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Planning Your Family Winter Vacation?

Than have I got an idea for you!

I know it’s only the end of July, but winter will be here before you know it… and you’ll be dreaming of frolicking with the kids on white sand and in azure waters.

So, plan ahead and consider combining yoga with your snorkelling this winter.  Sivananda Ashram, near Nassau in the Bahamas, offers family options, that keep everybody busy and relaxed, while still having plenty of time to enjoy the usual tropical vacation stuff.

From February 19-25, you and your family can enjoy games, activities, outings and more, along with regular yoga practice for the whole family.  Only a half-mile down the shore is the famed Atlantis Resort, where you can grab a snack and enjoy a splash down the 60-foot Mayan-temple slide to boot!

The real beauty of Sivananda Ashram as a family vacation, is that you can enjoy the best in beach vacations, with all you would expect from an island paradise with crystal clear water and pure white sands, for a fraction of what it might cost you to do otherwise.  It’s remarkably reasonable, particularly if you choose the tent option, though you can choose from a variety of accommodations, whether you’re into tenting or a beachfront private room with A/C and a view.

Make your plans now!  (242/363-2902; www.sivanandabahamas.org; from $79 per adult, including meals, yoga classes, and meditation sessions; children under 12 half-price; children under three free.)

 

Festival! Lightning In A Bottle

It is festival time folks, and here’s one to kick off the season that is bound to inspire and enlighten while getting you movin’, groovin’ all at the same time.  In amongst the music and vendors, yoga, speakers and workshops will be in abundance at the fast approaching and much anticipated 6th annual Lightning in a Bottle Music and Arts Festival 2011, presented by The Do Lab.

Yoga plays an integral role in Lightning In A Bottle, lead by the likes of Shiva Rea and Micheline Berry, but what sets this festival apart are the unique series of workshops to satisfy any number of interests.  Want a cool way to make use your old clothes? Check out the Revolutionary Remix Upcycled  Fashion and Costuming with artist Sara Rodriguez. Interested in a new way of looking at your connections to yourself, your relationships and your community?  You’re bound to find a new perspective with Jessica Viola and The Life Garden.  Wanna eat algae?  Learn what spirulina can do for you and how to grow it at home.

Lightning In A Bottle is also family friendly where, in addition to the music, food and fun there is also MagiKids Village and Mystic Family Circus.  There they’ll find a fun, magical place to experience the festival. From exciting activities and little shows geared towards children, to arts & crafts tables, the Kidz Village is the place for parents to go with their kids. It also provides a safer zone for children to play and roam more freely and playful educational activities to engage in.   With arts and crafts, a play area with fun circus props, face painting and more along with entertainment suprises, your kids are sure to have a great time of their own at the festival.

Click HERE to see the multitude of interesting and inspiring workshops available at Lightning In A Bottle in only a couple of weeks!

Get educated, enlightened and inspired this Memorial Day weekend (May 27-30) and will be returning for the 2nd straight year to the beautiful Oak Canyon Ranch in Irvine, Ca.

A feature will be The Lucent Temple of Consciousness is a magical village nestled on top of the LIB mountain. The view is spectacular, the breeze is warm and the entertainment is absolutely mind expanding!

And when the moon rises above the temple, until the sun returns at dawn, the air will be filled with the sounds of sitars, violins, acoustic guitars, beautiful minstrels, tribal drums, and even a man who plays a shovel.

This is a definite must see!  Head over to Lightning In A Bottle for more info!

West Coast or East Coast… Pick Your Wanderlust!

Wanderlust is a retreat unlike any other… and it ain’t just for California gurls anymore.

The two-year-old yoga-slash-concert extravaganza will offer two locations for the summer of 2011, appealing to the green-, yogi-, and folk- hearted on both coasts.  If you can’t make it out to California, maybe you’ve a hankerin’ for maple syrup and an extra excuse to get to Vermont is in order!  An added bonus, they are a month apart, so you’ve plenty of time to save your pennies not missing one in favour of the other.

The details, instructors and musicians, are still to be announced next month, but if last year’s line-up is any indication (the likes of Shiva Rea, Baron Baptiste, Doug Swenson and Moby, Bassnectar, Brazilian Girls, respectively) then these retreats will be sure NOT to disappoint.

The beautiful thing about Wanderlust, it isn’t just a retreat for yoga-loving singles.  Families are welcome and encouraged, with the Wanderkind Kids Program, presented last year by Om Kids Yoga, Truckee.  It was the number one spot on site for kids to have an exceptionally cool experience, custom tailored to the interests of Wanderlust families.

Yoga at The Great Lawn: Today’s the Day!

Personally, I can’t imagine I would get into a class of 10,000 people… but clearly, for at least 10,000 people this is exactly what blows their hair back.

In the spirit of the first full day of summer,  The World’s Largest Free Yoga Class in Central Park takes place in less than nine hours, beginning at 6pm, and will have the remarkable distinction of being the only yoga class to actually be visible from space. Yikes!

The class will be led by uber-instructor, Elena Brower and hosted by Reggie Watts.  Clearly, an event such as this, it’s not just the 10,000 ujjayi breaths you’ll be hearing throughout the class… the likes of Buddy Wakefield, Grammy nominee DALIEN, aka 13 Hands, WAH!, O’Nkosi Rhythms and others.

Here’s a little more info… grab your mats and jump a plane.  You’ve got only nine hours to get to New York’s Central Park to get your breath on… with only another 9,999 other people!

It’s That Time of Year! Wanderlust Festival Squaw Valley

Summer means sunshine, gardening, taking practice outdoors and, come July 29th, the annual Wanderlust Festival in Squaw Valley!

Yoga. Music. Nature.  That about sums up this amazing combination of landscape, live rock & roll with music greats Moby, Yard Dogs Road Show, Pretty Lights and others providing the soundtrack to the best in yoga led by such names as Shiva Rea, Baron Baptiste, Doug Swenson, Elena Brower and so many more!

Wanderlust is a one-of-a-kind festival bringing together the world’s best yoga teachers and best performers in rock & roll, all in a setting of breathtaking natural beauty.

It is a place to relax, unwind, bend, dance, revel, and contemplate. It’s a community of like-minded people who share a common set of interests and values.

It’s a chance to escape the mundane and dwell in the extraordinary.

It’s healthy hedonism and spiritual exploration. Most of all, it’s a long weekend of satisfying, stick-to-your-ribs fun.

For families, another unique aspect to this wonderful festival:

The Wanderkind program, presented by Om Kids Yoga, Truckee, will be the number one spot on site for kids to have an exceptionally cool experience, custom tailored to the interests of Wanderlust families.

The program, held on site at Squaw Kids, will run from 9:30am-4pm Friday through Sunday, and include activities like kids’ yoga, music, henna tattoos, hula-hooping and crafts.

Kids and parents will be responsible for their own lunches, but can enjoy samples from kid-friendly snack sponsors and peruse offerings at kids’ vendor booths.

Drop your child off to hang with the other Wander-kids while you hit up yoga class, or stay and enjoy some of the awesome family activities.

Wanderlust/Kind tickets are available now!   Join us.

Inlaws… Or Yoga on a Mountain Top? Some Interesting Yoga Destinations!

Whew… It’s been about three weeks since a post.  Time flies when you’re packing three kids to an opposite coast for an in-law EXTRAVAGANZA!!  Visiting… driving.  Visiting… driving.  More visiting… and more driving. It was nice… great fun.  But far from relaxing…

Nothing like this:

Or this:

Certainly, when it comes to adequately serving their harried summer travellers, Delta AirLines could learn a few things…  

As much as she loved the cousins I’m thinking that girl child would have been over the moon for something like this…

Perhaps next year, if a relaxing family holiday is truly what I’m after, I’ll opt for something more like this…

Oooohhhh… that’s right, I said family holiday….

Well, there’s all kinds of interesting choices for more relaxing options, that include family, yoga and unique destinations.

However, I’m thinking that few of  these alternate family holidays would include pizza… or chicken wingsbiscuits and gravy… or seemingly endless 6-packs of Mike’s

So, in-laws it is….

Wanderlust Festival in Lake Tahoe

wanderlust festival 2009

Wanderlust Festival Lands in Lake Tahoe Yoga, Music, and Spectacular Views Set This Festival Apart From the Rest
This summer a new happening will redefine the destination festival experience. A boutique, three-day
experience, Wanderlust brings together the world’s leading yoga teachers and top-tier rock and roll
performers, all in a setting of breathtaking natural beauty. This feast for both the body and the senses
takes place July 24-26 at Squaw Valley USA, Lake Tahoe, California.

Festival-goers can spend their mornings down in the Village at Squaw Valley getting centered in one of
many classes led by some of the most notable names in yoga today, including Shiva Rea and John
Friend. Wanderlust will include other notable instructors like Annie Carpenter, Christy Nones, Duncan
Wong, Elena Brower, Janet Stone, Jason & Jenny (acroyogis), Katchie Ananda, Kenny Graham, Les
Leventhal, Rusty Wells, Schuyler Grant, Sianna Sherman, and many others from San Francisco’s Yoga
Tree studios.

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Journeys in Yoga… For the Family!

family yoga retreats that allow parents a rejuvenating and uplifting Anusara Yoga® practice accessible to all levels of experience, while the children join together for a playful and insightful yoga session with their new friends.

The founders, Christine McArdle-Oquendo and Peggy Profant, bring extensive histories in education of varying methodologies as well as a love of yoga.  With their programs they provide families with unique destinations and experiences creating memories as well as healthy bodies, spirits and minds, to last a lifetime.

The programs are designed to integrate the wonders of travel, as well as educational experiences for the children with invigorating, relaxing yoga for all, providing the foundation for the trip.

An example of a truly unique family experience upcoming:

August 7 – 18, 2009
Visit Incan ruins including Machu Picchu, Pisac, Ollantaytambo and Saksaywaman. Learn about Andean cosmology, join in sacred, traditional offering ceremonies with Andean healers, enjoy Andean markets, and daily yoga classes. All of this and more with new friends of like mind and heart.

If you’re looking for something a little different this summer, where good health, mental, spiritual and physical, is the focus, consider World Family Yoga.

Be sure to visit for more information on their unique vision and programs.

Register Now! Urban Zen Yoga Teacher Training and Integrative Therapist Programs

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The Urban Zen Foundation (founded by Donna Karan, www.urbanzen.org) creates, connects, and collaborates to raise awareness and inspire change in the areas of well-being, preserving cultures, and empowering children.

The Well-Being Initiative of the Urban Zen Foundation is committed to changing the current healthcare paradigm to include integrative therapies and promote patient advocacy. Our vision is a healthcare system where the patient is treated, not just the disease… a system where eastern healing techniques, yoga therapy, aromatherapy, and nutrition are used in combination with western medicine in a holistic approach to patient care.

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