We gather together to honor and celebrate Juneteenth and the Summer Solstice - moving our bodies to the rhythm of the season and experiencing nourishment from the inside out. As a collective, we will build and tend the literal and metaphorical fire of transformation; practicing presence in order to not only accept what is, but also to sharpen the tools needed to create sustainable change.

When we root into our seat and connect with our breath, the boundaries that separate “you” from “me” begin to blur - we become grounded in our own being while simultaneously recognizing that any sense of separateness is simply an illusion.

Throughout our time together, we will have opportunities to connect with our breath through guided Pranayama practice.

We will move our bodies through Yoga and ecstatic dance.

We will raise the collective vibration by finding our voices in song.

We will go through the transformative and healing fire of sacred sweat and dip in the cool refreshing headwaters of the Potomac River.

And we will be nourished with fresh seasonal food from Mother Earth.

Bring your own tent and set up camp in the forest. Includes access to shared bathroom and outdoor showers. $299

Children 5 and under are free! Children ages 6-15 are $99/each. Standard pricing applies to everyone 16 and over.

Pack light and get cozy in one of the communal rooms in the Heart House. Linens included. $399

The most private room on the property, the tower suite encompasses the uppermost floor of the Heart House. Includes one queen bed, one twin bed, and private bathroom. $1299 (total price for up to three guests)

Enjoy a spacious suite with grand views and private bathroom. Includes one king bed, one full bed, and a triple twin bunk. $2199 (total price for up to six guests)

Bring your crew and enjoy the entire log cabin with living room, bathroom, and full kitchen all to your selves. Includes one queen bed, one full bed, and one bunk bed. $2499 (total price for up to six guests)

J Miles - a father, Yogi, martial artist, body worker, retired breakdancer, community activist, and the son of a Baptist minister - has been learning and studying eastern arts and philosophy for over two decades. But movement itself, coupled with creativity and exploration of movement through dance, has always been a constant source of curiosity and confidence. From learning how to headstand at five from his father, to walking on his hands and tumbling as an adolescent, to playing sports as a teen, to poppin and lockin, J has always been moving. This love of movement came together in the Brazilian art of Capoeira, which then led him to Hung Gar kung fu and his first real Teacher, who unknowingly led him to Yoga. J has a unique style of Yoga - influenced by various teachers and writings - but also unmistakably tempered by real life and humor, relying on the importance of breath as a guide and a source of strength. He strives to create for each person a fluid, sustainable and enjoyable practice, that hopefully will prove to be beneficial over a lifetime. And even as this ancient practice continues to evolve, the mantra continues to be “practice is effort toward steadiness of mind”.

Hawah Kasat is a celebrated global humanitarian, author, educator, non-profit leader, TEDx speaker, and yogi. He has over 20 years of experience training teachers around the globe, and leading dynamic shamanic classes at conferences and festivals. Over the years, he has authored 4 books and produced 4 documentary films. In the year 2000, he co-founded One Common Unity (OCU), an award-winning non-profit organization that heals cycles of violence and trauma through social-emotional literacy, conflict transformation, mindfulness, mental health, and arts programming. During his time as Executive Director, OCU impacted over 40,000 youth and families in Washington, DC. Most recently, Hawah helped launch Roots to Sky Sanctuary a 125-acre regenerative farm and healing arts center situated in northern Appalachia where he serves as a Managing Partner.

Anajali Sunita is a certified Ayurvedic practitioner trained in both northern and southern Indian systems of Ayurveda. She applies this knowledge bio-regionally making the experience functional for individuals everywhere by teaching the core universal philosophy and principles. She shares with a passion for supporting others to live well, purposefully, and aligned with nature's rhythms—counter culture priorities in today's world. She leads immersions, retreats, cleanses, and consultations through her organization Village Life Wellness where you can find out more about her offerings and book a consultation.

Thomas Stanley is a scholar, artist, and writer deeply committed to audio culture in the service of personal growth and social change. Dr. Stanley teaches sound as a freestanding and integrative expressive medium as an associate professor within GMU’s School of Art. The author of The Execution of Sun Ra and co-author of An Oral History of George Clinton and P-Funk. His work attempts to exploit the capacity of sound and music to anchor, frame and energize our subjective experience of macrotemporal texture (history). As a fellow in the Re-Storying the Potomac initiative, Dr. Stanley uses performance and curation to support and catalyze those sonic communities from which noise and music leap forward to frame, reframe, and accelerate our subjective experience of history. Dr. Stanley has written and lectured extensively on emergent musical cultures, contextualizing musical sound and performance as struggles within social space for a fully decolonized temporal subject. As an integral part of this gathering, Dr. Stanley will lead us through a traditional sweat lodge ceremony and impart much of his wisdom around the fire.

Ala and Dalani are two devoted stewards of ancestral wisdom, prayerful artistry, and queer embodiment, and the duo that makes up 2Teotl - a sanctuary for those walking the path of remembrance—where song, prayer, and the rhythms of life weave into a living prayer. Rooted in reverence, their work is offered to the unseen, an honoring of the breath that carries us between worlds. Ala and Dalani are devoted to cultivating spaces of connection and creative study, each container centering community, voice, embodiment, and elemental wisdom—inviting those called into deeper relationship with self, Spirit, and the greater web of life to look more deeply within. Some walk the world through words, others through silence—Ala walks through song. They have been called to share this path of ceremony, to a life lived in devotion to music as medicine, song as prayer, and sacred service as the rhythm of existence. Dalani is a weaver of dreams, a guardian of the quiet spaces where transformation takes root. Through the art of deep rest, movement, and ceremonial practice, she guides others in remembering what has always been known.

DJ Shango, a master of dance ceremonies, approaches you with the aim of harmonizing your mind, body, and soul through this divine movement practice, using sound to stir and channel energy. A champion of light dedicated to restoring balance on Earth, Shango delves deep into crafting the Playlist of Ascension, drawing on his love for music, art, passion, and community. His journey has led him to embrace shamanistic practices, blending ancient wisdom with cutting-edge technology to curate safe havens where music facilitates release, enlightenment, and empowerment through divination. If you’ve never experienced ecstatic dance before, get ready to transcend through the power of somatic release.

Chef Steve Constantine is the founder of Positive Vibrations and a culinary artist with over 22 years of experience in hospitality and holistic nourishment. With a passion for sourcing real, whole, fresh, and local ingredients, he strives to curate dishes that are equally delicious and nutritious. Known for infusing every meal with vibrant energy, intention, and love - Chef Steve creates enriching experiences that go far beyond the plate, nourishing the body, mind and soul!

Rebekah Wood fell in love with Yoga at just 7 years old when her favorite uncle taught her how to stand on her head. Several decades later, she began to develop a dedicated practice and completed her first Yoga Teacher Training which finally gave her the language to understand that feeling from her childhood which was much more than enjoying being upside down. Rebekah is also a mother and interior designer and has a passion for creating order (and yes, even spreadsheets). As your logistical and emotional support, she is here to answer any questions you may have and give a hug or lend an ear whenever needed.

a verse from the Four Directions Song, a First Nation Prayer:

Wiohinhpayata etunwan yo

Nitunkasila ahitunwan yankelo

Cekiya yo cekiya yo

Ahitunwan yankelo

Look towards the East.

Your Grandfather is looking this way.

Pray to him, pray to him!

He is sitting there looking this way!

the collective

Roots to Sky Sanctuary is a BIPOC founded and led team that gathers decades of collective expertise in education, arts & humanities, entrepreneurship, health and wellness, regenerative farming, environmental justice, mindfulness, and restorative justice.

We were founded and incorporated in the year 2020, the same year COVID upended our world. We officially acquired the land in December of 2020. We are a certified public benefit corporation (B-corp) as well as a non-profit organization that is fiscally sponsored by The Social Good Fund.

We are creating a multi-use property serving local counties and our existing communities from metropolitan areas. Founding partners and members include Ee Da Hahm, Kavita Shourie, Hawah Kasat, Kai Kai Mascareñas, and Roman Haferd.