Time For Yoga and Meditation

Tuesday July, 27

When the clock hit 3pm I was sooo done with set up and quite exhausted by it all. I really could have gone for a beer to wind down but all I could find was a cup of Yogi tea. After 10 days of work, group meals, and obligations I’m now totally free for the the next week. It’s my choice if I want to attend any of the events or not. The only thing I really need to be aware of is when food is being served. For this week I'm trying out a new name for grins. Guru Todd.

In the beginning of the work exchange I questioned whether or not I really wanted to be here but once I really decided this is what I’m doing for now I settled in and began to more fully enjoy my time with the crew.

The quiet Chateau grounds have now been transformed into a mass of humanity. This year is the biggest festival yet with well over 2,500 attendees. It’s a bit of an adjustment to get use to the crowds but people are happy to be here so there’s an element of excitement in the air. With everyone philosophizing, meditating, and eating vegetarian food it’s a wonderfully interesting sort of vibe. Things are just getting started.

The European Yoga Festival attracts many types of personalities from hippies to professionals. Some are into the religious and philosophical aspects while others are more into the meditative and physical fitness benefits. My interest lies more in the meditative and physical fitness components. I’ll ponder some of the philosophy but I really don’t have much interest in religious aspects. The common bond that everyone shares at the festival is a desire for peace both inward and outward.

Calling the European Yoga Festival the European Yoga Festival can be a little misleading. The event is put on by 3HO (Healthy, Happy, Holy). It’s almost exclusively Kundalini Yoga mixed with traditional Sikh Traditions. You will be hard pressed to find much in the way of variety concerning other Yoga disciplines at the festival.

Kundalini is more specifically a meditative yoga. It can involve holding certain challenging poses for a lengthy amount of time but it’s quite different but from what I consider to be classic Hatha yoga etc.,. It was first introduced to the west by a Indian Sikh named Yogi Bhajan. He was one of numerous Yogis who immigrated to the USA during the 1960’s. He quickly gained popularity by offering hippies an alternative to drugs through Yoga. His pitch was you don’t need drugs to get high. Over the years he gained in popularity and 3HO was formed. Yogi Bhajan differed from mainstream Sikhs because of his promotion of yoga. Yoga is not a commonly practiced by Sikhs.

Yogi Bhajan passed away a few years ago but his legacy remains through 3HO and it’s events. In some ways Yogi Bhajan was a man of mixed reviews but the meditative form of Yoga that he introduced has proved to be beneficial for many including myself. I don’t practice it on a regular basis but I have attended two large events in the USA and have found Kundalini Yoga to be very effective in clearing the mind an relieving stress. Some of the attendees are fully into all aspects of Kundalini, Yogi Bhajan, and even wear turbans while many others like myself are just here for the Yoga.

I’ll write more about the specifics of Kundalini Yoga in future posts. In the meantime check out the side panel of a box of Peace Cereal the next time your at whole Food to find out more about the Yogi.