Festival Spotlight: Womanist Arts Festival

by iana velez | May 30, 2022 | ARTICLES, Festivals, Festivals 2023

Festival Spotlight: Womanist Arts Festival

FESTIVALS

Looking for something to do this Sept? We are thrilled 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 Tanya Birl, Artistic Director and Tanya Bishai, Executive Producer, Fundraising and Marketing from Womanist Arts Festival taking place Sept 10th in Washington Heights, NYC.

What inspired you to create a festival?

Our belief in artists as healers and inspired by the wisdom of Alice Walker’s womanist prose, this festival is in celebration of those who have come before us, taking on the mantle and moving forward into the future that we will co-create together. Women led and inclusive of all genders and non-conformists, race, religion and creed.

What makes your festival unique?

A call to the Washington Heights, NYC community to gather, connect and heal through music, movement, spoken word, art, self expression, interaction and celebration! We have some of the most talented people in the world living right here in our neighborhood. This festival will be an eclectic expression of the gifts that Washington Heights has to offer our souls and our bodies. It will aim to bring together neighbors living East and West of Broadway, creating a more unified spirit of belonging and trust

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

Our final performance of the day at 4pm featuring The SoapBox Presents and spoken word artists Caridad De La Luz

Learn more

https://www.instagram.com/womanistfest
facebook.com/WomanistFestival
http://sohumanity.com/wahi-womanist-fest

Spotlight Festival: PlayThink

by iana velez | Apr 7, 2022 | ARTICLES, Festivals, Festivals 2023

Spotlight Festival: PlayThink

FESTIVALS

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 Paige Zen, Founder & CEO of PlayThink Festival who we are thrilled to partner with and share complimentary copies of Yoga Love Magazine. Thank you Paige for offering an exclusive promo code for our community: YOGALOVE will provide 10% off tickets for this event.

What inspired you to create a festival?
I was a professional hula hooper and wanted to learn how to up my skill. I had exhausted the local and regional options for instruction and decided to start an event where we brought in proficient instructors in not only hula hooping but a wide range of modalities. PlayThink, 12 years later, is still an amazing festival for skill-sharing!

What makes your festival unique?
PlayThink has a massive amount of “playshops” where you can learn just about anything – all while being in an environment that is family friendly and sober. A festival you can bring your kids and your grandparents to? That’s almost unheard of! A festival where folks focus on getting to know themselves without the veil of alcohol? Even more unheard of! For these reasons alone, PlayThink is incredibly unique. Add in that folks feel seen and heard in a radically un-judgemental way, and it’s simply heaven.

What presenter or class are you most excited about for this year’s event?
Our application process doesn’t close until January 15, 2023 so I’m unsure of who will be presenting for our next installment but there are some AMAZING applications and the music line-up is set up to be one of the best! I suspect, as usual, we’ll have a wide variety of movement, music, and healing workshops by some of the most renowned instructors in the nation. From laughter yoga to slinky arts, unicycling to beatboxing – there’s a little bit for everyone!

facebook.com/playthinkfest
instragram.com/playthinkfest
playthinkfestival.com

Festival Spotlight: Barefoot & Free Yoga Festival

by iana velez | Mar 25, 2022 | ARTICLES, Festivals, Profiles

Festival Spotlight: Barefoot & Free Yoga Festival

By iana velez

PROFILES

Yoga Love Magazine - McKenzie Riepen - bio pic

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 Beth James, the creator of Barefoot and Free Yoga festival about her festival, inspirations, and what she’s looking forward to! Check out this great festival taking place Aug 4-Aug 6, 2023 at Proud Lake State Park, Michigan.

Special thanks to Beth for offering an exclusive code for our community: YOGALOVE for 15% off passes!!

What inspired you to create a yoga festival?
I was first inspired 8 months pregnant at my friend’s wedding in the woods where Barefoot takes place. I kept going back to the woods, thinking about it and so I decided to try it out. I had been a yoga teacher in metro Detroit community for several years so I knew the community well but honestly had no idea how to put on something of this magnitude, but I followed my intuition and it said DO IT along with the beautiful forest & the trees.

What makes your festival unique?
We are immersed in nature, plus I believe the forest spoke to me that day and every year the woods is blessed for us to be blessed in the forest. We are surrounded by tall pine trees, the clean Huron River and fresh clean Proud Lake. Yet we are going 30-45 minutes outside of the busy city area of Metro-Detroit.

What offering/presenter or class are you most excited about for this year’s event?
I am excited to showcase all the amazing Michigan talent. In particular we have an emphasis on more shamanic healing; sound baths, plant ceremonies & talks and discussions regarding the benefit of alternative therapies such as psilocybin, ketamine, and cannabis. I am excited about the joining and understanding of how yoga and nature are the medicine people need most right now.

Learn more:
@barefootandfreeyoga
www.barefootandfreeyoga.com

SPECIAL OFFER:
YOGALOVE for 15% off passes

Festival Spotlight: Taos Mountain Yoga Festival

by iana velez | Feb 18, 2022 | ARTICLES, Festivals

Festival Spotlight: Taos Mountain Yoga Festival

By iana velez

FESTIVALS

Taos Mountain Yoga Festival

Looking for something to do this August? 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 Kari Malen, from the Taos Mountain Yoga festival taking place Aug 26-28.

Your name and role in the festival
My role in the Taos Mountain Yoga Festival is coordinating the team of talented instructors and guides to lead an array of experiences to get you embodied.

What inspired the creation of this festival?
Beyond the uniqueness of our location in the alpine beauty of the New Mexico mountainscape, this event aims to do two things: Highlight the amazing local instructor cohort based in and around Taos who have a special breadth and depth of knowledge and skill in teaching. Secondly to provide the community and visitors the opportunity to participate in a broad array of what yoga has to offer.

What makes your festival unique?
Have you ever joined a yoga class and thought, this isn’t right for me? Then decided yoga isn’t right for you? At this festival you can explore many options of yoga styles and practices that get lumped under the umbrella term yoga.Some classes will be movement oriented, others more restorative meditations, there will be breathwork, mantra, higher consciousness classes, traditional ashtanga, modern acro yoga, and even yoga and art for kids (and kids at heart). We have aimed to provide a little something for everyone. Join us and see what yoga has to offer you. Get out of your spinning mind and into your body. Find some calm. Connect with self and community. Options exist to drop in for one class, one day, or all of the fun.

Beyond yoga classes there is also a guided hike and nature writing workshop, crystal bowl soundbath, guided movement class, and a silent disco with three local DJ’s. Don’t forget there is also a free, all levels, yoga class on Sunday at 10am for anyone and everyone to join and a movie on the lawn Saturday night.

What offering/presenter or class are you most excited about for this year’s event?
What am I most excited about? Bringing together this cast of amazing instructors all at one event: Adi Luna, Alana Lee, Amani, Aura Garver, Elena Brower, Jennifer Ammann, Johanna DeBiase, Jvala Moonfire, Matt Salzman, Nadine Lollino, Summer Hartbauer, Sue Hunt. Oh, and I am teaching a class too.