Menla Retreat (all retreats)
Friends/Family/Press/Program Staff 2025
This is for friends and family. Use the Quick add register button and choose the room and then choose the dates and room type. For friends and family adjust the price for friends and family rate to 50 a night, plus half the cost of meals.
Menla Create-Your-Own Getaway
Build a custom escape vacation by choosing activities à la carte. Only two hours from New York City, Menla lies in the heart of the Catskill Mountains. De-stress on more than 300 acres of private wilderness. Unspoiled natural beauty adjoins state land, creating endless opportunities for wildlife spotting and discovering secret hideaways. Let fresh air, light, […]
Friends of Fungi: Spring Mushroom Retreat
With John Michelotti, Erwin Karl, Gabriela D’Elia, Aubrey Carter and Delta Hunter
From the largest living organism in the world to the creation of soil, fungi play an essential role for life on earth. They have been recycling and helping to heal the planet for centuries. Now we can partner with fungi to improve our lives through appreciating the food and medicines this extraordinary kingdom has to […]
Menla Wellness Detox Retreat: A Transformational Rejuvenation Experience
With Jill Pettijohn, Lynn Schauwecker and Anton Sinatra
Are you ready to break free from old patterns? Whether you’re looking to optimize your eating habits or embark on a lifestyle reset, this is your chance to improve your current routine and retreat to Menla for our Wellness and Detox Retreat. Immerse yourself in our four-day program designed to cleanse and rejuvenate your body […]
Clearlight, Nonduality, and Dark Retreat
With Andrew Holecek and Robert A.F. Thurman
Clearlight or transparency (Sanskrit – prabhāsvarā) is the way enlightened beings describe the indescribable ultimate reality of freedom, which can only be experienced nondually. In the subtle body-mind teachings of various yogas and tantras, and even in the famous Book of Natural Liberation, aka “Book of the Dead,” its doorway is an experience of darkness. We […]
Tibetan Yoga for Wellbeing: Working with the Five Elements
With Alejandro Chaoul, PhD
Beginners and experienced students alike are invited to this Tibetan Yoga retreat with master yogin Alejandro Chaoul as he focuses on exploring the different dimensions of the five elements (earth, water, fire, air, and space), in their internal and external dimensions. In this four-day retreat, we will learn, practice, and refine the Tsa lung (channels […]
Circle of Creation Retreat
With Alison Sinatra and Lynn Schauwecker
Join us for the Circle of Creation, a retreat designed to guide women into the sacred depths of their being. Together, we will honor the womb as a place of creation and healing—a source of life that also holds the echoes of past wounds. Through ritual, ceremony, yoga, breathwork, and the power of sisterhood, we will create a space to release, renew, […]
Cultivating Joy: A Silent, Mindfulness Retreat for Individuals
With Jayne Gumpel, LCSW, Michael G. Burbank and David Gumpel M.A
Join us at Menla for a gentle, joy inspired, silent retreat consisting of meditation, self compassion, mindfulness and walks in nature. We will begin to gather as a group at 4pm Wednesday for check in and will enjoy our first dinner together at 6pm. Silence will commence around 9:30 pm after the evening introductory session […]
Introduction to Vajra Yoga: Summer Immersion
With Michele Loew and Robert A.F. Thurman
Join us for a weekend of yoga and inspiring meditations and dharma talks with Bob and Michele as we dive into the practices of Vajrayoga. Vajrayoga is Tibet House US’s school of yoga and Indian inner science, teaching the physical and meditative practices common to both Hatha and Buddhist traditions and designed to open your body […]
The Deep Space Experience - Cosmic Forest: A sound, yoga and breathwork retreat
With John Minks and Billy Pinkerton
“A person does not hear sound only through the ears; he hears sound through every pore of the body. It permeates the entire being, and according to its particular influence, either slows or quickens the rhythm of the blood circulation; it either awakens or soothes the nervous system” ― Hazrat Inayat Khan Are you ready […]
Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart: The Best of Buddhism & Psychotherapy
With Mark Epstein, M.D. and Robert A.F. Thurman
For many years, much of Western psychology has promised fulfillment through the building up and strengthening of the ego. We are taught that the ideal is a strong, individuated and confident self, constructed and reinforced over a lifetime. But Buddhist psychology has always counseled a different approach. While the ego has its place, happiness is […]
GROW A NEW BODY: One week of healing, renewal and wisdom
With Alberto Villoldo Ph.D
Lay the foundation for a healthy body that ages slowly and joyfully by combining shamanic energy medicine with cutting-edge neuroscience and biology, detox strategies and power-plant foods you can use to switch on your cells' innate ability to regenerate and repair. Detoxifying your body and upgrading your brain The human body has become a toxic […]
Kalachakra Mind Mandala Retreat
With Shar Khentrul Jamphel Lodrö Rinpoché and Robert A.F. Thurman
Discover the Mandala’s Hidden Wisdom and Its Deep Feminine Essence Join us for a powerful week of tantric practice, lineage-based visualization, and spiritual empowerment led by two extraordinary teachers—Khentrul Rinpoche, Kalachakra master and Jonang lineage holder, and Robert Thurman, world-renowned scholar and interpreter of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist wisdom. This retreat is not merely contemplative—it is immersive, designed to awaken your […]
FRIENDS OF FUNGI FORAGING: FALL WEEKEND RETREAT
With John Michelotti, Aubrey Carter, Erwin Karl and Gabriela D’Elia
Join the Catskill Fungi team for a weekend of fun, wonderment and enlightenment as we delve into the forests of Menla, and engage the fungal residents there. Take a hands-on approach to learn how to identify common fungi in the forest. Through using your senses, you will be acquainted with multiple species and confirm your […]
DREAM YOGA & THE MAGIC BODY
With Dr. Nida Chenagtsang and Robert A.F. Thurman
Join world-renowned Tibetan physician, yogi, and Yutok lineage holder Dr. Nida Chenagtsang, alongside scholar-practitioner, magic body tech researcher, Padma Shri Bob Thurman, PhD, for a rare and transformative five-day retreat exploring the practices of Dream Yoga and the Magic Body. Rooted in the ancient teachings of Tibetan Buddhism, Dream Yoga offers a gateway into the […]
Sacred Bridge: Uniting the Heart of the Amazon and the Peaks of the Himalayas - Wednesday Private Night
With Hushahu Yawanawá, Matsini Yawanawá & Family, Kenewma Yawanawá, Jordão Souza, Dr. Nida Chanagtsang, Tsela Zoksang, Dechen Kelden, Khenzom, Dr. Jetsun Cheme and Tenzin Dorjee
There was once a time, deep in the Amazon rainforest, when the great keepers of wisdom—guardians of plants, prayer, and profound spiritual connection—held their knowledge close. For centuries, the sacred teachings of Tibetan Buddhism were also hidden, veiled high in the Himalayas and passed down through silence, meditation, and ceremony. Now, the time foretold has […]
Sacred Bridge: Uniting the Heart of the Amazon and the Peaks of the Himalayas
With Hushahu Yawanawá, Matsini Yawanawá & Family, Kenewma Yawanawá, Jordão Souza, Dr. Nida Chanagtsang, Tsela Zoksang, Dechen Kelden, Khenzom, Dr. Jetsun Cheme and Tenzin Dorjee
There was once a time, deep in the Amazon rainforest, when the great keepers of wisdom—guardians of plants, prayer, and profound spiritual connection—held their knowledge close. For centuries, the sacred teachings of Tibetan Buddhism were also hidden, veiled high in the Himalayas and passed down through silence, meditation, and ceremony. Now, the time foretold has […]
Sacred Bridge: Uniting the Heart of the Amazon and the Peaks of the Himalayas - Sunday Private Night
With Hushahu Yawanawá, Matsini Yawanawá & Family, Kenewma Yawanawá, Jordão Souza, Dr. Nida Chanagtsang, Tsela Zoksang, Dechen Kelden, Khenzom, Dr. Jetsun Cheme and Tenzin Dorjee
There was once a time, deep in the Amazon rainforest, when the great keepers of wisdom—guardians of plants, prayer, and profound spiritual connection—held their knowledge close. For centuries, the sacred teachings of Tibetan Buddhism were also hidden, veiled high in the Himalayas and passed down through silence, meditation, and ceremony. Now, the time foretold has […]
TIBETAN SOUND HEALING JOURNEY: Awakening Bodhicitta through Meditation, Mirth & Music
With Lama Lhanang Rinpoche, LARAAJI and Arji OceAnanda
This one-of-a-kind retreat weaves together ancient Tibetan teachings, practices, and ceremonies with cutting-edge celestial trance music, therapeutic laughter, sound bath and “playshop” experiences, among other inspiring offerings. Master of the Tibetan Nyingma Longchen Nying-Thig lineage, Lama Lhanang Rinpoche teams up with pioneering ambient musicians and sound healers, Swami Laraaji NadaBrahmananda and Arji OceAnanda Cakouros for […]
Sacred Sound, Silence and Stillness: Rest within Liminal Space
With Jennifer Ryan
October 31-November 1 marks the midpoint between the Autumn Equinox and Winter Solstice. This signifies the deepening continuation of turning inward for essential restoration and reflection. Sacred Sound, Silence and Stillness straddles this significant Celestial and Earth rhythm, balancing the realm of illuminating dreams and quieted grounding. It is as though this macrocosmic time represents […]
Vajra Yoga 300hr School
With Robert A.F. Thurman and Michele Loew
Our 300 Hour Vajra Yoga School course will be held November 14th, 2025 to April 5, 2026. This is a unique Yoga Alliance Certification program sponsored by Menla and Tibet House US that incorporates the classical yogic inner sciences from India and Tibet to give people the tools to have a better life and share […]
Menla Wellness Detox Retreat: A Transformational Rejuvenation Experience
With Jill Pettijohn, Lynn Schauwecker and Anton Sinatra
Are you ready to break free from old patterns? Whether you’re looking to optimize your eating habits or embark on a lifestyle reset, this is your chance to improve your current routine and retreat to Menla for our Wellness and Detox Retreat. Immerse yourself in our four-day program designed to cleanse and rejuvenate your body […]
Rhythms of Balance: Handpan & Yoga Immersion Experience
With Marina Sobol and Susan DeRyder
Discover a transformative experience with Marina Sobol and Susan DeRyder in this 4-day yoga and handpan retreat. The retreat's central themes are alignment and rhythm. To bring these to life, Marina and Susan utilize specific modalities that intricately and beautifully intertwine with each other: yoga, handpan and your our bodies as an instrument Yoga serves […]