Picture Credit : Embassy of India, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Rishikesh, the yoga capital of the world, invites everyone across the globe who has embraced the divine lifestyle for the 7 day’s long celebration of the union of the body, soul and mind. Starting from 1st March, International Yoga Festival(IYF) hosted by Parmarth Niketan Ashram in association with Incredible India, Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India, will be the 29th of its kind. What started as a small initiative has now turned into one of the biggest yoga festivals in the world, attracting over 2000 participants from about 100 countries.
IYF is the brainchild of Uttar Pradesh Tourism back in 1999 when Rishikesh was still a part of the state. It was held in the Hotel Ganga Kinare every year in the first week of February. After a few successful years when the crowd grew the Government of Uttar Pradesh approached Parmarth Niketan Ashram to host the Festival at the ashram. Participants were still staying at the hotels, but their classes and programs were held at Parmarth. The change from the hotel environment to an Ashram was so well received that the U.P. Tourism added an Ashram Package from the next year onwards which son become very popular. And with this growing popularity the involvement of the hotel was completely eliminated. In 20003, the crowd grew from a hundred to 130 and what started with about thirty students with a few yogarcharyas in a hotel is now one of the world’s biggest yoga festivals.
From its infant stage, IYF has aimed to embrace every major style of yoga and learn from enlightened Spiritual Leaders, Master Yoga Teachers, Evolutionary Thought Leaders, and Wellness Specialists from around the world. This year too the presenters array includes various known names from both the Eastern and Western lineages of Yoga. These individuals have influenced and defined Yoga in the 21st century. The list includes Swami Ramdevji, Shankaracharya Swami Divyanand Teerthji, Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati, Paramaguru Sharath Jois, Gabriela Bozaic, Dana Flynn, Dr. Vandana Shiva, Sadhvi Abha Saraswati, Gurushabd Singh Khalsa and many more. The mornings starts at 4am with Kundalini Sadhna for the more devoted ones and ends at 10pm with the cultural fest enriched by performances by great talents like Kailash Kher, Maestro Pankaj Suhas, Waka, Uttaran, Nrityavali etc.
The intense schedule will be packed with opportunities to take part in over 70 hours of Yoga classes from world-class Yoga teachers practicing multiple styles of Yoga including Kundalini Yoga, Power Vinyasa Yoga, Iyengar Yoga and Kriya Yoga. The participants will also be blessed with the presence, satsang and divine words of revered saints and spiritual masters from within India. And amongst this spiritual experience one also participates in the Ganga Arrti ceremony. The Yagna puja allows for devotional offerings to be made into a sacred fire. All on the banks of the Ganges and led by Pujya Swamiji, Sadhvi Abhaji (Mataji) & our Parmarth Rishikumars.
So come and shape your divine life with yogis from worldwide and find your yoga family.
Website : International Yoga Festival