Fernie’s first ever Yoga and Wellness festival is happening on Saturday, August 24 and Sunday, August 25 as part of the Downtown Sunday Summer Socials.
Organizer Cheryl Sherry has put together an exciting line up of yoga events for both days. 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 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 fun 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.
The Arts Station part of the festival begins with Yoga for Seniors at 10 a.m. and is 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 – 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.