It was 7:30 in the morning, May 4, and Ichih Wang padded through a carpeted room in the Lobstick Lodge, weaving among about two-dozen people splayed out on yoga mats.
The Ottawa yoga instructor was teaching a class on yin yoga, one part of Mountain Park Lodge’s Grounded in the Rockies, a three-day yoga festival that took place May 2-4.
As she passed in front of the ornamental Buddha statue sitting at the front of the room, she instructed the class to spread out their arms, stretching with their palms facing the sky.
“When you touch someone in my class, we don’t say I’m sorry, we say I love you,” she cooed.
The room was necessarily hot—your core temperature drops when you practice yin yoga, holding a sphinx or seal or bowtie pose for as long as 15 minutes straight—but many of the students laid with closed eyes and peaceful expressions.
Heather Bell came to the festival from Edmonton, and after the class said her experience was “absolutely fabulous.
“I loved every minutes of it; the level of instruction, and the ease of the instructors. It can be for anybody. If you’ve never done yoga before you can come to this. And if you’re heavy into it, you’ll get something too,” she said, adding that while she has been practicing yoga on and off for about 20 years, this was her first time practicing in quite a while.
Most instructors also had high praise for the event.
“I’m having so much fun,” Wang said after her class. “I mean, this is priceless, right? To see people’s transformation, and the smiles on their faces … it’s just great.”
Wang’s yin yoga class was just one of more than 30 that were offered over the weekend by 11 different instructors, including everything from “yoga for hipsters” to “detox flow” to “exploring back bends safely.”
The festival is in its second year, and according to MPL’s sales and catering manager Jordan Tucker, more than 75 people came in from out of town to attend, as well as several locals.
Along with the yoga classes, participants had the chance to browse an artisans market Saturday afternoon, chow down on a “living cuisine dinner” Saturday night, and hear Wang give a motivational speech Friday evening.
MPL also partnered with Friends of Jasper National Park, who took participants on hikes and mountain bike rides through the park.
Tucker said he hopes the festival will continue to grow, and said next year MPL will offer even more events, like additional health and wellness workshops, or more mixers.
“As much as they’re all here for a health and wellness retreat there’s still a social side, which is just as important. It’s nice to be able to have some bonding time to meet new friends,” Tucker said.
For her part, Bell said she can’t wait to return.
“I’m coming back next year for sure, and I’m bringing a whole group with me,” she said with a huge grin.
Trevor Nichols
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