Celebrate the return of mass in-person yoga festivals with the much-awaited Yogafest World Edition (W.E.) on 25th and 26th June 2022, Saturday and Sunday, at Sentosa, Palawan Green, the venue partner for this year. Supported by Sport Singapore and part of its initiative to bring sports back after the pandemic, this weekend festival which was last held virtually in 2020 comes back as every yogi’s ultimate namaste playground with an array of classes to suit all levels. From mass yoga sessions at the Flow Stage to specialised classes at the Explore Stage led by iconic yoga teachers, an AcroYoga Village featuring popular personalities for partner movement and play, and a curated selection of healthy bites to refuel, the first mass in-person yoga event since the pandemic will reconnect and reunite yogis physically again, at the same time inspire newcomers to join in the flow and festivities.
One of the international star instructors this year is Dice lida-Klein (@diceyoga) who began teaching yoga in 2008 after completing his 200-hour Anusara teacher training in Los Angeles, US. For the last 10 years, Dice has travelled globally, running retreats, teaching workshops, teaching at festivals and leading teacher trainings. He started exploring modalities outside of the “yogic” realm and found a new appreciation for the human body and what it’s capable of. He is currently studying with the FRC group, delving into mobility and its function in the movement world. Dice continues to combine his love of mobility with his love of yoga, creating a beautiful marriage of the mindfulness practice. Experience Dice’s 90-mins Hip Focused Flow on Day 1, 25th June and 90-mins Strong Back, Open Heart Flow on Day 2, 26th June at the Flow Stage.
Another overseas sensation making his Singapore appearance is Victor Chau (@victorchauyoga) who also taught at the first Yogafest W.E. in 2019. With over 10,000 hours of yoga teaching in over 11 years, Victor is a yoga teacher and mentor in Asia and Europe and has run over 50 yoga workshops, retreats, teacher trainings, and presented in yoga conferences in over 20 cities. He specialises in inversions, arm balances and core strengthening, taught in a scientific and safe manner. Today, Victor’s mission is to create a community that can help grow future yoga teachers. Immerse with Victor at his 75-mins Empowered Flow on Day 1 and his 90-mins Inversions workshop on Day 2 at the Flow Stage.
Exploring healing through sound, music and movement
Gayle and Ida
Other local yoga celebrities on the Flow Stage include Gayle Nerva (@gaylenerva), who is also a singer- songwriter and musician who believes in the healing powers of sound and song, Brandon Chong (@branstands), who has taught people from all walks of lives through his background in using movement and relaxation techniques, and Dawn Sim (@thatmomoffour), a mother of four who has been teaching yoga for over 20 years now and is trained in sound therapy using sound bowls and gongs.
Over at the Explore Stage, yogis can delve into focused classes like Handstands, Kundalini and Meditation. Miryam Acosta (@miyam_acosta) who has taught yoga in various studios from Ecuador to Thailand leads a foundational inversions class of tripods and headstands. Fizzy (@fizzyoga) who has been a yoga instructor in Singapore since 2016 takes participants on a journey into the world of handstands and six-packs. Kathy Gabriel (@kathygabriel__), the founder and co-director of Urban Yogis, a collective redefining the yoga experience beyond the studio setting, guides yogis with her restorative yoga therapy. Noel Tuan (@noeltuan) a strong believer in self-empowerment combines Kundalini Yoga and The Akashic Records to support others in rediscovering their true self. There is also Kirtan, a form of music meditation practice by Gayle Nerva and Ida (@ida.lives), Myofascial Release and Mindfull Art Meditation by Urban Yogis (@urbanyogissg).
Acro-Village – highlighting AcroYoga
A highlight of the festival this year is the Acro-Village. It offers an exclusive space and programme for AcroYogis to move, play and connect. As a rising trend in Asia and with a growing community in Singapore, fans of AcroYoga will be delighted to experience a combination of acrobatics, yoga and healing arts with renowned teachers.
Among the popular Acro teachers is Jonathan Rea (@acrowithjon) hailing from Venice, California, whom after years of weightlifting discovered a love for yoga which evolved into a passion for acrobatics. With his combined 7 years of yoga, AcroYoga and standing acrobatics, he has fine-tuned his body’s capacity to collaborate with partners physically and mentally. He now lifts people to new heights literally and figuratively with his deeper understanding of alignment and technique. Experience the thrill of learning something new and the joy of human connection at his 90-mins Acro Pop and Flow Washing Machine session on Day 1 and 90-mins Intro to Icarian on Day 2, at the Acro- Village. All levels are welcome and no partner necessary! In Acro terms, a ‘washing machine’ starts from a particular pose and ends in the same exact pose thus creating a transitional cycle or loop that can be repeated over and over.
Another AcroYoga teacher in demand is Jiamin (@jyanyoga) founder of Jyan Yoga Studio and who is Singapore’s first AcroVinyasa certified instructor.She is passionate in building the Acro community and offers regular Acro classes and workshops at her studio. Combining elegant dance movement, in-depth working experience of people with back injuries, and her love for yoga, these are huge driving forces in her desire to teach and spread the joy of yoga and Acro to the community. Join her for 60-mins AcroYoga 101 on Day 1 which is suitable for complete beginners and 90-mins Washing Machine: 4- Step and Variations designed on progressive learning for all levels on Day 2 at the Acro-Village.
Also sharing their creative Acro practice at the Acro-Village is Christine Falaguerra (@teenie29) who has been addicted to AcroYoga since 2013 and practices and teaches all elements of Acro, and Melanie Ladybase (@ladybase_) a movement coach from Canada with over 10 years of experience, who teaches internationally Acro intensives and has an eye for precision and specific queuing.
Organiser and Founder of Yogafest W.E., Tricia Fok, an avid yogi and AcroYoga practitioner herself, is excited to bring back the third edition of Yogafest W.E. after a virtual run in 2020 and missing out last year. She has been counting the days to see and welcome the yogi community in-person to another mass yoga festival.
“I am thrilled that we can finally organise Yogafest W.E. in-person, and unite and grow a community of wellness after 2 years. Most of us, like myself, have missed the physical interaction and camaraderie of our yoga community at festivals, particularly our Acro circle which is partner-based and a more social activity. With 20 classes over 2 days, famed instructors from Hong Kong to US, it will be a fantastic weekend to open practice together and mingle with one another again. Now is the time to rediscover and re-explore beyond boundaries and routines of our yoga practice. The Acro-Village which was meant to be the showcase in 2020 will engage yogis on another level to experience trust and connection out of their comfort zones. There will also be a conscious food market with specially selected vendors serving acai bowls to vegan burgers. Yogafest W.E. caters to all levels, giving participants the chance to choose and create their day as they like, reuniting with their like-minded community. Yoga is meant for every body every day and I am truly delighted to present Yogafest W.E. again for people to take part in and enjoy the holistic benefits of yoga,” said Tricia Fok, Organiser & Founder, Yogafest W.E.
Tickets to Yogafest W.E. 2022 can be bought online at https://yogafest.live/tickets/
The first 300 Super Early Bird tickets have been sold out and the current tier of Early Bird tickets start at SGD78 for a 1 Day pass or SGD218 for a bundle of 3 tickets. It is SGD128 for a 2 Days pass or SGD368 for a bundle of 3 tickets. Each ticket holder is entitled to allocated day/s access to the festival, access to all stages and all classes.
Images: Yogafest World Edition 2022
Melissa Fann
Rui Ting Goh
Natasha Mitter
