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Dragon Heart: A Women’s Retreat

Name: Dragon Heart: A Women’s Retreat
Start: 2026-07-16
End: 2026-07-19
Location: Menla
Rating: 4.84

4.8450 reviews

375 Panterkill Road PO Box 70 Phoenicia, NY 12464 United States

July 16 - 19, 2026

About this Retreat

Your Guides

Alison

Lynn

Alison Sinatra

Alison Sinatra has been teaching yoga and facilitating healing retreats and spaces for women for over 25 years. Her work supports people in remembering their connection to Spirit.

Drawing on her studies with North and South American Indigenous traditions, Alison weaves prayer, ritual, embodiment, and lightheartedness into all that she offers.

She recently completed Dr. Gabor Maté’s year-long Compassionate Inquiry training, a deep immersion in trauma, addiction, somatic dialogue, and inner-child work. Alison is also a current student in The Portal, a six-month Gabor Maté–inspired program supporting pregnancy and postpartum through consciousness and trauma-informed care.

www.alisonsinatra.com

Lynn Schauwecker

Lynn Schauwecker has spent more than 25 years immersed in healing paths rooted in Indigenous traditions and in collaborative partnerships with Indigenous communities worldwide. Her work deepened in 2003 during her time in the Amazon rainforest, where she apprenticed with Grandmother Maria Alice Campos Freire of the International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers and trained in Florais da Amazônia, a system of Amazonian flower essences that supports emotional balance, spiritual insight, and energetic healing. She is trained in Compassionate Inquiry, the trauma-informed therapeutic modality developed by Dr. Gabor Maté, and offers CI-based sessions alongside her work in somatic, spiritual, and nature-based traditions. For many years, Lynn has also led sweat lodges passed down to her by Native American elders. In addition to her healing practice, Lynn has dedicated more than two decades to Tibet House US and currently serves as Managing Director of Menla Retreat & Dewa Spa. She is also the co-founder of the Floresta Project, a nonprofit supporting Amazonian Indigenous communities through cultural preservation, traditional healing practices, and sustainable, community-led initiatives.

Details of this retreat

Awaken the feminine witness. Ignite the sacred fire within.

Dragon Heart is an immersive women’s retreat dedicated to descending into the deepest chambers of the heart — where truth, instinct, and ancient feminine wisdom converge. In many traditions, the dragon is not a creature of fear, but a guardian of untapped power, the keeper of hidden realms, and the protector of the heart’s most sacred truths.

Here we call upon the Sacred Dragon as a guide, an ally, and a mirror — one whose fearsome gaze pierces illusion, dissolves old narratives, and invites us to stand in the unshakable truth of who we are. Through guided inquiry, ceremony, embodiment practices, breathwork, and circle work, we soften the layers of the self while awakening the fierce clarity that lives beneath.

This transformation is amplified by the land itself. Menla, long regarded for its potent healing energies, carries the presence of the Naga — ancient serpent-dragon beings connected to water, medicine, and unseen realms. Tibetan Masters and Indigenous elders who have visited Menla describe these Naga as protectors and guardians of profound esoteric wisdom. Throughout the retreat, we honor and attune to these subtle forces, inviting their guidance as we navigate our own inner landscapes.

We will also enter the sweat lodge, a sacred space of purification and prayer. Held by earth and fire, we shed what no longer serves, open the heart through humility and courage, and call forth the ancient knowing that has always lived within us.

Together, we explore how to hold softness and strength, stillness and power, tenderness and truth, allowing each to inform and transform the other.

Return with a renewed sense of purpose, clarity, and inner fire — connected to your Dragon Heart and supported by the women who walk beside you.

Schedule:

Thursday, July 16

3 - 5 pm Check-in
6 - 7 pm Dinner
7:30 pm Opening Circle

Friday, July 17

8 - 9 am Breakfast
9:30 - 11:30 am The Vessel (bowspring-inspired movement)
12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch
1:30 - 3:00 pm Spa Appointments & Free Time (advanced booking recommended)
3 - 5:30 pm Inquiry & Breathwork Ceremony
6 - 7 pm Dinner
7:30 pm Night Forest Circle

Saturday, July 18

5:30/6 am Sweat Lodge
12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch
1:30 - 4:30 pm Spa Appointments & Free Time (advanced booking recommended)
4:30 - 5:30 pm The Vessel (bowspring-inspired movement)
6 - 7 pm Dinner
7:30 pm Fire Ritual + Dance Celebration

Sunday, July 19

8 - 9 am Breakfast
10 am - 12 pm Closing Ceremony
11 am Check-out from rooms
12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch

*Please note this schedule is subject to change any time.

Getting Here

Menla, 375 Panterkill Road PO Box 70 Phoenicia, NY 12464 United States

Accommodation

Deluxe Queen

Deluxe Queen Room with Queen Bed and Private Bathroom Free Phone and Hi-Speed Wifi Internet Access Available Air Conditioning All Rooms in Lhasa are Handicap-Accessible, Including Four Rooms with Wheelchair Accessible Showers. Deluxe Queen Rooms are Available in Lhasa Inn and Kathmandu House * Please note that rates include meals and accommodations

Deluxe Double (Shared Room)

Deluxe Double Room with Two Full Size Beds and Private Bathroom Free Phone and Hi-Speed Wifi Internet Access Available Air Conditioning All Rooms in Lhasa are Handicap-Accessible, Including Four Rooms with Wheelchair Accessible Showers. Deluxe Double Rooms with Private Bathrooms are Located in the Lhasa Inn * Please note rates include meals and accommodations. This booking is for one bed in a double shared room: We May Assign You a Roommate if You Do Not Register with One.

Standard Single - Shared Bath

Menla Private Queen Room with Queen Bed and Shared Bathroom Public Phone and Hi-Speed Wifi Internet Access Available This lodging type is not ADA Compliant Private Queen Rooms with Shared Bathroom are Available in Thimpu House, Panther Cottage and Potala House * Please note that rates include meals and accommodations

Standard Double Full - Shared bath (Shared Room)

Deluxe Double Room with Two Full Beds and Shared Bathroom Free Phone and Hi-Speed Wifi Internet Access Available Air Conditioning This lodging type is not ADA Compliant. Please note that due to the stairs we recommend that guests with mobility issues book other accommodations. Deluxe Double Rooms with Shared Bathrooms are Located in Thimphu * Please note rates include meals and accommodations. This booking is for one bed in a double shared room: We May Assign You a Roommate if You Do Not Register with One.

Standard Double Twin - Shared bath (Shared Room)

Deluxe Double Room with Two Twin Beds and Shared Bathroom Free Phone and Hi-Speed Wifi Internet Access Available Air Conditioning This lodging type is not ADA Compliant. Please note that due to the stairs we recommend that guests with mobility issues book other accommodations. Deluxe Double Rooms with Shared Bathrooms are Located in Thimphu * Please note rates include meals and accommodations. This booking is for one bed in a double shared room: We May Assign You a Roommate if You Do Not Register with One.

Economy Premium Single - Shared Bath

Standard Premium Single Room with a Queen or Full Bed and Shared Bathroom Up to 10 guests share two large bathrooms. Each bathroom has two shower stalls and two toilets. A phone is not available but high-speed WiFi is available in the room Phone Access Available in Upper Level Of Conference Center. All calls are free of charge This Lodging Type is not ADA Compliant. * Please note rates include meals and accommodations.

Economy Single - Shared Bath

Standard Single Room with a Twin Bed and Shared Bathroom Bathroom is Shared with One to Six Other Guests on Your Floor. A phone is not available but high-speed WiFi is available in the room Phone Access Available in Nearby Conference Center and also Lhasa in Business Center. All calls are free of charge. This Lodging Type is not ADA Compliant. * Please note rates include meals and accommodations.

Economy Double - Shared Bath (Shared Room)

Standard Double with Twin Beds and Shared Bathroom The bathroom is Shared with other rooms on the same floor. High-speed Wi-Fi is available in the room. Phone Access Available in Nearby Conference Center and also Lhasa in Business Center. All calls are free of charge. This Lodging Type is not ADA Compliant. * Please note that rates include meals and accommodations * Please note: this is an open door policy room, meaning there are no keys to lock the door (we have lockers you can use at Lhasa if needed) * This booking is for one bed in a double shared room: We May Assign You Roommates if You Do Not Register with others

Economy Quad - Shared Bath (Shared Room)

Standard Quad Room with Quad Twin Beds and Shared Bathroom Accommodations Fee Includes All Meals. High speed Wi-Fi is available in the room. Phone Access Available in Nearby Conference Center and also Lhasa in Business Center. All calls are free of charge. This Lodging Type is not ADA Compliant. * Please note that rates include meals and accommodations * Please note: this is an open door policy room, meaning there are no keys to lock the door (we have lockers you can use at Lhasa if needed) * This booking is for one bed in a quad shared room: We May Assign You Roommates if You Do Not Register with others.

Camping

Camping Campers Have Access to Bathrooms with Showers in Lower Level of Conference Center. Menla Has Six Wooden Camping Platforms by the Pantherkill Stream (First Come First Serve). If All Platforms are Full or You Prefer Not to Use One, There is Also Camping Space in a Small Field by the Stream. Accommodations Fee Includes All Meals. Phone and High Speed Wi-Fi Available in Upstairs of the Conference Center and also Lhasa in Business Center. All calls are free of charge. This Lodging Type is not ADA Compliant. * Please note that rates include meals and accommodations

Commuter

Commuters Menla Encourages Members of the Community to Participate in Our Wonderful Programs! Includes Meals, Public Phone, Public Computer, and Wi-Fi Internet Available in Lhasa Inn. Accommodations Fee Includes All Meals.

Customer Reviews

4.84 out of 5.0 average rating

Annie • Jun 18, 2026

5.0

Verified

Such a beautiful setting

Menla is the best retreat location I have been to. (Others are Garrison Institute, Omega, Art of Living in N.C., and Insight Meditation in Barre, MA) It's beautiful, peaceful, has great walking trails. It's beautiful campus to walk across. The lodging is excellent-- great beds, linens, rooms, artwork on wall. And the food is the best I've had-- all vegetarian but with lots of flavor.

Anonymous • Jun 17, 2026

5.0

Verified

Retreat

The facilities and food at Menla was outstanding. The beauty of the land, the clean and comfortable beds and rooms added to the beautiful experience.
When I go on retreats, having delicious meals is import ant and the cleanliness of the room and facilities is important. Menla did a great job. Loved being able to enjoy the Dewa spa too. All people I interacted with with kind and easy to communicate with. Grateful.

Whitney • Jun 17, 2026

5.0

Verified

Beautiful and Nourishing

The grounds are breathtaking, the staff is kind, the food is so healthy and fresh. What a fantastic time I had at a recent retreat here. It is a little more casual that Kripalu, with a ton of heart and depth to their offerings.

Gonzalo • Jun 15, 2026

5.0

Verified

Life Changing

I was so nervous going to Menla but what a beautiful place where real transformation can occur. So grateful for my time there.

Leslie • Jun 08, 2026

5.0

Verified

Vajra Yoga Mahasiddha Reunion 2026

The retreat was transformative. Menla has a strong emphasis on a scholarly teachers and balances that with spiritual practice. On the other hand some of the lectures were hard to follow. A little like galloping horses. I enjoyed the discussions as much as I could follow. I think setting an intention for the course material and lectures would be helpful. Add to that a reminder or translation of what is being said for those of us not well versed in Sanskrit. Nightly Kirtan with Krishna Das was wonderful. Meals were delicious.

Dragon Heart: A Women’s Retreat

About this Retreat

Your Guides

Alison Sinatra

Lynn Schauwecker

Details of this retreat

Getting Here