Breath of the Forest: Autumn Nature Immersion and Yoga Retreat

November 15, 2025

Osteen, Florida

Sacred Forest Farm

8 am - 5:30 pm

“Everybody needs beauty… places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul alike.”

— John Muir

“The wise person delights in the forest, the wilderness, where no crowd can be found.”


— Buddha, Sutta Nipāta

Welcome to Breath of the Forest, a day-long retreat at Sacred Forest Farm that invites you to slow down, breathe deeply, and reconnect—with yourself, with community, and with the healing rhythms of the land.

This retreat offers a deeply restorative experience through vinyasa yoga, mindfulness meditation, pranayama, contemplative writing, small-group discussion, and nature-based research lectures. All classes will take place under the comfort of the farm’s beautiful event tent, surrounded by the vibrant beauty and stillness of the fall forest. With guidance from yoga teacher and contemplative educator Shannon (Sati) Chmelar and an opening welcome by land steward Kelli Hastings, the retreat is a grounding invitation to reconnect with your breath, body, and the natural world.

In addition to the classes, this retreat includes a guided meditation walk and writing practice incorporating mindfulness and forest bathing. Woven throughout are teachings that illuminate the spiritual and scientific wisdom behind nature’s profound capacity to heal and restore. A wholesome lunch made from Sacred Forest Farm’s fall harvest will be lovingly provided, offering a taste of the land’s seasonal abundance. These experiences invite you into deeper communion with the earth and your own inner landscape.

Whether you're seeking clarity, restoration, or inspiration, Breath of the Forest offers a rare opportunity to tune inward while rooted in the beauty and wisdom of the natural world. Space is limited to maintain a quiet, intimate atmosphere—early registration is encouraged.

What’s Included

Yoga Classes

Start your day with an energizing vinyasa flow. Move through breath-led sequences designed for most levels. Later, unwind with a calming restorative class. Gentle poses and stillness help you fully relax and reset.

Nature/Spiritual Ecology Lecture

This lecture explores how nature can support our health and enliven our spiritual life. Through research, poetry, history, and writing practice, we’ll deepen our connection to the living world. Discover how time in nature can heal, inspire, and transform.

Forest Walk + Writing Exercise

This guided forest walk weaves together mindfulness, nature-based research, and reflective writing. Influenced by Thich Nhat Hanh and Japanese forest bathing, the experience invites deep sensory awareness and presence

Fresh Sacred Forest Harvest Lunch

Enjoy a four-course vegetarian meal inspired by the season’s harvest and the land’s rhythm. Dishes feature a diverse array of fresh produce, and unlimited kombucha on tap keeps you refreshed throughout the retreat.

Pranayama and Meditation

Pranayama practice during the retreat focuses on activating the parasympathetic nervous system and enhancing overall vitality. Meditation sessions provide a space for quieting the mind, fostering mindfulness, and deepening inner awareness.

Community Building

The communal in-class work and extended meal period encourage bonding and provide opportunities to exchange ideas on spirituality, ecology, and wellness, enriching the retreat experience.

A Meal in Season

Our retreat includes a thoughtfully prepared, four-course vegetarian meal, deeply rooted in the rhythm of the land.

The season’s harvest will guide the menu — expect a colorful spread that may feature silky eggplant hummus or baba ganoush, crisp garden vegetables with seed crackers, vibrant field greens and radishes, and comforting entrées like roasted squash, pumpkin-inspired dishes, or spaghetti squash with warming spices.

Every dish is crafted with intention — simple, grounding, and nourishing — to support your practice and reconnect you to the earth.

And to sip throughout the day: unlimited kombucha on tap, refreshing and alive, to keep you hydrated and humming.

Our final menu will be shaped by the harvest and revealed closer to the retreat — nature always knows best.

Sample Schedule

The retreat schedule will be finalized closer to the event date. Program details are subject to change as needed.

8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. Arrival & Check-in

8:30 a.m. - 9:15 a.m. Orientation and Welcome Circle

9:15 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. Vinyasa Yoga & Meditation

10:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Break

11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Lecture & Writing

12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Lunch

2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Forest Walk & Writing

3:00 – 3:15 p.m. Break

3:15 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Small Group Work & Reflection

4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Pranayama & Gentle Yoga Asana

5:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Closing Circle

The Location

Sacred Forest Farm is an 11-acre regenerative farm and retreat center nestled in the heart of Northeast Central Florida. Dedicated to both ecological stewardship and spiritual growth, the farm cultivates food using regenerative practices while offering a range of unique experiences — from classes and events to immersive agritourism and personal retreats.

Important To Know

  • Participants are required to bring: yoga mat, hand towel or yoga strap, water and water bottle, layers for chilly mornings, meditation cushion (optional), sun protection (for forest walk), appropriate footwear, shawl for meditation or savasana (if needed), journal, and writing utensil.

    • If we expect rain, please bring a raincoat and rain boots for the forest walk.

    • If you are bringing a lunch or snack, you have the option to refrigerate it

    • There is no automated filtered water at the farm. Sacred Forest Farm staff will bring filtered water on site for the retreat but quantities are limited. Please bring extra for yourself to ensure supplies last

  • Please note that while our farm staff will provide a wholesome vegetarian meal during the retreat, we are unable to accommodate specific food allergies or dietary restrictions. If you have particular dietary needs, you are welcome to bring your own lunch and snacks. A refrigerator will be available on-site to store your bagged meal for the day.

  • Registration deadline for the event is November 3, 2025. After this date, a charge of $50 will be added to the retreat cost if it is not sold out.

    Registration fee is fully refundable (minus processor fees) through November 3, 2025.

  • This retreat is suitable for most participants with a previous background in yoga postural practice. This retreat is not suitable for total beginners as we cannot provide the adequate attention required to ensure safe execution during instruction period. Advanced options (headstands) may be optionally offered to established practitioners but detailed instruction will not be provided on inversions. Students are encouraged to modify as needed to ensure safety and stability during class.

  • The only required prop to bring for yoga posture practice is a stable yoga mat (not an exercise mat) and a small hand towel or yoga strap that will be used for shoulder and hamstring work. Modifications will be provided for postures. Yoga blocks will not be needed.

    • yoga mat

    • small hand towel or yoga strap

    • meditation/savasana shawl (optional)

  • Light physical cues and gentle depth adjustments may be offered during classes to support safe alignment and body awareness. These adjustments will be minimal, as the retreat is designed to accommodate a range of experience levels. No intensive adjustments—typically more appropriate for seasoned practitioners—will be used.

  • We kindly ask that all participants take personal responsibility for caring for their bodies throughout the retreat. As this is a one-time event, your instructor will not have the opportunity to become deeply familiar with your individual physical needs or limitations. If you are working with a serious injury or condition, please inform the instructor before class begins. You are always encouraged to modify or skip any poses as needed—listen to your body and honor its signals.

  • Sacred Forest Farm provides a well-maintained (and surprisingly fancy!) compost toilet for participant use during the retreat.

  • For questions regarding retreat classes contact Sati at satiyogini@gmail.com

    For questions regarding Sacred Forest Farm contact Kelli at kelli@theyogalawyer.com

    Sacred Forest Farm Website: https://sacredforest.farm/

    Registration Page: https://www.theyogalawyer.com/event-details/autumn-nature-immersion-and-yoga-retreat

  • Sacred Forest Farm is a drug-free, alcohol-free, and DEET-free environment. To honor the integrity of the land and the spirit of the retreat, we kindly ask that you do not bring any drugs, alcohol, or DEET-based products to the site. Thank you for helping us maintain a safe, clean, and respectful space for all participants.

Retreat Cost

$150.00 + processing fees

From November 3: $200.00 + processing fees

Refundable until November 3 (minus processing fees).

You’ll be directed to Kelli Hastings’s website (owner of Sacred Forest Farm) to complete your registration and sign a required liability waiver.

Your spot will be confirmed once this step is complete. Thank you!

“There are moments when all anxiety and stated toil are becalmed in the infinite leisure and repose of nature.”

— Henry David Thoreau