Journal of Yoga & Physical Therapy
Open Access

Health Benefits of Kripalu Yoga

Arietta Marina^{* *}Correspondence: Arietta Marina, Department of physical therapy, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey, Email:

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Kripalu may be a gentle yoga practice with a compassionate approach. It places a stress on meditation, physical healing, and spiritual transformation that overflow from the yoga mat into lifestyle. Over time, students are taught to observe their thoughts without judging and to accept and love themselves as they are. Kripalu is gentle yoga that emphasizes moving at your own pace, self-acceptance, and adaptability. It is ideal for people facing life challenges. In a Kripalu class, each student learns to seek out their own level of practice on a given day by looking inward. The classes usually begin with pranayama exercises and gentle stretches followed by asana practice and ending with final relaxation.

In classes for beginners, poses are held for a short time as students begin to feel the effects of prana in the body. More advanced classes include longer hold times and, eventually, flow.

At the end of class, Kripalu teachers say Jai Bhagwan instead of Namaste. The two terms essentially have the same meaning, but the former is in Hindi and the latter in Sanskrit. Because of Kripalu emphasis on adaptability and acceptance, it is a style that is welcoming to people who feel like they are outside the norm. It's also popular for those who are looking for transformation during difficult times of life or who have injuries or other physical limitations.

The three stages of Kripalu yoga are:

• Wilful Practice

• Will and Surrender

• Surrender to the Wisdom of the Body

Kripalu Yoga in Practice

Through Kripalu yoga, students learn to determine a nurturing, intimate relationship with their body, allowing them to tap into their inner self and inner-knowing. With the goal of applying what is learned into daily living, Kripalu enhances deeper awareness of mental and emotional conditions affecting the body, with an attitude of tenderness, compassion, and prayer. Since Kripalu helps everyone get intuned with their own inner knowing, each individual’s yoga looks different. Through practice, blocked energy is freed, emotional blockages begin to dissolve, and layers of stress, pain, and unconscious resistance are released. As a result, the body’s natural healing abilities kick in, allowing students to achieve greater levels of physical well-being, mental clarity, and emotional stability.

The Kripalu Centre for Yoga and Health

The name Kripalu is associated both with a method of yoga and a yoga and wellness centre in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Both were founded by yoga guru Amrit Desai who came to the United States from India in 1960. Kripalu was named for Desai's teacher, Sri Kripalvananda, a Kundalini yoga master.

After outgrowing two facilities in Pennsylvania, the Kripalu Centre began operating out of its current home in the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts in 1983. The programs at the centre continued to expand until 1994. That is when it was revealed that founder Amrit Desai had engaged in inappropriate sexual relations with students. He left the centre and the leadership was transferred to a group of senior members who began to rebuild.

Under this new management group, the Kripalu Centre began to expand its class offerings to include a wide array of yoga styles and wellness topics. It also began to determine itself as a multi-dimensional retreat destination.

These days, the middle offers a particularly diverse course schedule. It often hosts yoga's best-known teachers who lead weekend and week-long workshops. They also offer yoga, massage, and Ayurvedic teacher training.

Kripalu yoga benefits

The many benefits of Kripalu yoga include:

• Release of prana

• Reduced tension

• Reduced hyperactivity

• Reduced anxiety

• Increased relaxation

• Alleviation of depression