Our Forest Path Family
J.R. Jayaji
James Roland Hillcoat, commonly known by the pseudonym Jaya (meaning universal glory), is an author, contemplative and lifelong spiritual teacher. His work weaves together unique interpretations of awakening and realisation drawn from many of the world’s wisdom traditions, illuminated through his own experience and has been described as a voice of truth needed in our modern world.
His teaching is non-dogmatic, universally inclusive, and not bound to any single tradition. He is cut from the cloth of the bards and the mystics, the peacekeepers, the keepers of faith, and the wisdom protectors.
Originally from Australia, Jaya’s life has been shaped by deep questions of awakening and enlightenment since childhood, spurred by his mother’s premonition that he would one day become a spiritual teacher.
A prolific writer and musician, Jaya has completed his seventh poetry collection and has compiled several extensive songbooks for The Forest Path, alongside his personal collection of songs and prayers, which now number in the hundreds. His work continues to inspire and shape the community around him.
Through deep listening, presence, and meditation, Jaya guides individuals toward awakening to their true nature. His universal and integrative approach to plant medicines, meditation, sound philosophy, and counselling has profoundly impacted those who study with him, fostering a path of direct experience and transformation.
He currently serves as the spiritual director of The Forest Path, Casa Floresta Temple & Retreat Center, Floresta Atitlán, and the Sound Ceremony Academy in Guatemala, where he has resided for the past twelve years, sharing his teachings both locally and internationally.
If you are looking for Counseling and Spiritual Direction, Jaya offer sessions which are uniquely adapted to meet the individual where they are, offering a grounded and compassionate approach to healing, integration, and spiritual growth.
Hayley Saraswati
Hayley Saraswatī is an inspired visionary, entrepreneur and designer. In 2009 she founded the successful conscious living retreat centre, The Yoga Forest and quickly became a pioneer in the wellness retreat industry.
An embodiment of the creative mother, Hayley is a natural leader balancing loving softness with a graceful stoic strength.
Co-creating Forest Path and Sound Ceremony academy with her beloved husband Jaya, her favourite place to find herself is in sacred ceremony, and singing in community.
One of seven co-founding members of the Kula Collective, an organisation weaving together diverse holistic experiences, practices and educational offerings through combined passions and a collective intention of global awakening.
With a love for creating beautiful wellness spaces, In 2019 the (Kula Collective) conceived a new project on the pristine shores of Lake Atitlán: Kula Maya Boutique Hotel & Spa of which Hayley acted as designer and visionary for the inception of the project.
Her masterpiece to date is the design and development of Casa Floresta the new home for her family and the community of the Forest Path on the shores of Atitlán.
Sam & Timo
Samantha and Tímo serve as chaplains of the Forest Path in Santa Barbara, California. Samantha’s background as a college professor and Tímo’s earlier experience as a pastor have both prepared them to carry the teachings of the Forest Path and help nurture its growing spiritual community in the United States.
Both are deeply committed to a life of service. Each week, Tímo shares songs from the Forest Path songbooks in hospice settings, offering comfort and presence through music. Samantha supports the teachings of the Forest Path through her work as Jaya’s editor, helping to bring forward several of his recent publications, including Walking the Forest Path Vols. 1 and 2 and his newest poetry collection, Two Mirrors. She is also a certified psychedelic integration coach and is completing her training as a licensed therapist, with a focus on the intersection of psychology and spirituality.
Paula Afonso
Paula is an integration guide, ceremonial assistant, yoga teacher, and certified massage therapist originally from Portugal. After 15 years in the publicity industry, she followed a call to deeper healing and self-discovery that led her around the world and eventually to Lake Atitlán, where she found a sense of belonging and purpose. Her holistic practice draws on years of study in bodywork, sound healing, and psychedelic-assisted therapy, creating deeply nurturing and restorative experiences.
With a background in Chi Nei Tsang, intuitive massage, and relational trauma coaching, Paula supports individuals in reconnecting with their bodies and emotions. Her approach blends presence, compassion, and practical tools, all grounded in love and service. She is devoted to helping others feel safe, seen, and empowered on their healing journeys. She is in service to all preparation and integration calls for Forest Path.
For support with Integrating your experience we offer calls with Paula Afonsa as our Integration Guide.
Keenan Kinnear
Keenan Kinnear is a visionary artist, musician, and medicine woman whose work bridges sacred plant medicine, Earth-based spirituality, and sound healing. Originally from Toronto, she began her spiritual journey in her teens, eventually studying yoga and deepening into shamanic traditions through apprenticeships with master plants and elders in the Amazon. Her intuitive voice became a powerful healing tool, allowing her to channel subtle energies through music and prayer.
Living in Guatemala with her partner, Keenan offers sacred ceremonies, sound therapy, and body-based healing as part of the Forest Path community. She has studied with diverse indigenous traditions across the Americas, weaving ancient chants and medicine songs into her offerings. With a deep love for nature and a dream of global harmony, Keenan creates heart-centered spaces where others can explore healing through vulnerability, connection, and sound.
Lindsay Komp
Lindsay has been based on Lake Atitlán for the past four years. Originally from Upstate New York, her path into healing work began at a young age through yoga, which later led her to explore Buddhist philosophy and meditation practices. Over time, her journey expanded into working with plant medicines as tools for deep healing and self-discovery. Lindsay is also a yoga instructor and continues to draw from these teachings in both her personal life and her work.
Before coming to Guatemala, she spent several years traveling, and also worked in corporate planning in New York City, developing strong organizational and coordination skills. She now brings that experience to her role with Forest Path, supporting the flow of ceremonies and retreats through her administrative and behind-the-scenes work.
Helping create the structure and support that allows guests to fully arrive in their transformational journeys is something she finds deeply meaningful.