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The Art of Loss: A Retreat for Grief, Remembrance & Renewal

Date
October 30 - November 1, 2026

About this Retreat

Your Guides

Details of this retreat

There is no timeline for grief. We don’t have to make sense of what happened. Sometimes all we need is a quiet space to digest what we have lost.
 
Join Gloria Baraquio and Lydia Hwang for a tender, contemplative weekend in the redwoods devoted to grief, remembrance, and the ways we navigate loss and change.
Loss comes to us in many forms. It may be the death of someone we love, the end of a relationship, a change in health or identity, children leaving home, a career transition, or the quiet realization that a chapter of our life has ended. Some losses are visible to everyone around us. Others we carry privately.
Whatever form it takes, grief asks something of us. But if we donʻt carve out the time to digest, emotions and heaviness compound. We go to work, take care of family, answer emails, and keep moving—without quite making sense of what has changed.
This weekend is an invitation to make space for slowness, softness, and reflection.
Nestled among the redwoods of Sonoma County, Ratna Ling offers a peaceful place to rest, breathe, reflect, and gently turn toward the weight you have been carrying. There is nothing you need to fix or overcome here. You are invited simply to meet your experience with curiosity, tenderness, and care.
Taking place over the weekend of Halloween and the Day of the Dead, this retreat draws upon this ancient season of remembrance—a time when cultures around the world have traditionally honored those who have passed and acknowledged the mystery of endings and beginnings.
Through meditation, movement, journaling, sound healing, nature, conversation, and ritual, we will create space to remember what has been loved, acknowledge what has changed, and listen for what is emerging.
Together, we can ask ourselves:
What am I honestly feeling, whether itʻs sorrow, relief, hope, or fear?

What wants to be named, remembered, honored and celebrated?

What truth am I ready to accept and surrender to?

What has this loss revealed about myself and how I love? 

How can I use this energy to heal myself and benefit others? 

 
The weekend includes:


Tools to navigate grief and difficult emotions
Physical and vocal practices to move heavy energy
Silence, slowness, meditation and contemplation
Space to write, journal and reflect
Ritual and ways to honor what we have loved and lost

Guests may also choose to deepen their experience with optional Massage, Spiritual Counseling, and Soul Memory Readings for an additional cost.
Grief does not follow a schedule, and healing does not mean forgetting. Sometimes healing begins when we stop asking ourselves to move on and instead give ourselves permission to honor what was loved, what has changed, and who we are becoming.
Come as you are.
Bring the person, relationship, dream, identity, or chapter of life you wish to honor. Let the redwoods hold some of what you have been carrying. And perhaps, in making space for loss, you might discover there is still space for beauty, connection, tenderness, and joy.
 
*SPECIAL OFFERING*  Soul Memory Readings will be offered by Cecilia Addams at this retreat for an additional cost. If you are looking to heal through emotional pain, conflict, or grief, these sessions will help you tap into your deeper self, your spirit guides, and/or your ancestors, giving you clarity on how to move forward in your life. To book a session, call Ceci at 949-678-9530. To learn more, check out soulmemorydiscovery.com.
Schedule (Subject to change):
FRIDAY


3pm Check-in
4:30pm Grounding Yoga
5:30pm Dinner
6:45pm Opening Session, Relaxation and Sound Healing

SATURDAY


8am Silent Breakfast
9am Exploration and Discussion: How Grief Shows Up
11am Movement and Release
12:15pm Lunch
1pm Temple Tour (optional)
1-4pm Free Time, Nature, Journaling
4pm Ritual for Acceptance & Letting Go
5:30pm Dinner
7pm Altar Design: Honoring and Remembering

SUNDAY


8am Meditation and Movement
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.
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.

 

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

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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My New Favorite Retreat Spot
Ratna Ling Retreat Center was truly a peaceful getaway. I went for a writers' retreat and truly wish I could have stayed longer. The people were incredibly supportive, and the entire space felt calm and welcoming. I loved seeing deer, wild turkeys, and hearing the morning "taps" of the woodpeckers.

The cabins were spacious and spotless, and the vegetarian food was absolutely delicious. Every detail felt thoughtfully cared for. It’s the best retreat (escape) I’ve had in a long time.

I will definitely be going back

Thank you, Ratna Ling Retreat Center, for existing in this world.

5.0
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Harvest festival
The harvest festival was a beautiful event and as always, the environment was exquisite. So peaceful you’re the pristine nature was conducive to meditation and inspiration. The staff is so helpful and kind of and accommodating. The harvest festival was really fun. Absolutely five star food for every meal.! thank you for all you do🙏🪷

5.0
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2026 Fall Harvest Celebration
What a wonderful event. What the Ratna Ling volunteers cultivate through hard work, good practices and much love was displayed in many forms. The food was fresh, healthy and delicious. The guests were welcomed with enthusiasm. The music was great. The beauty of Ratna Ling was at its finest. Thanks to everyone who made this opportunity possible.

5.0
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What an experience!
Ratna Ling Retreat Center was the ideal location for this spiritual weekend of introspection, exploration & yoga.

5.0
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Much needed
I can't say enough about how Ratna Ling set the bar high when it comes to a peaceful environment. All the volunteers were very kind and helpful. The cottage was uniquely charming and memorable. The food was outstanding,

I will be sharing my experience with friends and family.

Thank you!

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