I was delighted to have attended the eagerly-anticipated Bapuji Conference in Lenox, MA, in December 2004 that celebrated the life and legacy of Swami Kripalu (affectionately called "Bapuji", or dear father.) The event was infused with bhakti (spiritual devotion) and a sense of community among all attendees, whether they had known Bapuji years ago or had only recently encountered him through his teachings. Our bodies, minds, & hearts were inspired through chanting, stories, practicing yoga postures, and hearing wonderful presentations about the history and the future of the Kripalu lineage by Atma Jo Ann Levitt, Kaviraj Stephen Cope, Shobhan Richard Faulds, Vidya Carolyn Dell’uomo, & Yoganand Michael Carroll.

One of the especially interesting talks was Shobhan’s description of the qualities and principles particular to Kripalu yoga, my notes from which I share here. Many thanks to Shobhan and to Joan Stenzler for their contribution to my recollection of these points.

· Kripalu Yoga is empowered spirituality for people leading active lives in the world. Renunciation is not required for spiritual growth. Living life is a transformative opportunity.

· Kripalu Yoga asana (posture) practice is a ritual of being deeply present in the body.

· Kripalu Yoga emphasizes the technique of Breathe, Relax, Feel, Watch, and Allow (sometimes abbreviated as BRFWA) and doing postures with consciousness and sensitivity.

· Conscious breathing is essential to Kripalu Yoga postures.

· Kripalu Yoga enlivens the subtle body by building and releasing prana (the life force and the vehicle for the transformative process) through a dance of willful and surrendered approaches to moving the body. This is why Kripalu Yoga is often described as meditation-in-motion.

· Kripalu Yoga encourages students to find their own practice through exploring postures, micro-movements, longer holding, and flowing into variations.

· Kripalu Yoga features the technique of riding the wave (of energy, sensation, emotions) in postures – opening and releasing chronic tensions by being present to our entire experience.

· Kripalu Yoga teaches witness consciousness – observing without judgment. We learn to love the body, not “whip it into shape.”

· We are all born Divine – all of us are already whole and complete in this moment. Kripalu Yoga practice is a way to uncover blocks that prevent us from realizing this.

· Practicing Kripalu Yoga postures is part of a healthy and supportive lifestyle, balancing work, play, rest, and a moderate diet.

· Kripalu Yoga acknowledges that we grow best within a community of people committed to love, service, and personal transformation.

· Kripalu Yoga is based on a deep respect for the yamas and niyamas (restraints and observances described in yogic scriptures, including non-violence, non-stealing, non-attachment, moderation, truthfulness, austerity, purity, contentment, self-study, and surrender to the Divine.)

· The practice of Kripalu Yoga strengthens our container and improves our ability to digest our experiences, both on and off the yoga mat. It nurtures the roots of health, opens the heart, clears and concentrates the mind, awakens a greater intelligence beyond the mind, and prepares us for a deep energetic practice. Its consistent practice promotes healing, growth, and transformation.

· Kripalu Yoga embraces life as a Divine mystery and asks us to be fully present to life’s unfolding moment by moment. What we try to split off and disavow will come back to us.