Mind, Body, Spirit, Food: Awakening Your Inner Voice

Mind, Body, Spirit, Food is a weekend wellness retreat at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, built around one skill: learning to hear, trust and follow your inner voice. It is led by Nicki Sizemore, culinary educator and cookbook author, and it suits anyone ready to quiet the noise of "shoulds," release old conditioning and reconnect with their own knowing. No cooking experience is necessary.

The kitchen takes the place of the meditation pillow here. Food is the classroom, not the subject.

What to Expect

The weekend pairs inner work with practice. In live inner voice sessions, worked individually and as a group, Nicki guides you in identifying and releasing the blocks that keep you disconnected from your own intuition: old conditioning, self-doubt, the pull of what you think you ought to do. Embodiment and mindfulness practices then ground that intuition in the body and senses, not only the mind.

Cooking demonstrations act as a living laboratory. They give you a real-time chance to notice what it feels like to choose from instinct rather than instruction. You will also spend time in guided reflection on the difference between your inner voice and your intuition, and how each shows up in daily life. The aim is a connection you can carry into every part of your life, including, but not limited to, the kitchen.

The retreat begins on a Friday afternoon, with check-in from 2:00 pm, Kripalu Yoga from 4:45 to 6:00, dinner, and a first program session from 7:30 to 9:00 in the evening. Saturday is the full program day:

- 6:30 to 7:45 am: Kripalu Yoga class
- 7:30 to 9:00 am: silent breakfast
- 9:30 to 11:30 am: program session
- 11:30 am to 1:30 pm: lunch
- 1:30 to 4:30 pm: program session
- 4:45 to 6:00 pm: Kripalu Yoga class, followed by dinner

Sunday starts with yoga and silent breakfast, then a final program session from 9:00 to 11:00, and closes with lunch and departure. Times may shift, so check the schedule you receive at check-in.

About Nicki Sizemore

Nicki Sizemore is a culinary educator, acclaimed cookbook author and the creator of Mind, Body, Spirit, Food. Her work brings cooking and inner work together, treating the kitchen as a place to practice listening to yourself.

The Setting

Kripalu is a yoga and health center in Stockbridge, in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts. Accommodations are intentionally simple, meant to help you unplug and feel grounded. Options include private single rooms for solitude, semi-private rooms shared with one other guest, and community-style dormitories that foster connection. Rooms are ready by 4:00 pm, and a luggage room is available if you arrive earlier.

Three nutritious meals are served each day, with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. Breakfasts are silent. Guests can explore the Kripalu grounds, and more than ten yoga classes are offered daily.

Before You Go

All levels are welcome, and neither cooking nor yoga experience is required. The program is taught in English. Please bring a journal, and tell Kripalu staff about any food allergies at registration.

Your stay includes accommodation, all program sessions and demonstrations, three daily meals, daily yoga and access to the grounds. Healing Arts sessions and items from the Kripalu Shop and Cafe are extra. On the final day, room check-out is at 10:00 am, and you are welcome to remain on campus and take part in workshops until 2:00 pm.