Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health history

The first Kripalu Yoga Teacher Training was offered in Sumneytown in 1973.

In 1974, the organization's name was changed to "Kripalu Yoga Fellowship". It taught Swami Kripalu's teachings, held retreats and other programs, and trained yoga teachers.

In 1975, Kripalu bought Summit Station, Pennsylvania, including a health center that became a key element of its mission.

In 1977, Swami Kripalu moved to the United States, inspiring many people to take up yoga.

The doors of Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health were opened in December 1983.

As the number of Kripalu-trained teachers grew, the Kripalu Yoga Teachers Association—now called the Kripalu Yoga and Ayurveda Association (KYAA)—was formed in 1991 to offer continuing support and professional development to alumni.

In 1994, it was discovered that Desai had had sexual relationships with female residents, and he was forced to resign.

In 1999, Kripalu changed from a religious order to a secular non-profit organisation.

In 2001, the Teaching for Diversity fund was created to support yoga teachers sharing the practice with populations around the country and the world who might not have access to it otherwise.

As of 2008, Kripalu Center in Stockbridge said it offered more than 750 programs and spiritual retreats attended by about 25,000 people annually.

In June 2009, a new, 80-room, environmentally sensitive residential building, the Annex, was completed to augment the 171 guest rooms in the Shadowbrook building.

In 2010, the Kripalu Institute for Extraordinary Living (IEL) was formed, and in collaboration with researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, launched groundbreaking research—which continues today—on the impact of yoga on physical and mental health.

In 2017, the IEL evolved into RISE, a Kripalu social-impact program that brings stress-resilience trainings to people in law enforcement, education, the healthcare and human services industries, and corporate workplaces.