Do you ever dream of escaping to a mystical hidden valley of brooks, meadows, and forests, while eating organic food and surrounded with warm, wise people? And as your dream continues, you may envision a spa with ancient healing therapies, deluxe lodgings, colorful murals, and an array of rejuvenating experiences.
You won’t find some of these healing modalities and advanced meditation techniques anywhere else on the East Coast, but you need absolutely no doctrine or dogma to benefit from them.
Joyful news: This exists in real life. It’s called Menla, and it’s right here in Phoenicia, nestled in the heart of the Catskill Mountains, and you’re invited to come and choose the elements of your own dream getaway from a unique menu of options.
Welcome to Tibet in the Catskills!
There has always been something about this particular valley; the Esopus and Mahicans felt it, too. An ancient meteor impact crater with an energy all its own and a unique ecosystem form the special, private oasis that became Menla in 2002, when Tibet House US was given 325 glorious acres in Phoenicia. Tibet House US is the Dalai Lama’s Tibetan Cultural Center in NYC, but you don’t need to be a Tibetan or a Buddhist to benefit from what it offers at Menla. Set amid a forever wild nature preserve nearly a thousand times that size, Menla is a retreat center and spa resort with a focus on
Healing sound baths, ecology walks, hiking guides, medicinal plant tours, private instruction in yoga, qigong, Pilates, or meditation and consultations with a nutrition and wellness expert or an astrologer are all at your fingertips.
Tibetan healing arts and sciences. It is home to a unique array of healing, enlightening, and educational events, and has drawn together a community of world-class expertise.
In addition, Menla is now offering a top-of-the-line spa with a range of detox experiences that tap ancient wisdom both Eastern and Western to create restoration, refreshment, and renewal. The Dewa Spa is one of a tiny handful of places in this hemisphere where you can experience Tibetan KuNye massage. Dewa also offers herbal baths, Shirodhara, vibrational sound therapy, customized facials, saunas and steam rooms, and a Journey to Bliss day spa package that will leave you feeling lighter than air.
How best to experience this cornucopia of euphoric options? How about a customized Personal Getaway package? Pick your own dates and fill them from an à la carte menu of spa therapies, nature experiences, private yoga, qi gong, meditation classes, and more. Book some sauna and steam room time to follow up a glorious, meditative hike; chase it with an exquisite farm-to-table dinner and a bonfire before bed. (People say they
have deep dreams at Menla.) Healing sound baths, ecology walks, hiking guides, medicinal plant tours, as well as private instruction in yoga, qi gong, Pilates, or meditation, and consultations with a nutrition and wellness expert or an astrologer are all at your fingertips, led by some of the finest experts on the East Coast.
The Dewa Spa is one of a tiny handful of places in this hemisphere where you can experience Tibetan KuNye massage.
The culture that was refined over thousands of years in Tibet, and then scattered on the wind like dandelion seeds by the Chinese invasion, is both incredibly rich and eminently practical and down-to-earth, with a unique focus on the science of health and the art of living in peace, driven by wisdom and compassion. Besides the Personal Getaway packages, Menla offers weekend and weeklong group retreats and has matchless accommodations for anyone seeking a spiritual retreat: the biggest conference hall in the Catskills and a selection of beautifully appointed meeting and practice rooms, not to mention a first-rate staff who care deeply about your every experience.
You don’t need to know the first thing about Tibet to have a splendid and nourishing time at Menla. You’re welcome to come, book a simple, elegant room, and spend a couple of days hiking, working out in the fitness room, and relaxing by the pool. It’s the perfect retreat for couples or a group of friends with varied tastes to immerse in the vast pristine beauty just two hours outside of New York City, right here in our glorious Catskills backyard. The Dalai Lama thinks Menla is a really cool place. We think you will, too.
MENLA
375 Pantherkill Road, Phoenicia
845-688-6897 | menla.us
