Passing the Baton: Honoring Kripalu’s Past, Sustaining Its Future

“Kripalu's ashram residents were the first members of this community to embody the values of service (seva), daily practice (sadhana), and community (sangha), helping lay the foundation for the Kripalu we know today. It was a joy to welcome past residents back to their former home, to share how Kripalu continues its mission through transformational yogic education, and to honor their pioneering spirit that still inspires us today.”
—Holly McCormack, Chief Learning Officer

This June, Kripalu welcomed home more than 120 former ashram residents for an overnight reunion rooted in remembrance, reconnection, and a meaningful “baton pass” between those who helped shape Kripalu’s earliest community and the faculty and leaders carrying its teachings forward today.

What began as a small idea with a goal of welcoming 30 attendees quickly grew to 120, with past residents traveling from across the country to return to a place they once called home. Together, they walked the labyrinth, shared meals and memories, and participated in a powerful Kripalu Lineage Reflections Conversation: Past and Present, led by Kripalu faculty and senior leadership.

“The reunion carried both remembrance and heartfelt hope for Kripalu’s future: that the people who care for the building and welcome its guests will be supported; that elders and newer generations will continue learning from one another; and that the essential spirit of community, equality, service, and love will remain alive.”

—Ken Nelson

May it be so.

Your support allowed Kripalu to offer complimentary housing, meals, and programming to 120 past residents—removing financial barriers to participation and creating the space for generations of the Kripalu community to come together and ensure that the values of seva, sadhana, and sangha remain vibrant for generations to come.

When you give to Kripalu, you make more than a gathering possible. You help preserve our lineage, regenerate our community, honor those who built the foundation beneath us, and invest in those who will carry Kripalu’s teachings forward.

Together, we can honor where Kripalu has been while investing in its future.