Last weekend, Loretta & I went to the Pearlstone Center in Reisterstown, Maryland for the
Love Light Yoga & Arts Festival.
Here is a photo album of our experiences with some videos, too:
Google Photos:
We camped out from Friday to Sunday afternoon, and had an awesome time. The outdoor setting of the
Pearlstone Center
among the rolling hills, fields, & trees was a beautiful
environment for mindful practice of yoga, and just for the joy of being
alive!
Everything
was in walking distance, and from our campsite on a hill, you could see
most of the grounds, with the various pavilions & buildings.
There
were dozens of classes and workshops over the course of the weekend,
covering all kinds of topics and practices. I went to several different
yoga classes- including ayurvedic & acrobatic/thai yoga
(partnered up with my wife), and also kundalini meditations, tantric
shamanism & breathing workshops. Loretta went to power &
primal flow yogas, and also participated in events at the Healing
Village. It's so great to have all these opportunities to try new
techniques with different teachers, all in one location.
There
was also a main stage with musicians and bands, playing throughout the
days & nights. One set that stood out to me was singer
Ajeet Kaur &
Sukhmani Kaur Rayat on tabla drums. The music & vibe the artists were putting out was amazing.
There
were also artists & vendors with booths around the concert
area, selling all kinds of cool items & services.
The last night we were there, Loretta & I left the main
stage around midnight & went to a bonfire and drum circle. It
was family-friendly, with no visible drugs or alcohol (other than us
being the only 2 with drinks in our hand, & the occasional smell
of some weed being smoked out of sight.)
It
got wild, as I ended up being shirtless & we joined the dance
around the heat of the blazing fire. Finally, Loretta told me it was
2am, & we should get going so we could get some sleep for the
next day. I could have partied all night, but I also didn't want to feel
like garbage the next day.
Unfortunately, it started raining on Sunday, making the conditions
fairly miserable. Everything got muddy & wet, but we still went
to classes and workshops until we decided to head out in the afternoon
when there was a brief pause in the rain for us to pack up our tents
& gear.
The
festival overall was a memorable and enlightening experience (even with
having to pack up in the crappy weather). When the weather was nice, it
was downright utopian. We met a lot of kind, loving, &
inspirational people who felt like a big community. The location was
idyllic and a perfect setting for a festival like Love Light.
We are probably going to go back next year if they have it there again, and hopefully the weather will be nice the whole time!
-Paul Micarelli
