• 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 Teacher

Helena Zera

Helena is the founder of Vyana Yoga. She has been living and teaching dynamic yoga for over 24 years; she is a Therapeutic Yoga Teacher who unites physical and esoteric anatomy steeped in Pranaflow®, Tantra, Structural Alignment, Kurunta ~ Rope Wall Yoga, Polarity and is an Ayurvedic Consultant. As a R.N. and Polarity Therapist, Helena considers herself a “hands on teacher” with loving guidance and deep humility in the holistic health and wellness service. She is the Foundress of the original empowering HastaPada®; a yoga strap as an evolutionary tool to discover ease and stability in each pose. A Certified Pelvic Floor Teacher and mother of three; Helena teaches Embodying the Female Pelvis Workshops and HastaPada® courses. Anatomy runs deep in her bones as a nurse with an orthopedic background. Her continual search and curiosity combined with an intensive study of integrative, somatic, esoteric and structural anatomy fuels her practice and multi-layered classes along with teaching a 200 hr YATT and 20 hr. TT at The GREAT Yoga Wall ®

Her love of Ayurveda is “steeped” in the zen den Tea Lounge implementing adaptogens and ayurvedic principles in the creative and delicious beverages, elixirs and tonics for health, longevity and wellness.

Helena is aFierce Bhakti and forever the student of the Heart… for where would yoga be without the Union of Love

“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

“Homerun. One of the best retreats I’ve ever attended. Was an incredible treat especially to have so much access to Krishna Das, and I will never forget the Robert Thurman’s hysterical and insightful words. Incredibly inspiring and powerful weekend!”

Susan W.

“Going to Menla is like dropping out of time. The physical beauty and stillness of the place is unique. The accommodations are just right – comfortable but not ostentatious. The food is amazing and clearly made with attention and love. Thank you!”

Sylvia E.

View All Testimonials

MENLA

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

RESERVATION

Menla Retreats

Personal Getaways

Host Your Retreat

Spa

BOOKING REQUEST

    [dynamichidden package_name id:package_name class:form-controls]

    Spa Package