiveness, creativity, or simply a readiness to learn. Every form of participation is valued.
Together, participants care for the living systems that support both the land and the community. There is always ongoing work in the community garden, along with seasonal trail and grounds care, and special building projects designed to be accessible to a wide range of ages and abilities. Everyone is encouraged to choose work that feels safe and comfortable for them. While learning is welcomed, personal safety and well-being always come first.
Service at Just Love Forest is not measured by productivity or output. It is understood as a pathway to purpose and interdependence - a way of remembering that community is built when people allow themselves to both offer support and receive it. Often, participants discover abilities they did not know they had simply by working alongside others.
The day includes time to work, pause, connect, and share a nourishing meal together. By the end of the afternoon, the land is more cared for, and so is the sense of belonging among those who gathered.
Saturday Service Day
Arrive by 10:30 AM
Lunch is provided for free and is vegan and plant-based
Please bring work gloves and sturdy shoes
Participants are encouraged to choose work that feels safe and comfortable
Most tools are provided; any additional requests will be shared in advance
If not staying for the evening sound and song program, participants should plan to depart at 4 PM
No special skills are required to take part. Presence, care, and willingness are what make the day meaningful.
We will contact you with exact details of the work projects the week before our gathering.
December Song & Sound Circle
Song & Sound Circle
Many people arrive at the Sound & Song Circle carrying a quiet longing to connect, paired with uncertainty about whether they have a “good voice,” musical experience, or anything to offer.
This gathering exists precisely for that tender edge.
The Sound & Song Circle is not a performance space. It is a shared listening space—one where voices, instruments, silence, and simple presence are all equally welcome. Some participants sing freely. Others hum softly, keep rhythm, or simply sit and receive the sound. Every way of being is valued.
Together, we create a field of sound that is less about making music and more about feeling resonance—within ourselves, with one another, and with the forest around us. Songs may be simple chants, familiar melodies, improvised tones, or wordless sound. Instruments are welcome, but not required. Your voice, breath, or attentive listening is enough.
There is no pressure to sing alone, lead, or share unless you feel called. You are always free to participate in the way that feels safest and most nourishing for you. Many people discover that their voice naturally emerges over time, simply by being held in the collective sound.
The circle unfolds slowly, with room for pauses, laughter, emotion, and rest. The forest itself becomes part of the experience - holding the sound, echoing it back, and grounding the gathering in place.
Sound & Song at Just Love Forest is a practice of attunement and belonging. It reminds us that community is built not by perfection, but by showing up and allowing ourselves to be heard, or simply to listen, together.
By the end of the evening, many leave feeling more open, more settled, and quietly connected to something larger than themselves.
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Sound & Song Circle
Arrive at 4:30 PM
All voices and levels of experience are welcome
Instruments are optional; listening is participation
You may sing, hum, drum, sit quietly, or come and go as needed
This is a substance-free, family-friendly gathering
If you are also attending the Service Day, participants should plan to stay on site through the evening
No musical skill is required. Presence, curiosity, and care are what make the circle meaningful.
We will share any additional details the week of the gathering.
Potluck Dinner (Vegan & Vegetarian)
Our evening begins with a shared vegan and vegetarian potluck meal. Participants are invited to bring a dish to share with the group.
We typically gather with around 15 people, so a modest dish that can serve several is perfect. Please also bring your own serving dish and serving utensils, as these are not provided on site.
If you’re new to potlucks or unsure what to bring, simple offerings are always appreciated - soups, salads, grain dishes, roasted vegetables, breads, or fruit are all wonderful choices.
Sharing a meal together is an important part of the evening, offering a chance to connect, settle in, and arrive fully before entering the Sound & Song Circle.
How Registration Works
Registration happens in two simple steps.
When you click one of the links below, you’ll first be taken to Stripe to securely submit your payment. Once your payment is complete, you’ll be automatically redirected back to our website to share a few important details so we can best support your stay.
Complete your payment
You’ll choose your contribution amount on our secure Stripe payment page.Share your details and preferences
After payment, you’ll be redirected to confirm your accommodation choice, share food preferences, complete any required waivers, and submit any questions for our team.
Payment is required before continuing to step two.
The cost for the Saturday night song and sound circle is $50+tax and includes the experience, potluck meal and optional overnight stay.
Click here to pay & then begin registration
QUESTIONS OR SPECIAL NEEDS?
We’re here for you! Contact Bala at contact@justloveforest.com for any questions or accommodations.
CONSIDER MEMBERSHIP
If you find yourself wanting to return again and again throughout the year, membership is a simple way to stay connected and supported.
Membership is for those who feel drawn to build ongoing relationships with the land and community showing up regularly, deepening friendships, and participating in the shared rhythm of service, ceremony, and care.
For $50 per month, members receive several benefits, including one of the most meaningful:
Members may attend the entire monthly Community Weekend for a flat contribution of $50.
That means you can join Friday meditation, Saturday service and song, and Sunday forest therapy without worrying about individual session costs. It’s our way of keeping these gatherings financially accessible while encouraging consistency and relationship over time.
Membership also supports the ongoing stewardship of Just Love Forest by helping care for the land, maintain shared spaces, and sustain a place where community can continue to gather with intention and heart.
There’s no pressure to attend every month. Membership simply creates a steady bridge between you and the forest, so you can come when you’re able and feel held when you do.
If you’re longing for a place to belong, not just to visit once, but to return to, membership may be the right next step.
DECEMBER FOREST THERAPY - the Japanese Practice of Shinrin yoku, “Forest Bathing”
Forest Therapy Day at Just Love Forest
Come experience the transitions of the season through a slow, sensory immersion in the forest. Color, texture, sound, scent, and the subtle movement of wind and light will be noticed using all of your senses. This day is designed to help you step out of urgency and into a more natural rhythm of presence, connection, and rest.
Arrival and Opening Circle
Please plan to arrive by 10:30 AM. We will gather in our yurt to begin the day together with a gentle rose tea ceremony, offering time to arrive fully and connect with one another. This opening circle includes deep, spacious introductions, an orientation to the day, and a sharing of the history of the land and its living lineage. This time helps create safety, trust, and a shared container for the experience ahead.
A nourishing plant-based lunch will be served late morning, allowing us to settle, ground, and prepare our bodies for the afternoon in the forest.
Forest Therapy Experience
Around 1:00 PM, we will transition into the forest for approximately three hours of guided forest therapy. We typically begin by honoring the land and all beings who live here, stating intentions, and asking permission to enter into deeper relationship with the forest.
Guided by a certified forest therapy guide, you will be offered a series of simple, open ended invitations designed to support nervous system regulation, sensory awareness, and connection with the living world. This is not a hike and there is no destination to reach. We move slowly, with frequent pauses, allowing the forest to meet each person where they are.
Closing Circle and Forest Tea
We will return from the forest in the late afternoon for a closing forest tea ceremony, usually around 4:30 PM. The tea is always something unique and seasonal, foraged or prepared in relationship with the forest and the time of year. We will share closing reflections and offer space to gently integrate the day before departing around 5:00 PM.
About Forest Therapy
Forest therapy, also known as forest bathing or Shinrin Yoku, is a guided practice that supports mental, emotional, and physical well being through intentional time spent in forest environments.
The medicine received from nature is multifaceted. Psychologically, time in the forest supports calm, clarity, and emotional regulation through quiet, color, and sensory richness. Physiologically, research has shown that time spent in forests increases exposure to phytoncides, the organic compounds released by trees. These compounds have been linked to increased activity of natural killer (NK) cells, an important component of immune function, while also supporting heart health and reducing stress hormones in the body.
After several hours of peaceful immersion, many people leave feeling more grounded, connected, and at ease across mental, emotional, and physical dimensions of their being.
Sliding Scale Payment
Everyone is welcome, regardless of ability to pay. This Forest Therapy Day is offered on a sliding scale to support accessibility while also stewarding the land and the people who care for it.
After registering, you will be directed to a payment page where you may choose the amount that feels appropriate for you.
Forest Day Retreat Standard Rate: $125
This is the recommended rate and supports certified guides while helping steward and protect the 716 acre Just Love Forest nature preserve.
Forest Day Retreat Sustainer Rate: $200
For those who are able to contribute at a higher level, helping us pay it forward and expand access for others.
Forest Day Retreat “It’s All Good” Rate: $50
Warmly accepted for those for whom this amount feels accessible, offered as a gesture of reciprocity and care for the forest.
Please have each individual RSVP separately.
If you have questions or would like more information, feel free to email contact@justloveforest.com.
We look forward to welcoming you into the forest.
december Green Burial Tour
“Become the Forest”
Our green burial grounds, within the embrace of the Just Love community, honor the cycles of life and death with profound reverence. Our green burial sanctuary in Poetry, Georgia, just outside of Rome, is a sacred space where nature, healing, and community intertwine. Here, surrounded by the timeless beauty of the forest, we offer green burial and cremation burial for both beloved humans and pets - a return to the earth that celebrates life.
At the heart of our work is a deep commitment to healing - through nature, ritual, and meaningful connection. Our offerings are uniquely integrated within a vibrant, nature-centered community. With the compassionate guidance of death doulas and support that honors your story, we create a space where love and transformation are held sacred.
This is more than a resting place; it is a sacred partnership with the earth, an invitation to become the forest.
We have 3 burial sites: Bhakti Mountain Summit, The Sacred Forest, and our pet burial ground, Circle of Paws. You can explore them all.
Upcoming free tours for 2026 are: February 15th, April 5th, May 24th, June 21st, August 30th, September 20th, October 18th
A special winter Solstice kirtan with Gina & Gershone
Get ready … Gina & Gershone are returning to Just Love Forest for an unforgettable Winter Solstice night! ✨
If you’ve ever felt uplifted by their ecstatic chants and the magic of their yoga + live music flow, this is one gathering you must be at. Their devotional presence is exuberant, playful, deeply interactive. It’s a true celebration of being together as we turn toward the light of 2026.
Saturday night, Winter Solstice will be a sacred pause, a closing out of the year with song, chant, and community under the stars.
Join us for:
Live ecstatic chanting with Gina & Gershone
Immersive devotional flow that blends movement, heart, and stillness
Music that carries you into the new year with joy and intention
Let’s finish the cycle of 2025 together, singing, dancing, resting, and stepping into 2026 with open hearts. This night won’t just warm your bones, it’ll light up your soul.
Click here and select Friday, Dec 19th and then you’ll check the box next for just the Saturday night experience.
Email bala@justloveforest.com with any questions.
Winter SOLSTICE SPECIAL Forest Community Weekend: Meditation, Service, Sound Circle & Forest Therapy
Immerse yourself in a weekend filled with meditation, service, a drum circle, and forest therapy, all within the warm embrace of our vibrant community. Connect with like-minded individuals and experience the healing power of nature and human connection.
Whether you're seeking relaxation, inner peace, or simply a chance to unwind in the company of wonderful people, this weekend promises to rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit. Come join us as we embark on a journey of self-discovery and collective harmony.
We can't wait to share this enriching experience with you. See you there!
Living from the Heart - A Just Love Forest Ashram Donation-based Spiritual Practice Retreat
The holiday season can test our edges like no other time of year, inviting both love and loneliness, connection and contraction. These moments are not obstacles, but part of our sadhana, our living practice. They show us where the heart still guards itself, and where it longs to open.
Step into 716 acres of wild forest for a transformational weekend of practice and presence. This donation-based retreat brings together seekers for heart-centered practice, rooted in nature, community, and the profound simplicity of being.
Guided by friends-in-spirit and co-creators Bala, Nivay & Naga Das, you’ll engage in breath-work, gentle movement, forest immersions, honest satsang, fire & water ritual, and the crafting of a 40-day personal sadhana to carry you through the holidays with grounded clarity.
Here’s what awaits:
Immersive heart practice: open, soften and listen deeply.
True community and sharing: no spiritual performance, just genuine presence.
Nature as teacher: guided walks, solo sit-spots, and the sanctuary of the forest.
A “Heart-Offering” contribution model: attend first, then reflect and contribute based on your experience and what you can give.
If your path is calling you to pause, open your heart, and step into a field of conscious practice in nature with satsang and community this could be your invitation.
Registration is now open: www.justloveforest.com/heart
CLAIMING THE CRONE – A WOODLAND RITE OF PASSAGE
Claiming the Crone: A Woodland Rite of Passage
November 14–16, 2025
Step into your power as Wise Woman.
In ancient traditions, the elder was honored as healer, teacher, and keeper of sacred wisdom. Today, too often this archetype is overlooked - yet your lived experience is the medicine the world most needs. Claiming the Crone is a sacred weekend retreat designed to honor this profound life transition: from roles and expectations into sovereignty, wisdom, and freedom.
Across three transformative days, you’ll journey through the ancient rhythm of initiation - release, receive, and return - held in the embrace of nature and community. Together we’ll gather around fire, walk the labyrinth, dance with cacao, immerse in forest ritual, and culminate in the sacred Crone Crowning Ceremony, where you’ll be witnessed and celebrated as an elder and wisdom keeper.
Led by Vanessa Crites and Ursula Lentine, this intimate retreat offers a safe, soul-deep initiation into the power of your Crone years. With ceremony, ritual, and reflection, you’ll reclaim your worth, remember your medicine, and step into the next chapter of life crowned with confidence and purpose.
Limited to 20 women. Your crown awaits.
November Green Burial Tour
“Become the Forest”
Our green burial grounds, within the embrace of the Just Love community, honor the cycles of life and death with profound reverence. Our green burial sanctuary in Poetry, Georgia, just outside of Rome, is a sacred space where nature, healing, and community intertwine. Here, surrounded by the timeless beauty of the forest, we offer green burial and cremation burial for both beloved humans and pets - a return to the earth that celebrates life.
At the heart of our work is a deep commitment to healing - through nature, ritual, and meaningful connection. Our offerings are uniquely integrated within a vibrant, nature-centered community. With the compassionate guidance of death doulas and support that honors your story, we create a space where love and transformation are held sacred.
This is more than a resting place; it is a sacred partnership with the earth, an invitation to become the forest.
We have 3 burial sites: Bhakti Mountain Summit, The Sacred Forest, and our pet burial ground, Circle of Paws. You can explore them all below.
Let’s walk this sacred path together.
Upcoming free tours for 2025 are: November 9th and December 21st.
Upcoming free tours for 2026 are: February 15th, April 5th, May 24th, June 21st, August 30th, September 20th, October 18th
Vision Quest with Darren Silver
Awaken Your Deepest Calling: Vision Quest with Darren Silver
Step into the sacred rhythms of nature at the 716-acre sanctuary of Just Love Forest, nestled in the Appalachian foothills of Poetry, Georgia. From November 8 to 16, 2025 Darren Silver guides a nine-day Vision Quest, a transformative wilderness rite of passage designed to renew, heal, and reconnect you with what truly matters.
This immersive journey unfolds in three deliberate phases: Severance, Threshold, and Incorporation, mirroring the cycles of life, death, and rebirth. It’s a ritual of remembering your belonging to yourself, to nature, and to the planet.
What to Expect
Preparation: Begin with a personal consultation and a collective group call to help set your intentions, root into ritual, and attune mind, body, and soul.
Solo Wilderness Immersion: Spend four silent days alone in the forest, fasting with only water, shelter, and sacred items, embracing solitude, presence, and inner clarity.
Reintegration: Return to community in gentle rhythm—sharing stories, grounding insights through ritual, embodiment, and creative expression.
Guided by Darren Silver, an experienced rite-of-passage mentor, ceremonialist, and nature-connected educator with nearly two decades of guiding transformational experience. This Vision Quest weaves storytelling, healing practices, and wild presence into every step of the journey.
Each moment is held in the living sanctuary of Just Love Forest, a place rooted in forest therapy, community, healing, and ecological reverence.
REGISTRATION CLOSED
NOVEMBER Forest Community Weekend: Meditation, Service, Sound Circle & Forest Therapy
Immerse yourself in a weekend filled with meditation, service, a drum circle, and forest therapy, all within the warm embrace of our vibrant community. Connect with like-minded individuals and experience the healing power of nature and human connection.
Whether you're seeking relaxation, inner peace, or simply a chance to unwind in the company of wonderful people, this weekend promises to rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit. Come join us as we embark on a journey of self-discovery and collective harmony.
We can't wait to share this enriching experience with you. See you there!
A day of silence With Rene Eder and Bala
Day of Silence with Rene Eder & Bala
For the third time, we gather in the forest to create a sacred space for stillness, presence, and renewal. Whether you’re a seasoned meditator longing for a day of quiet in nature, or you’re brand new and curious about silence, you are welcome here.
Together we’ll open the day with guided instructions, gently preparing you to hold Noble Silence in a supportive container. Throughout the day, the forest will become our teacher by resting, walking, breathing, simply being.
As we begin to emerge from silence, we will be guided in a sound healing journey, allowing vibration and tone to gently carry us back into connection and expression.
This is an invitation to step away from noise, busyness, and distraction
and to return to yourself.
If your heart is calling for reconnection, come join us.
REGISTRATION CLOSED
GAY by NATURE
Gay by Nature
A soulful fall retreat for gay men, by gay men, held in the heart of Just Love Forest. Slow down, breathe deeper, and reconnect through forest therapy, yoga, fire-circle sharing, and unhurried time on the land. Expect nourishing plant-based meals, gentle hiking (including a Bhakti Mountain picnic), optional morning meditation with Bala, evening circles, and spacious downtime to simply be.
Dates: Friday–Sunday, October 17–19, 2025. Optional early arrival: Thursday, October 16 at 4 PM (dinner, yoga, and fireside welcome). Check-out by Sunday late morning, with a nearby Pinhoti high-point hike offered before departures.
Rates (per person + tax)
Deluxe Canvas Bell (Queen): Thu–Sun \$900 (Early Bird \$800) • Fri–Sun \$800 (Early Bird \$700)
Nylon Teepee (Twin/Full): Thu–Sun \$700 (Early Bird \$600) • Fri–Sun \$600 (Early Bird \$500)
Self-Camping (BYO tent): Thu–Sun \$350 (Early Bird \$300) • Fri–Sun \$300 (Early Bird \$250)
Early Bird window: Aug 11 – Sept 15. All options include 6 plant-based meals, programming, and access to the yurt gathering space and trails. Payment plans available.
Why come: Begin (or deepen) your journey in a circle that welcomes your whole self with softness, strength, questions, and joy, held by forest and community.
Register via the “Join In!” button on the event page. Questions? [bala@justloveforest.com]
OCTOBER Forest Community Weekend: Meditation, Service, Sound Circle & Forest Therapy
Immerse yourself in a weekend filled with meditation, service, a drum circle, and forest therapy, all within the warm embrace of our vibrant community. Connect with like-minded individuals and experience the healing power of nature and human connection.
Whether you're seeking relaxation, inner peace, or simply a chance to unwind in the company of wonderful people, this weekend promises to rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit. Come join us as we embark on a journey of self-discovery and collective harmony.
We can't wait to share this enriching experience with you. See you there!
Deep forest immersion: Entering Fall
Join guides Kelsey Wishik and Bala for a special time and space deep in the heart of Just Love Forest. If you’ve ever experienced forest therapy and wanted to go deeper, but aren’t ready for a full vision quest, this gentle immersion is for you.
A Threshold of Seasons
The weekend before, the earth tips into balance, day and night equal, light and shadow in harmony. The Fall Equinox is an ancient threshold, a reminder that all things move in cycles: the bright stretch of summer gives way to the inward call of autumn. Leaves turn, the air cools, and the forest prepares for rest.
To gather at this moment is to honor the turning. As the season shifts, so too do we, shedding what is no longer needed, gathering the harvest of our efforts, and listening for the soul’s quiet invitation toward stillness and renewal. In the heart of the forest, this transition becomes ceremony: a chance to align with the rhythms of earth, sky, and spirit.
This is a two-day, one-night experience where you’ll stay overnight in the comfort of Basecamp, resting on queen Tempur-Pedic mattresses beneath the forest canopy. On Sunday morning, we’ll rise early and send you off with a ritual of blessing and intention. From there, you’ll step alone into the forest for contemplation, sensory practices, and the kind of listening that opens the door to inner vision.
A Forest Soul Journey
Step away from the noise of daily life and return to the quiet wisdom of your soul. For two days and one night, we gather in the stillness of the forest, immersing ourselves in firelight, silence, and the living presence of nature.
This journey weaves together the warmth of community and the depth of solitude. We begin in council around the fire - sharing story, song, and the intentions of our hearts. The next day unfolds in silence, with guided sensory practices and a vision walk up Bhakti Mountain, where sacred solitude and meditation invite inner clarity.
Why come?
Because in the busyness of life, our inner compass grows faint. By slowing down and listening, we reconnect with what truly matters. The forest opens the way for renewal, reminding us of our place in the web of life and our power to live from truth.
This is a invitation to remember, reset, and realign with the deeper rhythms of your being.
The forest is ready to receive you.
Fall Equinox Celebration: Join us for a special Despacho Ceremony and Sound Bath
Honoring the Change of Seasons: Sound Journey, Despacho, and Pilgrimage to bhakti mountain
This is our second despacho ritual at Just Love. We did the first one back in February to open and bless our year at the forest. We are now offering this ritual for every solstice and equinox. Each carries a unique focus of the prayer. This one is being offered to one of sacred places, our highest peak, Bhakti Mounain.
As the seasons shift, so too does the rhythm of our lives. This transition calls us into deeper harmony with the cycles of nature and invites us to mark the turning of time with reverence and gratitude. At Just Love Forest, we will gather in community to honor this sacred passage with a ritual that unites sound, prayer, and pilgrimage.
We begin with a sound journey, with crystal singing bowls by Becky Shanks, allowing the vibrations to open our hearts and quiet our minds. Through sound we cross the threshold into the unseen, weaving our intentions together with the living breath of the forest.
Following this, with Robin Guidice, we will create a traditional despacho, a traditional Andean offering bundle. A despacho is a sacred mandala of natural elements, herbs, flowers, seeds, and symbolic items. Each piece is placed with prayer, representing our gratitude, our intentions, and our reciprocity with the Earth. In the Andean tradition, the despacho is both a gift and a bridge: a way of aligning ourselves with the natural and spiritual worlds, and of offering thanks for the balance of life.
Once our despacho has been created, we will begin a pilgrimage to Bhakti Mountain, our most sacred place within the forest. Step by step, we will carry the despacho together up the mountain path, breathing with the land and attuning to its presence. At the summit, overlooking the expanse of creation, we will bury the despacho in the earth, returning our prayers to the mountain and to the spirits of the land. We will being offering some forest bathing along the journey.
This ritual is both a farewell and a welcome, releasing the season that has passed, honoring the gifts it has brought, and opening ourselves to the mystery and blessings of what is to come. In community, in gratitude, and in love, we walk together.
You’re encouraged to a photo or object that represents a nature place that sacred to you to add to the despacho.
The cost for the day is $125+tax and includes an amazing plant-based lunch. We will not be serving dinner.
Email bala@justloveforest.com with questions.
Join us in honoring the seasons! Just Love, always.
Green Burial Tour
“Become the Forest”
Our green burial grounds, within the embrace of the Just Love community, honor the cycles of life and death with profound reverence. Our green burial sanctuary in Poetry, Georgia, just outside of Rome, is a sacred space where nature, healing, and community intertwine. Here, surrounded by the timeless beauty of the forest, we offer green burial and cremation burial for both beloved humans and pets - a return to the earth that celebrates life.
At the heart of our work is a deep commitment to healing - through nature, ritual, and meaningful connection. Our offerings are uniquely integrated within a vibrant, nature-centered community. With the compassionate guidance of death doulas and support that honors your story, we create a space where love and transformation are held sacred.
This is more than a resting place; it is a sacred partnership with the earth, an invitation to become the forest.
We have 3 burial sites: Bhakti Mountain Summit, The Sacred Forest, and our pet burial ground, Circle of Paws. You can explore them all below.
Let’s walk this sacred path together. Upcoming free tours for 2025 are: March 23rd, April 13th, May 11th, June 22nd, August 10th, September 21st, October 5th, November 9th and December 21st.
FALL EQUINOX SPECIAL Forest Community Weekend: Meditation, Service, Sound Circle & Forest Therapy
Immerse yourself in a weekend filled with meditation, service, a drum circle, and forest therapy, all within the warm embrace of our vibrant community. Connect with like-minded individuals and experience the healing power of nature and human connection.
Whether you're seeking relaxation, inner peace, or simply a chance to unwind in the company of wonderful people, this weekend promises to rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit. Come join us as we embark on a journey of self-discovery and collective harmony.
We can't wait to share this enriching experience with you. See you there!
Chant for Love FALL 2025: mantra meditation & forest therapy Retreat
Chant for Love Retreat returns September 5th-7th!
Relax into the first weekend of Spring to experience bliss, love and community with Radha Rose, Bala Yancey and Josh Klein. This weekend retreat will introduce you to mantra meditation and kirtan. Enjoy magical sound healing experiences with sacred mantras enhanced with nature therapy and cacao.
Nurture your spiritual connection. Cultivate a sense of calm, grounding and focus. Replace old habits with inspiring and heartwarming Mantra Meditation, Kirtan and Sound Healing practices.
Enjoy the late summer with a special excursion to Little River Canyon.
Whether this is your first retreat or 108th, if you are brand new or far on your spiritual path:
The CHANT FOR LOVE 2025 Retreat is for you if you seek to open up your heart and your voice with experienced Bhakti yoga guides in an inclusive spiritual community.
See details for the September 5th-7th, 2025 Retreat
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AUGUST Community Weekend: Meditation, Service, Sound Circle & Forest Therapy
Immerse yourself in a weekend filled with meditation, service, a drum circle, and forest therapy, all within the warm embrace of our vibrant community. Connect with like-minded individuals and experience the healing power of nature and human connection.
Whether you're seeking relaxation, inner peace, or simply a chance to unwind in the company of wonderful people, this weekend promises to rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit. Come join us as we embark on a journey of self-discovery and collective harmony.
We can't wait to share this enriching experience with you. See you there!
3rd Annual Ram Dass Summer Camp
Third Annual Ram Dass Summer Camp 🧡🐒
Join us for a heart-opening journey into the lineage of Bhakti Yoga — the yoga of devotion and love.
This year’s gathering promises a rich tapestry of Aarti rituals, meditation, forest therapy and late-night mountaintop kirtans, where we’ll sing our hearts out beneath the vast summer sky. Gather around the fire for satsang chats, where we’ll share our paths, our questions, and our joys, deepening into the practices of love and remembrance.
Special guests include Zander from New York and Tyler from Colorado, who will grace us with soul-stirring kirtan, along with our own beloved Naga Das guiding us in transformative breathwork. And of course, Bala will lead satsang discussions that invite us into the heart of Ram Dass’s teachings. Stay tuned for even more special guests to be announced soon!
This is a community-centered gathering in the forest, intentionally designed to be financially accessible. While there are some basic contribution guidelines, please don’t let finances keep you from this celebration of love. Reach out to us if you feel called.
Come to sing, to share, to sit together, and to deepen into devotion, connection, and love. We can’t wait to welcome you into the circle.
Save your spot and join us this August: Learn more and register here
SUMMER SOLSTICE SPECIAL Forest Community Weekend: Meditation, Service, Sound Circle & Forest Therapy
Immerse yourself in a weekend filled with meditation, service, a drum circle, and forest therapy, all within the warm embrace of our vibrant community. Connect with like-minded individuals and experience the healing power of nature and human connection.
Whether you're seeking relaxation, inner peace, or simply a chance to unwind in the company of wonderful people, this weekend promises to rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit. Come join us as we embark on a journey of self-discovery and collective harmony.
We can't wait to share this enriching experience with you. See you there!
Being Men: A Modern Masculinity Retreat
Being Men: A Retreat for Modern Masculinity
Friday, June 6 – Sunday, June 8, 2025
Optional Swimming Hole Adventure Stay-Over: Monday, June 9
To be a man in this world is to walk a path full of contradictions - strong and soft, protector and nurturer, leader and one who surrenders to the flow of life. Too often, we are told we must be one thing or the other, that vulnerability and power cannot coexist. But we know the truth: that real masculinity is expansive, not restrictive. That to stand fully in who we are means embracing every part of ourselves.
Being Men is a recurring gathering for those who feel called to a different kind of masculinity - one rooted in camaraderie, authenticity, and self-discovery. Our first event was a powerful reminder of what is possible when men come together with open hearts. This full weekend retreat is the next step. A deeper dive into shared experiences, honest conversation, and the kind of brotherhood that is both rare and necessary.
Over the course of the weekend, we will explore what it means to be a man in today’s world - not through lectures, but through real engagement, through story, through movement, through time spent in nature. Expect deep discussion, shared rituals, nature therapy, and a heck of a lot of fun. Expect moments of laughter, moments of silence, moments of recognition. Expect to be challenged in the best possible way.
And if you want to stretch the experience a little further, we’ll have an optional stay-over on Monday, June 9, where we’ll head to the swimming hole and let it all soak in.
If you are seeking something real - if you are ready to stand alongside other men who are asking the same questions, walking the same journey - then this is for you.
Come as you are. Show up for yourself. Show up for each other.
With brotherhood,
Bala, Britt, Nick and Sean
5 Year Anniversary: May Forest Community Weekend: Meditation, Service, Sound Circle & Forest Therapy
Immerse yourself in a weekend filled with meditation, service, a drum circle, and forest therapy, all within the warm embrace of our vibrant community. Connect with like-minded individuals and experience the healing power of nature and human connection.
Whether you're seeking relaxation, inner peace, or simply a chance to unwind in the company of wonderful people, this weekend promises to rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit. Come join us as we embark on a journey of self-discovery and collective harmony.
We can't wait to share this enriching experience with you. See you there!
Special Foraging and Plant Knowledge Weekend with Joey Santore
Special Day Retreat with Joey Santore, Hosted by Josh Wayne
We are thrilled to announce a unique opportunity to explore the wonders of the natural world with renowned amateur botanist and YouTube sensation, Joey Santore. Known for his engaging and unfiltered approach to plant ecology, Joey has captivated audiences through his popular YouTube channel, Crime Pays But Botany Doesn't. With a distinctive Chicago accent and a passion for uncovering the secrets of plant life, Joey offers an entertaining and educational perspective on botany.
In collaboration with Josh Wayne, we are hosting a special day retreat that promises an immersive experience into the realm of plants and fungi. Participants will have the chance to join Joey and Josh on guided walks, engaging in hands-on foraging, and deepening their understanding of the intricate relationships within our ecosystems.
Highlights of the Retreat:
- Guided Nature Walks: Explore diverse habitats with Joey and Josh, learning to identify various plant species and their ecological significance.
- Foraging Workshops: Gain practical skills in responsible foraging, understanding the culinary and medicinal uses of native plants and fungi.
- Interactive Discussions: Participate in lively conversations about plant ecology, conservation, and the importance of biodiversity.
This retreat is designed for nature enthusiasts of all levels, offering a rare chance to learn from Joey's extensive field experience and Josh's expertise in nature therapy.
Registration will open soon - stay tuned for more details!
In the meantime, get a glimpse of Joey's unique approach to botany by visiting his YouTube channel, Crime Pays But Botany Doesn't.
We look forward to sharing this extraordinary experience with you.
April Forest Community Weekend: Meditation, Service, Sound Circle & Forest Therapy
Immerse yourself in a weekend filled with meditation, service, a drum circle, and forest therapy, all within the warm embrace of our vibrant community. Connect with like-minded individuals and experience the healing power of nature and human connection.
Whether you're seeking relaxation, inner peace, or simply a chance to unwind in the company of wonderful people, this weekend promises to rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit. Come join us as we embark on a journey of self-discovery and collective harmony.
We can't wait to share this enriching experience with you. See you there!
Solar Education and Installation Weekend PART 2
🌞 Solar Work Weekend Part 2 – April 10–14 at Just Love Forest 🌿
A huge thank you to everyone who came out for Part 1 of our solar installation last year—we couldn’t have done it without you! Now, we're thrilled to invite you back for Part 2 as we move into the final phase of expanding our off-grid solar power system.
We’re excited to host a weekend of learning, community, and giving back to the land! From Thursday to Monday, we’ll be working together to bring our solar array to life—with guidance from longtime community member and solar industry veteran Fred Sisson. Fred will share his expertise and walk us through the essentials of planning, selecting, and installing solar systems for off-grid living.
This is a unique opportunity to:
⚡ Install underground wiring using a trench digger
🔋 Build the housing for controls and batteries
🔌 Hook up, test, and activate the solar array
🌱 Learn hands-on from an experienced solar professional
Event Details:
When: Thurday, April 10th at 10am – Monday, April 14 at 5pm (Come for any part that fits your schedule)
Where: Just Love Forest, Poetry, GA
What We’re Offering:
🍲 Hot, healthy lunch provided daily
🏕️ Free overnight stays in our cozy canvas bell tents (just bring your sheets and a towel)
🍃 Use of our community kitchen for preparing your own breakfast and dinner (please bring your own meals for these)
Bonus: Volunteer on Thursday, Friday, or Monday, and you're invited to join us for Forest Therapy on Sunday at no additional cost—a gentle, rejuvenating way to restore your spirit in the heart of spring.
Come get your hands in the dirt, learn something new, and support the future of Just Love Forest. Let’s build this together—community-powered, earth-honoring, and sustainable.
Sign up and Register for the Solar Volunteer Weekend
* If you are attending any parts of community weekend please register for that additi0nally.
Morels & Millipedes
Millipedes and Morels: An Overnight Nature Therapy Experience
Step into the magic of the forest after dark with Millipedes and Morels, a brand-new overnight nature immersion at Just Love Forest, guided by Josh Wayne and Bala.
On Friday night, we’ll take a slow, mindful walk through the woods, using dark lights to reveal the hidden world of fungi, insects, and other nocturnal life on the forest floor. Through guided forest therapy invitations, we’ll attune our senses to the mystery and wonder of the night in a whole new way.
On Saturday, we’ll set out on a hike to explore the land and search for prized morel mushrooms, deepening our connection to the rhythms of nature and the gifts of the earth.
$250 includes an overnight stay in a canvas bell tent and dinner, breakfast and lunch. Please bring your own queen sheets and a towel. The price is a flat fee regardless if you stay overnight or just join us on Saturday at 9:30am. Directions will be sent in your registration email.
Chant for Love 2025: mantra meditation & forest therapy Retreat
Chant for Love Retreat returns Mar 28-30th!
Relax into the first weekend of Spring to experience bliss, love and community with Radha Rose, Bala Yancey and Josh Klein. This weekend retreat will introduce you to mantra meditation and kirtan. Enjoy magical sound healing experiences with sacred mantras enhanced with nature therapy and cacao.
Nurture your spiritual connection. Cultivate a sense of calm, grounding and focus. Replace old habits with inspiring and heartwarming Mantra Meditation, Kirtan and Sound Healing practices.
Whether this is your first retreat or 100th, if you are brand new or far on your spiritual path:
The CHANT FOR LOVE 2025 Retreat is for you if you seek to open up your heart and your voice with experienced Bhakti yoga guides in an inclusive spiritual community.
See details for March 28-30, 2025 Retreat
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SPECIAL RATES MAY APPLY FOR MEMBERS: Annual members eligible for limited availability $300 + tax fee. Read more here.
Special Spring Equinox Celebration: Forest Therapy with Bala & 3 Hour Cacao Ceremony with Natalie Volta
CELebrate the most wild reawakening at Just Love - the return of spring!
Arrive in deep presence as we step into a day of connection, nature, and heart-opening ritual in honor of the Spring Equinox. Our journey begins with a gentle and immersive forest therapy experience from 11 AM to 2 PM, followed by a three-hour cacao ceremony to welcome the changing season with intention and reverence.
Shinrin-Yoku with Bala
We will gather in the yurt for deep introductions, reflection, and rose tea, creating a soft landing into the space. From there, we will move into the forest with Bala for a guided Shinrin-Yoku (forest bathing) experience—a Japanese practice of slowing down and engaging with nature through the senses. Unlike hiking, Shinrin-Yoku is an intentional, slow walk that invites us to listen, feel, breathe, and connect with the land in a way that restores our nervous system and deepens our awareness.
3 Hour Cacao Ceremony with Natalie Volta
After this grounding nature immersion, we will enter into a powerful Mayan cacao ceremony, a tradition passed down from my teachers in Guatemala. Cacao, one of mother nature’s most sacred gifts, activates the parasympathetic nervous system, evoking relaxation and opening the heart. In ceremony, we will:
- Create an altar together with meaningful items gathered from the forest.
- Drink ceremonial cacao sourced from indigenous farmers, honoring the sacred reciprocity of this plant medicine.
- Make offerings to the land in gratitude and reverence.
- Embark on a meditative journey exploring the Mayan cosmovision and the wisdom of the seasons.
The combination of Shinrin-Yoku and cacao ceremony is a beautiful pairing—one that gently guides us into presence, relaxation, and deep connection with ourselves, nature, and one another.
Preparation for the ceremony: It is recommended to drink plenty of water before and during the ceremony and to eat lightly beforehand to allow for a more profound experience.
This is an invitation to welcome the season of renewal with clarity, intention, and an open heart.
March Forest Community Weekend: Meditation, Service, Sound Circle & Forest Therapy
Join us for our 1st Community Weekend of 2024! Immerse yourself in a weekend filled with meditation, service, a drum circle, and forest therapy, all within the warm embrace of our vibrant community. Connect with like-minded individuals and experience the healing power of nature and human connection.
Whether you're seeking relaxation, inner peace, or simply a chance to unwind in the company of wonderful people, this weekend promises to rejuvenate your mind, body, and spirit. Come join us as we embark on a journey of self-discovery and collective harmony.
We can't wait to share this enriching experience with you. See you there!
Green Burial 101 An Online virtual Tour with Q&A
Green Burial 101: A Virtual Introduction
Join us for Green Burial 101, an online gathering exploring the beauty and simplicity of natural burial. Learn how our green cemeteries work, take a virtual tour of them, and engage in a live Q&A. Whether planning for yourself or a loved one, this session offers insights into eco-friendly burial.
Stay tuned for upcoming talks on end-of-life wishes and creating an advanced directive.
📅 Wed, March 19th at 7:00pm 📍 Online via Zoom | 🎟 Free – Registration required
Community Song & Sound Circle
A MONTHLY COMMUNITY SOUND AND SONG CIRCLE
🎶 Let the Music Unite Us! 🎵
REGISTER HERE
Join us for an evening where songs meet bites! One of the greatest parts of being in a community is sharing and encouraging each other's musical and singing gifts. This monthly gathering provides a supportive, loving, and fun environment to give and receive with frequency and vibration—an essential part of living fully and something often lost in modern life.
We'll kick things off with introductions in the yurt and a beginner-friendly workshop to get everyone in sync. Whether you sing, play an instrument, or simply want to participate in the collective energy, you’re welcome here. No experience? No worries! We’re here to guide you through the joy of sharing sound and song in community.
Before the melodies start to flow, we'll gather around for a potluck dinner. It’s the perfect time to indulge in delicious vegan and vegetarian dishes and enjoy the company of your forest friends. Afterward, the sound circle begins, inviting us to explore and express through music, voice, and harmony.
Bring Your Sound: If you have an instrument, drum, or just your voice, please bring it along to share in the music. Don’t have one? No problem! All you need is your presence. For specific inquiries about available instruments, drop a quick note to bala@justloveforest.com.
Let’s come together for a night of sound, food, and community!
ABOUT THIS PRACTICE
🌟 Discover the Joy of Sound Circles: A Universal Invitation to Connection 🌟
Sound and song circles are a magical experience that invite everyone to share in a sense of unity and communal spirit. These gatherings are a celebration of life, connecting us through the universal language of music and vibration. Whether it’s the deep resonance of traditional chants, the creative improvisations of modern melodies, or the spontaneous harmonies found in shared spaces, sound circles create an atmosphere of togetherness and harmony.
No matter your experience level, from first-timers to seasoned musicians, these circles offer a welcoming space for self-expression, emotional release, and, most importantly, forging deep connections with others. This tradition highlights the timeless appeal of coming together in sound, inviting everyone to feel the heartbeat of the Earth and join in the collective celebration of music and community.
If you’re curious, eager to learn, or simply want to feel the joy of being part of something larger than yourself, come! Embrace the opportunity to explore a unique channel of expression and experience that comes with making music together.
SLIDING SCALE PAYMENT
We’ll be offering payment for this experience on a sliding scale basis to ensure access for everyone. After registering below, you’ll be taken to a payment page where you can choose your amount.
You can pay any amount that suits your needs. Here are some recommendations:
Standard Rate: $50 This is the recommended rate, allowing us to provide programs while helping us to steward and protect our 716-acre nature preserve. You may choose to camp overnight in your own tent or stay in one of our double-occupancy canvas bell tents.
Sustainer Rate: $100 This is the recommended rate for those who can help support this work and allow us to pay it forward to others.
Other details: This is a bring-food-to-share event. We will be doing this communally in a potluck style for the evening meal, so please bring things to share. Vegetarian and vegan items only, please. Please bring any necessary dishes and utensils for serving. We provide plates and utensils for eating. If you are staying overnight, please bring your own food items for breakfast.
Come early for our Labyrinth Service Day on Saturday or stay for the Self Love Day Retreat on Sunday.
Feel free to email bala@justloveforest.com with questions or for more information.