RISE Facilitator Training

The RISE Facilitator Training is a residential facilitator training at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, for people who have already completed the RISE program and want to teach it to others. It is led by Sam Chase and Janna Delgado, and it prepares yoga and mindfulness teachers, coaches, therapists, educators and leaders to offer Kripalu's evidence-based resilience training in their own communities.

RISE is Kripalu's signature resilience program, developed over more than a decade in collaboration with the research community, with more than 10,000 participants across education, healthcare and business. This training extends that work by equipping graduates to deliver the full program in adaptable, accessible formats.

What to Expect

The training runs for a full week on campus, from a Sunday arrival to a Sunday departure. Over the days you will learn to deliver the complete RISE program in line with its best practices and research-based methods, and to explain the RISE model for resilience clearly. You will also build your group facilitation skills, deepen your fluency with the research behind yoga, mindfulness and resilience, and work on offering mind-body practice in secular professional settings. A further aim is to deepen your engagement with wellbeing and culture-shift initiatives where you live and work.

The daily rhythm is steady. Kripalu Yoga classes begin at 6:30 am, followed by a silent breakfast at 7:30. Program sessions run from 9:00 to 11:30 in the morning, after lunch from 1:30 to 4:00, and again from 4:30 to 5:30 on weekdays. A second Kripalu Yoga class comes at 4:45 pm, with dinner at 5:30. The Sunday evening session starts at 7:30 after dinner. Saturday has a shorter morning session and an afternoon session from 2:00 to 5:00. On the final Sunday, a morning session ends in time for lunch and departure.

Certification as a RISE Facilitator requires a final practice teach, in which you are evaluated for fidelity to the RISE curriculum. Certified facilitators are expected to follow the RISE standards and practices taught here. If Kripalu makes substantial updates to the curriculum, facilitators may be asked to take a continuing education course at an additional cost. Graduates leave with a full toolbox of support materials and join an active community of RISE facilitators.

About Sam Chase

Sam Chase is a yoga teacher and a member of the Kripalu faculty. Sam is also the presenter of RISE: The Kripalu Approach To Resilience, the program this training builds on.

About Janna Delgado

Janna Delgado is a member of the Kripalu faculty and co-leads the training with Sam Chase.

The Setting

The training takes place on the Kripalu campus in Stockbridge, in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts. Three meals a day are included, along with access to the grounds. Rooms are ready by 4:00 pm on arrival, and the Luggage Room holds your bags until then. On the last day, room check-out is at 10:00 am, and you may stay on campus and take part in workshops until 2:00 pm. Times can shift, so the Guest Boards and the schedule given at check-in are the final word on timing and room locations.

Before You Go

Completing the full three-day onsite or six-week online RISE program is a prerequisite, and the training is open only to RISE graduates. Tuition includes the training manual and facilitator support materials, daily Kripalu Yoga classes, meals and grounds access. Campus accommodation is required and billed separately, with minimum nightly rates that are lower on weekdays than on weekends.

Kripalu offers limited scholarships and payment plans for most of its Schools programs, and applying early is recommended because funds are competitive. For on-campus Schools trainings, scholarships cover part of the combined cost of tuition and dorm housing. Anyone choosing housing other than a dormitory pays the full housing cost.