Last spring, we danced in devotion to the Divine Feminine at
Shakti Fest. This summer, the collective consciousness gathered in the
heartland for Bhakti Fest Midwest. As we enter those auspicious days on the
cusp of fall, we come to the grandaddy of them all - that four day bad mamma
jamma celebration of devotional love. Welcome to Bhakti Fest West 2014.
This year takes the festival to a whole new level, welcoming some
first-time artists, such as Matisyahu and Salif Keïta, whose devotional music
breaks the mold of continuous traditional kirtan we are used to seeing on the
Main Stage. This adds to our practice of embracing universal bhav in its many
forms.
The first morning in Joshua Tree eased us into the weekend with
low key vibes at the Main Stage from Avasa & Matthew Love as “hari bolo”
was chanted in the distance. The
constant and gentle sounds of harmoniums hung in the trees like wind chimes.
The morning sun and heat were kind and cool, creating a perfect balance with
the music as if the mixture of sounds were river currents you were simply
surrendering to.
Shiva Baum, our emcee and a staple in the Bhakti community, welcomed everyone to the opening day of the festival. He lovingly
introduced me to stage, and I announced the giveaway contest happening all
weekend from My Zen Home. Their meditation cushions are available to enjoy in
the Breathwork Hall, and every day they are giving away one of those cushions.
To win, fill out a raffle ticket at their vendor booth by the Main Stage. A
winner will be announced every evening.
I tried to scurry off stage, but Shiva Baum kept me there and asked me
what my advice would be for first-time festival goers. There is nothing like being
put on the spot to let truth and intuition speak freely.
My advice was this: stay open to where the weekend takes you.
Make plans, make conscious choices so you see all your favorite teachers and
artists, but allow the wind to take you in new directions. Be open to plans
changing and experiences shifting with the wind, naturally leading you to
teachers and artists you may have not experienced before. Surprised by my
answer, I decided to take my own advice as my intention for the weekend: Let go
and let it flow.
As my day unfolded, it took the direction of spiritual teachings
for practical application rather than asana practice, which was originally on
my schedule. I found myself seated in a circle on a cushion from My Zen Home in
the Breathwork Hall listening to simple Shamanism at the most practical level
from Renee Baribeau. She offered tools to help navigate the human experience
through yoga, as well as off the mat, so as to not be thrown off course
spiritually when life doesn’t go as planned. In essence, she gave us the power
to be our own Shamanic healers.
By this time it was already the height of the afternoon and
nourishment and rejuvenation were needed. Where to find both (and in a chill
atmosphere) is the EarthWE stage and lounge. While I sipped on the most perfect
homemade chai tea from Chai Pilgrimage, One Love offered musical inspiration to
support a necessary re-charge. The EarthWE lounge is a great place to people
watch, reflect on the day, and remain open to where the wind will take you
next. My favorite little person I spotted was a baby fully in the bhav, wearing
only a mala and diapers, resting his head on dad’s belly as they let the
chanting wash over them.
Before heading off to my next workshop, I enjoyed a few kombucha
samples from the Health-Ade Kombucha retro camper with DJ Taz (he will DJ for
yoga classes and with DJ Drez throughout the weekend) and got a quick interview
with one of the founders of Health-Ade Kombucha, Daina Trout. Samples will be
available all weekend of their “old fashioned” kombucha, made the way nature
intended. (Lemon Ginger was my personal favorite!)
Evening set in as I settled comfortably on the floor of the
Sanctuary, awaiting the stories to be shared by Radhanath Swami. Having never
been to his workshop before, I was told that I must take the next opportunity
possible to experience him, but no one could ever put words to what that
experience was.
I sat workshop-ready, with a straight spine and eyes bright in
order to intellectually drink in information. Yet, in the theme of my “go with
the flow of vibrations,” I instinctively lied
down allowing his chanting to be a vehicle for his wisdom to enter my
consciousness. The quality of his voice and the way he chants brought a calm to
any residual chaos I had left in my system from traveling. I could instantly
understand the love and devotion behind each Sanskrit word and the depth of
each Deity’s story.
He spoke to us about appreciation as an expression of Divine
love. His stories brought the complexity of life back to simple principals. The
space between his thoughts felt just as profound and full of meaning as the
thoughts themselves.
It was beautifully cool by evening as Matisyahu entered the stage
with simple humility. He sat on a stool and began a soulful sound that
penetrated any ego or preconception just as conscious music should. He is
captivating by the truth he brings to his delivery of lines such as, “You’re
running away, but you can’t run from yourself.” He began chanting the word
“surrender,” and it confirmed my intention for the weekend. I closed my eyes
and silently thanked him for including me in his message, as he includes us
all, because his messages are about humanity. From soft tones to beat boxing
rhythms, you understand him, you “get it.” Subconsciously or with full
awareness, you just “get it,” and you don’t want that communion with him to
end.
It was a full day for me already, but I couldn’t head to sleep
without seeing my man, MC Yogi, take the stage and bridge the gap between
ancient messages and modern day communication through music. Now imagine the
epic-ness of MC Yogi, Matisyahu, and DJ Drez on stage together. As a big fan of bringing spiritual teachings
to logistically possible practices for this day and age, all three men’s music
and personal pilgrimage has been an inspiration for me in my practice of
bhakti. Yogis held their hands high and pulsed to the beat of a new twist in
his popular song “Be the Change,” engaging in a modern day call-and-response as
they sang back “just like Gandhi.” Seeing him energetically light up the desert
sky with his heart-expanding set, gave me that second thrilling wind of
anticipation for the rest of the weekend.
Day one and the bhav is full steam ahead.
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
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