Last week the New York Times Style section did an interesting feature/exposé on the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health–a popular New Age retreat destination in Massachusetts that attracts “30,000 guests a year” and “bills itself as the biggest retreat center in the country, offering 700 workshops and seminars annually”–and its role in picking the next big thing, be it trend or guru, in what has become the New Age money-making juggernaut.

In “It’s Not Easy Picking a Path to Enlightenment,” Andy Newman reports:
“To figure out who, or what, the next big thing will be, Kripalu programmers go on scouting trips, to professional conferences, to other retreat centers. They keep an ear out for cross-promotional opportunities. “Shiva Rea”– a marquee yoga teacher– “will say, ‘That Simon Park, he’s really up and coming,’ and sure enough he is,” Ms. Barack said. “We want to catch them on the edge. By the time they hit our catalog, he’s going to be on the cover of Yoga Journal.” If you’re not a celebrity, it helps to be related to one. Ms. Barack noted that the man leading the “Working With Your Angels” seminar was “the son of someone who’s well known for angel work. She’ll draw 300 people.”
So, in other words, you don’t have to necessarily be good or credentialed, you just have to be able to attract 300 people to your workshop. Huh. Interesting.
For the full article click here.