Fall Wellness Retreat
September 27th, 2026
Our 7th Annual Wellness Retreat — A Sanctuary for the Senses — is a compassionate gathering created for grieving hearts of all kinds. Through intentional experiences designed to engage the five senses, we invite you to slow down, reconnect with yourself, and find gentle support in community.
This retreat offers space for rest, reflection, education, and healing through experiences such as a sound bath, grounding time in nature, sensory walks, guided breakout groups, and meaningful connection with facilitators and floating therapists throughout the day.
Whether your grief is recent or longstanding, you are welcome to come exactly as you are. This retreat is designed to nurture the mind, body, and spirit with compassion, care, and understanding.
Sunday September 27th, 2026 at Tulu Vineyards (formerly Grace Vineyards) 28001 N Nichols Rd Galt, CA 95632
Join us for a day of engaging breakout sessions led by our outstanding facilitators, nourishing, whole foods, mini-massages, nature walks, sound bath session, and free-time activities for all the senses.
Agenda
8:30 AM ~ Arrival/Registration/Grazing/Massages
9:30 AM ~ Opening/Intentions/Nature Walk
11:30-12:30 AM ~ Session 1
12:30-1:30 ~ Lunch/Massages/Free time/Sensory Tables
1:30-2:30 ~ Session 2
2:30-3:00 ~ Break
3:00-4:00 ~ Session 3
4:00-4:30 ~ Closing/Reflection/Giveaways
4:30-5 ~ Free Time/Massages
Merch & Resource Table available throughout the day.
Meet our Facilitators:
Jan Haag~Writing as a Healing Art
Jan leads monthly Writing as a Healing Art writing groups for Together We Heal Community. She's a retired writing professor at Sacramento City College and a facilitator in the Amherst Writers & Artists method, an encouraging way of generating new writing in small group settings. She writes and publishes a poem every day on her website. During the Wellness Retreat, you’ll be invited into a welcoming space for reflection, creativity, and connection through writing. In this breakout session you’ll be able to write about whatever is calling to you in the moment—perhaps your grief, perhaps something entirely different. There are no expectations and no “right” way to do it. You will be able to use the prompts provided or simply follow your own thoughts and let the writing unfold naturally.
Small journals and pens will be provided for you to keep, or you’re welcome to bring your own favorite writing tools. If writing by hand isn’t your preference, feel free to bring a tablet or laptop.
Karen Penfold~Come to Your Senses: An Embodied Practice for Presence & Rest
Karen Penfold is the founder of Full of Hope Yoga & Trauma Recovery. She is a Trauma Recovery Practitioner and a Certified Grief Educator. Karen specializes in nervous system and somatic (body-based) support for anxiety, chronic stress, grief, and overwhelm. Through private sessions and classes, she uses practical somatic (body-based) practices to help women who feel overwhelmed, exhausted, or stuck in stress or grief learn how to support their bodies in simple, practical ways.
In this breakout session you’re given a gentle invitation to slow down, get present, and simply notice. Using your five senses, you’ll be invited to experience the present moment, reconnect with your body, and make space for your nervous system to settle, allowing your whole self to experience greater rest and ease.
Daniel Hernandez~Men and Grief
Daniel has worked in mental health for the past 25 years and specializes in the field of thanatology (the study of death, dying and bereavement) and Cross-Cultural Psychotherapy. For the past 25 years he has worked at university settings as a mental health therapist and educator.
Betsy Kramer~Creating a safe haven for healthy grieving
www.linkedin.com/in/betsykramer2026
I consider myself a grief guide, with years of experience accompanying myself and others through the landscape of loss. Orphaned at age 9, I have spent much of my life learning how to navigate grief, grow through it, and support others in their own journeys. Our losses share similarities, yet each one is unique. We all deserve to be seen, comforted, supported, nourished, and taught how to grieve in healthy ways. I offer this support with compassion, empathic listening, encouragement, patience, and practical skills, all within an environment of love.
In this breakout session you will learn how to create a sense of internal comfort, self-compassion, and a felt sense connection within your heart to your love. You will also learn how grief can impact all of our senses, thoughts, and feelings. I hope that you will leave this session with a better understanding of your grief experience, which leads to a growing confidence in your ability to navigate your grief and reduce anxiety and the symptoms of grief with grief education, new ideas, and skills.
Please wear comfortable clothing and a towel, mat, or blanket. Nervous System Regulation through the Senses.
Stacey Ring~Nourishing Your Gut, Brain & Healing
Hi, I'm Stacey! I'm a clinical nutritionist and the founder of Real Nutrition Kitchen, where I help women feel like the healthiest version of themselves through simple, realistic nutrition and lifestyle changes.
In this interactive breakout session, we'll explore the fascinating connection between the gut and the brain, and how nutrition can play a supportive role during the grieving process. Together, we'll discuss how stress and grief influence the gut-brain connection, why this relationship matters, and simple, realistic nutrition strategies that can help support both physical and emotional well-being. Through a combination of education, group discussion, guided reflection, and Q&A, you'll leave with a better understanding of how to nourish your body during a difficult season. We'll also spend time creating personalized nutrition and wellness goals that feel achievable and sustainable. You'll leave with practical knowledge, actionable next steps, and the confidence to begin supporting your healing—one small step at a time.
Mini-Massage Therapy
Mini massages by multiple therapists will be available to those who choose at no additional cost.
Nourishment
Our retreats are thoughtfully catered by Crystal Dunn of Cooking Dunn Right, with an emphasis on whole, seasonal foods that reflect the rhythm of the four seasons. The participants are guided through a nourishing food journey — from the light freshness of spring, to the vitality of summer, the grounding harvest of autumn, and the comfort of winter. Generous donations from local businesses also provide healthy options throughout the retreat.
We are thrilled to bring you our 7th Wellness Retreat since 2022. This retreat will be held at Tulu Vineyards in Galt, California.
$97/person
*If you would like to attend, but need financial assistance with your ticket, please email us.
*If you would like to sponsor someone to attend, let us know.
In the past, we have had generous individuals and donors who make it possible for anyone who wants to attend possible. The Lord always provides.
To see more about our past retreats, visit our Wellness Retreat Page.
Testimonials ~
“Everything today was perfect! I felt nourished and held. I learned new info and renewed an old interest. I walked away with strategies to take home.”
“I was able to share all the information for wellness with my son and learned how to better myself. I met beautiful people and was able to see what is available within our community.”
“It almost feels like you all are doing God’s work. The love, understanding, comfort and compassion I have felt today is exactly what I have needed for a very long time.”
“Great day spent making new friends, great connections, healing practices that inspired hope and healing. Thank You!”
“I wasn’t sure what to expect. It was a day spent in a beautiful place with people who share the same journey I am on. People were very caring and I felt safe and comfortable sharing this process with people I didn’t know.”
Every details is thoughtfully curated for this special day. Our Retreat Committee builds a well-balanced, compassionate space for all grievers through food & refreshments, swag bags, mini-massages, and compassionate conversations.
Together We Heal Community Wellness Retreat Committee and Volunteers at our 2025 Retreat. We are so thrilled to have our retreat at Tulu Vineyards in Galt again!