It’s a unique blend of yoga, wellness, music, farm-to-table food, bodywork and a great party. What more could you want?
Photo by Eric Ward for Wanderlust Festival
Wanderlust is fun. It is iconic. It is a series of festivals that span the globe, from North and South America to Canada, and as far away as Australia. Wanderlust is a celebration of yoga, wellness and music, which brings acolytes and devotees together from all over the world, to share the love along with the asanas.
We spoke with renowned yoga instructor Elena Brower and Wanderlust co-founder Jeff Krasno to learn more about Wanderlust, and see what this summer’s Wanderlust schedule has in store.
Wanderlust. Every year, for me, it’s right on time—to go deep, and let go. To fly, and to verify my intentions. To suspend my assumptions and listen for other dimensions. Wanderlust is time to seek other ways of seeing, so I can offer my burgeoning understandings through my annual Speakeasy. Which always gets me so nervous and humbled. And when it’s feeling extra scary, my eyes invariably land on a student or a colleague, and we smile so big together, a shared synergy and focus that changes and rearranges us. One weekend is all it takes.
Wanderlust offers, simultaneously, a quickening and a deepening, a softening and a steeping–in practice, in poetry, in dance, in song, in talking with friends old and new all day long, in remembering why we all came together: to shine this sunlight on each and every face. To know that what we do is make the world a better place, and we go back home feeling more space inside. So ready for more practice, loving and kindness.
It’s summer, and we are all ready for this.
—Elena Brower
Wanderlust co-founder Jeff Krasno is the author of Wanderlust: A Modern Yogi’s Guide to Discovering Your Best Self (Rodale 2015), which comes out today. The book is a road map to a yogic lifestyle, with everything you need from a quick intro to Hindu deities, guides to yoga poses, journaling exercises and insight on how to deepen your practice and gain wisdom from contributors like Gabrielle Bernstein, Shiva Rea, Moby, Elena Brower, Seane Corn and more.
Organic Spa Magazine: How did Wanderlust get started?
Jeff Krasno: Wanderlust was created by three friends: me, my wife Schuyler, and their our friend Sean Hoess. The company was founded in 2009 as a joint venture between Velour Music Group, an artist management company and event producer based in New York City, C3 Presents and Starr Hill Presents, event producers responsible for the top music festival brands in the country, including Austin City Limits Festival, Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo and Outside Lands.
Long before Wanderlust existed, we loved yoga and music and throwing a good party. In many ways, Wanderlust is the expression of those simple pleasures on a large scale. We also focused on the importance of infusing the events with meaning—to create an event that is fun but also based on underlying ideals, where attendees are actually participants, and where people left feeling better than when they came.
Photo by Christian Vidanovic for Wanderlust Festival
Many Wanderlust guests have called the events personally transformative, and it has been gratifying and humbling to provide the means for that change to organically occur.
OSM: What is it, exactly? Who is it for?
JK: Wanderlust is most notably known for its large-scale lifestyle festivals focused on yoga, music and adventure where you can “choose your own adventure” festival. Pick from 200 different activities during the day–from Stand Up Paddleboarding to mountaintop yoga, outdoor excursions to our speakeasy lecture series to meditation.
There is fantastic food, Farm to Table dinners, wine tastings, and the Kula marketplace to sample and shop, and at night there’s amazing music like Moby and Michael Franti. We also produce Wanderlust 108 events—one-day “mindful triathlons” that take place in urban parks across. In 2015, we plan to host over 25 events globally. In addition to events, Wanderlust has Wanderlust Yoga centers, and Wanderlust.com to bring the spirit of our festivals to people, where they are, on a daily basis.
The events are for all mindful adventurers of all ages. Our core mission is to help you Find Your True North, and to cultivate your best self. Wanderlust is the tent that houses yoga and meditation instructors, musical performers, speakers, artists and chefs for transformational retreats in the world’s most beautiful natural settings The experience is designed to engage and nourish each guest mind, body and soul in a fun-filled environment.
We are often told that Wanderlust is an experience that leaves guests better than when they came—with new ideas, new friends, newly discovered abilities, and greater peace. We curate a massive diverse cauldron of ideas, techniques, practices, recipes for living. The hope is that there is a gem of wisdom for everyone to take home into their daily life.
Photo by Daniel Craig for Wanderlust Festival
OSM: In what ways does it keep changing? What’s new and different this summer?
JK: We are constantly evolving, bringing new styles of music, new artists and new tastes to our attendees to surprise and delight. This year, we are thrilled to bring Wanderlust to a brand new location.
Wanderlust Snowshoe will kick off the 2015 summer season on June 5 to 7, which will bring us to the Mid-Atlantic for the very first time. This is also the ideal location to host Wanderlust’s biggest-ever stand-up paddleboard yoga program. Snowshoe is famous as an “upside down” mountain, with its village at the summit of the peak, rather than the base, which is another unusual surprise and delight
Additionally, we had such an overwhelmingly positive response to our Wanderlust 108 events —one-day “mindful triathlons”— that we’ve expanded them to 15 cities around the world. The events consist of a 5K run, a large-scale yoga class and a guided meditation led by the world’s top teachers.
Photo by Eric Ward for Wanderlust Festival
Here is the schedule of 108 events starting after May 12th. The schedule of summer festivals follows:
- May 16, 2015 San Francisco, CA @ Marina Green
Talent includes: Stephanie Snyder, JoAnna Harper, MC Yogi, DJ Sol Rising, Brass Band Mission
- May 16, 2015 Melbourne, VIC, AUSTRALIA @ Catani Gardens St. Kilda
Talent includes: Simon Park, Jonni Pollard, Arli Liberman, DJ Aroha, The Twoks
- May 30, 2015 Chicago, IL @ St. Paul Woods in the Forest Preserves of Cook County
Talent includes: Wade Gotwals, MC Yogi, Sage Roundtree, DJ Robinda
- May 30, 2015 Brisbane, QLD, AUSTRALIA @ Cultural Forecourt Southbank
Talent includes: Simon Park, Jonni Pollard, Arli Liberman, DJ Aroha, The Twoks
- June 13, 2015 Calgary, AB, CANADA @ Fort Calgary
Talent includes: Ryan Leier, Kelly Saunders, Kate Potter, DJ Taz Rashid
- June 27, 2015 Toronto, ON, CANADA @ Toronto Island—Olympic Island Park
Talent includes: Ichih Wang, Amber Joliat, Kate Potter, DJ Hyfi
- August 29, 2015 Edmonton, AB, CANADA @ Louise McKinney Riverfront Park
Talent includes: Eoin Finn, Myrah Penaloza, Kate Potter, DJ Taz Rashid
- September 13, 2015 Brooklyn, NY @ Prospect Park Ballfields
Talent includes: Dharma Mittra, Sage Roundtree, MC Yogi, DJ Drez, High and Mighty Brass Band
- September 20, 2015 Washington, DC @ DC Armory Mall
Talent includes: MC Yogi, Ariele Foster, Sage Rountree, DJ Drez
- October 4, 2015 Atlanta, GA @ Piedmont Park Promenade
Talent includes: MC Yogi, Chelsea Love, Sage Roundtree, DJ Sol Rising
- October 10, 2015 Nashville, TN @ Victory Park/Bicentennial Park
Talent includes: MC Yogi, Gillian St. Clair, Sage Rountree, DJ Drez
- October 17, 2015 Miami, FL @ Virginia Key Park
Talent includes: MC Yogi, Sage Roundtree, DJ Drez
- Snowshoe, West Virginia June 5-7
- Stratton, Vermont June 18-21
- Aspen-Snowmass, Colorado July 2-5
- Squaw Valley, California July 16-19
- Whistler, British Columbia (Canada) July 30-August 3
- Tremblant, Quebec (Canada) August 20-23
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