a time for healing and transformation during the summer solstice at Roots to Sky Sanctuary

Thursday, June 19 - Sunday, June 22

As Spring turns to Summer, we welcome in warmer days - embodying the transformative heat through movement and sweat. Emerging from our chrysalises vibrant and uninhibited.

Be nourished in mind, body, and spirit as we journey to the headwaters of the Potomac, put our hands in the Earth, breathe and move together, stretch our physical and mental limits, and integrate together through communal meals and around the fire.

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

With the growing turmoil all around us, it is more important than ever to come together to support and be supported in community. It’s time we cultivate all-encompassing inner and outer peace.

We gather together on sacred land to REMEMBER who we are and where we come from. We enter the sacred lodge to RELEASE whatever is getting in the way of realizing our ancestors’ dreams. We move our bodies and stretch our minds to REIMAGINE what a supportive village looks like in this modern world.

This is not a retreat - this is a gathering, an opportunity for intentional growth and collective healing. Together we will embody our Yoga - that state of BEing in our undisturbed peace no matter what we are DOing.

Come to be nourished and leave refreshed and energized for the work ahead. There will be ample time for self-reflection and integration in addition to the transformational offerings by our Space Holders.

:: What to expect ::

As we honor Juneteenth and celebrate the Summer Solstice, we get quiet, we listen, we nourish, we connect, and we collectively heal.

Our daily offerings will be comprised of the following:

• Pranayama - to build inner focus

• Sweat lodge - for purification

• Fire circles - for sharing and spiritual awakening

• Yoga Asana - to BE in our practice

• Ecstatic dance - for somatic healing

• Empowerment sessions - to remember our true selves

• Nature walks - to reconnect to Mother Earth

All pass options include all meals* beginning with dinner on Thursday through breakfast on Sunday, as well as access to indoor facilities and outdoor showers. Please consider bringing snacks to share or items to contribute to meals (especially from the garden!) The invitation is to arrive between 12:00PM-6:00PM on Thursday, understanding that life and commitments may not make this possible or easeful.

*vegan and gluten free options will be available

This is a family friendly event! All attendees 12+ years old must have their own pass.

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”.

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.

Erica Balogh-Willets is a vibrant fusion of scientific precision and soulful yoga mastery, radiating joy and love in all parts of her life. With an MS in Biological Science, Erica’s journey blends the marvels of scientific research with the transformative power of yoga. Erica’s mission is to elevate, educate and inspire through a unique blend of movement and holistic wellness. As far as she can remember, she has loved movement, culinary artistry, and spreading joy by helping others. Introduced to holistic health by her grandmother, she quickly embraced the healing power of plants and the miraculous capabilities of the human body. At age 18, Erica was introduced to Ashtanga where her spark and love for yoga was ignited. Yoga has been a source of liberation, strength, and creativity. Known as a sequencing goddess, she combines Vinyasa, Ashtanga, and dance into dynamic flows that leave participants elevated, energized, and enlightened. Believing that food is medicine, movement is essential, and our ancient guidance is gifted to us through meditation, Erica advocates for healing through the harmony of mind, body, and science. Following three years of unexplained infertility, Erica leaned deeply towards holistic healing. This strengthened her meditative practice and chakra cleansing work. As a mother, she embodies balance and mindfulness, encouraging others to break generational patterns and raise conscience children.

Cody Willets, a seasoned yogi and certified life coach specializing in performance and confidence coaching, is dedicated to guiding individuals towards profound self-discovery and empowerment. Drawing from a rich background in movement as a scholar athlete, dancer, and fearless explorer, Cody’s journey into holistic wellness began with a quest for external validation, eventually leading him to realize the profound significance of self-worth. This pivotal realization fueled his transformation into a dedicated coach committed to empowering others to rewrite their own narratives and embrace their authentic selves. Driven by love, Cody’s passion lies in fostering alignment of mind, body, and spirit. His teaching style, characterized by creativity, groove, funk, and fluidity with meditative elements and deep connections to self and others, transforms each teachings into a dynamic exploration for growth. With over two decades of experience and a master's degree in Directing Theatrical Productions, Cody seamlessly blends strategic planning, empathetic listening, and effective communication to nurture individual potential and instigate lasting change.

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.

Ben Kalra is a Yoga teacher, photographer, writer, and seeker. He teaches from the perspective that all beings deserve peace and freedom in body, mind, and spirit. Ben has studied from many paths including classical hatha & raja yoga, katonah yoga, adaptive yoga, and awakening yoga. He remains a student first, dedicated to his personal practice and philosophical studies. His classes are explorative yet grounded, strong yet soft, and embrace the imagination. Ben teaches in his current hometown of Charlotte, NC, and leads workshops and retreats around the world. He is a believer in the sacred spiritual path of Yoga to help lead us from pain to peace and from illusion to truth. We are so honored to be blessed with his presence at this sacred gathering at Roots to Sky Sanctuary.

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.