Grab your yoga mat and hit the road for one of these summertime festivals
It was probably a sign of the times when yoga classes began popping up at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Or when Electric Daisy Carnival, the country’s largest dance music festival, announced yoga would be offered in advance of the electronic dance music conference. (Partygoers at Lightning in a Bottle, known for its roster of edgy bands with cult followings, can also give their eardrums a break and do some sun salutations instead.)
So it shouldn’t be surprising that yoga has its own dedicated festival circuit, with thousands of followers converging each year on gatherings in Joshua Tree, Boulevard (adjacent to San Diego), Squaw Valley and Telluride. Denver is holding its first one in August, which will include yoga atop the scenic Red Rocks.
The yoga festival trend is in keeping with the boom in popularity of the discipline.
“As more people take to yoga, they want to seek out others on the same path,” said Cate Stillman, the founder of YogaHealer.com, a resource for yoga teachers and a veteran of yoga festivals. “You get a complete immersion. You hit a peak. You’re doing yoga several hours a day if you want, and then going to workshops to talk about philosophies, experiences and concepts. You’re not going to get that at a regular yoga class.”
Yoga festivals are decidedly different from retreats. They are less expensive, hold more people, and are staged largely outdoors with attendees often camping in tents. Retreats are run by one or two yoga teachers, festivals feature dozens, alongside kombucha and green smoothie bars and live music.
If that sounds good to you, roll up your yoga mat and hit the road for these:
YOGA RESTIVAL
This new spin on typical festivals adds a restorative component. Co-founder Ben Annand is expecting about 200 people at a sprawling nature retreat an hour east of San Diego. Aerial yoga will be offered to more adventurous participants, but there are plenty of regular classes on offer, such as kundalini. A hot tub, saline pool and steam room are on site, as is the use of a meditation cave and workshops on ayurveda and essential oils.
“It’s small enough where everyone there should be able to connect with at least half the group if not more,” said Annand. “It’s still manageable. We don’t want people to feel overwhelmed. The overall emphasis is on resting.”
July 1-4 at Liberty Advance Retreat Center, Boulevard, Calif. $299 includes all classes and camp-style accommodations on site. Add on daily vegetarian brunch and dinner for $160. yogarestival.com
WANDERLUST
Top-tier teachers like Shiva Rea and Gurmukh -- rock stars in the yoga world -- will be leading classes at the Wanderlust Festival in Squaw Valley, interspersed with nature runs, paddle-boarding and grazing on organic treats. Last year’s event brought in 15,000 people. This is yoga festival deluxe: farm-to-table dinners, wine tastings, an Aveda beauty bar, turmeric beverages. Attendees can camp under the stars or stay in one of the town’s luxe resorts. Speakers include the co-founder of Seventh Generation, and Cooking Channel chef Jason Wrobel. But the focus remains on yoga -- with just about every modality being offered every day, from beginner through advanced.
July 14-17 in the Sierra Mountains of North Lake Tahoe, Calif. Tiered pricing prevails, but a four-day ticket is $490 for three activities a day. Everything else is an optional add-on. wanderlust.com
TELLURIDE YOGA FESTIVAL
Angelenos make up a big portion of attendees at the Telluride Yoga Festival, now that American Airlines flies in to nearby Montrose twice a week. Yogis can practice their asanas with the San Juan mountains in the background. Sessions include “Breathe Life into your Hips and Pelvis,” morning meditations and talks on how not to have a midlife crisis. (Hint: yoga).
July 21-24, all over Telluride, Colo. Various packages available. Top price is $450 for unlimited classes, workshops and events. Meals and accommodation not included. tellurideyogafestival.com
BHAKTI FEST
Some 3,800 people attended Bhakti Fest last year. This year they are expecting more than 5,000 at the Joshua Tree site. Classes will accommodate up to 500 people. Founder Sridhar Silberfein said that every hour, three or four classes in different yoga modalities will be held, and sacred music will play in the background 24 hours a day. There will be 15 food vendors. (Everything on site is vegetarian.) Highlights include a “women’s lodge,” with spiritual elders discussing contemporary subjects.
Sept. 7-12 at Joshua Tree Retreat Center, Joshua Tree. The $250 cost includes unlimited yoga classes, events, workshops and music. Meals and RV/camping passes are extra. Discounts for seniors and students. bhaktifest.com
VEGAS GONE YOGA FESTIVAL
Las Vegas may not typically be associated with yoga. But a September weekend event there might change that. The Vegas Gone Yoga Festival is on a 180-acre nature retreat just a few miles from downtown Sin City. There is glow-in-the-dark yoga, as well as classes dedicated just to headstands or stretching out the psoas muscle -- the hip muscle that helps determines flexibility.
Sept. 17-18 at Springs Preserve, Las Vegas. Weekend pass is $129 for three workshops a day. vegasgoneyoga.com
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