Strong, Rooted, Connected: Ancestors Fall Meditation Retreat
November 14 - 16, 2025
Menla Retreat Center and Spa in the Catskills, New York
Feel rooted and connected as you re-energize physically, mentally, and emotionally.
You are invited to "Strong, Rooted, Connected: Ancestors Fall Meditation Retreat".
The goal of the retreat is to help you feel deeply connected to yourself, your practice, your strength, and nature. From there we'll access a deep inner calm and build community.
Each day we'll enjoy meditation, compassion practice, and mindful movement. The focus of the retreat is ancestors practice.
What to look forward to:
Meditating
Taking forest walks
Lighting candles for our ancestors
Sitting there watching the leaves
Reaching new levels of acceptance
Starting to heal the family tree
Growing in compassion
Enjoying each other’s company
Eating three healthy meals a day
Mindfully drinking apple cider
Cultivating self-compassion
Accessing deep relaxation
Host:
Happiness Sangha
Created and Facilitated by Elizabeth Pyjov
Why Ancestors Practices
To grow as people, first we need to accept our roots. This is an important part of our psychological and emotional development.
Besides, every family line has everything. There is a whole cosmos in the several generations that came before you. Working with your family tree, we heal in relation to the entire world.
Your ancestors are always present in your life on some level. Once you accept them, you'll feel strong and confident in ways you cannot imagine.
Most importantly, together we will learn how to keep past family scenarios from repeating.
Through this retreat, you'll see that no matter how we look at it, love is the root of everything.
Ancestor practices are so powerful that they are part of every major contemplative tradition: Christian teachings, Jewish rituals, Native American ceremonies, Ancient Chinese practices, and Buddhist philosophy all include ancestor practices.
Tapping into that ancient wisdom, you'll reach new levels of centeredness, connection, and inner peace.
After the retreat, you’ll feel new strength running through your body, a sense of fulfillment, and the ability to take on anything!
GETTING THERE
We will connect you to other attendees so you can coordinate rides together.
From NYC:
2-hour drive by car. (3-hour bus ride also possible).
From Boston:
3.5-hour drive.
From Washington DC:
5-hour drive.
You can find directions here.
The road over is beautiful and will get you in the autumn mood.
PROGRAM STRUCTURE
Meditations and activities.
Room at Menla Retreat Center.
Dinner on Friday. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Saturday. Breakfast and brunch on Sunday.
Guided ancestors meditation practices from that you can keep doing after the retreat
The fee for the retreat is $750.
Accommodations are booked and charged separately through Menla Center ($234 - $325 a night) so that you can pick the room that works for you. You’ll receive a special link upon registration, as all our rooms are close together.
WHAT WE’LL DO
3 pm: Arrive, check in, and explore the property
4 pm: Optional first leisurely hike on a scenic trail
5 pm: Official welcome session and introduction to the retreat and each other
6 pm: Dinner
7:30 pm: Candlelit ancestors heart practice and survey of ancestors practices across traditions
Friday, November 14
Saturday, November 15
7 am: Gentle stretching and movement practice
8 am: Breakfast
9:30 am: Walking meditation, self-compassion meditation, and mindfulness practice
11 am: Free time to visit the vintage country barn or move your body in the fitness facility. Perhaps time alone to meditate, nap, create, or journal
12:30 pm: Lunch
2 pm: Lecture on why patterns repeat themselves generation after generation
3 pm: Free time for spa treatments or hiking
4:30 pm: Ancestors meditation practice: healing the family tree
6 pm: Dinner
7:30 pm: Rest and restore
Sunday, November 16
7 am: Gentle stretching and movement practice
8 am: Breakfast
9 am: Time to pack and check-out
10 am: Meditation on how to access centeredness and inner peace through ancestors practices. Talk on how to stay rooted moving forward. We'll end with a formal retreat closing.
12:30 pm: Lunch
In order for you to be born, you needed:
2 parents
4 great-grandparents
8 great-grandparents
16 great-great-grandparents
32 third great-grandparents
64 fourth great-grandparents
128 fifth great-grandparents
256 sixth great-grandparents
512 seventh great-grandparents
1,024 eight great-grandparents
2,048 ninth great-grandparents
For you to be born in this lifetime from 12 previous generations, you needed a total of 4,094 ancestors over the last 400 years.
EXPERIENCE CURATED BY:
ELIZABETH PYJOV, J.D. MTS
Over 12 years of experience teaching meditation
Facilitator for international and national retreats
B.A. Harvard College, Romance Languages and Literatures
Certification Stanford Medical School, Neuroscience, Philosophy, Pedagogy of Compassion
J.D. Harvard Law School
MTS Harvard Divinity School, Theology Degree
New York City Bar Well-Being Committee Member
Faculty at Loyola University Chicago
Let's center, ground, and access our freedom before the holidays start. Let's welcome the season and the transition into our hearts!
Everything we accept becomes our source of strength.
As you accept yourself, that becomes your absolute source of strength.
As you accept your parents, that becomes a great source of strength.
As you accept your ancestors, that becomes an enormous source of strength.
LOCATION
Blessed by the Dalai Lama, with its magical valley setting deep in a forest preserve and just two hours from New York City, Menla Retreat Center and Spa is the ideal place to unwind and welcome change in the season and in ourselves.
It offers a wide range of comfortable accommodations, including deluxe private rooms . The eco-friendly guest rooms are decorated with Tibetan accents and provide a restful atmosphere for the retreat.
The 360-acre land property has plenty of hikes of different lengths and delicious healthy cuisine three times a day.
Facilities include a meditation sanctuary, a world-class destination spa, hiking trails, a swimming pool, a fitness room, tennis courts, and fire pits.
Property amenities include free parking, free high-speed internet (WiFi), shuttle bus service from Phoenicia, and the opportunity to be immersed in nature.
Registration
How to Join - Space is Limited
Please use this link to complete the Early Bird $750 retreat fee. (You can split up the fee into several monthly payments if you check out with Klarna or Affirm). Includes 3% platform fee. To avoid the fee you cal also:
Zelle Elizabeth Pyjov at 650-922-4262.
Venmo @Elizabeth-Pyjov.
Accommodations are booked separately through Menla Retreat and Spa. We have a separate block of rooms near each other. Once you register, Elizabeth Pyjov will send you the link to book.
You can pick the room that works for you.
Rooms range from $234 - $345 a night.
Feel free to call or text Elizabeth Pyjov at (650) 922-4262 if you have questions about the retreat.
DETAILS
Dates: November 14 - 16, 2025
Place: Menla Retreat Center and Spa in the Catskills, New York
Facilitator: Elizabeth Pyjov
Host: Happiness Sangha
Directions: More information here.
Why: Better relationships, happiness, connection, relaxation, inner peace, a sense of settledness, shift in patterns, strengthening of meditation practice, accessing your strength.
Register: here
