August 22-25, 2024
Salt Spring Island • British Columbia
This retreat continues the same themes and intentions from last year, and it also expands on them. By adding an extra day, we can deepen our communal embodiment of Sacred Community.
More than a retreat, this is an exercise in Sacred Community.
An interspiritual gathering rooted in the lineage of Ram Dass and Neem Karoli Baba and centering the teachings of Bhakti Yoga and Buddhism.
Anchored with mantra, meditation, and ritual, the core practice of this retreat is Sacred Community. We practice seeing the Divine everywhere—in nature, in each other, and in ourselves—and we act in reverence to this Truth. In this way, we help each other awaken from separation and into the Heart of Love.
PRACTICE
Who we are is deeper than our thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, or social roles. These are like clouds happening within the sky of our Awareness. As we awaken to this, we learn that this Awareness is not isolated to our own mind. It is the fabric of Reality and the Relational Web that connects us. Ram Dass called this Loving-Awareness. As Pavan Das says, “Just as sunlight is warm, our Awareness is naturally loving.”
By gathering in Satsang (spiritual community) and engaging in sadhana (practice), we gain Darshan (vision) and behold this Love everywhere.
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Meditation
Each morning starts with guided meditation. We practice letting go of clinging in the mind, so we can return to Loving-Awareness.
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Kirtan
Each night ends with kirtan from experienced chant leaders. Kirtan is the practice of chanting the Holy Names— ancient Sanskrit mantras that reveal Loving-Awareness.
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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.
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Teachings
Our 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 something deep, meaningful, and rooted in lineage.
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Community
Sacred Community is “Loving-Awareness practiced together,” and it is rooted in the truth of Interdependence. Both the practice and the reward, we actualize Sacred Community through intention-setting, small group reflections, and shared meals.
SALT SPRING CENTRE
Salt Spring Centre of Yoga is a 69-acre non-profit spiritual retreat centre located on Salt Spring Island in British Columbia, Canada. Founded in 1981 by Baba Hari Dass, the Centre is the west coast of Canada’s longest running spiritual and wellness retreat centre and home to several temples and ceremony sites.
Salt Spring Centre of Yoga is easily accessible by ferry from Vancouver and Victoria. International travelers can directly access the ferry from Victoria International Airport. For those traveling without a car, there are taxis available on island, or we can pick you up from the closest bus stop to the Centre. We also plan to post an optional rideshare board. More travel information is available here.
COMMUNITY
PRESENTERS AND SUPPORT TEAM
Sitaram Dass (he/him) spent several years serving his beloved teacher Ram Dass on Maui, where he was shown the path of Bhakti, the yoga of service and devotion to God. He is a writer, teacher, kirtan singer, spiritual therapist, and as the director of the Sacred Community Project, he works to provide affordable, free, and donation-based offerings as a praxis of Sacred Community. His book, From and for God, is an intimate and contemplative collection of writings on the spiritual path. Visit sitaramdass.com or listen on your favorite streaming service
Swapnil (he/him) discovered the Bhakti tradition through a formal Amazonian shamanic apprenticeship. Through connecting with Maharajji, he found himself returning to his once neglected Hindu roots. Now following the path of Bhakti yoga, he deepens his practice through devotional musical expression. Also an active participant in the world of business, Swapnil enjoys learning new ways of bringing love and compassion into worldly situations.
Pavan Das (he/him) is a community organizer, multi-media artist, and nonprofit leader. He resides on Maui, where he serves on the board of Hanuman Maui: Ram Dass Loving Awareness Sanctuary. His time with spiritual luminaries like Ram Dass and Thich Nhat Hanh informs his commitment to cultivating a lived spirituality through which to effect social change. His service projects aim to foster resilience and prosociality in individuals, groups and communities through the skillful application of contemplative and devotional practices. pavandas.com
Emily Lakshmi Merrill (she/her) is an experimental artist inspired by Bhakti and God. She delights in finding more ways to be of service and uses her art as a vehicle for this seva. Lakshmi is also a Hospice volunteer and finds spiritual connection in supporting those at the end of their lives. Inspired by her Guru Neem Karoli Baba, Lakshmi loves exploring how seva and the path of Karma yoga can deepen her spiritual practice.
IG: @emily_merrill_fine_art
Beverly Hsu (she/they) is here to make art and delight in God—in all their forms. Inspired and guided by Ram Dass’s teaching that “social action happens heart to heart to heart,” she is exploring how we connect hearts through art, conscious design, and service. Beverly is the art director of Sacred Community Project and is currently in a M.A. program for expressive arts therapy and mental health counseling. Some of her art and creations are shared at beverlyhsu.com ✨
Connor Burns (he/him) is an educator and mental health facilitator living in Vancouver, BC Canada. Connor's passion for exploring consciousness started from a young age and has led to hundreds of hours of yoga and mindfulness trainings and more than ten years of experience working with at-risk youth. Connor holds certifications in Dr. Gabor Maté's Compassionate Inquiry and Jon Kabat-Zinn's Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction. He is currently in a Master's of Counseling program.
connorburns.ca IG: @connorburns.ca
zander cole (they/them) turns to unconditional love and eternal wisdom to guide them in their work at the intersection of spirituality, documentary film and liberatory movements. zander has led kirtan across the country, and accompanied seasoned wallahs, namely Devadas, Nina Rao, and Krishna Das, among others. zander works with the Sacred Community Project and is the host of the baby teeth podcast. They are in pre-production for an upcoming documentary film and look forward to releasing their first track soon!
REGISTER
Camping and shared or private rooms are available.
In line with SCP values, all accomodations are offered on a sliding-scale basis, and scholarship and work-trade options are available for those in need.
The base price is the minimum amount needed for the retreat to run at cost, and it includes sattvic food (vegetarian and vegan options), lodging, and retreat programming. By contributing more, you enable SCP to offer scholarships, and to grow our retreats and service programs.
All teachers, presenters, and staff are offering their services on a Dana (donation) basis. There will be an opportunity at the end of the retreat to make a financial offering.
In this way, this is more than a retreat; it is an exercise in Sacred Community.
Due to the sliding scale nature of this retreat, we are asking all participants to pay at the highest rate they can afford.
All prices are listed for both Canadian (CA) and United States (US) dollars
*If you are a couple or group wanting to have a shared room together, please write to us to ensure that a room is available to meet your needs
Camping
$370 - $550 (US)
$500 - $750 (CA)
Shared Room (2-3 people per room)
$600 - $900 (US)
$800 - $1200 (CA)
Private Room (shared bathroom)
$1,000 - $1,300 (US)
$1,350 - $1750 (CA)
Private Room for 2 people
$1200 - $1800 (US) per couple
$1600 - $2400 (CA) per couple
EXPLORE
2023 RETREAT CONTENT
MEDITATION
KIRTAN
CONTACT US
Still not sure? What questions do you have? Want to discuss your travel plans? We are here to help.