This July, health enthusiasts from across the globe will flock to the idyllic grounds of Stanford Hall to immerse themselves in a weekend of yoga classes from a bevy of internationally acclaimed teachers, yoga-related entertainment and music, and all things rejuvenating! Hotel Bell Tent will be making its’ first array into the world of wellness as Yoga Connects enters its’ second year and we’re very happy to be involved!
We caught up with Founder Daniela to find out more…
1) How did Yoga Connects come about?
Daniela Olds and Sally Griffyn met in 2014.
Dani had wanted to organise a day festival in London with the top teachers, uniting the passion for yoga, music and fashion for a while. Through mutual friend, yogi Marc Laws, she met Sally who had the same vision. The rest as they say is history...
Daniela is currently teaching in several yoga studios in London. Her background is in fashion design, HR and office management. Daniela's strength is her passion for connection, friendship and happiness, whilst she brings strong organisational skills, attention to detail, focus, drive, people skills, and not to forget a love for fun and live music to the table.
Sally`s background is in Photography and Property development, whilst also being a very respected yoga teacher with a fantastic global contact base. Sally`s skillset is overviewing the organisation and bringing together innovative and inspiring concepts and people. Sally is determined to succeed, focused, visionary, with passion for spirituality and Shamanism.
The dynamic duo are now into their second year of organising Yoga Connects festival 2016, with a strong team building and growing around them. They not only share the love of yoga, but also passion for people, creating new experiences, collaborating with musicians, spirituality, astrology, authenticity and travelling, creating dreams and visions for the future, and having fun whilst at it.
2) What were the highlights of Yoga Connects 2015?
The highlights of Yoga Connects 2015 - way too many to name, from seeing the most amazing line-up of top quality teachers, from Dylan Werner, Patrick Beach, Yogabeyond and Meghan Currie, to welcoming many friends through the door, being lucky with amazing weather and the most glorious location to connecting with the team, having silly moments of panic and laughter via walkie-talkies, sitting in a hot tub after the festival… But there is one special moment that stood out for me: it was the fusion of Live music and the yoga-rave on Saturday night. We did not think it through and made a mistake with scheduling. The Live music was clashing with the Yoga rave in the tent next-door, so as it rolled out, most people went to the rave and that is when the magic happened - one of the drummers from “ the Antarma and the family tree” (with our permission) decided to storm into the Yoga Rave tent: The two merged together to create an amazing cocktail of Connection of funky beats and Live musicians drumming with people dancing, jumping and having the time of their life. This was the most spectacular experience - completely mind blowing.
Do the different days differ in terms of what is going to be on offer in terms of yoga styles? If so, how?
There is selection of all kinds of Yoga, we pride ourselves in offering a huge variety to choose from; on all day everyday, from Ashtanga, Jivamukti, Rocket, Yin, Paddle board, Beginners and Pranayama, Meditation plus many more. This year we also welcome Kundalini yoga and the Yoga Supper club (yoga with a stylish banquet dinner)
The detailed timetable will be created with the team at a later stage, once we have all the teachers confirmed but it includes something for everyone, we believe in variety being the spice of life.
Do you have any recommendations on things to check out at Yoga Connects 2016?
Check out as much as possible, the music this year is going up a notch, so get excited to see the full line up- to it’ll be revealed soon! There are some exciting musicians joining us this year.
There will also be an interactive talk which will touch upon the authenticity of modern day yoga; we will invite Yogis from all corners of the business, teachers, and studio owners to discuss the topic. This one has a potential to be quite spicy, as there are so many opinions out there across media, social media, network studios etc. We want to create opportunity to create open conversation and share the power of the free speech.
Hotel Bell Tent will be on hand providing the magic of camping outdoors with luxurious exclusive touches, comparable to staying in Boutique Hotel. With Standard, Luxury and Classic Emperor Bell tents on offer, you can find out more by visiting the booking page.