Mysteries of the Heart: A Journey into Love, Devotion, and the Deeper Self

Mysteries of the Heart is a yoga retreat at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, led by devotional singer and meditation teacher Carrie Grossman (Dayashila). It brings together heart-centered meditation, chanting, devotional music, and teachings on the many dimensions of the heart, from the scientific and relational to the energetic and spiritual. It suits anyone who longs to open more fully, soften old defenses, and reconnect with a deeper wisdom, whatever their experience with yoga.

What to Expect

The retreat runs three days, with a rhythm of practice, teaching, rest, and shared meals. The heart is approached as the place where we feel love and connection, joy and grief, and where many of us hold our deepest wounds. Sessions explore what it means to open the heart and what patterns lead us to close, protect, or hold back.

Program content includes:

- Heart-centered meditation, music, and chanting
- Teachings on heart coherence, emotional healing, and spiritual inquiry
- A deep rest sound journey for nervous system restoration
- Practices to cultivate compassion, connection, and deeper presence

The first day begins with check-in from 2:00 pm, a Kripalu Yoga class in the late afternoon, dinner, and an evening program session from 7:30 to 9:00. On full days, Kripalu Yoga starts at 6:30 am, followed by a silent breakfast. Program sessions run from 9:00 to 11:30 am and again from 1:30 to 4:00 pm, with lunch between them. A second Kripalu Yoga class is offered from 4:45 to 6:00 pm, then dinner. The Saturday schedule adds an evening session from 7:30 to 9:00. On the final morning there is yoga, silent breakfast, and a closing session from 9:00 to 11:00, then lunch and departure.

About Carrie Grossman (Dayashila)

Carrie Grossman, MA, is a devotional singer, composer, and lifelong student of the mystical traditions. For over 20 years she has studied the art of sacred sound, guiding people into the realms of the heart through concerts, workshops, and retreats. She first traveled to India at 21 and was introduced to kirtan, the call-and-response chanting of mantras. Shyness and self-doubt kept her from singing for ten years. During a difficult period marked by a prolonged, mysterious illness, she learned to play the tamboura, an Indian drone instrument, and spent hours each evening surrendering into its sound. Her grief began to flow and then turned into song, and she writes that as she freed her voice, her illness began to heal. She later taught herself to play a used harmonium.

The Setting

Kripalu sits in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, near Stockbridge, and its accommodations are intentionally simple, designed to help you unplug and feel grounded. Options include a private room for solitude, a shared double-occupancy room, or a dormitory with community-style living. Rooms are ready by 4:00 pm, and a luggage room is available for earlier arrivals. Check-out on the last day is 10:00 am, and you may stay on campus and join workshops until 2:00 pm.

Three meals a day are served, with vegetarian and vegan options and custom dietary accommodations on request. Breakfast is taken in silence.

Before You Go

The retreat is open to all levels. No previous experience with meditation or chanting is needed. It is taught in English.

Your stay includes three daily meals, more than ten yoga classes over the retreat, all program sessions and teachings, and access to the Kripalu grounds and facilities. Healing Arts sessions and purchases from the Kripalu Shop and Cafe are not included. Schedules can shift slightly, so check the Guest Boards or the schedule given at check-in for current times and room locations.