Bhakti Fest, the originator of yoga and kirtan festivals in the now wildly popular yoga festival scene is pleased to announce their first 2013 festival, Shakti Fest, celebrating its third season May 17 – 19 at the Joshua Tree Desert Retreat Center, in Joshua Tree, CA. Yoga, kirtan music and wisdom workshops celebrating the divine feminine spirit will be highlighted.
Mukti Silberfein, a founder and producer of the Bhakti Fests including Shakti Fest notes, “We are pleased to bring the Shakti energy to Joshua Tree for a third year. Taking place in May, a week after Mother’s Day, Shakti is a wonderful way to experience the divinity of mother earth in a beautiful setting and bask in the feminine power of numerous top yoga teachers, kirtan artists and workshop leaders.”
The kirtan (a.k.a. chanting) artists at Shakti Fest include the top two female kirtan players – Wah! and Donna De Lory as well as the genre’s superstar Jai Uttal, plus Dave Stringer, Prema Hara, Larisa Stow and Shakti Tribe, Govind das & Radha and many other inspiring performers.
Of Wah! Yoga Journal notes “Mantra-scene veteran Wah! seems to be halfway between samadhi (union) and ecstasy. Her theme is the oneness of divine love and eros. Wah! lays down her love dharma in sultry downtempo grooves, throbbing club beats, and spoken-word rap passages. When the groove’s in full gear, she has us right where she wants us: blissed out and deep in the throes of a love that can’t be labeled.”
Donna De Lory is recognized worldwide as a singer, songwriter, producer and musician, consciously creating music with a positive message. Well-known as a background singer and dancer for Madonna, De Lory has continued to make her presence felt as a solo artist. A devoted student of yoga and spiritual teachings, Donna is inspired by Indian devotional music, Sanskrit mantras, Western pop, Northern African grooves, as well as dance beats from her travels around the globe.
World class yoga teachers Shiva Rea and Sara Ivanhoe bring their immense Shakti energy to the Joshua Tree desert along with Kia Miller, Christi Christensen, Felicia Tomasko, Elka Haeckel and many more. Shiva Rea’s “Yoga Shakti” is one of the most popular yoga DVDs of all time, released in 2004 it continues to be a top seller. A creator of Prana Flow Yoga, Rae’s classes are a must attend highlight of any festival. One of the faces of yoga in America, Sara Ivanhoe is the instructor for the “Yoga for Dummies” series, the “Crunch Yoga” series and Russell Simmon’s collaborator on “Yoga Live.” She had an extended run on Fit TV with “All Star Workouts” and on Exercise TV with “Yoga on the Edge.” Sara was a regular on Vh1’s “Dr. Drew’s Celebrity Rehab” and has been featured on all the major news channels.
The Shakti centered workshops highlighted in May include Mirabai Devi’s “Living in Light: Anchoring the Power of the Divine Feminine” and Laura Amazzone’s “Shakti and the Tantric Wisdom Goddesses!” Devi’s session seeks to fully awaken, the Divine Feminine – the highest level of feminine expression and manifestation in the universe with a workshop filled with light as she guides attendees through an experience of transformation and healing that will culminate in a blissful state of divine awakening, an open heart, a healed body, and an expanded consciousness including a special Shakti Light Transmission for 2013. Amazzone’s session will be an experience of how the Tantric Wisdom Goddesses are the Shakti of spiritual empowerment, transformation and liberation–and discover how they are present within everyone.
Shakti Fest also presents attendees with the opportunity to experience massage and other spa treatments in the healing sanctuary. Additionally there is a marketplace with eco-friendly vendors offering delicious, high vibrational raw, vegan, and vegetarian foods and beverages, yoga gear, clothing, musical instruments, crafts and more.
There will be three separate ticket intensives around Shakti Fest: Saul David Raye’s pre-festival intensive – “Honoring & Embodying the Divine Strength, Wisdom & Love of the Mother,” a pre-festival Kirtan with Marine turned Monk Indradyumna Swami, and a post-festival intensive with Shiva Rea “Awakening of the Energetic Heart – Integrating Bhakti in Daily Life.” For information and tickets please see http://bhaktifest.com/category/festivals/shakti-fest/intensives/.
The Joshua Tree Desert Retreat Center is the perfect setting to foster inner reflection and spiritual reconnection because of its peacefulness and natural desert beauty. Accommodation options include camping and RV parking, all on site. There are also ten local hotels within a few miles of the retreat center.
For a full list of performers and teachers and to purchase tickets (kids under 12 are FREE) please visit http://bhaktifest.com/category/festivals/shakti-fest/.