New Year's Spiritual Renewal Retreat

The New Year's Spiritual Renewal Retreat is a spiritual retreat at the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, led by Shivananda Thomas Amelio, a founding member of Kripalu. It is a yoga and meditation retreat for anyone who wants to close one year with reflection and begin the next with a steadier inner practice, whether you are new to these teachings or have practiced for years.

Over several days, Shivananda guides participants through meditation, breathwork, mantra, and self-inquiry, all rooted in the classical eightfold path of yoga. The aim is a living spiritual practice you can carry into daily life.

What to Expect

The retreat is built around reflection and renewal. Through the program sessions, you are invited to sink into your heart's knowing, reconnect with your source of divinity, learn to apply ancient yogic principles in everyday life, and clarify and fine-tune your life's purpose. Ritual practice marks a conscious closing of the old year and an intentional step into the new one.

The days follow a steady rhythm. On the opening day, check-in begins at 2:00 pm, followed by a Kripalu Yoga class from 4:45 to 6:00, dinner, and a first program session from 7:30 to 9:00 in the evening. Each full day begins with Kripalu Yoga from 6:30 to 7:45 am, then a silent breakfast. A program session runs from 9:00 to 11:30 am, lunch follows, and another session runs from 1:30 to 4:00 pm. A second yoga class at 4:45 and dinner close the day. On the final morning there is yoga, silent breakfast, and a last program session from 9:00 to 11:00, with lunch and departure after 11:30.

Sessions weave together guided meditation, pranayama (breathwork), mantra, and self-inquiry, so the practice moves between movement, stillness, sound, and contemplation.

About Shivananda Thomas Amelio

Shivananda Thomas Amelio is a founding member of Kripalu and leads this retreat as its presenter. He brings that long connection to the Kripalu community to a program that offers accessible entry points alongside deeper dimensions of practice, so beginners and seasoned practitioners can both find their footing.

The Setting

Kripalu is a yoga and health center in Stockbridge, in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts. Accommodations are intentionally simple, meant to help you unplug and feel grounded. You can choose a private room for solitude and personal reflection, or a shared dormitory room, a community-style option that fosters connection with other participants. Rooms are ready by 4:00 pm, and a luggage room is available if you arrive earlier.

Three nutritious meals are served each day, with breakfast taken in silence. You also have access to the Kripalu grounds and facilities. On the last day, room check-out is at 10:00 am, and you are welcome to stay on campus and take part in workshops until 2:00 pm.

Before You Go

This retreat is open to all levels. The teachings and practices can be met with any degree of prior knowledge or physical ability. It is taught in English.

Your stay includes accommodations, three meals a day, more than ten yoga classes over the program, guided meditation and pranayama sessions, and use of the grounds. Healing Arts sessions, items from the Kripalu Shop and Cafe, and transportation are not included.

Please bring a journal, any inspirational writing that moves you, and a symbolic object. It should represent what you wish to release, what you are ready to step into, and what embodies divinity for you. Actual times and room locations may vary, so check the schedule provided at check-in.