• Heal Your Mind & Body at Dewa Spa

  • Study with World-Class Teachers

  • Practice in One of Our Unique Venues

  • Expand Your Awareness with Meditation

  • Go Hiking in the Catskill Mountains

  • Enjoy Delicious Nourishing Farm-to-Table Cuisine

  • Menla is a Project of Tibet House US,

    the Dalai Lama’s Cultural Center in NYC

Home   /   Guru Program
  • Deluxe Queen – $2,080.00
  • Deluxe Double Full - Shared bath (Shared Room) – $1,672.00
  • Private Single (Shared Bath) – $1,888.00
  • Standard Single – $1,536.00
  • Standard Double (Shared Room) – $1,496.00
  • Standard Triple (Shared Room) – $1,452.00
  • Standard Quad (Shared Room) – $1,396.00
  • Camping – $1,028.00
  • Commuter – $976.00
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MagiCraft: Autumnal Equinox Gathering

With Iquwah Bezuyen

September 21 - 25, 2023

This seasonal gathering will weave concepts from magic, herbalism, and ceremony/celebration into a balanced, creative, and receptive expression of our humanness as nature itself. Menla’s powerful lead gardener, Iquwah, will share her deep wisdom and unique expression, born of a lifetime spent with nature. Participants will craft their own personally informed expressions of connection with nature as well as co-create with the group a reborn celebration of the Goddess.

In the deep beauty, quiet, and abundance of the Catskills, participants will make medicines of their intention, words, community, and gifts from the Earth. Crafting inspired infusions, learn how to create bundles for personal magical use, interwoven with discussions and reflections on nature and our connection with Gaia.

This retreat is available to participants age 15 and above.

Schedule

Thursday, September 21

  • 3 – 6 pm Arrival and Check-in
  • 6 – 7 pm Dinner
  • 7:30 – 8:30 pm Opening circle

Friday, September 22

  • 7 :30- 8 am Creek Gazing/ offerings to mother water
  • 8 – 9 am Breakfast
  • 9:30 am – 12 pm Sweat Lodge
  • 12:30 – 1:30 pm lunch
  • 2 – 4:30 pm Seasonal Release: Tying Bundles
  • 4:30 – 6 pm Journaling, Reflection & Sharing
  • 6 – 7 pm Dinner
  • 7:30 – 10 pm Fire

Saturday, September 23

  • 8 – 9 am Breakfast
  • 9 – 11 am Hike
  • 11 am – 12 pm Garden Grazing, Intention Setting & Talking to Plants
  • 12:30 – 1:30 pm Lunch
  • 2 – 4 pm Found Item Mandala and Photos
  • 4 – 6 pm Discussing Ritual & 15 Minute Journaling
  • 6 – 7 pm Dinner
  • 8 – 10:30 pm Dance

Sunday, September 24

  • 7:30 – 8 am Morning Embodiment Practice
  • 8 – 9 am Breakfast
  • 9:30 am – 12 pm Garden & Herbalism Time
  • 12:30 – 1:30 pm Lunch
  • 2 – 4 pm Maker Space: Health and Beauty Aids – Herbal Infused Oils for Food & Body Care
  • 4 – 6 pm Ecology Walk
  • 6 – 7 pm Dinner
  • 7:30 pm Evening for Relaxation & Contemplation

Monday, September 25

  • 7 – 11 am Check-out of Rooms
  • 7 :30- 8 am Nature Based Chi Gung
  • 8 – 9 am Breakfast
  • 9:30 – 10:30 am Closing Circle
  • 10:30 am – 12:30 pm Free Time for Relaxation and Spa
  • 12:30 – 1:30 Lunch and Departure

*Please note that schedule is subject to change.

Leader

Iquwah Bezuyen
Iquwah Bezuyen is a naturalist, herbalist, Master Gardener, long time community builder, and equal housing activist. She’s been caring for plants and animals her whole life. Iquwah has been running greenhouses for 20 plus years. She was an outdoor education and farm specialist at Camp Oh-Neh-tah in Windham NY, where she maintained and planted a biodynamic education garden, taught camping, hiking, foraging skills was the leadership trainer for 150 participants, parents, and staff, and created the camp’s farm program. She is a ginseng, native ephemerals, and food forest grower and was a farm manager at the American Ginseng Pharm. She…
Learn more about Iquwah Bezuyen

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“Loved Menla and all the experiences they offer… I attended morning yoga with different instructors who were excellent and fully over indulged with the veggie buffet with gluten-free and vegan options. Many fresh greens from the organic on-site garden. Delicious!”

Robert B.

I just returned from an over-night stay at the Menia Retreat Center.  During that time, I was very fortunate to have had four services at the beautiful Dewa Spa.All of them were amazing, but I really have to take a few minutes to write about Sarite Sanders who did Craniosacral Therapy and Nicole Bernhardt who provided Extended KuNye Massage.

Both of these women are gifted practitioners who clearly are dedicated to their healing modalities.  Sarite is not just a healer but a teacher–a very powerful combination for a true wellness practitioner. She even suggested movement exercises that I could do at home to help with an old injury–one I had not told her about, but that she “felt” as she worked on my body. Both of these women took time to explain what and why they were doing certain things and thus were able to create a very safe environment for healing. Thank you for a truly lovely experience.

Virginia Giordano

“Nicole’s KuNye massage was transformational. She released several tight muscle and joint areas with targeted and deep pressure and massage. I felt more flexible and incredibly relaxed. The Dewa Spa facility itself is beautiful, peaceful and extremely relaxing.”

Becky K.

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MENLA

375 Pantherkill Road, P.O. Box 70 Phoenicia, NY 12464
frontdesk@menla.org

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