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The Spring Circle · Malibu, California

Healing with Horses a somatic grief retreat for women

Thursday, April 29 – Sunday, May 2, 2027

Some grief cannot be talked away. It lives in the body, and it eases in places where the body finally feels safe. Four days at the Malibu Dream Resort, time with the horses at Shakti Ranch, psychotherapy-informed grief education with Angela and co-facilitator Claire Bidwell Smith, and a small circle of women who understand.

Beds open Monday, October 26 at 8 a.m. Pacific

See the rooms and beds Talk it through with Angela
Angela laughing with a white horse at Shakti Ranch

3 Nights · 4 Days · Thursday to Sunday

Every bed includes the whole retreat

Eight bedrooms, thirteen beds, one circle. Arrive by 4:00 PM on Thursday, April 29, and depart by noon on Sunday, May 2.

  • The horsesEquine-assisted learning at Shakti Ranch. Ground-based, no riding, and no horse experience needed.
  • The teachingPsychotherapy-informed grief education with Angela Schellenberg and Claire Bidwell Smith.
  • The bodyYoga, sound and somatic practice to settle the nervous system.
  • The tableA private chef preparing every meal, with your dietary needs in mind.
  • The stayThree nights at the Malibu Dream Resort, with your own bed in a shared or private room.

Reserve Your Bed · April 29 to May 2, 2027

Choose your bed

Every bed is sold on its own. Shared rooms hold two or three guests, each in her own bed, with no bed-sharing.

Ways to pay

  • In full by card, with the card processing fee (3%) added at checkout.
  • In full by bank transfer, with no fee.
  • A deposit today and four monthly payments, on card, with the processing fee included in each payment. Every payment is finished by mid April. This option is open to reservations made by December 15, 2026.
  • A deposit today and the balance on April 15, 2027, on card, with the processing fee included in the balance.

Deposits are non-refundable, and the retreat is non-refundable in full. Because each circle is intimate by design, reservations are final.

The Master Suite: a king bed, marble fireplace, sitting area, and ocean views past the balconyThe Master Suite · Sleeps Three

The Master Suite

The largest room in the house. A marble fireplace, a sitting area, the Pacific past the balcony, and two full ensuite bathrooms of its own. Three guests share this one, each in her own bed.

From $6,000 · sleeps three

King bed

One guest · the suite’s main bed

$7,600

Opens Mon, Oct 26 · 8 a.m. PT

Twin bed

Two available · a high-end twin rollaway, freshly made up

$6,000

Opens Mon, Oct 26 · 8 a.m. PT

The Terrace Room: a warm, light-filled shared bedroom with a king bed and French doors to a balconyShared Room · Sleeps Two

The Terrace Room

Warm and light-filled, with French doors to a pine-view balcony, a walk-in closet, and a private ensuite with two glass showers. Two guests, two beds, no bed-sharing.

From $5,700 · per bed

King bed

One guest

$6,900

Opens Mon, Oct 26 · 8 a.m. PT

Twin bed

A high-end twin rollaway, freshly made up

$5,700

Opens Mon, Oct 26 · 8 a.m. PT

The Courtyard Room: a roomy shared bedroom with a king bed, plantation shutters, and palm artShared Room · Sleeps Two

The Courtyard Room

A roomy shared room, bright and calm. A private ensuite with a marble steam shower, a walk-in closet, and its own small entrance foyer. Two guests, two beds, no bed-sharing.

From $5,400 · per bed

King bed

One guest

$6,400

Opens Mon, Oct 26 · 8 a.m. PT

Twin bed

A high-end twin rollaway, freshly made up

$5,400

Opens Mon, Oct 26 · 8 a.m. PT

The Cloud Room: a spacious, light-filled shared bedroom with plantation shutters and a calm paletteShared Room · Sleeps Two

The Cloud Room

Spacious and calm, with a curved stone balcony over the gardens. The marble spa bath sits just across the hall, shared with the Ruby Room. Two guests, two beds, no bed-sharing.

From $5,000 · per bed

King bed

One guest

$6,400

Opens Mon, Oct 26 · 8 a.m. PT

Twin bed

A high-end twin rollaway, freshly made up

$5,000

Opens Mon, Oct 26 · 8 a.m. PT

The Blush Room: a private bedroom with a blush velvet king bed, mirrored gold closet, and soft lightPrivate Room · Sleeps One

The Blush Room

Soft rose and gold, entirely your own. The only private room with its own ensuite bath, a double vanity and a marble steam shower, plus a loggia balcony over the palms.

$6,900 · private room

King bed · private room

One guest · private ensuite bath

$6,900

Opens Mon, Oct 26 · 8 a.m. PT

The Ruby Room: a private bedroom with a deep red velvet headboard and soft cloud-mural wallpaperPrivate Room · Sleeps One

The Ruby Room

A jewel box in deep red velvet, all your own. One king bed and deep quiet, with a marble spa bath just across the hall, shared only with the Cloud Room.

$6,200 · private room

King bed · private room

One guest · shared spa bath

$6,200

Opens Mon, Oct 26 · 8 a.m. PT

The Palm Room: a bright, spacious private bedroom with a king bed, beamed ceiling, and plantation shuttersPrivate Room · Sleeps One

The Palm Room

A bright, spacious room with a beamed ceiling and a wall of built-ins, yours alone. A powder room sits just outside, and the main floor bath is shared with Koi.

$6,100 · private room

King bed · private room

One guest · powder room nearby, shared main floor bath

$6,100

Opens Mon, Oct 26 · 8 a.m. PT

The Koi Room: a lower-level room with a twin bed, a designer sofa, and lit koi-pond windowsPrivate Room · Sleeps One

The Koi Room

A one-of-a-kind private room on the lower level, with a twin bed, a designer sofa, lit koi-pond windows and soft mood lighting. The powder room and main floor bath are shared with Palm.

$6,100 · private room

Twin bed · private room

One guest · shared powder room and main floor bath

$6,100

Opens Mon, Oct 26 · 8 a.m. PT

Who Holds the Space

Your guides this spring

A circle of clinicians, equine facilitators, and somatic practitioners, each chosen for the depth and care they bring to this work.

Angela Schellenberg gently stroking a white horse at Shakti Ranch

Angela Schellenberg

Therapist & Lead Facilitator

Trauma and grief therapist and equine therapy practitioner. With a background shaped by personal loss and deep clinical training, Angela creates spaces where healing feels possible.

Claire Bidwell Smith

Claire Bidwell Smith

Co-Facilitator · Grief Author & Therapist

A bestselling grief author and therapist whose work has supported thousands through loss. Claire co-facilitates the grief education and integration portions of the retreat.

clairebidwellsmith.com
Angel Rae Okino

Angel Rae Okino

Somatic Coach · Reiki & Qi Gong Master · Sound Healer

Rae is a certified somatic coach and facilitator, a Reiki and Qi Gong master, and a sound healer. Her work supports nervous system regulation and a steadier, more embodied way of living.

raeokino.com
Rose Mary Riggs with a white horse at Shakti Ranch

Rose Mary Riggs

Equine Facilitator · Shakti Ranch

Founder of Shakti Ranch and a gifted equine facilitator. Her connection with the horses creates an environment where healing unfolds in ways words often cannot reach.

shaktiranch.com
Lara Plutte seated among ornamental grasses

Lara Plutte

Equine Facilitator & Grief Therapist

Lara works alongside Rose Mary Riggs with the horses at Shakti Ranch. An Associate Clinical Social Worker (MA, MSW, ACSW) and Certified Mindfulness Teacher, she blends grief therapy, mindfulness, and somatic practice with the presence of the horses.

larapluttetherapy.com
Emma Barnosky with a horse in the stable

Emma Barnosky

Equine Facilitator & Somatic Practitioner

A certified Equine-Assisted Learning Facilitator and somatic practitioner whose work bridges science, spirituality, and the horse-human bond.

emmabarnosky.com
Ace of Ace Yoga LA in a seated straddle pose

Ace Yoga LA

Yoga & Sound Bath Facilitator

Healing through breath, movement, and vibration. Ace’s yoga and sound sessions are trauma-informed and deeply restorative, an invitation to settle the nervous system.

aceyogala.com
Dori Lancaster

Dori Lancaster

Massage & Somatic Bodywork

A master-level, intuitive bodyworker with 30 years of experience. Optional massage sessions are available during free time at an additional cost.

dorilancaster.com

The Fine Print, Held Gently

Good to know

Dates

Thursday, April 29 to Sunday, May 2, 2027. Arrive by 4:00 PM Thursday, depart by noon Sunday.

Where

The Malibu Dream Resort in Malibu, California, with the horse work at Shakti Ranch. The full address and arrival details come with your booking.

Reservations

Your bed is yours the moment your reservation goes through. Deposits are non-refundable, and the retreat is non-refundable in full. Reservations are final and refunds cannot be offered for any reason. Travel insurance is warmly encouraged.

Payment plans

Plans run on card and stop on their own once the last payment is made. Every plan payment is finished by April 15, 2027, two weeks before we gather. You will get a reminder a few days before each charge.

Questions

Reply to any email from me, reach out through the contact page, or book a free 15-minute call.

Before Beds Open

Hear the moment beds open

Leave your name and you will hear from me the day spring beds open.

A short heads-up before beds open on Monday, October 26 at 8 a.m. Pacific, and a note the morning they do. You can step off the list anytime.