The Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health
The Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health is a yoga and wellness retreat, located right outside of Lenox in Stockbridge, that focuses on both yoga and overall health. The center itself features 80 guest rooms, and is situated on over 100 acres of beautiful land, covering forests, gardens, sprawling lawns, and even parts of Lake Mahkeenac, with visitors having full access to enjoy the grounds as they see fit.
But what makes Kripalu so unique is its mission; they are a non-profit organization dedicated to transforming the world one person at a time through their teachings of both yoga and mindfulness. Rather than being strictly pampered and indulged during their stay, visitors to Kripalu will instead be taught the “skills for optimal living through experiential education for the whole person; body, mind, and spirit.”
Programs offered include traditional yoga classes, mindfulness sessions, transformative workshops, and even what’s known as integrative yoga therapy, one of Kripalu’s signature offerings. According to the organization, “Integrative Yoga Therapy (IYT) has been bringing together yoga’s most powerful tools—asana, pranayama, mudra, yoga nidra, mantra, and meditation—to create an effective package that can be utilized for therapeutic classes directed toward specific groups and for one-on-one sessions.”
Now, for most people, jumping into a full Kripalu retreat can be a little bit intimidating, especially if you’re new to yoga or you don’t know what to expect from such a program. But fortunately, the center offers day passes, where you will be able to visit for the day, freely use and enjoy the grounds and facilities, participate in any classes and programs that interest you, and experience all that they have to offer.
It’s a great way to dip your feet into this type of wellness retreat, and we would highly recommend setting aside a day during your stay with us and reserving a day pass at the center. And if you do fully enjoy it, then you can always come back to the Berkshires and book a full retreat at Kripalu in the future (although we will certainly miss you!).
After having suspended all in-person instruction and classes due to Covid-19, the Kripalu Center is finally opening its doors again on August 19th, 2021. If you’re in need of a reset after all of the craziness and chaos brought about by the pandemic over the last couple of years, then a day at Kripalu just might be what you’re looking for.
