Why is this being held at Menla specifically, and does the retreat setting matter?

Menla is a Tibetan Buddhist retreat center in the Catskills, which aligns with Holecek's grounding in Tibetan Buddhism and suggests this teaching will be contextualized within that tradition rather than offered as secular mindfulness. The retreat environment creates the spaciousness nonduality pointing often requires, so the setting isn't incidental—it supports the contemplative intensity of the work.

What should I read or listen to before this event to get oriented with Holecek's teaching?

His books *Dreams of Light* and *The Unfinished Completion* address dreaming and lucidity, but for nonduality specifically, you'd benefit more from exploring his teachings on open awareness and the nature of mind itself—likely available through his website or recorded talks. Coming fresh without prerequisites is also fine; Holecek teaches for direct recognition, not intellectual understanding.

Is this a one-time workshop or multi-day retreat, and what's the time commitment?

The event is listed as Monday, October 26, 2026, suggesting a single-day or single-evening event rather than a residential retreat, though confirming the exact duration and start/end times directly with Menla or BrightStar would be essential for planning travel to Phoenicia.

Clearlight, Darkness, and Nonduality at Menla | Oct 26

About This Event

Description

Immerse yourself in a transformative yoga retreat exploring the profound intersection of light, darkness, and nonduality. Join spiritual teachers Andrew Holecek and Mingtong Gu at Menla Retreat and Dewa Spa in Phoenicia, NY on Monday, October 26, 2026, for an intimate journey into non-dual awareness and ancient energy cultivation practices. This specialized yoga retreat event in Phoenicia brings together Tibetan Buddhist wisdom and traditional Chinese Qigong to create a unique pathway toward spiritual awakening and inner clarity.

Andrew Holecek, renowned spiritual teacher and author, guides practitioners through the sophisticated teachings of dream yoga and clear light meditation—practices that dissolve the boundary between waking and sleeping states. Complementing this work, Mingtong Gu, a Chinese Qigong master and founder of the Chi Healing Institute, shares time-honored energy practices that activate the body's natural healing channels. Together, they create a rare opportunity to experience how ancient contemplative traditions illuminate the nature of consciousness itself.

The atmosphere throughout this yoga retreat is one of gentle inquiry and profound stillness. You'll find yourself held in a supportive container where both rigorous study and direct experience unfold naturally, allowing deep insights to emerge without force. This is a retreat for those ready to venture beyond conventional meditation into the mystery of awareness itself.

What to Expect

This yoga retreat unfolds as a carefully sequenced exploration moving from foundational teachings into direct experience. Each session begins with grounding practices—Qigong movements that awaken subtle energy channels, followed by guided meditations on clear light and the nature of mind. You'll experience the interplay between structured teaching and spacious silence, between technique and effortless being.

Expect your days to begin at dawn with gentle movement and meditation as mist rises over the Catskill landscape. Morning teachings from both Andrew Holecek and Mingtong Gu will establish the conceptual framework, followed by hands-on practice sessions where you integrate these insights into your body and consciousness. Afternoons offer time for integration—resting, journaling, or deepening your personal practice in the retreat's serene spaces.

By evening, the retreat's energy naturally turns inward as participants gather for closing sessions focused on consolidating the day's realizations. You'll leave this yoga retreat event in Phoenicia with concrete practices you can bring home, a clearer understanding of nonduality as both philosophy and lived experience, and connections with fellow seekers walking similar paths.

About the Artists

Andrew Holecek is a respected spiritual teacher, author, and scholar of Tibetan Buddhism whose work has guided thousands into deeper meditation practice. His specialty in dream yoga and clear light meditation offers a direct gateway into understanding consciousness beyond ordinary waking states. Andrew brings decades of study and personal practice into teachings that are both intellectually rigorous and immediately applicable.

Mingtong Gu is a master of traditional Chinese Qigong and founder of the Chi Healing Institute, bridging ancient energy cultivation techniques with contemporary wellness science. His integrated approach honors thousands of years of Taoist and Buddhist practice while making these teachings accessible to modern practitioners worldwide. Mingtong's gift is translating subtle energetic principles into practices anyone can learn and benefit from immediately.

Venue & Location

Menla Retreat and Dewa Spa sits nestled in the rolling hills of Phoenicia, New York, within the scenic Catskill Mountains region. This dedicated retreat space is designed to support deep practice, with meditation halls, yoga studios, and spa facilities creating an environment of tranquility and renewal. The venue's natural setting—surrounded by forest and streams—naturally supports the inward focus essential to this yoga retreat work.

Located just two hours from New York City, Phoenicia offers accessibility without the distraction of urban energy. Ample parking is available on-site, and the retreat center is equipped with comfortable accommodations and nourishing meals to support your practice. The serene mountain atmosphere allows you to fully disconnect and engage with these transformative teachings.

FAQs

Holecek is best known for making Tibetan dream yoga accessible to Western practitioners, but this event focuses specifically on nonduality—the direct recognition that subject and object, self and other, aren't ultimately separate. While dream yoga works with the constructed nature of reality during sleep, nonduality points to the ground of awareness itself, so expect less technique-focused instruction and more investigation into the nature of consciousness that underlies all experience.

Holecek typically blends direct pointing-out instruction with contemplative practice rather than lengthy guided meditations, so you should expect interactive teaching that invites immediate recognition rather than a passive listening experience. The exact format—whether it includes silent sitting periods—would be worth confirming directly, as nonduality events can vary significantly in their structure.

Yes—Holecek designed his teachings for Western students without Buddhist background, so you won't need prior study of nonduality philosophy. However, this particular event assumes you're interested in direct realization of consciousness itself rather than techniques, so it's less about learning methods and more about recognizing what's already present.

Holecek emphasizes that nonduality isn't about transcending experience or entering blank darkness, but recognizing the aware nature that perceives both clarity and darkness. The event title suggests he's working with the paradox that nondual awareness is often described as 'dark' in contemplative traditions (empty of concepts) while simultaneously being luminously aware—a distinction crucial to understanding his approach versus purely abstract philosophy.

Clearlight, Darkness, and Nonduality at Menla

Description

What to Expect

About the Artists

Venue & Location

Lineup

Menla Retreat and Dewa Spa

FAQs

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Clearlight, Darkness, and Nonduality at Menla

Description

What to Expect

About the Artists

Venue & Location

Lineup

Menla Retreat and Dewa Spa

FAQs

There's more where this came from.

Discover More Artists

Find More Events

List Your Own Event