Bhakti Fest Rocks
“The Woodstock of the kirtan movement ;” this was the tagline organizers used to describe Bhakti Fest. This weekend didn’t have the mud, the nudity or the crowds, but the idea of Woodstock was conjured up (on the fortieth anniversary, no less) and it had to do with the christening of an era. Whether or not kirtan or chanting is your thing, the rise of Bhatki Yoga – the practice of devotion – is undeniable. When we sing and chant the multitude of the names of God, when we wrap ourselves in the bhav – the attitude of devotion and act of participating based on that feeling – there is an inherent power and vibration in it that is tangible and that we can practically taste. This was the feeling on the powerful land of the Joshua Tree Retreat Center, covered with its namesake trees, down the street from the national park.
The Earth was the container for that power, as more than two thousand people danced, chanted, sang, prayed, moved through asana (posture), chatted in community, ate, shared and practiced. From Shiva Rea’s Thursday workshop through Saul David Raye’s Monday morning closing practice, the heartbeat of the song, the chant and everyone’s feet playing on the Earth created something old yet new in what may well be the ceremonial christening of an era. The main event involved sixty hours of continuous chanting, from Friday at 10:00 A.M. to Sunday at 10:00 P.M. As Tantric teacher Nandi took everyone through the fire of a heartfelt closing ceremony that was still in full force at midnight Sunday, the revelers were fully bhaktified. Next year, as was announced, the main event would cover four days. All the better for chanting. After all, chanting raises our own vibration and that of the Earth, which may be just what the pujari ordered. My caution to the chanters, though, make sure to take care to eat enough oil and drink enough water (to calm vata, the air and ether elements and build ojas, which is our vitality, giving a container for freeranging prana that soars when we sing) and remember that we don’t need anything special to be in the bhav. Every day, we have the opportunity to practice devotion, with everyone in our lives.
By Felicia M. Tomasko, RN
Felicia Tomasko has spent more of her life practicing Yoga and Ayurveda than not. She first became introduced to the teachings through the writings of the Transcendentalists, through meditation, and using asana to cross-train for her practice of cross-country running. Between beginning her commitment to Yoga and Ayurveda and today, she earned degrees in environmental biology and anthropology and nursing, and certifications in the practice and teaching of yoga, yoga therapy, and Ayurveda while working in fields including cognitive neuroscience and plant biochemistry. Her commitment to writing is at least as long as her commitment to yoga. Working on everything related to the written word from newspapers to magazines to websites to books, Felicia has been writing and editing professionally since college. In order to feel like a teenager again, Felicia has pulled out her running shoes for regular interval sessions throughout Southern California. Since the very first issue of LA YOGA, Felicia has been part of the team and the growth and development of the Bliss Network.