Kalani Hosts the Second Annual 2014 Hawaiʻi Yoga Festival
This November, yogis from around the world will converge at Kalani, Hawaii Island’s largest and longest-standing yoga and retreat center, for a heart-opening experience: the second annual 2014 Hawaiʻi Yoga Festival.
An educational 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Kalani fosters connection to the island chain’s rich cultural heritage, oneness with nature, personal wellness and the pursuit of spiritual growth. Preparing to celebrate its forty-year anniversary in 2015, Kalani hosts group retreats and individual guests for workshops and unique learning experiences, while supported and operated by a dedicated volunteer community.
Located in East Hawaii’s Puna District, within thirty miles of active volcano Kilauea, Kalani is an essential destination for yogis, adventure travelers, and spiritual seekers. At this power spot, volcano goddess Pele personifies the creation of the planet’s newest land; a profound natural display of the death and rebirth cycles. This transformational energy has made Hawaiʻi Island a natural fit for those seeking spiritual growth, and as a means of connecting more deeply with the planet’s energetic flow.
As host and epicenter of the second annual Hawaiʻi Yoga Festival, Kalani continues to strengthen this reputation as a premiere stop along the “The Yoga Coast” – a nickname coined in celebration of the area’s high concentration of yoga teachers and spiritual healers. From Kalani’s stunning 120-acre campus, guests are within a short walk of this spectacular conservation coastline, with its black volcanic cliffs juxtaposed against the pristine blue ocean.
In preservation of its thrilling natural setting, Kalani has become a pioneer in the global movement toward sustainability and stewardship of the land. Through programs like the Hawaiʻi Yoga Festival, Kalani models this philosophy, while celebrating wellness and community in joy. All who have the opportunity to share in this experience add to the ripple effect just by being there; witnessing the unlimited healing and creative potential available when people come together in alignment of body, mind, and spirit - with the best interests of the planet at heart.
Kalani is characterized by its simple accommodations, breathtaking tropical setting, and an unparalleled volunteer and sabbatical program. Volunteers of all ages and backgrounds arrive at Kalani to serve in one of Kalani’s five main departments: Kitchen, Housekeeping, Maintenance, Horticulture, and Permaculture. Volunteers commit to one to three months of service, giving them ample time to connect with the ʻaina (land), to themselves, and with one another - for a once in a lifetime opportunity to live in Hawaiʻi.
Volunteer and sabbatical participants are drawn Kalani for similar reasons as many guests: to enjoy a respite from the frenzied pace of life on the mainland, thus creating space to explore one’s hobbies, individual path, and higher purpose. By extending themselves in service to Kalani’s shorter-term guests and visitors for events such as the Hawaiʻi Yoga Festival, the Kalani community has become a wellspring of contentment with “less” in a world where happiness is still largely equated with material success and abundance.
At Kalani, abundance comes in many forms: in the abundant organic produce at every meal, cultivated by nearby farmers, in the laughter heard throughout the expansive, green campus, and in the aloha shared by volunteers, guests, visitors, and staff who are all welcomed as ʻohana (family). In this environment, an experience of enlightenment is possible; letting go of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual baggage no longer in alignment with the highest good of the self, the community, or the planet.
Abundance also comes in the form of access to educational programs and activities for all. With an extensive roster of more than fifty classes each week, Kalani invites volunteers and guests of diverse backgrounds, ages, and belief systems to freely explore their passions – while tapping into the energetic pulse and exquisite natural beauty of Hawai‘i. Classes offered year-round include a variety of asana practices such as Hatha, Vinyasa, and Kundalini, along with meditation, hula, weaving, ʻukelele, wellness treatments, and energy work.
During the Hawaiʻi Yoga Festival, attendees will have access to even more classes, workshops and performances. The festival kicks off on November 9th with The Bhakti Hawaiʻi Celebration at Ka Wai a Pele (Green Lake), one of the most sacred sites in Hawaiʻi. Bhakti Hawaiʻi will feature a full day of live music, yoga, wellness rituals, lakeside meditation, ecstatic dance, local food, traditional Hawaiian ceremonies and cultural talks.
Yogis and yoginis will be welcomed to Kalani for the Hawaiʻi Yoga Festival in the spirit of aloha. While aloha is most commonly known as a Hawaiian greeting, it also connotes the ancient Hawaiian way of living: joyfully sharing life with one’s ʻohana, being present in each moment, embodying compassion and love, and honoring nature and one another.
For more information on Hawaiʻi Yoga Festival, please visit www.HawaiiYogaFestival.com
To learn more about Kalani or to make a contribution, please visit www.Kalani.com
