The Brighton Yoga festival is a mega calendar event for any local yoga lover and in Brighton and Hove-that amounts to a fair few! It’s also an amazing way for the public to have a go at yoga for the first time, learn what it’s all about, meet like minded people and try different styles of yoga from a vast variety of fantastic local and global teachers. It’s all put on for free and run by the Brighton Yoga Foundation, they are a wonderful charity that support causes very close to my heart. The outreach work that they do helps people across the community through the power of yoga. They work with teenagers, children, the elderly, the LBGT community and vulnerable women and they are always striving to broaden their reach even further to bring the benefits of yoga to those who need it most. The foundation believe that these benefits-stress reduction, pain relief, strength, flexibility, and mindfulness to name a few are a gift that should be available to the community regardless of age, finances, or social situation. Feeling so passionately in agreement about their aims, one very rainy Brighton day in May at their lovely Fringe festival event I signed up to volunteer at the festival in July.
The date was drawing nearer and one of their lovely team-Ben got in touch to see what times we could all commit to. I signed up for the Saturday shift 11am-4pm. The day came-and what a day! I hopped on the bus and made my way to Hove Cricket Ground where the event was being held. The sun was out and there were already lots of people arriving there were 9 zones in total with ALLSORTS OF YOGI GOODNESS going on-talks, music and workshops and classes for all ages, abilities, styles, minds, and bodies! I was on the door for the Blue Zone-sponsored by SPACE studio which events were as follows to give you a taste of the variety….
-Nada yoga Workshop-Ram Vakkalanka
-Vinyasa flow-Anna Sugarman
-Water element fluid & Creative Yoga and Movement Toni Roberts
-Iyengar Yoga and talk-Brian Ingram
-Down to Earth Yin-Shay Grant
-Yin Yoga-Louise Windsor
In addition to meeting some inspirational teachers during the day. I met various lovely other volunteers who came on/off shifts throughout the day. We all donned our orange tees and felt proud to support the BYF cause. We shook our buckets and reminded people that classes were all donation only and of the hard work that the organisers do putting the event together, and the BYF’s fantastic aims. We were helping the lost, toilet signposting the bursting, directing the thirsty to water points and even helping nursing women find a quiet spot to feed. All in days work for a volunteer! I loved seeing the enthusiasm from everybody lining up to classes, clutching their mats, and the excitement of not knowing quite what to expect. Then seeing the joy and contentment in people’s faces as they left.
We took it in turns to use our lunch token (I opted for a DELICIOUS falafel wrap from FilFil-thanks guys!) and a little handstand practice break between classes on the immaculate bright green cricket lawn. I ended my shift with a well earned Yin Session with Louise Windsor-an amazing teacher who I’m MEGA excited about attending her Yin Yoga teacher training course in October!
I left the day on such a high and bumped into the lovely Davy Jones-Chair of the Foundation, and also my Brilliant Ashtanga teacher! I told Davy how wonderful the event had been and what a humbling experience it was to be a part of it. I bounced back to the bus stop with a spring in my step and ready for the next day-off duty!
I arrived on Sunday afternoon to yet another day of gorgeous sunshine! I listened to an interesting and at times emotional talk about The Suffragettes and Female Empowerment through Yoga with Ali Ghanimi and Alistair Goode. I had to leave a little early though (Cue log roll under the tipi flap) as I nearly missed the Acro yoga workshop about to happen that I was very curious about-a blend of yoga and acrobatics! It was held over in the Purple Zone sponsored by Unity studio. I met The fabulous Lauren Azor of Lauren AcroYoga. I had an absolutely AWESOME time in her workshop! I met some lovely people and as a group we explored balance, strength and alignment. We had great fun trying to “fly” one another-The child like memories of balancing your tummy on your sisters lifted feet! Acro is so fun and I’m so glad I’ve dipped my toe into the adrenaline filled waters of it! The connection to your team and the feeling the movement of one another’s bodies and adjusting accordingly and getting that high afterwards when you’ve mastered your focus and succeeded in a transition or pose, but like every accomplishment in any yoga it’s about the journey of getting there and what you learn on the way-that’s the fun bit!
I left Sunday emotionally floating. What AMAZING PEOPLE I’d met, what an EXPERIENCE, what an INCREDIBLE CAUSE to support-bringing Yoga to all at this free event. Hats off BYF. Namaste.
**The Brighton Yoga Foundation are currently trying to reach their 10K goal to continue their outreach work across the community to those in need. Please help by donating here. There’s some great goodies on offer too!**