The Emotional Longevity Retreat: Tiny Shifts to Calm, Renew, and Thrive

The Emotional Longevity Retreat is a weekend healing retreat at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, led by psychologist and author Dr. Elisha Goldstein. It is for anyone who feels worn down by constant demands and wants practical, science-backed ways to calm the mind, soften old patterns, and care for their emotional health without adding more to an already full list.

Drawing on mindfulness, somatic work, and psychology, the retreat is built around the idea of "tiny shifts": small, sustainable changes that can be brought into ordinary moments. No prior experience with mindfulness, somatic practice, or yoga is needed.

What to Expect

Teaching, guided practice, and community time make up the program. Over the weekend you will work with mindfulness and somatic tools to relax the body and quiet looping thoughts, and you will practice turning self-criticism into compassionate self-support. You will also learn a simple, practical system for noticing the loops and triggers that keep you stuck, so there is room for a healthier response. Other themes include bringing more clarity, presence, and joy into daily life, and renewing energy, purpose, and connection with others.

You leave with a personalized toolkit of practices and perspectives, including a framework for building awareness and stepping out of anxious loops, which you can return to long after the retreat ends.

The days follow a steady rhythm. Arrival begins with check-in at 2:00 pm, a Kripalu Yoga class from 4:45 to 6:00, dinner, and an evening program session from 7:30 to 9:00. On full days, yoga runs from 6:30 to 7:45 am, followed by silent breakfast, a morning session from 9:00 to 11:30, lunch, an afternoon session from 1:30 to 4:00, another yoga class at 4:45, and dinner. The final morning has yoga, silent breakfast, and a program session from 9:00 to 11:00, ending with lunch and departure.

About Dr. Elisha Goldstein

Dr. Elisha Goldstein is a psychologist and the author of Tiny Shifts. He is also the creator of The Emotional Longevity Experience, the work this retreat draws from. His approach centers on simple, practical shifts that support stress resilience, deep connection, and long-term well-being.

The Setting

Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health is a residential retreat center in Stockbridge, in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts. Its accommodations are intentionally simple, meant to help you unplug and feel grounded. Options include private rooms for solitude and community-style dorms that foster connection with other participants. Rooms are ready by 4:00 pm, and a luggage room is available if you arrive earlier. On the last day, room check-out is at 10:00 am, though you are welcome to stay on campus and take part in workshops until 2:00 pm.

Three nutritious meals are served each day, with breakfast taken in silence.

Before You Go

The retreat is open to all levels and is taught in English. Your stay includes all program instruction and guided practice, three meals a day, more than ten yoga classes daily across the campus schedule, and access to the Kripalu grounds and facilities. Healing Arts sessions and purchases from the Kripalu Shop and Cafe are extra, and transportation is not included. Actual times and room locations may vary, so check the schedule you receive at check-in.