When I was in college we met in consciousness raising (CR) groups and talked about the value in meeting as women, in groups of just women, even as we were part of a community that included men. Men as classmates, men as teachers, men as coworkers. I went to school at Vassar College, which of course has a strong history of developing the minds and spirits of women, so the conversation in the CR always circled back to whether in the company of men, women naturally drew back. The idea, we said, was to find spaces in our lives where we could physically retreat from men, because this was where we could nourish ourselves and cultivate our voices.

By now its not just therapeutic and empowering spending time with women whether its with my women friends or at an event for women or an event that attracts large numbers of women the after effect is nearly meditative.

But heres the question.

Is meditative enough?

Sure you cant pour from an empty cup, so yeah, women know that we need to work on finding ways to take care of ourselves, to continue to build our resilience, our strength, our power, in order to care for others.

But its more than that.

I understand theres no separation, that everything is connected, Denise Barack told me in our conversation about Kripalus upcoming Womens Week.

This is a call to both solidarity and action.

On any given weekend at Kripalu, about 650 guests travel to the sprawling campus near the grounds of Tanglewood in Stockbridge, Mass., to participate in multiple workshops, each happening at the same time and all focusing on subjects relating to health and wellness. Yet at the core of Kripalus programming is yoga, perhaps the best yoga youll ever experience in your life. Ive been to Kripalu twice and both times my focus was on running: yoga and running and trail running. And while I noticed most of the participants in all of the programs included many women, there were plenty of men, too.

So Kripalus upcoming Womens Week The Revolution Within: Womens Week at Kripalu, November 10-15, 2019 caught my attention. I reached out to Denise, whos curating and moderating the weekday program, which is for women only and will take over the entire campus. No other programs or workshops will be happening during Womens Week, and this is a first for Kripalu.

Why now?

I asked Denise. Heres an edited excerpt of our conversation.

Carolee Belkin Walker: Im so excited about Kripalus upcoming womens week! But ofcourse I think of every week as womens week!

Denise Barack: Right! And I look forward to meeting you!

CBW: Before we get started, would you tell me about yourself and thebackground on The Revolution Within?

DB: Sure. I have been connected with Kripalu a long time. My son isnow 32, and I moved to the Berkshires to be part of this community when I waspregnant with him. Ive worked here the past 21 years or so, a couple ofdecades, mostly in the role of director of programming. But in recent years my rolehas changed where Im now the director of program innovation, and I just lovebeing able to curate things like Womens Week and other conferences that bringtogether real visionary voices, convening together in conversation. This is thebiggest weve done so far, and were expecting to sell out the Main Hall. Itwill be the only program going on at Kripalu at the time, which is unusual for Kripalu,because we usually offer our R&Rretreats for men and women, so it will be much more intimate with only onegroup of several hundred women.

CBW: The times Ive been to Kripalu youve always had multipleprograms going on at the same time. This is a first for Kripalu, right?

DB: It is. And it should be a pretty potent space, I think, with a lot ofamazing, visionary presenters. But not just the presenters. This is anopportunity for us to bring women together to learn from one another. We havethe wisdom. We have so much to offer one another in terms of life experience anddiversity of perspective. And so were looking forward to a very broad spectrumof participants coming to this. And thats why well be offering sevendifferent tracks or areas of interests. Some women might be drawn for the writing,others may be looking at sensuality and embodiment. Were trying to createsomething thats very intentional as a way to have both supportive small-groupexperiences and then be in the larger field with plenary keynotes in theevenings and then lots and lots of choices throughout the day.

Were at an unprecedented moment in history where women are so actively engaged, and enraged. Record numbers, you know, so weve never really held so much power to shape the future.

CBW: Tell me about the process of thinking about coming up with theidea for the seven tracks and then about planning the week. Im sure youcouldve gone in many different directions.

DB: Definitely. And Ive put out a lot of invitations to people whereit just wasnt the right time or place. Unfortunately, we wont have MichelleObama here! But I am looking at the timing. This is taking place a year afterthe historic midterm elections and therefore its a year before the 2020 presidentialelection. It just feels like it is a potent time to bring women together tohave these kinds of conversations. Were at an unprecedented moment in historywhere women are so actively engaged, and enraged. Record numbers, you know, soweve never really held so much power to shape the future.

And looking at the time of year, its a few weeks beforeThanksgiving. Theres so much to be grateful for today even though theres somuch we want to change. But the fact that we have the freedom to convene andexpress and explore all these different perspectives is pretty remarkableconsidering the history of womens rights in this country.

Hopefully women who attend will return home with somethingcompletely unique. Itll be interesting to follow up later. Im hoping to seehow this week of being together actually inspires change. And that change couldbe just ripples it may not look like outer, big change in the world. Noteverybodys going to run for Congress. Ripples, as you know, from Kripalu, theycontinue. Theres no end to that wave action that goes out from someones lifeperspective being changed from being here. Part of that is not just what weregoing to be awakening women to, but also its about awakening within ourselves.The idea of thriving, the idea of what is it truly to nourish that voicewithin, to hear and respect that voice within, even as we are honoring andrespecting other voices that are quite different from our own.

CBW: When I was first reading about the program, I was struck by theinitial language and the focus on the revolution within. In my own life andmy own practice, I spend a lot of time thinking about and valuing andcultivating resilience, so that as I face challenges as I get older, either inmy health or in my work, that Im in a better place to kind of roll with it. SoIm wondering if you could talk about the value or the role that you intend toplay in fostering resilience and ultimately empowerment through resilience.

This revolutionary work that were calling forth is the yoking of the deep work within and on our mats to wherever were socially engaged, to try to also meet the need for democracy and justice today in the world, beyond our mat and beyond whats within.

DB: I love that thats what lit you. You asked about the curation of this. At first there was so much to look at. I read some great books about womens rage, womens anger. And the more I started looking at that outward focus, the more I realized, particularly since were hosting this at Kripalu, which has always offered this very neutral, nonpartisan ecumenical sanctuary for inquiry and transformation, is that we are a yoga-based container for a call to action, however someone takes that back into the world. And in recognizing that the root of yoga means not just to come together to unite and make whole but to understand theres no separation, that everything is connected, this revolutionary work that were calling forth is the yoking, so to speak, of the deep work within and on our mats which is the resilience work to wherever were socially engaged, you know, to try to also meet the need for democracy and justice today in the world, beyond our mat and beyond whats within.

One has to start there, and we have some gorgeous teachers whoare going to be almost poetically looking at this because its their deep work.

I remember yogateacher and spiritual activist Seane Corn saying thatif you point a finger outward, theres three fingers pointing back at you, andshes just come out with a book on this topic called Revolution of the Soul that is going tobe the basis of what she offers in a very inspiring keynote session. Really lookingat what it means to begin within. The revolution inside. Inside-out work. Itsnot just staying inside, its inside-out.

But theres new voices that were bringing in to Kripalu, too, whoare also speaking to this. ValarieKaur is someone wholl be a household name at some point wherepeople start to hear her expression of what she calls Revolutionary Love. Sheslooking at how these times are so dark, and yet as a mother is trying tochallenge us to think about it, not as the darkness of the tomb, but ratherthe darkness of a womb that we, through labor, can breathe and push through tobirth a new era, a new future. And so to do that, we need strength, we needresources. But ultimately what shes talking about is coming from a place ofwhat she calls revolutionary love. And its love for the world, its love forourselves.

Shes quite inspiring as is another new voice for Kripalu, ZainabSalbi, who founded Women for Women, an international philanthropyorganization, and has been an MSNBC commentator. Zainab has written a booklooking at the idea that we have to change ourselves first before we can changethe world. But shes speaking in particular about forgiveness and really owningour part in what the outer manifestation of our reality is.

CBW: Sounds intense.

DB: Theres going to be some real personal work involved with justeven receiving the keynote messages of some of these luminaries.

Because we cannot explore womens work without addressing racework, another night we have the highly respected PeggyMcIntosh talking about white privilege, and shell be followed by theRev.angel Kyodo williams whos also addressing how racismhas harmed us all in various ways, the idea that we are part of a larger systemin society and how important it is for our collective liberation to see with clearereyes.

So theres a lot of eye opening thats going to happen during the week. And Im excited about that because were doing it in a container where were providing the kind of opportunity for this not to be jarring or divisive. Our core competency at Kripalu is wellness and self inquiry. And so theres a nourishing environment that really does, like you said earlier, support transformation. One of our presenters, Kate Johnson, has worked for a decade with frontline activists, and as we were back and forth working on the copy for her program, she was talking about how its really overwhelming sometimes to show up for anothers liberation. Its sacred work and very overwhelming. And so that kind of deep solidarity absolutely requires that we each cultivate our inner resources, our inner resilience as you call it.

CBW: How is the week going to be structured? I saw on the website thatparticipants will need to choose a particular path or focus.

DB: We have seven portals into the week, and when you register forthe week, youll need to register for one of the seven main programs that willtake place each morning. The fullschedule is available on the Kripalu website.

CBW: Can you say more about the seven tracks? It looks like youve gotpresenters coming in from all over the world.

DB: We are so honored to have AngelaFarmer here from Lesvos, Greece, leading the track on Inner BodyActivism, where shell be focusing on this idea of thriving. Shes looking athow, as women, we naturally care about others, and, sometimes we can getunbalanced. She calls her style of yoga, which is a lot about unlearning andundoing, inner body activism. This is essentially what happens when yourereally attuned to yourself you begin to act from a really deep inner place ofstability and compassion, rather than outer ideals.

As women, we naturally care about others, and, sometimes we can get unbalanced.

The program led by AlexandraRoxo will explore the modern day intersection of spiritualityand sensuality, and longtime Kripaluteachers CobyKozlowski and ToniBergins will co-lead a playful program embracing the power ofdance, ritual, and devotional movement.

Im very excited that two other longtime and beloved Kripaluteachers and co-founders of the Black Yoga Teachers Alliance, JanaLong and MayaBreuer, who also created the Yoga Retreat for Women of Color atKripalu, will co-lead a program on inclusivity that is for women of all backgrounds,all hues, and all persuasions to come together, mostly through yoga, to honordifferent perspectives and how to hold space for others with respect. They willdig more deeply into social constructs of inclusivity, looking at developing culturalcompetencies that support change.

And Kate Johnson, who I had mentioned earlier, has been doing someamazing work helping change makers in society. Shell be offering themeditation program option for the week, to help us learn how in these dark anddifferent times to meet it with fierce compassion. How to turn our beautifulintentions into compassionate actions through mindfulness experience.

Another popular Kripalu presenter, NancyAronie, will be leading the writing program, looking at all theshadows that we carry around inside us and how we can free them and illuminatethem in written form onto a page. And finally, because Ayurveda offers suchwisdom for stressful times, Dr.Claudia Welch, an international Ayurvedicpractitioner, will lead a program she calls Being Medicine.

CBW: So how will the days be structured around the tracks, orprograms?

DB: The separate programs I just mentioned will run for three hourseach day on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Then there will be agathering for all of the participants on Friday morning with a closing panel ofteachers.

CBW: Will each day have plenty of time for yoga?

DB: Yes. Therell be Kripalu yoga in the mornings before breakfastand in the afternoon, as well as daily opportunities for deep rest with YogaNidra. And so many other optional choices each afternoon! The best way to understand the breadth of offeringsthis week is by downloading the pdfschedule on the website.

Not everyone will come for the traditional asana-based yoga. I want to mention that were embracing something that is inclusive, diverse, multiracial, multicultural, and even nonpartisan. We dont expect everyone to be like-minded. Its going to be welcoming of every point of view, and every financial class as were offering scholarships. Were welcoming women of every political philosophy and every level of engagement of activism.

Were welcoming women of every political philosophy and every level of engagement of activism.

CBW: Thinking about inclusivity, Kripalu welcomes men and women in allof its programs throughout the year. But at some point you must have talkedabout the value in excluding men, inmaking the entire week at Kripalu for women only, which is a first for Kripalu.

DB: Yes we did. But although this is the first time a women-onlyprogram will take over the entire campus, throughout the decades Kripalu hasoffered programs just for women.

CBW: Whats the thinking behind that?

DB: Theres something powerful that happens when men can witnesswomen and women can be witnessed by men. But thats not whats happening here. Thisis an opportunity for women to feel they have their full voice. I thinksometimes women do not express themselves in the same way in front of men. Andso were trying to remove any obstacles to that within the actual retreatexperience because we want all womens voices heard.

Actually during one of the afternoon plenary sessions, were doing something that is going to be so great.

On Monday afternoon, well be bringing together Carol Gilligan, the author of In a Different Voice, and Tina Packer, the founding artistic director of Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, Mass., to lead an experiential session about what it means to claim your voice. In Carols latest book, The Deepening Darkness: Patriarchy, Resistance, and Democracys Future she talks about how political change really depends on psychological transformation. And thats the approach well be taking in this amazing session. For there to be change outside, it has to happen within first.

Therell be a voice coach embedded in the audience and well be able to interact with Tina on a large screen, since shes going to be livestreamed from Portland, Oregon, having just completed her profound performance/masterclass, Women of Will. Weve done this before with other presenters where they can actually be set up on a live-screen where they can see and interact with the audience.

CBW: I wanted to ask you about that, Denise. What is the philosophybehind or the value in this kind of intense retreat. Many women will be takingoff time from work to attend, and some may even travel great distances and atgreat expense. Many of us practice yoga in our communities and meditate athome. What is the idea behind coming together at a place like Kripalu?

DB: Well its definitely not a retreat from the world. Were allgoing back to the world after our time together. But it is a retreat intosomething very deep, profound, nourishing. There are retreats that aregorgeous, you know, in their solitude or silence. This is not that kind ofretreat. This is a retreat into the heart of something that lives within womencollectively and needs to be expressed.

CBW: Thank you so much for chatting with me, Denise, and offering sucha helpful preview of what sounds like an amazing week. I cant wait!

DB: My pleasure, Carolee. Thanks so much.

Carolee Belkin Walker, author of Getting My Bounce Back, is a wellness blogger and freelance journalist whose work also appears in the Washington Post, Womens Running, the Chicago Tribune, the Toronto Sun, the Huffington Post, and others. She is the host of My Brain on Endorphins podcast, which is available on Stitcher and iTunes. Walker lives in Washington, D.C.http://caroleewalker.com/

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Womens Week at Kripalu is not your usual yoga retreat. - Thrive Global