Telluride Yoga Festival Celebrates Six

Telluride wrapped up another incredible festival weekend in a sort of double-whamy- part moving and shaking and part posing and meditating.

Telluride Yoga Festival celebrated six years in the box canyon, and according to many locals, it was the best ever.

Men and women alike shuffled around Telluride, yoga mats in hand, some of them amazed, staring off into the peaks in wide-eyed wonder.

“This festival was done better than any other year. I could just feel new energy,” said visitor Ashley Pendleton.

Telluride Yoga Festival is under new management this year and now directed by Telluride locals Erika Henschel and Albert Roer.

Some of the highlights included the all day intensives, specifically the Strategies for Success: Sequencing class with Noah Maze.

Lara Catone, yoga teacher from Venice Beach in Los Angeles, held women’s classes this year — Yoga for Esctasy and Pleasure and Women’s Moon Wisdom — a treat for females of all ages that including ecstatic dance and self-expression.

Joey Luggasy, on harmonium, facilitated a kirtan Friday night at the Conference Center in Mountain Village, attended by TYF goers. In a unique devotional conference, Luggassy mixed eastern mantra with western beats and modern lyrics, including Van Morrison’s “Into the Mystic.”

Local instructor Venus Castleberg said she was honored to have been asked to teach at the festival.

The Yoga Journal magazine, the leading publication for the national yoga community, was onsite and covering the event.

At the same time, the 2014 Ride Festival was rocking and rolling in Telluride Town Park.

For two days the stage was filled with musical greats.

Some of the highlights were Joan Osborne rocking out Saturday afternoon, as well as JJ Grey and Mofro and Rival Sons. Spoon killed their set Saturday night, followed by the beats of Thievery Corporation.

Sunday morning’s Harlem Gospel Choir lifted the souls of the audience, with Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe killing at night and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes headlining.

Some wondered why the female musician was not present in the Magnetic Zeroes.

Much to the surprise of many, the weather mostly cooperated, with monsoon season letting up a little.

The sun warmed things up both days, so that the Budweiser tent maintained an all-day line.

Food vendors at The Ride really showed up. Telluride local Lara Young and family sold their fruit-inspired popsicle creations enjoyed by many of the local children at the TRF.

Flavor of Telluride served up salmon wraps in delicious style.

And the vodka tent was a huge hit, especially with the reusable “solo”-looking metal cup.

It was a local’s festival — very different than the bluegrass scene that is also exciting in a different way. This past weekend though, there was a lighter energy. There was plenty of room to dance. There was spaciousness to accommodate all tarps and tents.

It seemed easy. It seemed relaxed.

And as the music rocked the park, back in grassy lawn area, in front of the porta-potty area, some people were even mixing festivals and practicing yoga to the roots rock in the Telluride Town Park.