Retreat and Renewal

One thing I truly miss about the West Coast is the ubiquity of hot springs, natural spas, retreat and meditation centers and just a generally prevailing attitude that it's healthy to slow down, sit naked in a hot tub, take deep breaths and ponder life at a calm, reflective pace. Of course I knew living in New York City would not easily afford me those privileges and that I would really have to aggressively (ha!) seek these types of sanctuaries.

Sadly I have yet to find the NYC equivalent of Osento, the wonderful women's bathhouse in the Mission in San Francisco. After a couple of disappointing and culturally bizarre experiences in the Russian bathouses of Brooklyn (where men and women mingle in swimsuits, alternately enjoying heaping portions of herring, borscht and other delicacies with sitting, sweating, chatting and beating themselves with oak leaves in the saunas,) I knew it was time for me to look farther afield.

Luckily for me, I found Kripalu, a yoga retreat center in the Berkshires, in southwestern Massachusetts: www.kripalu.org. Despite the absence of natural hot springs, or even an outdoor hot tub (back east they call them "whirlpools") I certainly managed to enjoy myself. The physical space is a rather unattractive large red brick structure with tiny ascetic little dorm rooms and vast gathering spaces, including a cafeteria. It reminded me, eerily, of my freshman year dorm at Oberlin. Kripalu bought and renovated what was an abandoned Jesuit seminary, which was built in the none-too-architecturally inspiring late 50's. But the grounds are gorgeous, with a view of a lake and rolling Berkshire hills turning crisp autumn colors. This photo is from their website - definitely taken during the springtime. Imagine the trees turning red and gold and subtract the black-eyed susans.


It was a wonderful place to spend a few solitary days, roaming about the compound in my Puma sweatpants and fleece sweatshirt and clogs. I fit right in. I mostly did meditation seminars, which I found very soothing. I also had some body treatments, which were delightful. It was a good 3 days of reading, meditating, journal writing, pondering everything, pondering nothing, going to bed and getting up early, organic vegetarian meals, sauna (and yes, whirlpool) sessions and a few short hikes.

It ain't California, but it suited me just fine. Consider this a continuation of my thesis on how life in New York is different. Since I planned to but never penned "the New Yorker's Guide to San Francisco," maybe now I have an opportunity to write "the San Franciscan's Guide to New York (Or, How to Readjust When You're Originally From the East Coast But Crave The California Lifestyle.)"