Cameron's Staff Pick

Alchemy of Oneness: Sacred Dance & the Third Force

Name: Alchemy of Oneness: Sacred Dance & the Third Force
Start: 2026-07-30
End: 2026-08-02
Location: Menla
Rating: 4.75

4.7516 reviews

375 Panterkill Road PO Box 70 Phoenicia, NY 12464 United States

July 30 - August 2, 2026

About this Retreat

Your Guides

Banafsheh

Details of this retreat

Discover how compassionately weaving paradoxes together creates a third force — one that initiates ecstatic embodiment, healing, and transfiguration, a profound spiritual process Sufi mystics described as the alchemy of the heart, Rumi called the meeting place beyond opposites, and modern quantum physics understands as emergence through coherence and superposition.

At a time when our world feels fractured by uncertainty, polarization, and power-over politics, Alchemy of Oneness: Sacred Dance & the Third Force answers the soul’s longing for sovereignty, soulful expression, peace, and wholeness. This 4-day sacred dance retreat invites you into ecstatic embodiment as a path to unity and your deepest calling — where body and spirit, energy and form, stillness and wildness are compassionately unified through movement, intention, and presence. Held on the luminous land of Menla Retreat Center in New York, whose natural beauty and high-frequency field gently support transfiguration, this retreat becomes a crucible for the birthing of your divine humanity.

Here, paradox is not resolved by choosing sides, but by allowing a coherent third force to emerge — born when opposites meet in coherence. Through sacred dance, you’ll alchemize inner divides and awaken the third force, awakening renewed vitality, embodied clarity, emotional release, spiritual and creative freedom, and a visceral sense of belonging in your body and our world that becomes prayer in motion and medicine for all.

Drawing from Banafsheh’s book, Dance of Oneness: Embody Love & Luminosity to Transform Your Life, a methodology for spiritual embodiment through sacred dance including Sufi whirling that inspires healing, awakening, and transformation, you’ll be initiated into a feminine embodiment lineage and practices, and new dance sequences grounded in sacred sensuality, communion with the Beloved, mystical poetry, modern and ancient science, and Divine Feminine wisdom.

Experience freedom and the joyful feeling of coming home to yourself like never before as you connect with the Divine, embrace your authenticity, and embody love as the antidote to pain, blocks, isolation, stagnation, and disconnect.

Schedule:

Thursday, July 30

3 - 6 pm Arrival and Check-in
6 - 7 pm Dinner
7:30 - 9 pm Welcome Program

Friday, July 31

8 - 9 am Breakfast
10am - 12 pm Morning Program
12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch
1:30 - 3:30 pm Break
3:30 - 5:30 pm Afternoon Program
6 - 7 pm Dinner
7:30 - 9 pm Evening Program

Saturday, August 1

8 - 9 am Breakfast
10 am - 12 pm Morning Program
12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch
1:30 - 3:30 pm Break
3:30 - 5:30 pm Afternoon Program
6 - 7 pm Dinner
7:30 - 9 pm Evening Program

Sunday, August 2

7 - 9:30 am Check-out of Rooms
8 - 9 am Breakfast
10 am - 12 pm Morning Program
12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch & Departure

*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.

Economy Single - Shared Bath

Standard Single Room with a Twin Bed and Shared Bathroom Bathroom is Shared with One to Six Other Guests on Your Floor. A phone is not available but high-speed WiFi is available in the room Phone Access Available in Nearby Conference Center and also Lhasa in Business Center. All calls are free of charge. This Lodging Type is not ADA Compliant. * Please note rates include meals and accommodations.

Economy Double - Shared Bath (Shared Room)

Standard Double with Twin Beds and Shared Bathroom The bathroom is Shared with other rooms on the same floor. High-speed Wi-Fi is available in the room. Phone Access Available in Nearby Conference Center and also Lhasa in Business Center. All calls are free of charge. This Lodging Type is not ADA Compliant. * Please note that rates include meals and accommodations * Please note: this is an open door policy room, meaning there are no keys to lock the door (we have lockers you can use at Lhasa if needed) * This booking is for one bed in a double shared room: We May Assign You Roommates if You Do Not Register with others

Economy Quad - Shared Bath (Shared Room)

Standard Quad Room with Quad Twin Beds and Shared Bathroom Accommodations Fee Includes All Meals. High speed Wi-Fi is available in the room. Phone Access Available in Nearby Conference Center and also Lhasa in Business Center. All calls are free of charge. This Lodging Type is not ADA Compliant. * Please note that rates include meals and accommodations * Please note: this is an open door policy room, meaning there are no keys to lock the door (we have lockers you can use at Lhasa if needed) * This booking is for one bed in a quad shared room: We May Assign You Roommates if You Do Not Register with others.

Camping

Camping Campers Have Access to Bathrooms with Showers in Lower Level of Conference Center. Menla Has Six Wooden Camping Platforms by the Pantherkill Stream (First Come First Serve). If All Platforms are Full or You Prefer Not to Use One, There is Also Camping Space in a Small Field by the Stream. Accommodations Fee Includes All Meals. Phone and High Speed Wi-Fi Available in Upstairs of the Conference Center and also Lhasa in Business Center. All calls are free of charge. This Lodging Type is not ADA Compliant. * Please note that rates include meals and accommodations

Commuter

Commuters Menla Encourages Members of the Community to Participate in Our Wonderful Programs! Includes Meals, Public Phone, Public Computer, and Wi-Fi Internet Available in Lhasa Inn. Accommodations Fee Includes All Meals.

Customer Reviews

4.75 out of 5.0 average rating

Helen • Jan 22, 2026

5.0

Verified

An amazing experience, as always!

Menla impresses me year after year. The feeling is like none other. Spiritual, safe, calm, even when the outer world is chaos. The staff are not just friendly, but make Menla feel at home and the event seamless, no matter the weather or obstacles that seem to pop up. My members had an incredible experience. We will continue to come back year after year to host the retreat in this magical place!

Amit • Jan 04, 2026

5.0

Verified

An Awesome Retreat Experience for mind and body

I went into IGNITING 2026: Light the Fire of Joy through Compassion at the Menla Institute thinking it would be “nice.” It ended up being so much more than I expected - one of those retreats that leaves you feeling genuinely lighter, more grounded, and strangely energized in the best way.

Food: Truly ah-mazing. Since it was vegan and gluten-free, I was expecting it to be… fine. Instead, everything was full of flavor, thoughtfully prepared, and satisfying. And the desserts at dinner? Honestly, a highlight on their own.

Dr. Bob Thurman: The star of the show. Every one of us LOVED his talks. He’s wildly knowledgeable, sharp, and somehow manages to make profound teachings feel totally alive and accessible. Also: he is hilarious. We were completely locked in listening to him - equal parts learning and laughing.

Yoga (Michele Loew): I loved Michele’s classes. She guided the whole group through a beautiful sequence - warm-up, deep stretching, and meditation - in a way that felt supportive and skillful. Her Yoga Nidra was especially powerful, and having Arjun join for the sound bath made it even more immersive.

Krishna Das: Forever the best. He’s the reason we showed up - and he delivered that heart-opening magic he always does. What I didn’t expect was how much I’d also love Michele and Dr. Thurman. This retreat wasn’t just “Krishna Das + extras” - it felt like a complete, beautifully balanced experience.

Marina Abramović: What a soul. Hearing her story - where she came from, what she endured, and how she continues to transform - was deeply moving. She carries a kind of strength and honesty that makes you reflect on your own life in a meaningful way.

Gratitude: Special thanks to Piotr for the tech setup. He was fantastic - calm, capable, and it made everything run smoothly.

Overall, this retreat felt like a real New Year reset - a blend of dharma, movement, music, and reflection that actually lands in your body and your life. I left with more joy, more clarity, and a very full heart.

Song • Jan 04, 2026

5.0

Verified

Delighted and Ignited!

Everything was wonderful. The lodging, (Eva's cabin), the amazing food, and especially, everyone who works there, soul food on every level. Michelle's yoga and yoga nidra were unexpected highlights for me. She is emobodied wisdom. Can't imagine this retreat without her. I loved yoga with John Campbell of course--it would be wonderful to have both!!! Like she could do morning and he could have afternoon offering? The yoga nidra and soundscape were very powerful and transformational. Of course, Bob Thurman is a delight and central. The kirtan was so nourishing and pure pleasure. I am just awed by the experience that was created. Divine abundance. The part that couldn't be "controlled" of course by Menla, is the other retreaters--and my fellow passengers were so wise, funny, earnest, kind, considerate, adult--exactly who would be drawn to such an event, at that time, as I had hoped. Did I mention how amazing Michelle is :-)?

Stephanie • Jan 02, 2026

5.0

Verified

Menla is a warm supportive space for personal growth and transformation

Everyone at Menla is devoted to provided a supportive space for personal growth. I am deeply grateful. And, the food is delicious.

Gabriela • Dec 25, 2025

5.0

Verified

Healty Place with nice peoples and magical nature. Rejouvinate and

Rejuvenating and restorative.Well equipped. Excellent food. Competent staff.

Alchemy of Oneness: Sacred Dance & the Third Force

About this Retreat

Your Guides

Banafsheh Sayyad, MFA, LAc

Details of this retreat

Getting Here