After a two-year hiatus, the Sedona Yoga Festival will return this month. The festival was one of the first major events to shut down at the beginning of the pandemic in March of 2020. “We’re so happy to be back,” says Heather Sheree, producer and co-founder of the Sedona Yoga Festival. “We’re really excited to welcome not only the 2020 pass holders, but anyone new. Sedona has evolved so much in the last couple of years. We’re excited to build community with all the new Sedona residents as well as just welcome new people.” New in 2022 is a Conscience Expo. The expo will feature healthy food in addition to artisan, sustainable, skincare, clothes and unique products focused on yoga, wellness and health. The expo is open to the public. The event also aims to be zero waste. Festival-goers are encouraged to bring their own utensils. The entire festival also will be held outdoors at Posse Grounds Park. The date has moved from March to June largely due to COVID and the uncertain nature of events. A few choice program options this year include a kid’s yoga program and yoga for PTSD. One of the biggest changes for the yoga festival: Heather has stepped back and hired a director for the festival who will be leading the programming. Meet Reggie Hubbard, creative and program director for the Sedona Yoga Festival.
Reggie’s first job after college was as a roadie for a jazz band. He’s produced political events and has a background in entertainment and production. This is his first yoga event. Reggie says he started practicing yoga at 40 as a way to reduce work stress. This year’s theme is “Give it up for Grace” and is intended to help festival attendees cope with the stress of the past two years. “By virtue of my meditation practice, I sense that Earth is exhausted,” says Reggie. “Whether it be the news or whether it be one personal experience with the pandemic or just the events of the world, we need to rest. We need to relax. And for many people, this is the first time they’re going to be around this many people in years.” The festival’s programming will reflect the shift toward more relaxed offerings. Participants can look forward to sound healing, yoga nidra, yin yoga – where poses are held for extended lengths – and restorative classes. Although attendees can still find more vigorous classes like rocket yoga too. “This festival is taking a stand for rest and compassion and community,” says Reggie. “We’ve been really focused on weaving in grace into the entire aspect of the event.”
Photo by Ty Dobbs, courtesy of Sedona Yoga Festival.
One example of how grace has been infused into the festival is a dedicated break in the middle of the day. The festival goers also will start and end the days together. Expect a mediation satsang (meaning “a sacred gathering” in sanskirt) in the morning and a sunset satsang with bhakti kirtan or chanting in the evening. One festival lineup highlight includes Sean Johnson & The Wild Lotus Band. The New Orleans-based band, according to its website, creates spiritually-based mantra-centric music. The group will be performing a concert on Friday evening, a yoga practice on Sunday and an immersion on Monday. Salt Lake City-based Denise Druce is another individual to take note of. Denise is the founder and director of Yoga Forward. With her company, she trains people in prisons to be 200-hour yoga teachers. Denise will join Oneika Mays and Mike Hawkins on a panel about being of service to incarcerated persons.
Another specific program that’s an extension of the theme is Yoga for Trauma Training. Trauma can include trauma experienced by medical professionals during the pandemic, but also other negative experiences that people have. “We should acknowledge that we’re all going through something. I think that’s an act of grace as well,” says Reggie. The Posse Grounds Park setting is one that should provide festival-goers with a stunning backdrop as they gather together to practice and discover yoga. “The natural beauty of coming together, but also the natural beauty of being outdoors looking at red rocks and just being in community again regardless of your ability,” says Reggie. “We believe that rest is sacred, and Sedona is sacred so that pairing is pure magic.” − Teresa K. Traverse
SEDONA CALENDAR: Events, activities, shows, happenings
