After a tough season of training, racing and travel, some athletes opt for a beach holiday to relax on the sand. Other athletes may jet off to Vegas for a few days of debauchery. I, on the other hand, embraced my inner granola-eating hippie and tried to be a Zen Master at the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health.
Following a few days of paperwork, hanging out with friends and family and one bike ride with Lance (Yes, that Lance. Good namedrop, right? Am I cooler now?), I headed down to Kripalu. Situated in Lenox, Massachusetts, the Kripalu property (summer estate turned Jesuit novitiate turned ashram) overlooks Laurel Lake and the Berkshire Mountains. My initial impression, shaped by the perfectly-coiffed New Jersey suburbanite stepping out of her Land Rover in front of reception, was that this would be more of a yoga-light, spa experience than a hard-core hippie retreat. While there were some yuppie elements, I was pleasantly pleased to find out that my initial impression was incomplete and that guests could tailor their experience in whatever fashion they wanted.
Personally, I wanted my experience to be an active, energizing one. That entailed 3 yoga sessions a day, multiple lectures, hikes and runs and meditation; all achieved on a caffeine-free, macrobiotic diet (No coffee= big deal for SG). I very possibly overextended myself. By the end of my stay, I felt sore in different places, but relaxed and really happy. After being put through the meat grinder a few times this season, I needed a clean start and Kripalu was exactly the place to seek it. I’m ready to move onto the 2011 season, armed with a few more tools to keep me healthy, grounded and feelin’ the prana, baby. That being said, delicious, wonderful coffee will definitely be reintegrated into my life at some point.
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