Find Authentic Retreats in Sand Springs Oklahoma

"What a fabulous experience this morning with two dear friends with the guidance of Courtney O’Malley. She led us through several focusing exercises and offered a safe place with beautiful fall surroundings for this respite from all things electronics and city. Overcast skies and cool temperatures with not another human in sight. Osage Forest of Peace is such a treasure!!"

"It was an amazing experience! Definitely will be back!❤️❤️❤️"

"Easy, friendly check-in, comfortable cabin, welcoming trees, outstanding staff, great food"

"I am very grateful for the hospitality and acceptance given to me by the staff at Osage Forest of Peace. In addition to the staff, the Forest is a special place, and I was overcome with reverence the moment I stepped foot on the property. I originally intended to do a silent retreat in solitude, but I found that the fellow retreaters and staff were so kind and accepting during our shared times at dinner and meditation that I couldn't help but get to know them. I come from a Buddhist background, and I was glad to see statues and artwork of the Buddha throughout the grounds. This community is very welcoming to other spiritual traditions than Christianity-- something difficult to find in Oklahoma. The rate for lodging was very reasonable, and the delicious meals were provided by a professional chef and offered many options for dietary preferences/needs. Lastly, I highly recommend a spiritual direction session with David. He was kind, accepting, and wise in his advice. I can't speak highly enough of this experience. I was drawn to the Forest to work through a personal challenge, and I felt supported and guided to do just that."

"It was a blessed retreat in a very sacred sanctuary. There is a special PRESENCE in the Forest. "

"Everyone I came in contact with was kind and very helpful. The grounds are beautiful, natural and well kept. It's a quiet place of beauty and grace. And the food is great too!"

"Such a lovely peaceful setting, so aptly named. I joined them for their noon. daily group meditation followed by lunch. The food was wholesome and delicious m, the people so friendly, and the meditation room and ceremony so serve. A delightful experience. "

"I had a wonderful experience at my weekend stay at the Forest. When I arrived I was joyfully greeted by the host, Jody. She was sweet, welcoming, and very informative. She showed me around the main house and described some of the activities that would be available during my stay. Next she took me to my cabin and explained the optional daily schedule and other information located in a binder in the cabin. The cabin was very clean and equipped with 2 beds, fresh bedding, and an extra velour throw blanket on each bed, a dresser, books, writing desk w/lamp, towels, wash cloths, hand towels, makeup wipes, bar & hand soap, & hair dryer. It had two chairs and a side table on the porch. I enjoyed my hikes on the property. There are 3 miles of trails for hiking. There are some challenging areas. Appropriate shoes is a must for rocky areas. There were some beautiful views and some great trail highlights throughout. It was a beautiful hike. I thoroughly enjoyed the meditation sessions. They provide gently guided sessions and you are welcome to use the meditation room when not in use by a group. This room was magical. It creates a wonderful, peaceful space for meditation. David led the meditations while I was there. He opened with a few dongs on the sound bowl and introduced the Meditation with a few minutes of prayer and focus. Leading into 25 minutes of personal prayer. It was the perfect environment for relaxation and deep meditation. I snuck back in for an individual session alone and that was the epitome of all of my mediation sessions...I highly recommend!! ✌️ The labyrinth was a great way to continue my meditation in motion. I painted, wrote, and read during my stay. It was hard to leave the Forest on my last day. I'm looking forward to my next stay! A great place to focus, let go, and recenter. Ohmagoodness!!! Chef Lawrence is extremely gifted! His meals are exquisite, delicious, and an experience all on their own! I can not wait to be at his table again!"

"There are home cooked made from scratch meals, three optional meditations a day, a labyrinth for walking meditations, about three miles of hiking trails, and your own private cabin with full bathroom. You can have your retreat in silence or not. You can eat meals with everyone or not. There is an expansive library with books about many different religions. There are statues and figurines of both western and eastern religious figures throughout the grounds, although no particular religion is preached. It’s very open to anyone from any faith background or those with no faith at all. The people were very welcoming and the land was very beautiful. "

"I have been coming to the FOP every third Saturday of each month, for almost a year now, to join in the Day of Zen. This is my favorite getaway and I look forward to meditation and healing. The energy here is special and the people are graciously accepting. Stay and eat lunch and you will make new friends immediately. It’s only a 20 minute drive from Tulsa. If you want to promote wellness, check out the FOP. ✌🏼 "

"I spent the weekend of September 20th at the Forest of Peace for some quiet time where I could recharge and restore my balance. It was my first visit, and it was exactly what I needed. On a physical level, the cabins are simple and sparse but clean and utterly sufficient for any necessity. The main house is cozy and comfortable, with more books than you can count lining the bookcases, spaces for conversation, and the coolest meditation room imaginable. Lawrence was our chef, and wow, can the man cook! Everything was delicious, far better than I had expected. On a more spiritual level, let me just say the the Forest of Peace could not be more aptly named. Peace emanates from every corner, and from the directors and helpers that populate the place. If you need silence, they will respect that. If you need conversation, there's always someone there to listen. If you need guidance, that is also available. Whether you're walking in the woods, getting to know another visitor, or tracing your way through the meditative labyrinth, you're reminded again and again that life need not be chaotic and wearying. Peace is available. You just have to know where to find it: inside. "

"When looking for a place to rest overnight while on a long car trip, we just wanted an alternative to a hotel. Forest of Peace sounded nice, but what we discovered was way more than "nice". We were blessed with a warm reception, opportunities to meditate, simple delicious food, trails to hike, a library to relish, and an interreligious atmosphere that was a gift to us (my husband and I are both serious about our faith but our religions are different). Our only regret is that we could not stay longer. To say it exceeded our expectations is an understatement!"

"The variety of activities during the recent retreat were wonderful! We experienced the sacred process of collecting gifts of love offered at the Forest over the past years and honoring them together. We cooked, ate, participated in a tea ceremony and had meditations daily. All the activities were optional, but too good to miss any of them. A joyous time full of rest and community at its finest."

"This was my first time to participate in a Zen experience. It was very refreshing to see how being quiet and listening to my inner voice brings such peace. "

"Learning about worldwide historic and cultural traditions is one of my passions. The Gaelic Traditional Festival at the Forest provided a relaxing atmosphere to learn as community, laugh as we experienced and participated in the cooking and Brigid’s cross making, and Love during the midnight lighting of the candle and meditations in the chapel, around the table at each meal and listening to the playing of the bagpipes. I hope the Forest expands offering this type of retreat. Unforgettable. "

"The gathering of people to the retreat was all I expected. Good leader, great food, nice cabin, excellent hiking!"

"have been coming to this magical place since 1980 and it never fails to give me what I need at the time. We are so lucky to have such a wonderful community right in our backyard. Thank you to those who support the vision "

"New Years Eve: Under the ancient trees, I parked my car and quietly entered the Main House, then checked into a simple, comfortable cabin for the night. I took part in a community Peace Prayer service in the chapel, which has been hallowed over decades by the prayers of Benedictine nuns, Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, Fr. Bede Griffiths and many other spiritual giants of our era. This night we prayed for every country of the world by name to be at peace. After prayers we feasted together and rang in 2024, then I retired to my cabin in the woods for a good night's sleep."

"The Osage Forest of Peace was a perfect spot for a week-long reboot. There was great food (mostly vegetarian!), the soothing rhythm of the daily pre-meal meditations, surrounded in beautiful woods. The Forest property offered plenty of hikes with interesting geography, animal and plant life. Close by are other hiking opportunities with the Keystone Ancient Forest and State Park. Michaela , our facilitator, cook, guide, and meditation leader, was exceptionally gifted in hospitality while staying true to the interspirituality traditions of the "Forest" founders. There was no judgment and abundant support for a variety of individuals with different needs for space, solitude, or engagement. The extensive library was fascinating. The Labyrinth helped me center my focus. The simple cabin was comfortable, clean and inviting. I would not hesitate to stay again"

"The Forest understands the importance of silence, of reverence, and of allowing space and opportunity to touch the sacred. A very healing environment. "

"This was my first two night retreat. I found the woods to be beautiful and hardly used by hikers. There was a soft rain that was muffled by the branches of the forest. My cabin was clean and cozy. My bed was very comfortable, bathroom clean with nice fresh towels, and windows for outdoor view.. The big house served delicious, nutritious meals. The library is well stocked. The meditation room is beautiful and open 24 hours. I will be returning to the retreat as much as possible. Highly recommend it. There is a special, warm and grounding “spirit” on the grounds and I immediately felt at peace."

"The Forest of Peace is a truly wonderful place, where the presence of the Divine can be felt in every tree and rock, and in the people who gather there. Accommodations are very comfortable, the food is excellent, and the staff are outstanding!"

"A lovely, peaceful, spiritual time away from everything!"

"I went for a 3-day personal retreat in October 2023. The weather was perfect, the trees were just starting to turn, and the facilities were super clean and in great working order. The forest’s effects are cumulative: I felt more rested and at peace the longer I stayed. The facilitators (Michaela was working the weekend I came) are so warm and engaging. They do a fantastic job of creating space for whatever you need to experience here. "

"I was invited here and didn't know what to expect. It turned out to be a valuable learning experience! The sights and smells brought you at one with nature while also having an unquestionable spiritual vibration. Life changing!"

"The Osage Forest of Peace is one of the best places to have a group retreat in the Tulsa area. The cabins are comfortable. The meeting room is perfect for a group of a dozen or fewer. The food provided was delicious. The trails are nice. "

"This is an absolute unspoiled Sacred gem. From the first, I felt myself being pulled into silence and slowness by both the forest and the deep tradition of silence and Sacred retreat here. Simplicity is key. This is not a place for indulgence but it is certainly not about frugality either. The food was prepared with love and deliciously healthy. Meditations are simple and profound. There is an extensive library of spiritual books from many traditions to browse at your leisure. I especially loved Sr Pascaline's chapel which I only discovered on my last day. Incredible energy. The trails in the forest are also at the heart of this experience, with many points to sit in contemplation and rebalancing. I left so softened and opened on leaving and received many gifts from this time. I will definitely be back and recommended it so much a friend is going next weekend"

"The retreat space sits on a large forest with open trails. There is a sincere spirituality that pulls from as many traditions as can be imagined and you can truly feel the transition from the Benedictine Christian "universalism" toward something approaching naturalism. I enjoyed the many nooks and dark spaces intentionally built to embrace the Goddess and the raw power of nature. The directors Jan and McKayla do well to give the place a sense of reverence, community, and organization. Meals are delicious and filled with good conversations. The meditations make use of circular spaces and reflective poetry. The cabins are clean and one can easily access the grounds from any point. A wonderful place to rediscover, or deepen, one's spiritual connections in nature. If you are lucky, you might chance to hear McKayla on the piano when the grounds are mostly empty and everyone has tucked in or gone home. I look forward to my next visit! "

"I had a relaxing personal retreat and my entire stay was just perfect. Thank you Makayla for your wonderful hospitality. "

"This is a beautiful place. I’m am happiest in the forest and this wonderful place was everything I have always dreamed of in a retreat. The staff was warm and welcoming, they accommodated my vegan diet with delicious meals. I will definitely go back again someday."