Oaks Retreat: Navigating Grief and Loss

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Up to 30 in group
Date
September 19 - 21, 2025

About this Retreat

Details of this retreat

Price includes lodging, programming, fitness/yoga classes, contrast therapy and meals. Extra experiences (like massage or 1:1 coaching) can be added on separately after you register.

Everything on the schedule is optional. We want you to get what you need out of this weekend.

Check-in is Friday between 2:00-4:00pm. The first session is 4:30pm on Friday. We wrap up on Sunday around 10:30am, but we are about an hour outside San Diego and recommend planning some buffer time for travel and lunch so you're not rushed leaving. We also have an early-check in option* if you'd like to add an extra day and come on Thursday. Then you would have 3 nights and 2 full days of full access to the property amenities, classes, and pre-retreat programming. You'll see that add-on as an option when you register.

 



 

Grief is complex and can leave us feeling lost and unsure of how to cope. No one teaches us how to grieve, so when we lose someone or something important, it's hard to make sense of it all. This retreat is here to help you navigate grief and loss, offering a safe space to explore your feelings and find a way forward.

Whether you're grieving a loved one, facing the end of a significant relationship, dealing with a major life change, or mourning the loss of the way you thought life would look, this retreat is for you. It provides a compassionate space for those overwhelmed by grief, seeking understanding, support, and a new path forward.

Over three days and two nights, we’ll dive into what keeps us stuck, explore what true peace looks like, and learn to honor our individual healing journeys. With a special session for bereaved parents, this retreat offers rest, reflection, and connection with others who understand. It’s time. And, you don't need to go alone.

 

 

Pre-Session: Setting the Stage for Healing
Before we start the retreat, we'll take some time to get settled and outline what we hope to get out of the weekend. We'll recognize the challenges of grief and create a supportive environment to begin exploring how to navigate loss. This session is about accepting where you are and being open to finding a way forward.
Optional Workshops
1. Making Space for Grief: Welcoming the Questions

Grief and loss can completely rearrange our lives, bringing up deep, lingering questions that don't always have clear answers. In this workshop, we’ll explore the core question that emerges during this season of loss. Rather than making sense of grief, it's about welcoming it—allowing it to shape us in new ways. We'll delve into what this experience is asking of us and how a shift in perspective can open us up to new possibilities. This session is about reimagining what is in front of us and discovering new ways to engage with life amidst the changes.

 

2. The Invitation: Embracing the Complexity of Our Stories
Whether it's a life-altering diagnosis, a radical shift in all we know, or loss of a loved one, grief often comes with an unexpected invitation to see the world and who we are in a new light. What if our brokenness is an invitation to a breakthrough? In this session, we’ll explore how to embrace all parts of our story—the beautiful and the difficult—and how to transform our experiences into a source of inspiration and strength while learning now to honor our grief but hold onto all that remains. This is about learning to find hope and possibility even in the most challenging moments.

 

3. Honoring the Pain: Building Rituals for Remembrance
Where do we place our pain when the world moves forward too quickly? This workshop focuses on how to honor our grief in every season. We’ll explore ways to build personal rituals that support us in remembering and honoring what we’ve lost, allowing us to carry our experiences with us in a way that fosters growth rather than keeping us stuck.

 

4. Navigating the Future: Holding Dreams and Disappointments
How do we hold the pain of our losses alongside our dreams for the future? How do we even begin to dream about the future without feeling like we are leaving al we love behind? This session offers experiential exercises and thoughtful guidance to help you explore what truly matters and how to integrate your experiences into a vision for the future. You’ll leave with a clearer understanding of how to transform pain into a tangible impact, bringing love and hope into your life and those around you.

 

A special bonus track for bereaved parents - Healing Through Shared Experience
For those who have experienced the loss of a child, this special track offers a space to connect with others who understand this unique and profound grief. We'll explore the specific challenges of this journey and how to navigate the path forward while honoring the memory of your child. Here, you will find community, support, and a sense of shared understanding. You do not need to come with a partner to attend. 

 



This retreat offers a balance of deep reflection, meaningful workshops, and moments of rest. This isn't about quick fixes or easy answers. It is about honoring your story, your loss and the people you love in a really special way. Whether you're seeking clarity, a way to honor your grief, or a community that understands, this is an opportunity to heal, wherever you are on the journey.

 

 

 

 

Getting Here

Location icon The Oaks

Directions

From HWY 78, look for the large blue and gold GOLDEN EAGLE FARM SIGN and two tall Cyprus trees on your left. The best way to know your turn is coming if you are coming from the East will be the center turn lane. Turn Left on Golden Eagle Road and stay left to follow the signs to The Oaks, approximately 1.5 miles back off the 78.

Once you arrive to The Oaks gate, continue to the top of the circle drive to unload your belongings and then promptly drive back down to the first parking lot on your left. If that parking lot is full, please continue down the end of the driveway and park in the lot on your right.

Please follow event details for specific check in procedures.
If the gate is locked, please wait in the parking lot outside the gate or call The Oaks main line.
www.OaksCenter.com

Accommodation

STANDARD includes (1) private room, shared bathroom

Accommodation
This selection includes: (1) Shared Bedroom, shared bathroom. (2) Queen/Twin Beds. Great for individuals that are attending as an individual and open to a roommate of the same gender. This booking is for 1 bed in a shared room. Max occupancy per room is (2). If placed in a room with a bunk, you will have access to a bottom bunk.  Please note by booking this selection, you are agreeing to The Oaks placing one additional guest of the same gender in the room you may not know. 

DELUXE includes (1) private room, semi-private bathroom

Accommodation
This selection includes: (1) Private Bedroom. (1) King/Twin Bed. This room may have an additional bed but no roommate will be assigned. Great for individuals that want their own private bedroom. These rooms are located in Ballena, our 12 bedroom, 6 bathroom lodge. For every two rooms, there is a bathroom shared with one other person of the same gender. In addition, each bedroom has its own sink and mirror. All the doors to the bathrooms and bedrooms lock.

PREMIUM includes (1) private room, private bathroom

Accommodation
This selection includes: (1) Private Bedroom and Bathroom for one. (1) Queen Bed. Great for individuals that want a private bedroom and bathroom. 

DOUBLE OCCUPANCY includes (1) private room with K/Q Bed, private bathroom

Accommodation
This selection includes: (1) Private Bedroom. (1) King/Queen Bed. Great for couples or friends that don't mind sharing a bed.

DOUBLE OCCUPANCY includes (1) private room, 2 beds (size varies), private bathroom

Accommodation
This selection includes: (1) Private Bedroom, Private Bathroom. (2) Queen beds or (1) Queen and (1) Twin Bed. Great for couples or friends that prefer their own bed in the same room.

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

Meals

Menu Types

Customer Reviews

5.00 out of 5.0 average rating

5.0
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Attention to Detail with all the personal touches
Wow. What a spot. The Oaks has everything you need to rest and make a memory or two. Instagram-worthy decor - imagine if Joanna Gaines remodeled a youth camp - makes this place cozy and comfortable. The staff was so friendly and kind and learned everyone's name the first day. The food was on the level of any resort you could go to. And the pool - let's just say that you HAVE to do the slide and high dive. I'd say more but let's do our best to keep this gem of southern California a secret.

5.0
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A wonderful escape to slow down and focus on one's self
I registered for a weekend retreat, and was rewarded with a place to rest, find some clarity (and tools to use for later), make connections with others, and relax. The weekend had emotionally challenging conversations and workshops, as well as time for fun. I would like to go back again, and make The Oaks part of a regular rhythm of my life. You have to show up, and make the space to do the emotional, and spiritual work. You will get out what you put into the program. The food was delicious- in a way that you were not stuffed and, never left feeling hungry, to be fueled for the day. I am sure that the menu was intentionally designed to provide you a healthy foundation for the weekend. The property is gorgeous. I often just laid under the oaks to read and reflect, and enjoyed sitting on the deck, in a rocking chair, connecting with others.

5.0
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Amazing grounds, staff and food!
Loved everything about The Oaks! The room was lovely, very clean and well furnished. I stayed in the Kendall building. The food was EXCELLENT and was able to accommodate for my gluten-free and dairy-free food options. The staff was SUPER friendly and helpful, esp with the golf carts bringing you back and forth to your car and helping with the bags. The atmosphere was very relaxed and peaceful. My favorite part was the trail riding and also the hike to the water tower to watch the sunset. Highly recommend for a solitary retreat or group retreat or any other type of retreat event!
My only advice would be to allow extra time to get there- depending on where you are driving from. I drove from the Orange County area and it took over 3 hours to get there on a Friday afternoon (left at 2pm and got there around 530pm). On the way home- late Sunday afternoon- it only took an hour and half to get back (no traffic).

5.0
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Absolutely Fantastic
This was my second time at a Flagship Retreat at The Oaks.
The property is well appointed, comfortable, and not at all cluttered.
The staff is delightful and very hospitable. I felt right at home the moment I arrived and all throughout the weekend.
The pace of the Flagship Retreat is spot on. They have truly crafted all of the right elements for a thoughtful, restful, and very fun retreat.
I'll be back!

5.0
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WOW
I just finished a Flagship Retreat with Stephanie!!! WOW and WOW again is what is on my heart. She lead from a place of peace, love, and GRACE. The weekend was exactly what I needed. From her, the crew of volunteers (Ellie, Ellie 2 (Stephanie's daughter), Rossi, Rica, Jeremy, Maggie and hub Zane, and the chef's - EVERYTHING was fantastic. I highly recommend this retreat and The Oaks for any event or meeting. Thank you!