It’s time to say ‘namaste’ to the city’s first Happiness and Yoga Festival.
Backbends, downward dogs and vinyasas have become all the rage over the past decade or so, and as interest in yoga continues to grow, events are popping up all over the world.
For the first time on April 4, the Happiness and Yoga Festival is coming to the capital. The event will be held at Park Rotana Abu Dhabi, bringing together yoga instructors, meditation specialists, speakers, authors and experts from around the globe will be covering subjects such as pranayama, which is a yogic discipline that concentrates on different types of breathing exercises.
There will also be discussions and a live panel interview with representatives from YogaLife Middle East magazine. Author and motivational speaker Gloria Belendez Ramirez will be the key speaker for the day. Known for her advice on seeking happiness, she’ll be talking about how to ‘be happy and stay happy, no matter what’ – her catchphrase.
Angela Pashayan, the organiser of the Happiness and Yoga Festival, explains, ‘Visitors can choose whichever classes they wish on a first come, first served basis. The idea is that people can study with a variety of teachers under one roof, all on the same day.’
Some of the styles offered at the festival include hatha, one of the most popular forms of yoga, which focuses on physical and mental strength through physical poses (or asanas), controlled breathing and meditation. Another style that will be featured is atmananda, which is a combination of hatha and ashtanga – a vigorous style that requires holding poses for a long period of time – which was created in New York City.
Angela points to one of the key advantages of the yoga festival: ‘Experiencing all of these different styles by taking classes with various instructors would take a lot of time and money, but the festival lets students take all of the classes they are interested in for just one price.’
Bending expectations
TOAD speaks to Sasha Quince, one of the instructors who will be teaching at the festival. Sasha has been teaching yoga for four years and leads classes at various locations around Abu Dhabi.
How are you preparing for your session at the festival?
I will be teaching core strength vinyasa flow, which in yoga refers to when poses transition into one another rather than being held individually. Both current students and those who haven’t tried it are encouraged to join in. I’ve planned it to be open to all levels – yoga is for everyone! I always offer options in my classes, so both beginners and intermediate students can benefit. It will always be someone’s first time trying yoga. The session will be fluid, empowering, energetic, replenishing and adventurous all in one.
What do you hope to gain from this experience?
I’m very excited that Abu Dhabi has a festival related to yoga – it just shows how much the practice is growing in the capital and how many people are gravitating towards it. I am grateful for the opportunity to showcase my core strength vinyasa and kids’ yoga classes, which I’ll be leading. I’ll also have a stand for my company Let’s Go Yoga, where I’ll share more information on the yoga challenges I have coming up, my class schedule and some copies of my Prenatal Yoga DVD, which will launch at the festival. It was filmed and created in Abu Dhabi.
How would you describe your teaching style?
My teaching style reflects me and my personal practice in so many ways. I offer a lot of options in my classes to encourage students to find their perfect balance, which changes daily. I instruct both on and off the mat to allow students to really step into their ability to feel their poses, rather than concentrating on what they should look like. I pay attention to alignment, breathing, relaxation, using smaller muscles to build strength and endurance, smiling and, most importantly, having fun while we flow. I always include some super adventurous moments and play time as well as making sure we counter-stretch the muscles targeted. Plus, of course, some well deserved savasana (relaxation). My classes change weekly and touch on various elements of wellbeing and balance, as well as techniques to move the body in a variety of ways.
Dhs325. Park Rotana, Salam Street, register at www.happinessandyogafest.com (02 657 3333).
