Diverse, yet united by Yoga

Introspection, connection with the self, transformation, solace and bliss — Most of the over 1,500 participants from around 90 countries came to feel an array of experience at the International Yoga Festival 2023 at Parmarth Niketan Ashram, Rishikesh held from March 8 to 14.

They took the spiritual odyssey and got soaked in the serene ambience on the banks of Ganga, with cool breeze and Vedic chants wafting across the venue. Some were looking for peace within, some trying to find a catharsis in the asanas and some seeking the unknown.

A unique amalgamation

It was the first visit of Karen D Ernst to India as a tourist. Karen, who is from Kentucky but lives in Berlin and works for a US airline, came down to Rishikesh essentially for Yoga and was enamoured with the culture of the place.

Karen D Ernst came down to Rishikesh essentially for Yoga and was
enamoured with the culture of the place

“I registered for the Yoga festival just a few weeks back when my friend, who has been coming here regularly, persuaded me to do so. I read about it and found amazing speakers and yoga experts and teachers attending the festival from all over the world and the work they are doing. I decided that this was the place I wanted to be in and get reenergized,” she said.

“I walked down the banks of River Ganga on my first day. They were having aarti, I could hear the chants and it was so emotionally overwhelming. I offered flowers and diya and felt an instant connection with the place and the friendly, kind people,” Karen added.

Meghan from Chicago and Lu from Alabama in the US have been coming to the Yoga festival for the last three years. And what brings them here every time? Lu said, “It’s the spirit of the festival and the tranquility it offers.” Meghan pointed out, “It is a great opportunity to meet new people from new places. The festival is a potpourri of cultures and connects me to my being.”

A young woman from Colombia, South America, who has rechristened herself as Ambica, said, “This is my fifth visit to this amazing festival. Every time, it’s a new and fresh experience. I come here to feel the spiritual aura, which is quite transcendental. I have learnt Yoga and teach aasans to people back in Colombia.”

A 20-something man from Ghana who calls himself Krishna is a Yoga expert. Krishna lives in Dubai and teaches Yoga there. He talked about his Yoga experience in Dubai. “Dubai has a growing Yoga community. Since the past seven years, I have been living in Dubai and teaching Yoga. More and more people, including Emiratis, are embracing it. We have many Yoga activities, clubs, festivals being held in Dubai. The local government and municipality there are also promoting and supporting it. India has given us such a rich culture and it’s our sacred duty to spread it in the world.”

Kerstin Friesland from Munich was at the Yoga festival for the fourth time. “From the moment I came to Parmarth Niketan Ashram, I felt a special energy. It’s absolutely unique. Practicing yoga on the banks of Ganga is just beautiful. I feel blessed every time I come here. This festival gives you an opportunity to connect with people who share the same vibes.”

For Kerstin, the essence of Yoga is to feel her true identity. “To stay in the moment and to become connected with everything around me. To embrace the idea of ‘all is one’. Yoga has changed my life immensely. I started 10 years ago and for the last two years, I have been teaching Yoga in Germany. Yoga is my big rescue for all of my struggles in life. It gives me the power to come back to myself and to concentrate on myself. It is such a beautiful tool for me.”      

Melanie and Nadine from Zurich, Switzerland emphasized that Yoga was kind of a lifeline for them. Melanie said, “We come here to feel the vibrance that’s so infectious and to attend the classes and sessions that are so enriching.” Nadine said, “It boosts the spirit and gives me a lot of self-validation and confidence.”

Yash from Kolkata attended the event for the first time. “My mom has been coming here since 5-6 years. She loves it. This time, I decided to be here to look within, get away from my routine, just relax. Also have some kind of positive transformation, meet new people, be more tolerant and more open to ideas, look after my body, have a sense of gratitude and learn something new.”

For the first time, Karen did Kundalini Yoga here during the festival with Gurushabd Singh Khalsa. She said “It was a totally different experience. I also attended a fascinating class of Leela Yoga Vinyasa with Erica Kaufman. It offered calm and a connection with nature. It was very inspirational and exciting. This is what this festival brings — a different vision and thought. It has opened up my mind, my heart and my spirit to see and feel Yoga and live Yoga. Earlier, I thought Yoga was just a practice. Now, I am living Yoga, being Yoga. It has been a life-changing moment.” 

Undoubtedly, Yoga has the power to change lives. Yoga leads to a healthy body, a peaceful mind, a happy heart, and a liberated soul. There were over 70 hours of Yoga classes from Yoga teachers practicing multiple styles of Yoga including Kundalini Yoga, Power Vinyasa Yoga, Iyengar Yoga and Kriya Yoga during the seven -day festival. Some of the most interesting sessions/classes included ‘The Art, Science, and Bliss of Vedic Chanting by Dr Katy Jane; Mastery of Pranayama by Mohan Bhandari; Vedanta: The Ultimate Pursuit of Man by Swami Svatmananda; Heart Chakra Balancing by Yogrishi Vishvketu; How To Manage Anxiety Through Ayurveda by Maria Alejandra Avcharian; Embodied Nonduality: The Nervous System As The Gateway To Self-Mastery by Dr Andrea Paige; Detox And Renew — Secrets To Anti-Ageing by Dr Smita Naram; Prana Shakti — Soul Sadhana by Saul David Raye; Sooth Your Insides: Mindfulness and Metta by Dr Eden Goldman; Yoga Nidra For Ancestral Healing and Self-Forgiveness by Kal Prakashini; and Cosmic Healing and Pranik Nidra by Dr Urmila Pande.

The diverse sessions started at 4am and ended at 5.30 pm every day. Ganga aarti, kirtans and cultural programmes followed the classes in the evening. Besides, satsangs and divine discourses were rendered by saints and spiritual masters from India. The festival helped participants to learn from enlightened spiritual leaders, yoga teachers, evolutionary thought leaders, and wellness experts to discover their inner selves.