Jessica is a senior level certified Iyengar Yoga teacher. She is a member of IAYT (International Association of Yoga Therapists) and has taught Iyengar Yoga for 23 years in the Hudson Valley. She works with methodical detail, and creates a playful and challenging approach to the path of yoga practice as a tool to study oneself. For we practice yoga not to get better at yoga, but to learn more about ourselves. She is well practiced and experienced in Iyengar Yoga therapy as an effective tool to help injuries, chronic pain, trauma, and other conditions.
Details of this retreat
The power of practice, patience, and the radical acceptance of change.
Join Jess for a 4 day retreat of Iyengar Yoga, pranayama, and meditations.
This retreat offers to nourish the many levels of our being from the powerfully physical to the quiet space within. Each yoga asana session will build upon the previous session logically and sequentially. Each evening has an optional session to quieten your mind for the night. In between, Menla offers a magical array of mountain walks, delicious food, supportive company, and the quietness of your own self care.
The power of practice gives us the agency to keep showing up, whatever obstacles we encounter. Showing up for practice is, ultimately, showing up for ourselves.
Practice requires and cultivates patience. Patience is not simply a state of mind; it is an embodied experience—a physical, mental, and emotional pause. It is a slowing down that gives us space to observe what may be holding us back and to recognize the conditions we place on ourselves before allowing deeper understanding to emerge.
Patience is not passivity. Rather, it is a radical and transformative acceptance of where we are, while creating space to move through the challenges of our stressful and busy lives.
Iyengar Yoga uses yoga postures (asana), breath practices (pranayama), and meditation to cultivate patience, agency, and self-reflection.
Jessica is a senior level Iyengar Yoga teacher with 28 years of teaching experience. She teaches in the Hudson Valley, in the North East, and abroad in the UK and Europe. Jessica works with methodical detail that builds awareness of movement and form. Her classes are playful, challenging, and healing. She is well practiced in Iyengar Yoga therapy as an effective tool to help injuries and other conditions. This is her sixth year hosting a retreat at Menla.
Schedule
Thursday April 8th
3 - 7 pm Check in
4:30 - 6pm Welcome and Yoga class
6 - 7 pm Dinner
7:30 - 8:30pm Restorative and pranayama practice (optional)
Friday April 9th
8 - 9 am Breakfast
9:30 am - 12 pm Yoga class
12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch
4 - 5:45 pm Yoga class
6 - 7 pm Dinner
7:30 - 8:30 pm Evening Chanting with Leslie Freyburg (optional)
Saturday April 10th
8 - 9 am Breakfast
9:30 am - 12 pm Yoga class
12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch
4 - 5:45 pm Yoga class
6 - 7 pm Dinner
7:30 pm - 8:30 pm Q and A by the fire (optional)
Sunday April 11th
8 - 9 am Breakfast (and check out of rooms)
9:30 am - 12 pm Yoga class
12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch
1:30 pm Departure
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.
Customer Reviews
4.85 out of 5.0 average rating
5.0
Verified
A Great Retreat Experience
The staff was very friendly and accommodating. The grounds are so tranquil and beautiful and the facilities were very clean. My only suggestion for improvement is to provide a more private dressing area after taking a shower.
Many of the attendees I spoke with felt the same way. Thank you!
5.0
Verified
Quiet, peaceful, relaxing and rejuvenating
Menla is a wonderful location to attend a retreat or create your own retreat. The forest location is rejuvenating all on its own, but then you add in the delicious food, kind staff, and relaxing bedrooms, and you certainly can find yourself unwinding. I signed up for a yoga retreat, not knowing the instructors or anyone in the class. Most attendees in my retreat were already friends or followers of the instructors, but that didn't affect the quality of the experience for me. You can be a solo retreatant and have an amazing experience there. I also was concerned about the shared bathroom experience as the rooms with private baths were all sold out, but it was never an issue and the bathrooms were pristine. Lastly, I also scheduled spa services and found the practitioner to be very skilled and professional. The spa is a lovely place to spend the day drinking tea, reading books, lounging, and enjoying the small sauna areas. The 10-headed shower was delightful! If you are looking for a beautiful and natural setting, Menla is the perfect place to go!
5.0
Verified
A wonderful week
A magical time in the Catskills! The grounds were stunning, the facilities were great and the food was very, very good. Also, the staff were friendly and helpful. I loved my time there. The only disappointment was the spa, in that I had two appointments cancelled. I understand that staffing issues happen but I felt the level of service was not comparable to the rest of the facility although I did go on a guided hike and it was great.
5.0
Verified
ASKing age for roombooking
I was there with a retreat. When booking, it asks for my age and my preference (female or male) for my bathroommate, since I am in a single room and share a bathroom with another person. I chose to share with a female. First, I shared the bathroom with a couple. I didn't realize I would be sharing my bathroom with two other people, and that one of them would be male. At one point, as I was leaving the bathroom, I accidentally ran right into the male with just a towel on. Because of personal reasons, this was very challenging . Second, asking for a person's age when booking a room should be optional, or not asked at all. I can see that I was profiled and was in housing with people around my age and order. This could have been totally by coincidence.
Overall, I found the property and the experience to be wonderful. All the staff are truly loving and caring. Thank you!
5.0
Verified
Amazingly tranquil space for a retreat with great amenities
Just got home from another amazing retreat at Menla.
The lecture hall is such a great space and the audio / visual people do such an amazing job of stage managing the room with multiple cameras and mics that it makes for a great educational tool to be able to go back to such a well produced recording after. The room is large, with comfortable seating and environment.
The food in the dining hall in the Main Inn building is vegetarian and is awesome, even for omnivores like myself - didn't miss the meat at all for the week.
My room this time was in the same building as the lecture hall and was very nicely done and comfortable with an armoire, queen bed, desk and chair. My previous room had a sink and mirror, this one did not. But that was fine. Previous room in another building shared a bathroom with one other room, this one shared a bathroom with 10 other rooms, but it was a multi person bathroom with two shower stalls, two sinks and one toilet stall for men. So with a mix of genders in the rooms, you only share with about half the rooms. It worked out well. Finally, I used the recommended car service to go to and from the resort and it worked out great. The only issue with that is that the roads around campus are gravel and so if you get dropped at the Inn and walk to the Convention Center like I did with a roller bag, that can be a longish, bumpy walk while most people would be driving. No biggie, just something to keep in mind.
The spa is also amazing. The retreat I was at gave you ample free time to explore the resort and surrounding areas for hikes, etc. I got two awesome massages and the steam room and sauna in the men's room were very nice along with an automated shower that had several massage settings to choose from as well.
All in all, a great educational experience at Menla with one of my favorite Buddhist teachers, with great accommodations, great food, and great people in a beautiful setting in the Catskill Mountains of New York.
Select your options
Available Dates
April 8 - 11, 2027
Select a Room
Deluxe Queen
$1,575.00
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)
$1,333.00
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
$1,380.00
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)
$1,269.00
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.
Cameron's Staff Pick
Top Rated
Verified
Yoga
Relationship & Community
Meditation
Spirituality
Last Chance