Vermont Be True Yoga Fest

The beautiful view during my nap Sunday morning

I want to share my experience with you all, and to be quite vulnerable in this post. This past weekend I did something pretty big. I went to a yoga festival. In the past, I would have been able to find a million excuses to back out. My husband was unexpectedly called to work out of the country and I was alone with the kids for 2 weeks. Two out of three of my friends who were supposed to join me also backed out of the trip. And as for the friend I did attend with, I did not know her as well as the others. There are many reasons why, just 6 months ago, I would have rather stayed home and avoided the discomfort and fear of small talk with strangers, being alone in a strange place, being away from my kids for 3 days.

But despite all of the obstacles I faced in my mind, I still had the determination and courage to go to this place I had never been before, attend classes to learn new movements and ideas, and not compare myself to others. I met some pretty amazing humans, made incredibly deep connections and felt unconditional love permeating the air and the space at Milldale Farm. I spent the hot days in minimal clothing and didn't think about my body imperfections, only the soreness and tightness from the physical work with which I challenged myself.

The only selfie I took, sporting my cute new pants and headband, of course!

I packed everything myself (without overpacking!) and loaded it into my SUV, including a table and extremely heavy pop-up tent to set up for Open Door the following day. I left my kids with the in-laws, who drove from Maine to watch them, and I drove there from High Horses with limited cell service and navigating back roads I had never driven before. I hiked everything into the camping area, set up my own tent, and caught up with my one friend, the only soul I knew at the event. First item on the agenda, Buti with @vtbutisattva Sarah Lesser, returning from Pennsylvania to teach a 90 minute class. It was HOT. It was HARD, and 3 days later, my quads still haven't recovered.

BLISS!!!

Opening ceremony was foreign to me. Chanting and singing songs I didn't know from a language I didn't speak. Kirtan. It was welcoming, but not without discomfort. Lastly, after a quick change into warmer clothes, we barely made it to glowstick yoga, in a vinyasa style. Thank goodness we were late, because the tent was filled, and we set up our mats under the stars. What a beautiful end to the night!

The night in the tent was chilly, uncomfortable, and disrupted by cramping neighbors, but at least there was coffee in the morning from @uppervalleycoffeeroasters! Those amazing women saved my life a few times through the weekend. After setting up the Open Door table, I headed to restorative yoga with Erin from @VermontFarmacy. She took Buti class next to me the night before and her energy was magnetic. This class was just what the doctor ordered, complete with CBD salve from her farm followed by restorative poses.

Then came acupuncture (for the first time ever) and a chakra meditation session. I spent most of Saturday doing my own thing, as my friend had opted for a yoga hike. I visited a few vendors whom I had met through my friend, including Erin's CBD products, @ABDculture for her gorgeous jewelry made from upcycled bicycle innertubes, and learned Alixandra, the artist, had planned to attend the same evening session on MELT method! We bonded over some myofascial release and movement work, and their vendor booth turned into the central hangout for some conversation and laughs through the evening. Then came "Sacred Rave" (dance party with music selected according to the chakras, with some shamanic elements) where I never would have danced so freely before with strangers prior to this weekend without a little liquid courage. Then we curled up by the bonfire for some more kirtan before bed.

The last class I attended Sunday was sound healing, which was incredibly interesting. The teacher guided us through a meditation in which he described how our bodies vibrate, from our vocal chords, to our heartbeat and breath, and deeper at the cellular and molecular and even atomic level. That satisfied my scientific, logical brain after all of the physical, emotional, and spiritual work I had done over the weekend. He actually placed bowls on our sternum and later, our back, to feel the vibration of the bronze course through our bodies. I had a sensation of my body melting into the earth. I am pretty sure I had the largest bowl on me and that the frequency of its vibrations drew all of the ants out of the earth and onto my skin!

After packing up the tent, I found time for a nap in the shade by the DJ tent, where a man played guitar and sang. It was the most perfect moment of peace to cap off the weekend. During closing ceremony, we briefly meditated and I experienced an intense release of love and joy. We chanted again. Lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu "May all beings everywhere be happy and free, and may the thoughts, words, and actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness and to that freedom for all". The discomfort I felt at opening ceremony was lifted. I sang loudly with a sense of belonging, acceptance, joy, and gratitude.

Join me Saturday, August 10th at 11:00 AM for Buti at DNA. I have so much love to share with you all. My cup is overflowing.

---