March 2o-27, 2026
Just Love Forest • Poetry, GA
This is a week-long silent Loving-Awareness retreat for those who want to deepen their sadhana and awaken the Heart through the path of Grace. Anchored with mantra, meditation, and ritual, the core practice is Loving Awareness.
The retreat will combine structured group practice with individual periods of isolation, solo practice, and wilderness immersion.
(Register here if you only want to attend the opening weekend retreat)
MEET YOUR GUIDES
-
Sitaram Dass
LOVING AWARENESS FACILITATOR
Sitaram Dass will be your retreat facilitator and Loving-Awareness guide. He will be facilitating the guided practices and available for individual support.
Sitaram Dass was a caregiver for Ram Dass and is a trained transpersonal therapist, retreat facilitator, meditation teacher, and kirtan singer. His book, From and for God, is an intimate and contemplative collection of writings on the spiritual path.
As the director of the Sacred Community Project, he works to lower the barriers of access to contemplative and devotional practices. Learn more about Sitaram Dass at: sitaramdass.com
-
Bala Yancey
FOREST SADHANA FACILITATOR
Bala Yancey is the founder and head steward of Just Love Forest and will be our experiential guide and co-retreat facilitator.
Bala’s life was transformed in 2017 through a spontaneous awakening that led him on a path of service and devotion. Soon after, Ram Dass gave him the name Balarama and introduced him to the lineage of Neem Karoli Baba and Bhakti Yoga.
Drawing from that transmission and his own practice as a meditation teacher (MMTCP) and certified Forest Therapy Guide, Bala has devoted himself to reawakening the ancient tradition of forest sadhana in a way that meets the needs of seekers today.
WHAT TO EXPECT
The first three days will involve structured group practice at the Just Love Eco-Village, where Sitaram Dass will facilitate the following practices:
-
Meditation
Each morning starts with guided meditation. We practice letting go of clinging in the mind, so we can return to Loving-Awareness.
-
Kirtan
Each night ends with chanting kirtan. Kirtan is the practice of singing the Holy Names— ancient Sanskrit mantras that reveal Loving-Awareness.
-
Ritual
Puja is woven throughout each day, and it is a prayer made with the entire body, mind, and senses. It is an honoring of the Love within, and it awakens Bhav (the devotional mood) and connects us to community.
-
Teachings
Sitaram Dass’s teacher, Ram Dass, honored all paths and had a special affinity for both Bhakti (devotional yoga) and Buddhism. Authentic teachings will be offered as a way to ground our experience in the essence of Loving-Awareness
-
Forest Therapy
Bala and the team at Just Love Forest will be guiding participants into the practice of Shinrin Yoku, or forest bathing. Through guided forest experiences, we deepen our ability to commune with the land, preparing us for the upcoming forest sadhana.
FOREST SADHANA
After the first three days, the team at Just Love Forest will help prepare our transition to the wilderness retreat. We will head into the valley of Bhakti Mountain for four days of silent practice. We will each be provided simple food and a wilderness campsite to support our solo forest sadhana, and we will gather every morning for silent group practice with Sitaram Dass. Through guided meditation, chanting, and experiential exercises, we will deepen our experience together so we can return nourished to engage in self-guided practice for the remainder of the day. For more details, see the FAQ.
From the earliest days of Hindu tradition, the forest has been a place of wisdom and transformation. The rishis and sages of India entered the wilderness to listen deeply, practice sadhana, and discover truths that still guide us today.
Just Love Forest draws from this lineage while adapting it for today’s world. The 716 sacred acres of land in Poetry, GA offers a unique blend of natural beauty, spiritual exploration, and ecological consciousness. It is a perfect haven for a forest sadhana retreat. In a time of constant noise, we enter the forest as a sanctuary and a teacher, returning more whole, more attuned, and more devoted.
JUST LOVE FOREST
EXPLORE
Meditations and Lectures
Sitaram Dass at Just Love Forest
Loving Imperfections
Loving-Awareness Mantra Meditation
Devotional Chanting
Hanuman Chalisa and SitaRam Medley
SitaRam (featuring Kripa)
Devakinandana Gopala
APPLY NOW
Due to the intensive nature of this retreat, it is being offered on an application-only basis.
Not the right fit for this time? Consider only coming for the opening weekend.
Have questions? Check out the Q&A and contact form below
FAQs AND IMPORTANT INFO
-
The exact schedule is subject to change, but you can view a sample schedule here.
-
Total Price: $615-1000
At SCP, we have a a central mission to “lower the barriers of access to contemplative and devotional practices.”
Because of this, the retreat is sliding scale to help make it accessible to as many people as possible.
This retreat is a combination of the initial weekend retreat at the retreat center and the following forest sadhana in the nature preserve. You can only attend the forest sadhana if you also attend the weekend retreat.
Pricing breakdown is below:
Weekend Retreat Pricing:
The weekend retreat pricing is sliding scale and partially dependent on lodging needs.
Self Camping: (bring your own camping gear): $125+tax
Nylon Teepee Tent (with a provided mattress): $300+tax per person
Canvas Bell Tent: $500+tax per person
Forest Sadhana Pricing: $500+tax
The Forest Sadhana portion of the retreat is modeled after the ancient Indian Vedic practice of forest sadhana that is still practiced in Hinduism today. Sadhus and renunciates live a simple life, and in turn the community supports them in their spiritual development.
We will be provided tents and simple but comfortable sleeping pads. We will be provided a simple camping commode, water, soap, camping supplies, and simple but nutritious meals to support our forest sadhana.
-
Freely Given; Freely Received
Sitaram Dass has participated in Buddhist meditation retreats, and he is deeply inspired by the Buddhist Dharma. The Buddha taught that these teachings cannot be “sold” because they are a priceless gift meant for the benefit of all sentient beings.
Sitaram Dass is not paid because he does not “own” the Dharma, and thus cannot sell it. He is facilitating this retreat because he see it as an important element of his own spiritual development.
What makes this system of dana work is a community of generosity. For years, people have said, “It’s hard to do donation-based events because in the West we don’t have a culture of supporting the Teachings.”
At SCP, we are committed to helping change this culture. We are committed to our own internal practice of “giving freely” and letting go of attachments and expectations around receiving gratitude, either in the form of compliments or financial gifts.
We also know that our own giving can only be as pure as our ability to receive. We likewise commit to releasing internal barriers to receiving gifts that are freely given.
It is for this reason that a meditation on giving is read on the final day of the retreat, and participants are provided the means and opportunity to offer their gratitude through financial gifts to the teacher.
CONTACT US
Still not sure? What questions do you have? We are here to help.