Awakened Life Yoga Retreat April 20-22 at Gulf State Park

Awakened Life Yoga Retreat April 20-22 at Gulf State Park
A space for renewal, music, play, singing, dancing & contemplation

Registration is still open for the April 20-22 Awakened Life Yoga Festival, a 3-day gathering along the shores of Lake Shelby at Gulf State Park featuring yoga, meditation, music, paddle boarding, vendors and a plethora of educational workshops.
The 3rd annual event is the brainchild of local yoga instructor Jen Hammonds of Roots To Wellness Inc. as a way to bring locals together with visitors to connect with like minded others. Registrations have already been received from Atlanta, the Florida Panhandle, Tennessee and Louisiana.
“Yoga is more than physical poses,’’ Hammonds said. “It’s singing and dancing. It’s being in nature. It’s about making connections and relaxing. We want to incorporate all of its elements and practices.’’
Presenters include fitness motivators, yoga teachers, artists, life coaches and spiritual counselors. Many presenters come just for the joy that is sharing knowledge with others.
“Service is part of yoga too,’’ Hammonds said. “And it’s life enhancing getting to be around and getting to know all these good people that show up.’’
In just three years, Hammonds has created an event with an atmosphere of community and compassion in one of the most peaceful and beautiful settings on the Gulf Coast. And she has added to that intimacy among participants this year by scheduling all festival activities on the Lake Shelby side of the park (see schedule – page 61).
She expects at least 200 people to attend and she has added additional sponsors that share in her concept that community service and sustainability add to everybody’s quality of life.
There are a variety of price package options available on the event website. For more sponsorship or event information, visit AwakenedLifeYogaFestival.com or call Hammonds at 251-752-8790.
Eventually, Hammonds would like to see her festival grow to about 400 participants and include an Americana music festival. But she also believes the fest is already on firm ground.
“We are a good bunch of happy people that just want to hug everybody and be nice,’’ Hammonds said.

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​Friday 4/20
3:00pm – 4:30pm: Chakra Yoga Motion w/Rebecca Washburn and Jen Hammonds
5:00pm – 6:00pm: Vinyasa and The Vayus
6:15pm – 7:00pm: Fire Ceremony w/ Tracey Owens
7:30m – 8:30pm: Body Mapping w/ Mantra W/Igor Iwanek
8:45pm – Until: Sacred Circle, Songs & Stories w/ Rebecca Sathre,
Jen Hammonds, Carmen Prince and Tracey Owens

Saturday 4/21
6:30am – 7:00am: Sunrise Meditation and Gayatri Mantra w/ Jen Hammonds
7:30am – 8:45am: Be Courageous You! w/ Kristin O’Connell &Jamie Robertson
9:00am – 10:30am: Stages of Spiritual Awakening w/ Tracey Owens
11:00am – 1:00pm: Acro Yoga w/ Chris Amador and Becky Sathre
1:30pm – 2:30pm: Buti Yoga w/ Amber Warner
3:00pm – 4:00pm: Find Your True north w/ Jennifer Guthrie
4:30pm – 5:30pm: Creative Visualization w/Rebecca Washburn (By Fire Pits)
6:00pm – 8:00pm: Bhakti Caravan in Concert w/ Michelle Baker
8:15pm – 9:15pm: Teachings on Direct Pointing w/ Jason Kolano (By Fire Pits)
9:15pm – Until: Fireside Songs

Sunday 4/22
6:30am – 7;00am: Morning Meditation and Gayatri Mantra w/ Jen Hammonds
7:00am – 8:00am: The Art of Letting Go With Qigong w/Adwiti
8:15am – 9:15am: Rise & Restore w/Kathy Keane;
Thai yoga pose assists from Jen, Jacki and Sara
9:30 am -10:30am: Belly Dancing w/ Erin Hudson
11;00pm – 1:30pm: Ayurveda Workshop w/ Michelle Baker
2;00pm – 3:30pm: Awake Your Soul Rasa Yoga Flow w/ Becky Sathre
3:45pm – 5:00pm: Partner Yoga w/ Chassidy and Rocky
5:00pm – 5:30pm: Closing Ceremony w/Jen and Tracey

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Art of Letting Go w. Qigong

Journey inward with Adwiti Subba Haffner during this one hour Qigong class to find a place within you that is sacred. Immerse yourself into profound silence, where layers of fear and doubt drop away with slow flowing movements and rhythmic breathing that open the channels of higher consciousness bringing balance, healing and calm into your reality. Allow yourself to let go, cultivate your “chi” (energy) and return home to your “true nature.”
Adwiti is a yoga/meditation/Qigong teacher, Himalayan Bowl Sound therapist and an award winning poet. Originally from Darjeeling, India, she is the epitome of east meets west. Adwiti is passionate about sharing the knowledge and experience that she has accumulated over the years from authentic Indian gurus, zen masters and contemporary philosophers. Her enthusiasm, passion and joie de vi·vre is contagious. She has almost two decades of experience teaching and sharing different forms and techniques of meditation and healing modalities to people all over the world. She will help you access happiness, joy, peace and unconditional love through your own heart. (alivewithadwiti.com

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Find Your True North w/ Jennifer Guthrie

Jennifer Guthrie will be teaching Find Your True North. This is Jennifer’s passion to share! Learn how to pause to check in throughout your practice and ask yourself if you are in alignment with your truth. How are you being in this pose and is it how you would like to be? The class will forcus on how to align your practice physically, mentally and spiritually through learning alignment of the yoga poses using your body and your breath like a compass.
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Buti Yoga w. Amber Warner

Amber Warner is back this year and ready to teach the empowering practice of Buti Yoga, a high-intensity practice that transforms the body from the inside out. This calorie-scorching workout fuses power yoga with cardio-intensive tribal dance and body sculpting primal movement. Fueled by an exciting and varied mix of music, Buti Yoga is designed to get your energy flowing and you sweating with intention on your mat! Buti transforms body and soul leaving you feeling empowered, energized and dripping with sweat.
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Creative Visualization w. Rebecca Washburn

Awakened Life Yoga Festival welcomes back Rebecca Washburn and her Creative Visualization workshop. Discover the true power that your imagination holds for you! This workshop will highlight ideas, tools and techniques to help you create positive changes in your life by using principles of energy and your natural creative imagination. Join Rebecca in discussion, practice of techniques and meditation as you co-create your life in a more conscious way.
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Rise & Restore w. Kathy Keane

Kathy Keane leads Rise & Restore, an energy awakening Kundalini class at Awakened Life Yoga Festival. Kathy has been inspiring yogis in Gulf Shores for 30 years, and her kind and serene spirit is a refreshing delight. Kundalini yoga clears the nerve channels to awaken the kundalini energy at the base of the spine through uniting prana and apana. The Kundalini practice consists of mantra, pranayama and warm ups, kriya, savasana and meditation.
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Spiritual Awakening Stages w. Tracey Owens

Stages of a Spiritual Awakening; What Stage are you? That question is the core of a session led by Tracey Owens. The 90 minute workshop we’ll focus on understanding the various levels/stages of a spiritual awakening and discuss some steps to release our pain body during the awakening process.
“When it comes to awakening spiritually, as is the case with most intentions to transform our lives, it is almost impossible to fully describe what it means to awaken with words,’’ Tracey said. “Because spiritual experiences are, according to their very nature not logical, or confined by the limitations of language. Much of what transpires as you spiritually awaken cannot be seen, or accurately described, but rather can only be felt, lived through, witnessed and experienced. Sometimes it can feel overwhelming, be seen as painful or even done from a place of resistance and struggle. Together, we will discuss ways of navigating these challenges and move toward seeing the gift in each experience!”