Deepening Our Relationship To Practice:
An Exploration of Ashtanga, Yin Yoga & Chanting
October 4-7, 2024 | Catskills | New York
An exclusive 4 day practice retreat, pulling from the lineages of Ashtanga and Yin Yoga, along with Vedic and Devotional Chanting, in the magical land of Menla. We will spend our days immersed in Yoga, Reflection and Chanting. Menla is a hidden oasis set in a secluded valley beside an enchanting stream in the heart of the Catskill mountains.
Retreat Details
About Menla
Menla is a truly unique venue and a project of Tibet House US – the Dalai Lama’s cultural center in North America – a modern resort and destination spa surrounded by thousands of acres of unspoiled wilderness. Inspired by the ancient Buddhist kingdom of Tibet, we strive to keep alive knowledge handed down for centuries. Dedicated to a small group of participants seeking to deepen their practice and receive lots of individualized attention. Read the full story here.
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In 2006 the Dalai Lama visited Menla for a Health & Longevity Conference and to bless the land. He believes that Menla, which was given to him and the Tibetan people as a gift, will continue to become a thriving resource for health, healing, and spiritual evolution for many years to come.
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375-400 million years ago, a half-mile-wide meteor crashed here, creating the oldest known meteor impact crater on Earth. The local Native American peoples, including the Esopus and Mahicans, regarded this valley and region, with its enormous first-growth hemlock trees, as especially sacred, a place of the spirits. They never settled here and only used the valley for ceremonial purposes.
What's Included
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4 Days, 3 Nights of Accommodation
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4 Days of Yoga Practice
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3 Workshops
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Daily Chanting, Pranayama & Meditation
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Vegetarian Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
The Villa
"Return to the genuine and authentic Ibiza hippy chic style. A heaven of peace in a bustling island. Facing the islands of Conejera on the West coast of Ibiza, on top of a green forest of pine trees, this charming villa enjoys stunning uninterrupted sea views and sunset all year. Located in Cala Salada, walking distance to the charming beaches of Cala Salada, and to the flat stones of Punta Galera where you can enjoy the best sunset spot of the island. Enjoy the real Ibiza."
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Room details:
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- All rooms have a window with view.
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- One room shares entrance with other two rooms.
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- Double rooms offer two twin beds that can be configured as separate beds or as a double bed fitted with a topper. Can be reserved for Single or Shared use.
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- All rooms (except the private suite room) have a separate, shared bath with one other room.
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TRIPLE ROOM OPTION: One room has the option of one double bed and one twin bed or three twin beds.
Accommodation
Rooming Options:
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Single Room - Dragon Cabin: twin bed, shared bath | Potala House: queen bed, shared bath
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Shared Room - Dragon Cabin: 2 twin beds, shared bath
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Quad Room: Dragon Cabin: 4 twin beds, shared bath
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Shared Experience: Shared Bed (only available for Potala House rooms)
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Dragon Cabin:
A two-story cabin with a sundeck and small kitchen.
Cabin includes two shared bathrooms with showers:
Single Room 1 – One Twin Bed
Single Room 2 – One Twin Bed
Single Room 3 – One Twin Bed
Double Room – 2 Twin Beds
Quad Room - Four Twin Beds
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Potala House:
A stunning and spacious three-story house with a large living room with vaulted ceilings and huge windows facing Panther Mountain, an open kitchen and a separate dining room. A large sun deck awaits you just outside the living room.
Named after the Dalai Lama’s palace in Lhasa, Potala is located at the top of the hill above the Conference Center and offers total privacy.
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This house includes:
Queen Room 1 - queen bed, shared bath
Queen Room 2 - queen bed, shared bath
Queen Room 3 - queen bed, shared bath
Queen Room 4- queen bed, shared bath
Queen Room 5 - queen bed, shared bath
*Queen bed can be shared with a person for only $600 extra (includes food and yoga)
The Food At Menla
Designed around fresh locally and seasonally sourced ingredients, including produce harvested from our on-site organic garden, Menla’s buffet-style dining features protein-balanced plant-based dishes.
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Our Executive Chef and her team bring a creative flair to dishes that are as delicious as they are nutritious. Menla’s wellness cuisine is centered around healing foods, sourced primarily from the Menla garden and local farms with an eye toward seasonal and organic fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes.
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Chef Alicia: Originally from Los Angeles, Chef Alicia grew up surrounded by the rich cultural and culinary heritage of her Mexican family. She is classically-trained in the culinary arts with a career spanning more than 25 years. Among the many roles she has played professionally, she has always been a creative force. She served as Executive Chef for Dreamworks Studio, Managing Chef for Bon Appétit at Sony Music, Executive Chef at Beets Cafe in Austin, Texas and more recently as the retreat chef for Australia athlete, Grant Campbell, in Thailand. Chef Alicia was also invited to be the Executive Chef for the Woodstock Fruit Festival.
Saturday & Sunday Schedule
6:30 - 9:00 am
Gayatri Upasan, Japa & Mysore
Meant to welcome practitioners of Ashtanga Yoga ​looking to practice Mysore style, and practitioners of other schools of yoga to build a self guided practice that serves their needs. Bibi will help all who wish to join in this practice to thread together a sequence that is safe, sustainable and deeply healing.
8:30 am
Breakfast
Vegetarian / Vegan breakfast
11:00 - 12:00 pm
Vinyasa Yoga
Steady, rhythmic, and grounding, our vinyasa classes offer a balanced blend of slightly slower-paced breath-focused flow and alignment with modifications and restorative options offered. Beginners with some experience welcome.
12:30 pm
Lunch & Nature Time
Vegetarian / Vegan Lunch.
Short easy hikes (1-2hrs) and longer intermediate-difficult hikes (3-4hrs) are available.
3:30 - 5:30 pm
Yin Practice & Immersion Workshop
Evening calming practices to unwind from the day followed by a themed workshop with Bibi & Alex.
6:00 - 8:00 pm
Dinner, Meditation & Chanting
Vegetarian / Vegan Dinner.
Hanuman Chalisa Chanting & Meditation
"I love the locations that Bibi chooses (not only are they beautiful and located in bucket-list cities/countries, but they are distinctly intentional-environmentally/socially aware and compliment her teachings-aka they are not just cookie-cutter courses repeated in Instagram-worthy locations"
The Investment
Other Details
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Payments: Non-Refundable Deposit of $500 • Remaining Balance Due 1 Month Before Retreat
Not Included: Airfare • Transportation
