The Great Work of Your Life: A New Year Dharma Reflection

This online workshop from Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, is a new year dharma reflection for anyone who wants to begin the year by listening rather than resolving. Led by Ilana Beigel, it draws on the yogic idea of dharma, your own path of purpose and wholehearted living, through guided meditation, reflection, and contemplative journaling.

It suits people in a life transition, those looking for more meaning in their work or relationships, and anyone who simply wants to start the year with intention. It meets live on Zoom, so you can take part from wherever you are.

What to Expect

As one year closes and another opens, the workshop makes room for a pause. Instead of asking what you should accomplish, it asks a quieter question: what is life asking of me now? The aim is to listen beneath the noise of goals, resolutions, and expectations for what truly calls you.

The session runs 1.5 hours, from 5:30 to 7:00 pm Eastern. It moves through four parts:

- An introduction to dharma as a concept in yoga philosophy, and how it applies to everyday life.
- A guided meditation to cultivate clarity and inner listening.
- A contemplative journaling exploration, with prompts and time to reflect, to uncover themes, intentions, and next steps for the coming year.
- A discussion of simple practices you can carry through the season of renewal.

The tone is compassionate and unhurried. The workshop is meant to help you reconnect with the values, longings, and inner wisdom that can shape the year and the path ahead.

About Ilana Beigel

Ilana Beigel is a member of the Kripalu staff and leads this workshop on dharma, meditation, and reflective writing. She also appears among the presenters of Kripalu's Essential Practices for Everyday Life program.

Before You Go

No previous experience with meditation or journaling is needed. The workshop welcomes complete beginners as well as people with an established practice. It is taught in English.

Please bring a journal and something to write with. A journal is not provided. You will also need a stable internet connection, Zoom access, and a quiet space to practice. It is best to test Zoom ahead of time, and Kripalu's online programs team offers basic tech support by email before and during the program.

Your participation includes:

- The live Zoom session with Ilana Beigel
- Guided meditation
- Journaling prompts and reflection time
- Access to the video recording for 30 days after the session, available within 72 hours of the session's end

One-on-one consultation is not part of the workshop. Scholarships are available for select Kripalu online programs, with eligibility requirements on the Kripalu application form.