MIDWEST YOGA
AND KIRTAN FESTIVAL
Fri, Sept 20th - Sun, Sept 22nd 2019
Jefferson County Fairgrounds Jefferson, WI
This is the Heartland!
Midwest Yoga and Kirtan Fest
is a homegrown festival in the works.
This is a new breed of chantfest co-created by
artists, teachers, and YOU to bring the heart-
opening bhava to the Midwest.
This is a festival for the people, by the people.
It honors the wallahs, musicians, and teachers
who nourish our souls and gives back to a worthy
charity. Join us for a heart opening experience
like no other! Sing with all day non-stop kirtanin
a wide variety of musical styles. Practice different
styles of Yoga in classes that run from morning to
evening. Learn more about the ancient science of
Yoga in unique workshops. Shop in our vendor
village and taste delicious vegetarian cuisine!
Midwest Yoga and Kirtan Fest takes place in an
alcohol and drug free environment.
YOGA
Yoga means to join
together, to reunite. Find
yourself on the mat
practicing the balance of
strength, balance, breath,
and mindfulness. Deepen
your personal practice
with experienced
teachers and find a way
to reunite with you.
KIRTAN
Sing together with some of
the best wallahs from the
Midwest and beyond! This is
Bhakti yoga - the yoga of love,
It’s a call and response style
chanting/singing that is
guaranteed to give you that
experience we call bhav; a
heart fully soaked with love!
WORKSHOPS
Delve deep into a new
spaces and learn more
about what Yoga and
Kirtan really are. From
singing bowls and
gongs to Hindu
deities, practical
spirituality, and
awakening to love
find yourself here.
COMMUNITY
This is a space to make new
friends and create new
bonds. Singing together,
practicing together, eating
together, just being together
with like minded, good
hearted people for a few days
can really make a change for
good in one’s life and the
people around them!
Second Stage
Saturday
8:30am - 9:30 Shanti Maya - Hanuman Chalisa
9:30am - 10:30 Shanti Maya - Kirtan
10:45am - 11:45 Amy and the Bliss Tribe
12pm - 1 DEVI 2000
1:15pm - 2:15pm Brilliant Bliss Kirtan
2:30pm - 3:30 Ananda Lila
3:45pm - 4:45pm Supersonic Soul Circle
Sunday
9:45am - 10:45 Gina Slager
11am - 12 Love, Light, and Harmony
12:15pm - 1:15 Fred Bliffert and the Blisstones
1:30pm - 2:30 Eric Majeski
FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
Friday
9pm - 11:30 Roman Borochin · Ecstatic Dance Party
Ecstatic Dance is an extraordinary social dance gathering and
practice, where you can dance and move any way you want, and
feel free to be you with others that want the same. Our dance
floor is a verbal conversation-free space which allows for more
movement and non-verbal communication. Making noise and
sounds is very accepted, and of course there is a space away from
the dance floor to connect while talking. There is also no
photography or videography on the dance floor to help support
the highest expression of movement in dance. To assist in
dancing with others, dancing by your self, and in being brave and
pushing your self to take risks we set and uphold clear consent
guidelines that can invite someone to dance, say no to an
invitation, and finish a shared dance.
Saturday
8:15am - 9:30 August Ristow · Gentle Vinyasa Yoga
Open the day with a lighter, slow flow vinyasa yoga class focused
on the balance of Sthira and Suhka - strength and ease. Gentle
doesn’t mean easy, it’s how we practice. Reconnect back to the
first two yoga principles: Ahimsa and Satya. Non-Harming and
Truthfulness. All levels welcome.
10am - 12 Sean Johnson · Wildy Devoted - Bhakti on
the Mat
Deepen your soul connection by merging the heart-opening
qualities of bhakti yoga with the vitality of asana. This playful
practice kicks off with engaging storytelling and chanting that
flows into a vinyasa yoga practice to bring the story to life within
you through breath, movement, song, and imagination.
12:30pm - 1:45 Ragani · Live in Yoga
This powerful guided experience of ridiculously simple, gentle
movements will serve to awaken the Ever Present inner yogi
within you. Discover this deeper thread of all yoga practices and
awaken to the experience of living in awareness. The clear
guidance you receive in this class will serve you in your daily life,
and it can be easily applied to any future yoga class that you
attend (or teach). One of the rare yoga classes offered by Ragani
and recommended for both beginning and advanced
practitioners, regardless of age or ability or yoga smartness.
2pm - 3:15 Shannon Connell Fischer · Midwest Mid-
Fest Soma & Soul Recharge
Take an afternoon break to restore & recharge body, mind, heart
and soul. We will explore the Somatic (nurturing, fluid,
rejuvenating) principles of movement, various pranayama
methods, chanting/mantra and an awakening and relaxing
practice to help us connect and flow even more with the river of
life within...
3:30pm - 4:45 Karen Weber · Freedom & Fulfillment
Why does peace feel temporary? Why do my patterns seem to
get the best of me? Do I actually have the power to change
them? The Divine Mother with Her complete knowledge (as the
knower, known and means of knowing) and limitless Shakti has
always been the path to everlasting peace. She patiently allows
her child explore every possibility until we come to our own
conclusion that She is the solution & the fulfillment we’ve been
seeking. With eyes open we see that ‘I am not the Doer’. Join
Karen Weber for an exploration of Ishvara Pranidhana &
experience the joy that comes from effortless alignment with Thy
will. All levels welcome.
Sunday
9am - 10:15 Ryan Hader · Tandava Yoga
Tandava is described as a vigorous dance that is the source of the
cycle of creation, preservation and dissolution-a dance of personal
liberation. This 75 Min Yoga class focuses on alignment within
basic poses. This is not an advanced Posture class, yet will include
meditation techniques such as Pranayam (Yogic Breathing), Japa
Meditation (repeating mantras with meditation beads) or
applying Bhandas (energy locks in the body) to basic poses. Our
intent with this delivery is to help people meditate with greater
ease. Every class will end with 15 minutes of meditation or
extended final resting pose.
10:30am - 11:30 Eric Perez · Alignment Flow
This class is anchored in alignment principles and structural bio
mechanics. A combination of vinyasa (one breath per movement)
and static poses (holds and aligning the entire body). Each class is
heavily themed towards Svadhyaya or self study: response versus
reaction, as well as cultivating a sense of self love and trust.
Integration of regular ‘’posture clinics’’ and moments of a
classroom setting with educating and observing before executing
will help deepen your understanding and awareness allowing for
a healing experience. Actively practicing the law of attraction, and
the verbiage is always uplifting and inspiring. If you are looking for
a deeper connection to yourself, healing, and looking to change
your life, this class is for you. Going well beyond the physicality of
the postures with breathing exercises, chanting mantras, or
sitting in meditation. Come to light your fire, clear your mind, and
open your heart!
11:45am - 12:45 Shayne Broadwell · Vinyasa Yoga
Literally translated from Sanskrit, vinyasa means “connection.”
Vinyasa Yoga synchronizes movement with breath which helps
the practitioner develop a greater sense of self-awareness,
balance, and harmony with themselves and their environment.
Classes are high energy and will include smoothly flowing
movements between poses guided by the force of inhales and
exhales. Each class is unique, but may include the many
variations of Sun Salutations as well as standing postures,
inversions, backbends, forward folds, and balancing postures.
1pm - 2 Laura Rooney · Hatha Yoga
Quality matters at least as much as quantity and asana doesn’t
need to be fancy to be effective and enjoyable! Explore breadth
and depth of optimal alignment and execution of a variety of
foundational yoga poses, basic breathing exercises and relaxation
in this 60-minute led yoga practice accessible to all.
Awakening the Yogi-Artist
Bhakti Yoga Intensive with
Sean Johnson & The Wild Lotus Band
Sometimes in our life and our yoga practice we feel a little dried up,
thirsty for creative juice that reinvigorates our spirit. This intensive is
an invitation to drink from the life-giving well of bhakti yoga, the
yoga of the heart. Sing your heart out, rekindle your soul, stir the
gods and goddesses within you, tap into your inner poet, dance like
a child, and rejoice in the awakening of your unique voice and
creativity. Savor the intuitive freedom and exploration of exploring
art, song, poetry, and dance as an act of meditation and prayer.
Explore more deeply your own life story through interactive
storytelling, mythology, and journaling. Tune your being with
singing meditation, kirtan chanting, rhythm, and dance. Spark a
romance with life itself through exploration of the love poetry of the
Bhakti tradition.
Friday
5:30pm - 6:45 RU~IN Gongs · Gong Meditation -
Resetting your Frequency
Please join us for a 75 minute sound healing session, using a
variety of instruments for a multi-sensory experience. We will take
a journey with soothing, healing sounds and vibrations for
relaxation and renewal of spirit. Led by Ron Uttke, a Reiki
Practitioner and Shamanic Healer.
Saturday
8:30am - 9:45 Gina Armstrong · Peter Hess Singing
Bowl PlayShop
Join The Peter® Hess Academy Midwest and Peter Hess®
Certified Sound Massage Practitioners, as we weave you through
an inward journey utilizing the vibrations and sounds of Peter
Hess® Therapeutic Singing Bowls. Participants will have the
opportunity to feel and explore how the use of therapeutic
singing bowls on the body nurtures alignment, balance, and
stillness within. Ending with a sound infused guided sound
journey. Therapeutic Singing Peter Hess Singing Bowls available
for the first 30 participants. Please bring a yoga mat, blanket, pen,
and water bottle.
10am - 11:15 Manoj · Your Hero’s Journey - Hindu &
Buddhist Deities
Using statues to illustrate, Manoj will take you on an humorous
story telling journey and will relate the symbolism of Hindu and
Buddhist deities to the archetypes within us. We will all kayak the
collective unconscious of Jungian Archetypes that guide us in our
heroine’s journey to Self Actualization or Enlightenment. Uncover
their hidden symbolisms and learn the five ways to work with
them as part of a spiritual practice.
11:30am - 12:45 Chaitanya Charan Das · Practical
Spirituality
Chaitanya Charan is a monk, mentor and spiritual author. Seeing
the prevalent problems of stress, depression, addiction and overall
misdirection – all caused by a lack of spirituality – he felt inspired
to dedicate his life to the cause of sharing the spiritual wisdom of
the Bhagavad-gita under the aegis of ISKCON (International
Society for Krishna Consciousness). He will discuss spirituality in
the modern world.
1:30pm - 3:30 David Newman · Awakening to Love
Do you feel the transformational sparks of Spiritual Awakening
that is expanding rapidly on the planet today? There are many
paths and practices available to support us in this ultimate quest,
and one such path is the Way of Love. David Newman has made it
a life's passion to illuminate the practice of opening your heart,
and loving unconditionally as a vehicle for spiritual awakening.
Journey into the wisdom of your heart through Kirtan, and the
ageless teachings on the Path of Love, or Bhakti, as it is known in
the yogic tradition. Come and experience how embracing love,
fearlessly and wholeheartedly, can ignite your quest for
awakening, and fulfill your search for deeper meaning, greater
happiness and a higher truth.
4pm - 5:30 Lisa Gniady · Inner Child Healing through
Kundalini Yoga
Within our physical form we carry our stories. They define who we
are as individuals. Sometimes we have difficulty handling our life
stories. Through breath, movement and chanting let us unleash
the negative connections with the past. Open your heart to joy.
And ignite the desire to find happiness within. Smile, sweat and
come ready to free yourself of past attachments not serving your
highest self. Be Activated to a state of Ananda.
5:45pm - 7 RU~IN Gongs · Gong Meditation - Resetting
your Frequency
Please join us for a 75 minute sound healing session, using a
variety of instruments for a multi-sensory experience. We will take
a journey with soothing, healing sounds and vibrations for
relaxation and renewal of spirit. Led by Ron Uttke, a Reiki
Practitioner and Shamanic Healer.
Sunday
8:30am - 9:45 (STAGE 2) · Manoj - Awaken Shakti, the
Goddess Archetype within You
This class is suitable for men and women. The pinnacle of the
Goddess archetype is the Wisdom Goddess with side archetypes
of the Mother and the luminous Devi. Discover the archetypes of
Shakti within us as Lakshmi, Saraswati, Kali, Durga, Tara and Kwan
Yin. Unleash this Shakti, within you as the creative power of the
One that guides us through all aspects of life transitions and fully
express our heroine’s journey to Self Actualization.
8:30am - 9:45 Claire Stillman · Bliss of Thai Massage
Claire Stillman will guide a flow of techniques for an easy to
remember Thai Yoga Massage sequence. Come away from this
workshop having felt & learned to give an accessible massage
sequence and a new way of connecting with friends and family.
The art of Thai Yoga Massage is beneficial to the mind-body of
both giver and receiver. Rooted in Traditional Thai Medicine, Yoga
and Ayurveda, this is an ancient healing art using elements of
acupressure, energy work & yoga to relieve mind-body tension &
imbalances.
10am - 11:30 Lisa Gniady · Open your Intuition, Begin
today!
We all have to start somewhere. Opening to your Intuitive gifts is a
journey to awakening. To get a greater understanding of the
subtle realms, you need to go deep within yourself to find the
answers you seek. Discussion, Moving Affirmations to clear your
auric field, Breathwork and a Powerful Kundalini meditation will
be the spark to ignite your path to awakening.
Join Lisa Gniady, Spiritual Life Coach as you journey to discover
your own gifts.
11:45am - 1 Cindy Huston · Celebrate the Fall Equinox
The word equinox comes from Latin and means “equality of night
and day.” The fall equinox signifies the transition from summer to
fall. In the 5 element system the fall is earth. Honoring the
nourishment and nurturing we receive from the earth within us
and around us that helps humanity grow and create. What seeds
did you plant in the spring, nurture in the summer, and will be
harvested in the fall? What from your harvest will sustain you
throughout the winter? We will celebrate collectively with a
Restorative Yoga practice, meditation, and salt burning ceremony.
Bring a list of items you would like to place in the fire to be
released. What are you ready to be complete with? Change,
transform, release, and let go? Where will you choose to focus
your energy as we prepare to go inward heading toward the
winter months.
Om Mani Padme Hum
1:15pm - 2:30 RU~IN Gongs · Gong Meditation -
Resetting your Frequency
Please join us for a 75 minute sound healing session, using a
variety of instruments for a multi-sensory experience. We will take
a journey with soothing, healing sounds and vibrations for
relaxation and renewal of spirit. Led by Ron Uttke, a Reiki
Practitioner and Shamanic Healer.
PARTICIPATE
LODGING
CAMPING
Camping on site at the
Fairgrounds is available!
$22 a night - no hookups
$27 a night - with electric
$35 a night - with full hookups
Reserve your site by emailing
us indicating what type of site
you would like and which
nights you are reserving.
10brahman10@gmail.com
Please indicate the type of site
and which nights you are
reserving. Then send check to
MIDWEST YKF
14205 Newton Rd
Valders, WI 54245
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
(1) Is there a brief overview of the festival?
What’s this event about? What are the hours?
Friday registration beings at 11am.
The festival officially begins Friday at 4pm and goes to 11:30pm.
The first band plays at 5pm.
Saturday registration beings at 8am.
Festival starts at 8:30am and goes to 11:30pm.
Sunday registration beings at 8am.
Festival starts at 11am (currently) and goes to 3:30pm.
The event kicks off Friday with Yoga and Kirtan workshops and
events. Saturday, enjoy a full day of Yoga and Music. Sunday, we
carry out the weekend with all of the movement and mantra
music meditation your heart can hold as well as enjoy the great
food and goodies from the amazing vendors in between. You
may as well just camp out! Fair-grounds are available and ready
for you to claim your spot and pitch your tents.
(2) Is there a map key? How far apart are the two
stages and the yoga spaces?
Find the map key and a link to the fairground map below.
(3) Is it all indoors?
Everything is indoors though you will need to go outside to get
to some of the buildings. You should bring soft cushiony things
to sit on as the floors will be concrete. Bring blankets, pillows
and whatever else you need to be comfortable. Bringing an
umbrella and a poncho might be a good idea. There might be
some fun outside if the weather is kind.
(4) How close are the vendor booths to the stages?
Vendor booths are in main stage area and vendor hall.
TBD
Some campsites are as close as 100ft and some are farther away.
Take a look at the map of the fairgrounds to get a better idea.
There are lots of options though so if you want more private you
can have it.
Four major shower facilities are located throughout the
fairground.
Wi-Fi is free at the fairgrounds! Cell coverage is good but not
great.
Parking is free and it is about 500ft from the stages. There will
be some staff parking closer to the main stage area.
Yes. Bring a bottle for water!
There will be a supervised children’s area with a childcare
professional. This is located between the Main Stage and Yoga
Space 2. Look for an activities tent.
Yes. There will be some chairs for sure. We still recommend
bringing blankets, bolsters, and whatever else you need to be
comfortable as we sing our hearts out!
Yes! We have a Facebook group for that. Join it here for all the
info.
Well then click here to email us and we will update shortly!
Fri, Sept 20th - Sun, Sept 22nd 2019
Jefferson County Fairgrounds Jefferson, WI
Full 3 Day Festival Pass $200
Single Day Pass $100
Sean Johnson Pre-Festival Intenstive $75
“Awakening the Yogi-Artist Bhakti Yoga Intensive”
Friday, Sept 20th 11:30am - 4:30pm
All Tickets are Non-Refundable
2019 Sponsors
Check out these aweome people who helped
make this festival happen!
TICKET INFORMATION