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Traditional Tibetan Medicine for Meditators

Name: Traditional Tibetan Medicine for Meditators
Start: 2026-12-10
End: 2026-12-13
Location: Menla
Rating: 4.8

4.8054 reviews

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

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

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

4.80 out of 5.0 average rating

Robin • Jul 01, 2026

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!

Anonymous • Jul 01, 2026

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.

Anonymous • Jun 29, 2026

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.

Sherri • Jun 24, 2026

5.0

Verified

Wisdom Path with Isa and Bob

What a time to be at Menla! What a time to be blessed to work with Isa and Laura at the Sacred Stream and to partake in the Wisdom Path at Menla this past weekend. It was not hard to feel Bobs immense energy xoxoxox

Thank you for the beautiful room, the delicious food and the friendliest staff! And thank you for welcoming my two small doggies!! Sending you all lots of love and light, Sherri Serino

Annie • Jun 18, 2026

5.0

Verified

Such a beautiful setting

Menla is the best retreat location I have been to. (Others are Garrison Institute, Omega, Art of Living in N.C., and Insight Meditation in Barre, MA) It's beautiful, peaceful, has great walking trails. It's beautiful campus to walk across. The lodging is excellent-- great beds, linens, rooms, artwork on wall. And the food is the best I've had-- all vegetarian but with lots of flavor.

Traditional Tibetan Medicine for Meditators

About this Retreat

Your Guides

Christiana Polites

Details of this retreat

Getting Here