Menla

Tibet in the Catskills. Retreat center, spa and resort. Menla Retreat is a part of Tibet House US,
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Surrounded by thousands of acres of Catskills forest preserve, Menla's magical mountain valley features a stunning retreat center & destination spa that offers annual wellness and spiritual retreats, custom personal getaways, and full service group retreat hosting. Menla's facilities include deluxe private and standard shared accommodations; a world-class Tibetan destination and day spa offering a full menu of services and specializing in ancient Tibetan and Ayurvedic therapies; two yoga studios; a meditation sanctuary; and the largest conference center in the region. Other amenities include on-site and local mountain hiking, outdoor pool, tennis courts, fitness room, healthy delicious cuisine, clean air and artesian spring water, and central access to the entire Catskill region with numerous cultural and natural attractions!

11/14/2025

“When we feel love and kindness toward others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for,
but it helps us also to develop inner happiness and peace.” — His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Every moment of presence is an act of kindness — to ourselves, to one another, to the Earth.

11/12/2025

Escape into stillness at Dewa Spa, Menla’s sanctuary for renewal and Tibetan healing.

Here, the sounds of the forest mingle with ancient healing traditions — Tibetan Kunye massage, Himalayan herbal body treatments, sound therapy, and facials using our own Dewa botanical products.

Our Dewa products are crafted with wild and ethically grown organic ingredients sourced from the Himalayas, Bhutan, and beyond — many featured in ancient Tibetan and Ayurvedic medicine texts and sourced from sustainable farmers, women’s cooperatives, and indigenous communities around the world.

Whether you join us for a treatment or bring Dewa home, each experience is an invitation to restore balance, nourish your spirit, and honor the wisdom of nature.

Give the gift of healing — Dewa Spa gift certificates are now available.

Book a treatment • Shop Dewa Products • Purchase a Gift Certificate
(Link in bio)

11/11/2025

Experience the Living Art of Vajra Yoga

This December 5–7, join Robert Thurman, John Campbell, and Jamie Bonelli for a rare opportunity to study with the founding teachers of Vajra Yoga, a living bridge between the yogic sciences of India and Tibet.

Rooted in the blessings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Vajra Yoga unites the embodied wisdom of Hatha Yoga with the meditative insight of Tibetan Buddhism, awakening the Inner Sciences of Light through body, breath, and mind.

A weekend immersion for practitioners of all levels.
Awaken subtle-body awareness, cultivate clarity and strength.
Experience the stillness of Menla’s mountain valley this winter.

Reserve your spot
(Link in bio)

11/09/2025

“There is a supreme concentration called peace and bliss…
which can universally save and liberate all beings,
radiating a great light inconceivable.”

From the Flower Ornament Sutras, recited by Robert Thurman at Menla.

The light of awareness moves through everything —
the trees, the sky, our breath.

Autumn reminds us how to let go gently,
how to rest in change,
how to see beauty even as things fall away.
A moment of beauty, dharma, and stillness.

Share this with someone who brings light into your world, tag a friend.

11/08/2025

FINDING GOODNESS IN A WORLD ON FIRE

JANUARY 16 - JANUARY 19, 2026

LODRO RINZLER

In a time when the world often feels chaotic, divided, and overwhelming, it’s easy to lose touch with our own sense of goodness—let alone the goodness in others. This weekend retreat, Finding Goodness in a World on Fire, offers a refuge of connection. Through guided meditations, contemplative practices, dharma talks, and heartfelt discussion, we will explore how to reconnect with our inherent worthiness and compassion, even in the midst of difficulty.

Rooted in the accessible and down-to-earth teachings of Lodro’s international best-selling book The Buddha Walks into a Bar, this retreat invites both new and experienced meditators to discover that basic goodness isn’t a lofty ideal—it’s the ground of who we already are. We’ll look honestly at our personal and collective suffering, not to dwell in despair, but to awaken our capacity to meet it with courage, clarity, and care.

Throughout the weekend, we will cultivate a practice that not only benefits our own hearts and minds, but also sharpens our awareness of the innate dignity in others—friends, strangers, even those we disagree with. In doing so, we begin to shift from burnout and cynicism to a more sustainable, engaged path of compassion and resilience.
Come as you are. Whether you’re feeling hopeful, heartbroken, or just plain exhausted, this retreat is an invitation to slow down, touch into what is real, and rediscover the goodness that still burns bright beneath the surface of things.

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

11/07/2025

IGNITING 2026: LIGHT THE FIRE OF JOY THROUGH COMPASSION
Annual New Year’s Dharma, Pranayama, Yoga, Kirtan & Astrology Celebration
December 27 – January 1, 2026 | Menla, Catskills, NY
Step into the New Year with radiant joy and fearless compassion!
Join Krishna Das, who will open the retreat with an unforgettable evening of kirtan and return for multiple nights of heart-opening devotional chanting alongside Nina Rao and friends. Their music will set the pulse of this transformative gathering as we welcome the Year of the Fire Horse—a time for bold hearts, awakened minds, and the power of love in action.
Over five magical days, immerse yourself in a rich tapestry of teachings and practices with Robert A.F. Thurman, Michele Loew, John Campbell, Paul Bloom, Alexander Mallon, Lea Garnier, Arjun Bruggeman, and the Tibet House US | Menla community. Together we’ll weave Dharma, yoga, pranayama, astrology, Qi Gong, and sound healing into a celebration of awakening, connection, and renewal.
Retreat Highlights
Daily Yoga and Qi Gong to balance body, breath, and energy
Dharma talks with Bob Thurman offering timeless wisdom for modern life
Astrological insights with Alexander Mallon to illuminate the year ahead
Rhythmic sound journeys and evening kirtans with Krishna Das & friends
A New Year’s Eve Sound Bath and Countdown Celebration at Nalanda
As we release what no longer serves and set inspired intentions for the year ahead, we’ll kindle the inner flame of compassion—stepping into 2026 with clarity, courage, and joy.
✨ Space is limited—reserve early for this extraordinary gathering!
Visit the retreat section of our website for details and registration.

11/06/2025

MEDITATION WITHOUT EXPECTATIONS™: THE IMMERSION EXPERIENCE
November 9–13, 2025 | With Annie Weisbrod
Join us for a profound five-day immersion designed to reconnect you with the essence of meditation—free from striving, judgment, or expectation.
Following the success of the 8-week Meditation Without Expectations™ program—experienced by thousands across more than 30 countries—this in-person retreat brings the same integrative approach to life. Rooted in both ancient contemplative traditions and modern science, it draws from physiology, adult learning, and behavioral psychology to cultivate calm, resilience, empathy, and mindful awareness.
Over five days, you’ll journey through guided and silent meditations (including breathwork, mantra, Metta, R.A.I.N., Naikan, Tonglen, and open monitoring), embodied practices (yoga, walking meditation, and forest bathing), energy healing, and restorative reflection. Each day weaves together stillness and movement, structure and spaciousness—with 3 to 9 hours of practice balanced by time in nature, deep rest, and heartfelt community connection.
Whether you’re new to meditation or an experienced practitioner, this retreat offers a gentle return to presence, practical tools for everyday life, and the invitation to meet yourself—just as you are.
Visit the retreat section of our website for more information.

11/05/2025

Winter Solstice ClearLight Yoga Nidra Retreat
December 18 – 21, 2025 | Menla, Catskills NY
As the Earth turns inward toward her deepest stillness, we too are invited to rest, renew, and awaken.
Join Michele Loew for a powerful Yoga Nidra and ClearLight Sleep immersion—a journey into the heart of luminous awareness and restorative rest. Over four transformative days, Michele will guide multiple daily sessions of Yoga Nidra, interwoven with teachings on dream yoga and clearlight sleep, exploring the subtle states between wakefulness and the infinite.
This retreat offers:
✨ Deep meditative rest and nervous system renewal
✨ Healing for the body, mind, and heart
✨ A bridge to luminous timeless awareness
✨ Connection with nature and community at the turning of the year
Our retreat culminates on the Winter Solstice, when the Earth herself pauses in stillness. Together, we’ll honor this sacred threshold at 10:02 AM Eastern, aligning our inner journey with the rhythm of the cosmos as Michele guides us into the cave of the heart to bathe in our own clearlight wisdom.
Yoga Nidra not only restores deep rest—it supports hormonal balance, cognitive clarity, emotional regulation, and all the regenerative benefits of true sleep.
25 Yoga Alliance CEUs available, plus practicum credit toward Michele’s 100-hour Yoga Nidra Certification.
Come rest deeply, awaken gently, and enter the Solstice light renewed. Please go to our web site for more information.

11/03/2025

Dear friends,

For over twenty years, Menla has been our labor of love — a refuge for healing, learning, and reconnection with the natural world. Together with so many of you, we’ve watched this land blossom into a sanctuary of renewal and awakening.

Now, it’s time for us to give something back to the land itself. We’re working to bring solar power to Menla — to walk our talk and ensure that the energy that sustains our campus reflects the same values that sustain our hearts.

Thanks to a recent gift, donations made this week will be matched, making your contribution go even further toward this important step.

If Menla has ever touched your life, we invite you to join us in this effort to care for the Earth that cares for us all.

With gratitude and love,
🧡 Bob & Nena Thurman

Donate via link in bio

11/02/2025

Discover Alignment & Rhythm Through Yoga and Handpan
Join Marina Sobol and Susan DeRyder for a 4-day retreat blending yoga, music, and inner exploration. Centered on alignment and rhythm, this experience weaves together yoga, handpan, and voice to awaken creativity and balance body, mind, and spirit.

✨ What to Expect:

Daily yoga sessions inspired by the elements—Earth, Fire, Water, and Air—to ground, energize, and restore.
Handpan workshops introducing this unique instrument’s history and hands-on practice (instruments provided).
A Voice Journey session to explore your body as an instrument through breath, sound, and somatic awareness.
No prior yoga, music, or singing experience is needed—just curiosity and a willingness to explore.
Immerse yourself in this creative and restorative retreat where movement, rhythm, and sound become pathways to deeper alignment and expression.
Visit the Retreats section of our website for full details.

Address

375 Pantherkill Road
Phoenicia, NY
12464

Telephone

+18456886897

Website

https://menla.org/

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Tibet in the Catskills

Menla lies on 325 acres of private nature reserve at the head of a breathtaking glacial valley in one of the most beautiful parts of the Catskills. Stay in a range of deluxe accommodations or shared cabins set in fragrant woods & gardens with murmuring streams and trails nearby.

Experience Menla’s unique wellness facilities, from our Dewa Spa to fully equipped yoga & movement spaces, fitness room, tennis courts & hiking trails. Explore the surrounding Catskill Forest Preserve with guided hikes, river rafting, horseback riding and swimming.