SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: LITTLE ROCK YOGA FESTIVAL

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: LITTLE ROCK YOGA FESTIVAL

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: LITTLE ROCK YOGA FESTIVAL

Oct 8th, 2023
Wildwood Park for the Arts, AR

FESTIVALS

BIG BEAR YOGA FESTIVAL
BIG BEAR YOGA FESTIVAL

❤️ Yoga Love Magazine readers
can use the code LOVEYOGAMAGAZINE
for 10% off discount on a full-day ticket❤️

Looking for something to do this Oct? We are thrilled yoga festivals are back and can’t wait to check out all the amazing events taking place around the world. This week we had a chance to connect with Cassandra Benning, Susanna Creed and Katlyne Gilliam who co-lead the Little Rock Yoga Festival at the Wildwood Park for the Arts, AR who we are thrilled to partner with! You will be able to get complimentary copies of our magazine at this festival! 

What inspired you to create a festival?
Cassandra brought the Little Rock yoga community together in 2019 to plan a yoga festival for 2020. Her goal was to bring the central Arkansas yoga community together for a day of unique, one-of-a-kind yoga classes that would be co-taught by various studio owners from the region. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic that started in March 2020, Cassandra put a halt to the festival planning as she wanted the event to come to fruition naturally if it was meant to be. That is exactly what happened when Susanna Creed and Katelyne Gilliam joined her team in 2021, and the first Little Rock Yoga Festival happened in October of that year.

What makes your festival unique?
This festival is a way for all of us to come together to love and embrace our differences and similarities as teachers and practitioners, without judgment. We have such a beautiful array of experienced teachers in this city, it’s amazing.  We are blessed that we can UNITE, GROW and EXPLORE together! Experience your own growth at this inspirational event. Attendees have many opportunities to grow and explore during any one of the amazing offerings, including unique yoga classes, meditations, wellness discussions, sound baths, intentional hikes, dance parties, and more! Connect with yourself and others in your community while taking advantage of the classes, enjoying the delicious local food trucks and exploring our talented vendors’ wares. Find yourself deeply immersed with inspiring and motivating presenters in an intimate, natural space with gorgeous and inspiring views of Arkansas Nature at her best! The event is housed at Wildwood Park for the Arts, which is home to Little Rock’s unique botanical gardens and Lucy Lockett Cabe Festival Theatre.

What offering/presenter or class are you most excited about for this year’s event?
We’re very excited to welcome back Embassy of Sound’s Daman Hoffman for another amazing Lakeside Sound Bath! This is always such a fan favorite! We’re excited to have several returning teachers as well as getting the chance to uplift other yoga and wellness instructors in our community.


Learn More:

Facebook: LRYogaFest
Instagram: @lryogafest
www.lryogafestival.com 
Contact: grow@lryogafest.com
Tickets on sale June 1st!

❤️ Yoga Love Magazine readers
can use the code LOVEYOGAMAGAZINE
for 10% off

BIG BEAR YOGA FESTIVAL
BIG BEAR YOGA FESTIVAL
BIG BEAR YOGA FESTIVAL
SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY FEST

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY FEST

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY FEST

June 21, 2023
Carlin Park, FL

FESTIVALS

BIG BEAR YOGA FESTIVAL
Looking for something to do this June? We are thrilled yoga festivals are back and can’t wait to check out all the amazing events taking place around the world. This week we had a chance to connect with Heather Viniar, visionary of International Yoga Day Fest (one of Sunshine Wellness Fests) taking place in Carlin Park, FLA who we are thrilled to partner with! You will be able to get complimentary copies of our magazine at this festival! The event is free for all to attend, and classes at International Yoga Day Fest are donation based, with proceeds going to Paws 4 Liberty. Here’s where to RSVP and donate

What inspired you to create a festival?
I was inspired to create a festival because I’m a connector. I connect people with their breath, with their body, and with one another. There’s nothing more fueling for me than generously listening to those around me and hearing ways I can connect them to people which miraculously just brings people together in a way that supports and benefits all.

What makes your festival unique?
What makes Sunshine Wellness Fests unique is that they create community, support local businesses, create healing, wellness, and FUN for all, and most importantly, each event gives back to a local organization that deserves a little extra love for what they do. International Yoga Day Fest 2023 is donating a portion of the proceeds to Paws 4 Liberty, a local non-profit that trains service dogs for Veterans at no cost. They are up to something so special, providing a valuable and meaningful service for the community.

We have some amazing sponsors supporting the event this year including TruWellnessMD, Bill Barbosa Photography, Collaborated Wellness Cryo, and more to be announced soon!

What offering/presenter or class are you most excited about for this year’s event?

The aspect I’m most excited for at International Yoga Day Fest 2023 is that the location the event is facing and the time of day it’s at, the sun will be setting while classes go on, especially our final class which is a community sound bath/meditation. It is going to be an incredible sight to see, and an incredible energy to experience.


SOCIAL:

IG @igniteyoursunshine
FB @igniteyoursunshine

BIG BEAR YOGA FESTIVAL
BIG BEAR YOGA FESTIVAL
BIG BEAR YOGA FESTIVAL
SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: BHAKTI FEST

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: BHAKTI FEST

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: BHAKTI FEST

September 15-17, 2023
Joshua Tree, CA

FESTIVALS

BIG BEAR YOGA FESTIVAL

❤️ Yoga Love Magazine readers
can use the code yogalove
when they check out for a
10% discount on ticket purchases❤️

Looking for something to do this Sept? We are thrilled yoga festivals are back and can’t wait to check out all the amazing events taking place around the world. This week we had a chance to connect with Bella Silberfein, the producer of Bhakti Fest taking place in Joshua Tree, CA who we are thrilled to partner with! You will be able to get complimentary copies of our magazine at this festival! 

What inspired you to create a festival?
The festival was founded in 2009 by my father, Sridhar Silberfein. The inspiration for the festival came in a meditation, the idea to create a space where people could gather in community and Bhakti to celebrate, dance, love, and dive deeper into their spiritual practice. 

What makes your festival unique?
Our festival is unique because of the feeling of devotion and love that radiates from every aspect of the festival. The drug and alcohol free environment coupled with the vast array of workshops, classes, and music creates an atmosphere and experience unlike anywhere else.

What offering/presenter or class are you most excited about for this year’s event? 
Too many to choose from! I am especially excited about the “Bhakti as an inclusive path for Social Enlightenment” panel hosted by Indy Singh. As well as all of the workshops in the Regenerative Village, which is a new space dedicated to teaching attendees about what it means to live a regenerative life. 


Learn More:

Tickets can be purchased HERE

You can find us on social media on Facebook and Instagram .

BIG BEAR YOGA FESTIVAL
BIG BEAR YOGA FESTIVAL
Music Love

Music Love

Music Love

ART & MUSIC

J Miles - Music Love Article

For many, music is a big part of their yoga practice. In our previous issue, we interviewed NYC yoga teacher Sheri Celentano about creating playlists for her classes, and her love of music. In this issue we invited Sheri to share with us three teachers who inspire her, and share what music means to them. You can also check out the playlists they have shared on our website yogalovemagazine.com.

J Miles - Music Love Article

J Miles 


Can you give me 3 reasons why you use music in your yoga classes?
I was trained at Integral, and they didn’t use music in class at the time. I started using music while teaching yoga at a fitness center. You needed something to drown out the noise from the other parts of the building, like the music from the group exercise classes, and all the random conversations going on right outside the door. So reason number one was out of necessity. Reason number two is the right music creates the bhav, the right mood, and the right mood makes for a great class. Number three: I just like exposing folks to good music. I choose to continue using music because we are in contemporary times, and folks come to asana class not just to connect to their bodies, but to be uplifted as well. Good music does that.

House music and dance is a part of who you are. How do you think this genre (which I love love love too) lends a hand to yoga class? As a teacher and a student?
House music is universal. House is a spiritual thing, and so to me, it lends itself to a spiritual practice. The “Jack Ya Body” moves from the heart, and so it is a heart-based movement. A deep groove will put anyone who hears it into a deeper state of mind. As a student who loves good music with his asana, the beat of house music puts me in rhythm. As a teacher, I wanna love the music I play. And I’m a house head through and through.

The theme of this issue is LOVE. How does love play a part in your musical choices? If you were to base a class with an intention around love, how would that influence your playlist?
I have a playlist dedicated to love. Each song either has love in the title, or love in the lyrics. I’m not talking about dating app love. I’m talking about something you feel in your soul, and makes you shake your head and smile with your eyes closed.

Tell us about your background, your journey into yoga teaching, and how this plays into your musical choices.
I’m a country boy at heart, a true southerner with big city vibes. I am a hippie at my core. I am a truth seeker, and holder of Grandmama wisdom. I grew up in an era where the afro gave way to the geri curl, to boxes and fades, to gumbies, to caesar’s. I grew up listening to gospel, soul, and hip hop, but also rock and roll, and most importantly, my mother singing. My journey, in life and in yoga, started when I realized that I had potential. The music I play is simply a reflection of my life-journey.

Three artists you would love to shout out that you use often for class?
DJ Drez and Marti Nikko, El Buho, Osunlade. You could create a pretty good playlist using these artists.

Do you put any boundaries on what you will or will not play in a class? 
No excessive use of the n-word, the f-word, the p-word, the b-word or the d-word. No over or overtly sexualized lyrics. No violence or killing. Sometimes the curse words are artistic, or reflect how people who love each other speak when the guards are down. I don’t play anything that’s too distracting. I don’t ever want to lose sight of why we showed up to a “yoga” class to begin with.

If you have any advice for a new teacher who wants to use music in their classes, what would it be? 
Know your audience. My Ayurveda teacher Anjali Sunita has this saying: “For who and when”. The genres do matter. Otherwise, find music you love that makes you feel something, and share that. Also, make your playlist a little shorter than the actual class length. This will give you space for any dharma talk, and allow you to begin and end in silence.

Ashish Arora

Ashish Arora 


Can you give me 3 reasons why you use music in your yoga classes?                                                                                                                                                                I find most people take the poses (just like their life) a little too seriously. Nothing wrong with being serious, but I want them to realize that it is a choice they make. Taking classes with music makes me want to dance—sometimes even do. I want to open my classes to people in a similar way; it can help build a rhythm to the flow. I love classes that slowly lift you up, feel alive and then start to draw you back inwards towards the end, to reflect.

The theme of this issue is LOVE. How does love play a part in your musical choices? If you were to base a class with an intention around love, how would that influence your playlist?
Self-love is very much an aspect of seeking a connection within. I would bring in a little more upbeat music leading into some which might lead them towards finding a light within.

Share with us your background, your journey into yoga teaching, and how this plays into your musical choices.
The music I grew up to definitely influences the music I choose to play in my classes now. I usually play more Sanskrit music or classical with a few Bollywood songs thrown in, and I rarely play contemporary English songs. I grew up in India with Hindi as my mother tongue, and I grew up listening to Bollywood and Indian classical music. I grew up to yogic philosophies and the scriptures, and I had 5 years of schooling in Sanskrit. I only ever did a limited amount of asana in elementary school. I moved to the US when I was 24, and worked as an engineer in the tech world.  and my very sedentary job brought me to Austin, Texas. After having my second child, I realized that I needed to start taking better care of my health if I wanted to be a supportive dad. I worked at Nintendo at the time, and they had just built a new building with a gym. Once I started power yoga classes there, I felt really connected back to my culture, and I did a YTT in the same year. I quit tech completely in 2016, and have been a full-time yoga teacher since.

Three artists you would love to shout out that you use often for class?

DJ Drez
Anoushka Shankar
Krishna Das

Any advice for a new teacher who wants to use music in their classes?
Start by thinking about why you want to use music. Think about why you like practicing to music, and remember that it is a yoga class. Consider spaces for silence at times, with a focus on breath. New teachers can feel the need to “choreograph” their sequence exactly to a playlist. Don’t forget that

Julia - Music Love Article

Julia Karp


Can you give me 3 reasons why you use music in your yoga classes? 
I use music to help support my class theme and create a perceptible mood. Some days I’ll focus on a particular genre (usually funk, jazz, r&b, house) and other days it’s a mix of whatever I’m vibing to! In a vinyasa class, I use the playlist to evoke a feeling that can transcend the physical practice— – this is what yoga is all about. Music has the ability to shift energy, draw awareness to certain feelings, and create a collective experience. Yoga and music are cathartic, and together they can create a significant emotional release! 

You teach different movement modalities. Do they each influence what your musical choices are like for each class?
I mostly teach power vinyasa, restorative vinyasa, and HIIT Pilates. When I’m planning a class, I typically start with the playlist and let it determine the movement. For yoga, I’ll choose mostly ambient, beat-based tracks to induce a state of trance, and for fitness classes I go all out hip-hop, Latin trap, soca, dance pop, you name it! Anything to stay moving and stay motivated. 

The theme of this issue is LOVE. How does love play a part in your musical choices? If you were to base a class with an intention around love, how would that influence your playlist?
If I am teaching a class with lots of heart opening postures, I’ll usually throw in a couple of ‘80s classics (think Foreigner “I Wanna Know What Love Is”) or something recognizable. There is no harm in getting a little corny, especially during fiery moments of class! Normally, I’m not so heavy on the lyrics, but there are too many great love songs out there that can really embellish the theme. 

Tell us about your background, your journey into yoga teaching, and how this pays into your musical choices.
I started practicing the Sivananda style (no music, go figure) on a stay in South India. My first 200-hour teacher training was in bhakti vinyasa, which focused on the Yoga Sutras, followed by power vinyasa which is more fitness-based. I live in Brooklyn, New York, but have traveled all over for training and teaching gigs, picking up new artists and genres along the way. My music library is primarily NOT in English, and I find that suitable for most yoga playlists. While most western practitioners will not connect with chanting Kirtan, I think the right music (powerful, melodic, instrumental) can produce the same “high”. 

Three artists you would love to shout out that you use often for class?
Sault, Mo Horizons, Manu Dibango – I’ll play any song they’ve ever recorded. Some music was meant for yoga. 

Any advice for a new teacher who wants to use music in their classes?
Play what you love! Students will notice when a song is chosen with love and intention. My music choices have led to so many post-class conversations with students who share the same passion for great tunes, and I will always throw in an ‘Easter egg’ of a song or two for those I know are listening. Music is one of the best ways to connect with others, so don’t be afraid to show who you are.

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: OM

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: OM

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: OM

July 26th – July 30th, Arlington, Vermont

FESTIVALS

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: OM
Exclusive discount code for our community: YogaLoveOM 
10% off general admission tickets 

 

Looking for something to do this July? We are thrilled yoga festivals are back and can’t wait to check out all the amazing events taking place around the world. This week we had a chance to connect with Samantha Grout, Founder of the OM festival in Arlington, VT who we are thrilled to partner with! You will be able to pick up complimentary copies of our magazine at this festival! 

What inspired you to create a festival? 
Hi my name is  Samantha Grout, I am Executive Producer and Co-Founder of The OM Festival, Experience, and Summer Retreat. I am the Founder of a wildly successful Yoga Fun Day which is The Premiere Yoga Festival in South Florida. I wanted to bring some of the magic up north to my home in Vermont and have a destination festival retreat experience take place in the mountains of Vermont.  

So many people right now are elevating their level of consciousness, and yet we are so scattered all over the USA and the world. The OM Festival is intended to help all of us gather together and find our tribe. We are holding sacred space for enrichment, mindfulness, self-awareness, socialization, yoga, hiking, exploring nature, music, great food, and frankly a whole lot of fun!

What makes your festival unique?
The OM Festival is being held at The historic West Mountain Inn in Arlington, Vermont. This charming, enchanting hidden treasure of a town was once the capital of Vermont. With 150 acres of open untouched woodlands and fields, you truly feel at peace and one with nature. The Mountains are calling, it is time to go OM.

We also are having a special opening and closing ceremony at our festival that are sure to connect our tribe.  Sound healing, daily hikes and tubing down the famous Battenkill River are sure to be festival attendee favorites not to mention the resident Alpaca and Goat Yoga classes that we will have going on at the event.

Now add to this all the wonderful incoming “OMers” who will be arriving. Each brings its own unique vibrant energy to the mix along with vendors, musicians, teachers, and farm-to-table cuisine all accompanied by nature exploration you cannot experience anywhere else in the world. This promises to be a one-of-a-kind, not to be missed retreat! 

What offering/presenter or class are you most excited about for this year’s event? 
Picking just one is next to impossible. That is like asking a parent which of their children they love the most! We are thrilled to have in our lineup, DJ Taz Rashid, DJ Ifa Halima Bumi, Jovie and The Honeysuckle, DJ Mark Longnecker, Shannon Roy, Flint Blade, Karina Skye, Shelley Herlihy, and Dana Kaplan, myself (Samantha Grout), Anthony Profeta, Janie Larmour, Jo Kirsh, Sudir Shah, Suzanne Gundersen, and Diane Rivera.  We are also adding more presenters as the festival nears and there is still time to apply to teach and or perform as applications are due by April 26th 2023.

If I had to choose one, I personally am very excited about world renowned  DJ Taz Rashid as one of our featured musicians. He brings a high vibrational energy to wellness and yoga events instantly with his mixed beats of love and rhythm. A mix of ancient new world, devotional, and house all in one massively powerful cosmic sound.

I am excited to dance, set my soul on fire, feel the energy of the crowd, and let the music take me away!  The Mountains are Calling. Time to go OM. See for yourself in Vermont this July.

Learn More:

IG @theomfestival
FB @theomfestival
www.TheOmFestival.com

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: OM
SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: OM
SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: OM
Lash & Brow Love

Lash & Brow Love

Lash & Brow Love

By: LouLou Piscatore
BEAUTY
Photos:

Tal Shpantzer

Makeup:

Briana Halm

Models:

Natalie Mauney
Shanna Ossi
Bre Scullark

I am in lash extension recovery. After about three years of continuous use, I made an unwelcome pandemic discovery. My own lashes had suffered. They were short, sparse, and in a word, sad. So I did some research. Apparently, the added weight of the extensions can stress the hair follicles and shift them into a premature shedding cycle. Over time, this can result in shorter, finer lashes. I immediately swore off extensions and began lash rehab.

You may have experienced the same thing with your eyebrows, which thin as you age. It’s tempting to try microblading, but it cuts the skin to deposit pigment. Over time, this can permanently damage your skin and kill your existing hair follicles. It can even lead to infection and permanent scarring.

The good news is that there are easier, healthier, and more cost-effective alternatives. You can condition and grow your own lashes and brows with a little help. Eyelash serums hydrate and condition the lash hair and stimulate the follicles to grow by keeping them in the growth phase. Eyebrow serums strengthen and moisturize the brow hair, prevent fallout, and improve growth. Just a heads up – It takes about a month to see results, and about 3-4 months for dramatic growth, but they do work! Apply daily, and preferably at night on clean lashes and brows to give the serums plenty of time to absorb.Have patience, it took about 4 months for me to see a big difference, but now my lashes and brows have never been fuller or healthier.

If your lashes and brows are at their best, you really don’t need much else during the summer months (maybe some lip gloss). To get you started, here are some of our favorite lash and brow serums. For more lash and brow products, check out our website yogalovemagazine.com

Lash & Brow Love

LASHES

Joy Beauty: Joy Brow and Lash Rejuvenator
myjoybeauty.com

InstaNatural: Eyelash Enhancing Serum
instanatural.com

The Ordinary: Multi-Peptide Lash and Brow Serum
theordinary.com

RapidLash: Eyelash Enhancing Serum
rapidlash.com

Pureauty Naturals: Biotin Eyelash Serum
Pureautynaturals.com

Lash & Brow Love

BROWS

Ginger Beauty: Gingel
wearegingerbeauty

Joy Beauty: Joy Brow Tinted Brow Gel
myjoybeauty.com

Revitalash Cosmetics: Revitabrow Advanced Eyebrow Conditioner
revitalash.com

Lash Spell: Brow Spell Enhancing Eyebrow Serum
lashspell.com

Wen by Chaz Dean: Botanical Brow Enhancing Serum
Chazdean.com