I’ve started a flickr group for the Buddhafield festival:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/buddhafield/

Anyone can join, comment and upload their pictures so spread the word to those who may be interested.

It’s an amazing festival and a great way to get reconnected with your flow and inner bliss. It’s unique in many ways, for a start it’s drug and alcohol free and this makes a massive difference to the whole energy and atmosphere of the festival, it’s also security free which is almost unheard of at festivals. My experience was that people talk more, interact more and love more, may sound cheesy but the love really does flow!

For us yogis there was a large tent with classes running all day. There were Ashtanga classes, but I decided to try some other styles out during this time. The one I felt most affinity to was Yin Yoga. I’ve come across this style before in the past at a retreat that was also run by ashantgis, so it seems a popular style to combine with ashtanga. It’s a very passive style of yoga aimed at releasing connective tissue (particularly in the pelvis and hips) rather than increasing muscle flexibility. I found it challenging in a completely different way from ashtanga. The asanas are not as complex and it is all about releasing/relaxing totally rather than engaging muscles. The postures are held for extended lengths of time, so in each asana you really tune into how your mind is reacting to the intensity of the postures. It’s really very powerful. The whole practice feels like a seated meditation. The teacher was excellent – Norma Blair – who is also influenced by Ashtanga. I think Ashtanga and Yin yoga seems a good combination of active and passive styles to combine, I’m going to try and incorporate more Yin into my life!

I also want to mention Jewls workshops. There are truly amazing and I’ve been hooked for the past year now. The Ecstatic Dance, as always, was incredible and sent shivers up my spine. Her workshops are based upon the idea that we are all manifestations of divine love and the ecstatic dance and heart-tantra workshops are tools for reconnecting with this divinity inside of us through being close with others. I see yoga/meditation and heart-tantra as two sides of the same coin. Both are leading to the same place but through different methods, in yoga we work towards withdrawing from our senses in Tantra we embrace our senses/the sensual in the fullest possible way. The workshops for individual are deeply moving and I did my first couples workshop with her this year which was an eye opener!

Plus, if you are into Permacutlure there was also a big permaculture area with some inspiring talks. I went to one about creating your own forest garden and the benefits this would have to our environment if we were all to created these in our backyards – yes we can even do this in a city like Brighton, you don’t need acres and acres of land! There was lots of stuff of urban permaculture.

I also happened to meet one of the Buddhist speakers one evening, Vajradaka. He does some very interesting talks and workshops on meditation practice. I went along to one and he gets you to really think about how you are meditating and how to overcome limiting patterns/habits in meditation (and in life!). He takes a very creative approach to meditation and he is just about to start up some workshops in London on teaching “awareness” to yoga teachers so they can bring this concept into their classes. I have his details if anyone is interested.

And yes there were rituals and saunas and poetry and nature art and massage and music and much more.

Hope to see some of you there next year. Can’t wait!