Poetry Is (Not) Prayer

Poetry Is (Not) Prayer is a creative workshop and weekend poetry retreat at the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, led by Irish poet, theologian, and conflict mediator Pádraig Ó Tuama. It is for anyone curious about the meeting place of poetry and prayer, whether you read poems every day or have hardly read one since school.

The question at its heart is a playful one. Is a poem a prayer? Sometimes. Is a prayer a poem? Occasionally. Are all poems prayers? Definitely not. Over three days, the group looks at what prayer reaches for in us and how poems give voice to it.

What to Expect

The weekend moves between reading, conversation, writing, and quiet reflection. You will spend time with well-known poems and with overlooked ones, in a setting meant to be thoughtful and compassionate. The aim is to see how poetry can become a language for wonder, grief, joy, uncertainty, and hope, and how it can help you listen more deeply to yourself, to others, and to the mystery at the heart of life. Poetry is treated as a living, embodied practice, with room for personal reflection, curiosity, and real conversation.

The schedule is steady. On the opening day, check-in begins at 2:00 pm, followed by a Kripalu Yoga class, dinner, and a first program session from 7:30 to 9:00 pm. The full day begins with yoga at 6:30 am and a silent breakfast, then a program session from 9:00 to 11:30 am. After lunch, there is another session from 1:30 to 4:00 pm, then an evening yoga class and dinner. On the closing day, yoga and silent breakfast are followed by a final session from 9:00 to 11:00 am, and lunch and departure at 11:30.

About Pádraig Ó Tuama

Pádraig Ó Tuama is an acclaimed Irish poet, theologian, and conflict mediator. He hosts Poetry Unbound, the popular podcast from the On Being project, which has introduced millions of listeners to the power of poetry. He is the author of several books of poetry and prose, including Kitchen Hymns, Love Between Men, and Feed the Beast, and serves on the faculty of Yale Divinity School.

The Setting

Kripalu is a center for yoga and health in Stockbridge, in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts. Accommodations are intentionally simple, meant to help you unplug and feel grounded. You can choose a private room for solitude or a shared, community-style dorm room. Rooms are ready by 4:00 pm, and a luggage room is available if you arrive earlier.

Three meals a day are included, with breakfasts taken in silence. Over the weekend you can also join more than ten yoga classes and use the Kripalu grounds. On the day of departure, room check-out is at 10:00 am, and you may remain on campus and take part in workshops until 2:00 pm.

Before You Go

No experience with poetry or writing is needed. The retreat welcomes longtime readers and people encountering poems for the first time. It is offered in English.

Your stay includes accommodation, all program sessions with Pádraig Ó Tuama, three daily meals, yoga classes, and access to the grounds. Healing Arts sessions, purchases from the Kripalu Shop, and cafe items beyond your included meals are extra. Times can shift, so check the schedule you receive at check-in for details and room locations.