Chick Yoga Weekend XIV

The first weekend in June was my annual Chick Yoga Weekend at Kripalu.  It was fantastic.  The problem is, I really needed a whole week there.  The fact that I'm writing my blog post a week later is testament to that.  Life is a little out of control at the moment.

But for three solid days, life was wonderfully in control.  I headed out for Lee, MA, early on Friday morning to meet with five early-birds for lunch.  It was a great start our trip, as we excitedly shared what we hoped to do (or not do) over the weekend.  We arrived at Kripalu early enough to check in, but before our room was ready.  That was fine.  We wandered the grounds and generally hung out.

So many flowers and green

Saturday was a sunny warm day.  I skipped all of the optional workshops to hike, instead.  After fourteen years, you'd think I'd know every trail around the grounds.  Still, there were surprises.  My favorites were all the stone stairs.  I was familiar with several from the original Shadowbrook estate, but I stumbled across a few new ones.

So pretty.  Made me wonder what they must have looked like in their heyday.  I love them in their worn, tumbled-down state as well.

After I finished hiking, I spent the rest of the day writing, relaxing, catching up with friends and otherwise de-stressing.  Wow, I needed that.

Sunday was rainy.  But that's not a problem here.  After morning yoga I took a class on Yamas and Niyamas (yoga philosophy), hit the whirlpool and otherwise chilled.  The afternoon cleared up a bit.  I walked into the dorm room just as a roommate bemoaned not packing a jacket.  She wanted to go on the guided kayaking, but feared getting soaked.  I had only known her for a day, but she looked about my size, so I handed her my jacket.  Because that's the kind of place Kripalu is.  She returned it later, with a little thank you note.  She told me it was beautifully misty on the lake, until the skies opened up just as they returned to land.  She was very grateful for my jacket.

My group surprised me later in the day with a thank you gift of their own for organizing the trip:  little jade and Om earrings.  I love them!  I smile and think of them each time I put them on.  (Thanks, gals!)

It was still very cloudy on Sunday evening when we were treated to a spectacular set of rainbows.  I couldn't capture them and soon gave up trying, just to watch the light.  It bowed across the whole sky and was so incredibly bright.  Soon there was a crowd of us standing out in the light rain, oohing and ahhing.  At some point, there were bits of a second rainbow, then it nearly looked like a third one.  The sun was still hidden behind clouds and the mountain, so it was kind of eerie how the rainbow appeared out of nowhere.

Very cool.

Then it was Monday.  I took another hike (gave my new boots a good workout!) trying to absorb as much of the good energy I could.  I love this place.  I feel like a new person whenever I visit.

Yoga Chicks of 2016

One of our favorite instructors gave a brief outdoor tour of the history of Kripalu:  the enormous mansion, the Jesuits, the original Kripalu ashram and what it's become today.  I enjoyed learning some new bit of trivia.

Then it was time to go.  So soon.  Time to look forward to next year!