A Weekend at Kripalu

Just like heaven…

At the end of February I traveled, for my first time, to Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health with my dear friend and soul-sister, Christine. We spent an immersive weekend of tarot, yoga, and meditation with renowned tarot experts and authors, Alison DiNicola and Sasha Graham. 

What I expected was a workshop, some rest, relaxation, and weekend of tarot immersion. My experience felt closer to an awakening. The space, the master instructors, and intentional time for reflection and the deepening of my tarot practice is something that has stayed with me and continues to grow. 

Through Alison DiNicola’s guided meditations and yoga sessions, we embodied tarot archetypes physically, as opposed to simply discussing them intellectually. It was an incredibly powerful way to explore tarot archetypes. Rather than simply studying them, I could feel each archetype move through my body through posture, breath, and stillness. I’ve explored archetypal energy in my own yoga practice before, but this experience felt entirely different. Embodying the archetypes through intentional movement and poses brought them to life in a way that felt deeply personal, grounding, and transformative.

Alongside all of this, Sasha Graham shared her incredible wisdom and insight around tarot spreads and structure that sparked entirely new creative pathways for me. Ideas I know will continue unfolding in my own tarot practice and offerings. I was reminded that tarot is not separate from life. It is how I live my life. 

“Tarot is not separate from life. It is how I live my life.”

We commonly refer to the art of tarot reading as a mirror, it is however, far more dimensional than that. Spending time practicing and deepening my knowledge of Tarot and how it can be intertwined seamlessly with Yoga reminded me to notice and practice the way I want to move through the world, the way I connect, trust, observe, and expand.

The silent breakfasts… at first a bit unusual, became really, really beautiful and comforting for me. Without conversation having to fill every space, phones off and locked away and without the urge for constant documentation, I became deeply aware of my surroundings. The sound of silverware on stoneware, sunlight bouncing off the glistening snow and moving across tables, and the energy of the people around me. It felt like seeing clearly for the first time in a long time. I felt a part of the collective in this way. I felt how we are all connected as matter.

It reminded and reaffirmed something I’ve always known about myself: I am not simply an introvert, I am a people reader. Not through tarot alone, but through energy, expression, rhythm, body language, and silence. Through what is spoken and what isn’t. My awareness sharpened over the course of the weekend. The yoga classes I took outside of the tarot program, also felt transformative, grounding, empowering and emotional in unexpected ways. There was a feeling throughout the retreat of coming home to the body while simultaneously opening the intuition wider. 

This type of connection is a beautiful gift and being surrounded by thoughtful, like-minded people who were open to reflection, symbolism, intuition, and growth felt deeply nourishing. Conversations were meaningful. The energy felt genuine. It was a reminder that spiritual spaces can be both expansive and grounding when approached with sincerity.

I left Kripalu with more than inspiration. I left with a deeper understanding of tarot as a lived practice. My tarot and yoga practice are not just things I study or read but something to embody. That understanding will continue to  shaping the way I will hold space in every one of my readings, classes, and offering as I move forward.

Always learning, listening, and deepening. This work is a practice,
A ritual, and an ongoing unfolding.

And I am gratefully within it.

If you feel drawn to experience tarot in this way, intuitive, expansive, and deeply personal. You are always welcome at my table.

P.S. About the turnpike from Stockbridge to Boston: The Berkshires ARE dreamlike on account of that frosting!