375 Panterkill Road PO Box 70 Phoenicia, NY 12464 United States
July 31 - August 4, 2026
About this Retreat
Jayne Gumpel, LCSW (she/her/hers) is a psychotherapist, trainer, and teacher with 30 years of experience working with couples, individuals, and groups in New York City and Woodstock, NY. Jayne is a professional clinical trainer in Psychedelic Integration Psychotherapy, is a member of the Woodstock Therapy Center’s Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) team, and has completed MDMA-assisted psychotherapy training through the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). Jayne describes meditation as a core life practice, is a teacher of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, and she includes mindfulness practice as a foundation of her work with clients. She is additionally trained in Imago Relationship Therapy and Gestalt Psychotherapy. Jayne is a co-founder of accessmindfulness.org, a 501c3, along with her son David. Her passion is supporting clients on their journey towards inner wisdom and healing from trauma to have more rich and satisfying lives and relationships.
Michael G. Burbank has been a student of Robert Thurman and HH the XIV Dalai Lama for over 25 years, since his undergraduate years studying Eastern religions and cultures at Columbia University in the 90s. In February of 2002, he was invited to help the Thurmans and Tibet House start the newly acquired Menla retreat. Over the years, he worked variously as Menla's dishwasher, housekeeper, maintenance assistant, Front of House Manager, and Assistant Director, and since 2013 he has served as Menla's Director.
Michael received the Kalachakra Tantra initiation from His Holiness the Dalai Lama twice--in 2003 and 2017--in Bodh Gaya, India. An avid life-long student and practitioner of Buddhism, Michael teaches classes at Menla and occasionally co-leads retreats. He is working in conjunction with a team of entrepreneurs and mindfulness teachers to launch Mindwell Labs, a for-profit mindfulness tech company intended to further the efforts of Tibet House US/Menla nationwide through a cutting edge health app that monitors anxiety. In his spare time, he works on spiritually-based screenplays and graphic novels, including most recently as letterer and co-author of Man of Peace: the Illustrated Life Story of the Dalai Lama with William Meyers and Robert Thurman.
David Gumpel, Co-founder of Relationship Resources, is an Integral Master Coach and a qualified teacher of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) through UMASS medical school. He completed his MA in Psychology at The New School for Social Research. David is the co-founder of Access Mindfulness and was a study coordinator for the MAPS sponsored MDMA-Assisted Therapy for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder study in NYC. As Director of Operations at Fluence, David provides guidance to Fluence trainers, leads experiential trainings and ensures the successful implementation of Fluence’s many offerings. As a coach, David teaches mindfulness to clients in private practice and to groups in corporate settings.
Details of this retreat
Join us at Menla for a gentle, joy inspired, silent retreat consisting of meditation, self compassion, mindfulness and walks in nature with Jayne Gumpel LCSW, Michael Burbank, & David Gumpel MA.
We will begin to gather as a group at 3pm Friday for check in and will enjoy our first dinner together at 6pm. Silence will commence around 9:30 pm after the evening introductory session and will continue through Sunday morning when we will break our silence and enjoy our final lunch together with shared reflections.
Cultivating JOY through the lens of silence and self compassion is a noble offering to yourself. Guided meditations and simple mindfulness practices are offered as an invitation to notice and make connections to joy in the midst of it! Attending to and noticing the obstacles arising cultivates space for those moments of joy that may pass by unnoticed. It is not necessary to have meditation experience but it is preferred. This retreat is not a traditional Vipassana silent retreat yet it holds silence as a sacred practice and also includes writing, sitting and eating meditation practices, music with eye shades and a mat, and movement. This is an opportunity to bring joy into your everyday life!
All participants are encouraged to commit to the full program, including a live zoom preparation session prior to the retreat.This is especially important for participants who have yet to experience a silent retreat.A full digital detox is highly encouraged, and at a minimum no cell phones will be allowed in the conference center or at meals. Finding freedom from our phones will feel liberating after the initial moment of letting go. In the evenings after our silent dinners, we will have an opportunity to listen to evening discussions and contemplate their relevance to our lives.Mindfulness allows for a balanced awareness of negative thoughts, enabling individuals to observe their feelings without becoming overwhelmed or overly identified with them. This aligns with Dr. Tara Brach’s teachings on radical acceptance, suggesting that embracing our present experience with compassion leads to deeper self-awareness and growth.In essence, self-compassion during a silent retreat is essential, facilitating a nurturing space for exploration, acceptance, and personal transformation.A capacity for self regulation, self reflection and self care is appreciated. The group experience is a safe and sacred opportunity to connect to one’s self and to the reality that we are all connected. This retreat is co hosted by MENLA.org and AccessMindfulness.org
Schedule:
Friday. July 31
3 - 6 pm Arrival & Check-in
6 - 7 pm Dinner
7:30 - 9:15 Opening Session - Silence Begins
Saturday, August 1
Silent Day
7:15 - 8 am Early Morning Sit
8 - 9 am Breakfast
9:30 am - 12 pm Morning Meditations
12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch
1:30 - 2:30 pm Afternoon Break, Free time for Relaxation, Spa & Rest
2:30 - 5:30 pm Afternoon Program
6 - 7 pm Dinner
7:30 - 8:30 pm Evening Program
Sunday, August 2
Silent Day
7:15 - 8 am Early Morning Sit
8 - 9 am Breakfast
9:30 am - 12 pm Morning Meditations
12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch
1:30 - 2:30 pm Afternoon Break, Free time for Relaxation, Spa & Rest
2:30 - 5:30 pm Afternoon Program
6 - 7 pm Dinner
7:30 - 8:30 pm Evening Program
Monday, August 3
Silent Day
7:15 - 8 am Early Morning Sit
8 - 9 am Breakfast
9:30 am - 12 pm Morning Meditations
12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch
1:30 - 2:30 pm Afternoon Break, Free time for Relaxation, Spa & Rest
2:30 - 5:30 pm Afternoon Program
6 - 7 pm Dinner
7:30 - 8:30 pm Evening Program
Tuesday, August 4
7 - 11 am Check-out of Rooms
7 - 8 am Morning Meditation & Yoga - Silent
8 - 9 am Breakfast - Silent
9:30 am - 12:30 pm Closing Morning Program - Silence Broken
12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch & Departure
*Please note that the schedule is subject to change.
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