Kripalu Yoga Retreat: Awakening Joy

Awakening Joy is a Kripalu yoga retreat for anyone who wants to reset, reconnect and feel like themselves again. It is led by Rachel Dewan with Master Anusara Yoga teachers Julia Pearring and Jacalyn Prete at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Beginners and seasoned practitioners are equally welcome.

What to Expect

The theme is the natural rhythm of contraction and expansion, concealment and grace. The retreat invites you to release tension, quiet the mind and reconnect with a joy and wholeness that are already there. A central idea is that your worth does not depend on life feeling bright and open all the time. The tighter, harder moments can become a way to ground and steady yourself.

Over four days the practice includes meditation, pranayama, chanting, asana, journaling and discussion. The aim is to leave with skills and clarity that last after you go home.

The weekend begins on Friday with check-in from 4:30 to 6:00 pm. Once you've settled in, you can take a hike, walk the labyrinth or rest in the living room. Orientation in the Upper Room is at 6:00 pm, dinner follows at 6:30, and the evening closes with gentle yoga and yoga nidra from 8:00 to 9:15 pm.

Saturday and Sunday each start with meditation from 8:00 to 8:30 am, then a morning yoga class. Saturday afternoon has a long stretch of free time, an optional journaling session in the library, and gentle and restorative yoga before dinner. Saturday evening there is a fire pit gathering, weather permitting. Sunday brings one more yoga class after brunch, with check-out and departure at 4:00 pm. The schedule is subject to change.

Classes balance strength, mobility, movement science, breath and deep restoration, so the pace shifts between energizing and unwinding.

Your Teachers

Rachel Dewan leads the retreat and is joined by two teachers who carry the title Master Anusara Yoga Teacher.

Julia Pearring is a Master Anusara Yoga Teacher, and the retreat's yoga classes draw on the Anusara tradition.

Jacalyn Prete is also a Master Anusara Yoga Teacher and co-leads the practice alongside Julia and Rachel.

The Setting

Kripalu sits in Stockbridge, in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, just over two hours from Bergen County. It is a center for nature, connection and mindful living, and its practices and teachings are rooted in the wisdom traditions of yoga. Between sessions there are trails to hike, a labyrinth to walk, a library and a living room for quiet time.

Three meals are served each day, with brunch on Saturday and Sunday. Options include vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and allergy-friendly choices.

Before You Go

No experience is needed. You don't have to be flexible or "good at yoga," only willing to take care of yourself. The program is taught in English and is open to all levels, with classes that mix gentle and more active work.

The retreat includes morning meditation, two yoga classes most days, three meals a day and evening community programs.