The online registration is now closed. Only on-site (walk-in) registration is available. If you would like to attend the retreat, you may come up to the retreat site and register at the counter there. We have limited cabin accommodation available.
Embodiments of Divine Love,
Loving Sairams!
With Swami’s Grace, we are looking forward to having a wonderful and spiritually uplifting 51st Annual Mid-Atlantic Regional Retreat from Friday, May 22 to Sunday, May 24, 2026, at Camp Westmont, Poyntelle, PA.
Our retreat theme for this year is:
“Be the Light, Share the Light.”
Our Beloved Swami says:
“When a lamp is lit from another, there are two where there was but one. The first one did not stop emitting light. You can light a million lamps from one; but, yet, the first will not suffer a jot! Love too is like this. Share it with a million, it will still be as bright as when it was alone.....When the worship of God starts in the shrine room, the first act of yours is ‘lighting a lamp,’ isn’t it? Without a lit lamp, no auspicious ceremony is initiated. When the lamp of love is shining, God manifests! Keep it burning bright and pure, God persists! Allow all to light their lamps from it, God showers Grace!” — Divine Discourse, October 29, 1970
Below are some final reminders to help us get ready for the retreat. We request you to please take some time to read this important information.
Parking, Registration, and Cabin Assignments
You would have received your cabin assignments already from the registration team. As soon as you arrive at the retreat, volunteers in the parking lot will confirm your registration information and complete the check-in process. Please complete the check-in process before entering the campsite.
- Registration will close at 10 PM on Friday and reopen on Saturday morning.
- If you plan to arrive after 10 PM or before 7 AM on any of the days, please let us know as soon as possible. Please text or call Gowri Kannan – 217-721-9492.
- Park your vehicle as instructed by the volunteers. Please note that cars are not allowed beyond the main entry gate.
- Volunteer-driven golf carts will take you and your luggage to registration and your cabins.
- Please add identification tags to your bags with your name and Sai Center.
- All are encouraged to wear their retreat registration badge and volunteer scarf, if you are a service volunteer, at all times during the retreat.
- To recycle and reduce waste, we request you to return the badges and scarves to the Service Desk before departing for home.
Early Arrival
Those who are planning to come to the retreat early on Friday are requested to help with setting up the camp and Devotion Hall, help in the kitchen, and assist with parking lot service.
Food Allergies and Dining Hall Schedule
Please review the dining and allergy reminders below.
Food Allergies
If you did not mention your Food allergies (if any) during the online registration, please be sure to convey this information at the Registration Desk when you check in.
Dining Hall Schedule
For those arriving late on Friday night, fruit, milk, and sandwich supplies will be available in the Dining Hall. Meals will be served only at the times specified in the schedule.
Weather
The Camp Director has suggested the following website to check local weather conditions, in addition to your preferred weather forecast source:
Accommodation and Things to Bring With You
Upon arrival, please do not change the cabin assigned to you, even if some cabins are not full on Friday night. Other devotees arriving on Saturday and Sunday would also have been pre-assigned to cabins, so kindly be considerate to all involved.
- All cabins have beds with mattresses.
- Please bring blankets, bed sheets, pillows or a sleeping bag, warm clothes and thermals, towels, toiletries including soap, and a flashlight.
- The camp is in the Pocono Mountains and tends to get cold at night and early morning.
- Cabins at the campsite do not have heat. Space heaters and electric blankets are not allowed for use at the campsite for safety reasons. We request your cooperation.
- You may also want to bring extra towels, socks, waterproof shoes, umbrellas, and raincoats.
- There are water filling stations at the campsite. As part of the go-green initiative, we also suggest that you bring your own reusable water bottle.
Health and Safety
We have designated on-call doctors who can be reached in case of medical emergencies.
In case of a medical emergency, immediately contact the Service Desk at 201-679-0826 and/or our on-call doctors:
Closest Hospital
Marian Community Hospital
100 Lincoln Ave
Carbondale, PA 18407
570-281-1000
- If you take prescription medications, please ensure that you have sufficient quantities to last through the retreat.
- Because the retreat occurs over Memorial Day weekend and the campsite is remote, it will be difficult to obtain specialized medications.
- If any attendees or their family members experience flu-like symptoms, please do not attend the retreat, for your own safety and for the safety of all attendees.
Dress Code and Rules
Modest clothing, suitable for an Ashram, is required at all times.
- No shorts, short skirts, transparent clothing, or tight-fitting clothes are allowed.
- Ladies (Group 3 and above) are requested to use a scarf to cover their neck and shoulders.
- Early mornings and evenings can be cold, so please come prepared with sweaters and shawls.
- All devotees are reminded that the lake/pond area and all swimming pools are strictly off-limits.
- We ask for everyone’s cooperation in observing the Retreat guidelines, especially the 10 PM lights out time each night.
- Please observe Sai-lence after 10 PM.
Program Schedules and Information
An eBook document that includes program details, workshop topics, facilitator bios, camp map, etc., will be shared with you in a separate email.
- Program schedules are also available on our retreat website under the Program section.
- As part of our green initiatives, we will not be providing paper registration packets.
- Please note that Young Adult programs are only for young men and women who are 18 to 40 years of age.
Seva (Service) Activities
We are organizing two service activities at the retreat this year: a canned food drive for the local community food pantry and free health consultations for anyone in need.
🥫 Canned Food Drive
To support the local community food pantry in the Poconos, we are organizing a canned food drive. We request all attendees to bring one canned food item and drop it off at the Service Desk in the registration room.
🩺 Health Consultations
Doctors from the Sai community will be offering free one-on-one health consultations at the retreat for anyone in need. The consultations will be offered from 7 AM to 8 AM on Saturday and Sunday. You may also schedule a time outside of these hours at the Service Desk.
SaiCares
SaiCares is a confidential helpline dedicated to supporting members of the Sai Community.
This year, SaiCares booths will be available at the Service Desk and at the back of the Devotion Hall. Please stop by to learn more about the services offered.
SaiCares volunteers will also be available during the retreat for confidential, private consultations. If you would like to request a consultation during the retreat, request a remote consultation by phone, or if you are interested in volunteering with SaiCares in the future, please complete the appropriate form available at the booths and place it in one of the SaiCares boxes located at the booths.
Strides Toward Everlasting Peace with Sai — STEP with Sai Procession
Saturday, 6:20 AM (Weather permitting)
As a beautiful culmination of the STEP with Sai Sadhana undertaken in the days leading up to the Retreat, all devotees are lovingly encouraged to participate in a collective PEACE offering on Saturday morning at the Retreat.
Each group will walk around the campus along a predetermined route in the shape of the infinity symbol ∞, filling the campsite and beyond with the divine vibrations of Vedam and vibrant Bhajans.
The infinity walk is especially meaningful as we observe the sacred Centenary Year of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba’s Advent. The infinity symbol reminds us of Swami’s eternal love, His timeless message, and the limitless power of collective prayer and sadhana. It also beautifully connects with the infinity theme used in Swami’s Centenary logo, reminding us that His presence, teachings, and grace are boundless and ever-present.
Recycling — Take a Bag Home
Please help us reduce the Retreat’s carbon footprint by taking one or two bags of recyclable items with you when you return home from the retreat site, and recycle them along with your usual household curbside recycling pickup service.
There is no locally available or feasible option to recycle the recyclable items we collect at the retreat.
SSE — Note to Parents of SSE Students
Please review the SSE schedule for details about the program, timing, and locations, and kindly share the schedule with your SSE child/children joining you.
- SSE children must participate in all organized SSE activities. Children should not be wandering around the campsite during scheduled SSE activities. Parents are required to supervise children when they are not engaged in the SSE program at the retreat.
- SSE children will remain under the watchful oversight of SSE volunteers during the SSE workshops. When each workshop is complete, they will be taken to the next SSE location or dropped off at the dining hall at lunch and snack times on Saturday.
- At all other times, it is the parents’ responsibility to ensure that children remain under their supervision and are dropped off at the correct SSE workshop locations or picked up after meals/snacks.
- SSE children will also be participating in outdoor activities such as games, nature walks, etc. It is important that they are dressed in full pants and are wearing comfortable walking shoes, preferably sneakers.
- Clothing should be modest in nature. No shorts, tank tops, leggings, etc. Group 3 and 4 girls should plan to use a scarf or dupatta and have their neck and shoulders covered.
- It is recommended that children bring a notebook and pencil to take notes from sessions/activities planned for SSE children.
- To help protect the environment, please have a reusable water bottle labeled with your child’s name.
- Insect repellent use is encouraged, as there may be mosquitoes or flies.
Directions to Camp Westmont
For Google directions, please use the following address:
81 Spruce Lake Road, Poyntelle, PA 18439
- If Poyntelle does not appear on your GPS system, please enter Lakewood, PA as the city and state.
- Please be aware that some cell phones may have weak or no reception at the campsite.
- Some GPS systems do not provide exact driving directions, so it is advisable to take a photo of the directions on your phone or carry printed directions.
- Anyone needing pickup from a local bus or train station, please notify us by Tuesday, May 19.