Yoga and rock meet at the Wanderlust Festival
February 22011
You might not consider yoga and rock and roll to be an obvious match for one another, but it kind of makes sense if you think about it. Both are based on passion, energy, and movementwith rock and roll, the movement’s just a little faster. The Wanderlust Festival is a growing phenomenon that is bringing this heady concoction across the country.Florida, California, and Vermont are all hosting Wanderlust in 2011more dates are expected to be announced in the future. The events all take place at different times, so if you find yourself with a lot of time and money to spare, you can follow the event around the country.The yoga experience will be divided between classes and lectures at each event. The yoga lineups will be different at each event. Some of the teachers at the Miami event include:
- Keith Fox: Experienced Professional Level Registered Yoga Alliance Teacher with more than 14 years of experience
- Anne Marie Kramer: Trainer and teacher with 18 years of experience and a degree in Exercise Physiologycreated her own yoga style known as ZUDA Vinyasa Yoga
- Cameron Shayne: Member of the Board of Mind/Body Arts for SCLA and producer of several award-winning training DVDs, including the “1-selling yoga/martial arts DVD of all time”
- Loren Russo: Miami Beach yoga leader who practices Jivamukti yoga and was taught by Sharon Ganon and David Life
- Schuyler Grant: Co-creator of Wanderlust and director of the Kula Yoga Project in New York City
What kind of music can you expect at an event like this? Well, don’t expect to see the Rolling Stones up on stage. The musicians are alternative artists whose works approach rock in new ways. Bonobo (British DJ Simon Green) produces bass-heavy electronic music, supported by a full band while on tour. His tracks have appeared on shows like House, Californication, and the British version of Skins.Prasanna is a sitar player who studied with renowned players like L. Mangi Singh and Pandit Manilal Nag. He moved to New York in 1996 and has been performing and teaching since then. The Mayapuris, the only non-solo performers appearing at the Miami festival, perform modern twists on Vedic mantras and encourage singing and dancing on the part of the audience. The group is based in Alachua, Florida, where they also teach the call-and-response traditions of kirtan.Wanderlust may not fit with some yoga purists’ vision of the practice, but it’s an interesting way to draw in new supporters who might not otherwise try it out. Considering the many benefits that yoga can offer, we view this as a good thing.