How Festivals Help Cultivate Spiritual Community

Connecting with our spiritual essence can happen in various ways: communing with nature, meditating, practicing gratitude, or working with a spiritual teacher, just to name a few. Although these activities can be done solo, connecting with like-minded individuals through a shared community can further uplift and assist in our transformation.

In the past couple of years, festivals and events have made a big comeback and offer the perfect setting to gather with others in a like-minded community. There is a wide variety of options available. From conscious immersions, where one can spend several days practicing yoga, meditation, and other healing modalities, to music festivals that allow you to sing, dance, and move your body and elevate with sound, to smaller intimate retreats tailored to specific modalities. You can pick your setting, whether a more rustic or natural environment, an upscale retreat experience, a vigorous adventure, or something in between. There are plenty of options and something for everyone.

Bhakti Fest is one of our favorite festivals, combining many sacred transformational elements. This annual yoga and music festival occurs in the beautiful high desert of Joshua Tree, California. Joshua Tree has long been known as a vortex for conscious seekers and offers a perfect setting for a transformative experience. Bhakti Fest fosters a conscious community through the heart-centered practice of bhakti yoga, which cultivates a loving devotion to the divine through chanting, singing, meditation, sound healing, wellness workshops, and more.

Spend your days participating in various yoga and meditation classes with teachers like Seane Corn, Shiva Rea, Dianne Bondy, Andrew Sealy, and Janet Stone, offering options for all levels. Afternoons can include wisdom talks by spiritual leaders such as Jai Dev, Siva Mohan, and Tommy Rosen, exploring mindfulness, emotional healing, and purposeful living. Or stop by the Healing Sanctuary for some rejuvenating bodywork. From early in the morning to late in the evening, catch incredible conscious music performances as artists Krishna Das, MC Yogi, Deya Deva, Marieme, Ajeet, and many more take the stage to lead the audience into bliss through ecstatic rhythms and song.

The beauty of Bhakti Fest and other similar gatherings is that attendees can connect with like-minded individuals and share their unique experiences. Many events, Bhakti Fest included, offer the opportunity to gather casually for meals or have a quiet group chat to encourage new conversations and the sharing of ideas. The vibrant atmosphere makes it easy to strike up new friendships. Bhakti Fest is also one of the few festivals to offer a family-friendly setting that allows festivalgoers to bring their children and involve them in healthy, uplifting activities like yoga, dance, and crafts.

The ultimate goal when choosing which event to attend is to find what will best nourish your spiritual heart and foster personal growth. Attendees can open themselves to new perspectives, discover more about themselves, and return home with a renewed sense of purpose. Supportive communities can inspire people to integrate the teachings into daily life and create lifelong friendships that can be carried forth long after a festival has ended. An intangible magic happens when thousands of conscious souls gather with open hearts and minds. Lifelong friendships are formed, souls are stirred, and lives are profoundly impacted.

If you seek spiritual rejuvenation, a transformative experience, and community, we invite you to consider attending Bhakti Fest September 27-29th.

For more information on Bhakti Fest, please visit bhaktifest.com. Buy your tickets here and save 10% on your full festival pass with code “Spirituality.”