5.0
Verified
return to the heart
I had another wonderful weekend retreat with Irina Devi at Menla - one of my favorite retreat places !
Gratitude Yoga Fall Yoga & Meditation Retreat: Inviting the Qualities of an Awakened Heart
Cameron's Staff Pick
Top Rated
Gratitude Yoga Fall Yoga & Meditation Retreat: Inviting the Qualities of an Awakened Heart
4.8056 reviews
375 Panterkill Road PO Box 70 Phoenicia, NY 12464 United States
September 18 - 21, 2026
About this Retreat
Your Guides
Gemma Farrell has studied various styles of yoga, including Iyengar, Vinyasa, Kundalini, Sivananda, Jivamukti, Yin, Insight, and Integral Yoga. Her current approach to teaching fuses the precise alignment principles of Iyengar yoga with the freedom and creativity of a Vinyasa Flow practice while incorporating the deeper release stretching and meditative aspects of Yin Yoga. Gemma sees yoga as a vehicle for self-discovery and a means for increasing awareness of the present moment, an opportunity to cultivate wisdom and compassion, and above all, an invitation to foster
a spirit of devotion and open our hearts to love and serve others. She currently owns and manages Gratitude Yoga, a yoga studio in downtown Princeton, NJ that seeks to foster loving kindness, inner peace, abiding joy, and a profound connection to oneself and others.
Details of this retreat
Please join us for an immersive weekend of yoga, meditation, and renewal. As autumn turns quietly toward stillness, we take time together to soften and listen inwardly as our shared practices guide us to the qualities of an awakened heart: kindness, compassion, joy, equanimity, generosity, gratitude, authenticity, vulnerability, and forgiveness.
Our days will open with Mindfulness Meditation, welcoming the morning with steadiness and ease. We will move together through a Midmorning All-Levels Vinyasa Flow to awaken vitality and later settle into an Afternoon Deep Stretching session to create space within. Evenings will close with a relaxing Yoga Nidra or a Sound Bath, inviting deep rest. There will be unhurried time for walking among the trees, journaling, resting, and sharing wholesome plant-based meals in warm community.
You are welcome to join us for either a two- or three-night stay, whichever feels most supportive to you. It would be a joy to welcome you into this circle of practice as we step gently into fall together.
Schedule:
Friday, Sept 18
3 - 8 pm Check-In
6 -7 pm Dinner
7:30 – 8:45 pm Deep Stretching/Orientation
Saturday, Sept 19
7:30 - 8 am Meditation
8 - 9 am Breakfast
10 am - 12 pm All Levels Vinyasa Flow Yoga/Guided Breathwork, Loving Kindness and Compassion Practices
12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch
1:30 - 4 pm Free Time for walking, journaling, reading, spa services, rest
4 - 5:30 pm Deep Stretching/Mindfulness Practices
6 - 7 pm Dinner
7:30 - 8:45 pm Singing Bowls/Sound Therapy or Yoga Nidra
Sunday, Sept 20
7 - 8 m Meditation
8 - 9 am Breakfast
10 am - 12 pm Vinyasa Yoga/ Guided Breathwork, Loving Kindness and Compassion Practices
12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch
1:30 - 4 pm Free Time for walking, journaling, reading, spa services, rest
4 - 5:30 pm Deep Stretching/Mindfulness
6 - 7 pm Dinner
7:30 - 8:45 pm Yoga Nidra/Guided Relaxation
Monday, Sept 21
7 - 8 am Meditation
8 - 9 am Breakfast
10 - 11:30 am Vinyasa/ Guided Breathwork, Loving Kindness and Compassion Practices
12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch
1:30 pm Free Time/Departures
*Please note this schedule is subject to change.
Our days will open with Mindfulness Meditation, welcoming the morning with steadiness and ease. We will move together through a Midmorning All-Levels Vinyasa Flow to awaken vitality and later settle into an Afternoon Deep Stretching session to create space within. Evenings will close with a relaxing Yoga Nidra or a Sound Bath, inviting deep rest. There will be unhurried time for walking among the trees, journaling, resting, and sharing wholesome plant-based meals in warm community.
You are welcome to join us for either a two- or three-night stay, whichever feels most supportive to you. It would be a joy to welcome you into this circle of practice as we step gently into fall together.
Schedule:
Friday, Sept 18
3 - 8 pm Check-In
6 -7 pm Dinner
7:30 – 8:45 pm Deep Stretching/Orientation
Saturday, Sept 19
7:30 - 8 am Meditation
8 - 9 am Breakfast
10 am - 12 pm All Levels Vinyasa Flow Yoga/Guided Breathwork, Loving Kindness and Compassion Practices
12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch
1:30 - 4 pm Free Time for walking, journaling, reading, spa services, rest
4 - 5:30 pm Deep Stretching/Mindfulness Practices
6 - 7 pm Dinner
7:30 - 8:45 pm Singing Bowls/Sound Therapy or Yoga Nidra
Sunday, Sept 20
7 - 8 m Meditation
8 - 9 am Breakfast
10 am - 12 pm Vinyasa Yoga/ Guided Breathwork, Loving Kindness and Compassion Practices
12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch
1:30 - 4 pm Free Time for walking, journaling, reading, spa services, rest
4 - 5:30 pm Deep Stretching/Mindfulness
6 - 7 pm Dinner
7:30 - 8:45 pm Yoga Nidra/Guided Relaxation
Monday, Sept 21
7 - 8 am Meditation
8 - 9 am Breakfast
10 - 11:30 am Vinyasa/ Guided Breathwork, Loving Kindness and Compassion Practices
12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch
1:30 pm Free Time/Departures
*Please note this schedule is subject to change.
Getting Here
Menla, 375 Panterkill Road PO Box 70 Phoenicia, NY 12464 United States
Accommodation
Deluxe King
Deluxe King Room with King Bed and Private Bathroom
Free Phone and Hi-Speed Wifi Internet Access Available
Air Conditioning
This Space is not ADA compliant.
Deluxe King Rooms are Available only in Kathmandu House
* Please note that rates include meals and accommodations
Deluxe Queen
Deluxe Queen Room with Queen Bed and Private Bathroom
Free Phone and Hi-Speed Wifi Internet Access Available
Air Conditioning
All Rooms in Lhasa are Handicap-Accessible, Including Four Rooms with Wheelchair Accessible Showers.
Deluxe Queen Rooms are Available in Lhasa Inn and Kathmandu House
* Please note that rates include meals and accommodations
Standard Single - Shared Bath
Menla Private Queen Room with Queen Bed and Shared Bathroom
Public Phone and Hi-Speed Wifi Internet Access Available
This lodging type is not ADA Compliant
Private Queen Rooms with Shared Bathroom are Available in Thimpu House, Panther Cottage and Potala House
* Please note that rates include meals and accommodations
Standard Double Full - Shared bath (Shared Room)
Deluxe Double Room with Two Full Beds and Shared Bathroom
Free Phone and Hi-Speed Wifi Internet Access Available
Air Conditioning
This lodging type is not ADA Compliant. Please note that due to the stairs we recommend that guests with mobility issues book other accommodations.
Deluxe Double Rooms with Shared Bathrooms are Located in Thimphu
* Please note rates include meals and accommodations.
This booking is for one bed in a double shared room: We May Assign You a Roommate if You Do Not Register with One.
Standard Double Twin - Shared bath (Shared Room)
Deluxe Double Room with Two Twin Beds and Shared Bathroom
Free Phone and Hi-Speed Wifi Internet Access Available
Air Conditioning
This lodging type is not ADA Compliant. Please note that due to the stairs we recommend that guests with mobility issues book other accommodations.
Deluxe Double Rooms with Shared Bathrooms are Located in Thimphu
* Please note rates include meals and accommodations.
This booking is for one bed in a double shared room: We May Assign You a Roommate if You Do Not Register with One.
Economy Premium Single - Shared Bath
Standard Premium Single Room with a Queen or Full Bed and Shared Bathroom
Up to 10 guests share two large bathrooms. Each bathroom has two shower stalls and two toilets.
A phone is not available but high-speed WiFi is available in the room
Phone Access Available in Upper Level Of Conference Center. All calls are free of charge
This Lodging Type is not ADA Compliant.
* Please note rates include meals and accommodations.
Customer Reviews
Verified
5.0
Verified
Impeccable kitchen...beautiful surroundings
The lovely girl who cleaned my room, Amy, literally MADE my entire trip. She was so kind.
The scenery is magnificent, the landscape supreme, the food was AMAZING, cleanliness was top notch.
Everybody at Menla was extremely helpful and nice, with the exception of one person who shall remain nameless.
The scenery is magnificent, the landscape supreme, the food was AMAZING, cleanliness was top notch.
Everybody at Menla was extremely helpful and nice, with the exception of one person who shall remain nameless.
4.0
Verified
This is a special place
I attended Menla for a Therapist Ketamine retreat. There were approximately 35 attendees and 8-10 faculty. The buildings and the grounds are stunning and do what they set out to do..... force you to relax! The conference center offered so much space and ability for smaller groups to break out. I was fortunate enough to stay in a deluxe room which had stunning and peaceful decor and a very comfortable bed.
The Menla staff was welcoming and helpful.
I was disappointed with the meals. I live in the SF Bay area and am fortunate to have access to very high quality and thoughtful vegetarian food. I found the meals to be Okay but not delicious. I should mention that our group didn't have breakfast. I did appreciate the creative beverage offerings and constant access to fresh fruit - the apples were yummy!
The Menla staff was welcoming and helpful.
I was disappointed with the meals. I live in the SF Bay area and am fortunate to have access to very high quality and thoughtful vegetarian food. I found the meals to be Okay but not delicious. I should mention that our group didn't have breakfast. I did appreciate the creative beverage offerings and constant access to fresh fruit - the apples were yummy!
3.0
Verified
Nice place, kind staff, pricey, food was not good, not enough
The cabin was comfortable, and the shared areas were nice. The food, however, was extremely limited—mostly beans and vegetables, essentially a $2 meal with no meat or chicken. After one hour of being served, most of the food was gone and not replenished, so arriving around 1 p.m. meant finding almost nothing left. Beans can also trigger gas and discomfort, and the Indian dishes were too spicy, causing bloating. For the price of the stay, the meals felt inadequate.
Staff should wait until meetings are finished before moving items or making accommodations. The trail signs were also confusing and unclear; improving them would make a big difference.
Staff should wait until meetings are finished before moving items or making accommodations. The trail signs were also confusing and unclear; improving them would make a big difference.
5.0
Verified
Breathing in the Heart of Nature
I've visited the center twice, in June 2025 and June 2026, and both times I found it restful, peaceful, and a place to feel at one with nature, with many opportunities to swim, walk, and hike without leaving the center. It's a great place for meditation, reflection, care, and nourishing food. I had a spa session with Nitty, a Reiki practitioner with over 30 years of experience, and it was better than expected. While there, I saw many animals and birds, and a woman using the Cornell University bird app was able to identify 37 species in one sitting on the patio of the main building. The staff is very friendly, and the spa center with a swimming pool is the most luxuriously built of all the buildings. The biggest luxury I've found in Menla is silence.
