Packing for the Journey
When Henry Ziegler and Jourdan Arpelle-Ziegler retired and left behind their life and careers in New York City, they were almost ready for the next phase of their life together—a free-floating journey around the country and the world, with no goals in sight and no expiration date.
But before they set out, they decided to spend an entire month at Kripalu, preparing themselves physically, emotionally, and spiritually for the changes ahead.
“It occurred to me that it would be useful to have a segue, that getting in touch with body, spirit, and soul and the non-material side of life would be a wonderful way to go into the next phase of what we’re doing,” said Henry.
The couple—who were married in 1991—arrived at Kripalu last May at 1:30 in the morning and their new life began five hours later, when they woke for 6:30 am yoga.
In the next month, they participated in several programs. Each experience gave them a new ingredient to sustain them on the road: deeper understanding and skills for living together, nurturing each other, communicating, navigating change, staying healthy, and maintaining a consistent yoga practice.
“This month had everything we needed to support what we’re doing here, which is not only building a bridge to the next part of our lives but also building a solid foundation that we can keep when we’re on the road,” Jourdan said. “What we’re doing here is going to keep us aligned with our higher selves.”
The connections they’ve made at Kripalu also prepared them for a nomadic life in which they plan to make pilgrimages to yoga and meditation centers around the world, visiting Thailand, Korea, China, India, Bhutan, Australia, New Zealand, and Nepal. “At Kripalu, we’ve met people we love and adore—and then they leave. It’s taught us something on a deep level,” Jourdan said. “Being at Kripalu has given me more trust and faith in the beauty of human nature.”
© Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health. All rights reserved. To request permission to reprint, please e-mail editor@kripalu.org.