Kripalu Center facts for kids
Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health
|
|
| Former names | Yoga Society of Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Location | Stockbridge, Massachusetts |
| Type | Retreat |
| Opened | 1983 |
The Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health is a special place in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. It is a nonprofit organization that offers health and yoga retreats. A retreat is a peaceful getaway where people can relax and learn. The center's main building is very large, about 160,000 square feet. It used to be a school for Jesuit priests, built in 1957.
Contents
The Story of Kripalu
How Kripalu Began
The founder of Kripalu, Amrit Desai, came from India in 1960. He was a student in Philadelphia and started teaching yoga there. In 1966, he helped create the Yoga Society of Pennsylvania.
In 1972, Desai opened a place where people could live and learn yoga in Sumneytown, Pennsylvania. Two years later, in 1974, the group changed its name to "Kripalu Yoga Fellowship." They taught the lessons of Swami Kripalvananda. They also held special retreats and trained people to become yoga teachers.
Moving to a New Home
In 1975, Kripalu bought a health center in Summit Station, Pennsylvania. This health center became a very important part of their mission. Swami Kripalu himself came to the United States in 1977. His visit inspired many people to start practicing yoga. He returned to India in 1981.
The Kripalu Center moved to its current home in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, in December 1983. This building was once a Jesuit seminary. During the 1980s, Kripalu grew a lot, with over 350 people living there. In 1999, Kripalu changed from being a religious group to a regular non-profit organization.
Kripalu Today
By 2008, Kripalu offered more than 750 programs and spiritual retreats. About 25,000 people attended these programs each year. Many workshops are led by teachers from outside Kripalu.
Kripalu also has a program for young adults that lasts a whole school semester. They also work on projects related to music, weight loss, and helping people with stress. Kripalu helps train and certify independent yoga teachers.
The center employed about 626 people in 2008. It could host over 650 guests overnight. Kripalu offers many programs in its Schools of Yoga, Ayurveda, and Integrative Yoga Therapy. It also has an Institute of Extraordinary Living.
In 2020, Kripalu had to close because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It reopened its doors in 2021.
What is Kripalu Yoga?
Kripalu Yoga is a type of Hatha Yoga. It also includes parts of kundalini yoga. This style of yoga combines different practices:
- Asanas: These are physical yoga poses.
- Pranayama: These are special breathing exercises.
- Meditation: This is a way to calm and focus your mind.
Kripalu teaches that its yoga style is about "following the flow" of prana. Prana is seen as "life-force energy." It also focuses on accepting yourself with kindness. You learn to watch your thoughts without judging them. The goal is to take what you learn on the yoga mat into your daily life.
The Kripalu Campus
Exploring the Grounds
Kripalu's campus covers about 100 acres. It includes beautiful forests, open lawns, and peaceful gardens. Guests can also easily reach Lake Mahkeenac. In 1997, 225 acres of the land were set aside as protected areas. This helps keep the natural environment safe.
The Main Building
Kripalu's main building is 160,000 square feet. It was built by the Jesuits in 1957. It replaced an old mansion called "Shadowbrook Cottage." The Jesuits had planned to tear down the mansion because it cost too much to keep up. But before they could, a fire destroyed the mansion in 1956. Several people died in that fire. The Jesuits had bought the estate in 1922. They used it as a training school, but they moved away in 1970.
New Guest Housing
In 2010, a new six-story building was finished. It has 80 guest rooms. This building cost $15 million. Architect Peter Rose designed it. The new building uses "green" design ideas. This means it was built to be good for the environment. It won an award in 2010 for its special housing design.
The award committee praised the building's natural light inside. They also noted that its design and climate control systems work together. This helps the building use 40 percent less energy than a normal building. Peter Rose also made a plan to make the center bigger. He wanted it to be a "model of environmental responsibility." This includes improving old buildings, landscaping, and adding new ones.
Water Supply
The Kripalu Center used to get its water from wells on its own property. Sometimes, they also bought water from the Lenox water department. There were some worries about the well water possibly getting dirty. So, by 2009, the center changed its water supply. Now, Kripalu gets all its water from purchased sources, which are safer.
