PRESS RELEASE FROM AKHANDA YOGA

Yogrishi Vishvketu, the laughing yogi offers Western students a profound yet accessible approach to the yoga tradition through his playful wisdom.

Himalayan Yoga Master and Co-founder of Akhanda Yoga, Yogrishi Vishvketu (Vishva-ji) is known for his infectious laughter, stories and approachable teaching style. Whether a beginner, advanced yogi/yogini or a teacher, yoga practitioners have the rare opportunity to take advantage of his teachings at the upcoming Bhakti Fest, a yoga/dance/sacred music festival held in Joshua Tree, CA from September 7-11. Yogrishi Vishvketu will be teaching four yoga classes at Bhakti Fest: Akhanda 2, Hatha Raja, Classical Kundalini and Five Koshas, plus a four-hour Post-Festival Intensive. His approach to the yoga tradition is to inspire people to connect to their true nature - fearlessness, bliss, joy and play. He combines all aspects of yoga in his classes, including asana, pranayama, mantra, meditation and themes that connect to yogic wisdom. During challenging postures, students are encouraged to smile or to find the inner smile, thus making non-competition and contentment true aspects of the practice.

Practicing yoga since he was three, Vishva-ji began his formal yogic studies at the early age of eight. He completed an MA in Yoga Philosophy as a gold medalist scholar followed by a PhD in Yoga Philosophy at Gurukul Kangri University in Haridwar, India, a major global spiritual center. Vishva-ji has led hundreds of workshops, trainings and retreats globally including in Italy, U.K., India, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Australia, U.S., Canada, France and Ireland, creating an international family of yoga practitioners and teachers. This will be his second time at Bhakti Fest. Yogirishi Vishvketu’s appearance at the festival last year was a great success, and also very inspiring for him.

“Bhakti Fest is a great gathering for yogis — I’m very excited to return again this year to share Himalayan wisdom and joy-full Akhanda Yoga!” he says.

Participants will come away with a deeper understanding of traditional yogic anatomy and how to work with a toolkit of diverse yogic practices. Yogrishi’s book Yogasana: The Encyclopedia of Yoga Poses, (Mandala Earth, 2015) sold out at 2016 Bhakti Fest. A highly acclaimed publication, it is a pictorial encyclopedia of yoga poses that underscores his knowledge of philosophy and health, and is an inspiration for all. Review copies are available upon request.

Akhanda Yoga is a traditional and holistic approach to yoga developed by Yogrishi Vishvketu. It is a complete and balanced practice including asana, pranayama, relaxation, mantra and meditation as well as discussions and readings on the yogic lifestyle and yoga philosophy. In 2007 Vishva-ji co-founded the Anand Prakash Yoga Ashram Charitable Trust in Rishikesh and in 2013 founded Sansar Gyaan Pathshala, a free school for over two hundred and fifty underserved children in rural Uttar Pradesh, India.

For more information visit: www.AkhandaYoga.com. You can also find Akhanda Yoga on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

Check out reviews on camping gear for your trip to Bhakti Fest here.