Ashland Oasis:
THE JOY OF GATHERING
Sunday, July 19, 2026, 3:00PM - 6:30PM
Santa Monica, CA - Ancestral Tongva Land
with Sylvie Rokab
STRONGER TOGETHER
We live in a time and culture of isolation, division, and loneliness. After spending part of June in a remote village of the Amazon with the Yawanawa people (Mutum Village) I, Sylvie, was deeply moved by how closely connected they are as a community and in the way they welcomed us as visitors. When dancing, they hold hands or shoulders, children care for the younger ones, and most join in music and dance. This cultural immersion inspired me to create an opportunity for us to gather here at home with the purpose of strengthening our spirits through togetherness.
On July 19th, you are warmly invited to gather at Ashland Oasis – with each other, other beings of the land and with Earth herself. Let us come together with authenticity, presence, and care – and build a container for joyful bonding, ritual, silence, movement, playfulness, good food, and music.
Together, we’ll lay down our burdens for a time and gently open to the sacredness of life, Sun and Earth. By participating fully, we may discover an unconditional bond and joy that carry us forward in our daily lives.
Drawing on the warmth, musicality, and relational spirit of my Brazilian upbringing, along with decades of Earth-based mindfulness and sacred songs shared with the permission and blessings of Amazonian Indigenous leaders of the Huni Kuin, Yawanawá, and Shanenawa peoples, I am honored to lead this nourishing half-day of heartfelt bonding, joy, and regeneration.
Our time together includes:
- Sensorial “Forest Bathing” immersions
- Embodied movement practices
- Deep sharing / deep listening circles
- Contemplative practices
- Immersive music
- Stories, teachings, and reflections from Sylvie
- A nourishing and heartful potluck meal
We warmly welcome you into this shared moment of joyful gathering.
EVENT DETAILS
Sliding Scale Registration: We offer a range of registration levels to support accessibility while sustaining these gatherings. Please choose an amount that feels both sustainable and generous in your heart. Limited scholarships are available for those experiencing financial hardship. In the spirit of reciprocity, we invite scholarship recipients to volunteer for the event. If that’s you, please request a scholarship below.
Capacity: To promote intimacy, we are limiting this event to 20 people only. So register now to secure your spot.
Potluck Contribution: We’ll be sharing a potluck meal together. Please plan on bringing a nourishing vegetarian dish.
Please Note: The venue includes several steps and may not be fully accessible for those with mobility challenges. We are committed to inclusivity and are happy to assist in any way we can. Please reach out for any special arrangements or questions.
Secure Your Spot Now
Meet Your Guide
Sylvie Rokab
Mindfulness Teacher, Forest Bathing Guide, Filmmaker
A Brazilian animist raised by Egyptian-Europeans, Sylvie is a certified mindfulness teacher, Forest Bathing guide, ritual holder, and award-winning filmmaker. A devoted student of Amazonian Indigenous wisdom, her work is rooted in Earth-based and ancestral ways of knowing, while also drawing from evidence-based science. It honors the natural world as breathing, relational, and sacred.
Through gentle, experiential practices, Sylvie supports participants in softening limiting stories of the mind and reconnecting with the beauty and sacredness of being alive – in relationship with self, one another, and the living world.
Event FAQ
1. What age is appropriate for this event?
While we also offer events that invite kids of all ages, this particular experience is for those who are 15 and older.
2. Do I need any experience with meditation, nature immersion or forest bathing events?
No prior experience needed. Just come as you are.
3. What should I bring for the potluck?
Please bring a nourishing vegetarian dish.
4. Can I bring my pet?
The gardens are specially designed to be a therapeutic immersion. With forest bathing, people are invited to commune with the land, experience plants, herbs, and even the soil with their senses, and some like to walk barefoot, or even lie down directly on the ground. To keep the integrity of the experience, it is a pet free area.
5. Can I gift Oasis or Sylvie a potted plant?
I feel deeply touched by the generosity of guests who wish to offer new beings to the land. Because the Oasis gardens are carefully curated – with native, drought resistant, safe, and therapeutic plants, we’re not able to receive additional plants at this time.
Thank you for understanding and for caring so deeply for our little ecosystem.
6. What is the address?
You will receive the exact address in Santa Monica after registration.
7. What time should I arrive?
The gate to the property opens 30 minutes before the start of the event. We suggest arriving shortly after it opens so you have time to settle in. We begin promptly, so arriving early allows you to find the corner of the garden that speaks to you, so you can land gently and begin to commune with the beings around you.
8. Is the location accessible?
This property is on an incline and may not be fully accessible. If you have any mobility or other health concerns, feel free to contact us so we can discuss options to accommodate your needs.
9. Is there easy parking?
Cars are allowed to park on the street on weekends without a permit. If you’re riding your bike (encouraged if possible), the venue has room for up to 8 bikes. Just contact us at least a day in advance for arrangements.
10. What is the refund policy?
Given the limited spots for this event and the high level of interest, we do not offer any refunds. So, please make sure that you really want to come before you sign up. Thank you for understanding.
11. What does volunteering entail for scholarship recipients?
We invite volunteers to arrive an hour before the event, help with logistics such as supporting check in, guiding guests upon arrival, and/or stay for about 30 mins after the event is over to help clean up.
Request a Scholarship
In the spirit of reciprocity, we invite scholarship recipients to volunteer for the event. You’re invited to arrive an hour before the event, help with logistics such as supporting check in, guiding guests upon arrival, and/or stay for about 30 mins after the event is over to help clean up.
Scholarship Request Form
