The Kripalu Ayurveda Spring Cleanse

The Kripalu Ayurveda Spring Cleanse is a four-night Ayurveda retreat at the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, for anyone who wants to mark the turn from winter to spring with a gentle, practical cleanse. Led by Kripalu faculty Erin Casperson and Susan Wrba, together with Ayurveda Health Counselors, it suits beginners and experienced practitioners alike. No prior knowledge of Ayurveda or yoga is needed.

What to Expect

In Ayurveda, the change of seasons is a time to pause, listen, and adjust, since digestion and energy often shift as the weather does. This retreat treats a cleanse the way you might treat opening the windows and clearing out closets in spring: as a way to make space. The approach is gentle and anything but strict or dogmatic. You simplify, turn inward, and notice your patterns while eating seasonal food from the Kripalu Dining Hall.

Over the program you will:

- Cook simple, cleansing meals you can recreate at home.
- Make digestive aids, warming spring teas, and spice blends to use during the retreat and take home.
- Practice spring-balancing yoga designed to warm, clear, and circulate.
- Receive dry and oil massage to support circulation and release congestion.
- Meditate and practice outdoors as the Kripalu grounds wake up from winter.
- Gather in community to reflect on what you are ready to release, renew, and welcome.

The days follow a steady rhythm. Kripalu Yoga class begins at 6:30 am, followed by a silent breakfast at 7:30. A program session runs from 9:00 to 11:30, lunch follows, and a second session fills the afternoon from 1:30 to 4:00. Another yoga class at 4:45 comes before dinner at 5:30. On the opening day, check-in begins at 2:00 pm, with yoga, dinner, and an evening program session from 7:00 to 8:30. On the closing day, the morning yoga class, silent breakfast, and a final session lead into lunch and departure. Actual times may vary, so check the schedule given at check-in.

About Erin Casperson and Susan Wrba

Erin Casperson and Susan Wrba both teach as Kripalu faculty and lead this program together.

The Setting

Kripalu sits in Stockbridge, in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, and the grounds are part of the retreat, especially as spring arrives. Accommodations are intentionally simple, meant to help you unplug. Options include a private room for solitude and rest, a shared room, and a standard dormitory for a more community-style stay. Rooms are ready by 4:00 pm, and a luggage room is available if you arrive earlier. Meals are served in the dining hall, with vegetarian options available. Guests with other dietary restrictions should contact Kripalu ahead of time.

Before You Go

Your stay includes three daily meals prepared according to Ayurvedic principles, more than ten yoga classes, program sessions on Ayurvedic spring practices, oil and dry massage, access to the grounds, and recipes and herbal blends to take home. Healing Arts sessions beyond those scheduled, items from the Kripalu Shop and Cafe, and personal spa treatments are not included.

Please pack shorts and a tank top for the oil massage, plus comfortable clothing for mindful outdoor practice, including sneakers and layers for changing spring weather. On the day of departure, room check-out is at 10:00 am, and you may stay on campus and take part in workshops until 2:00 pm. The program is taught in English.