By Shona Williams
Fernie’s first ever Yoga and Wellness festival is happening this month.
As part of the downtown Sunday Summer Socials, on Saturday, August 24 and Sunday, August 25, the festival will include lots of yoga events, from a river float to a laughing yoga session.
On the Sunday as well as yoga downtown, businesses will be out on Second Avenue with health and wellness information and products for people to sample.
Saturday afternoon starts with a yogi river float, meeting at Rotary Park at 4 p.m. ($28 covers the cost of the raft and shuttle). This is followed at 6 p.m. by yoga and live music, fire spinning, kirtan, a market of artisan vendors and a dinner served by Infinitea – all at the Station Square between the Arts Station and the Legion (there is a $25 cost for the food and evening events). The evening will wind up with rhythmic tunes to flow and dance to.
On Sunday all events are free and are being staged at Rotary Park, downtown and the Arts Station. At Rotary Park the program begins at 9 a.m. with a walking yoga meditation, followed by a Laughing Yoga session which will run concurrently with the Fernie Mountain Market. At 1 p.m. a children’s musical procession will march from the Mountain Market to downtown Fernie.
Throughout the afternoon the downtown stores will be showcasing sample treatments and workshops focusing on wellness. Live Latin music with Pancho and Sal will keep the beat going. On Second Avenue there will be free yoga classes starting at 1.30 p.m. with Earth Rhythms Yoga and when the children’s musical parade arrives from the Mountain Market there will be a kids’ yoga class.
Events at The Arts Station begin with Yoga for Seniors at 10 a.m. followed by an empowering flow yoga class, a workshop on Understanding How Reincarnation Works, Therapeutic Yoga and a Mindfulness Meditation –these classes are running until early in the afternoon. This is an incredible chance to try out some yoga if you have never done it before, or to sample a different style of yoga. There is something for everyone and all ages from kids to seniors, and all levels of fitness.
The grand finale of the festival is the attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the longest ever yoga chain. This currently stands at 693 people. No experience is needed as organizers have chosen four easy poses to encourage people of all abilities to participate. The Guinness World Record attempt begins 3 p.m. Sunday August 25 downtown. Sign up and pledge to be part of the chain, and 'like' at https://www.facebook.com/longestyogachain or email cherylsherry@gmail.com
Find out more on the World Record Attempt at the web page http://www.ferniechamber.com/yogaworldrecord
Can you volunteer at the event? Or donate your old yoga mat? Mats can be left at the Chamber of Commerce, or loaned on the day. Cheryl or the staff at the Chamber of Commerce would love to hear from you if you can help Fernie try for the Yoga Chain World Record.