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January 2024 by Millicent A.
Wonderful place, but avoid staying in the dorms. The women's door offers no opportunity to sleep peacefully. The main door to the dorm room slams shut (this is unavoidable); the windows face a busy parking lot (so headlights are constantly lighting up the room); and the heating system is ancient and loud. ( I visited in early December during a cold snap). The heat sounded as though a plumber were working at my bedside ALL NIGHT LONG. The heating system clangs and moans and gongs constantly. It was like trying to sleep in some industrial-age orphanage. I actually tried to upgrade my housing at the front desk, but was outright denied. The receptionist I dealt with was quite surprisingly unkind and unaccommodating. She acted as though my request was outlandish. She told me I "had" to stay in the dorms. Then she called the next guest. In the past, the staff at Kripalu have been kind and gracious, so I was surprised to experience this in such an environment. After four hours of lying in a metal bed, listening to the clanging pipes and not sleeping, I ended up going out to my car at 2 am to sleep in my car. I can attest that I slept better in my car than I did in the dorms. Despite this experience, I would recommend Kripalu, if you have the big budget. The property is very serene, the food is good quality, and the programming is excellent. Just don't expect to sleep.
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December 2023 by Mark Hank
If I could give these people zero stars, I would. My latest fiasco was I was trying to give a gift card online through their website. Everything appeared to be going smoothly until the payment processing return the message that says it failed. So I carefully re-entered all the information thinking I had missed keyed it on the first attempt No such luck the second attempt failed.So I attempted to call them To make sure the gift card had been processed. I called nine times and the line was busy. On the 10th try I went to voicemail which stated their business hours are Monday through Friday.. It’s Sunday, so why was the line busy nine previous tries?In the meantime, I checked my credit card website And saw there were four pending transactions for Kripalu!My previous experiences with the Staff left me with a feeling that talk to two different staff members and you’ll get three different stories on how things work. So I thought using their online system would be an improvement. I should have known better.
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November 2023 by Brandon Brown
Kripalu is a magical place if you just let yourself immerse in all that’s around you! I was fortunate enough to be apart of the mindful masculinity programs and was it life changing. The staff, the teachers and the people who might have been on another journey than ours were so welcoming.
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November 2023 by Bradley Rhyins
Life changing, I participated in the mindful masculinity program this week and I’m a grateful man, I left this place more limber and more informed on how to handle conflict and interactions with other men.
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November 2023 by melissa branco
I’m torn between giving it a 2 and a 3: food was delicious, beds were comfy, classes varied - the Ayurveda yoga was great, all the rest were just so so, and the worst thing…the constant chatter! There was no silence in any of the common areas. In search of peace, I found the technology lounges to be the quietest rooms! Throughout the building, people were on their phones or had them on, so dings were going off during classes! It was more of a white women’s wellness resort, not a retreat center :(
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November 2023 by Adam Edwards
I spent the last 5 days here taking a Mindful Masculinity class with Hawa, Jean Jacques, and Robert. I was blown away by the intense, yet gentle care that the facilitators practiced with us to work with us on our direct healing, teach us soft skills, and work with us on yoga skills. They were professional yet relatable, they paired well phenomally, and were a veritable cornucopia of knowledge and boundless wisdom. They are truly gems of Kripalu.The food was phenomenal as well I've never been treated with as much care in my life as I was this past 5 days. This has truly been a blessing in my life and given me the energy I need to carry on and handle my responsibilities and the soft skills to not be burnt out by said responsibilities. This is a sacred and life-changing work that was done this weekend and needs to be continued!Thanks to Kripalu for making this work accessible to BIPOC activists and a safe space to heal from this often heavy and cold world.
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October 2023 by Steven H.
As a local, I can come out for the day at a discount. It's a great deal and I love the classes and instructors. Everyone is super friendly and helpful. The class levels vary a great deal so it can be a little hard to find one that truly clicks, but for a 1 day retreat I'm happy to try a little of everything. It's worth taking advantage of the grounds and outside offerings. I make sure to join at least one of the outdoor activities, hiking, kayaking, or archery. These are all at an easy level and have meditation components that remind me how much I need to include meditation in with my own outdoor activities. The food is good quality and plenty of it. It is a cafeteria and as such excellent and lot's of options, but quality somewhat reduced by having to sit in warming trays. Kripalu is a wonderful place for a recharge and I always leave feeling refreshed and ready to go back to my hectic daily life while looking forward to my next chance to come back for a day.
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October 2023 by Christine Cignoli
I was so super excited about finally coming here, but I left a night early. High points were the food -- I am not used to having so many good vegetarian options, and there were yummy GF baked goods. I also had a really good massage. The grounds are beautiful too. I ended up exploring Lenox, Stockbridge, and Great Barrington, which are all very cute towns.But the building is somehow claustrophobic and a little creepy. The outdoor space is nice, but inside felt stuffy (and dark, especially in the dining room) and not that conducive to lounging. The front desk staff is not welcoming at all, or knowledgeable. When I checked in the staff member pointed out the schedule for the rest of the day. I asked her what "Ayurveda for Health" was and she said, "Well I don't know," like it was a really strange/out of the blue question. She said I should ask someone else and sort of waved toward the front desk. (I still don't know! And this is a hard topic to Google!)I stayed in the Annex, in a double room, which also felt really claustrophobic. It also said on the website that those rooms have AC, but they do not. There was a sign by the door about climate control that explained.... how to open and close the window. I didn't want to hang out in the room either, and after two nights I felt desperate to just get out of there. For the money I would find a cute B&B for the next getaway.
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September 2023 by Donna H.
I have been coming to Kripalu for 12 years. My recent visit was my first post COVID. The overall beauty of the grounds (and magnificent views!) remain unchanged. The Kripalu premises are well maintained, and the instructors are still top notch. The meditation & yoga classes were excellent. What has steeply declined, however, is the quality and variety of the food. Meals used to be an absolute highlight at Kripalu! During the days of the former chef, Jeremy Rock Smith, the food was divine. Multiple, healthy entrees were offered that appealed to many different palates. Delicious fresh baked breads and desserts were offered at lunch & dinner. Water decanters filled with fresh fruit were available all day for after-class hydration. The current menus offer minimal and bland choices. I saw so many people making peanut butter sandwiches at lunch and dinner, since there was nothing they wanted to eat. I also saw so many plates going back to the kitchen half full of uneaten food. One dessert is now offered every other evening. There are no more fruit water decanters. It is clear that huge budget cuts have been made to the food service, yet the daily cost of being at Kripalu has risen substantially. I hope this situation can be rectified so a once beloved retreat does not lose its loyal fan base.
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September 2023 by Debra W.
I am an experienced yoga practitioner and teacher who attended Kripalu program for more than 20 years before the pandemic. I decided to try the Kripalu online studio free trial this summer. I did not get much out of it, as it was geared toward beginners and low intermediate students. I cancelled my trial before the deadline. Since then, I have been charged two unauthorized monthly fees for Kripalu Online Studio. I have spent considerable time trying to straighten it out and get a refund, with no success. The worst of it is Kripalu personnel denied that Kripalu charged me despite my providing credit card statements showing that they did. Shame on you, Kripalu.
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August 2023 by Stephen Schwed
This place honestly feels like summer camp for adults. I meditated, did yoga, danced, and made a lot of friends in the process. The food and accommodation are suitable, but nothing special. The staff (Michelle and Chris = goats), the dance classes, and the views were all spectacular. I definitely hope to come back soon.
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August 2023 by Louise Ma
My review is primarily for the massage service at their healing arts center.I’ve stayed at Kripalu twice, both times for a 5-day meditation retreat with Craig Holliday. On my second stay this year I decided to treat myself and booked two master-level massage treatments during the retreat. I had the good fortune of meeting Kreston Johnson and being on his table for two hours, which now ranks in the very top of my massage experience so far in my life, and I love bodywork so I’ve experienced a good number of therapists. Kreston brings so much wisdom and care to his practice and I felt it deeply. His attention to detail added so much depth to the healing I received on my retreat. So, thank you Kreston!Unrelated to massage services, I do want to advise guests to be careful when they are chewing on the salad in the cafeteria. Both times I’ve bit into small rocks in the arugula or spinach, and sustained minor tooth damage.
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July 2023 by Hillary M.
Wow, what a transformative and healing experience! I went to the R&R for 4 days, 3 nights and just loved it. Definitely go with an open mind and try everything that appeals to you- there's so much available and so many opportunities to get to know yourself better and make new connections with others. It is beautiful- inside and out. The lake is stunning whether you're overlooking it from an Adirondack chair or about to step in for a swim. The hiking trails are positively idyllic with dappled sunlight, a babbling brook, and little flowers dotting the landscape. Inside is just as lovely with the spaces clean, bright, and just decorative enough that you feel they're eco-friendly not ostentatious. It's kind of like you imagine a rich people rehab to be. Everyone working there from the people greeting you when you arrive to the teachers are just so nice and welcoming. The guests- students in some kind of training, participants in a seminar, and other R&R people, tend to be really friendly and kind. I went alone and made several friends. Everyone smiles, sometimes people just strike up a conversation. It's really nice, you feel instantly part of a community, but not like you're in a cult. Also, it all smells good? I mean really good, not a fake fragrance or bleach, just this nice EO smell. I brought my own soap and shampoo/conditioner but their stuff was nicer! There's no moisturizer, FYI. I got a private room in the annex with a big bed and a view because I was in full-on treat yoself mode and WORTH IT. The bed was so cozy, the room had a bathroom with tub-shower, so I could take a bath, the bathroom was also pretty weird so get ready for that surprise, and the best of it all was the eco design really did mean for a cold room in peak summer. The annex is removed from the main area but it's not a long walk indoors or out and I really appreciated the privacy. Food was good- mostly vegan- and I was glad I brought a thermos type thing because they cut you off from coffee at 9am. I did an Ayuverdic facial and a sound bath and I highly recommend both. It's part of the Healing Arts section. You can book online before your visit and I had a hard time doing this on the phone, but it was easy on a desktop- I did call to make reservations and no one answered or called me back, which was a bummer. If you go, leave your phone in the car and let yourself really live the experience! Bring a journal and write your feelings and tissues to cry it out. Lay in the hammock, learn to meditate, walk the labyrinth. Don't be distracted by the boomers who cannot follow directions about electronics and have their phones everywhere, including beeping notifications during yoga and trying to record a class, OMG. I agree with others that some of the guests give a whole country club vibe and the gift shop has nice items for sale but feels over the top. I wanted to buy a simple bolster like we used in yoga class and it wasn't there, just these extremely expensive embroidered ones. Ew. There are bathrooms everywhere, water bottle refill stations everywhere, and lots of outdoor quiet spaces. Bring a big water bottle, thermos, a sweater and socks because the classrooms can get cold when you're just sitting there, and a journal. Also snacks because the little snack shop is massively overpriced and if you do a sound bath you'll be ravenous the first day or two. Don't bring booze, weed, or tobacco, this is a yoga retreat center for crying out loud. Go! Go and heal!
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July 2023 by it's-me!
Love the vibe, love the quiet, love the food, love the classes, love the surrounding countryside. I don't love the drive to get here, but that's a small price to pay.I've stayed in the annex as well as the main building and I preferthe luxuries that are offered in the annex, specifically the rooms with private baths.Last few times I was there, they weren't serving coffee in the cafeteria - which really SUCKED - but I think they may have changed this policy. This didn't detract from my love of my experiences here however ... it just posed a challenge.
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July 2023 by Marc-Antoine Vandenhove
Kripalu is a gem. Teachers are competent, with varied classes levels and activities. Food is tasty and top quality. Staff is friendly and welcoming, creating the right peaceful atmosphere. The whole facility is SPARKLING clean and comfortable. Hugely recommended.
