Community Services/Non-Profits near Stockbridge, MA

“I had a great experience at Kripalu as an R&R guest for two days: from Monday 5/13 afternoon to Wednesday 5/15 noon. Thank you so much Kripalu team for creating this wonderful experience for people like me.Room: I stayed in a Classic room with private bathroom. Room is simple and comfy. Don’t expect it to be luxurious resort, it’s not, but it’s clean and comfy. I like to open the window and feel the air.Food: Dinning hall can be busy right after a class. The main buffet station is mostly vegetarian/meat items, with a few salad/soup options. Vegan food is in a separate section in the corner. I wish it was made more clearly. The vegan food options usually have two kinds of rice, two kinds of proteins (lentil, tempeh, tofu, etc.) and a few hot veggies and soups. It’s delicious, flavorful and unique. I wish I could learn some of the recipes. Food mostly is on the bland side compared to regular restaurants, but it’s healthy and natural, and there’s always seasonings on the table. There’s a silent dinning room which I used a lot. I think whoever came up with the idea of the silent dining room deserves a gold medal.Yoga classes: as someone who has been practicing yoga with Youtube videos at home for many yers, I was definitely nervous about in-person classes. I took the gentle yoga on my first day, thinking I should ease into it. It was indeed gentle. The instructor Tracy is professional, funny and sweet, and I immediately loved the environment of the Main Hall. I love doing yoga with a full room of people, sharing the special moment. 90 minutes felt short! There are usually a gentle yoga and a moderate yoga class going at the same time. I took the moderate yoga with Lena on the 2nd day, it will give you some exercise! The yoga dance class was super fun and therapeutic, and I got emotional and cried during the class.Other classes: my favorite class is the posture class taught by Kari. It’s scientific, and answers a lot of questions I had (and I think other people had too) in yoga posing. She used easy-to-understand terms, demonstrated herself, asked us to do different things in the class to implement her methods, and it all just made sense. The breath work class taught by Jon is transformative and imformative. The chair yoga taught by Lakshmi is educational, relaxing and fun. The RISE program sampling class is inspiring. All teachers are super professional, nice, patient, and resourceful.The hike: I registered for the guided hiking on my third day. It was raining (drizzling), our guide Susan brought ponchos for us, which is very thoughtful. Kripalu is located among tons of beautiful trails, the one we went on was to the lake. We focused on our sensations, and meditated a few times along the way. The first half of the hiking is silence. I love the smell of fresh leaves/flowers, the sound of the rain falling on the leaves/lake, and the soft ground.General environment: I like that there’s no push for guests to join/not join any activities, it’s completely self-paced. There are lots of indoor/outdoor shared space to sit down and enjoy the view/a book/writing. There are people chatting in the public areas, but you can also go about a whole day without talking to any human if you like.Criticisms: when I checked in, the front desk employee gave me a wrong room (Standard). They corrected it immediately after I told them, and was apologetic, but still it seems like an avoidable mistake. The EV charging station in the back wasn’t working when I used it. The menu says there would be a vegan lasagna, but it’s actually vegetarian as it contains milk.Overall: I came in with an open mind, and left with a few skills, a more calm self, and fun and beautiful memories. Thanks again to the Kripalu team, and also to other guests that shared the time/space with me during the past three days. They might not know it but I enjoyed being around them.”

“As a student at Berkshire community college and choosing BEAT as my first internship. I have enjoyed everything and all the stuff they do for people and the environment. I've been taught so much working with and I will keep learning. Thank u”

“Cute Little Store! Just Stopped In On Our Way Out Of Town & Each One Of My Kids Found Something They Liked. GREAT Customer Service. Super Friendly & Helpful!”