Traditional Tibetan Medicine for Meditators:
Sowa Rigpa for Healing the Body and Nourishing the Mind
A Retreat with Christiana Polites
December 10th - 13th, 2026
Menla Retreat Center in the Catskills, NY
Sowa Rigpa, the traditional Tibetan science of healing, has always understood the body and mind as inseparable — and the path of healing and liberation as interdependent. This hands-on workshop brings that understanding into direct, practical focus for anyone drawn to meditation and contemplative life — whether you are new to practice or have years of experience on the cushion.
Over the course of a long weekend, participants will explore the foundational principles of Tibetan medicine in the context of spiritual practice: the three mental poisons as the root causes of disease and suffering; the nature of loong energy and its role in governing the nervous system; the importance of mental health, sleep, diet, and physical exercise as genuine foundations for meditation; and the Tibetan understanding of constitutional typology and how to adapt daily routines and meditation practice accordingly.
Putting theory into practice, we will explore common Tibetan herbal formulas alongside accessible kitchen herbs and foods that support sleep, digestion, and general wellbeing, and learn simple external therapies and self-massage to settle the nervous system and restore energy. Each day we will practice traditional Tibetan movement meditations: Nejang yoga exercises, mindful walking, and prostrations — dynamic forms of practice that strengthen the body, transform negative emotions, naturally bringing meditative awareness.
In order to connect with the healing lineage from which Sowa Rigpa emerged, we will practice Medicine Buddha mantras and obstacle-eliminating meditation from the Yuthok Nyingthig — the spiritual treasure cycle of Yuthok Yönten Gönpo, the 12th-century father of Tibetan medicine.Through movement and stillness, silence and mantra, theory and practice, you will leave feeling balanced, rejuvenated, and equipped with practical methods to support your home practice or next retreat.
REGISTRATION
Registration for this program is directly with Menla.
A project of Tibet House US, spearheaded by Robert and Nena Thurman, Menla is a 501 c3 non-profit retreat center and health spa located 2 hours north of NYC by car in the middle of the Catskill Forest Preserve. Menla is committed to bringing authentic Tibetan mind-body healing arts and sciences to the West.
CHRISTIANA POLITES
Christiana Polites has spent over twenty-five years in study and practice of Eastern contemplative and healing traditions, pursuing both academic training and direct immersion in living spiritual and healing lineages. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in the Comparative Study of Religion from Harvard University and a Master's in Acupuncture from the National University of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon. In 2012, her path led her to Dr. Nida Chenagtsang — a renowned Tibetan physician, author, and lineage holder of the Yuthok Nyingthig, the spiritual heart of Tibetan medicine. Since then she has studied and worked closely with him, supporting the transmission of his teachings internationally.
Together with Dr. Nida, she co-founded Pure Land Farms, a Tibetan Medicine and Buddhist retreat center in Topanga, California with a new branch in Tuscany, Italy, and serves as director of the Sowa Rigpa Institute of Tibetan Medicine and its publishing house, Sky Press. In addition to her work developing programs and publications, she teaches workshops on Tibetan medicine, meditation, and yoga, and guides Yuthok Nyingthig retreats at Pure Land Farms and around the world.
A lifelong lover of travel, world cultures, and the arts, Christiana also co-founded Yangchenma, a community organization dedicated to preserving and celebrating the world's living artistic and musical traditions.