About this Retreat
Cynthia Li is a doctor of integrative medicine in the San Francisco Bay Area and a certified qigong teacher. She encountered qigong during her personal health journey with a debilitating autoimmune condition, featured in the acclaimed documentary series by Dr. Kelly Turner, Radical Remission. Cynthia also served on the faculty of Rachel Naomi Remen’s Healer’s Art program at UCSF Medical School. She is the editor of Mingjue Awakening, a book on contemplative qigong, and the author of two books, Brave New Medicine and The Medicine of Flow.
https://www.cynthialimd.com
Daniela Cubelic is a tea master and teacher of qigong. Her grandmother initiated her into a rich ancestral lineage of tea and plant medicine, and an understanding of tea as ritual and remedy. This calling to explore tea led to deep studies in tea ceremony and culture, and the opening of Silk Road Tea, an award-winning tea company in Victoria, British Columbia in 1992. A desire for improved well-being and serenity led her to qigong. She has taught mindful tea practices for over thirty years, and is currently writing a book on the topic.
https://silkroadteastore.com/pages/about-silk-road
Pavi Mehta is a storyteller whose award-winning documentary, and book, Infinite Vision, reveals how the Aravind Eye Care System in India became the world's largest provider of sight-restoring surgery with a self-sustaining business model that serves millions of patients, the majority for free, with outcomes that rival the best in the world. She co-founded Karma Kitchen, a pay-it-forward pop-up restaurant, and has long anchored several other volunteer platforms including DailyGood and Awakin Calls, both projects of ServiceSpace. She is a student of classical Indian dance and a practitioner of qigong.
Find her book
HERE
Watch her video
HERE
Details of this retreat
We welcome Dr. Cynthia Li, Tea Master Daniela Cubelic, and Author Pavi Mehta for a magical weekend of ease, bliss, and presence.
Reconnect with yourself and the deeper flow of life!
Grounded in qigong — one of China's oldest contemplative healing traditions — this retreat weaves together gentle movement, breath, visualization, sound, and stillness into a living practice. You'll learn to follow the body's own wisdom back toward effortlessness. Tea and poetry deepen the rhythm of the days. Like qigong, they can be gentle yet potent sources of nourishment — asking nothing of you but presence. And in this kind of immersion, something begins to loosen. What surfaces is not only peace, but often a sense of playfulness and joy.
This retreat is for you if you are seeking a greater sense of calm, renewed energy, and relaxed presence. No prior qigong experience needed. All movement is gentle and adaptable to every body. You'll leave with a felt sense of flow, a simple practice to bring home, and the warmth of a community that moved and steeped together.
This weekend includes:
Daily qigong practice, moving between dynamic movement and contemplative stillness
A rare evening of darkness qigong — practicing by inner light, without visual reference (optional)
"Tea as qi" ceremony with a tea master, including a silent sitting
Poetry woven into the practices, another form of pausing into stillness
Mindfulness, breathwork, and integration of qigong into daily life
Group reflections and opening and closing circles to bookend the weekend
FAQs:
What should I bring?
Comfortable, loose clothing for movement, layers for temperature changes, and anything that helps you feel at ease. Full packing details will be sent after registration.
What portion of the retreat is silent?
There is an optional silent tea sitting on Saturday afternoon. One or two of the meals may occur in collective silence. Beyond that, the retreat includes group discussion and connection -- it's not a silent retreat overall.
What if I have special dietary needs?
Ratna Ling Center offers organic, locally sourced vegetarian meals. They can accommodate meals that are gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and other food allergy meal requests. Please notify them at your time of booking with your special request. Ratna Ling is located deep in nature, so pack what you need to supplement their provisions.
Schedule (Subject to change):
Friday
3:00pm — Check-in
4:00pm — Opening Circle & Tea
5:30pm — Dinner
7:00–8:00pm — Evening Qigong: Arriving
Saturday
7:00–8:00am — Morning Qigong: Waking the Conscious Body
8:00am — Breakfast
9:00am–12:15pm — Movement & Stillness: Dynamic & Contemplative Qigong, with poetry
12:15pm — Lunch
1:15–3:30pm — Rest (Optional: silent tea at 3PM)
3:30–5:30pm — Afternoon Qigong: Deepening the Practice
5:30pm — Dinner
7:00-9:00pm — Darkness Qigong: Practicing by Inner Light
Sunday
8:00–10:00am — Morning Qigong & Closing Circle
10:00am — Brunch
12:00pm — Checkout
COVID POLICY: For your safety and ours, we require vaccination and a 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.
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.
Vegetarian meals are served during our weekend together.
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