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The purple rocks of Sedona in northern Arizona have lengthy been thought of sacred with the magical terrain drawing 1000’s annually to expertise its vibe. However there’s one weekend annually when yoga college students and lecturers descend upon the magical vortices not solely to passively assimilate the vibrations however to actively alter their understanding of yoga—and, by extension, life. The catalyst for that is the Sedona Yoga Festival (SYF).
The primary weekend of Could, some 700 attendees sought out studying by way of the greater than 130 numerous workshops, boards, courses, meditations, hikes, and live shows. There was meditation with an investment banker turned swami. Follow of respiratory strategies. Knowledge from Ayurveda. Explorations of the smart lady inside. Trauma-conscious coaching for lecturers led by Active Peace Yoga founder Reggie Hubbard. Insights on tips on how to educate authentically with Black Yoga Teachers Alliance founder Jana Long. Night yoga to the backdrop of acutely aware music spun by DJ Taz Rashid. And discussion board discussions with thought leaders from various backgrounds, co-presented by Yoga Journal in celebration of our fiftieth anniversary, exploring tips on how to create group, encourage service, and emphasize continued studying by way of the on a regular basis apply of yoga.
In attendance had been those that have taught yoga for many years in addition to these nonetheless in elementary faculty and nearly everybody in between, together with nurses, retirees, and yoga therapists. Many had been repeat competition goers. All had been curious. And based on these we interviewed, most introduced particular intentions for what they hoped to expertise. Presence. Awakening. Empowerment. Connection. Playfulness. Or to easily be.
Longtime competition producer Heather Shereé Sanders has beforehand described the annual event, presently in its twelfth yr, as extra critical in its intention than what one would generally think about a competition vibe. But she and her group supported an atmosphere by which the sharing of knowledge came about in methods critical and playful, intense and accessible.
Takeaways from the Sedona Yoga Pageant
Among the many actually 1000’s of takeaways shared all through the weekend had been sure recurring themes all through the varied classes and impromptu conversations.
Non-Bodily Yoga
Though asana, or the bodily poses in yoga, are an invaluable and instrumental component of yoga, the non-physical apply of yoga was current in every single place. It was totally potential to attend classes the complete weekend and never unroll a mat.
As Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati defined within the discussion board on seva, or service, yoga isn’t one thing that ceases after we step off the mat. It additionally extends to supporting others in any of numerous methods.
Know Your Why
This is applicable to college students in addition to lecturers. And your “why” can change and evolve over time. However as a number of discussion board contributors reiterated all through the weekend, lecturers who know their why can, as Swami Chidananda defined, align what they’ve to supply with what college students are looking for.
Relaxation
Self-care was maybe essentially the most notable idea on repeat. A number of classes centered solely on the need of this, notably within the type of relaxation, whether or not exploring the sacred dimensions of relaxation with Niki Saccareccia or experiencing it by way of a yin yoga apply led by Keisha Battles.
Though many lecturers lately have emphasised downtime amid a busy instructing schedule as a method to productiveness or guaranteeing they’re able to holding house to share the apply with others, the present emphasis was on relaxation for relaxation’s sake. Lengthy, who attracts from her expertise instructing yoga for 30 years and training for greater than 5 many years, emphasised the customarily missed significance, as lecturers, of figuring out one’s boundaries so as to not detract from one’s personal expertise of yoga.
And, for some, relaxation additionally meant exhibiting restraint in taking in all the data. “Counterintuitively, I’m glad I solely attended six classes. It gave me the house to be with and course of every of the varied experiences,” defined yoga instructor Lizzy House.
She explains that after attending a session with Peter Sterios, who teaches yoga by way of the lens of the delicate physique, she was capable of ponder and combine his insights on pranayama, reminiscent of “respiratory into the again of your throat, again of your coronary heart, and again of your sacrum.” Home doubts she would have been capable of take that in if she had skilled it amid an inundation of knowledge all through the day. Days later, Home nonetheless considers the data “life-changing,” each for herself and the school college students she teaches.
Play
There have been moments critical in addition to foolish all through the weekend. Many attendees vacillated between the 2 and opted for a mind break in between classes by coloring. Designed by Indian artist Gurpreet Kaur in celebration of YJ’s fiftieth anniversary, our oversize mandala was themed across the idea of unity. Extra particularly, unity of thoughts, physique, and spirit in addition to unity of yoga teachings previous, current, and future.
Colorers of all ages strolled previous, did a doubletake, after which gravitated again to seize a marker. Many returned frequently for his or her coloring repair, whether or not with studied seriousness or playful creativity. Some commented on how they welcomed a quiet exercise that enabled them to be absorbed within the current.
Yoga in On a regular basis Life
There was a continued emphasis on integrating the numerous instruments of yoga into on a regular basis life, whether or not to course of troublesome feelings and navigate difficult conditions or maintain relationships and nurture potential. That utility of yoga is the complete level, defined Shereé Sanders. Expressing a want for yoga to be “a extra built-in a part of on a regular basis life,” she defined that sharing strategies from yoga and adjoining practices from numerous cultures is why she believes within the relevance of the competition. That and “bringing individuals collectively.”
In pursuit of that goal, the competition will launch its sister occasion, the Tahiti Yoga Festival, this October. Shereé Sanders explains that she select one other sacred location that helps the exploration of indigenous traditions and historic knowledge. The Sedona Yoga Pageant honors the Sinagua, Ancestral Pueblo, Hohokam, Hopi, Navajo, Tonto Apache, Yavapai, and different indigenous peoples by providing workshops that discover the wealthy historical past and traditions hooked up to the land.
Group
Finally, the weekend was a reminder of the need of sharing knowledge. Kimberly Richardson, a yoga therapist based mostly in Birmingham, Alabama, reiterated that relevance in a YJ panel, explaining that “our sangha, our group,” successfully means “our area people in addition to our prolonged group.” Richardson emphasised how vital it’s to do the person work. However till we come collectively, she defined, “we by no means actually, actually, absolutely know the way a lot therapeutic we could have skilled.”
Yoga could also be an intensely private expertise, though additionally it is a lot extra. Maybe the growth of self isn’t fairly full with out group, making alternatives to change data and experiences reminiscent of Sedona Yoga Pageant not solely wanted however obligatory.
Discover the insights and concepts shared through the boards with our fiftieth anniversary protection starting September 1, 2025.
Discounted tickets are presently out there for subsequent yr’s Sedona Yoga Festival from April 17-20, 2026. You can too discover the inaugural satellite tv for pc occasion, the Tahiti Yoga Festival, happening October 3-6, 2025.
