The Best Yoga Festivals to Attend This Summer

Stretch your skills and find your bliss at invigorating yoga festivals across the country.

 

Yoga is better with friends. Bring your favorite yoga pants, true-blue buddies or make new ones this summer at a yoga festival. These gatherings allow you to try new yoga instructors, new yoga wear, and experiment with different styles of yoga all in one place – and the weather’s just right for asana al fresco no matter where you go in the country. Yoga festivals aren’t limited to yoga, either; most offer an array of outdoors-y activities, book fairs, or mini-marketplaces for finding new yoga gear. Immerse yourself in the good vibes, shake up your standard yoga practice, and challenge yourself at these eclectic yoga festivals!

 

Hanuman Festival (June 14-17) 

This Boulder, Colorado festival focuses on building community and nourishing one another on a soul level. Ignite your inner power and purpose with Seane Corn’s Empowerment Yoga, jam to classic rock during vinyasa flow with Bibi McGill’s Rocking in the Free World class, or celebrate sisterhood in a women-only Priestess Retreat session. Panel discussions covering everything from justice and yoga to empowered relationships will open your mind while mountain hikes and mountain climbing will awaken your sense of adventure. Purchase meal tickets in advance, sample food truck fare, or walk into downtown Boulder for a variety of fine dining options. Discounts at local hotels are available, but make sure to check out AirBnB’s and VRBO’s in the area as well. 

 

Also Read: The Best Meditation Apps For You

  

Nantucket Yoga Festival (July 6 – 8)

This weekend-long yoga festival is held at Bartlett’s Farm, Nantucket Island’s largest and oldest family-owned farm. The festivities begin with an opening night celebration held at The Westmoor Club, a historic colonial revival mansion. This year’s festival honors yoga master and acclaimed author Tao Porchon-Lynch, who turns 100 this summer. Start your mornings with meditation on the beach before proceeding to four workshops throughout the day, divided evenly by a leisurely 90-minute lunch break. Master arm balances in a “gravity surfing” workshop, relieve spine and joint stiffness through yoga hammock-assisted backbends, or learn how to clean your aura with sacred singing bowls through the guidance of 14 accomplished teachers. Purchase malas (prayer beads) or handmade baskets in the vendor tent, indulge in a massage, or have your chakras cleared by a healer in between sessions. Prepared food fresh from the farm is also available for purchase onsite.

 

Wanderlust: Squaw Valley (July 19 – 22)

Wanderlust is the crème de la crème of yoga festivals. The organization holds festivals around the world throughout the year, but Squaw Valley in California has to be one of the most gorgeous destinations offered. At this festival, you can bass boost your practice at Amplified Yoga, which is set to house beats by a live DJ; experience the therapeutic effects of essential oils in a workshop; or find out how to transform your life on and off the mat with Mary Beth LaRue, co-founder of coaching company Rock Your Bliss. The majestic Sierra Nevada mountains and the breathtaking Lake Tahoe will be your backdrop for paddle boarding, hiking, biking, and meditation. Further engage your senses with farm-to-table fare, artisan wares, and outdoor music performances all day long.

 

Telluride Yoga Festival (July 19 – 22)        

Escape to the Colorado mountain town of Telluride to bask in all the yoga goodness at this four-day festival. Infuse your asana with playful energy in an AcroYoga session with retired clown Deven Sisler or get swept off your feet in AIReal Yoga. Enroll in classes on foraging and making your own arnica oil, brewing kombucha, or using astrology in conjunction with your yoga practice. Spoil yourself with posh accommodations in Telluride and Mountain Village or rough it on multiple campsites among the San Juan mountains. Kids aged 5 to 12 enjoy complimentary yoga classes with the purchase of adult admittance and a slew of free events are open to the public throughout the festival, so even the most frugal of yogis can partake.

 

Sat Nam Fest East (August 8 – 12)

Yoga is so much more than asana. Chanting, dance, and meditation are beneficial complements to your practice. At this music-centric yoga festival in the Berkshires, you’ll be surrounded by the harmonious sounds of new age and devotional music. On the first day of this five-day festival, acclaimed singer-songwriter (and Oprah Winfrey favorite) Snatam Kaur and her husband Sopurkh Singh will welcome yogis with a practice to clear negative energy and emotional attachments through sacred vibrations. Group chants and kundalini dance will simultaneously liberate you and help you tap into your transformative powers. Workshops on discovering God and awakening your creative fire will inspire you to embody your higher self. The clean food menu, which is all vegetarian or vegan, also includes gluten-free options. Accommodations are available in the epic Eastover Estate & Eco Village