Shakti Fest 2013 Day Three

HealthForce SuperFoods at Shakti Fest 2013
Image by Kristina Clemens

With the residual pulse of blissful bass still pumping in our ears from DJ Drez and The Kirtaniyas the night before, we all awoke feeling the powerful potential of the third and final day within our Shakti Fest community.

A swift but soft wind carried our fortified energy throughout the sanctified Sunday, leaving us refreshed from the intense heat of Saturday. First morning sips of Organic India tea and Teeccino put a spring in everyone step for the day’s classes, workshops and Main Stage events. To further supplement the energy we would all need for the last day, our Gold Sponsor New Chapter, and Bronze Sponsor HealthForce SuperFoods supplied enriching vitamins and essential minerals at their vitamin bars. Our festival family protected themselves from the full bloom Sunday sun with the help of Desert Essence sunscreen body products.

Starting the Sunday softly yet strongly in the Sanctuary, Zach Leary (Ramana) lead a group in the Daily Hanuman Chalisa Recitation to focus energy on service and devotion to The Divine.

In Yoga Hall II, Sean Johnson and The Wild Lotus Band offered a class how to bring “Bhakti on the Mat.” My Yoga Online captured the incredible energy that Sean created by invoking the power of a divine trinity of goddesses: Saraswati, Radha, and the Kali Durga.

With powerful imagery of the Vedas through Sean’s storytelling backed by the mesmerizing Jazzy beats of the Wild Lotus Band, all who were present called on the great mothers to help recognize thee most important things in their life. He explained that the powerful mothers would protect and preserve those precious things for us--and that each goddess offers different types of inspiration, strength and divine beauty according to each of our needs if we just ask and accept. As we flowed through asana we were encouraged to move from the sacred space inside where the goddesses dwell and express their graceful, and sometimes not so graceful, dance.

Govind Das at Shakti Fest 2013
Image by Kristina Clemens

Midday, Govind Das & Radha from Bhakti Yoga Shala slowed things down with a peaceful practice of “Yin Kirtan Kosmic Bliss” while the YogaSlackers kept the playful fun alive at the Chalice Pond, and Chris Stein offered the traditional benefits of “Afternoon Iyengar Yoga.”

The classes closed with strong sisters among the Kudalini community with Nandhi- Sunset Kalangi in Yoga Hall III, while Kia Miller brought our festival family from the heavens back to Mother Earth by offering an opportunity to be “Grounded with Grace” in Exhale Yoga Hall I.

Kia guided participants to awaken their subtleties. Through acute and powerful pranayama practice, Kia invited all to envision themselves as “little lighthouses living the dark masses to help guide others to the safe harbor of their true home within themselves.”  She shared that staying true to one’s yoga practice is the way, “to ground ourselves to the support we will need through the challenges that life will inevitably bring.”

Sunday Kirtan started with the stirring sacrimonious sounds of Sharnam Anandama, followed by the beloved divine duo of Sri Kirtan who filled listeners ears with rich, ancient chants. Prema Hara picked up the kirtan pace a bit with their playful and joyful expressions, while Arjun Baba carried the afternoon through with his unique style and musings of traditional Qawwali and raag music.

The lovely Larisa Stow & Shakti Tribe transitioned us into the early eve with her luscious voice and infectious melodies. Dave Stringer brought the kirtan rock with his undeniable and forceful energy, and got the crowed cranked up for the following All Star Jam. The community of kirtan artists that shared their goddess given talents over the weekend gathered to blast bliss levels to the stars for the Main Stage finale.

Honoring Shyamdas at Shakti Fest

Before chanting our last mantra, a video was projected to honor one of the founding fathers of the Shakti and Bhakti Fest Tribe, Shyamdas. Our community held a magnificent moment of deep reverie for our fallen Shakti fest father who passed in a tragic accident just a few months before. With our hearts full of great gratitude and deep rooted reverence we began to chant to the heavens above, below and within ourselves.

As Shakti Fest tradition would have it, we recalled and recited the holy name of Krishna until ecstatic exhaustion. The Anugraha Closing Fire led by Nandhi burned sacred flames until holy smoke was all that remained of our graceful and truly blessed gathering.

Our hearts and spirits were truly set free in among the old Joshua Trees that final day, and we felt the mystic magic happen as Shakti, The Source, and our Greatest Mother melted away the final layers of all that which impedes on our highest potential self: doubt, fear, defensiveness and ego.

The Shakti Fest experience left us with the sweet, strong truth that to heal each other and ourselves, all we must do is sincerely respect and accept the blessing and support of the One Sacred Mother who never ceases to nurture us, and has powerful, infinite love for all us-- her divine creations.

By  Bernadette L. Ignacio 

Shakti Fest 2013 Day Two

Labyrinth at Joshua Tree Retreat Center
Image by Kristina Clemens

After moving, breathing and feasting with the divine feminine on Friday, all were fired up and fined tuned for dynamic day two. Bright blue morning skies brought clean and clear energy into our Shaktified family who were ready to take on another set of uplifted experiences.

With zero Spring cloud cover all day, Saturday turned out to a be a scorcher. Thankfully we had our Silver Sponsor Coconut Bliss serving tasty frozen delights, like the “legen-dairy” and soy free ice cream cookie sandwich. Coconut “Bliss Chris” explained that Shakti Fest is a perfect fit with their heart centered philosophy--which is, “to create the best possible outcome for Mother Earth, and our palette!"

Coconut Bliss's Fundraising Party
 Image by Big Happy Day

They offered not only elevated treats, but a fundraising effort by partnering with kirtan artists Lakshmi and Ananda in which proceeds from serving scoops of spankin’ new pint flavors, Cafe Late and Strawberry Love were contributed to charitable organization, Food for Life Vrindavan.

A diverse mix of classes and workshops were offered covering the many bases and faces of the Great Goddess starting with an early morning “Sunrise Stretch” led by Denise Kaufman in Exhale Yoga Hall I. Our beloved Shakti Fest sister and renown teacher, Shiva Rea, taught “PranaDanda Yoga”--an empowering practice in which a bow staff is used as a meditative tool to help mirror inner spine alignment and prana with outer movement through Flow Art.

International yoga master, Mark Whitwell offered an other worldly experience through a class called “Your Intimate Life: Body, Breath & Relationship”. Attendees were guided through an inward journey to discover the deepest meanings of an “authentic personal yoga practice”. A profound and poetic message emphasized was, “to stop looking, and start living.”

Mark Whitwell at Shakti Fest
Image by Big Happy Day

From this perspective Mark discussed the teachings of great wisdom traditions he learned from Krishnamacharya, in which he shared that through a devoted personal practice, one can experience “direct intimacy with the Shiva/Shakti reality.”

Through fully conscious inhales and exhales one cultivates acute awareness of the divine intercourse of strength and surrender that happens with every miraculous breath. Simple yet powerful asana paired with cosmic astral sound healing propelled participants to the primordial core; and Mark’s hypnotic mantras brought them back to their earthly bodies.

Other incredible teachers such as Sara Ivanhoe, offered the restorative practice of “Yoga Nidra”, while Pete Guinosso brought a more playful approach to the close of classes by hosting “Happy Hour Yoga”.

Christabel Zamor

Within the Sanctuary, master hooper Christabel Zamor spun it out with a “Shakti Yum Hoopdance”, and winding down the workshops was the “Shakti Circle”--a gathering in which mostly soul sisters (with a sprinkle of divine soul brothers for balance) “Awakened the Shakti and Divine Feminine” by learning about the many goddesses who provide strength, inspiration and “the indescribable love that sustains and maintains all of us.”

Powerful Devis Laura Amazzone, Mirabai Devi, Dawn Cartwright, Shiva Rea and Aditi Devi joined Shakti forces to share their intimate life encounters with the Divine Ma, and how she graced and transformed their own lives. The remarkable stories inspired the sanctified circle on how to honor, and truly feel the blessing of sacred, motherly love.

Aykanna at Shakti Fest 2013
Image by Soulful Images

A lively lineup of world class kirtan artists took the Main Stage, starting with the stirring traditional sounds of Sharanam Anandama, followed by the free flowing percussion of divine duo, Aykanna-- and Saul David Raye swayed us into sweet afternoon chanting with his beautiful band of musical brothers and sisters.

Durga Das (David Newman) sang with deep-hearted devotion into dusk with respect to India’s ancient chants, while Jai Uttal connected listeners through “Awakening the Bhakti” during an evening “Celebration of Divine and Human Love” in which Jai demystified how chanting alone is a great source of “how to find home within.”

The music got taken to electric levels when the Kirtaniyas took the Main Stage and livened up the late crowd with “BassMantra”; a unique sound creation that blends melodious electronic dance music and subsonic bass with ancient Sanskrit mantras.

Vijay from Kirtaniyas
Image by Traveling Monk

Electricity blazed into lightening when DJ Drez and fire dancers joined them on stage and added even more flare to our party with a purpose. Literally.

The wee hours crept in and the dance crowd crept out with the BassMantra of “Baby Krishna” ringing in their ears like a singing bowl sending them off to the sweetest of dreams...until the early desert sun rose them up again for the last day of Shakti Fest...

By Bernadette L Ignacio

Shakti Fest 2013 Day 1

Opening Puja with Nandhi
Image by Traveling Monk

A crisp, clean spring breeze blew through our home at the Joshua Tree Retreat Center on the first morning of Shakti Fest. Govindacharya set strong intentions for participants to honor Shakti, the Divine Feminine, during the opening ceremony on the main stage. A meditation was held to help those who were present to dive into the sacred space inside ourselves where compassion, origin and our deepest sweetest love is rooted; in this place participants found solace in the soft embrace of The Mother. We were called to act, speak, and be present from this space through the coming days of Shakti Fest.

After the ceremony, our family of festivalers set foot into the desert feeling full with devotional love to find a plethora of classes, workshops and kirtan that would further help set those intentions free from their hearts and into each other.

Saul David Raye in Yoga Hall 1
Image by Shanti Scribe

Yoga class highlights for day one included “Bhakti Earth Medicine” led by Saul David Raye in Exhale Yoga Hall I. During the class, Saul focused on the understanding that in the root of each one of us, is “medicine we were blessed with to help heal each other in this time of great change and uncertainty”. Saul brought a strong lesson for all those who were present that, “we practice yoga to remember what we really are, which are loving light beings that can connect mind, body, sprit with the Source.” Saul’s teachings paired with celestial kirtan left participants feeling sweetly supported and embraced by our great Mother Gaia.

On the other side of the Shakti spectrum was a lighthearted class lead by Elka Hauk called “YogaSambaDance” in Yoga Hall II sponsored by My Yoga Online. She offered an opportunity to “not just do yoga, but have a multicultural experience.” In the class, Elka introduced practices that originate from her native Brazil such as Caiporeira, Afro Dance and Samba. She shared that, “I feel it’s particularly important for this culture to understand how to truly love themselves and others by coming together through collective singing, dance and expression of a blessed body.” With heart pounding tribal beats and electro dance music, she guided the class to be out of their minds and into their hearts.

Lydia's Lovin' Food in Vendor VIllage
Image by Traveling Monk

In the vendor village a variety of whole food offerings were available to help nourish Shakti Fest goers during their full energetic day of yoga, dance, kirtan and celebration. Participants quenched their thirst with Reeds Ginger Beer and Kombucha, and filled their bellies with mouth-watering bites of pure food love served by Bliss Café, Asana Foods and Pie for the People.

Lighting up the Main Stage during the day were musical artists such as Sita Devi and Jaya Lakshmi. Gina Sala took the stage to transition the music from bright sunny day into sultry desert sundown with her playful, yet deeply heartfelt mantras and harmonious voice.

Wah! on stage at Shakti Fest 2013
Image by Traveling Monk

Wah! brought the sacred listening experience from evening into dark night with her deep pulsing bass bringing forth the primordial heart beat for all those present. With her famously smooth and elegant sound, she subdued the crowd of yogis and yoginis while simultaneously revitalizing them with strong, soothing melodic mantras; a sign of her divine musical diversity.

A spontaneous combustion of devotional love closed our first day of Shakti Fest with an on the spot kirtan jam led by Vijay of the Kirtaniyas, that organically came together on the steps of a major walking path. People passing by, on their way to camp to turn in, stopped in their tracks to sing the holy names with no need for a big stage or light show. The closing set by Amritakripa brought the house to its feet and dancing until 2 a.m.

All who brought their presence came together in a moment of pure bhakti, and joined in on the collective Shakti Fest community lullaby that would send them off into a blessed and blissful rest.

By Bernadette L Ignacio

With just one month away until we board our planes for the first ever Bhakti Yatra in India, we have already begun preparing physically and internally. Pilgrimages are no ordinary vacation, and India is no ordinary destination. They both require a tremendous amount of faith, patience, discipline, and trust in the Divine that all will go smoothy. And when it doesn't go smoothly, they require the awareness that it is not suppose to. We all are in it to get out of it what we are suppose to. There is no room for fear.

To prepare, we are currently building our bodies immune systems, while eating healthy and consciously. Yes, that means not overdoing it at holiday festivities (there goes all the fun!). It is important to prepare the body prior to a pilgrimage so we can be as strong as possible to ensure that our deeper layers can be ready to absorb the information that will be shared with us throughout our travels from the teachers, places, and experiences we encounter.

We are currently setting our intentions and studying texts on the sacred places and events we will be visiting so we won't miss a minute. One of the intentions we have set is to share as much as possible with the Bhakti Fest community via this blog in the hopes of inspiring YOU to dig deep and go on a pilgrimage of your own when the time is right. We look forward to embarking on the journey and sharing with the Bhakti Fest community.

It's been said the longest journey is from the head to the heart.
The ones that help guide you there are your travel agents.
The depth of your faith is the quality of your travel insurance.

See you along the way.

In Loving Service,
The Bhakti Fest Family