New Year’s Retreat
Menla, New York - Dec 27 - Jan 1, 2025
With Michele Loew, Robert Thurman, Krishna Das, and many others
Celebrate with friends of Menla - Tibet House US as our community gathers in person to ring in the new year in the magic garden secret valley of the Medicine Buddha, Menla for the 17th year.
Practice, pray and party with us across five days of teachings, breathwork, yoga, astrology, devotional chanting and more. Together we will revitalize ourselves to deal joyfully and successfully with the challenges of these pivotal times and make strides to manifest the very best for ourselves and our communities for 2025.
Retreat Highlights
Breathing 2025 with Matteo Pistono
Meditation teacher and conscious breathing guide, Matteo Pistono, will explore this year’s thematic focus: how we breathe directly impacts the way we feel.
We’ll explore breathing practices dedicated to helping you regulate your nervous system. Discover how to optimize your breathing to overcome fatigue, stress, and lack of inspiration, increasing your overall sense of purpose and well-being!
Chanting Sessions with Krishna Das
Join us in letting go of constricting habit-patterns and setting meaningful and expansive intentions with chanting sessions led by Krishna Das and Nina Rao.
This is a powerful way to connect and manifest positive dreams for the coming year while having much needed fun in a community setting!
Astrological Forecast with Alexander Mallon
Master astrologer and astronomer Alexander Mallon will kick off the retreat with his “astrological forecast” for 2025, teaching us the basics of reading an astrological chart and shedding light on patterns we can expect in the near future as individuals, as a nation, and as a world.
Alexander will also offer expert astrological consultations throughout the program and a group chart reading session that will amaze all but the most hardened skeptics.
Daily VajraYoga Practice with Michele Loew
Get things moving with daily VajraYoga practices taught by Michele Loew. This blend of Hatha and Tibetan Yogas as a way to open the physical and subtle body nervous systems and access our blissful inner essence, innate wisdom and freedom.
It explores the philosophical and experiential technologies from Hatha Yoga and Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Vajrayoga traditions and is a powerful way to set the tone on how you will interact with the world most skillfully in 2025.
General Event Schedule
Friday, December 27
3 - 8 pm Arrival & Check-in
6 - 7 pm Dinner
7:15 pm Welcome with Michael G Burbank & 2025 Astrology Forecast with Alexander Mallon
Saturday, December 28
7 - 8 am Vajrayoga Asanas with Michele Loew
8 - 9 am Breakfast
10:30 am - 12 pm Intro to the Vajrayoga Experience with Michele and Bob
12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch
1:30 - 4 pm Free Time for Spa Treatments, Astrology Consultations, Relaxation, etc
1:45 - 3:15 pm Qi Gong with Paul Bloom
4 - 5:30 pm Dharma Teaching with Matteo and Bob
6 - 7 pm Dinner
7:30 pm Kirtan with Krishna Das & Friends
Sunday, December 29
7 - 8 am Vajrayoga Asanas with Michele
8 - 9 am Breakfast
9:15 - 10:45 am Morning Class with Matteo
11 am - 12:30 pm Prayers for the Goddesses Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswati and Tara with Nina
12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch
1:30 - 4 pm Free Time for Spa Treatments, Astrology Consultations, Relaxation, etc
1:45 - 3:15 pm Qi Gong with Paul Bloom
4 - 5:30 pm Afternoon Teaching with Bob
6 - 7 pm Dinner
7:30 pm Kirtan with Krishna Das & Friends
Monday, December 30
7 - 8 am Vajrayoga Asanas with Michele
8 - 9 am Breakfast
10 am - 12 pm Morning Class with Matteo (and Bob)
12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch
1:30 - 4 pm Free Time for Spa Treatments, Astrology Consultations, Relaxation, etc
1:45 - 3:15 pm Qi Gong with Paul Bloom
4 - 5:30 pm Afternoon Class with Bob and KD
6 - 7 pm Dinner
7:30 pm Kirtan with Krishna Das & Friends
Tuesday, December 31
7 - 8 am Vajrayoga Asanas with Michele
8 - 9 am Breakfast
10 am - 12 pm “Magic Hat” Public Astrological Chart Readings with Alexander
12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch
1:30 - 4 pm Free Time for Spa Treatments, Astrology Consultations, Relaxation, etc
1:45 - 3:15 pm Qi Gong with Paul Bloom
4 - 5:30 pm Afternoon Class with Bob
6 - 7:30 pm Special New Year’s Dinner
8 - 9:30 pm Group Sound Bath
10:30 pm - 12 am New Year's Meditation, Intention-Setting, Countdown and Celebration
Wednesday, January 1
7 - 11 am Check out of Guest Rooms
7 - 8:30 am Qi Gong with Paul
8am - 7pm 108 Hanuman Chalisas with Nina Rao, KD & Friends: All Day from Tibet House US in NYC (virtual offering)
8:30 - 9:30 am Vajrayoga Asanas with Michele
9:30 - 11 am Continental Breakfast
11:15 am - 12:45 pm Closing New Year’s Talk with Bob
12:30 - 1:30 pm Lunch & Departure
1:30 - 4:30 pm Individual Astrology Consultation with Alexander Mallon by Appointment
Teachers
Robert A.F. Thurman
Matteo Pistono
Krishna Das
Nina Rao
Michele Loew
Alexander Mallon
Paul Bloom
Lea Garnier
