5.0
Verified
Wonderful!
Wonderful retreat leader at a fantastic place. Would come back in a heartbeat!
Writing as a Spiritual Practice
Top Rated
Writing as a Spiritual Practice
4.9389 reviews
May 30 - June 1, 2025
About this Retreat
Your Guides
Sallie Tisdale is the author of ten books, most recently The Lie About the Truck. Her earlier books include Women of the Way and Advice for Future Corpses (and Those Who Love Them), and a collection of essays called Violation. Her work has appeared in Harper’s, Antioch Review, Conjunctions, Threepenny Review, The New Yorker, and Tricycle, among other journals. She is an authorized teacher in the Soto Zen lineage, and she teaches at Dharma Rain Zen Center in Portland, Oregon.
www.sallietisdale.com
https://stisdale.tumblr.com/
Details of this retreat
We are honored to have Writer and Zen Teacher, Sallie Tisdale of Portland, OR to offer this contemplative retreat that merges your inner life with creative expression!
When we use writing as a spiritual practice, we realize that creative work and spiritual orientation feed each other. We also find the courage and freedom to express ourselves from the heart.
This curriculum has been taught as a live workshop and an online class through Tricycle Online Courses. This weekend is designed for both beginning and working writers, and as a creative expression for everyone.
Students will gain a sense of their internal censors and biases and how these limit expression.
Students will explore methods such as echo, repetition, and rhythm by encountering and practicing spiritually inspired work from many traditions.
Students will practice writing in traditional as well as freestyle forms on a variety of topics.
Throughout the retreat, we will alternate between listening to the sounds of traditional spiritual writing, free writing, guided exercises, and creative writing. The retreat includes exercises to help cultivate qualities like curiosity and fearlessness, and ways to create work which exudes these qualities.
COVID POLICY: For your safety and ours, we require proof of vaccination AND negative test result from all visitors to Ratna Ling Retreat Center. We wish to provide peace of mind for all of our residents and guests.
Schedule (Subject to change):
FRIDAY
3pm Check in
5:30pm Dinner
7-8:30 pm Opening Session
SATURDAY
7am Optional Meditation
8am Breakfast
9-11:30am Morning Session
12:15pm Lunch
3-5:30pm Afternoon Session
5:30pm Dinner
7-8pm: Optional peer discussion or solitary work and exercise
SUNDAY
7am: Optional Meditation
8-10am Morning session
10am Brunch
11:30am Closing session
1pm Checkout
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. Towels and hand soap are provided.
vegetarian meals are served during our weekend together.
What people are saying about our retreats:
“The accommodations were great along with the beautiful surroundings - everything was so peaceful and nurturing”
“It was exactly what I needed – to disconnect, get in tune with my soul and recharge my spirit.”
“I loved having time to myself to reflect on my life and where I am going. Thank you Ratna Ling."
“Space for reflection while also giving me anchor points through teachings.
“Space and time for meditation and movement classes were truly wonderful.”
“Being able to move at my own pace is a luxury. And of course the food was delicious."
When we use writing as a spiritual practice, we realize that creative work and spiritual orientation feed each other. We also find the courage and freedom to express ourselves from the heart.
This curriculum has been taught as a live workshop and an online class through Tricycle Online Courses. This weekend is designed for both beginning and working writers, and as a creative expression for everyone.
Students will gain a sense of their internal censors and biases and how these limit expression.
Students will explore methods such as echo, repetition, and rhythm by encountering and practicing spiritually inspired work from many traditions.
Students will practice writing in traditional as well as freestyle forms on a variety of topics.
Throughout the retreat, we will alternate between listening to the sounds of traditional spiritual writing, free writing, guided exercises, and creative writing. The retreat includes exercises to help cultivate qualities like curiosity and fearlessness, and ways to create work which exudes these qualities.
COVID POLICY: For your safety and ours, we require proof of vaccination AND negative test result from all visitors to Ratna Ling Retreat Center. We wish to provide peace of mind for all of our residents and guests.
Schedule (Subject to change):
FRIDAY
3pm Check in
5:30pm Dinner
7-8:30 pm Opening Session
SATURDAY
7am Optional Meditation
8am Breakfast
9-11:30am Morning Session
12:15pm Lunch
3-5:30pm Afternoon Session
5:30pm Dinner
7-8pm: Optional peer discussion or solitary work and exercise
SUNDAY
7am: Optional Meditation
8-10am Morning session
10am Brunch
11:30am Closing session
1pm Checkout
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. Towels and hand soap are provided.
vegetarian meals are served during our weekend together.
What people are saying about our retreats:
“The accommodations were great along with the beautiful surroundings - everything was so peaceful and nurturing”
“It was exactly what I needed – to disconnect, get in tune with my soul and recharge my spirit.”
“I loved having time to myself to reflect on my life and where I am going. Thank you Ratna Ling."
“Space for reflection while also giving me anchor points through teachings.
“Space and time for meditation and movement classes were truly wonderful.”
“Being able to move at my own pace is a luxury. And of course the food was delicious."
Getting Here
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.
Private Room in a Shared Cottage, includes meals and classes
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
An energetic portal
The sanctuary, surrounded by old growth redwoods, is a very special portal where connection to the divine feels effortless and powerful. The volunteers who live on property are delightful, the cabins are lovely, the grounds an amazing and the food is magnificent! I was on a cleanse with a very limiting protocol, but at every buffet there were plenty of delicious vegan and gluten free options. I didn’t feel compromised at all! The retreat I attended was the icing on the cake. All in all there is nothing I would have changed. It was a 10 out of 10 all the way around Di
5.0
Verified
Fabulous retreat center
Surroundings are amazing and so are the staff!
Clarissa especially went out of her way for me!
Clarissa especially went out of her way for me!
5.0
Verified
Retreat
The space and surroundings were inviting and so calming. Beautiful accommodations and amazing food. The perfect location to find your inner peace
5.0
Verified
A beautiful and inviting setting for a weekend of introspection and relaxation
I attended Ratna Ling Retreat Center for a weekend group retreat focused on finding joy. The center is beautiful and well worth the drive from San Francisco. The facilities were clean and inviting and the staff was welcoming and created a peaceful environment. There are many treasures on the retreat grounds, including Redwood circles and an oak and Redwood tree that have joined to grow as one. Wild turkeys, woodpeckers and many other birds can be found throughout the grounds. We also received a special treat as the leaves on the Japanese Maples were bright pink, creating an absolutely stunning sight. I left feeling refreshed, more connected to myself and nature and inspired. I will be returning many times to Ratna Ling.
