Menla, 375 Pantherkill Road, Phoenicia, NY (2025)

09/12/2025

SACRED SOUND, SILENCE AND STILLNESS: REST WITHIN LIMINAL SPACE
October 30 – November 2, 2025
with Jennifer Ryan
October 31–November 1 marks the midpoint between the Autumn Equinox and the Winter Solstice—a threshold inviting us to turn inward for restoration and reflection.
This retreat honors the liminal space of the season, balancing illuminating dreams with grounding silence. Just as the world hovers between light and darkness, we enter the subtle “in-between”—like the awareness between wakefulness and sleep—where profound renewal becomes possible.
Retreat programming includes:
• Gong and sound immersion
• Yin and Yoga Nidra
• Hatha slow flow morning practice
• Meditative hiking
• Reflective journaling and more
Held in the serene woodland sanctuary of Menla, this gathering offers the perfect environment to embrace both the stillness of nature and the wilderness within.
A profound inner connection awaits you at Sacred Sound, Silence and Stillness.

Please go to the retreat section of our web site for more information.

09/05/2025

Tibetan Sound Healing Journey: Awakening Bodhicitta Through Meditation, Mirth & Music
October 29 – November 2, 2025

With Lama Lhanang Rinpoche, Laraaji, and Arji Oceananda
Join us for a unique retreat blending ancient Tibetan teachings with celestial trance music, laughter, sound baths, and immersive “playshop” experiences. Lama Lhanang Rinpoche, master of the Tibetan Nyingma Longchen Nying-Thig lineage, collaborates with pioneering ambient musicians Laraaji and Arji Oceananda for an unforgettable journey of healing and inner connection.

Retreat highlights include:

*Daily Tibetan yoga and meditation
*Authentic Healing Chöd practice to cut through obstacles and awaken inner wisdom
*Traditional Tibetan Fire Puja to release negative karma and dedicate to world peace
*Meditative trance work supported by celestial soundscapes
*Therapeutic laughter yoga for deep relaxation and inner joy
*Full evening ambient concert with Laraaji and Arji
*Periods of silence for reflection and integration
*Experience a transformative blend of sound, stillness, and sacred ceremony designed to inspire grace, balance, and inner peace.

Please go to the retreat section of our web site for more.

09/05/2025

🍄✨ Friends of Fungi Foraging: Fall Retreat
September 5–7, 2025
Menla Retreat, Catskills, NY

With John Michelotti, Aubrey Carter, Erwin Karl & Gabriela D’Elia
Step into the forest with the Catskill Fungi team for a weekend of mushroom magic! From the forest floor to your kitchen, learn to:
✔️ Identify common edible + medicinal mushrooms
✔️ Cook, dehydrate & preserve your harvest
✔️ Make your own tinctures + extracts
You’ll head home with:
🌿 Confidence in identifying safe, wild fungi
🌿 A hand lens, journal & your own mushroom medicine
🌿 A deeper connection to nature, community & the ancient wisdom of fungi
Never thought you’d trust yourself to forage? You’re not alone—this guided retreat will walk you step by step into this nourishing practice. 🌱
This is our 11th Friends of Fungi Retreat—come celebrate and be part of the magic! 🍄✨
🔗 Details in the Retreats section at menla.org

09/03/2025

DREAM YOGA & THE MAGIC BODY

SEPTEMBER 08 - SEPTEMBER 14, 2025

DR. NIDA CHENAGTSANG

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 subtle dimensions of the mind, inviting us to awaken within the dream state and harness its limitless potential for healing, liberation, and insight. The practice of the Magic Body, or Illusory Body Yoga, further deepens this journey by guiding practitioners into direct experience of the subtle energetic body and its role in spiritual awakening.

Through daily teachings, guided meditations, subtle body practices, and discussions, Bob Thurman and Dr. Nida will illuminate these esoteric teachings in a way that is both accessible and profound—bridging the wisdom of the yogic adepts with the insights of Western psychology and Tibetan medicine.

This immersive retreat includes:
In-depth teachings on Dream Yoga and Magic Body practice
Techniques for lucid dreaming and dream awareness
Guided meditations and subtle body exercises
Integration of Tibetan Medicine and healing modalities
Time for rest, rejuvenation, and healing treatments at Dewa Spa

Please go to the retreat section of our web site for more information!

09/02/2025

Tibetan Sound Healing Journey: Awakening Bodhicitta Through Meditation, Mirth & Music
October 29 – November 2, 2025

With Lama Lhanang Rinpoche, Laraaji, and Arji Oceananda
Join us for a unique retreat blending ancient Tibetan teachings with celestial trance music, laughter, sound baths, and immersive “playshop” experiences. Lama Lhanang Rinpoche, master of the Tibetan Nyingma Longchen Nying-Thig lineage, collaborates with pioneering ambient musicians Laraaji and Arji Oceananda for an unforgettable journey of healing and inner connection.

Retreat highlights include:

*Daily Tibetan yoga and meditation
*Authentic Healing Chöd practice to cut through obstacles and awaken inner wisdom
*Traditional Tibetan Fire Puja to release negative karma and dedicate to world peace
*Meditative trance work supported by celestial soundscapes
*Therapeutic laughter yoga for deep relaxation and inner joy
*Full evening ambient concert with Laraaji and Arji
*Periods of silence for reflection and integration
*Experience a transformative blend of sound, stillness, and sacred ceremony designed to inspire grace, balance, and inner peace.

Please go to the retreat section of our web site for more information.

09/01/2025

A Brighter Future for Menla 🌞
Picture yourself staying in our Lhasa building or sharing a meal in the dining hall, knowing the lights, ovens, and warmth are powered directly by the sun. Soon, that will be our reality.
We’re installing solar panels that will produce over 50,000 kilowatt-hours of clean energy every year—saving more than $350,000 over their lifetime. Those savings go straight back into what matters most: our mission of preserving Tibetan culture.
This isn’t just about lowering our energy bill—it’s about living our values. Each year, this shift will have the impact of planting hundreds of trees, removing cars from the road, and keeping thousands of pounds of coal in the ground.
We’ve already begun, with 9% of our $140,000 goal raised. Now we’re inviting our community to help bring this vision to life. Every gift—large or small—moves us closer to a sustainable future. To show our gratitude, we’ve created special rewards including retreats, spa days, and unique Menla gifts.

🔗 Be part of the change—donate today

Link below and in bio:
https://givebutter.com/aFNMf4?ct=t(EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_12_1_2020_16_5_COPY_01)&mc_cid=ee861ec795&mc_eid=UNIQID

08/31/2025

“I didn’t know what to expect when I signed up for Friends of Fungi at Menla. To this day, it tops my list as one of best experiences of the year. I met the most down to earth people and learned so much about the amazing world of fungi. John is a gifted instructor and brings so much positive energy and fun to all the activities. I plan on going again next year and the year after that and the year after that.”

– Linda

Friends of Fungi Foraging: Fall Retreat
September 5–7, 2025
With John Michelotti, Aubrey Carter, Erwin Karl & Gabriela D’Elia

Join the Catskill Fungi team for a weekend of mushroom discovery in the forests of Menla. Learn to safely identify, harvest, cook, and preserve edible and medicinal mushrooms. We’ll use our senses, deepen our skills, and connect more fully to the land—and each other.

You’ll learn to:

Identify common edible and medicinal mushrooms
Cook, dehydrate, and preserve your finds
Make mushroom tinctures and extracts
You’ll leave with:

Confidence in identifying safe, wild mushrooms
A hand lens, journal, and your own tinctures
A deeper connection to nature and fungi
Never thought you’d trust yourself to forage? You’re not alone. We’ll guide you step by step so you can safely enjoy this nourishing, ancient practice.

This is our 11th Friends of Fungi retreat—we’d love for you to be part of it!
Please go to the retreat section of our web site for more information.

08/30/2025

Discover the Mandala’s Hidden Wisdom and Feminine Essence
This September 4–7, 2025, join us for a rare and transformative retreat in ta***ic practice, lineage-based visualization, and spiritual empowerment with two extraordinary teachers: Khentrul Rinpoche, Kalachakra master and Jonang lineage holder, and Robert Thurman, renowned scholar of Indo-Tibetan Buddhism.

Over four immersive days, you’ll awaken your inner mandala and deepen your understanding of the Kalachakra’s sacred architecture—whether you’re stepping into generation stage practice for the first time or seeking to refine and expand it.

Rooted in the Jonang Tradition
Drawing on a rare Jonangpa text by Dolpopa, alongside English sources like Edward Henning’s Kalachakra Mandala, you will be guided to fully visualize and embody the body, speech, and mind palaces of the Kalachakra system. With detailed visual aids and practical instructions from Rinpoche’s team, you’ll gain tools to carry this sacred perception into your everyday life.

Empowerments

*Heruka Vajrasattva Empowerment (September 6) – for karmic purification and reconnecting with innate clarity
*Vishvamata Empowerment – opening the doorway to generation stage practice and the feminine wisdom dimension of the mandala

What You’ll Receive
*Practice authorization for Kalachakra’s Heruka Vajrasattva
*Empowerment into Vishvamata, the Universal Mother
*A Jonang generation stage sādhana never before bestowed by Khentrul Rinpoche
*Skills to stabilize sacred perception and live within the mandala
*Teachings from Robert Thurman on the mandala as a living psychological map

For more details, visit the retreat section of our website.

08/27/2025

“Fear is everywhere right now… and in moments like this, we’re called back to the wisdom of the Earth.” —Bob Thurman
Final days to join us for Shamanic Dreams, an immersive 4-day journey with Bob Thurman and Alberto Villoldo—bridging Tibetan and South American shamanic traditions in a rare cross-cultural gathering.
📅 August 29–September 2
📍 Menla Retreat & Spa | Catskills, NY
Step into a living experience of ancient wisdom. Through dreamwork, forest immersion, sacred dialogue, and ceremony, you’ll find your way back to the pulse of nature, the clarity of soul, and the courage to meet these times awake and grounded.
In this short video, Bob reminds us why these practices matter now more than ever—to rise above fear and remember the beauty and mystery of life itself.
Very limited in-person spaces
Virtual option available
[Link in bio or visit menla.org]

08/26/2025

🌞 Menla is Going Solar! 🌱
We’re thrilled to share a huge step forward in our commitment to sustainability—solar panels are coming to the roof of our Lhasa building, including our dining hall and kitchen!
This system will offset over 50,000 kWh of electricity every year, saving more than $350,000 over its lifetime—funds we can put back into healing programs, facility improvements, and preserving the cultural legacy of Tibet.
That’s the equivalent of:
🌳 Planting 350 trees annually
🚗 Driving 48,000 fewer miles
🔥 Preventing the burning of 22,000 lbs of coal
We’ve already raised 9% of our $140,000 goal—now we need your help to cross the finish line. Every tax-deductible donation makes a difference, and we have special donor rewards including retreats, spa treatments, and exclusive Menla gifts.
Let’s create a greener future together—helping the Earth while we heal ourselves.
🔗 Donate today & support Menla’s Solar Project

Link is in bio and below:
https://givebutter.com/aFNMf4?ct=t(EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_12_1_2020_16_5_COPY_01)&mc_cid=ee861ec795&mc_eid=UNIQID

08/25/2025

Death Doula Training
September 15–19, 2025
With Henry Fersko-Weiss
Learn from the pioneer who sparked the contemporary end-of-life doula movement.

Death is a reality we will all face. How we meet it can make the difference between a peaceful transition and one marked by fear, confusion, or regret. In a culture that often views death as a medical event, this training offers a way to restore sacredness and meaning to the dying process.

End-of-life doulas provide non-medical support to the dying and their loved ones—offering presence, guidance, and compassion. They bring emotional, spiritual, and practical support during one of life’s most profound passages.

This immersive training includes lectures, case studies, meditation, discussion, and experiential exercises. You’ll learn to:

Support the dying with mindfulness and deep listening
Work with ritual, guided imagery, and life review
Honor cultural and personal differences
Navigate the transition into a meaningful death doula career
If you feel called to walk alongside others at the end of life, this training is a powerful step forward.

For more information please go to the retreat section of our web site.

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Tibet in the Catskills