Eurpean Yoga Festival’s Live Music – A New Release

While in France at the Eurpean Yoga Festival I had the great please of meeting a whole new set of musicians that embody the mantras and teachings of yogi bhajan. Just as summer solstice brings people from this part of the globe together, the european yoga festival attracts lovers of mantras & meditation. Two recording engineers from England micc’ed the festival in 2007 and released this double CD this summer at the festival. It features the music of Guru Dass Kaur, Mirabai Ceiba, Satya Singh, Aurora, Sat Hari Singh, sat kirin kaur, Sadasat Kaur and so many more. It is a two CD collection with the best tracks recorded from morning Sadhana and then another CD of music recorded throughout the festival.

European Yoga Festival

Spirit Voyage had the honor of having a booth this year at the european yoga festival in France. It is truly anamazing and life changing event. 1200 + people gather at a chateau 2 hours south of paris for 7 days of yoga, meditation, white tantric yoga, and lots of fun. It is similar to summer solstice but has a unique flavor all of its own. About half of the festival attendees are German and the remainder of the attendees come from the rest of the world.

Some of the highlights were an all camp meditation, where everyone sits around a lake and makes prayers for peace. We were enchanted by Mirabai’s music and really kind words from Satya Singh from Germany.

My favorite yoga teacher Guru Dev teaches some of his best classes at the festival. I got to set up the spirit voyage booth next to karta singh from France who has an vibrant ashram in the south of France.

Yoga in Russia seems to have taken off as well. It was fascinating to meet people living in a rapidly changing country who approach yoga as a catalyst for social change. I once attended a debate between sri sri ravi shankar from the art of living and a famous Hindi actor. Here was a quote ” If Marx proclaimed religion the opiate of the masses. I say yoga is the opiate of the rich.”

Many of the attendees are very much into what seemed like numerology to me but from the teachings of Karam Kriya. I was informed that America represents Number 3 to which I was clearly shocked. How can america be anything but number 1!!” I had a colbert moment.

Of course my european comrades had good fun with “my typical americanness”. Upon deeper inquiry they explained in the karam kriya school numbers are assigned to all types of categories and countries can be one of them. So naturally the “3″ would represent the positive mind and optimism but potentially over confidence and arrogance, in this system. We have a couple books on numerology that are good intros but I think this school goes into much further depth. Check it out here

Here are some of pictures from the festival

Sada Sat Kaur who recorded Angel’s Waltz and Shashara is sooo cool & sweet. Her next album will hopefully be out in 2009. Fingers crossed

yoga festival chateau

Acro Yoga

benjamin flying

nirinjan kaur and Jerome

Ravi dancing Bhangra

siri om and harg