It’s #TravelTuesday so I wanted to share with you that this weekend (Thursday February 25-Sunday February 28) is Wanderlust Oahu here on the North Shore (or, more specifically, at Turtle Bay Resort). I attended this yoga and music festival, a four-day celebration of mindful living, last year, and will be there again this Saturday. It features world-class yoga teachers, live music, local food and vendors, and guided adventures (SUP yoga, surfing, horseback riding, etc.). There is still time to get tickets, here.
Below are my Wanderlust Oahu 2015 highlights; I’ll share the same for 2016, next week!
1: Waking up before sunrise
Ok, yes, it kind of sucked (I hate waking up, since I’m a horrible sleeper and always tired) but it was actually really nice to be forced out of my regular routine. I stayed in a room at a cute house close to Turtle Bay (pictured here), through Airbnb.
I volunteered at the festival (in exchange for a ticket) and also worked at the Lily Lotus booth, so I was busy before dawn, all day, and past dusk. It was exhausting, but I got to pack it all in!
2: Taking classes taught by famous yoga teachers
Ok, so to be honest, I actually didn’t love the two classes I took by famous teachers. Their teaching style just didn’t mesh with my personal yoga practice/vibe. But, I am so grateful that I got to experience their classes first-hand, and I look forward to trying more new (to me) teachers this year. (Parenthetically, I loved local teacher Noelani’s Shakti Yoga class!)
3: LOCAL FOOD
It’s almost all healthy, often vegetarian, and local. Need I say more?
4: Socializing
I showed up to my first yoga class alone, but by the end of the second class, I’d amassed a group of friends and fellow yoga teachers I knew! The event is fantastic for networking if you’re a local involved in the yoga community.
I also got to meet so many awesome, friendly new people, both local and from the mainland.
5: Shopping
I am a Retail Specialist after all, so if you can’t guess, I enjoy shopping (of the leisurely, unnecessary variety). There were lots of great vendors last year; I love the Jolyn bikini top I bought, and I was introduced to the Canadian company Inner Fire. Of course, I worked with the local yoga and lifestyle clothing brand Lily Lotus.
I got to work at their booth and it was hot, intense, but SO FUN. We got to interact with pretty much everyone at the festival, as well as listen to the live music and classes happening on the main outdoor stage.
I love this local brand, the people who run it and the product. If you are at Wanderlust this year come say hi!
6: Trying SUP Yoga
After trying it, I actually think SUP Yoga is a silly novelty. I do think it can be fun and interesting to try yoga asana in unusual or unexpected places. However, it doesn’t make much sense to me personally, to practice yoga on a board floating in the water. I am still including it in my highlights because:
- I’m grateful that I got to try it first-hand
- You can’t deny I totally nailed that headstand (even though I couldn’t balance in any standing pose at all)
- Savasana is the one pose that’s actually improved on a surfboard… floating on salt water under the sun in savasana is as amazing as it sounds
- I was assigned as my volunteer duty to assist the SUP Yoga team, and they were awesome (check out the Wanderlust SUP manager, Sarah, here)
7: North Shore Sunsets
I am a TOTAL sunset junkie, and these were stunning. I am looking forward to more of these this year!
So now that you’ve read all the way through, I have to ask:
- are you coming?!
- if so, what are you most looking forward to?
- even if you can’t make it, what sounds like the best highlight to you?
