According to the most recent AAA survey, 55 percent of today’s travelers are looking for wellness, health and fitness vacations.  Due to society’s overall concern with health, rising stress levels, increasing knowledge of wellness travel, more wellness-focused vacation properties, strenuous work environments, and an aging population, wellness travel is considered one of the hottest, and most rapidly growing, trends for 2017.  Each month I’ll be writing about yet another option for you to consider for Travel That Will Change Your Life: Mind, Body, and Soul. Located in Stockton, Massachusetts, it’s about a four and a half hour drive out of New York City.

The Kripalu Center offers more than 60 programs a month including e Kripalu Center offers over 60 programs a month including such topics as Transformation through Enneagram, yoga for beginners through certification training programs for professional instructors, meditation from simple to advanced, storytelling for children and adults, and many more. Every evening offers a wide variety of workshops: cooking, chanting, mindful living, coping with loss, and nutrition. The Sauna, walking and hiking trails, lakefront beach, labyrinth, fitness room, café and bookshop area available and open to all visitors.

The buildings and property were once the site of a Jesuit seminary. There is a wide range of accommodations, from a dormitory to private rooms with baths. Families are encouraged to participate, and the surroundings are particularly conducive to family get-togethers and/or girlfriend getaways. Options include visiting for a day or a special event.

“Occasionally I’ll just pick up and go to Kripalu for a long weekend mini-vacation or what Kripalu calls R&R (rest and relaxation). A few times I have attended a week of workshops, but I like R&R the best,” says Pat, age 60, an adjunct English professor and avid gardener. “I can go at my own pace and do everything or nothing. It’s a tranquil and affordable treat.

“The grounds are beautiful. I love looking out, from the fourth-floor solarium, at the lake with the blue/gray mountains in the background. Walking the labyrinth is another favorite activity. It’s located in a field off the front entrance with more great views of the lake and mountains. I enjoy participating in both the early and late afternoon yoga classes and yoga nidra, a form of relaxation, meditation, and chanting.

Private Room

“The last time I visited I stayed in the six-person dorm room and there was only one other person, so it was private and quiet. The whole stay, including meals, yoga, workshops, and the great sauna and spa, is about $144 per day. Often they have some musicians in the evening for kirtan (chanting) or other types of entertainment. I live in Watertown, Connecticut, so I can just travel up old Route 8 to Lee and then over to Lenox. It takes about an hour and the ride is scenic along parts of a river and many wooded areas.”

Contact Information: Kripalu Center, 57 Interlaken Road, Stockbridge, MA 01262; 866-200-5203; 413-448-3152; www.kripalu.org; registration@kripalu.org; program fees vary. A Day Pass includes three meals,  participation in workshops and classes, the noon-time Kripalu YogaDance^® and evening programs. Pre-registration is required, off-season R&R day pass $100; in season and on weekends, $125.

Sister Tomatoes: Do you have a special interest in finding a particular kind of retreat or workshop? Let me know and I’ll try to provide you with the information you’ll need to make it happen in an upcoming column.