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Loved it
Great experience lovely space
Sustained Awareness - Level 3 Meditation Retreat
Top Rated
Sustained Awareness - Level 3 Meditation Retreat
4.95221 reviews
35755 Hauser Bridge Rd. Cazadero, CA 95421 United States
September 17 - 20, 2026
About this Retreat
Your Guides
George Wiegand is our well-known and loved 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.
Details of this retreat
For those interested in deepening their Meditation practice, Ratna Ling has designed three levels of retreats for folks at different stages of the path. Join George Wiegand for a fun, enlightening journey into your mind...
This Level 3 Retreat is designed for those who are confident about their practice. You might be able to sit for 24-36 minutes in silence with only a few distractions, as opposed to incessant distractions.
We invite you for a 4-day Retreat with George Wiegand to cultivate stability and steadiness in the mind. Mindfulness will become so present that you’re able to remain on the breath without ever being fully distracted. Awareness is deepening. You can catch your thoughts before they even occur. You will practice gently and precisely through repetition, consistency, view, attitude, intention, posture and good surroundings.
We will review the 9 stages of shamatha (calm abiding meditation), as depicted in this painting of a monk, elephant and monkey on the path.
Using guided meditation, visualization, and sensory awareness, we will move towards more clarity and stillness.
This weekend includes:
Silent Practice
Guided Meditation/Visualization
Readings and Discussion
Play and Exploration
Schedule (Subject to change):
THURSDAY
3pm Check in
4:30pm Meditation in Nature
5:30pm Dinner
7pm Opening Circle, Review the Nine Stages of Calm Abiding Meditation
FRIDAY
7am Morning Meditation
8am Breakfast
9-10:30am The Stages of Meditation
11-12:15pm Practice
12:15pm Lunch
1:15pm Temple Tour (optional)
3-4pm Meditation in nature
4:30-5:30 Practice
5:30pm Dinner
7-8:30pm Practice
SATURDAY
7am Morning Meditation
8am Breakfast
9-10:30am Dharma Talk
11-12:15pm Practice
12:15pm Lunch + Quiet Time
3-4pm Meditation in nature
4:30-5:30 Practice
5:30pm Dinner
7-8:30pm Practice
SUNDAY
8-845am Practice
9-10am Closing Circle
10am Brunch
This Level 3 Retreat is designed for those who are confident about their practice. You might be able to sit for 24-36 minutes in silence with only a few distractions, as opposed to incessant distractions.
We invite you for a 4-day Retreat with George Wiegand to cultivate stability and steadiness in the mind. Mindfulness will become so present that you’re able to remain on the breath without ever being fully distracted. Awareness is deepening. You can catch your thoughts before they even occur. You will practice gently and precisely through repetition, consistency, view, attitude, intention, posture and good surroundings.
We will review the 9 stages of shamatha (calm abiding meditation), as depicted in this painting of a monk, elephant and monkey on the path.
Using guided meditation, visualization, and sensory awareness, we will move towards more clarity and stillness.
This weekend includes:
Silent Practice
Guided Meditation/Visualization
Readings and Discussion
Play and Exploration
Schedule (Subject to change):
THURSDAY
3pm Check in
4:30pm Meditation in Nature
5:30pm Dinner
7pm Opening Circle, Review the Nine Stages of Calm Abiding Meditation
FRIDAY
7am Morning Meditation
8am Breakfast
9-10:30am The Stages of Meditation
11-12:15pm Practice
12:15pm Lunch
1:15pm Temple Tour (optional)
3-4pm Meditation in nature
4:30-5:30 Practice
5:30pm Dinner
7-8:30pm Practice
SATURDAY
7am Morning Meditation
8am Breakfast
9-10:30am Dharma Talk
11-12:15pm Practice
12:15pm Lunch + Quiet Time
3-4pm Meditation in nature
4:30-5:30 Practice
5:30pm Dinner
7-8:30pm Practice
SUNDAY
8-845am Practice
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
Verified
5.0
Verified
Retreat with Dana
This is my second time doing a weekend retreat at Ratna Ling and it was lovely. The lodge is beautiful, the cottages comfortable, the food amazing, the volunteers friendly and helpful. The location is exceptional, as soon as you arrive you feel at peace and in communion with the nature around you. It is a special place.
The Yoga instructor was really good, I especially like the Sunday morning class with teaching around Chrakras. My massage with Melody was a prefect way to end my stay. Thank you !
The Yoga instructor was really good, I especially like the Sunday morning class with teaching around Chrakras. My massage with Melody was a prefect way to end my stay. Thank you !
5.0
Verified
I Love this place
Great yoga and meditation, delicious food, beautiful setting.
5.0
Verified
I'm A Yoga Teacher
I absolutely LOVE teaching retreats at Ratna Ling. It's is always 100% amazing and everyone always wants to stay longer. I can't say enough wonderful things about the staff, the food, the accommodations, everything - I LOVE Ratna Ling!!!
5.0
Verified
Spring break
While not directly on the sea,Ratna Ling was situated a short drive from the most beautiful ocean views. I had a wonderful time with our teacher Martin learning and breathing together. Meals were excellent. Setting was very relaxing and I felt like a new person after one weekend.
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