Cameron's Staff Pick
4.0
Verified
Retreat at Menla
My retreat experience at Menla was wonderful.
The teacher was knowledgeable, loving, deeply committed to the path, well-spoken, prepared, and generous with course materials and the overall transmission.
The property, all of the meals, and rooms were handled with care and intentionally set.
The spa facility was gorgeous, but my experience with the practitioners were that they needed more training, to truly support guests. I was told I could have a bath and choose between three types. I was very excited to book in the bath that had local junipers from the area. The next day, leading up to this bath I excitedly told sangha this was what I was heading into, to steep in a bath with elements from the local forest, and how special that could be. When I showed up to my appointment, I was told that bath was actually not available and I should choose between two others. It was frustrating to choose one the day before, and show up 24 hours later to find out that type should not have been offered - I wished the staff had reached out to me at least several hours before, to tell me. I was also supposed to have a massage and was told by the front desk that I could customize that 60 minutes however I wanted on the day, however when I arrived at the session my therapist had a very anxious energy and when she asked about my requests I said I would like some reflexology in my hands and feet during the Swedish massage session, integrated in. She scolded me, saying she would touch my hands and feet but that if I had wanted any reflexology I should have booked the 90 minutes session she offered. I thought perhaps I misunderstood and I gave benefit of the doubt, trying to explain again to her I only wanted reflexology integrated at parts during, but then she told me this again stating I should have booked another reflexology session and she was only going to touch my hands and feet during - once I realized she was very caught up in another story... I quickly cancelled the massage, not wanting to get on the table with this sort of energy exchange. And I left the property to go take my flight home. The next day, I booked a massage at a wellness center in California, and that person provided the combo massage with reflexology, and with ease, very simply without any issues, as I had received with many other gifted massage practitioners countless times across other spas over the years…
To sum it up, Menla itself is a wonderful place, beautifully designed, intentionally curated, the food was prepared with so much love and intention, and the teachers gifts far surpassed anything I could have ever hoped for. I think there is room to improve the spa building experience, however the rest of the experience is wonderful, and I would absolutely return again. It is very special indeed, I felt truly held by the land and the teachings.
The teacher was knowledgeable, loving, deeply committed to the path, well-spoken, prepared, and generous with course materials and the overall transmission.
The property, all of the meals, and rooms were handled with care and intentionally set.
The spa facility was gorgeous, but my experience with the practitioners were that they needed more training, to truly support guests. I was told I could have a bath and choose between three types. I was very excited to book in the bath that had local junipers from the area. The next day, leading up to this bath I excitedly told sangha this was what I was heading into, to steep in a bath with elements from the local forest, and how special that could be. When I showed up to my appointment, I was told that bath was actually not available and I should choose between two others. It was frustrating to choose one the day before, and show up 24 hours later to find out that type should not have been offered - I wished the staff had reached out to me at least several hours before, to tell me. I was also supposed to have a massage and was told by the front desk that I could customize that 60 minutes however I wanted on the day, however when I arrived at the session my therapist had a very anxious energy and when she asked about my requests I said I would like some reflexology in my hands and feet during the Swedish massage session, integrated in. She scolded me, saying she would touch my hands and feet but that if I had wanted any reflexology I should have booked the 90 minutes session she offered. I thought perhaps I misunderstood and I gave benefit of the doubt, trying to explain again to her I only wanted reflexology integrated at parts during, but then she told me this again stating I should have booked another reflexology session and she was only going to touch my hands and feet during - once I realized she was very caught up in another story... I quickly cancelled the massage, not wanting to get on the table with this sort of energy exchange. And I left the property to go take my flight home. The next day, I booked a massage at a wellness center in California, and that person provided the combo massage with reflexology, and with ease, very simply without any issues, as I had received with many other gifted massage practitioners countless times across other spas over the years…
To sum it up, Menla itself is a wonderful place, beautifully designed, intentionally curated, the food was prepared with so much love and intention, and the teachers gifts far surpassed anything I could have ever hoped for. I think there is room to improve the spa building experience, however the rest of the experience is wonderful, and I would absolutely return again. It is very special indeed, I felt truly held by the land and the teachings.
