SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: WOMEN’S WELLNESS FEST

by iana velez | Feb 15, 2023 | ARTICLES, Festivals, Festivals 2023, Profiles

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: WOMEN’S WELLNESS FEST

April 22nd
Seawalk Pavilion Jacksonville Beach, FLA

PROFILES

FESTIVALS

Looking for something to do this April? 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 Karen Wood and Mary Beth Perrone, co-founders of Women’s Wellness Fest 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?
We are passionate about supporting women and wanted to create a safe space for them to come together in community to create new connections and to learn

What makes your festival unique?
Just about everything. We recognize that people fear the unknown, so we work hard to create a SAFE space for women to come together. A space where there is no competition, no comparison, no judgment. A space filled with positive energy and love. Where each woman can simply be without any expectations to be different.

What offering/presenter or class are you most excited about for this year’s event?
Each event contains new and different wellness activities, exercises and information. This time we are excited about some previous attendees coming to share their own personal transformations that were inspired by our first event in Feb 2022. Additionally we have breakout sessions on things like Hormone Health, Emotion Code, Family Constellations and Nutrition. All of that is in addition to Yoga, drumming, dancing and more.

Learn More:
www.womenswellnessfest.com
@womenswellnessfest

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: HEALTHYMAINE EXPO

by iana velez | Feb 12, 2023 | ARTICLES, Festivals, Festivals 2023, Profiles

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: HEALTHYMAINE EXPO

May 6-7, Portland Maine Expo

PROFILES

FESTIVALS

Looking for something to do this May? We are thrilled yoga festivals and wellness events 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 Steve Woods, president of Promerica Health and founder of the HealthyMaine Expo who we are thrilled to partner with! You will be able to pick up complimentary copies of our magazine at this event!

What inspired you to create this event?
As a company committed to Maine’s health, we want to educate our community on the many ways Mainers can contribute to their health and well-being. There are so many wonderful local businesses and organizations committed to the healthspan, we felt it was a critical time to bring these groups together to celebrate a commitment to a healthy Maine.

What makes your event unique?
The HealthyMaine Expo will feature six distinct categories of offerings that will showcase the variety of ways Mainers can engage in healthy living. We will be administering an assortment of complimentary wellness screenings for our guests. Additionally, the Expo will also feature a center stage with ongoing presentations and demonstrations throughout the day, a KidZone, Food Trucks and much more!

What offering/presenter or class are you most excited about for this year’s event?
We are most excited about the expo’s multidisciplinary approach and the large variety of exhibitors that will be featured – there is truly something for everyone. Our presenting sponsors, Restore Hyperwellness, SerenityMe and L.L.Bean will certainly have great attractions that you won’t want to miss. As we all adjust to a post-COVID-19 world, there is a clear need and public interest in taking active preventative health/wellness steps – instead of just illness mitigation. We believe that the HealthyMaine Expo is an ideal platform to share this important reality through experiences, demonstrations, and dialogue.

Learn More:
HealthyMaine Expo Facebook page
HealthyMaine Expo on Instagram
HealthyMaine Expo on Twitter

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: BULL CITY YOGA FESTIVAL

by iana velez | Feb 5, 2023 | ARTICLES, Festivals, Festivals 2023, Profiles

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: BULL CITY YOGA FESTIVAL

April 29th, Durham, North Carolina

PROFILES

FESTIVALS

Looking for something to do this April? 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 Ingrid Saddler-Walker, Founder of the Bull City Yoga Festival in Durham, North Carolina 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?
What inspired me to create the Bull City Yoga Festival was that I wanted to create a yoga festival of BIPOC Yoga Teachers in Durham and the surrounding area for a day of community, to empower others for self-care, health and wellness.

What makes your festival unique?
My yoga festival is unique because of the diversity of yoga teachers that teach at our festival. Also the diversity of the different ages and the variety of yoga classes that we offer such as yoga for seniors, dance yoga, kundalini yoga, vinyasa flow, yoga for embodiment etc. We also had featured yoga teachers that are nationally and internationally known such as Dianne Bondy, Yirser Ra Hotep, Michelle Johnson and Faith Hunter.

What offering/presenter or class are you most excited about for this year’s event?
I am excited about the entire spring festival, we have new teachers that will be offering new classes. I am also excited about the location where we will have the Spring and Fall Yoga Festival this year. The festivals will be located at the ZincHouse Winery and Brewery located in Durham, NC.

Learn More:
Facebook and Instagram: Bullcityyogafestival
Website: www.bullcityyogafestival.com

REGISTER HERE

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: Yoga on the Mountain

by iana velez | Feb 5, 2023 | ARTICLES, Festivals, Festivals 2023

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: Yoga on the Mountain

Sept. 28-Oct 1, at The Lodge at Magazine in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas

FESTIVALS

Looking for something to do this Fall? 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 Krista DeBuhr, Founder of Yoga on the Mountain Festival (YOTM) in Arkansas who we are thrilled to partner with! As a special exclusive gift to our community, save 10% on your ticket purchase via code YOGALOVE10% off tickets: one day, two day, three day and all 4 days.

What inspired you to create a festival?
Unite the Arkansas yoga community. As yoga was growing, I felt the energy of an event would keep the momentum and inspire people to live healthier, more fulfilled lives. People come from all over the Southwest. YOTM was in Aspen/Snowmass for 3 years (2017-2019) before the pandemic.

What makes your festival unique?
It’s small, intimate, and the event lodge, cabins and trails are nestled at the top of the mountain without other businesses or housing. The moment you turn up the windy Ozark hills, it feels like home. The gathering feels like family.

What offering/presenter or class are you most excited about for this year’s event?
We are excited it’s YEAR 10 and I love the variety and social events we are able to offer with so many local teachers: Sunset Social, Farm to Table Picnic, Opening and Closing Jams, Meditation, Sunrise Flow, Highest Point Hikes, Music themed Power Flow, Handstands, YIN, Mala Making, Writing, Sound Bath, Restorative, Yoga Nidra + live guitar, massage, Yoga Therapy, and more!

Learn More:

https://www.facebook.com/yotmfestival
https://www.instragram.com/yotmfestival
https://www.yotmfestival.com/

Festival Spotlight: Catskill Mountain Yoga Festival

by iana velez | Jan 24, 2023 | ARTICLES, Festivals, Festivals 2023, Profiles

Festival Spotlight: Catskill Mountain Yoga Festival

PROFILES

FESTIVALS

Looking for something to do this Summer? 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 Raegan Reed, founder and coordinator for the Catskill Mountain Yoga Festival who we are thrilled to partner with this July 22, 2023 (Rain Date July 23, 2023). Learn more about the festival here and pick up your FREE copy of Yoga Love Magazine at the event!

What inspired you to create a festival?
Several years ago Northface reached out to me to see if I would host a yoga retreat at Plattekill, for their employees. I was so excited. In the end, the weather turned bad and the company canceled their retreat. I was disappointed, but it gave me the idea to start offering special “Yoga on the Mountain “ classes in the summertime. People would get to ride the lift to the deck at the top of the mountain and I would lead yoga classes there.

Soon after that, I had people contacting me about bachelorette parties and morning yoga before their weddings. It was pretty cool and I thought, hmm…I’ve got something special here! Then I got thinking about all the amazing yoga instructors right here in upstate NY. We are so lucky to have so many amazing teachers here and people were loving the yoga on the mountain classes. My classes always sold out

Another part of this story includes my past as a yoga, dance and fitness instructor.I own The Cardio Club and Delhi Dance Studio. For a decade I would go to these large dance and fitness conventions in NYC or Philadelphia. I loved them and I would take classes all day! It was a dream come true! I thought that someday I would like to create something like this for my community.

I also do a lot of fundraising and events for my community. I am the chairperson for the Delhi Children’s Christmas Fund, I was the founder and president of the Catskill Ladies Association to support and inspire for ten years, the president of the Greater Delhi Area Chamber of commerce for four years and one of the founding members and President of the Delaware Academy PTA. Through these organizations I have gained knowledge and strength in event planning. I love working with my community, bringing joy to people and connecting people too! This helped me find my way as a festival coordinator.

Long story short, after the yoga on the mountain classes were such a big hit, I decided to take a leap of faith and host a yoga festival at Plattekill mountain. The first festival was scheduled for July 2020, then rescheduled for September 2020 when Covid hit. Of course, the September event never happened either. It was the height of covid and people were afraid to gather! we had to cancel the event for 2020, which was pretty devastating, but we bounced back and brought on the fun in July 202, the event was a success! Everyone loved it!! We grew and were even better in 2022 and plan to be the best fest yet in 2023! All of our Catskill Yoga Fest community love us as much as we love them! They keep bringing back more friends and family to join in the fun! We hope that rings true for 2023 too!!

What makes your festival unique?
We bring together instructors from all over the country, but many of these amazing folks reside right in New York State! There were so many amazing instructors in the area. I knew I had to bring them together! Another highlight of the fest is its location. It is located at Plattekill Mountain Ski Center. There is a deck at the mountaintop, which is a special place to practice yoga! It is a humbling experience. Participants ride the lift up to the top and get to practice in the clouds! We have classes for every BODY! Everything from restorative yoga, to focus on inversions, aerial yoga, yoga trapeze and everything in between! We have a hike led by the president of the Catskill Mountain Club, an amazing vendor village, awesome workshops, practitioners and plant walks too!

What offering/presenter or class are you most excited about for this year’s event?
It is hard to highlight just one! All the instructors are unique and bring something very special to the fest! We could not do it without them! Kelly Kamm, a world renowned Yogi, will be headlining the fest with her Mythical Vinyasa and fun, quirky style!

www.catskillmountainyogafestival.com
@catskillmountainyogafestival
www.thecardioclub.com

Spotlight Festival: Sedona Yoga Festival

by iana velez | Oct 21, 2022 | ARTICLES, Festivals, Festivals 2023, Profiles

Spotlight Festival: Sedona Yoga Festival

PROFILES

FESTIVALS

Looking for something to do next Spring? 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 Shereé Sanders, Producer of Sedona Yoga Festival who we are thrilled to partner with next April!

What inspired you to create a yoga festival?
I am passionate about Yoga, and after decades of creating events around community, sustainability, and the arts I found myself ready to retire from production work to practice and teach yoga. I was burnt out! Yoga was healing me and it was a very personal journey I was on. When I was invited to co-produce SYF in its inaugural year my original answer was “No”! I am so grateful to have agreed, as I discovered that production does not take away energy when it is matched with passion. Working in the yoga community is always interesting and not without its challenges. Moving through these challenges with grace and ease is supported by the knowing that each who is practicing yoga is seeking peace, practicing to the best of their ability non-harming, and believes in equanimity. So we move forward with that assumption and beautiful things happen. I learned as I began to produce SYF on my own in 2014 and ever since, that marrying passion (yoga) with purpose (gathering people to collaborate and co-create) is the magic formula of my life purpose. My dharma, if you will.

What makes your festival unique?
Sedona, of course! It is a powerful landscape for practice and transformation. In addition, SYF has long been known for offering a diverse range of deep-dive classes and workshops. We offer CEUs, we have so many presenters that no one gets to be the “rock Star” yogi. Over the years we have cultivated an audience of highly educated attendees, two-thirds of which are yoga professionals. So, it is a great place for conversation about the industry itself, and also a great place to discover your unique yoga as a practitioner, with such a wide array of offerings.

What offering/presenter or class are you most excited about for this year’s event?
We haven’t announced any of the presenters yet this year but one thing we are very excited about is the expansion of our team to include a programming team. The proposals that come in through SYF’s application process are now being reviewed by a team of yoga professionals from a diverse range of backgrounds and styles. We pride ourselves in finding amazing teachers that are not always drawn to the festival circuit and curating a program unlike any other, where each attendee may choose their own adventure from the numerous offerings available on the schedule. We always have a huge roster of teachers so that none is deemed more important than the other. It is all the parts that make up the whole, as is acknowledged in this year’s theme: Emerge to Imagine. Our aim with the offerings this year is to support those who show up with the tools to increase awareness of how each unique way of being, each independent action, intention, and thought is responsible to the whole, is interdependent in that we each affect the outcome for humanity. As we all emerge from what has proven to be a time of deep introspection – shadow work, even – and increased self-awareness, we are anticipating that “self” care begins to take the shape of community care.

SOCIAL LINKS
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Linkedin

TICKETS
sedonayogafestival.com/purchase-tickets/

Frances Hunt chats with Reggie Hubbard from the SYF programming team.
Learn more and get your tickets: www.sedonayogafestival.com