Celebrate Leap Day at huge party

By Dini Plotkin 

World Bhakti presents a three-day music and yoga festival featuring local musicians, artisans and yoga teachers. Headlining the festival is New Orleans based Sean Johnson and the Wild Lotus Band. World Bhakti Festival takes place on Feb. 28, 29 and March 1 at Westside Wellness, located inside Central Christian Church, 4711 Westside Dr. in Dallas.

Bhakti Yoga or the yoga of devotion is a staple in yoga studios across the country. For 10 years, bhakti themed festivals such as Bhaktifest in California, the Midwest Kirtan & Yoga festival in Wisconsin and The Hanuman Festival in Colorado have drawn crowds in the thousands. Those festivals bring a winning combination of yoga, music, food and community while retaining their own unique flavor all while sharing the same goal — to share the joy of bhakti with others. “Bhakti blurs the lines of separation and brings the world together through song,” says World Bhakti co-founder Kirsten Joy Burch. World Bhakti aims to bring this same spirit to Texas and surrounding states with our inaugural event featuring Sean Johnson and the Wild Lotus Band and Ft. Worth based band Bhakti House Band. The festival will also be a showcase for local musicians, healers, artists and yoga teachers. Attendees can enjoy delicious vegan cuisine, meditation and yoga classes, shop local vendors or sing and dance at one of the many mantra music concerts. A portion of the proceeds from this festival will go to The Widow’s Journey.

 The festival kicks off Friday evening at 7 p.m. with a concert by Sean Johnson & The Wild Lotus Band. Opening for Sean will be local kirtan artists. Saturday will feature two workshops with Sean Johnson. “Bhakti on the Mat” is at 9:30 a.m. and “Awaken Your Inner Poet” will take place at 2 p.m. There will be a concert in the evening at 7 p.m.  

 Sunday from 1:30-4 p.m., Sean Johnson will be hosting a continuing education workshop exclusively for yoga teachers entitled, “Yoga Teachers’ Inspiration Series: How To Bring More Heart & Musicality to Your Yoga Classes.”

 All the above events are ticketed with single event or weekend package deals ranging from $30 – $170. Saturday from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. there will also be a free festival featuring local artisans and vendors, food from Kalachandji’s Express, children’s activities, yoga and meditation classes, mini-concerts by local kirtan artists, drum circles and more. There will be a healer’s room where you can sample sessions from local practitioners. Speakers from several Bhakti traditions will be sharing the knowledge from their lineages. Come take part in the spiritual revolution that is Bhakti! For more information, contact Kirsten Joy Burch, Lavanga Schlette and Kalindi Dinoffer at [email protected].

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