I am thrilled to have been a part of this year's Ahimsa Festival! It took place in Windham, NY, which was a perfect reflection of the beginning of Autumn - a mini-escape from busy New York City.
It was a two day festival that celebrated yoga and music, providing the opportunity to meet new teachers, get introduced to new, emerging yoga styles, all while being surrounded by beautiful, majestic mountain scenery. Throughout the festival, you could hear the Kirtan music floating in the air, which kept a smile on every participants face!
Sondra Loring swept us away in her yoga class with her incredible harmonium playing, accompanied by Steve Gorn who played flute. The entire class felt a sense of community and devotion. The whole experience just truly felt warm and inviting, despite the challenging and strong yoga class itself.
The always unique Sadie Nardini, the founder of Core Strength Vinyasa Yoga, taught for two consecutive days at Ahimsa. She focused on mindful transitions, building poses from the ground up, and concentration on activating the core muscles. One of her many innovative styles she introduced in the class, was the idea of not using linear postures, but to think outside the box and utilize all of the space around you as a personal canvas for expression. She rocked the room!
Meghan Currie gathered yoga teachers to learn and share in her workshop "The Symphony of Sequence". It was an open-styled workshop where teachers were encouraged to add their input, share their expectations, and to discuss just what makes an epic Yoga class. She highlighted that yoga teachers are the conductors of the energy shared within a class, that we are "open channels for creative energy to pass through". She emphasizes that we as teachers are able to create a beautiful symphony. She inspired the teachers to create organically, with no set template, and to be more playful and original in their teaching approach.
The magic of the Kirtan performed by many well-known Bhakti musicians immersed us in the sound and established a harmony within the room and our hearts, where everyone was able to feel love, light, and intention. Enjoy the fantastic performances by Masood Ali Khan and David Newman, Adam Bauer, and Brenda McMorrow!
Thank you so much Ahimsa, looking forward to next year!