Swami Kripalu
Swami Kripalu (1913-1981) was a remarkable
man, a bridge between the traditions of ancient
India and contemporary Western society. A
yoga master renowned in India for the intensity
of his spiritual practice and the depth of his
compassion, Swami Kripalu came to America in
1977 where he spent the last four years of his
life in residence at the original Kripalu Center.
Maintaining his schedule of ten hours of
Kundalini Yoga meditation per day, Swami
Kripalu taught a small number of close disciples
including Yogi Amrit Desai, the originator of
Kripalu Yoga. He also made weekly public
appearances that catalyzed the growth of the
Kripalu Yoga community. In these ways, Swami
Kripalu played an essential role in the transmission
of a spiritually potent yoga tradition to a
large community of Western practitioners.
An articulate speaker and talented musician, it
was Swami Kripalu’s genuine love for people
that set him apart. His singing stirred deep feelings
of devotion within the hearts of listeners.
Discourses were peppered with captivating stories,
eliciting tears of sorrow and peals of uncontrollable
laughter. A prolific writer, Swami Kripalu wrote books of practical spiritual guidance aimed at
uplifting the lives of his many devotees.
Radiating a palpable energy of compassionate love and spiritual
power, few came into Swami Kripalu’s presence without being touched, moved or changed in some way.
Swami Kripalu returned to India in 1981 and died shortly thereafter. Held dear by a multitude of
Indians and Westerners, Swami Kripalu’s death was honored as the passing of a humanitarian saint. His
teachings on yoga practice and supportive lifestyle still form the basis of the Kripalu Yoga approach.
Ila Sarley
For a chronology of Swami Kripalu's life click here.