December 27, 2024 - January 1, 2025
About this Retreat
Robert Thurman is Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Columbia University as well as co-founder and President of
Tibet House US and it's
Menla Retreat & Spa. A world-wide lecturer on Tibetan Buddhism, activist for the plight of the Tibetan people, translator of Buddhist texts, and writer of popular Buddhist books. He recently has been awarded the Padma Shri Award, India’s fourth highest civilian honor for achievement in enriching Indian education and literature. His most recent book is the 300 page graphic novel,
Man of Peace: the Illustrated Life Story of the Dalai Lama of Tibet.
Suggested Books & Audio by Robert A.F. Thurman:
Man of Peace: Illustrated Life Story of Tibet’s Dalai Lama (Book),
Infinite Life: Awakening to Bliss Within (Book),
Anger: The Seven Deadly Sins (Book),
Inner Revolution (Book),
Circling the Sacred Mountain : A Spiritual Adventure Through the Himalayas (Book),
Essential Tibetan Buddhism (Book),
The Tibetan Book of the Dead: The Great Book of Natural Liberation Through Understanding in the Between (Book)
The Jewel Tree of Tibet: The Enlightenment Engine of Tibetan Buddhism (Book),
The Central Philosophy of Tibet (Book),
The Holy Teaching of Vimalakirti: A Mahayana Scripture (Book),
Life & Teachings of Tsong Khapa (Book),
Why the Dalai Lama Matters: His Act of Truth as the Solution for China, Tibet, and the World (Book) &
Liberation Upon Hearing in the Between: Living with the Tibetan Book of the Dead (Audio).
To Learn More About Robert A.F. Thurman please visit: Website |
Twitter |
Facebook |
Instagram
Matteo embarked on his spiritual journey over 30 years ago while living and studying with teachers in Kathmandu and Eastern Tibet. He holds a Masters degree in Indian Philosophy from the University of London. Informed by his study of Buddhism, Vedanta, and Hatha Yoga, extensive periods of solitary meditation, and pilgrimages across sacred Himalayan landscapes, Matteo offers an engaged approach to ancient wisdom traditions. His books include “Breathe How You Want to Feel,” “Meditation,” and “In the Shadow of the Buddha,” among others.
Matteo’s writings about Tibetan and Himalayan culture, politics, and spiritual landscapes have appeared in The Washington Post, BBC, Men's Journal, and elsewhere. Matteo sits on the Executive Council of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists. Learn more at
www.matteopistono.com.
Krishna Das is a Grammy-nominated chant artist and has sung with people all around the world for over 35 years. His music offers the practice of chanting mantras– mostly in the Indian tradition, with some Buddhist and Gospel infusions. By sharing his life experiences on the path in his book Chants of a Lifetime, and workshops with people around the world, participants have found a way to integrate spiritual practices in their lives in a better way with some peace of mind. In 2018, Krishna Das released his 16th album “Peace of my Heart.” Learn more at www.krishnadas.com
Suggested Book & Recordings by Krishna Das
Chants of a Lifetime (Book), Kirtan Wallah (Music), Breath of The Heart (Music), Live Ananda (Music), Pilgrim Heart (Music), One Track Heart (Music), Heart As Wide As The World (Music) & Live Workshop from Menla (Audio).
To Learn More About Krishna Das please visit: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Nina Rao learned traditional chants from her grandfather in a village in south India when she was nine years old. The chants quietly stayed with her until she rediscovered chanting with Krishna Das in New York in 1996. For many years Nina has been Krishna Das business manager and assistant, and accompanies him musically. In 2007, she recorded the track ‘Nina Chalisa’ on Krishna Das’ CD “Flow of Grace” and in January 2013, she released her debut double-CD album, “Antarayaami – Knower of All Hearts“. She released her second album “Anubhav” in 2018. You can find her interviews on a number of podcasts, online courses, and documentary films on Bhakti Yoga, kirtan, and chanting the Hanuman Chalisa. She is also a podcast host on the Be Here Now Network. Nina regularly leads retreats, kirtan, and chanting of the Hanuman Chalisa, in her hometown of Brooklyn, New York and beyond. She is also founder and active chairwoman of
SavingWildTigers.org. For more information visit
NinaRaoChant.com
Michele Loew is an international yoga teacher & practitioner of Hatha & Tibetan Yogas & the founding director of the Vajra Yoga School of Comparative Buddhist & Indic Yogic Studies where sheco-teaches with Professor Robert A.F. Thurman at Menla & abroad.
She has taught, practiced, & studied avidly since 1998, and continues to run her longtime yoga school and beloved studio,
The Yoga Space in Portland, Oregon. She is also on the Board of
Tibet House US and is devoted to supporting His Holiness The Dalai Lama’s mission, as well as preserving Tibetan Culture and Dharma. You can find her often in New York sharing yoga at Tibet House or upstate at Menla Mountain Retreat.
Her love and commitment to the unexcelled yoga tantras of Vajrayana as a path we can take towards perfect enlightenment and the integration of those teachings with the Hatha yogas more broadly practiced today, seeing both as powerful and not separate extensions of one another, infuses her work with great joy & commitment to a more compassionate and awakened world.
She honors the lineage of teachers she comes from and bows to her longtime Hatha & Classical Yoga teacher,
Richard Freeman for elucidating the middle path of love with the utmost clarity and kindness. To
Robert Thurman, her beloved principle teacher in Buddhist science and her root guru His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the deepest bow for empowering her in the anuttara yogas.
Michele teaches regular classes and 200 & 500 YA trainings in Yoga & Yoga Nidra in Portland &; New York, as well as retreats and workshops internationally. Follow her on instagram
@micheleloew
A celebrated astrologer and intuitive, Alexander Mallon has practiced for over 45 years, sharing his gifts with clientele spanning the globe, from NY to New Zealand. Alexander has been an avid telescope builder and amateur astronomer for nearly 50 years as well and incorporates his intimate knowledge of the sky and natural cycles into his professional consulting and coaching career. Discovering his calling very early in life, Alexander began his work professionally with private clients including corporate leaders, political figures, entrepreneurs, physicians, lawyers, artists and actors. Over the years he has been featured on numerous radio and television programs, and for 5 years was a guest co-producer of the call-in live TV program “New Planet” which aired in Manhattan and the San Francisco Bay area.
Alexander holds a Certificate of Astrological Study from the Astrological Research Center of New York and a degree in Art Therapy from Long Island University School of Visual and Performing Arts. He has also received training in Body Centered Gestalt Therapy at the Hartford Family Institute in Hartford, CT. Known for his compassionate style and also his direct laser-like insight, Alexander provides Consulting, Coaching and Counseling services for individuals, couples, and corporations. As an avid amateur astronomer and sky observer, Alexander also conducts classes and “experientials” in astronomy and sky lore at his private observatory in Charleston, SC.
Paul studied Chinese philosophy and history at Harvard and Columbia Universities. He has studied and practiced Classical Qigong with Kwan Sai-hung for over 30 years; Zen Buddhism with Roshi Joan Halifax, Roshi Enkyo O’Hara and Sensei Kazuaki Tanahashi; and Tibetan Buddhism with Professor Robert Thurman and Gelek Rinpoche. Paul has led Qigong workshops at the Omega Institute, Rhinebeck, NY; Tibet House, NYC; Menla Retreat, Phoenicia, NY; Casa Bellavista, Montezuma, Costa Rica; and at Buddhist retreats nationwide. He presently teaches throughout the Hudson Valley, including Menla Retreat Center and Zen Mountain Monastery in Mt. Tremper, and at Tibet House in NYC. He lives in Woodstock, NY.
www.paulbloomqigong.com.
SOUND TOOL AWARENESS
Every sound we use for sound bath journeys or private sessions has a unique voice or attribute to help facilitate a therapeutic healing response. In this segment, we will explore the “tools of
the trade” and have plenty of practice time to feel into the unique voice of the conch shell, the shruti box, crystal bowls and pyramids, the gong, tuning forks and more.
In 2010, Lea co-founded the first East coast Annual SoundHealing Intensive at Menla, NY. By creating a forum for pioneers of SoundHealing to share their knowledge, a platform was launched for in depth studies that has greatly contributed to todays expansive and ever growing field of sound practitioners world wide. As executive director of Sage Academy of Sound, a school she founded in 2007, she now offers 5 SoundHealing training/retreat intensives a year in the Catskill Mountains of New York.
More here:
https://sageacademyofsound.com/our-story
Details of this retreat
Celebrate with friends of Tibet House US | Menla, a 17 year tradition, as our community gathers in person to ring in the new year in the magic garden secret valley of the Medicine Buddha, Menla. Practice, pray and party with us across five days of teachings, breathwork, yoga, astrology, devotional chanting and more. Join us in letting go of constricting habit-patterns and setting meaningful and expansive intentions for manifesting our positive dreams for the coming year, all while having much needed fun together!
Master astrologer and astronomer Alexander Mallon will kick off the retreat with his “astrological forecast” for 2025, teaching us the basics of reading an astrological chart and shedding light on patterns we can expect in the near future as individuals, as a nation, and as a world. Alexander will also offer expert astrological consultations throughout the program and a group chart reading session that will amaze all but the most hardened skeptics.
Michele Loew will lead daily morning Vajrayoga practice sessions, and Paul Bloom will offer afternoon Qi Gong classes each day. Krishna Das, and Nina Rao will offer chanting/kirtan sessions and join in several lively discussions. Bob Thurman will give Dharma teachings, and he and meditation teacher and conscious breathing guide, Matteo Pistono, will explore this year’s thematic focus: how we breathe directly impacts the way we feel. Matteo will introduce breathing practices dedicated to helping you regulate your nervous system. Whether you seek to calm racing thoughts before sleep, invigorate your energy during the day, or refine your focus before meditation, you will learn time-tested yogic methods to breathe your way to well-being. Drawing from his book, Breathe How You Want to Feel, this workshop provides a comprehensive psychophysical toolkit. Discover how to optimize your breathing to overcome fatigue, stress, and lack of inspiration, increasing your overall sense of purpose and well-being.
New Year’s eve will feature our annual group sound bath by Woodstock’s Sage Academy of Sound, a spectacular sonic meditation before a late night celebration and countdown session with refreshments at the Lhasa Inn to ring in the new year. Together we will revitalize ourselves to deal joyfully and successfully with the challenges of these pivotal times and make strides to manifest the very best for ourselves and our communities for 2025. We hope you can join us!
Open to all levels of experience.
We encourage you to register early as space is limited!
Schedule
Friday, December 27
3 - 8 pm Arrival & Check-in
6 - 7 pm Dinner
7:15 pm Welcome with Michael G Burbank & 2025 Astrology Forecast with Alexander Mallon
Saturday, December 28
7 - 8 am Vajrayoga Asanas with Michele Loew
8 - 9 am Breakfast
10:30 am - 12 pm Intro to the Vajrayoga Experience with Michele and Bob
12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch
1:30 - 4 pm Free Time for Spa Treatments, Astrology Consultations, Relaxation, etc
1:45 - 3:15 pm Qi Gong with Paul Bloom
4 - 5:30 pm Dharma Teaching with Matteo and Bob
6 - 7 pm Dinner
7:30 pm Kirtan with Krishna Das & Friends
Sunday, December 29
7 - 8 am Vajrayoga Asanas with Michele
8 - 9 am Breakfast
9:15 - 10:45 am Morning Class with Matteo
11 am - 12:30 pm Prayers for the Goddesses Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswati and Tara with Nina
12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch
1:30 - 4 pm Free Time for Spa Treatments, Astrology Consultations, Relaxation, etc
1:45 - 3:15 pm Qi Gong with Paul Bloom
4 - 5:30 pm Afternoon Teaching with Bob
6 - 7 pm Dinner
7:30 pm Kirtan with Krishna Das & Friends
Monday, December 30
7 - 8 am Vajrayoga Asanas with Michele
8 - 9 am Breakfast
10 am - 12 pm Morning Class with Matteo (and Bob?)
12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch
1:30 - 4 pm Free Time for Spa Treatments, Astrology Consultations, Relaxation, etc
1:45 - 3:15 pm Qi Gong with Paul Bloom
4 - 5:30 pm Afternoon Class with Bob and KD
6 - 7 pm Dinner
7:30 pm Kirtan with Krishna Das & Friends
Tuesday, December 31
7 - 8 am Vajrayoga Asanas with Michele
8 - 9 am Breakfast
10 am - 12 pm “Magic Hat” Public Astrological Chart Readings with Alexander
12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch
1:30 - 4 pm Free Time for Spa Treatments, Astrology Consultations, Relaxation, etc
1:45 - 3:15 pm Qi Gong with Paul Bloom
4 - 5:30 pm Afternoon Class with Bob
6 - 7:30 pm Special New Year’s Dinner
8 - 9:30 pm Group Sound Bath
10:30 pm - 12 am New Year's Meditation, Intention-Setting, Countdown and Celebration
Wednesday, January 1
7 - 11 am Check out of Guest Rooms
7 - 8:30 am Qi Gong with Paul
8 am - 7 pm 108 Hanuman Chalisas with Nina Rao, KD & Friends: All Day from Tibet House US in NYC (virtual offering)
8:30 - 9:30 am Vajrayoga Asanas with Michele
9:30 - 11 am Continental Breakfast
11:15 am - 12:45 pm Closing New Year’s Talk with Bob
12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch & Departure
1:30 - 4:30 pm Individual Astrology Consultation with Alexander Mallon by Appointment
*Please note the schedule is subject to change at any time.
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