KRIPALU CELEBRATES 50 YEAR LEGACY AS LEADER IN YOGA, HEALTH AND WELLNESS

Pioneer in Yoga Expanding Mission Through Increased Accessibility and Focus on Community 

STOCKBRIDGE, Mass., June 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, North America's leading yoga retreat center and educational non-profit, is celebrating its 50th year serving people and communities to realize their full potential through the transformative wisdom and practice of yoga. 

Founded in 1972 based on the core teachings of Swami Kripalu, writer, teacher and inspirational speaker, Kripalu – which means compassion – has played a leading role in driving the evolution of yoga in the West. Originally based in Pennsylvania, Kripalu relocated to its permanent location in the Berkshires in 1983 on a 125-acre property in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Today, Kripalu serves thousands of guests each year through in person retreats, programs, and trainings at its Center as well as online through live and on demand programs. 

As Kripalu celebrates its past and looks ahead to the future, the organization will host a series of "Summer Wisdom Chats" to engage current and future guests with its mission and vision. These free online conversations will each feature former and current Kripalu faculty, who will discuss Kripalu's milestones of the last 50 years. Dates, topics, and guests will include: 

• June 26 at 7PM ET: "Pilgrim on the Path of Love" featuring Stephen Cope, Kripalu Scholar Emeritus and best-selling author well known for making the practice of yoga accessible to the mainstream reader, and Kevin "Moose" Foran who has been with Kripalu since its inception and will discuss Swami Kripalu's legacy of love.
• July 31 at 7PM ET: "In Service to the Collective" featuring Legacy Faculty Member Aruni Nan Futuronsky and Dr. Rasmani Orth who will speak about Kripalu's legacy of service and community and what the next 50 years of service looks like for the organization.
• August 28 at 7PM ET: "Living From the Wisdom of Silence" featuring Kripalu faculty members Edi Pasalis and Jess Frey who facilitate the popular Kripalu Silent Retreat will speak about the power of silence and how it deepens our awareness and opens us to the fullness of life.

Then, on September 17th, Kripalu will commemorate its 50th anniversary with a live streamed panel discussion from its beloved Main Hall on campus. This discussion will be hosted by Kripalu CEO Robert Mulhall and feature Scholar Emeritus Stephen Cope, Lead Faculty Member Monique Schubert and other leaders in yoga and mindfulness to discuss Kripalu's focus on personal and societal transformation and vision for the future. 

Learn more about Kripalu's 50th anniversary, history, timeline, and upcoming events at Kripalu.org/50.

"For 50 years, Kripalu has been a beacon of love and community for those who have sought healing and transformation," said Robert Mulhall, CEO, Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health. "As we look ahead, we are committed to increasing the accessibility and reach of the practices of yoga. Together we will move closer toward our vision of a world united in service to well-being, justice, and peace." 

Kripalu's leadership team and Board of Trustees developed a new strategic plan for the organization in 2020. As part of Kripalu's new purpose – to ignite personal and societal transformation – the organization is championing several new initiatives focused on accessibility, equity, and social impact. 

Toward the goal of expanding access to its mission and practices, in 2021 Kripalu engaged members of its faculty with many of the world's yoga luminaries, thought leaders and wellness experts to create Kripalu Online Live and On-Demand Programs. These programs focused on topics including yoga, mindfulness, cooking, wellness, and social justice. Today, Kripalu Online Programs engage people across the U.S. and in 50+ countries. Additionally, Kripalu introduced a tiered based pricing model for many of its online programs allowing those who may be experiencing financial difficulties access to these workshops.  

As Kripalu looks to the future, it is committed to upholding its new equity statement to reaffirm its commitment to inclusivity and accessibility world-wide. The intention behind Kripalu's equity work is to ensure that anyone who wants access to what Kripalu has to offer is able to obtain it, feel like they belong as part of our community, are seen in their fullness, and that their personal growth process is supported.

An example of this practice of equity in action was Kripalu's leadership of the free online series, "Amplify the Voices of the Global Majority." Donor-funded, this powerful series of programs brought together changemakers from around the globe focused on dismantling inequity and harm, stewarding the planet, and prioritizing the collective well-being. 

In 2017, Kripalu introduced RISE™, a social-impact program to bring stress-resilience training to frontline providers and leadership in some of the most critical social institutions in North America: human services organizations, K–12 schools, correctional facilities, law enforcement, and healthcare.

Looking to the future, Kripalu is expanding its RISE program to extend its impact on workplace productivity, charities, and social change agents:

• Non-Profits: Kripalu's new "Non-Profit Leadership Program" supports the inner and outer leadership development of nonprofit leaders. Additionally, with support from the Yawkey Foundation, Kripalu has partnered with the Boys & Girls Club of Boston to offer RISE to staff and children.
• Social Activists: Kripalu is hosting "Activists-in-Residence" retreats for people working for change to societal issues to help them care for themselves and return to work with fresh clarity and energy.

Kripalu has served 25,000 guests since re-opening its campus in August 2021.

Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health is a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to serving people and communities in realizing their full potential through the transformative wisdom and practice of yoga. Founded in 1972 and located in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, Kripalu is the leading yoga retreat center in North America. As the field leader in whole-person education for body, mind, heart, and spirit, Kripalu offers onsite and online programs and retreats across a wide range of topics including yoga, meditation, Ayurveda, cooking, outdoor mindfulness, social, and environmental justice. For more information, visit www.kripalu.org.

SOURCE Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health