375 Panterkill Road PO Box 70 Phoenicia, NY 12464 United States
October 29 - November 2, 2025
About this Retreat
Lama Lhanang Rinpoche is a Tibetan Buddhist teacher of the Nyingma Longchen Nying-Thig order who has studied with many revered masters from different lineages. Born and trained in Northeast Tibet, he practices from an unbroken lineage with warmth, humor, and deep compassion. He is known for his joyful presence, heartfelt wisdom, and ability to make ancient, sometimes obscure teachings accessible for modern life.
He is an accomplished instructor of meditation, Anu-yoga, Tibetan art, Feng-shui, cultural and historical studies as well as a skilled practitioner of Tibetan medicine. Rinpoche addresses the needs of individuals so as to reach them in a gentle and profound way, offering private consultation on business and personal relationships.
At various retreats Rinpoche leads teachings in meditation, Dzogchen ( the Great Perfection), mantra, Tibetan yoga, healing rituals, and sacred art. His sessions are welcoming to all levels and focus on cultivating awareness, inner peace, and compassionate living. At Menla he will be offering Anu Yoga, Guided Meditations, Healing Ceremonies ( Sacred Chod ) and a Fire Puja Circle for World Peace.
Lama Lhanang has appeared in a PBS program on Sacred Art, and he is the author of books on Karma, a general survey of Buddhism, and an introduction to the Tibetan Book of the Dead. He will be offering teachings based on material from these works. The books will be available for sale at the Menla bookstore and will be personally signed by Rinpoche.
Lama Lhanang currently directs the Jigme Lingpa Center in San Diego, where he resides with his wife Tsering and their two children, Rigzin and Pema. He teaches throughout the United States, Mexico and Canada.
For more, visit
buddhistsandiego.com
Laraaji is a musician, mult-instrumentalist, mystic and laughter meditation practitioner based in New York City. He attended Howard University, a historically black university in Washington D.C. on a scholarship to study composition and piano. Laraaji’s experiments and exploratons with the open-tuned electric autoharp/zither began with a gentle nudge from his divine guidance. In 1976, in Queens, NY, he had gone into a pawn shop to trade his guitar for much-needed cash, but was guided to instead acquire the autoharp/zither in the store window. Heeding this mystical and startling guidance, he left the shop with a Kentucky Blue Grass instrument he had never touched before. But within a few weeks Laraaji had discovered a new sound vocabulary with this 36-stringed American folk instrument.
After much open-minded experimentation with altered tunings, Laraaji arrived at a deeply engaging and exotic new age music performance sound, which he sometimes refers to as “Celestial Vibration”, recalling an earlier paranormal sound hearing experience. Laraaji began studying Eastern mysticism and improvising trance-inducing jams on his modified autoharp, processed through various electronic effects.
In 1979, Brian Eno saw LARAAJI playing in Washington Square Park, NYC and invited him to record an album for his seminal Ambient series Ambient 3: Day of Radiance, released 1980. Since then LARAAJI has recorded over 50 solo and collab albums, the latest of which are three solo piano improvisation LPs, SUN PIANO, MOON PIANO & THROUGH LUMINOUS EYES, VISION SONGS Vol 1 (Numero Group). He also conducts healing laughter playshops around the world. See htp://laraaji.blogspot.com/ and follow @edwardlgordon
His latest collaboration with Endel entitled “You are Relaxed” was released August 22, 2022
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/03/06/the-transcendence-of-laraaji
Arji "OceAnanda" Cakouros is a Sound Healer, Musician, Usui Reiki Master, & Dreamwork Teacher with a private counseling/healing practice based in Niskayuna, NY. Since 2008, she has enjoyed the deep joy and honour of collaborating with Blissmate Sw.Laraaji NadaBrahmananda “LARAAJI”, in many venues worldwide, offering Healing Sound events and Laughter Immersion experiences, as well as a great variety of musical performances, some in conjunction with other artists.
She is included in the Fall 2011 release of "That Healing Feeling", a collaborative recording made with Laraaji and Blues Control musicians Lea Cho and Russ Waterhouse, which received international attention and acclaim, resulting in an eight country tour in 2012:
http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/16056-frkwys-vol-8/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PitchforkAlbumReviews+%28Pitchfork%3A+Album+Reviews%29
Arji has also served as faculty for both the prestigious international Sound Healers Intensive in Colorado for its final nine years, developed by internationally recognized Sound Healing Pioneer Jonathan Goldman (for which she and Laraaji released a highly acclaimed two Cd set entitled "Laughter & Consciousness"), as well as on the faculty for the Sacred Sounds Institute Intensive held annually at Olympic National Park, Washington state created by the multi-talented pioneer Sound Healer Vickie Dodd.
Other releases with Laraaji include a trilogy of live concert events offered as single CDs or a 3 CD set. They were recorded at DubLab in Los Angeles (Nov. 2013), the historic Bijoux Theatre in Knoxville ( 2014 BIG EARS festival), and most recently at the Indianapolis Museum of Art ( May, 2014). Additionally, her "In a Celestial Cathedral" chant cd with drone by Laraaji, and their "Into the Peace Garden" (July 2016) Colorado concert recording has enjoyed an enthusiastic response. Arji is also featured on a collaborative release with Laraaji and synth trio Dallas Acid entitled “Arrive Without Leaving”... named one of the top ten new releases of 2018 by PITCHFORK. More recently (2022), she and Laraaji are featured on Our Silent Canvas’ release entitled “Circle of Celebration”…a collaborative endeavor under the guidance of Christopher Bono and NOUS.
Details of this retreat
This one-of-a-kind retreat weaves together ancient Tibetan teachings, practices, and ceremonies with cutting-edge celestial trance music, therapeutic laughter, sound bath and “playshop” experiences, among other inspiring offerings. Master of the Tibetan Nyingma Longchen Nying-Thig lineage, Lama Lhanang Rinpoche teams up with pioneering ambient musicians and sound healers, Swami Laraaji NadaBrahmananda and Arji OceAnanda Cakouros for an immersive healing retreat experience unlike any other.
Through the skillful use of chant voice, gong tone performance, celestial zither, intuitive voice, gentle percussive sound textures, and nature sounds, a richly supportive atmosphere will be created as an outer setting for deep inner connection and meditative release opportunities, resulting in a light wonderful feeling of natural flow that will illuminate your deeper sensitivities and leave you ready to face your life’s challenges with greater grace and equipoise.
The main retreat offerings include:
Daily Tibetan yoga and meditation
Authentic healing Chod practice
Healing Chod practice is a sonically supported spiritual path that "cuts through" obstacles, negativity and self-delusion, while relying on Feminine Wisdom energy to purify body, mind and spirit. Combining all the powerful elements of Tibetan Buddhism in a single practice, it brings about a direct experience of one’s inner brilliance and original wisdom. It also helps the practitioner accumulate merit.
Tibetan fire puja
Through traditional Tibetan Fire Puja ceremony, one makes offerings to the Buddha and Bodhisattvas firstly, and then to the protectors and very high spiritual gods/goddesses. Offerings are made to all sentient beings as well as an offering to demons and hungry ghosts in order to release any negative karma. It is like paying a karmic debt while the fire devours all that is humbly offered in the spirit of release. A dedication to world peace is an overall objective, through the transformation of lesser energies.
Sonically-supported meditative trance work
Celestial music immersion is a means of relaxing into our stillness in a safe space. This experience of being bathed and held lovingly by the sounds flowing through the presenters allows for a rich meditative opportunity of resultant connection, peace, and bliss.
Open-hearted therapeutic laughter yoga
Laughter yogic release therapy is an opportunity to be expertly guided through an interactive, musically supported laughter release session that will help deliver us into our deeper relaxation and healing inner stillness. We will be guided in using our own voice tone and laughter as vehicles for internal energy medicine and positive psychology. The sessions will include a deeply supportive sonic immersion experience to enhance individual inner alignment and integration of our inner child and adult persona.
A full ambient musical concert evening with Laraaji and Arji.
We also include a few periods of stillness and silence to accompany us as this mystical mountain journey unfolds for our own inner connection and release.
If you can only attend 2 or 3 nights of this retreat, you may register for pro-rated partial attendance via our Front Desk at frontdesk@menla.org.
This page is for registration for the in-person attendance option at Menla. If you wish to attend virtually/online instead, please visit our Menla Online portal via Teachable.
Schedule:
Wednesday, October 29
3 - 6 pm Check-in
6 - 7 pm Dinner
7:30 pm Welcome, Healing Chod Practice with Music (Lama Lhanang, Laraaji, Arji)
Thursday, October 30
7 - 8 am Tibetan Yoga (Lama Lhanang)
8 - 9 am Breakfast
10 am Bodhicitta Part 1: Developing Great Compassion (Lama Lhanang)
12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch
1:30 - 4 pm Free Time for Hiking, Spa Treatments, Private Healings with Lama Lhanang 1:30-3:30 only, Dewa Spa), Private Sessions with Arji & Laraaji (Tara Sanctuary)
4 pm Talk & Book Signing on “The Beginner’s Guide to Karma” (Lama Lhanang)
6 - 7 pm Dinner
7:30 pm Sound Bath: Entering the Celestial Dream Realm (Laraaji and Arji)
Friday, October 31
7 - 8 am Tibetan Yoga (Lama Lhanang)
8 - 9 am Breakfast
10 am Bodhicitta Part 2: Developing Great Compassion (Lama Lhanang)
12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch
1:30 – 4 pm Free Time for Spa Treatments, Private Healing with Lama Lhanang (Dewa Spa, 1:30-3 only) Private Sessions with Arji & Laraaji (Tara Sanctuary), Hiking, etc.
3:30 p.m. Talk & Book Signing on “The Tibetan Book of the Dead for Beginners” (Lama Lhanang)
5:30-6:15 pm Dinner
6:30 pm Traditional Tibetan Fire Puja (Lama Lhanang) weather permitting**
Saturday, November 1
7 - 8 am Tibetan Yoga (Lama Lhanang)
8 - 9 am Breakfast
10 am Bodhicitta Part 3: Developing Great Compassion (Lama Lhanang)
12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch
1 - 3 pm Free Time for Spa Treatments, Private Healings with Lama Lhanang (Dewa Spa), Hiking, etc.
3 - 5 pm Laughter Yoga and Sound “Playshop” (Laraaji and Arji)
6 - 7 pm Dinner
8 pm Concert Performance: Into the Peace Garden (Laraaji and Arji)**
Sunday, November 2
7 - 11 am Check-out of Guest Rooms
7 - 8 am Tibetan Yoga (Lama Lhanang)
8 - 9 am Breakfast
10 am Talk & Book Signing on “The Buddha in You: A Beginner’s Guide to Buddhism: from Karma to Nirvana” (Lama Lhanang)
12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch & Departure
*Please note that the schedule is subject to change at any time.
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