New Student Special $49 - 2 Weeks Unlimited Yoga

NY Catskills Retreat 2026

Mountain landscape with fog and orange sky labeled "Menla, Tibet in the Catskills."

October 2 - 5, 2026

An Inquiry Into the practices of Yoga & Chanting As Medicine

An Exploration of Ashtanga, Yin Yoga, Philosophy & Chanting

Join Us for a Rejuvenating Weekend Retreat

Ashtanga Yoga • Yin Practices • Veda philosophy • Chanting

An exclusive 4 day practice retreat, with Alex Tse and Bibi Lorenzetti.

— Open to All Levels of Practice —

Known for its healing power and vision of fearlessness, the Mahāmṛtyuñjaya mantra serves as a profound tool for inner freedom. We will journey back to the Ṛgveda to discover this powerful hymn to Rudra—the "stormy" aspect of Shiva—in his most benevolent form: Tryambaka. As the Three-Eyed One, he nourishes, protects, and guides us toward the discovery of that which is immortal within us all. Giving us insight into freedom.

This mantra invites us to reflect on both the blessings and challenges of our life, teaching us to see both as integral to the path. It offers the mind a place of refuge as we navigate the inevitable ebbs and flows of life.

What to Expect

We will learn the proper pronunciation of each word, focusing on the rules of Vedic phonetics (śikṣā).
- We'll unpack the profound meaning behind the mantra and explore Shiva in the powerful forms of Rudra and Tryambaka
We will reflect on the Vedic value of a meaningful life and how prayer acts as a free-will instrument for working through karma.

Practice

While intellectual understanding enriches our connection to what we study, the real gift of these teachings is found in the sound itself. It is through dedicated practice that the power of the mantra naturally unfolds within us, blessings us with its many gifts.

We anchoring our study in practice, recognizing that consistent, sincere effort is what leads to liberation from suffering.

Join us in the heart of the Hudson Valley to quiet the external noise and find refuge in the power of sacred sound.

Accommodations

Menla is a truly unique venue and a project of Tibet House US. Inspired by the ancient Buddhist kingdom of Tibet, we strive to keep alive knowledge handed down for centuries. Read the full story here.

In 2006 the Dalai Lama visited and blessed the land himself. He believes that Menla, given to him and the Tibetan people as a gift, will continue to become a thriving resource for health, healing, and spiritual evolution for many years to come.

375-400 million years ago, a half-mile-wide meteor crashed here, creating the oldest known meteor impact crater on Earth. The local Native American peoples, including the Esopus and Mahicans, regarded this valley and region, with its enormous first-growth hemlock trees, as especially sacred, a place of the spirits. They never settled here and only used the valley for ceremonial purposes.

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Rooming Options

Single Room: All shared baths
Shared Room: full size beds & twin size beds options - All shared baths
Quad Room: 4 twin size beds - All shared baths

October 2-5, 2026 | Menla, NY Catskills

Retreat Schedule

Ashtanga Yoga, Yin Practices, Philosophy & Chanting

Led By Bibi Lorenzetti & Alex Tse

Description

4 Days, 3 Nights of Accommodation

4 Days of Yoga Practice

3 Workshops

Daily Chanting, Pranayama & Meditation

Vegetarian Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Tentative Schedule

3:00 PM Check-In
4:30 PM Arrival Practice
6 PM Dinner
7:30 PM Hanuman Chalisa: workshop & Practice
6:30 AM Gayatri Upasana & Japa (Sunday)
7:00 - 8:15 AM Mysore Practice
8:30 AM Breakfast
11:00AM Vinyasa Practice
12:30 PM Lunch
1:30 PM Be in Nature Time
3:30 - 5:30 PM Yin Practice & Immersion Workshop
6 PM Dinner
7:30 PM Hanuman Chalisa & Meditation
7:00 - 8:15 AM Asana Practice
8:30 AM Breakfast
11:00 AM Check Out
10 AM - Walking meditation & Gayatri Japa
11 am Check-out
12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch & Departure

Retreat Curriculum

This Retreat will focus the attention towards a deeper understanding of practice and our relationship with personal practices and care. We’ll explore topics that are not regularly discussed in a daily context of group class, sharing theory, techniques and practical application for spiritual growth and longevity. Topics to be included:

Yin Yoga: A compassionate approach to asana as a means of releasing deeply-rooted habitual patterns of the body and mind
Vedic chanting: Learning mantras for daily ritual, Japa, and how to sustain these powerful practices
Self care practices for stressfull times: Pranayama, Abhyanga, sound therapy
Meditation: Exploring our relationship to Self and the contemplative nature of sadhana practices
Bhakti or Devotional chanting: Befriending the Hanuman Chalisa as well as other divine mantras to tune into the heart connection

There will be two daily opportunities to practice Asana: early morning Mysore style Ashtanga Yoga and mid-morning Vinyasa Yoga. The vinyasa class is structured to feel like a moving meditation: asanas mindfully threaded together by breath. Each class will include a gentle warm up, sun salutations, standing & seated postures, inversions, backbends, final relaxation and guided meditation. You can expect a balanced, rigorous, and clearly delivered experience. The Asana classes will leave you feeling rejuvenated, spacious and grounded. All levels welcome! Our afternoons will be spent in workshop, and in nature. We will conclude each day by chanting the Hanuman Chalisa.

View the Full Curriculum >

Meet Your Instructors

Prior to opening Newburgh Yoga Shala in 2021, Bibi led annual domestic & international yoga retreats in the Hudson Valley, Ibiza, Portugal, Costa Rica, Morocco, Mallorca, Nicaragua, & across Italy, including the Tuscan region. Alex is a Shala senior teacher, Licensed Massage Therapist, Reiki II practitioner and movement instructor. Both Alex & Bibi look forward to spending time at this retreat with you.

A woman sitting cross-legged on a yoga mat indoors, wearing a black camisole and pants, with a plant in the background.

Originally from Italy, Bibi is the co-owner of Newburgh Yoga Shala. She has been teaching for over 10 years and is both an RYT Certified Yoga Instructor and a Level 2 Ashtanga Yoga Teacher, having received her blessing to teach from Paramaguru R. Sharath Jois, at the KPJAYI Institute in Mysore, India, where she spends time yearly since 2011.
She has been featured on WanderlustTV, Vogue Magazine, Netflix documentary 'On Yoga: The Architecture of Peace', Ekam Inhale online Magazine, Ashtanga Yoga Parampara, the Finding Harmony Podcast, Ashtanga Yoga Parampara, Dharma Talks Podcast, Ekam Inhale, Heartbreak Kids Podcast, and many other online forums and podcasts. Bibi has privately taught many high-profile entertainers including Madonna. She intends to share the transformative and healing practice of Yoga with you through accessible, intelligent, and adaptable instruction.

Alex Tse (she/her/they/them) is a Licensed Massage Therapist, Reiki II practitioner and movement instructor. Born, raised and currently based in the Hudson Valley, they spent the past 10 years living and learning in NYC. Alex spent that time working in education, as a Spanish language interpreter, in off-Broadway theater, before making the transition into wellness.
She incorporates Traditional Chinese Medicine with her knowledge of Western science, along with her studies of Ayurveda, Herbalism, and Aromatherapy. They teach Pilates and various styles of Yoga that include Vinyasa, Hatha, Restorative, Yin, Prenatal and Katonah. Alex’s background is in dance, martial arts, music, and theater, which is where she draws much of her inspiration from.
Additional Interests: She loves horses, bodies of water, poetry and stringed instruments.

Back To Retreat

Designed around fresh locally and seasonally sourced ingredients, including produce harvested from our on-site organic garden, Menla’s buffet-style dining features protein-balanced plant-based dishes.

Our Executive Chef and her team bring a creative flair to dishes that are as delicious as they are nutritious. Menla’s wellness cuisine is centered around healing foods, sourced primarily from the Menla garden and local farms with an eye toward seasonal and organic fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes.

Chef Alicia:

Originally from Los Angeles, Chef Alicia grew up surrounded by the rich cultural and culinary heritage of her Mexican family. She is classically-trained in the culinary arts with a career spanning more than 25 years. Among the many roles she has played professionally, she has always been a creative force. She served as Executive Chef for Dreamworks Studio, Managing Chef for Bon Appétit at Sony Music, Executive Chef at Beets Cafe in Austin, Texas and more recently as the retreat chef for Australia athlete, Grant Campbell, in Thailand. Chef Alicia was also invited to be the Executive Chef for the Woodstock Fruit Festival.

Menla Cuisine

Fresh vegetables on a wooden table, including beets with greens, zucchini flowers, fennel bulbs, and radicchio, along with a knife and golden scissors.

FAQ

INQUIRE NOW

3 nights of accommodation, daily vegetarian meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) daily yoga practice, daily meditation, pranayama & chanting practice, and workshops.
Not included: Transportation, Cost of any other excursion or service
Due to limited space, this retreat is only for participating students.
By car. Directions here
Yoga equipment is provided, but we always suggest brining your own mat.
Bring:
water bottle, notebook and pen, chargers, soap, shampoo & conditioner, hiking shoes, raincoat in case of rain, layers for chilly fall upstate weather.
Towels are provided by the host.