3 Reasons To Attend Morgan Hill YogaFEST
By SF Yoga Mag
We had the opportunity to speak with the director of the Morgan Hill YogaFEST, Deepak Sridhar. The Morgan Hill YogaFEST is an annual event, inaugurated on the 21st of June 2015, the first International Yoga Day. The event is an initiative of The Art of Living Foundation in collaboration with local yoga teachers, studios, and other wellness organizations. The intent behind the festival is to spread yoga consciousness to all, in continuation with the global wellness movement towards healthy and happy lifestyles. 100% of the proceeds from YogaFEST goes back into the South Bay community wellness workshops and programs.
SFY: Tell us about the Art of Living Foundation and how this partnership began.
DS: The Art of Living Foundation is a non-profit, educational and humanitarian organization operating in 152 countries. It was founded in 1981 by the world-renowned philanthropist and spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. All Art of Living programs are guided by Sri Sri’s philosophy: “Unless we have a stress-free mind and a violence-free society, we cannot achieve world peace.”
SFY: How did this festival start?
DS: The idea for this festival began with an intention of bringing Yoga Awareness to all segments of the community. There are still some misconceptions of Yoga being related with certain religious practices or that it caters only to women or flexible body types. We wanted to address this by making Yoga and the holistic lifestyle approachable to all, through a truly celebratory community experience. Like-minded Yoga and Wellness Organizations who truly care for the community came on board, wanting to showcase the wide gamut of Yoga practices. All of us worked with the same mindset of wanting to bring this amazing knowledge to people who haven't had a chance to experience it.
SFY: What are the top 3 reasons to attend the Morgan Hill YogaFEST?
- Explore different styles of Yoga - For beginners and seasoned yogis alike, this is an amazing opportunity to try classes and workshops led by experts from various streams. From simple Sushma Yoga and complex Hatha Yoga to even healing Ayurvedic Yoga, you get to experience all of these under one roof.
- Yoga beyond the mat - You also get to explore how Yoga beyond mere postures can benefit your daily life. Integrating relaxation techniques like Meditation, Pranayama with your existing practices and applying the wisdom of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras brings an amazing sense of ease and effortlessness into your day to day routine.
- YogaFest is to Get Happy - Its a Festival! Have fun and celebrate with your entire family. Don't miss the Special Kids and Teen Yoga programs. Enjoy great food, soul stirring music with bands from L.A. and New York. Go home feeling refreshed, rejuvenated and completely happy!
SFY: Is there anything else you would like to tell us about The YogaFEST.
The YogaFEST is a unique festival that hopes to open Yoga for everyone to experience. We've made the tickets extremely affordable at just $10 per head. Kids under 12 are free. For making this possible, I genuinely thank all the participating Yoga experts who are offering their expertise at the festival simply because they are truly vested in bringing wellness to all segments of the community.
We invite you and people from all walks of life and interests to come, have fun and support this humble initiative.
This year, the Morgan Hill YogaFEST is happening on Saturday, June 18th 2016 from 8am - 2pm. See you there!
