SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: SANGHA FEST

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: SANGHA FEST

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: SANGHA FEST

July 13-16, 2023
New Mexico

PROFILES

FESTIVALS

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: SANGHA FEST

Exclusive discount code for our community: yogalovemag
For 5% off full weekend pass 

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 Vibes, producer of the Sangha Fest in Colorado 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? 
I felt inspired to create this festival last year at the prompting of Robert Holmes, Tico Time’s owner and a good friend of mine, who was seeking to have a more conscious, family friendly, and wellness oriented festival at his event venue. This venue hosts many festivals from Bluegrass to Reggae to EDM, and while many of the festivals offer an atmosphere of community as well as various workshops and intentional classes, none have these elements as their focus.

Sangha means “to bring together,” or more generally, it’s the word for “Community” in both Pali (the original language of Gautama the Buddha) and Sanskrit. The motivation is just this: to come together as a spiritual community for the purpose of prayer, practice and celebration. In my own journey through anger, criminality and addiction in my earlier years, the teachings of the Buddha, the practice and philosophy of yoga and meditation, and the support of a like-minded community were crucial to my recovery and self-development. Early on, long before I got sober, I attended a small yoga festival in New Jersey (where I grew up), called Evolve Fest. At the time I had zero spiritual awareness and I was by far the drunkest individual present, however, it was my first exposure to a gathering of its kind and the seeds were planted that would eventually grow to play a large role in the cultivation of the person that I truly wanted to be.

Today, I am nearly 8 years sober and the practices of awareness and compassion and service are an integral part of my recovery. I believe that gatherings that are centered in humility, prayer, community development, and individual/social wellness can be of great benefit to those who attend, and those benefits can ripple out to many, many more.

What makes your festival unique?
This Festival is unique for many reasons. The first thing that comes to my mind is the venue itself. Tico Time is an RV and camping Park which straddles the Animus River. “Tico Time” refers to the luxurious environment found in Costa Rica and the land has been developed to replicate this atmosphere. It is has multiple ponds with soft sand beaches, tubes and paddle-boards to float on, water slides, zip-lines, a magical forest of tall Cotton Wood trees, a beautiful main-stage decorated in bamboo, with an incredible sound system, and the sacred river Animus flowing right down the center of it all.

Another unique aspect of the festival is that all the proceeds will be going to our venues non-profit, Pura Vida for Good. The mission of this non-profit is to create a Recovery Home in the area to support addicts and alcoholics who need affordable housing and care after primary treatment. The plan is to have a space to house 15-25 residents, complete with group therapy, yoga classes, meditation, job placement support, continued education support, and individual recovery coaching. Also in the plans, is to begin a small farm where the residents can work to pay rent and learn how to grow food. It is a noble vision and we are happy to be contributing to it.

What offering/presenter or class are you most excited about for this year’s event?
Last year we had such an incredible turn out of musical artists, yoga teachers and workshop facilitators including Sean Johnson and the Wild Lotus Band out of New Orleans, Govindas and Radha, DJ Drez and Marti Nikko, international Kundalini yoga teacher, Kia Miller, RR Shakiti out of LA, and Monica Mesa Dasi, plus many many more.

This year we are very excited to have Sean Johnson and the Wild Lotus Band back to headline Saturday night, with female-duo and Colorado band LVDY to open for them. Dianne Bondy, Author of “Yoga for ALL” an international yoga teacher and social justice activist will be there! That is very exciting. Gwen Rebbek from NY/NJ, founder of Yoga4Sobriety will be out to teach about yoga, recovery, and the Chakra System.

We have some other people we are excited about that have yet to confirm…so stay tuned for that!


Learn More:

@sanghafestticotime
FB: Sangha Fest
www.sanghafest.org
www.puravidaforgood.org

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: WOMEN’S WELLNESS FEST

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: WOMEN’S WELLNESS FEST

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: WOMEN’S WELLNESS FEST

April 22nd
Seawalk Pavilion Jacksonville Beach, FLA

PROFILES

FESTIVALS

Spotlight Festival: MYPATH

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: MYPATH
Spotlight Festival: MYPATH
SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: MYPATH

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: MYPATH

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: MYPATH

May 25-28 and Sept. 28-Oct. 1
Terrapin Hill Farm in Harrodsburg, Kentucky

PROFILES

FESTIVALS

Spotlight Festival: MYPATH
Looking for something to do this May and 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 Brenda Cashel and Gabriella Gaona, Co-Founders/Producers of MYPATH 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 were inspired to create MYPATH due to a love for yoga and the beauty of nature and a dream to combine the two into an event that would create a healing community of safety and trust in which people can feel supported and encouraged to shine their light and find their own path. 

Brenda owns the gorgeous organic farm venue in central Kentucky and Gabriella’s beautiful donation-based yoga studio is in Louisville, KY. Together we combined our talents and our connections to produce MYPATH, which is an acronym for Mindful Yoga Practice At Terrapin Hill. We wanted to bring people out of the city and into the beautiful Kentucky countryside, to step away from their regular lives and enter a world where they can focus on themselves, fine tune talents, learn new ones, and come together in a supportive, inclusive community. MYPATH has been called the place where healers come to heal, but it is open to people of all ages and no experience is necessary to attend. 

We also wanted to create an opportunity for people to experience the deeper meaning of Yoga. Yoga is far more than just the Asanas (poses), which are what people generally think of when they hear the term. We wanted to introduce people to the great variety of styles, lineages, and approaches, recognizing that it’s much easier to try new things when it’s presented all in one place. When combined with the benefits of being fully immersed in nature, you have an extraordinary opportunity to connect with yourself and others. 

What makes your festival unique?
MYPATH is actually more than a yoga festival and more than a yoga retreat – It brings together the wonderful aspects of both – uniquely combining the structure of a festival with the intimacy of a retreat. A great variety of classes are offered throughout each day, there’s a bonfire and drum circle every evening, and one night there is a farm-to-table community meal and a musical performance. Most attendees camp onsite and there are art installations, food vendors, merch vendors, and bodywork available. 

Classes take place on stunning handbuilt stages, a comfortable pavilion, or on top of a grassy hill that overlooks surrounding farms and has amazing sunrise and sunset views. MYPATH takes place in the spring and fall of each year and is tuned into the seasons. The spring event has a fresh, outward, energetic yang energy, and the fall event has a slower, introspective, yin energy. 

Each MYPATH also has a unique theme interwoven into the classes and participants are invited to reflect on the theme throughout the weekend…and discover how it relates to their own journey. 

As our yoga journey deepens, we find that Yoga is a way of living…a way of being. When everything you do is supportive of your Yoga practice, then everything you do becomes Yoga. Building a fire, eating, dancing, singing, laughing…this can all be Yoga, doing whatever you do, acting from your center. Entwined into the event is the suggestion that you can take home what you learn at MYPATH and incorporate it into your everyday life. 

What offering/presenter or class are you most excited about for this year’s event? 
With more than a dozen talented instructors, it’s hard to pick one. There are several styles of yoga offered, plus meditations, sound healing, dance, nature walks, drumming classes, qi-gong, satsang, discussions, philosophy, kirtan, and so much more. Most classes are offered more than once during the weekend, so you can try almost all of them. There’s plenty of free time to enjoy the farm as well – wade in the river, swim or paddle-board in the spring-fed lake, enjoy evenings around the campfire under starry skies. Plus, the community meal is always delicious and a great time to connect with others and afterwards, there’s a fun local band with dancing. We honestly can’t think of one thing we’re not excited about when it comes to MYPATH!


Learn More:

Mypathfest.com
mypathfest.com/tickets
facebook.com/mypathfest
instagram.com/mypathfest

Spotlight Festival: MYPATH
Spotlight Festival: MYPATH
Spotlight Festival: MYPATH
SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: BHAKTI FARMS YOGA FEST

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: BHAKTI FARMS YOGA FEST

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: BHAKTI FARMS YOGA FEST

May 19-21, Covington, LA

PROFILES

FESTIVALS

The Yoga EXPO - Photos from the Event

Exclusive discount code for our community: LOVE20 for 20% off weekend passes


Looking for something to do this May? 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 Johnny Johnston and Caroline Williamson of the Bhakti Farms Yoga Fest in Covington, LA 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 saw an opportunity to create an annual event that brought the healing community in south Louisiana together to celebrate each other and to inspire us to continue or begin on a path to find peace through healing arts. The yoga festival was a small vision but grew larger than we could have ever expected, drawing musicians, teachers, and attendees from all over the country. 

What makes your festival unique?
Our unique festival hosts a wide variety of classes and concerts throughout a three day weekend which includes camping and activities for the whole family. Bhakti Farms Yoga Fest has big festival offerings with a small town vibe.

What offering/presenter or class are you most excited about for this year’s event? 
I’m most excited about Ananda Das and Max Ribner. Two incredible artists who will be interweaving themselves throughout the festival weekend lending to a very unique experience. If you haven’t met them, you’ll get a chance to.


Learn More:
Website
Instagram
Tickets

The Yoga EXPO - Photos from the Event
The Yoga EXPO - Photos from the Event
The Yoga EXPO - Photos from the Event
SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: BULL CITY YOGA FESTIVAL

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: BULL CITY YOGA FESTIVAL

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: BULL CITY YOGA FESTIVAL

April 29th, Durham, North Carolina

PROFILES

FESTIVALS

The Yoga EXPO - Photos from the Event
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

The Yoga EXPO - Photos from the Event
The Yoga EXPO - Photos from the Event
SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: HEALTHYMAINE EXPO

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: HEALTHYMAINE EXPO

SPOTLIGHT FESTIVAL: HEALTHYMAINE EXPO

May 6-7, Portland Maine Expo

PROFILES

FESTIVALS

The Yoga EXPO - Photos from the Event
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

The Yoga EXPO - Photos from the Event
The Yoga EXPO - Photos from the Event