Find that Pause: A Weekend Retreat of Nervous System Soothing
Friday, March 5 - Sunday, March 7, 2027
Hosted at: Dharmakaya, Cragsmoor, NY (2 hrs from NYC)
Join meditation & yoga teacher + mindset coach, Miranda Lee for a transformative weekend retreat that nourishes mind, body & soul.
Whether you are wrestling with chronic pain or simply depleted by life, this retreat can help restore your nervous system. You will learn how chronic stress, pain, and illness live in the body and why calming the nervous system is the foundation of healing—and then you’ll gain practical tools to help your body find ease, release tension, and reconnect with moments of lightness, even in the middle of pain or depletion.
WHERE?
Perched on a beautifully wooded hillside in the village of Cragsmoor, New York, Dharmakaya, a retreat center set in a 90-acre campus is a world apart, a place to shed the intensity of modern life, a place to find yourself. The design is intimate, elegant, simple, with outdoor spaces for walking meditation and two terraces with lovely views of the woods.
“In the depths of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer."”
- Albert Camus
Our Program
Through a carefully structured weekend of practices and workshops, you’ll learn to regulate your nervous system, release stored stress and tension, and reconnect with your body’s own capacity for healing.
You will learn:
- How chronic stress and pain affect your nervous system, and how to soothe it
- The mind-body connection and what the latest research says about healing
- How to use nature as a nervous system regulator
- Why self-compassion helps you heal faster
- Simple tools you can use at your desk, in your car, or lying awake at 2 AM
- Storytelling circles and group connection: sharing your experience with others who understand
Practices include:
- Therapeutic yoga (chair and floor options available)
- Mindfulness meditation and visualization
- Breathwork
- Pain Reprocessing Therapy tools
- Yoga nidra for deep nervous system restoration
- Self-compassion practices
- Forest bathing and nature-based mindfulness
- Fire meditation and letting-go ritual
HOW YOU’LL LEARN
You will experience each practice directly, because once the body gets it, everything else—the science, the theory—falls into place naturally.
You’ll explore:
WHAT YOU’LL TAKE HOME -
You’ll leave with a personal toolkit of simple, body-based practices you can return to every day. These are things you’ve actually practiced and felt work in your body over the weekend, not concepts on a page.
Specifically, you’ll take home:
- Your Pause Plan: a personalized meditation routine and habit tracker built around your real life
- Your Pause Guide: a full outline of retreat practices, theory, and resources to keep learning at home
- A deeper understanding of your own nervous system and how to support it using meditation and movement
- An optional complimentary follow-up coaching session (a $150 value) to help you integrate your practice when real life kicks back in
A NOTE FROM MIRANDA
This curriculum was built and refined over years of weekly programming working directly with chronic pain patients and people in cancer recovery. These are tools that have worked for real people recovering from pain. This retreat is for people who are ready to slow down, go inward, and do the quiet work of reconnecting with their own body and nervous system.
If that’s you, I would love to have you join us.
Our Find Your Pause Weekend Retreat Schedule (may change):
FRIDAY EVENING
Introductions & Intention Setting
Teaching Session 1: The Power of Mindset
Explore how becoming aware of our thoughts can transform our perception of the world. We’ll dive into what holds us back from feeling peaceful, clear, and balanced, and set the stage for practices throughout the weekend to help ground, center, and empower ourselves with inner strength.
Mindful Storytelling Practice
In this storytelling session, you’ll have the opportunity to share your own story and learn more about others. Rooted in ancient indigenous traditions and adapted for modern times, this practice fosters deep connection, listening, and understanding.
Practice Session: Meditation, Breathwork & Yoga Nidra
Experience deep relaxation and mental clarity through meditation, breathwork, and yoga nidra. These techniques release stress, tension, and stored emotions, reconnecting you with your inner calm and creating a profound sense of grounding and healing.
SATURDAY
Morning Meditation & Gentle Movement
Begin your day with mindful awareness and a connection to yourself through gentle movement and meditation to set a peaceful tone for the day ahead.
Forest Bathing Experience (Weather Permitting)
Engage your senses to fully immerse in nature through meditation and mindful walking. Experience the present moment more deeply as we explore the healing practice of forest bathing.
Teaching Session 2: Qi-Gong for Energy & Healing
Discover the ancient Chinese practice of Qi-Gong—gentle movement, breath, and intention that harmonize the body’s energy and support healing. Learn the foundations of this powerful practice and how it calms the nervous system, boosts circulation, and clears energetic blockages.
Practice Session: Qi-Gong
Experience how Qi-Gong fosters deep inner stillness and connection to your life force, supporting healing from stress, emotional imbalance, and chronic conditions.
Evening Session: Fire Meditation, Breathwork & Letting Go Ritual
Take part in a powerful letting-go ritual to release emotional weight that no longer serves you—creating space for clarity, calm, and the life you truly want. Then, unwind with guided breathwork and a soothing fire meditation leaving you deeply relaxed and renewed.
SUNDAY
Morning Meditation & Gentle Movement
Begin your day with mindful awareness and a connection to yourself through gentle movement and meditation to set a peaceful tone for the day ahead.
Teaching Session 3: Practical Tools & Strategies for Daily Life
Take home simple, effective tools to calm and soothe your nervous system, restoring balance and peace. Learn how to begin and maintain a sustainable mindfulness practice.
Closing Circle: End the retreat by reflecting on your experience, sharing insights, and saying goodbye in a closing circle.
Date: Friday, Feb 6 - Sunday, Feb 8th, 2025
Location: Wisdom House, CT
Price: from $997
“ It was the best retreat I ever attended. Her attention to detail was flawless, and she found the perfect mix of planning activities yet also giving us a much needed rest"
- Diane, retreat participant
HOW YOU’LL LEARN
Miranda’s teaching is somatic. You will experience each practice directly, because once the body gets it, everything else—the science, the theory—falls into place naturally.
You’ll explore:
- How chronic stress and pain affect your nervous system, and how to soothe it
- The mind-body connection and what the latest research says about healing
- How to use nature as a nervous system regulator
- Why self-compassion helps you heal faster
- Simple tools you can use at your desk, in your car, or lying awake at 2 AM
WHAT YOU’LL TAKE HOME
You’ll leave with a personal toolkit of simple, body-based practices you can return to every day. These are things you’ve actually practiced and felt work in your body over the weekend, not concepts on a page.
Specifically, you’ll take home:
- Your Pause Plan: a personalized meditation routine and habit tracker built around your real life
- Your Pause Guide: a full outline of retreat practices, theory, and resources to keep learning at home
- A deeper understanding of your own nervous system and how to support it using meditation and movement
- An optional complimentary follow-up coaching session (a $150 value) to help you integrate your practice when real life kicks back in
A NOTE FROM MIRANDA
This curriculum was built and refined over years of weekly programming working directly with chronic pain patients and people in cancer recovery. These are tools that have worked for real people recovering from pain. This retreat is for people who are ready to slow down, go inward, and do the quiet work of reconnecting with their own body and nervous system.
If that’s you, I would love to have you join us.
The setting...
What people are saying...
Miranda Lee
Hi! I’m Miranda, a certified meditation teacher, resilience coach, and yoga therapist with over 25 years of experience. I work as a wellness facilitator for both Englewood Hospital and Optum, supporting Goldman Sachs employees. Specializing in stress management and resilience training, I also lead retreats, workshops, and online programs designed to help people live more balanced, content lives. Having studied with world-renowned teachers, I’m passionate about guiding others to find strength, joy, and peace. My two young sons, however, remain my greatest 'Zen Masters.'
Some of my certifications and training:
- ICF ACC-certified coach - Optimus
- Certified Meditation Facilitator – Mindful Schools (1-year certification)
- Mindfulness Self-Compassion with Kristin Neff and Mindful Schools
- Certified Mindfulness Facilitator with a Neuroscience Speciality - Mastermind
- Breathwork 40-Hour training with Jennifer Patterson at Soundstrue
- Mindfulness Fundamentals and Mindfulness for the Classroom with Mindful Schools
- 500-Hour PLUS RYT Yoga Alliance Certified Teacher with Specialties in Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Yoga Therapy, and Restorative Yoga
- Month-long trainings at the Ashtanga Shala in Mysore, India with the Jois family 2005-2008
- Prenatal Yoga Teacher Certification – Prenatal Yoga Center, NYC
- Multiple workshops and classes with esteemed teachers: Susan Salzberg, Jack Kornfield, Kristin Neff, Jon Kabat Zinn, Guta Hedewig, Paul Dallaghan, Pattabi, Saraswathi and Sharath Jois, and many more. 🙏
- MA in Social Anthropology – Edinburgh University
- MS in Multimedia Systems – Trinity College, Dublin
