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Top Rated iconTop Rated

The Art of Loss: Letting Go with Grace

Location icon
35755 Hauser Bridge Rd. Cazadero, CA 95421 United States
Date
October 30 - November 1, 2026

About this Retreat

Your Guides

Details of this retreat

Where there is a loss, there is a gain. Endings become new beginnings.  Join Gloria Baraquio and Lydia Hwang for a weekend of healing, contemplation, and ritual.
Loss and endings can happen in different ways.  It may arrive as a breakup, the passing of a loved one, a shift in identity, or the quiet letting go of something we once held dear.  Even when loss is a natural part of life, it can feel so disorienting—challenging the ways we understand ourselves and the world around us.
At Ratna Ling, nestled among the redwoods and held by a sense of stillness and care, you can slow down enough to gently turn toward these experiences and sit with the difficulty. Together, we will explore what it means to accept impermanence—in our roles, our relationships, and our most cherished dreams. Rather than resisting change, we can choose to meet each moment with openness, allowing life to move through us with greater ease.
On the weekend of Halloween and the Day of the Dead, this retreat provides a space for you to reflect on what you have lost, and begin to recognize the gift that is emerging. Through quiet contemplation and shared inquiry, we will ask: What has this experience revealed? What have I learned? What is ready to be released, and what is waiting to unfold?
This weekend is an opportunity to reconnect with yourself—gently, honestly, and at your own pace. As we listen inwardly and to one another, a deeper sense of clarity, resilience, and peace will begin to arise.
Throughout the weekend, we will be supported by practices that invite both grounding and insight, including:



Presence-based yoga


Meditation


Reflective journaling


Time in nature among the redwoods


Sound healing and deep relaxation


A beautiful ritual for letting go, including color and flower essences


In community and in silence, we begin to discover that loss is not only an ending, but also a doorway—one that can lead us into a more spacious, compassionate way of being.
COVID POLICY: For your safety and ours, we require that all guests be vaccinated against Covid and provide proof of a negative covid test result within 48 hours of arrival.  We wish to provide peace of mind for all of our residents and guests.
Schedule (Subject to change):
FRIDAY


3pm Check-in
4:30pm Grounding Yoga
5:30pm Dinner
6:45pm Opening Session

SATURDAY


8am Silent Breakfast
9am Discussion and Meditation: The Sweetness of Grief
11am Yoga
12:15pm Lunch
1pm Temple Tour (optional)
1-4pm Free Time, Nature, Journaling
4pm Ritual for Acceptance & Letting Go
5:30pm Dinner
7pm Sound Healing

SUNDAY


8am Yoga
9am Closing Circle
10am Brunch

For directions to Ratna Ling - Ratna Ling Retreat Center 35755 Hauser Bridge Rd Cazadero, CA 95421
Accommodations are beautiful lux cabins


ADDITIONAL DETAILS


Transportation to/from Ratna Ling is NOT included - carpooling encouraged
Payments are nonrefundable and transferable to a future Ratna Ling stay or retreat
Each cottage includes TWO private rooms with queen beds, large dining & living area, gas fireplace, spacious deck, jacuzzi tub, linens/towels/hand soap, kitchenette with tea & coffee, complimentary wireless internet. 
5 vegetarian meals are served during our weekend together.
For directions to Ratna Ling - Ratna Ling Retreat Center 35755 Hauser Bridge Rd Cazadero, CA 95421

All bookings are NON-REFUNDABLE. Should you wish to cancel your stay with us, Ratna Ling Retreat Center requires 30 days' notice for your full credit to be TRANSFERRED to a future retreat within 1 year of original booking.

What people are saying about this program:
"The leaders were amazing, the blending of words, scents, music, sound and touch was perfect."

"I so appreciated being with these beautiful, nourishing caring women - and the food was amazing."

"I was nourished body, spirit and heart  - the food was wonderful nourishment helping ground our experience."

"The leaders were amazing, the blending of words, scents, music, sound and touch was perfect."

 

Getting Here

Location icon 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, Shared Cottage

Venue & Amenities

A/C in Rooms icon A/C in Rooms
Free Wifi icon Free Wifi
Spa icon Spa
Sauna icon Sauna
Pool icon Pool
Towels icon Towels
Free Parking icon Free Parking
Kitchen icon Kitchen
Tour Assistance icon Tour Assistance
Hot Tub icon Hot Tub
Coffee/Tea icon Coffee/Tea
Cafe icon Cafe
Restaurant icon Restaurant
Fitness Center icon Fitness Center
Yoga Studio icon Yoga Studio
Housekeeping icon Housekeeping
Bicycles For Rent icon 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

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

5.0
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Sonoma County Writers Camp Review
This is a place where we learn to slow down, breathe, take notice of the beauty and serenity of nature, and the kindness of stangers. Except no one at Ratna Ling Retreat Center is a stranger. All are kind, patient, conversant, receptive to our needs. I can't imagine a more blessed location to attend a writers' retreat. The challenge and opportunity upon leaving are to take the sensibilities of Ratna Ling home with us and infuse this energy and gratitude into our lives.

Thank you for who you are and all you gave us.
Lisa C.W.

5.0
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Retreat heaven in the California Redwood Coast
I just returned from the Sonoma County Writers' Camp held at Ratna Ling. It was my first time there, and I enjoyed it tremendously. I wish I´d planned for the extended stay. My cabin was comfortable, peaceful, with a gorgeous view out the back porch. The food was nourishing, healthy and delicious. Every detail of the temple, library, classrooms was beautiful and peaceful. The gardens, inspiring, the Stupa, gleaming in the morning sun.

I have been interested in Tibetan Buddhism for a long time, and it was lovely to get an introduction to the temple and a beginning meditation class.

I cannot recommend Ratna Ling enough. I am starting to save up and plan my next visit already.

5.0
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Beautiful land & accommodations
What an absolutely lovely place to retreat, ponder, and learn about the universe and myself!

5.0
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Beautiful, Spacious, and Deeply Restorative
I just returned from my third retreat at Ratna Ling—and my second this year with my sister. It is such a peaceful, restorative place.

The retreats are gentle and spacious, with plenty of time for reflection, spending time in nature, hiking on the property or in the surrounding area, and simply enjoying the beautiful cabins. The teaching is led by experienced practitioners, with the content varying depending on the retreat, and the prepared food is absolutely delicious.

Ratna Ling is on the more relaxing end of the meditation-retreat spectrum. There is typically no work meditation, the retreats are not usually strictly silent, and the schedule is not overly dense. That makes it a wonderful experience for anyone looking to slow down, restore, and reconnect with themselves.

5.0
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Review for Retreat Center
My third time there, I love the place. It is only 1 3/4 hrs away from my home, but I am in another world. When there I don't even WANT to go on the internet, though it is available. It was a great opportunity to break my habit and addiction to social media. The food is fantastic, the cottages are very comfortable, and every view out your window is refreshing. The staff are corgial, the grounds are well kept. I felt so cared for and comfortable on my solo retreat. I highly recommend Ratna Ling, and I will soon return.

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