Bachelorette Vacations for Yogis - Kripalu

Depending on your age and your interests, Las Vegas might not sound like your ideal Bachelorette vacation. However, that doesn't mean that you shouldn't get your closest girlfriends together for a weekend getaway to celebrate your soon-to-be-ending singledom. Why not try a vacation that will help you de-stress for the big day.

Have you ever heard of Kripalu in the Berkshire Mountains in Western Massachusetts? Kripalu is a yoga center that focuses on overall wellness and spreading the benefits of yoga. I just came back from a mother/daughter trip with my mom, but I couldn't help to think that it would be a great retreat of a group of best friends.

Kripalu offers many different programs. You can go for as many or as few days as you like and just take in the scenery by taking hikes on the trails, organized bike rides, or even just lay on the beach at the near by (12 minute walk!) Mackenaw Lake; along with of course the 3 daily yoga sessions you can engage in at varying levels. If you are looking for a bit more structure there are tons of different programs that you can sign up for specifically. The program that my mom and I did was the Yoga/Kayak weekend. Here is an approximate schedule of our experience:

Friday
3pm - Arrive and check in to our room
4:15-5:45 - Moderate Yoga class (there was also gentle and vigorous!)
6pm - Dinner at the dining hall (all meals are included with your stay and there are many different options depending on your dietary needs/likes...personally I decided to detox that weekend so I ate completely Vegan, Gluten-free meals and never went hungry, seriously the good was amazing!)
7-9pm - Initial meeting with kayaking group, some yoga movement involved
10pm - bed!


Saturday
7:30am - Wake up and eat breakfast (they do not give you coffee so if you are a caffeine addict like my mother and I you can by coffee at a small/sinful cafe)
9:30-11:30am - yoga with our kayak program
Noon - lunch
1:45-4:45pm - Kayaking at the lake with instruction and a floating meditation
5pm - change/shower
6pm - dinner and hang out time
8-10pm - bonfire with our fellow Kayakers
10:30pm - bed (slept like a serious log)


Sunday
7am - wake up and grab some fruit to go for breakfast
8-9:30am - kayaking at the lake
10-11:15am - yoga class (by this time you are really sore, but the stretching feels so good)
11:30am - check out of room, but not out of Kripalu center
12-1pm - YogaDance class
1:15pm - lunch and shopping at the gift shop

Sunday night we stayed at one of the many adorable Inns in Lenox, MA and then went to Tanglewood to see a performance that night. Tanglewood is the summer retreat of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. We were able to get lawn seats for $18 and brought a picnic with lots of wine with us. We camped out under the stars (did I mention that is was 65 degrees at night...so different from Louisville) and listened to Yo Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble...amazing.

Other things to do within a 15 minute drive? Prime Outlets Shopping and Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival (on Thursday night we were delighted to see a free modern dance performance on an outdoor stage overlooking the mountains!)

Travel tips: Book Southwest Airlines to Albany, NY or Hartford, CT you are only about an hour drive from either. Kripalu has a shuttle if needed. Also, if you really want to feel glam with your friends, they have a limo service!

Stay in the dorms with your friends and feel like you are at an adult summer camp, or you can always pay extra for a private room if bunking isn't your thing. Just go and enjoy yourself. I promise you won't regret it. For me, the worst part was leaving.