New Highlights Include a Sound-bath Dome, Sacred Women’s Tent, Men’s Lodge, and Expanded Family Village, along with Top Kirtan Stars, Sacred Music, Meaningful Workshops and Premiere Yoga Teachers, September 7-12 in Joshua Tree, CA
Bhakti Fest, the preeminent sacred music and yoga festival dedicated to bringing spiritual consciousness and earthly freedom to both the attendees, and the global recipients of this nonprofit festival’s charitable endeavors, will be returning to the Joshua Tree Retreat Center September 7-12.
A beloved annual event on the calendars of spiritual seekers, yogis, families, girlfriend squads, and others looking for an end of summer festival to commune with nature, each other and the divine, Bhakti Fest has expanded their offering beyond the top yoga teachers, Kirtan artists and workshop leaders, to include features such as a Family Village for parent and me yoga, kids music and more, as well as a Sound-bath Dome and Sound Healings under the stars, the latest trend in musical meditation. In addition to its always enlightening workshop program Bhakti Fest also hosts a Sacred Women’s Tent and a Men’s Lodge offering gender specific programming covering topics such as Tantra, empowerment, and redefining masculinity.
Known internationally for hosting a massive lineup of Kirtan musicians, master yoga instructors, and spiritual teachers, Bhakti Fest draws thousands of conscious explorers from the U.S. and around the world. Kirtan and reggae influenced singer/songwriter Trevor Hall, known for his hits “Brand New Day,” “The Lime Tree,” “Unity,” and others will headline the event. Other returning headliners include Grammy nominee Krishna Das; Jai Uttal, with his high energy reggae and ska-influenced Kirtan set; revolutionary hip-hop artist MC YOGI; and long-time Madonna collaborator Donna De Lory.
Bhakti Fest offers nonstop conscious music and Kirtan/chanting on two stages, in a wide of variety of musical genres including blues, rock, pop, gospel, traditional, and hip-hop. This year’s musicians also include the Kirtaniyas, Dave Stringer, Sean Johnson & the Wild Lotus Band, Saul David Raye, David Newman, Govind Das & Radha, Gina Sala, Girish, Brenda McMorrow, Gandharvas Kirtan, Larisa Stow & Shakti Tribe, Sri Kirtan, Fannah Fi Allah, Shantala and Pranja Vieira.
Several thousand participants will share sacred space with the world’s finest teachers of spiritual knowledge, yoga, and breath-work. The festival will feature twelve hours of daily yoga classes in four venues, facilitated by incomparable teachers: Shiva Rea, Saul David Raye, Mark Whitwell, Kia Miller, Jennica Mills, Laura Plumb, Erica Burkhalter, Jaya Lakshmi & Ananda, Hemalayaa Behl, Mas Vidal, Janet Stone, and Kristin Olson, to name only a few. All levels of students are welcome—beginner and advanced yogis alike are encouraged to join! There is something for everyone.
The Bhakti Fest workshops aim to enlighten all attendees with talks by as Radhanath Swami, a philanthropist and author of The Journey Home, who presents on his incredible spiritual journey; breath-work phenomenon, Michael Brian Baker whose students say his class “provides a life changing experience;” Manoj Chalam, a Murti scholar who uses humor and personal anecdotes in his lectures and workshops to illuminate Hindu mythology; and many more.
Presenters in the Sacred Women’s Tent include Dawn Cartwright, a Tantric visionary, sacred writer, world traveler, and innovator in bio-energetic Tantra fusion; Monika Nataraj, the creatrix of the 200-hour Mystical Dance® and Shakti Spirit® women’s teacher trainings in Thailand who also co-leads the Mystical Yogini women’s teacher training in India; Joanne Ameya Cohen a Certified Women’s Herbalist and Flower Essence Therapist, Plant Spirit Medicine Practitioner, Feminine Embodiment Mentor, Counselor, and Shamanic Practitioner, who is passionate about helping women to let go of past pains and hurts in order to reclaim their Wild Feminine; among others.
In the Men’s Lodge Zat Baraka will help men to step out of the confines of their societal conditionings and into the new masculine way of being; other men’s lodge speakers will be announced. As always the annual festival will deliver an exclusive interview with Bhakti Fest elder, and spiritual icon, Ram Dass, whose book Be Here Now helped bring Eastern philosophy to the West in the 1960s.
Bhakti Fest also offers a healing sanctuary with massage, bodywork, energy work, and other wellness enhancing modalities. In addition, Bhaktis will feast on a variety of raw, vegan, and vegetarian food and beverage options. There is an extensive marketplace with eco-friendly, sustainable vendors who offer yoga gear, clothing, devotional art, musical instruments, CDs, crafts, jewelry and more. Bhakti Fest’s own Bhakti Shoppe will feature highly sought-after items from the bazaars of India.
Bhakti Fest is a vegetarian, family friendly, safe environment, free of alcohol and drugs. Children 12 and under are allowed in for free and there is a specific Bhakti Family Village where children can take part in music, yoga and enlightened play.
The Joshua Tree Retreat Center offers the perfect setting for inner reflection and spiritual reconnection, with its natural high desert beauty. Accommodations onsite include new private apartments, beds in the men’s and women’s dorms, glamping, camping, and RV parking. There are also several hotels within a few miles of the retreat center that offer discounts for attendees. Info on lodging is available at http://west.bhaktifest.com/lodging/.
With a world-class lineup of musicians and yoga instructors, more than 60 conscious workshops, and 100 artisan vendors, Bhakti Fest offers the most heart-opening, consciousness-raising experience of any festival on the scene today. Attendees describe the festival as “being immersed in the greatest conscious party you have ever experienced, filled with music, yoga, dancing, love, light, and heart centered community.”
Tickets for Bhakti Fest West 2016 are available at west.bhaktifest.com. Bhakti Fest is a nonprofit 501c3 organization and accepts tax-deductible donations. The festival donates a percentage of its funds to charities and other nonprofit groups that provide food, education, and environmental beautification programs around the world. These include Food for Life Vrindavan, Love Serve Remember Foundation, Ramana’s Garden, Seva Foundation, Share Your Care, and Woman’s Earth Alliance.
Bhakti Fest would not be possible without the support of these generous sponsors; I-CODA, Organic India, Health Ade Kombucha, Desert Essence, Coconut Bliss, Divinitree Yoga & Art Studio, Shakti Juice and White Swan Records.
For more information please see bhaktifest.com. All Bhakti Fest talent are available for interviews. For press information please contact Susan von Seggern at susan@susanvonseggern.com or 213-840-0077.
