I wrote this article for MidnightPoutine.ca but because there are lunches being provided that veer towards yogic health and there’s a workshop on Ayurvedic nutrition, I wanted to post it here as well.
Montreal has a yoga studio for every taste, whether it’s hot, slow, partner, mommy, or acro. Throw in some meditation, chanting, activism, chakras, music and ayurveda and the city is a hotbed of holistic enlightenment. Yogi or not, May 31-June 2, 2013 is when to get your yoga on, whether that means healthy lunches catered by Cafe Marmalade, percussion and sound with Alain Beaulieu or my personal favourite, crow pose. I’m still working on that one.
Here’s the lowdown on the fest:
What: Local, eco-friendly, community focused yoga festival
When: Friday, May 31 to Sunday, June 2.
What else: Over 50 hours of workshops, discussions, lectures, and dancing.
Who can yoga?: Yoga can be expensive, but the festival co-director Jordan Nardone wants the fest to be for everyone: “A big theme in the programming is accessibility and inclusiveness – so it’s important that the festival is accessible to as many people as possible.”
That means the fest has kids yoga classes this year, so they’re kept occupied while you salute the sun next door.
Don’t have a lot of money? Community-supported scholarships are available for people who can’t pay full price for the festival, and the free Saturday evening community conversation is open to everyone. Or you can volunteer.
Here’s a list of workshops and classes to attend. Special shout out to “standing on your head”, which is awesome for digestion and mood.
The festival is a labour of love. It brings together a lot of the city’s studios and very generous-with-their-time yoga instructors. So if you’re looking for a studio this is a good way to test the waters of a lot of them all in one weekend. It’s also a good way to meet other people interested in yoga. The opening night there’s also an acro yoga demo, dance and kirtan. And the festival ends with a meditation concert, which sounds a little John Cage-ian.
2nd Annual Yoga Festival Montreal
Where: Le Conservatoire 4750 Henri Julien Ave., Montreal
For more info: Roseanne Harvey Communications Director 438 804 5686; info@yocomo.org
To register: Full fest pass – $191. Day pass – $86. À la carte class – $25. That’s a lot of yoga. Over 50 hours. You’ll be all yoga-ed out. And probably very limber. And well fed. And glowing.
Photo from Racheldragonfly.com
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