My first day at Wanderlust has been filled with yoga, music, nature walks, hoop dancing and more!
When Wanderlust and Kashi graciously invited me to attend Wanderlust, I wanted to do everything I could to fully immerse myself in the festival. Before I arrived, I created my schedule online and packed it with lots of different activities including power yoga, meditation, hiking, dancing and more. I felt a little upset when I’d stumble upon two sessions I wanted to attend that were happening at the same time. How was I supposed to do everything I wanted to do!?
It quickly became clear to me this morning that Wanderlust isn’t about doing EVERYTHING. It’s about being present. Selecting a handful of activities that call to you. Taking a moment after each session to relax and reflect.
The environment at Wanderlust is somehow simultaneously relaxed and electric.
My morning began with Energy Medicine Yoga. I walked from my hotel room to The Mothership meeting room for an 8 a.m. session led by Lauren Walker.
Isn’t that a gorgeous space? Though the ceilings and draped fabric initially caught my eye, I loved the attention to detail I saw upon further inspection, including the little stickers on the floor around the room that served as little reminders to breathe, commit and be in the moment.
Energy Medicine Yoga was very new to me and most of the class participants. Lauren Walker’s practice weaves together Eden Energy Medicine and tantra yoga. I did not find the two-hour session physically challenging but enjoyed the way Lauren incorporated self-massage into the practice. She took the time to explain massage techniques that will enhance a traditional yoga practice and reiterated the fact that you should practice smarter, not necessarily harder, to see benefits in your yoga practice.
After Energy Medicine Yoga, had about 30 minutes to spare before my next session and used the time to visit the vendors at the festival.
My breakfast didn’t do a very good job of holding me over, so I was grateful for some free samples!
High Brew Coffee was so delicious! I typically do not like bottled coffee, but the dark chocolate mocha flavor I tried was fantastic.
Krave jerky was another favorite.
I sampled the grilled sweet teriyaki pork jerky, black cherry barbeque pork jerky and pineapple orange beef jerky. Yum!
When I realized it was almost time to go, I popped into the Kashi tent for one of my favorite chocolate chip chia granola & seed bars to fuel me through my next session.
Up next on my agenda was “Treehugging 101: It’s Not Just For Hippies!”
The session description said participants would embark on a “hiking journey” and that’s all I needed to read to sign up! Apparently I should’ve continued reading because I missed the part that said we would be “sitting in silence and communing with Mother Earth.” I went into the session expecting a semi-rigorous hike up Stratton Mountain, so I was a bit disappointed when we took the ski lift up the mountain and then walked downhill for five minutes before our guide encouraged us to find a tree, sit with it for an hour and meditate.
I am all for enjoying nature, but I was really in the mood for an active hike and lasted for about 20 minutes before I high fived my tree and told our guide I was going to continue hiking down the mountain. At the beginning of the session, our guide told us we could continue hiking at any time, so he was totally cool about it and I thanked him repeatedly before heading to the base of the mountain. I quickly saw three more people start hiking down the mountain after I started walking, so I’m glad I wasn’t alone!
Once I was at the base of the mountain, I took our guide’s advice and hopped in a gondola that took me to the summit of Stratton Mountain where I hiked around on my own for a little while. Much better!
The weather was perfectly sunny and the views were breathtaking.
Eventually my stomach told me it was time to make my way back to find something to eat for lunch.
I found a food truck and ordered an incredibly flavorful chickpea curry dish along with a hibiscus ginger cooler to drink.
I parked myself in the grass and watched a live art installation by Cathy McMurray that she will be working on throughout the festival.
As I ate, I noticed a Hoop Dancing session going on behind me and once I was finished, I dropped in and had a great time.
There was a lot of laughter during this session, that’s for sure! It was a riot!
Before I knew it, my next session was about to begin! I walked to a nearby venue to listen to Elena Brower.
Elena’s talk, “Locating Our Light,” took us through a brief meditation before she spoke about meditation and her personal journey. She had a way of speaking that I found so relaxing and the mediation she took us through was incredibly stress-relieving. Elena concluded with a question and answer session and I found her whole aura so calming. (For those interested in meditation, Elena highly recommends checking out her teacher Thom Knoles’ website.)
Now it’s time for me to rush off to catch the “Wanderlust Spectacular” show, known as the “Cirque du Soleil of yoga” tonight that’s supposed to be quite impressive!
Questions of the Evening
- Have you ever attended a yoga festival or a festival centered around meditation or a favorite fitness activity?
- Do you practice meditation?
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