Bhakti Fest Celebrates 5th Anniversary

with 4 Days of Love and Music

By Susan von Seggern

Known as “the spiritual Woodstock of the new millennium,” America’s premiere kirtan and yoga festival, Bhakti Fest celebrates its 5th Anniversary September 5–8 at the Joshua Tree Retreat Center. With two kirtan stages, three yoga halls, a breathwork hall and more than 120 conscious vendors, Bhakti Fest, the largest event of its type, features something for all devotees, night or day.

Sridhar Silberfein, founder and producer of the Bhakti Fests notes, “When we started Bhakti Fest in 2009 we knew it would be popular, but seeing it grow into such a successful annual event, and then to enhance the scene with the additions of Shakti Fest in May and Bhakti Fest Midwest is extremely gratifying. We are thrilled that it has been so well received by the spiritual community.”

Music provides the core of the Bhakti Fest. Since its inception in 2009, Bhakti Fest has brought together the top kirtan artists and the 2013 lineup is no exception. Attendees will have the opportunity to experience devotional chanting, along with over 50 nationally-acclaimed musicians performing 24 hours a day for the entire four-day festival. These devotional chants of love will ring throughout the hills of Joshua Tree.

All of the top performers are scheduled: Krishna Das, Deva Premal & Miten, Jai Uttal, Snatam Kaur, Donna De Lory, Dave Stringer, C.C. White, Sean Johnson & the Wild Lotus Band, Kirtan Rabbi, DJ Drez, Arjun Baba, Deepak & Breath of Life Tribe, Karnamrita, Govind Das & Radha, David Newman, The Guru Ganesha Band, and much more.

Bhakti Fest’s reputation as one of the original and best yoga festivals is also secure. Only six years ago there were no major yoga festivals in the U.S. Now yoga fests are a trending vacation option and Bhakti Fest is widely respected as the only major festival in Southern California. Twelve hours of daily yoga classes in three large halls will be facilitated by incomparable and world-renowned yoga teachers such as Dharma Mitt-ra, Shiva Rae, Bryan Kest, Elena Brower, Micheline Berry, Mark Whitwell, Sianna Sherman, Kia Miller, Saul David Raye, Ashley Turner, Suzanne Sterling, Hemalayaa Behl and others.

With more than 20 workshops on a wide variety of spiritual themes, Bhakti Fest brings the physical asana and chanting practices into greater context for attendees. Each day features sessions geared to educate and inspire with some of the most formidable guides of our time, including Krishna Das on the “Heart of Devotion,” The Journey Home author Radhanath Swami, Philip Goldberg on “The Beatles Yoga: Let it be,” Google+ for Brands Evangelist Gopi Kallayil, Michael Baker on “The Resolution of True Intimacy & The Unification of the Atman,” Zat Baraka on “Manifesting Our Lives Through Self-Initiation: A Tantric Breathwork Workshop,” and many more.

Bhakti Fest’s spiritual godf-ather, Ram Dass, has filmed a two-hour interview with festival founder Sridhar Silberfein that will be played each night of the festival. This intimate video is the fifth in a series of “Conversations with Ram Dass on Contemporary Thoughts,” soon to be released as a book. All four of the other parts can be viewed at bhaktifest.com/bhakti-fest-exclusive-interviews-with-ram-dass/.

Silberfein adds, “Bhakti is devotion to love. Shining within and without like the sun. We emanate pure love whenever and wherever we go, giving unconditional love to everyone, especially our personal relationships. Bhakti Fest’s fifth anniversary will be a total immersion in this love for all the presenters and attendees.”

Bhakti Fest provides a complete physical, mental and spiritual health experience including a healing sanctuary with energy work, massage, bodywork, and other unique wellness-enhancing modalities. There are a variety of raw, vegan, vegetarian and other high-vibrational food and beverage options available. Additionally there is an extensive marketplace with eco-friendly vendors offering yoga gear, clothing, devotional art, musical instruments, CDs, crafts, jewelry and much more.

There will be two separate ticket intensives around Bhakti Fest 2013, a pre-festival intensive with Saul David Raye and a post-festival intensive with legendary yoga master Dharma Mittra.

The Joshua Tree Desert Retreat Center is the perfect setting to foster inner reflection and spiritual reconnection because of its peacefulness and natural desert beauty. Accommodation options include en suite rooms with baths, camping and RV parking, all on site. There are also several hotels within a few miles of the retreat center.

Tickets for Bhakti Fest 2013 are available at www.bhaktifest.com. The festival donates monies to a variety of non-profit organizations including Food for Life, Love Serve Remember Foundation, Ramana’s Garden, Seva Foundation, Share Your Care, and Woman’s Earth Alliance.

Bhakti Fest is supported by sponsors including: New Chapter, My Yoga Online, Coconut Bliss, Reeds Kombucha, Desert Essence, Namaste Interactive, Earthrise Spirulina, Organic India, White Swan, HealthForce Nutritionals, YogaFit, and  Kevita.

Susan von Seggern is one of the most well-known and well-liked publicists in Los Angeles. For over 20 years her work as a major label publicist, CEO of a boutique PR agency, time spent in political PR, her globe-trotting exploits in corporate PR and her recent return to consulting for corporate, cause and cultural clients have exposed countless journalists and tastemakers to Susan’s honest, positive and tenacious PR style. For more info on her work please visit www.susanvonseggern.com