ALL ROOTS YOGA FESTIVAL | REVIEW
Stackpole Estate, Pembrokeshire, Fri 12-Sun 14 June
OOOOMMMMM…..as the meditative chants and mantras echoed around the idyllic West Wales village of Stackpole, the stresses and tensions of our busy urban lives melted away as we threw ourselves head over heels (not quite literally) into the wonderful All Roots Yoga Festival.
It is hard to think of a more perfect “zen” setting for such an event, the Stackpole Estate is situated a short walk from one of the most beautiful and wild parts of the Welsh coastline. The unspoilt beaches of Broadhaven and Barafundle Bay are sublimely beautiful and the famous Bosherston lily ponds are ideal for nature walks, with the opportunity of spotting a variety of wildlife including the most magically coloured damselflies and dragonflies, and if you’re lucky, the chance to see otters.
We arrived on a rainy Friday evening, and immediately felt spoilt for choice at the variety of classes and activities on offer. There was something for everyone, from the complete yoga novice to the incredibly bendy yoga master. Families were well catered for, with a separate programme of kids’ activities including yoga for children, body-popping, lantern making, circus skills and yoga art. The food on offer was of the vegetarian and very healthy variety, with some amazing fresh desserts and home baked delicacies to be bought-all at very reasonable prices.
There was a mind-boggling array of different types of yoga to try, including some that we had never heard of: Kundalini Yoga, Yin Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga, Mindful yoga & meditation, Hatha Yoga, Sivananda Yoga, Gitananda Yoga, Shiva Nata, Yoga Nidra, and intriguingly, blindfold yoga. Classes ran from seven in the morning till ten in the evening, so the real yoga aficionados were able to bend and stretch from dawn till dusk.
However, it wasn’t just yoga on offer. There were classes of Biodanza, Somatic Movement, Esalen massage Crystal bowl and voice sound healing, intuitive healing and Nutritional workshops.
Kirtan was a new experience for us, based on ancient chants it can be experienced, according to your mind-set, as a quasi-religious experience or as a meditative sing-song!
The highlight of the weekend, however, was the Gong and Didge Bath – possibly the most sublime and relaxing ninety minutes I’ve ever experienced. A Gong Bath is a form of sound healing, around fifty people were laying on the floor whilst a gong and a didgeridoo were played. Although it gets very loud, the repetitive nature and the increasing volume of the instruments bring about a feeling of detachment from the physical plane and a feeling of complete relaxation ensues-yes, we fell asleep! But what a sleep! It felt like the equivalent of a week’s sleep in ninety minutes.
We had a wonderful time at the festival, the only downside was the rain on the first two days. It’s a most relaxing and chilled way to spend a weekend, totally noncommercial, and a welcome breather from the frenetic pace of life in the city.
words and photos SARAH EDWARDS