Did you have fun at Arise Festival?, they ask, and it’s hard to explain. Five days of awesome, four nights of wow, 96+ hours surrounded by an epic community. The music? Amazing. The people? Great. The acrobats? Yes, they had those too, nerve racking to say the least. Art pieces all over the land, beauty and smile abound.
The layout of the festival grounds seemed more efficient than I have ever seen and the general vibe was super high. The weather stayed mostly under control, with a few wind and rain scares here and there, and the experience….? Well, let me tell you:
The Arise Festival Flow
Arriving is always a bit of a shit-show, at least for most people who tend to overpack and bring all their glamourous campign gear, but hey, I need my guitar, and my ukulele, and a box full of melons… otherwise, who’s going to be feeding melons to people everyday? Mango’s are heavy too, and we need a ton of blankets for when it gets cold… everyone has their thing. The beautiful part is the process of bringing it all together, with our new friends and temporary neighbors whom will share with us as a family.
It can be hectic, especially if it is windy or rainy, luckily we didn’t get neither of those. What we got was too much distraction on our way out of our homes, leading to a 9pm arrival that pushed us to finish our setup closer to midnight. Of course, once all was in place we got to share some DivinoBetSatori and all was fun and peacful jams. Shoutout to Philana for playing the flute with us! : )
From there on we experienced a whirpool of light, an opening of the portal, and steping into power beyond the normal. Smiles, hugs, cuddles, did I mention the music?? Danced till my body could no longer stand,
and then some more.
Self-Care is a Must
Self-care is underated, its the key to a joyful present and a peaceful feature, if you don’t agree go ask the guys from UPLIFTED.XYZ, they know how to keep your body going. At a festival, however, self-care may be even harder to achieve then in ordinary life. There is so much going on that we loose track of time, our needs can get mashed-up with those in our group and we may forget to get even the most basic things, like food, share, water and sleep. A beautiful reflection for most our our daily lives. On the other hand, with so many offerings and beautiful people, it can also be easier to get the support we need, by attending a workshop, a sound healing session, or simply walking to another great human being and asking them to hold some space for us.
Sleep is probably the hardest thing to get at a festival like Arise. There are more stages than ears on our head and even more sound coming from all around, most of the day and night. Our head can feel like it is about to explode, even if the sound ain’t as loud as the headphones most of us use on the regular. Food can also be tricky, unless you are willing to eat food from the vendors everyday, it can be hard to bring enough nutrition to keep you going that long, especially if you plan on sharing all your melons and mangos with the rest of camp.
Looking back at these festivals I always see how I can make them more bareable, taking some showers, sleeping more, walking less and getting out of the sun more often are easy tips. Being more intentional with how we spend our energy is another huge factor, sometimes all it takes is a few moments on the wrong place to drain a ton of energy from our being. Being purposeful and watchful of our surroundings and what we consume is key to stay sharp, aligned, safe and energized through the whole weekend.
Yoga at Arise Festival
Of course we couldn’t end this post without talking about the yoga classes at Arise. This year the yoga sanctuary was popping more than ever, with classes from morning to evening, and dance music going on all night. The first day alone I took three classes, on the first one my body was cooked, on the second one my body was energized, on the third one my body was twiced as pooped as the first time. The area was always packed with yogis of all levels, who enjoyed the soft grass and cooling breeze at the top of the hill.
The real yoga, however, happened throughout the festival, in many forms and sizes. It was in the connection with the land, the music, eachother and the spirits that work in and around the festival. It was the yoga of the heart, in the love between those who found themselves, their brothers and sisters, sometimes, through the use of medicine, and other times by simply looking into someone’s eyes, and seeing ourselves there.
Reflecting back, the best part of this Arise Festival, at least for me, is the community I came out with, a group of lovely beings who inspire me to be real and show the best of me.
Better than gold, shining like the morning sun.
About the Author
Bruno Treves helps people get out of pain, feel better and improve their lives. Bruno’s approach focuses on alternative medicine and natural healing methods.
View all of Bruno’s posts here.