The Dharma College Summer Retreat
Silence, Space, and Presence: A Meditation Retreat for Modern Life
July 17–19, 2026
Ratna Ling Retreat Center
Includes:
- Two nights of accommodations in the peaceful redwood setting
- Nourishing vegetarian meals throughout the retreat
- Full retreat program, including a complimentary copy of Mind Space by Ron Purser and Three Minutes of Meditation by Richard Dixey
- Access to all talks, guided practices, and community sessions
- Time to enjoy the retreat grounds, quiet reflection, and immersion in the surrounding nature trails
A Special Offering.
Many of us spend our days moving from one demand to the next. Even when there is finally a moment to pause, the mind often continues racing ahead planning, worrying, remembering, and trying to keep up with a world that rarely slows down. Beneath that busyness, many people sense a deeper longing: a desire for greater clarity, connection, meaning, and ease.
This annual Dharma College retreat offers an opportunity to step out of that momentum and enter a different rhythm.
Nestled among the towering redwoods of Ratna Ling Retreat Center, where mist drifts through the trees and silence invites a deeper kind of listening, this intimate weekend gathering creates space to reconnect with yourself, with others, and with what matters most.
Drawing on themes from Mind Space by internationally recognized bestselling author Ron Purser, along with the practical wisdom teachings that have shaped Dharma College for more than sixteen years, the retreat combines meditation, contemplative inquiry, meaningful dialogue, and community. Rather than offering beliefs to adopt or answers to memorize, it invites participants into direct experience and the possibility of discovering a more spacious, balanced, and joyful way of being.
Learn Directly from Senior Dharma College Faculty
A unique aspect of this retreat is the opportunity to spend the weekend with Dharma College’s senior faculty, learning through formal sessions, conversations, shared meals, and informal discussions.
Faculty include:
- Dr. Richard Dixey — Dean of Dharma College and author of 3 Minutes a Day and Searcher Reaches Land’s Limits
- Dr. Ron Purser — Bestselling author of Mind Space and McMindfulness
- Dr. Bruce Alderman — Scholar, educator, and contemplative practitioner and faculty at CIIS
- Wangmo Dixey — Executive Director of Dharma College and Light of Buddhadharma Foundation and Eldest Daughter of Tarthang Tulku
- Dr. Carl Pilcher — Scientist and faculty member exploring the intersection of science, experience, and awareness
More than formal teachings, this retreat offers the rare opportunity to share meals, walks, conversations, and reflections with faculty and fellow participants in an atmosphere of openness, inquiry, and genuine connection.
Whether you are new to contemplative practice or returning to deepen an existing path, this weekend offers a chance to slow down, breathe deeply, and rediscover the clarity, steadiness, and well-being that can easily be lost in the rush of everyday life.
Mind Space, A Mind at Ease : The Dharma College Summer Retreat
Nestled among the redwoods of the Sonoma coast, this intimate annual retreat offers an opportunity to step away from the speed and fragmentation of everyday life and reconnect with a deeper sense of presence, balance, and clarity.
Hosted by Dharma College, the retreat brings together faculty, students, and new participants for a restorative weekend of contemplative practice, meaningful dialogue, meditation, and shared community within the sanctuary of Ratna Ling Retreat Center.
This year’s gathering will explore themes from Mind Space by Ron Purser, alongside teachings inspired by Three Minutes a Day and the living wisdom tradition that has shaped Dharma College for decades.
Rather than offering fixed answers, the retreat opens a space for inquiry and direct experience:
- How do we cultivate greater ease and spaciousness within our lives?
- How can meditation restore balance, clarity, and well-being?
- How can awareness become part of everyday experience rather than something separate from it?
Many people today are searching for something deeper than productivity, distraction, or temporary escape. They are searching for a way of living that feels more grounded, connected, and real.
This retreat offers a rare opportunity to pause, reflect, and enter an environment intentionally designed for insight, renewal, and genuine human connection. Because of the intimate nature of the gathering, participants are able to engage in meaningful conversation, direct dialogue with faculty, and the kind of depth often lost in larger retreat settings.
Whether you are reconnecting with your practice, deepening your relationship with Dharma College, or joining this community for the first time, this weekend is an invitation to rediscover the deeper intelligence, balance, and care already present within your life.
What You’ll Explore
- Throughout the weekend, participants will enter into a carefully woven rhythm of contemplative practice, experiential learning, inquiry, and deep rest, including:
- Exploration of Mind Space with Ron Purser, author of the influential book McMindfulness, examining how we can rediscover spaciousness, balance, and authenticity within modern life
- Simple meditation and awareness practices that are practical, accessible, and easily integrated into everyday living
- An introduction to inquiry as a pathway for opening new ways of understanding ourselves and our experience
- Time for reflection, restoration, silence, and immersion in the healing beauty of the natural world
- Exploring how to cultivate a meaningful spiritual life amidst the busyness and demands of contemporary life
More than simply offering information, this retreat is designed to support direct experience, meaningful human connection, and a renewed relationship with everyday life.
The Experience
Mornings
Meditation, quiet reflection, tea, and mindful walks beneath the redwoods.
Afternoons
Engaging conversations, contemplative inquiry, experiential sessions, and opportunities to explore how awareness can support everyday life.
Evenings
Shared meals, community connection, a special presentation from the Light of Buddhadharma Foundation International, and an immersive sound bowl meditation beneath the stillness of the coastal forest.
Retreat Details
July 17–19, 2026 at Ratna Ling Retreat Center
- Friday through Sunday
- Shared Accommodations
- $895 per person
Includes:
- Two nights accommodations
- All vegetarian meals
- Full retreat program
- Access to all sessions and practices
- Use of retreat grounds and nature trails
Optional Add-On Sessions
Participants may also book:
- Private contemplative interviews
- Meditation guidance sessions
- Healing bodywork or massage
- One-on-one Dharma College advising
Scholarships
A limited number of scholarships are available for current Dharma College students.
3 scholarships available
$200 tuition reduction
Schedule
July 17th, Friday
- 3:00-4:00 Check-in
- 5:30-6:30 Dinner
- 6:30-7:45 Opening Circle (Introductions)
July 18th, Saturday
- 7:00-7:45 Meditation in temple
- 8:00-8:45 Breakfast
- 9:00-10:15 Doorways into Space
- 10:45-12:15 Thoughts Without a Thinker
- 12:15-1:00 Lunch
- 1:00-4:00 Mind Space
- 4:00 – 5:30 Review of Core Themes of Dharma College
- 5:30-6:30 Dinner
- 6:45-8:15 Light of Buddhadharma Foundation Evening Presentation
Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha: Our Work in India
July 19, Sunday
- 7:00-7:45 Meditation
- 8:00-8:45 Breakfast
- 9:00-11:15 What is next at Dharma College
- 12:00 Farewell
Ratna Ling Retreat Center
Who Is This Retreat For?
This retreat is designed for anyone seeking greater balance, meaning, and presence in their lives. Whether you are a professional, educator, caregiver, student, meditator, or simply someone looking for space to reflect and reconnect, you are warmly welcome.
No previous meditation experience is required.
Space Is Limited
To preserve the intimate nature of the retreat and allow for meaningful interaction with faculty and participants, attendance is limited.
Early registration is encouraged.
Join us for a restorative weekend of meditation, reflection, learning, and community among the redwoods of Ratna Ling.
Because of the intimate nature of this gathering, space is extremely limited and early registration is encouraged.
Hosted by Dharma College in partnership with Ratna Ling Retreat Center.