The Impact of a First Visit

Do you remember your first time at Kripalu?

For many, our first visit to Kripalu creates a profound memory that we recall time and again, familiar and comforting, that has kept us coming back for more.

A first visit where a question was answered or curiosity was provoked. A visit where awareness or understanding was gained, where a stranger became a friend. And now years later, we call Kripalu home.

Thanks to the generous support of our donors, Kripalu’s mission to create a campus of radical belonging continues. Through the expansion of scholarships, we welcome many new individuals to Kripalu for their first visit.

What a gift to see Kripalu through their eyes.

First Memories from Our Community

“I remember my first visit to Kripalu and the view we had of the lake just beneath the fresh Spring trees of April. It was unforgettable, and eventually the men of our group would go near the lake to relax, chat, and laugh. I felt at ease being surrounded by safety, nature, and the gentle silence.”
—Alex Guevara

“My first time at Kripalu felt like stepping into a world that finally let me breathe. I remember how quiet everything was, how the stillness wrapped around me like I had slipped into a time capsule. For the first time in a long time, I felt myself truly let go. As a Black woman, a college student, and the daughter of a single mother, life doesn’t leave much room for rest or self-care. You get used to holding everything together. You get used to pushing through. Kripalu created a space where I didn’t have to push. I could finally soften and listen to my own spirit.”
—Leilanni Winfield

“Displaced. Away from the stars of the city, a lake of emotion once buried flows like an untapped reserve revealing light of a new day. The land calm and bountiful appears as its true self. Connections weaved like a spider creates its home in a forest. New perspectives appear like an old friend you haven’t seen since youth. Showing who you were all along.”
—Saeed Linton

“I remember checking in and having my own judgments and perceptions from over the years and then just saying that I was going to fully be there and say yes to whatever came. I didn’t know I was in a safe space. Kripalu is now part of my being, part of my path, a central part of my healing and journey from the storm.”
—Jennifer Pickering