For me, the weekend celebration started Thursday night as the
festival space began to take shape. In the cool of the evening, with the soft
buzzing of what was to come, my friends and I re-familiarized ourselves with
the retreat center grounds under the remnants of the full moon. Soft drumming
came from the Yurts and I took in the Main Stage, now empty, but with a murmur
of anticipation for all the people that would fill the space the next day. I followed the humming of sound to the
Sanctuary, opened the doors, and it was then I felt I had arrived! Inside there
was music, clapping, dancing and folks sitting, laying, singing “Radhe” and
“Haribol.” The sound washed over us and the power of the familiar chants
embraced us all in their power. I raised my arms and began to celebrate the
beginning of what was sure to be a transformative weekend. The blood was
pumping, energy growing, and Bhakti flowing.
Now, it’s 8am on Friday, day one of Shakti Fest, and there is a
nurturing warmth in the air. As we make our way to the opening ceremony with
Aditi Devi, we begin to recognize familiar faces in the yoga world; those we
know and have practiced with, and spiritual powerhouses we look up to and
admire but have never met. Today, we all walk together and share the same space for the same
reason: to raise our own vibration and the vibration as a whole. Aditi reminds
us that the opening prayer she guides us through will be left open, not to be
completed until Sunday night, so that we may hold the space for one another
through our collective experience.
We filled our water bottles at the filling station with Aloha Green Powder to energize for our first morning class with Kia Miller. Her
radiant smile throughout class was a warm welcome to this sacred space. Kia
beautifully, clearly, and thoroughly led us through a Kundalini kriya, which
can sometimes be an elusive practice, and the Bhakti Bliss Band serenaded us
with chants of “Guru Ram Dass”. As we pumped our bellies with breath of fire,
she encouraged us to take on an “attitude of gratitude” turning “emotion in to
devotion.” I decided to adopt this as my personal theme for the next three
days.
That theme of gratitude was felt quickly when the midday sun was
high. Thanks to Castle Rock Water -winner of the 2014 ‘World’s Best Bottled
Water’ and served in glass bottles- and the creamy Coconut Bliss Bar, we were
kept hydrated, cool and refreshed. We enjoyed our snack and sang along to the
band Aykanna at the Main Stage. Another
trick to staying cool is to relax and let henna artist, Emily Webb, work her creative
magic on your skin. Henna, with natural cooling properties, is believed to
bring happiness, good fortune and benevolence.
I couldn’t rest for long as my duties as Bhakti Fest blogger took
me on the Main Stage to announce our Instagram contest. We are encouraging
everyone to share their best Shakti Fest moments on Instagram using
#BhaktiFest. The winner with the best, most inspiring moment wins a free ticket
to Bhakti Fest West in September. Being on stage right after the morning line
up of kirtan artists like Sirgun Kaur and Ananda Rasa gave me a wave of
energizing Shakti through my spine! To then look out on all the glowing faces
gave me another shot in the arm of why we all meet up in the desert to dance.
Mid-afternoon and it was time to jam with Govind Das and Radha in
a mini kirtan training. They broke down chords, mantras and how each instrument
has a special place in this devotional exercise. Splitting the class in three
different groups, beginner and experienced musicians alike shared in this community
kirtan.
As the sun began to make its way back to the horizon, it was nice
to take pause in Yoga Hall 1 with Felicia Tomasko. Felicia led us through a
chill class to “smooth our prana”, based in conscious movement, breath, and
ayurvedic concepts. Ashley Wynn, owner of The Grateful Yogi in Las Vegas, lent
her voice. Felicia’s knowledge paired with Ashley’s sweet sound was right on
time after a packed day.
What strikes me the most as I get to know Shakti Fest 2014, is
the number of children dancing, laughing, playing, and enjoying the festival
just as much as their older counter parts. Shakti Fest welcomes the whole
family so that this type of bhakti celebration can start to be part of
children’s lives and development. It is a safe and caring environment where
love is first priority and the joy is palpable.
After a free sample of spring rolls from Upton Naturals, served
daily 11:30am and 6:00pm, it was time to head back to the stage for the musical
ecstasy of Dave Stringer. Dave Stringer
not only uses music to lift consciousness, but also lends his talents to
non-profit organizations like Give Back Yoga and Call and Response Foundation
that bring yoga and mindfulness to populations that cannot make it to events
like Shakti Fest, for instance veterans dealing with PTSD or those
incarcerated. Following Dave Stringer was the Kirtaniyas to lead us into the
early hours of the morning. The ripple of devotional love sent through the
mystical desert air will take us straight in to the restful sleep we need for
tomorrow, starting off the morning with Vega smoothies in the dining hall.
See you then, sleep well and Haribol!
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