Indian Shanti Yoga Festival, 3-5 January 2014, Goa

The yoga.in team recently received information about a new yoga festival happening this winter in Goa. Deep Deka, the organizer of the festival, got in touch with us and shared some information about himself and the festival. Deep was born and raised in a traditional Indian family and has lived in many places around India. Having studied different yoga traditions and visited many yoga ashrams, he has a deep desire to bring together all forms and styles of yoga under one roof to synthesize the practice of yoga. Deep has been living in Germany and other European countries for the past few years teaching yoga classes and organizing yoga festivals. This gives him the vision to organize a yoga festival deeply rooted in yoga and spiritual activities in his own country. The festival is also helped by an international volunteer team from all around the world. This is what Deep shared with us about this unique festival:

The white sands of Cavelossim Beach in Goa will be the magic setting for a special event for yoga lovers from across India and the world. The Indian Shanti Yoga Festival will be a 3-day celebration of wellness, spiritual growth and conscious living through yoga, health, ayurveda, spiritual music and healthy food.

Presented by Ganesha Events, this 3-day gathering of yoga, health and spiritual music will take place from 3-5 January 2014 at The Old Anchor Byke Resort, Cavelossim Beach.

The festival will have an auspicious start on the morning of January 3rd with an invocation to lord Ganesha, and will conclude with a grand finale concert with all the invited bands joining in on the evening of January 5th.

The focus of the festival is to bring together the ancient knowledge of different yoga ashrams and traditions in India while also introducing new techniques of relaxation which are evolving around the globe. Several directors of renowned ashrams are joining the festival to present their specific understanding of yoga and spirituality, these include Nataraj (Director, Sivananda Ashram, Neyyar Dam), Swami Gurusharanananda (Director, Anandamayi Maa Peet, Omkareshwar), Swami Sugoshananda (Director, Chinmaya Mission Ashram, Ponda), Dr. Omkarananda Guruji (Director, Paramanand Yoga Niketan, Indore), Sindhu Maa (Director Tulasidalam Ashram, Kerala) and many more.

Yoga teachers from all the major yoga schools of India will be represented at the festival, including Bihar School of Yoga, Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute (RIMYI), Krishnamacharya Healing Yoga Foundation, and Shri K Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute. Some modern approaches to yoga practice will also be presented: Pau Castellsague from Acro Yoga and Thai Massage, Spain; Helen Ruth from the UK, Marcus Felsner from Austria, Satish Joshi, an Ayurveda therapist from Germany, and many more.

In addition to the many speakers and yoga teachers, the highlight of the festival is to bring bhakti yoga into motion for which there will be kirtan bands performing at sunset concerts including Kirtaniyas (USA), Vraja Vilas (Mumbai), and Ajay Yagnik (Delhi).

Also planned are special free events such as Hanuman Chalisa and Divine Mother Invocation which will cultivate the spirit of bhakti in the hearts of the participants.

A Yoga Market will offer space to a variety of vendors to promote their yoga products and retreats to the festival crowd. Ayurvedic food stands will provide participants with nutritious and delicious food during the festival.

The Indian Shanti Yoga Festival will be offering its support to the Heart Kids orphanage in Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu.

The organizers of the Indian Shanti Yoga Festivals invites yoga fans to come to Goa from 3-5 January 2014 and be part of this unique 3-day celebration of wellness, spiritual growth and conscious living while also helping to support a good cause.

For more information, visit the Indian Shanti Yoga Festival website or the Facebook page.

Photographs by Wari Om Photography.