Lara Tupper

How do the colors we're drawn to relate to our intentions, our emotions, our chakras, and our deepest selves?

Kripalu's Lara Tupper seeks wisdom from activist Kerri Kelly, neuroscientist V. S. Rakmachandran, Sister Mary Catharine Perry, Mister Rogers, and Shaun the Sheep.

What should those of us in “wellness” communities do to act responsibly? How do we strike a crucial balance between self-care and community care? Writer Lara Tupper seeks wisdom from Kripalu faculty and presenters.

Perhaps this unexpected time at home can be a chance to explore tactile creativity without devices, and to send tangible letters to those we’re seeing only on screens.

Kripalu presenter Cheryl Strayed speaks about the ways in which honest, self-reflective writing can break barriers, build community, and serve as a political act.

“The most powerful and important thing I have to offer the world is to speak from my deepest voice of truth,” says author and Kripalu presenter Cheryl Strayed.

Travel can trigger new phobias: too many people, too many germs, too much movement when we want to be still, too much stillness when we long to move. Author and Kripalu teacher Lara Tupper went in search of wisdom for navigating the discomfort of being out of control.

Gratitude doesn’t have to be synonymous with appreciation. It can be about acknowledging and recognizing what exists for you right at this moment.

"The camera is such a powerful tool," says yoga photographer and Kripalu presenter Robert Sturman. “It’s an excuse to pay attention and truly see another.”

Food carries memories. As we ingest a given dish—whether it's mandelbrot or a Devil Dog—we also consume associations that we’ve made over time.

When I feel stuck at my writing table, I walk through the local cemetery.

I must admit, I’m not a die-hard Bob Dylan fan. But since the announcement of his Nobel Prize win, I’ve become a quick study.

While floating on my back, I realize that the shell that holds my thoughts, worries, aches, grudges, plans, is just that—a human container buzzing with static.

Inner activism, says Angela Farmer, means practicing internal healing to prepare for action.

Author and Kripalu faculty member Lara Tupper breaks down the when, where, what, how, and why of her writing practice.

The act of viewing artwork can be a way to let distractions fall away. It’s the opposite of scrolling through an endless feed.

Allowing ourselves to be vulnerable and honest is what makes us interesting, says singer-songwriter and bodywork therapist Licia Sky. All of our parts get to be here.

It’s the time of year for caroling, a practice beloved by some and resisted by others. I sing with a local chorus, and we’re currently rehearsing our holiday repertoire for visits to assisted-living facilities, an annual endeavor that reassures and challenges me.

We link the moon to everything from insomnia to werewolves, but we also see it as a beneficent source, both a balm and a guide.

There are so many beautiful ways to enjoy playing and make a mess. In other words, you too can create an imperfect masterpiece—perfectly.

Author and Kripalu faculty member Lara Tupper follows in the footsteps of the Berkshires' legendary writers, and seeks out its newest literary voices.

By saying resolutions out loud, writing them out, or even blogging about them, we start to turn what we want into what we have.

A journal is not a diary, says memoirist, retired actor, and Kripalu Yoga teacher Lisa Jakub. It is a place for us to dive into our emotions about our lives.

Laundry waving on the line has had a calming effect on me since childhood. While placing a prayer flag between two posts on my deck, I began to make the connection.

We're more likely to scroll through Facebook when we wants to be distracted from ourselves, which inevitably pulls us in an uncomfortable direction.

Lara Tupper, guest blogger “There’s a book I want you to read,” says my cousin Becky. She’s been saying this for months and I haven’t been listening—it’s...

Writer and Kripalu faculty member Lara Tupper speaks with Kripalu teachers and friends about their unique approaches to practicing yoga at home.

Writer and Kripalu presenter Lara Tupper reflects on the resonant words of Mary Oliver and David Whyte.

A self-confessed pack rat explores what's worth keeping and what needs to go.

Simply tracing the outline of a labyrinth on paper can be a soothing practice to counteract anxiety. For some, the seven circuits of the classical design recall the seven chakras in yoga philosophy.

By Lara Tupper “The root of suffering is attachment.” —The Buddha I’ve moved 10 times in the past 14 years, from various hotels in Asia to apartments in New...

Brigid means “exalted one,” explains Irish theologian and singer Nóirín Ní Riain, while her ancient name, Breo-Saighead, means “fiery power” or “fiery arrow.” But what does she symbolize for seekers today?

As a perfectionist who finds it hard to multi-task, author and Kripalu faculty Lara Tupper find that cooking pushes all my buttons.

Kripalu has developed collaborations with arts and nature organizations throughout Berkshire County, which offer unique opportunities for practicing present-moment awareness.

Kripalu faculty member Lara Tupper shares her experience as a backup singer for Barry Manilow, her childhood crush.

According to Kripalu presenter Ashana, the singing of crystal bowls is like, "E.T. phone home. It’s the fastest way I know to move into a meditative state of heightened awareness."

Writer and Kripalu presenter Lara Tupper walks the Kripalu grounds and contemplates the rich stories of this land.

I tried to describe the frigid lake, the singed pine needles, the sticky texture of my fingertips, and I fell into a self-directed calm that was new for me.

Yoga practice allows us to rub up against versions of ourselves that we may not like. But it’s one thing to confront self-judgment on the mat, another to meet it head-on among strangers.

How do we write our truth without censoring ourselves, particularly if we think that our writing will hurt others?

What is the connection between scent and memory? The answer is likely due to brain anatomy. Lara Tupper explores the science and experiences the impact on the massage table.

Kripalu presenter Lara Tupper went to Ireland for the music, the green cliffs, the soda bread, the ruins. During those 10 days, time seemed to both slow down and speed up.

I found myself, in my 40th year, outside the Javits Center in New York City at 6:00 am in February, ready to audition for the TV show The Voice.

Adulting can be intense. Summer camp for grownups provides a pause to remember what really matters and to get back to who we really are—or who we want to be.

Tarot reading is an art form, one that blends history, art, psychology, and mindfulness, and can be used as a tool for insight and transformation.

Fred Rogers hoped that the legacy of the Neighborhood would be the understanding that we don’t have to hide our feelings, and that that we can share them without hurting others or ourselves.

It’s springtime in Madison Square Park. A squirrel joins me, and I’m tempted to see it as a sign, a guide. I know how to survive in this city.

We asked our teachers what they’ve been whipping up in their home kitchens during isolation.

Lara Tupper, MFA, is the author of A Thousand and One Nights, a novel about singers at sea. Her work has appeared in Six-Word Memoirs on Love and Heartbreak,...

We’ve had a spectacular year of celestial events (eclipses, meteor showers, Blue Moons, and Supermoons, to name just a few), but tonight’s Harvest Moon offers another good reason to stare up at the sky for a while.