If you allow yourself to be aware enough, you may observe that
once you set an intention you are magically led to all the right places and
through all the obstacles necessary to manifest it. That was day two for me at
Bhakti Fest Midwest. The intention I set yesterday to uncover my inner power
led me to every class, workshop, and experience I needed to strengthen that
intention.
7:15 A.M with Tumeric Alive in hand, I marched my way over to
Yoga Hall 2 for morning yoga with Steve Emmerman from Turbo Dog Yoga in
Chicago. This class is built on finding strength from the inside out, the deep
inner core, and discovering hidden and forgotten muscles such as the Serratus
Anterior and Gluteus Medius.
With a unique style that encourages a different approach to our
asana practice, Steve took us to our edge physically while addressing what that
‘edge’ means spiritually and mentally.
On hands and knees, with forearms at an outward angle, elbows bent and
hovering an inch away from the floor and the rest of the body in downward
facing dog, your body begins to tremble, your mind begins to scream, and it is
then you have the choice to access the energy you want. Steve asks us, “do you
want to suffer? How can you release the suffering without releasing the pose?”
This is the power of Turbo Dog for the body and the mind. Steve’s supportive
and intuitive assists combined with his encouraging nature makes you want to go
through this process, willingly step out of your comfort zone, and free
yourself from habitual ways of practicing asana in order to find a relationship
with your inner strength.
Thanks to Steve and his gift of a new and more mindful way to
practice, my mind and body were set on the right track for the rest of the day.
Having discovered earlier that morning I had forgotten to bring
along body lotion, I was thrilled to be able to pick up a couple samples of
Desert Essence skin care products at the First Aid table. There you can also
try their Tea Tree oil and cleansing towelettes with organic essential oils. My
favorite lotion is the Daily Essential Defense Lotion with SPF. It’s a light
moisturizer with Jojoba Oil and Aloe Vera. I was so thankful for the SPF under
the summer solstice sun.
Before lunch was Rebecca Curland’s workshop with special guest,
Pascale La Point of Kirtan Path. This workshop intelligently linked together
postures that tapped into each of the chakras one at a time from the bottom up.
Pascale accompanied the specific asanas for each chakra with its corresponding
mantra and deity, as Rebecca reminded us of each energetic center’s strengths
and shadows.
One of the first postures we practiced as we focused attention to
Muladhara, the root chakra, was tree pose. I stood there, all my strength
rooting firmly into the earth on one leg, chanting with the class the
accompanying mantra of “lam”, my mind fixed on its deity, Ganesh, and
unexpectedly a wave of chills ran through me. I felt the power of this practice
and it all wondrously came from within while under the simple guidance of
Rebecca and Pascale, who were vibrating at the necessary and subtle level to
escort me there. I found an extraordinary stillness by the time we had
journeyed up the energetic highway of the chakra system and experienced the
most wonderful and deeply connected meditation and Savasana I had had in a
while.
Both morning practices were quite different from each other,
Rebecca’s being more rooted in tradition, while Steve’s class brought me into
my anatomical body with one straight shot. Both were needed to create that
perfect experience and balance out all their benefits.
I grabbed an iced Bhakti Chai coffee blend to get my energy back
from yogic bliss and ready to hit the stage to introduce more amazing artists.
Among them were The Householders, providing heart-pumping beats that combined
conscious rap, traditional mantra, and sweet ballads mixed in between. They
start a tour of the Midwest next week with DJ Taz who is back at it again
tonight in Yoga Hall 1 at 12AM for late night Club Divine Dance Party with
special guests Michael H. Cohen, Jim Beckwith, and Saul David Raye.
Speaking of Saul David Raye, his workshops are known to be
packed, so for a more intimate experience practicing with him, sign up for the
post-festival intensive on Monday. A few
slots are still available for four hours with Saul David Raye as he shares
insights into the path of Bhakti yoga and integrating them into your personal
practice.
Still in my role as emcee, I had the pleasure of welcoming on
stage Brenda McMorrow. She is a Canadian artist with a range of styles in her
background that come together through kirtan, which she has been sharing around
the world for the past eight years. Brenda has a sweet nature and a great sense
of humor, but as she looks you directly and respectfully in the eyes while you
speak to her, you know this woman is full of Shakti power. Then, when you hear
her perform, that inner Shakti shines outward in a profound way.
It’s difficult to put words to Michael Brian Baker and his work.
It is a sincere experience felt on the ethereal level where words no longer
exist, or at least lack the capability to be accurately descriptive. This was my first experience of a breathwork
class with Michael Brian Baker, although his reputation preceded him as a
Bhakti Fest favorite and a catalyst to deep levels of release and recovery.
Through a simple breath technique combined with sound, chanting,
aroma therapy, and simply holding space within a circle of students, Michael
showed us how these techniques are like medicine; ending inner conflict and
using our own power to wave the “white flag within.”
We gathered close together to end the illuminating quest, sitting
in a tight circle with hands on one another’s backs. Closing our eyes as
Michael offered one final prayer, I could feel the glimpse of non-duality and
transcending the illusion of opposites.
By the time Michael’s class had ended, it was only two hours
until the godfather of the modern kirtan world, Krishna Das, would grace the
stage. A buzz had been growing since the afternoon and more and more people
began to settle in spots as close to the stage as possible. At 7:00 PM, twelve
hours after my first powerful yoga experience that day, I got to introduce
another powerful force in the music and kirtan world, Hans Christian.
For 20 minutes he took us on a journey with his cello. It was a
wonderful and simple picture of a man, his instrument, and music. You may know
Hans Christian from his band, Rasa, as well as his body of work with many
kirtan artists including being the first to tour with Krishna Das. He is now a
resident of the Midwest and was kind enough to offer me many nuggets of wisdom
as we chatted backstage. The one I love the most is, “when you’re happy, you’re
an asset to the world.”
Seeing Krishna Das perform live stays with you in your cellular
make-up. He is the most recognizable voice in the kirtan world. Just hearing
his familiar rich and melodic tones reverberating from the stage immediately
makes you feel at home and allows you to enjoy a welcomed sigh of release. The
room is different when Krishna Das is on stage. While having conversations with
new and old friends in the vendor village as he sweetly serenaded those shared
moments, everything took on a more compassionate and loving vibe. It is a
wonderful, blissful, and promising feeling to actually witness changes and
shifts occur due to the power of mantra. Krishna Das reminded us that “by
singing these names, we uncover who we really are… Not who we think we are, but
who we really are.”
Festival-goers chanted loud and proud with vibrancy in their
voices, the way we all wish we could chant but only seems possible when guided
by a true Bhakti force like Krishna Das. The beat picked up and the celebration
took off! Clapping, smiles, and the experience of oneness we are always hearing
our teachers talk about was happening without any effort, simply intention.
Then it came to me, one of the most profound reminders of my own inner power is
simply watching the power in others naturally emanate through vibrational
ascension.
Olivia Kvitne is serving
as Bhakti Fest’s blogger and social media Goddess for all three festivals this
year. She is Assistant Editor for LA Yoga Magazine and specializes in teaching
trauma-sensitive yoga to veterans/military and first responders in addition to
teaching hatha, yin, hot yoga and more. Twitter: @LoisLaneofYoga
Photographs By Mitchell Manz Photography
Very nice work.
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