Cameron's Staff Pick

Traditional Tibetan Medicine for Meditators

Name: Traditional Tibetan Medicine for Meditators
Start: 2026-12-10
End: 2026-12-13
Location: Menla
Rating: 4.78

4.78111 reviews

Phoenicia, NY 12464, USA

December 10 - 13, 2026

About this Retreat

Your Guides

Christiana

Details of this retreat

Sowa Rigpa for Healing the Body and Nourishing the Mind

Sowa Rigpa, the traditional Tibetan science of healing, has always understood the body and mind as inseparable — and the path of healing and liberation as interdependent. This hands-on workshop brings that understanding into direct, practical focus for anyone drawn to meditation and contemplative life — whether you are new to practice or have years of experience on the cushion.

Over the course of a long weekend, participants will explore the foundational principles of Tibetan medicine in the context of spiritual practice: the three mental poisons as the root causes of disease and suffering; the nature of loong energy and its role in governing the nervous system; the importance of mental health, sleep, diet, and physical exercise as genuine foundations for meditation; and the Tibetan understanding of constitutional typology and how to adapt daily routines and meditation practice accordingly.

Putting theory into practice, we will explore common Tibetan herbal formulas alongside accessible kitchen herbs and foods that support sleep, digestion, and general wellbeing, and learn simple external therapies and self-massage to settle the nervous system and restore energy. Each day we will practice traditional Tibetan movement meditations: Nejang yoga exercises, mindful walking, and prostrations — dynamic forms of practice that strengthen the body, transform negative emotions, naturally bringing meditative awareness. In order to connect with the healing lineage from which Sowa Rigpa emerged, we will practice Medicine Buddha mantras and obstacle-eliminating meditation from the Yuthok Nyingthig — the spiritual treasure cycle of Yuthok Yönten Gönpo, the 12th-century father of Tibetan medicine.

Through movement and stillness, silence and mantra, theory and practice, you will leave feeling balanced, rejuvenated, and equipped with practical methods to support your home practice or next retreat.

Schedule:

Thursday December 10

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

Friday, December 11 - Saturday, December 12

7 - 8 am Morning Tibetan Healing Yoga
8 - 9 am Breakfast
9:30 am - 12 pm Morning Program
12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch
1:30 - 3:30 pm Free time and opportunity to receive healing therapies in Menla's Dewa Spa
3:30 - 5:30 pm Afternoon Program
6 - 7 pm Dinner
7:30 - 9 pm Evening Meditation

Sunday December 13

7 - 8 am Morning Tibetan Healing Yoga
8 - 9 am Breakfast
9:30 am - 12 pm Morning Program
12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch and check out

*Please note this schedule is subject to change.

Getting Here

Menla, Phoenicia, NY 12464, USA

Accommodation

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.

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

Customer Reviews

4.78 out of 5.0 average rating

Mariel • Nov 05, 2026

5.0

Verified

Radiance Retrear at Menla

What a beautiful experience carefully curated and guided by Connie Viglietti in a magical, special place. The meals were cooked with love and the spa was delightful. Look forward to going again next year.

Anonymous • Nov 05, 2026

5.0

Verified

Loved the yoga retreat

Wonderful weekend of yoga and enjoying company of great group! Beautiful countryside with fall foliage and streams . Really remarkable. Clean rooms and very tasty food . Great yoga , wonderful teaching and beautiful place .

Donna • Nov 04, 2026

5.0

Verified

A perfect retreat

Everything was ideal. My room in the inn was spacious and thoughtfully designed, from the writing desk to the shower room, and I wished I had had time to avail myself of the beautiful reading nook and library down the hall. The food was nourishing and good, and the mostly volunteer staff was courteous and kind.

The sacred nature of Nature was tangible everywhere, and I appreciated seeing the various shrines celebrating it. The beauty along the upper and lower roads, as well as the middle way to the conference center, where my program took place, even in the latter part of Autumn, lifted my heart.

I'm very grateful for the time I spent there, and will gladly return.

Anonymous • Nov 04, 2026

1.0

Verified

Awful Lodging, Service, and Food

I've done the retreat circuit for over 30 years but had never been to Menla. I attended for a specific program. The program itself was disappointing and the teacher left early, leaving the assistant to teach the last two sessions, which involved quite a bit of self-promotion. The grounds are beautiful, but besides this the food was awful - you can feel the attempt to cut costs with food when one dinner is primarily a HUGE baked potato. The phone in our overpriced accommodations did not work and we were told it would be fixed - which it never was during the week's stay. Also during a week's stay, the garbage was not collected once, and piled up in our room and the shared bathroom (which was also not cleaned at all during our stay) - but the best part was having to take toilet paper back to our lodging from the conference center bathroom because despite repeated requests, we were never brought any once what was supplied had been used. I will never attend Menla again for any reason.

Nancy • Oct 29, 2026

5.0

Verified

Cultivating Joy- A Ketamine Assisted Mindfulness Retreat

What a fabulous location and place for this amazing retreat at Menla! The food was great, the grounds were gorgeous and the buildings/ facilities evoked a feeling of peace, honor and tranquility. There is a feeling of spacious stillness at Menla. Look forward to returning.

Traditional Tibetan Medicine for Meditators

About this Retreat

Your Guides

Christiana Polites

Details of this retreat

Getting Here