10 Takeaways From My Day Trip to Kripalu Center For Yoga & Health

On this past Wednesday morning, I woke up to my alarm at 5:45 a.m. as happy as a clam. That is, because I was headed off to the mountains to embark on a journey to Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in the Berkshires.

If you haven’t heard of Kripalu, it’s quite difficult to put into words but I’ll try. It’s pretty much a hidden escape in the middle of the mountains filled with lots of yoga, meditation, wellness workshops/lectures, nutritious food, spa treatments, and R & R. Pretty much my Happy Place to a T.

My aunt had introduced me years ago, when we took a trip with my sister and mom after I graduated from college. But my aunt and I were back again for round two, this time being much different as I now have a greater appreciation for good food and wellness for the mind, body and soul, which are both important themes at Kripalu. As we drove up through the beautiful mountains, I was just itching to fuel my body with flavorsome meals, and soak up all the information I could in one day!

Upon checking in, the receptionist kindly reminded us that, due to there privacy policy, posting photos on social media is prohibited. While at first I was a little bummed I couldn’t take pics for the blog, within minutes I was ecstatic! This meant I could take an entire day just for myself to “unplug” and simply be. No responding to emails. No Twitter. No Facebook. No Instagramming. No typing. Just me, myself and my notebook (oh, and my aunt). Let me just tell you, those  kind of days don’t come around very often.

Once we checked in and received the day’s itinerary, it was off to breakfast! While I could type thousands and thousands of words about my experience, I’ve decided to wrap it all up with 10 juicy takeaways instead.

1. APPRECIATE THE BEUATY IN NATURE: Many times throughout the day, we were prompted to pause and simply appreciate the beauty around us. This wasn’t hard to do, considering we were in the middle of The Berkshires of Western MA. The sight of snowflakes dancing in the sky was the icing on the cake! Try to bring this into your own life by appreciating the beauty in nature every day, even when you have to look really, really hard to see it. In the midst of the chaotic, unpredictable world we live in, this can help bring you back to reality in a split second.

2. WHAT WORKS FOR ONE PERSON MAY NOT WORK FOR ANOTHER: I say this time and time and again on my blog: we are all created differently and one person’s medicine could be another’s poison. I so strongly believe in this concept, known as bio-individuality at IIN. During our first workshop, “Ayurveda: A Life in Balance,” Ayurveda Guru Hilary Garivaltis ellaborated on this belief. She noted that there are hundreds and hundreds of diets out there, and that many of us have tried a diet that our best friend SWEARS BY, only to have it not work for us (whether we gain weight, feel stressed, feel sick, etc).

This right here is PROOF that we need to be more in tune with our own bodies and what works best for ourselves as individuals. I, for one, have a Vata Body Type and don’t do well with a raw foods diet  especially during the winter months (I get spacy, anxious & hungry) and instead eat lots of  warm root vegetables, sauteed greens, healthy fats, gluten-free grains and some meat. However, I know others who thrive on vegan or raw foods diets. Neither is “right” or “wrong.” It’s what works for you. If your friend is vegan, you don’t have to be too! If your mom had success on a diet, you might not. That’s OK.

3. WHEN YOU ARE NOT FEELING YOURSELF, SOMETHING IS OFF: To add onto the Ayurveda info above, it’s important to know what it feels like when you are your best self. Hilary explained this well, starting with the line we hear so often, “I’m having an off day” or “I don’t feel like myself today.” Dissect this. Why are you having an off day? What does it feel like to feel “yourself”? What’s going on inside? What have you been eating lately? What outside life circumstances have come up? Explore this. Find out your Ayurvedic Body Type here or schedule a free 15-minute info session with me to learn more. This can help you dissect the information & understand more about the way your body and mind works.

4. GET INTO A ROUTINE: According to Ayurvedic medicine, it’s best to get into some sort of routine, which is especially true for someone like me (who HATES routine and is all over the place). They recommend going to bed and waking up (particularly at sunrise) around the same time, following the rhythms of nature (and eating according to season), taking time for silence and, what may be surprising to some, eating your biggest meal at lunch. In addition, they promote warm, cooked meals and hot water upon waking as cold or raw foods can be rough on the digestive track at this time.

Getting into a routine is something I’m going to really try and focus on, particularly getting into a regular sleep routine by going to bed earlier, and setting a time during the day that everything shuts down. Being the creative, worker bee I am, it’s important for people like me to have boundaries and create some sort of structure. Otherwise, this can lead to stress, anxiety and an overwhelming feeling.

Hilary suggested that I pick a time (around 8 p.m. or so) where I shut down my phone and computer, informing people that I won’t be available after this time. This way I can relax, unplug and enjoy the moment without worrying about who’s texting me or who needs a response from their email. Being a people-pleaser, I try to respond to everything and everyone RIGHT AWAY, but with an inbox flooding with new emails each day it’s important to set some limits here. I’m excited to start this routine on Monday!

5. BRING YOGA (OFF THE MAT) INTO YOUR EVERY DAY LIFE: Our late-morning workshop was entitled  “Yoga Off the Mat” with Life Coach Aruni Nan Futuronsky. I absolutely loved the intimate setting, Q & A and guided meditations throughout her talk. Not to mention her incredible energy; seriously I want to be best friends with this woman! Aruni said that by learning to take little pieces from your yoga practice (like breathing) into your every day life, you can begin to “struggle less and savor the moment.” Think about it for a second. When you’re in a yoga class and the teacher says to breathe into the pose, we adjust, think about breathing and release some tension. Why can’t we take this into our daily lives? Why must it be restricted to one hour on the mat?

Ask yourself, “What’s preventing me from fully living in the moment & appreciating the now?” Aruni shared simple techniques we can take into our everyday lives to shift our mindset and help us see the beauty in the present. We also talked about little ways to relax the body and the mind, through medication, journaling, unplugging, gardening, exercise and even just breathing.

6. SET LITTLE REMINDERS TO BREATHE THROUGHOUT THE DAY

Speaking of breathing, we sure did a lot of it during our day spent at Kripalu! We breathed in, we breathed out. We closed our eyes and focused on our breath during meditations, and were prompted to focus on breath-work during our Gentle Yoga class in the evening. I felt so balanced, “on” and at ease throughout the day, partially to thank for all this breathing. And I mean intentional, all-out breathing. We learned that these breathing techniques through meditation can actually help shift the chemistry of the brain! How cool is that?

Take this into your life in small ways or large; for instance you can choose to breathe every time you hit a red light or every time you open your laptop, or take it even further and explore meditation. For me, I’ve planned to set little reminders on my phone/Mac to remind me to get up, walk around and breathe. Being a freelance writer, blogger, and Health Coach, I am often plugged in throughout the day and time can quickly get away from me. These little reminders will help me be in the moment, relax, clear my mind and even prevent stress before it happens. Who wants to join me in this?

7. TAKE THE TIME TO SIT DOWN FOR YOUR MEAL

How many of you actually take the time to sit down for your meal, without distractions or “life” in the way? This is one of the most common things that comes up with my clients; that is putting everything else first instead of yourself. At Kripalu, we sat down for three, buffet-style healthy meals. In fact, because it was Meditation Week, all of the meals were silent. Yes, 100% silent.

While it was awkward at first, I feel blessed to have been able to eat three, delicious meals with some peace & quiet. Plus, it wasn’t hard to be quiet when the food was just that delicious. REFLECTION is so important, and we don’t do it enough. These meals were a great time for me to reflect on my life, write, and take in everything I was learning.

ON MY PLATE

Breakfast:

  • Few scoops of Warm Organic brown rice mixed with Quinoa / Amaranth
  • One piece Rudi’s Gluten Free Whole Grain Bread topped with nut butter
  • Spicy tofu scramble topped with Cilantro Mint Chutney
  • Small piece of Curry Quiche (made with Cage-Free Omega 3 eggs)
  • A couple of almonds
  • Earl grey tea
  • Water with lemon

Lunch:

  • Warm Long Grain Brown Rice with Olive Oil, Sea Salt & Parsley (I topped it with their Charmala Sauce made with cilantro, olive oil, parsley, garlic, lemon juice, cumin, paprika, and sea salt)
  • Sautéed Kale with Carrots, Almonds, Olive Oil & Sea Salt topped with Gomasio & Dulse
  • Small Scoop of vegan tofu curry salad, pesto & tuna (I wanted to try a tiny bit of each!)
  • Shredded beets
  • Hummus
  • Cup of Spiced Pumpkin & Butternut Squash Soup
  • Small piece of Turkey Kibbe (Made with natural ground turkey, quinoa, onions, pinenuts, sea salt, black pepper, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and olive oil)
  • Water

Post lunch: English Breakfast tea with a dash of organic soy, cinnamon and agave

Dinner:

  • Make-It-Yourself Tacos made with Organic Stone Ground Corn Tortillas (I stuffed mine with Tempeh, Tilapia, a little Baked Haddock, Sautéed Peppers & Onions and Cilantro Rice)
  • Guacamole
  • Fresh Salsa
  • Black Bean Soup
  • One Gluten Free Brownie (AMAZING!)
  • Cup of ginger tea

8. DRINK YOUR WATER AT ROOM TEMP

We learned that drinking your water at cold or iced temps (especially during the morning) can be a shock to your body and difficult on your digestive system. Try drinking it warm or at room temp to aid digestion and give your body a bit of a break. I don’t like ice cold drinks anyway (since I’m always cold) but I’m definitely going to try drinking warm water throughout the day to clear out my body and support the lymphatic system. Feel free to try this if you can handle it…if you hate warm water, cold water is much better than no water since most of us are walking around dehydrated.

9. BE WARY OF SOY (AND OTHER INGREDIENTS): Like I said before, there aren’t “bad” foods or “good” foods, and therefore soy is not “bad” or “good.” That being said, soy crops in our country are chalk-full of GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) and one of the most contaminated & wide-spread crops grown (along with corn). If you’re going to consume soy, look for 100% organic varieties, meaning there are no GMO’s.

Also, be aware of the ingredients in your food! Soy in itself ins’t “bad.” In fact, edamame and fermented soy (like certain tempeh) are a wonderful source of high-quality proteins especially for vegans and vegetarians. However, potentially dangerous, processed by-products of soy like Soy Protein Isolate are sneaking their way into EVERYTHING these days in super high, unrealistic amounts. It’s found in protein powders, granola bars, cookies, fake meats, crackers and hundreds of packaged foods. Nutritionist Maryelaine “Mel” Sotos, MS, RD, LDN said that you should be especially careful with soy if you have any thyroid issues as it can disrupt normal thyroid function. Mel elaborated by saying that when a cereal claims “One cup has as much protein as an egg!”  just eat the egg. For me, I always question anything that’s not in it’s original form. Therefore, when shopping for groceries, ask yourself “Would I find this in nature?” Be a food detective and see just how altered the food is from its original source.

10. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY: While I’m a huge advocate for listening to your body in terms of food, it’s also important to listen to your body in all aspects of life. This was touched upon in our evening Gentle Yoga & Meditation with the beautiful Vandita Kate Marchesiello, Director of Kripalu Professional Associations & Teaching for Diversity program.

Her yoga class was one of the most enlightening, beautiful classes I’ve ever experienced, as she urged her students to move in ways their bodies wanted to move. If you didn’t like doing a particular move, you didn’t have to. If your back needed a greater stretch, you were prompted to stretch it. Vandita encouraged movement according to our bodies wants & needs.

She explained that while sometimes life throws obstacles at us, we always have yoga and breath-work to bring us back. Be gentle and patient with your body. It’s the only one you’ve got, after all!

Have you ever been to or heard of Kripalu? What did you take away from this post? What do you agree with or disagree with? I’d like to open this up for an honest discussion!

104 thoughts on “10 Takeaways From My Day Trip to Kripalu Center For Yoga & Health”

  1. WOW – what a beautiful day you experienced at Kripalu. Such a gift. It’s Ayurveda weekend at my yoga teacher training so I’m super excited to learn what you just did.

    The idea of listening to your body and then questioning what’s it is telling you is so simple, but rarely do I do it. Thank you for the reminder :).

    Breath work in yoga and during the day can be such a grounding experience. Another great reminder from you!

    We are planning a post-graduation trip to the Kashi Ashram in Florida…I’m hoping it works out so I can go and share my experience.

    Happy Friday!!!

  2. @Sara Your yoga training this weekend sounds amazing. You are going to totally adore the Ayurveda lifestyle info… it’s so in tune with yoga & how we view our bodies. Can’t wait to hear what you think & see what body type you are! And that trip to FL? Sounds incredible!

  3. I LOVE this Rachel! I never knew that about warm water, but I usually end up drinking my water room temperature since I am constantly drinking it all day from a bottle and it naturally gets warm anyway (and get cold from it in the winter!), that was an interesting one for me. I also totally agree on what works for me may not work for you etc. AND eating real food of course. WHAT a weekend it sounds like!!

  4. @jobo Same, I naturally drink it room-tempish (sometimes a little on the cold side) straight from our water filter. But I am typically drawn to warm drinks (tea, warm water with lemon etc) because I am ALWAYS COLD so I think drinking it throughout the day will definitely help me. 🙂 Thanks for sharing your take on all of this!

  5. you know i so adore these lessons! i’m very envious of your trip to kriplu. i’ve never been but have always wanted to do one of those long weekend things. which reminds me…i know of a yoga retreat happening here in ct that you may be interested in…i went for the half day portion last year and enjoyed myself but was thinking with a friend doing an overnight could be great. i’ll send you the info!

  6. This sounds AMAZING. I think I might write each of these down on post-its and put them by my desk. They are all just great reminders, and it’s so easy to get away from them when you get caught up in the day-to-day stuff.

    Hope you’re warm and safe this weekend!

  7. Really enjoyed this piece Rachel. Was your visit in the context of a one-day retreat kind of experience at Kripalu? I love your enthusiasm for everything you learn and experience!
    Its contagious . . .

  8. Pingback: Healthy Chicks» Blog Archive » Sneak Peak Inside My Kitchen Pantry: NuttZo Omega 3 Seven Nut & Seed Butter

  9. Pingback: Healthy Chicks» Blog Archive » Hurraw!: An Eco-Friendly Lip Balm Giveaway

  10. Thank you a lot for sharing this with all people you actually recognize what you are speaking about!
    Bookmarked. Please additionally discuss with my site =).
    We will have a link exchange contract among us

    Regards
    Sushil ansal

  11. hello there and thank you for your info – I’ve definitely picked up anything new from right here.
    I did however expertise several technical points using this web site, as I experienced to reload the site lots of times previous to I could get it to load properly.
    I had been wondering if your hosting is OK? Not that I am complaining, but sluggish loading instances times will sometimes affect your placement in google and can damage your quality score if advertising and marketing with Adwords.

    Well I’m adding this RSS to my email and could look out for a lot more of your respective intriguing
    content. Ensure that you update this again very soon.

  12. Hi there! Do youu know if they ake any plugins to assist with Search Engine Optimization? I’m trying to get my blog to rank
    for some targeted keyworxs but I’m not seeinbg very good success.
    If you know of any please share. Thanks!

  13. Pingback: landscape lighting katy

  14. Finding Sydney serviced apartments online is really easy and quick.

    If you live on Pahonyothin or Ladprao roads, you’re only 5-10 minutes from to a
    sky train or underground train station and another 15 minutes to downtown. All the hotels provide daily housekeeping
    services to the guests. Corporate apartments in Paris give homely feeling which makes life at ease when you
    are out of home for long.

  15. Thanks for ones marvelous posting! I genuinely enjoyed
    reading it, you are a great author. I will remember to
    bookmark your blog and will often come back from now on. I want to encourage you to
    continue your great job, have a nice afternoon!

  16. Another person basically make appreciably posts I had express. That’s the brand new I actually used your site website and so much? I actually surprised with all the evaluation you made to generate this type of set up astonishing agencies. Wonderful method!

  17. For this purpose you are advised to eat certain foods in certain quantities throughout the day for a week.
    You will also get to know what is meant by a serving- say for example one
    serving of protein is 3oz. When making salads you should leave out the salad creams.

  18. I’m impressed, I must say. Seldom do I come across a blog that’s both equally educative and amusing, and without a
    doubt, you have hit the nail on the head. The issue is
    something that not enough men and women are speaking intelligently about.
    I am very happy that I came across this during my hunt for something regarding this.

  19. To quote among the great political analysts Bonaventure Bootlegger ‘You
    can lead a horse to water, big-deal. Khomeini preached of an oppressed people subjected to a ruling class, who were
    not true to the beliefs of Islam, and along with the foreign capitalists, must be thrown out.

    Clash of Clans: Clan Wars ‘Preparation Day’ discussed.

  20. Upon their arrival to this planet, the crew of the Prometheus discovers that
    nothing is what they expected it to be and a parasite like life form threatens the safety of the entire crew and the eventual safety of the entire planet Earth.
    Novak remains in the opening credits of The Office, Ryan Howard has not
    been a particularly big part of the show since he lost his job at “Corporate” due to, you know,
    major fraud charges. It is amazing to find within one
    page an explanation of why the government’s unemployment numbers are chronically
    faulty yet also learn of Mr.

  21. In diabetes, the human body often doesnot correctly use insulin or doesn’t create
    insulin that is enough. Insulin helps your body convert bloodsugar,
    or glucose . While an excessive amount of sugar builds up while in the bloodstream,
    it could lead to eye help and nerve issues. People are also
    put by diabetes in danger for heart problems and swing. In pre-diabetes,
    folks have not large enough, although greater than typical blood-glucose levels to be categorized as diabetes.

  22. It’s in fact very complicated in this full of activity life to listen news on TV, therefore I simply use
    world wide web for that reason, and get the latest news.

  23. Nice post. I had been verifying continuously this site with this particular fascinated! Helpful info precisely the residual area 🙂 I actually handle this sort of info significantly. I’d been in search of this type of facts to get a pretty extensive time.. p1 rank me bonus Thank you so much and greatest of good luck.

  24. An outstanding share! I have just forwarded this onto a colleague who had been conducting a little homework on this.
    And he actually bought me breakfast because I discovered it for him…
    lol. So let me reword this…. Thanks for the meal!!
    But yeah, thanx for spending time to discuss this
    subject here on your site.

  25. ” Industry information shows that from 2000 to the first half of 2006, China’s appliance market has maintained rapid development momentum, with 50% -70% annually over the market growth rate, market capacity jumped from 100 million to In 2006 nearly 60 million units. These days, our homes operate through many technology-based components, so why not put control of these features at your fingertips. It is not going to cost you much money at all, although costs will vary depending on the type of home business you start.

  26. Fingerprinting is a compulsory requirement for almost all
    the licenses, registrations, and certifications we
    subject. Please verify the qualification web page for
    the license or registration you are seeking to
    verify in case your utility requires fingerprinting.

  27. tworevolting disgustingInrevolting disgustingextended familyfive hundred five hundredtwothisrevolting disgustingextended familytwofive hundred five hundrednuclear familycourserevolting disgustingnuclear family you’ll twonuclear familystudyextended family the basics offive hundred search engine marketing five
    hundredextended familyrevolting disgustingandnuclear
    familytwofive hundred extended familyrevolting disgustingberevolting
    disgustingtwofive hundred extended familyrevolting disgustingtaughtrevolting disgusting twosomenuclear
    familytwo seo methods that may help five hundredtworevolting disgustingyourrevolting
    disgustingextended familyfive hundred site five hundredclimatefive hundred
    tworevolting disgustingtherevolting disgustingfive hundred five hundredcontinuous five
    hundredtwoextended familysearchrevolting disgustingnuclear familyfive hundred twostormrevolting disgustingnuclear
    familytwofive hundred.

  28. five hundredrevolting disgustingWhetherextended family five hundredtwonuclear familyrevolting disgustingyouextended family
    want five hundredtwoextended familydinnerextended family-forextended familytwo-five
    hundrednuclear familyrevolting disgustingonerevolting disgustingnuclear familyfive hundred five hundrednuclear familyortwofive
    hundred tworevolting disgustingareextended familyfive hundred searching for a fast, healthy, nuclear familyhouseextended
    familyfive hundred-nuclear familycookedrevolting disgusting
    revolting disgustingmealrevolting disgustingtwofive hundred tworevolting disgustingforextended familytwo five
    hundredtwoextended familyrevolting disgustingthe
    five hundredfamily, we provide an everyday number of twoextended familyparticular
    personextended familyfive hundred five hundredtwoextended familymealsrevolting disgustingnuclear family tworevolting disgustingfromrevolting
    disgustingextended familytwo extended familyourrevolting disgustingextended family five hundredrevolting
    disgustingcateringnuclear familytwofive hundred revolting disgustingmenuextended familytwofive hundred.

  29. Unlike son, which had moved from the Oriente province to Havana and brought the country
    by storm within the Nineteen Twenties, changüí had remained in eastern Cuba and Elio’s concept was
    to create his personal style by infusing charanga music with the flavour of
    changüí.

  30. Third Eye Blind’s first single off their self-titled
    debut album noticed big success within the ’90s, scoring a #four spot on the Billboard Scorching one hundred
    chart, as well as being named the thirty fourth best track of the ’90s by VH1.

  31. Pingback: Stinchfield

  32. The weather got a lot worse real quick and we found ourselves
    in the middle of a storm, the whole event
    happened so quick I was very surprised and scared too.
    Naples Beach is famous for being a favorite nesting
    site of logger head sea turtles, so golfers may have luck as they take
    a sunset stroll after a few rounds. Games conclude with the “Bear Claw,” a thrilling set of four challenging
    holes carefully balanced on the edge of the sweeping coastline.

  33. Although the course is a short walk from the ocean, many ocean and
    marsh birds can be seen from the course, including many bald eagles, pelicans, and egrets.
    Use the Internet in order to look into different golfing vacation packages that are currently available.
    They offer comfortable and cosy rooms in which the players can relax and
    if that is not enough, there are luxurious spas that help soothe their minds
    after a hard day’s play.

  34. Sales Force Automation is the technique of using software program to automate the enterprise tasks of gross sales, which includes contact management, order processing, stock control
    and monitoring, buyer management, information sharing, gross sales forecast analysis and at last, worker performance analysis.

  35. This design is spectacular! You certainly know how to keep
    a reader amused. Between your wit and your videos, I was
    almost moved to start my own blog (well, almost…HaHa!) Fantastic job.

    I really loved what you had to say, and more than that, how you presented it.
    Too cool!

  36. My husband and i were now comfortable Peter managed to deal with
    his analysis from the ideas he had out of your web page.

    It’s not at all simplistic just to possibly be offering information and facts that other people might have
    been making money from. So we fully understand we’ve got the blog owner to thank for that.
    The main illustrations you made, the easy site menu, the relationships you make it easier to
    create – it’s all amazing, and it is facilitating our son and our
    family do think the matter is exciting, which is extraordinarily indispensable.
    Thank you for everything!

  37. I just wanted to thank you once more for the amazing web page
    you have developed here. It is full of ideas for those who are
    truly interested in this subject, primarily this very post.

    You’re really all actually sweet and thoughtful of others plus reading your website posts is a superb delight in my opinion. And what a generous present!
    Jeff and I will have pleasure making use of your points in what we
    need to do in the near future. Our listing is a distance
    long which means that your tips might be put to great use.

  38. Pingback: Coach graduate

  39. Pingback: Dating Book For Men

  40. Pingback: lemon juice in hair

  41. Pingback: wank*

  42. Pingback: Find Luv

  43. Pingback: Datomg. Dating tips

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *