I had the opportunity to participate in the Little Rock Yoga Festival on October 2nd at Wildwood Park for the Arts in Little Rock, Arkansas along with two of my daughters, a friend of mine and her daughter. When we first arrived at the festival my first thought was “Is this a diverse, family-friendly event? I saw very few people of color in the crowd of attendees. There were a few men, maybe about 3, and no children except those brought by my friend and me. I have been intentional about exposing my girls to yoga, meditation, and their benefits, but have consistently noticed a limited number of opportunities for families to comfortably enjoy the practice together.
I purchased a half-day ticket (12-5 PM) at $50 each (no discounts for kids). The cost of the tickets varies based upon when you purchase them ($45 – 65 for half-day and $60-80 for a full day which is 8 AM – 5 PM). So, the longer you wait the more you pay. The ticket price covers admission and all classes. It does not include lodging and food.
There were four food trucks on site, but I suggest if you purchase a half day ticket do not arrive hungry. We left church and went straight to the event. I did not consider wait times for purchasing the food and consuming it. We stood in line to order the food for approximately 15 minutes, then waited another 10-15 minutes to receive our orders. By the time we completed eating we missed the first yoga session of the afternoon. I must admit, I was okay with that. Doing yoga right after eating is not always the best idea.
The first session we attended, Ayurveda 101, was led by Makayla McNeil who is a certified Ayurvedic specialist and nutritionist. Ayurveda is considered one of the oldest traditional systems of medicine. It is founded on the ancient teachings of the Hindu philosophy. Ayurveda believes that the entire universe is composed of five elements: Vayu (Air), Jala (Water), Aakash (Space or ether), Prithvi (Earth) ,and Teja (Fire). Makayla provided an overview of the practice and the doshas which are the three categories or types of substances that are believed to be present in a person's body and mind.
I initially chose to participate in this session because I thought it was going to be interactive. However, I was incorrect. It was more of a lecture than an interactive conversation or demonstration. I was already tired and had just eaten lunch…I was suddenly overcome by a wave of fatigue and found myself sleeping on my yoga mat. I was slightly embarrassed for only a moment but was looking forward to the next session, the restorative chakra sound experience. That session was led by Diana Tennant.
She has experience teaching Ashtanga, vinyasa, yin restorative ,and chair yoga. My favorite type of yoga by far is restorative. I love lying in a pose for long periods and it definitely helps to improve my flexibility and decreases stress. The sound bath music was not live, but being outside lying in the shaded grass, with a slight breeze (and I swear I could smell lavender in the air), the temperature was in the 80’s…. it was just perfect!
She instructed us through the various poses with the music in the background. It was an awesome, rejuvenating experience! Afterward, we participated in the last session of the festival, The Sea of Oms. I arrived after the session had begun, but was able to easily jump in and om with the group. It was led by one person and the group naturally joined into the om which made a harmonizing, and almost enchanting sound. The session was fairly short, maybe 10 minutes or so, but a great way to wrap up the event.
I love that the Little Rock Yoga Fest is providing an opportunity for the Central Arkansas Yoga Community to gather. I look forward to participating in the future with hopes of seeing more diversity in the crowd regarding age, gender, race/ethnicity, and every other aspect. Mariposa’s Place of Wellness is about supporting the yoga, health, and wellness community if you want to learn more about the Little Rock Yoga Fest, please visit their website at https://www.lryogafestival.com/
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