Menla’s sweat lodge is located in a secluded forested area tucked away down by the stream. Traditional sweat lodges are deeply healing and spiritually enriching Native American ceremonies. Since they take a lot of work to prepare, and most of our lodge leaders do not live in the local area, these must be booked as far in advance as possible. Ceremonies usually include traditional prayers and songs, and the intentions or wishes for each specific round of the lodge are spoken aloud.
“The experience I’ve had as a volunteer here at Menla has been a unique one. I had recently experienced the loss of a number of friends, and of my father, before coming up for a retreat, and then coming back as a volunteer. Not only was the work I did up in these gorgeous mountains an amazingly cathartic experience, but the support I received from the community that exists here was unlike anything I had previously experienced.”
Reina de Beer
“Menla is so breathtakingly gorgeous, situated on an indigenous sacred land where its magnetic field is very strong… I have so many beautiful photos of the campus from my hikes at dawn on the property, mostly photos capturing the sunrise and the light rays shimmering iridescently on various aspects of nature. I took almost a thousand photos in my short stay there! Truly breathtaking! Even capturing the miracle of having a doe and her fawns surrounding me just several feet away from me!”
Priscila Espinosa
“Please thank all the staff for the kindness and care of service to us. It was felt by ALL. It allowed us to provide a nourishing container to the women who came to our retreat, all of whom are doing some form of service work out in the world be it in the arts, in social justice, in climate change,in philanthropy, in healing trauma, and in caring for people’s physical and emotional well being. We all need time to replenish!”
Jean Esther
MENLA
