The Art of Chilling Out: Weekend Edition

The Art of Chilling Out: Weekend Edition is a two-night yoga retreat at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, led by recording artist and yoga teacher MC Yogi. It blends gentle yoga, meditation, storytelling and deep guided relaxation, and it welcomes anyone who wants to slow down, whether this is a first time on the mat or a long-standing practice.

What to Expect

The weekend is built around mellow, accessible flows meant to soothe the body and calm the mind, along with practices for cultivating clarity, compassion and inner peace. MC Yogi shares heart-opening stories from his own path and teachings, and guided meditation and deep relaxation sit alongside the movement. The tone is uplifting, laid back and nourishing, and the space is open to people of every level.

The weekend is the shorter of two ways to take this program. The other is a four-night immersive workshop with extended yoga sessions paired with in-depth meditation, time for journaling and walking meditation, and more room for integration. The weekend gives you the essence of the teachings in a shorter span.

Days follow the usual Kripalu rhythm. Check-in begins at 2:00 pm on the opening day, followed by a Kripalu Yoga class from 4:45 to 6:00, dinner, and an evening program session from 7:30 to 9:00. Full days begin with a Kripalu Yoga class from 6:30 to 7:45 am and a silent breakfast, then a morning program session from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm. Lunch is served in the late morning and early afternoon, with another yoga class at 4:45, dinner, and an evening session. On the closing day there is an early yoga class, silent breakfast, a program session from 9:30 to 11:30, then lunch and departure. Times can shift, so the schedule given at check-in is the one to follow.

About MC Yogi

MC Yogi is an internationally known recording artist, award-winning author and seasoned yoga teacher with nearly 30 years of experience teaching around the world. He grew up painting graffiti in the San Francisco Bay Area, and at seventeen he discovered yoga through his father. The practice redirected his life, and in those early years he shaved his head and lived and studied like a monk.

He mentored with Larry Schultz, his father's teacher, who led him to Larry's own teachers, including Dorthy Divack and the yoga master Sri K. Pattabhi Jois in Mysore. He spent years studying with the Vedanta society of the Ramakrishna order, traveled repeatedly to India, and found his way to Advaita Vedanta during a 2010 visit to Arunachala. He is a devoted student of Buddhist, Hindu and Christian traditions and draws on his teachers, including Shri Neem Karoli Baba, the guru of Ram Dass and Krishna Das. His albums have been streamed by millions, and his approach to yoga weaves music, mysticism and movement in a poetic, playful way.

The Setting

Kripalu sits in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, near Stockbridge, and its accommodations are intentionally simple, meant to help you unplug and feel grounded. Options range from private rooms for those seeking solitude to community-style shared dormitories for those who want connection with fellow practitioners. Rooms are ready by 4:00 pm, and a luggage room holds your bags until then. Meals are vegetarian and vegan, with other dietary needs accommodated on request.

Before You Go

No experience is needed, and classes are taught in English. Please bring a journal. Your stay includes more than ten yoga classes a day, three nutritious meals daily, guided meditation and relaxation, teachings and storytelling from MC Yogi, and access to the Kripalu grounds and facilities. Lodging is arranged separately. Healing Arts sessions and purchases from the Kripalu Shop and Cafe are extra. On departure day, check-out is at 10:00 am, and you are welcome to stay on campus and take part in sessions until 2:00 pm.