5.0
Verified
return to the heart
I had another wonderful weekend retreat with Irina Devi at Menla - one of my favorite retreat places !
Embodied Self: A Yoga and Internal Family Systems Retreat
Cameron's Staff Pick
Top Rated
Embodied Self: A Yoga and Internal Family Systems Retreat
4.8056 reviews
375 Panterkill Road PO Box 70 Phoenicia, NY 12464 United States
September 17 - 20, 2026
About this Retreat
Donna creatively integrates clinical expertise, somatic wisdom, and heartfelt presence into her work as a therapist, yoga teacher, and retreat facilitator. A Speech Pathologist (M.S.) and Marriage and Family Therapist (M.A., LMFT), Donna has spent her career walking alongside people on their journeys toward healing and wholeness.
A natural teacher, Donna has led 200-hour yoga teacher trainings and served as an adjunct instructor in the Communication Sciences & Disorders department at Syracuse University. The founder and former owner of Glow Yoga & Juice Bar — home to a beloved yoga community — she ultimately sold it after nearly a decade to pursue her deepest calling: working alongside her daughter to guide people through healing through movement and inquiry. She is passionate about yoga, IFS, and building community.
Donna maintains a private practice as an Internal Family Systems (Level 1) therapist, has completed the IFS Healing Circles workshop with Chris Burris and the transformative course The Sacred Nervous System: A Relational Pathway for Self and IFS, and is currently in training to become a Certified Somatic IFS Practitioner. Her work weaves together the wisdom of IFS, the healing power of movement, and a deep reverence for the mind-body-spirit connection — creating space for participants to come home to themselves.
Maddi is a gifted facilitator whose warmth and passion for community transform every space she enters. A Physician Assistant, Life Coach, and experienced Yoga Teacher (RYT-500), she brings a rare breadth of expertise to her work. A natural teacher in every sense, Maddi has led 200-hour yoga teacher trainings and served as an adjunct instructor at her alma mater, Le Moyne College, teaching in their Physician Assistant Master's program.
At the heart of everything she does is a belief that each person already holds within them everything they need to create a life of intention and purpose. Her unique background — spanning medicine, coaching, and yoga — allows her to meet people holistically, bridging the wisdom of the body with the clarity of the mind.
When she's not leading retreats, teaching or coaching, Maddi is busy embracing her most cherished role as a mom to two young boys — a balance that speaks to the very wholeness and joy she inspires in others.
Details of this retreat
Meet yourself here. This three-night retreat is an invitation to turn toward your inner world with curiosity, structure, and care.
Through a carefully woven blend of Internal Family Systems-guided self-inquiry, group healing circles, and yoga, you will develop a real and intimate relationship with the parts of yourself that have been waiting to be heard. This isn't passive relaxation. It's active inner work — the kind that creates shifts you can feel weeks, months, and years later.
Deep work doesn't have to be heavy work. We've found that the most profound shifts often arrive not through struggle, but through play, laughter, and a spirit of gentle curiosity. You'll leave with more than memories. You'll leave with a new way of seeing yourself — and the tools to keep going.
Schedule:
Thursday September 17
3 - 6 pm Arrival and Check-in
6 - 7 pm Dinner
7:30 - 9 pm Welcome Circle and yoga
Friday September 18
8 - 9 am Breakfast
9:30 am - 12 pm Morning Program and yoga practice
12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch
3 - 5:30 pm Afternoon Program
6 - 7 pm Dinner
7:30 - 9 pm Evening Gathering
Saturday September 19
8 - 9 am Breakfast
9:30 am - 12 pm Morning Program and yoga practice
12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch
3 - 5:30 pm Afternoon Program
6 - 7 pm Dinner
7:30 - 9 pm Sound healing
Sunday September 20
7-9:30 am Check-out of Rooms
8 - 9am Breakfast
9:30am - 12pm Morning Program and yoga practice
12:30 - 1:30pm Lunch & Departure
*Please note this schedule is subject to change.
Through a carefully woven blend of Internal Family Systems-guided self-inquiry, group healing circles, and yoga, you will develop a real and intimate relationship with the parts of yourself that have been waiting to be heard. This isn't passive relaxation. It's active inner work — the kind that creates shifts you can feel weeks, months, and years later.
Deep work doesn't have to be heavy work. We've found that the most profound shifts often arrive not through struggle, but through play, laughter, and a spirit of gentle curiosity. You'll leave with more than memories. You'll leave with a new way of seeing yourself — and the tools to keep going.
Schedule:
Thursday September 17
3 - 6 pm Arrival and Check-in
6 - 7 pm Dinner
7:30 - 9 pm Welcome Circle and yoga
Friday September 18
8 - 9 am Breakfast
9:30 am - 12 pm Morning Program and yoga practice
12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch
3 - 5:30 pm Afternoon Program
6 - 7 pm Dinner
7:30 - 9 pm Evening Gathering
Saturday September 19
8 - 9 am Breakfast
9:30 am - 12 pm Morning Program and yoga practice
12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch
3 - 5:30 pm Afternoon Program
6 - 7 pm Dinner
7:30 - 9 pm Sound healing
Sunday September 20
7-9:30 am Check-out of Rooms
8 - 9am Breakfast
9:30am - 12pm Morning Program and yoga practice
12:30 - 1:30pm 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 Double (Shared Room)
Deluxe Double Room with Two Full Size Beds 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 Double Rooms with Private Bathrooms are Located in the Lhasa Inn
* 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 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
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
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.
