Yoga and Kirtan enthusiasts may still be feeling their exhilaration from Bhakti Festival West. The Joshua Tree Retreat Center has welcomed more than 3,500 hundred visitors during the Bhakti Festival the past four years. The fourth annual Bhakti Festival is an intimate gathering. Yogi enthusiasts come to enjoy this event from all over the world. It is a time of celebration through movement, song, service, prayer, meditation, and play. Bhakti Fest is considered to be the Yoga Woodstock festival of our time. The festival lives to this expectation and its eccentricities.
The Bhakti Festival is a wonderful time to relax, regroup, enjoy workshops, listen to beautiful music, and practice incredible Yoga. Bhakti’s line-up of Yoga instructors include some of the most renowned Yoga teachers in the industry. Our very own Kristin Olson, of Urban Yoga teaches at both the Bhakti and Shakti Festivals. It was a pleasure to be in her presence as well. Some other Yoga greats, Micheline Berry, Bryan Kest, Kia Miller, Saul David Raye, Shiva Rea, and Hemalayaa are just a few who top the list of instructors at Bhakti. A vast majority of every class was paired with live Kirtan music. Each practice was unique, flowing, and relaxing. Yoga classes, workshops, and live music on the main stage are offered all day. Clothing, food, and other yoga and kirtan vendors also participate in the four-day retreat.
As a teacher, I am truly honored to practice with such a collection of teachers. Bryan Kest instructs Power Yoga. He is witty and exposes his edgy humor. Kest’s knowledge of Yoga is incredible and his style is raw. I believe his students enjoy his sense of humor and integrity. Kest pushes you to the edge physically but also causes you to think while practicing. Kest’s says, “My style is meditation in motion. It’s real and no fluff.” The purity in his teachings is what drives people to come back for more.
Kia Miller shares with students her love of Yoga. She exudes peacefulness and calmness in her personality. At the tender of age of 15, Miller began her Yoga journey. Miller is certified in Ashtanga/Vinyasa Flow and Kundalini. Accompanied by live music at Bhakti, Miller’s 90-minute Yoga journey was impeccable. Miller’s Yoga assist for the day, Ann Marie Solo says, “Kia offers a style and grace to the Yoga community that is so different than other instructors… that is what makes Kia special.”
The Bhakti and Shakti Festivals will return in 2013. Both festivals offer some of the greatest yoga, meditation workshops, and kirtan music in the country. As a yoga practiontioner and instructor, both festivals receive two Namaste’s. For more information about future festivals, www.bhaktifest.com
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