Deryk's Staff Pick

Top Rated

Sustained Awareness: A Meditation Retreat

Name: Sustained Awareness: A Meditation Retreat
Start: 2026-09-17
End: 2026-09-20
Location: Ratna Ling Retreat Center
Rating: 4.95

4.95248 reviews

35755 Hauser Bridge Rd. Cazadero, CA 95421 United States

September 17 - 20, 2026

About this Retreat

Your Guides

George

Karmyn

George Wiegand

George Wiegand is our well-known and loved meditation teacher and volunteer at Ratna Ling. He has been a student of our Founder Tarthang Tulku and a full-time volunteer in Nyingma organizations for 40 years, as a chef, baker, kitchen manager, temple builder, book binder, and pressman.

He earned his Masters of Education in Counseling in 1974. After teaching high school while in the Peace Corps, he served as a Counselor at a Catholic high school before moving to California in search of a meditation teacher. He intensively trained in Tibetan Yoga (Kum Nye) from 1982-1986 at the Nyingma Institute in Berkeley, and then moved to the Odiyan country center.

George describes his daily practice as meditation in action, working on projects in the Nyingma community, cooking, baking, building temples, printing, binding books, and teaching Tibetan meditation. His active meditation has been a solitary practice, internally studying the working of his own mind as he performs dharma activities. Some of his greatest lessons have come from caring for a dying parent and teaching communication to teenagers at a mindfulness-based youth treatment center.

His hobbies include bread baking, basketball, and choir singing.

Karmyn Ojeda

Karmyn Ojeda Egle is a devoted practitioner and teacher whose journey bridges the realms of physical awareness, meditative practice, and Tibetan Buddhist wisdom. Karmyn has dedicated herself to exploring the intricate connection between body and mind through the transformative practice of Kum Nye, a Tibetan healing system. Karmyn’s practice resonates with those seeking a meaningful integration of body, mind, and spirit. Through her guidance in Kum Nye, Yoga, and meditation, she creates spaces where practitioners can cultivate deep relaxation, heightened presence, and a profound connection to themselves and the world around them.

Karmyn is trained in Meditation, Reiki, Therapeutic Yoga, Breath-based Hatha Yoga (200 RYT), and a 300-hour Yoga Teacher Training. Her training encompasses intensive retreats and seminars across Europe, the United States, South America, and Asia, drawing on those experiences to design inclusive classes with a warm, grounded presence.

Originally from Argentina, Karmyn moved to the USA in 2018, where she has been a full-time volunteer at Ratna Ling, supporting diverse activities. Her practice is infused with a love for nature, motherhood, gardening, cooking, and the artistry of textiles, reflecting an aesthetic sensibility and mindfulness in everyday life.

Details of this retreat

For those interested in deepening their Meditation practice, Ratna Ling has designed three annual meditation retreats for folks at different stages of the path. Join Resident Teachers George Wiegand and Karmyn Ojeda for a fun, enlightening journey into your mind...

We invite you for a 4-day Retreat to cultivate stability and calmness in the mind.

For many of us, thoughts seem to arise constantly, randomly, and out of our control. Our Teacher, Tarthang Tulku, describes this in his book Caring:

“If we look closely and patiently, we see that our feelings, moods, reactions, and judgments seem to appear from nowhere. One moment we feel one way and focus our attention in a certain direction, and the next moment a new set of feelings and concerns has popped up like a bubble in the water.”

How do we learn to discipline the mind and harness it for our own good?

In this retreat, we review the 9 stages of shamatha (calm abiding meditation), as depicted in this painting of a monk, elephant and monkey on the path. The monkey represents the activity of our mind which jumps constantly, looking for satisfaction. The monk represents methods for training the mind to be present and calm. The elephant represents our untrained mind that slowly understands and becomes trained to be
present. We will explore how the mind, with time and dedicated practice, can become tamed and supportive to us.

Using guided meditation, visualization, sensory awareness, and mindful movements, we will move towards more clarity and stillness inside ourselves.

This weekend includes:

Silent Practice
Guided Meditation/Visualization
Readings and Discussion
Kum Nye Tibetan Yoga

Schedule (Subject to change):

THURSDAY

3pm Check in
4:30pm Kum Nye Tibetan Yoga in Nature
5:30pm Dinner
7pm Opening Circle; Overview of the Meditation Path

FRIDAY

7am Morning Meditation
8am Breakfast
9-10:30am The Elephant: The Mind
11-12:15pm The Monkey: The Activity of Mind
12:15pm Lunch
1:15pm Optional Sitting in the Temple
3-4pm Meditation in Nature
4:30-5:30 The Monk: Methods to Train the Mind
5:30pm Dinner
7-8:30pm Evening Session

SATURDAY

7am Kum Nye & Meditation
8am Breakfast
9-10:30am Meditation
11-12:15pm Meditation
12:15pm Lunch + Quiet Time
3-4pm Meditation in Nature
4:30-5:30 Review the Techniques
5:30pm Dinner
7-8:30pm Evening Session

SUNDAY

8-845am Meditation
9-10am Closing Circle
10am Brunch

Getting Here

Ratna Ling Retreat Center, 35755 Hauser Bridge Rd. Cazadero, CA 95421 United States

Directions

San Francisco International and Oakland International airports are approximately three hours south of Ratna Ling by car. Alaska Airlines flies to and from Sonoma County Airport in Santa Rosa which is approximately 1.5 hours from Ratna Ling by car. Unfortunately, there are no shuttles that bring you directly to Ratna Ling, so it is best to rent a car or email us to support in coordinating a carpool with fellow retreatants.

Accommodation

14 guest cottages on 120 acres of property. Each spacious, quiet cottage has 2 private rooms, with high ceilings and a deck with a view. Cottages include jet tubs (or ADA shower), towels, deluxe linens, refrigerator, tea kettle, coffee/tea, kitchen sink/counter, diningware, dining table, and living room with a stove fireplace. Free wifi available and a landline telephone. Guests can choose to have an exclusive cottage for ONE person; a private room for ONE person in a SHARED cottage; or a cottage for TWO people. Any additional guest after TWO is $100 per person per night. Meals and classes included.

For 1 Guest in Private Room

Venue & Amenities

A/C in Rooms

Free Wifi

Spa

Sauna

Pool

Towels

Free Parking

Kitchen

Tour Assistance

Hot Tub

Coffee/Tea

Cafe

Restaurant

Fitness Center

Yoga Studio

Housekeeping

Bicycles For Rent

Three miles from the beautiful Sonoma coast. Organic, vegetarian meals. 120 acres of redwoods, canyons, reservoirs, and wildlife. Sacred architecture timber cottages and communal spaces. Featured stupas, gardens, and temple empowered by Tibetan Buddhist Lama Tarthang Tulku Rinpoche.

Meals

Menu Types

Vegan

Vegetarian

Pescetarian

Ayurvedic

Includes Meat

Organic

Gluten Free

Dairy Free

Nut Free

All of our meals are organic and vegetarian, made with love and care. We provide homemade yogurt and granola for breakfast. Lunches and dinners always include salads or salad bar. Each meal is self-served on a buffet table.

Customer Reviews

4.95 out of 5.0 average rating

Lenore • Jun 22, 2026

5.0

Verified

A Weekend of Peace

Ratna Ling is a spot of bliss in the middle of nowhere. The accommodations were lovely: beautiful wood work, comfy beds, mini fridge, gorgeous view from the window. From the cooks to the managers, everyone on the staff treated us with warmth and kindness. Although they request shoes off inside, they were totally OK with me leaving mine on my difficult feet. George's guided meditation and tour of the on-site temple matched the varied needs of the group, no easy feat. He answered all of our questions; there was no hesitation to discuss religious skepticism and no question was offensive. The vegetarian food was plentiful and delicious; I came away wanting recipes. Even without the themed retreat, just spending time at Ratna Ling would be the ultimate relaxation, getting in touch with nature, unplugging from the crazy world, and feeling renewed.

Dawn • Jun 22, 2026

5.0

Verified

10 outta 10 recommend!

Grounds: stunning.
Vibe: chill.
Accommodations: top notch.
Food: should win a Nobel Peace Prize.
Staff: People you want to know more about.
Forest: magical.
Bottom line: just pull the trigger.

Anonymous • Jun 21, 2026

5.0

Verified

Peace and Kindness

A retreat at Ratna Ling is a special treat and refuge. The sacred grounds are exceptionally beautiful and everyone on the property is kind - really. We especially appreciate the retreats by the Ratna Ling faculty who live the values of the Buddhist tradition, but create meaningful programs bringing this wisdom tradition to every day life!

Erica • Jun 15, 2026

5.0

Verified

Meditation retreat

I cannot recommend highly enough. I knew very little (essentially nothing) about Ratna Ling before I took myself here last weekend for a retreat. All I knew is that I had been under a lot of stress. This place is magical. I have begun my healing journey thanks to this experience I gave myself. Wonderful staff and teachers and amazing food. Very comfortable, relaxing accommodations. I will be going back and soon!

Norka • Jun 15, 2026

5.0

Verified

Peaceful and deep healing

My weekend at Ratna Ling for a meditation retreat was so extremely peaceful and healing - it was completely unexpected. I realized very quickly that any insecurity I held about my practice or journey was self created struggle, as there was zero feelings of intimidation or discomfort regarding my level of meditative mastery or lack thereof. The option of silence was a surprisingly welcomed and appreciated aspect for me to allow myself to stay inward, open, and contemplative about my experience. I cannot wait to return to this beautiful, healing and delicious place.

Sustained Awareness: A Meditation Retreat

About this Retreat

Your Guides

George Wiegand

Karmyn Ojeda

Details of this retreat

Getting Here

Directions

Accommodation

Venue & Amenities

Meals

Menu Types

A Weekend of Peace

10 outta 10 recommend!

Peace and Kindness

Meditation retreat

Peaceful and deep healing

Have a question for your host?

Similar retreats

You might also like

3 night 4 days meditation Retreat at Foothill of Himalayas N

Escuela evolutiva

Quiet Mind, Open Heart

Maria Haslinger

Chetan Dhir

Meditation Steps

Natural Abiding: Meditation as a Pathway to Peace

Wake Up Sleepy Buddha: The Buddhist Path in Practice

Blooming of Hearts

ACCOMPLISHMENT: Unveil Your Awakened Nature

Rudra Nath

Katrin Blumenauer