Cameron's Staff Pick

The Great Sound Escape: A Winter Retreat for Hibernation with Sound Healing, Mantra, Meditation, Movement, Intention Setting, and Vision Board Creation

Name: The Great Sound Escape: A Winter Retreat for Hibernation with Sound Healing, Mantra, Meditation, Movement, Intention Setting, and Vision Board Creation
Start: 2026-12-11
End: 2026-12-13
Location: Menla
Rating: 4.78

4.78111 reviews

Phoenicia, NY 12464, USA

December 11 - 13, 2026

About this Retreat

Your Guides

Lisa

Michele

Lisa Annese

Lisa Annese is an author, motivational speaker, teacher, sound therapist and owner of The Space by Lisa Annese, a spiritual healing and retreat center in Wyckoff, NJ. As a divorced woman, single mother and hearing loss advocate (supporting the needs of her son who has permanent hearing loss), she has chosen to dark into light in her own life, embrace challenges as lessons, and forever change the narrative of her future and that of her family. In her first book, I Am Light, Lisa openly shares stories from her path about finding her own light as an opportunity to educate and help others to do the same for themselves. Learn more about Lisa’s service offerings, retreats, workshops, events and more at lisaannese.com or on Instagram @ lisaannese.

Michele Marason

Michele Marason is a sound healing practitioner, energy worker, and founder of Maratash Vibrations, a holistic wellness practice based in Oradell, New Jersey. Through sound baths, private healing sessions, meditation, and intentional wellness experiences/retreats, Michele creates supportive spaces for relaxation, energetic balance, and self-discovery. Her healing journey began in 2010 when her young daughter was diagnosed with a rare and very serious illness. During that time, Michele was introduced to energy healing and experienced firsthand its profound impact on her daughter and family. What began as a search for support became a transformative spiritual awakening that inspired her path as an energy and sound practitioner. In 2025, while navigating both a breast cancer diagnosis and a corporate restructuring, Michele felt called more deeply toward her soul’s purpose and founded Maratash Vibrations to help others reconnect, or more deeply connect, with themselves through sound, energy, intention, meditation and self-love. Michele’s training includes Jikiden Reiki, The Silva Method, Tibetan Singing Bowls, Crystal Singing Bowls, Tuning Forks, Gong and Sound Meditation Training, Crystal Healing Practices and hospice/end-of-life caregiving. Learn more at Maratash Vibrations or on Instagram at @maratashvibrations.

Details of this retreat

Join Lisa Annese and Michele Marason for a weekend of deep reflection, surrender and a safe sanctuary to hibernate as 2026 comes to completion. Through Tibetan sound healing, mantra, meditation, yoga and sacred ceremony, participants will be guided to honor with gratitude the journey lived thus far and plant blessings of intention as our journey evolves into 2027. Throughout the weekend, Tibetan singing bowls, gongs, tuning forks, mantra practices, and vibrational sound healing will help restore harmony, balance and clear the chakras and energetic blocks allowing our intentions to flow naturally. We will hibernate with deeper intention and self-awareness, remembering who we are and our purpose. Guided by the path of spirit and love, we will plant seeds in your heart to receive abundant blessings for the new year. The retreat will also include Kundalini yoga, meditation, a cacao ceremony, intention setting, affirmations and free time to enjoy the grounds at Menla, creating a sacred space for reflection, release, and deep connection with yourself and the participants sharing this experience.

“Hibernation is not disappearing. It is preparing." - Unknown

Schedule:

Friday, December 11

3 - 6 pm Guest Check In
6 - 7 pm Dinner
7:30 - 9:30 pm Opening Circle and New Moon Sound Bath Meditation with Cacao (Yoga Studio)

Saturday, December 12

7:15 - 7:45 am Early Morning Mantra Practice (Yoga Studio)
8 - 9 am Breakfast

9:30 - 10:30 am Kundalini Yoga, Meditation & Gong Bath

10:30 - 11 am Intention Setting Meditation & Journal Exercise

11 am - 12:15 pm Vision Board Creation
12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch
1:30 - 6 pm Free Time(Private Treatments with Lisa and Michele, Spa Treatments, Garden, Reading, Hiking, Explore Menla)
6 - 7 pm Dinner
7:30 - 9:30 pm Group Discussion & Sound Bath Meditation (Yoga Studio)
7:30 - 9:30 pm Tea Ceremony after Sound Bath Meditation

Sunday, December 13

7 - 11 am Check-out of Rooms
7:15 - 7:45 am Early Morning Mantra Practice (Yoga Studio)
8 - 9 am Breakfast

9:30 - 11:30 am Chakra Balancing Meditation with Sound Healing

11:30 am - 12:30 pm Closing Circle & Affirmations
12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch
12:30 - 2 pm Free Time / Departure

*Please note this schedule is subject to change.

Getting Here

Menla, Phoenicia, NY 12464, USA

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.

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

4.78 out of 5.0 average rating

Mariel • Nov 05, 2026

5.0

Verified

Radiance Retrear at Menla

What a beautiful experience carefully curated and guided by Connie Viglietti in a magical, special place. The meals were cooked with love and the spa was delightful. Look forward to going again next year.

Anonymous • Nov 05, 2026

5.0

Verified

Loved the yoga retreat

Wonderful weekend of yoga and enjoying company of great group! Beautiful countryside with fall foliage and streams . Really remarkable. Clean rooms and very tasty food . Great yoga , wonderful teaching and beautiful place .

Donna • Nov 04, 2026

5.0

Verified

A perfect retreat

Everything was ideal. My room in the inn was spacious and thoughtfully designed, from the writing desk to the shower room, and I wished I had had time to avail myself of the beautiful reading nook and library down the hall. The food was nourishing and good, and the mostly volunteer staff was courteous and kind.

The sacred nature of Nature was tangible everywhere, and I appreciated seeing the various shrines celebrating it. The beauty along the upper and lower roads, as well as the middle way to the conference center, where my program took place, even in the latter part of Autumn, lifted my heart.

I'm very grateful for the time I spent there, and will gladly return.

Anonymous • Nov 04, 2026

1.0

Verified

Awful Lodging, Service, and Food

I've done the retreat circuit for over 30 years but had never been to Menla. I attended for a specific program. The program itself was disappointing and the teacher left early, leaving the assistant to teach the last two sessions, which involved quite a bit of self-promotion. The grounds are beautiful, but besides this the food was awful - you can feel the attempt to cut costs with food when one dinner is primarily a HUGE baked potato. The phone in our overpriced accommodations did not work and we were told it would be fixed - which it never was during the week's stay. Also during a week's stay, the garbage was not collected once, and piled up in our room and the shared bathroom (which was also not cleaned at all during our stay) - but the best part was having to take toilet paper back to our lodging from the conference center bathroom because despite repeated requests, we were never brought any once what was supplied had been used. I will never attend Menla again for any reason.

Nancy • Oct 29, 2026

5.0

Verified

Cultivating Joy- A Ketamine Assisted Mindfulness Retreat

What a fabulous location and place for this amazing retreat at Menla! The food was great, the grounds were gorgeous and the buildings/ facilities evoked a feeling of peace, honor and tranquility. There is a feeling of spacious stillness at Menla. Look forward to returning.

The Great Sound Escape: A Winter Retreat for Hibernation with Sound Healing, Mantra, Meditation, Movement, Intention Setting, and Vision Board Creation

About this Retreat

Your Guides

Lisa Annese

Michele Marason

Details of this retreat

Getting Here