WINTER LODGE

DECEMBER 5th-8th

With Kelsey Wishik & Bala Yancey

Just Love Forest, Poetry, Georgia

Experience a Winter Lodge with our FOREST tribe

Join us for a serene escape to Just Love Forest this winter, where we invite you to immerse yourself in a transformative Winter Lodge Retreat. Nestled in the heart of nature, this retreat offers a peaceful sanctuary to pause, reflect, and align with the quiet strength of the winter season as we turn inward.  We will experience the rich embodiment of self-reflection through gentle daily movement, forest healing, heart-centered inquiry-based workshops, and community circles. 

    As winter unfolds, it's a perfect time to gather in the forest and take stock of the past year, preparing ourselves with fresh intentions to flower in spring. This experience is designed to cultivate harmonization with nature's rhythms, guiding you through a journey of deep listening and self-discovery.

Guided by Kelsey Wishik, Author of Return to Vastness

Kelsey Wishik, based in Athens, GA, is a distinguished guide in the realm of self-discovery and natural connection.  A yoga and movement instructor, artist, and musician, Kelsey holds ERYT 200 and RYT 500 certifications, with over 14 years of experience in yoga. Her teachings are a rich blend of yoga's philosophy, studies in Chinese Medicine, neuroscience, pranayama, meditation, and mantra, reflecting a deep commitment to the holistic exploration of self and nature.

Kelsey’s retreats are an invitation to deeply connect with oneself through the wisdom of the natural world. Her approach leverages her extensive background in solitary wilderness experiences, comprehensive academic studies, and embodied wisdom. Participants in her retreats are guided on a transformative journey, designed to foster a profound understanding of self in harmony with nature. With her global experience in facilitating workshops and community circles, Kelsey offers a unique pathway for individuals seeking to explore their inner landscapes and expand their spiritual horizons.


What to Expect:

  • Nurturing Environment: Find solace in our cozy luxury tents, and yurt surrounded by winter's tranquil beauty. Embrace the season’s stillness as you connect with like-minded individuals in a supportive community and natural environment.

  • Daily Practices: The Winter Lodge retreat integrates daily guided practices to help us regulate our nervous systems, promote reflection, and cultivate inner peace. Experience gentle, grounding movements from yoga and qi gong, the restorative power of breathwork, and the deep relaxation of yoga nidra.

  • Reflection and Alignment: Engage in meaningful activities that allow you to reflect on your year, set intentions, and align with winter's energy. These practices will help you embrace the season's invitation for introspection and renewal.

  • Community and Connection: Share this retreat with others who are seeking to deepen their connection with nature and themselves. Together, we will create an altar space of support and shared growth through natural materials in the environment. 

  • Sacred Fire: Throughout the retreat, we will have a sacred fire space set up for silent reflection, forest healing, warmth, and meditation. 

  • listening to your heart

  • Forest therapy

  • Big open spaces

  • Friendship

  • Contemplation

  • night gathering

Your forest home awaits

We offer you a large, private, beautiful canvas bell tent with your own luxury tempurpedic mattress.

716 acres of pristine protected forest

Our gathering space

A hand-built intentional yurt

Who is a lodge helpful for?

The Reflective Seeker: Embrace Inner Stillness

If you find yourself yearning for deep introspection and clarity, this lodge offers a sanctuary to quiet the mind and listen to your inner voice. The serene forest setting allows you to turn inward, guiding you toward personal revelations and a renewed sense of purpose.

The Spiritual Explorer: Deepen Your Connection

For those on a spiritual journey, this retreat provides the perfect environment to deepen your connection with both nature and your inner self. Through guided meditations, ceremonies, and community circles, you’ll discover new layers of your spiritual practice.

The Overwhelmed Caregiver: Reclaim Your Energy

Constantly caring for others can leave you feeling drained. This lodge is an opportunity to focus on your own well-being, replenishing your energy and restoring balance. Surrounded by supportive peers and the healing power of nature, you'll leave rejuvenated and ready to care for yourself as much as you care for others.

Flow of the gathering

Thursday, December 5th

  • Arrival and Welcome

  • Gathering and retreat into nature, honoring the cycles of rest, reflection, and renewal.

  • Introductions and setting intentions.

  • “Honoring Nature’s Cycles” session, focusing on the energy of winter— a time to slow down, take stock, and allow for renewal.

  • Introduction to the retreat spaces and a land acknowledgment.

  • Dinner

  • First Fire Ceremony

  • Connecting with the forest through soul songs and mantras.

Friday, December 6th

  • Morning Practice in the Yurt

  • Slow opening with gentle breathwork and meditation, focusing on nervous system balancing.

  • Breakfast

  • Silent fire space activation.

  • Free Time

  • Discussion - Winter Being Part 2

  • Yurt community circle in the lodge, reflecting on our energetic state.

  • Council check-in: identifying personal needs and exploring how we can tend to ourselves and support healing.

  • Nesting practice with an awareness of our needs, leading into a Yoga Nidra session, potentially incorporating sound elements like drums or bowls, followed by silent listening.

  • Lunch

  • Free Time

  • Building the Altar

  • Group gathering of natural materials to build an altar near the fire.

  • Reflecting on the season’s teachings: taking stock, processing, and releasing lessons to find wisdom. Emphasizing the importance of not exploiting our resources—both soul and self.

  • Forest Meditation & Bathing

  • Saturating in wisdom through a forest mediation and healing session.

  • Dinner

  • Dharma Talk & Community Circle Share

  • Collective reflection on taking stock and building wisdom through empathy.

  • Discussion on the body/mind/spirit as an ecosystem mirroring nature’s cycles. Exploring the concept of contribution as it relates to our service, personal stories, and future visions.

  • Addressing how balanced intentions emerge naturally from understanding, taking stock, and visioning ahead.

Saturday, December 7th

  • Morning Winter Qi Gong and Breathwork

  • Guided meditation to start the day.

  • Breakfast

  • Journaling Prompts

  • Reflecting on the winter count and mapping an internal plan. Exploring how to allow the field to rest and vision to manifest.

  • Weaving virtues and essences into a vision through a guided journaling practice.

  • Group circle council to build empathy, trust, and collective wisdom.

  • Lunch

  • Free Time

  • Fill Your Cup - Self-Care Rituals Workshop

  • Engaging in self-care practices, including laughter, listening, and a tea ceremony.

  • Reflecting on what you want to give through your life moving forward.

  • Dinner

  • Fire Ceremony

  • A symbolic surrender of the old self, like leaves falling in autumn. Embracing renewal through living in harmony with seasonal cycles.

  • Leaving the fire in silence.

Sunday, December 8th

  • Morning Mobility Practice

  • Light movement and meditation with a focus on winter care, emphasizing mobility as joints can become stiff in colder months.

  • Breakfast

  • Closing Circle

  • Preparing for winter and the holidays.

  • Sharing statements of commitment, virtues, aspirations, reflections, and heart songs.

Sliding Scale exchange

$650 -$850 plus tax

Too expensive for you? Please read about financial accessibility below.

Includes 3 days & nights of programs, overnight accommodations + all plant-based meals daily.

  • The bell tents come with sheet and towel service with your choice of a personal plush tempur pedic queen or twin mattress

  • All prices include plant-based dinner on Thursday and breakfast, lunch and dinner on Friday and Saturday and breakfast and lunch on Sunday

  • No cancellations

  • SPECIAL RATE FOR MEMBERS

    Up to 3 members are eligible for a limited $450 flat fee. Read more here.

  • Sliding Scale Pricing for Our Nature Retreats

    At Just Love, we're passionate about making our enriching nature retreats accessible to everyone. We do our utmost to keep costs low, often stretching our resources to make a variety of experiences as affordable as possible throughout the year.

    To continue offering these retreats and maintain the quality and integrity of the experience, it is not sustainable if everyone pays only the minimum amount. Recognizing that each person's financial situation is unique, we've introduced a sliding scale pricing model. This flexible approach allows participants to choose a payment option that best suits their circumstances, ensuring that our retreats are within reach for all who wish to join us.

    If you are in a position to do so, we kindly ask you to consider selecting a higher payment tier. Your generosity supports not just your own experience but also enables others who might face financial barriers to embark on this transformative journey. Every contribution above the minimum helps us sustain the quality of our retreats, maintain our beautiful natural spaces, and support our dedicated team.

    By paying it forward, you're fostering a spirit of community and inclusivity, ensuring that our retreats can continue to be a source of inspiration and growth for everyone.

    We appreciate your understanding and generosity. Together, we can make these life-enhancing experiences available to all.

    Financial Accessibility

    We always want these gatherings to be as financially accessible as possible. If you would like to be considered to serve as part of our volunteer and support teams for a reduction in fees, please contact us.