Elizabeth Nerland says what started as a tiny spark has spread like wildfire.
Nerland, founder of the not-for-profit West Coast Yoga Foundation, is planning Squamish’s first annual West Coast Yoga Festival for June 19.
The idea behind it, she said, is to spread yoga beyond its stereotypical audience so that it can benefit everyone and “provide universal access,” she said.
“I thought it would be amazing to have that festival experience without the price tag and to keep it Sea to Sky so that if people fall in love with the teachers they can keep going to them throughout the year.”
The event will include seven yoga classes throughout the day led by local instructors – a full lineup will be announced in the coming weeks – plus vegan food vendors and a market.
Tickets to the festival will be by donation, Nerland said, and proceeds from the event will go toward providing ongoing classes to the community year-round and providing a number of yoga scholarships to local teachers to further their studies.
After the District of Squamish turned down the festival’s grant request in January, Nerland started a Facebook page to see if the community really wanted such a festival. She was overwhelmed by the quick and enthusiastic reply.
“Within hours, hundreds of people reached out with ‘likes’ or private messages, some who even said they had no interest in yoga but thought the festival would be great for the town,” she said. “At that point I was like, OK, here we go! It’s happening.”
Nerland, who is a yoga instructor herself and was trained as a registered nurse, said yoga is about so much more than becoming bendy or strong.
“The direct effect is your life gets better,” she said.
“Everything from weight loss, bringing down your blood pressure, mental illness, all of these things, there is now literature that is pouring out, research that is being done that is saying, ‘Yeah, all this fluff is actually real.’”
The festival is still looking for corporate sponsors, but planning is going ahead, according to Nerland.
Nerland said success for the first festival would be if 1,000 tickets sold, and it would help people make connections with yoga and each other.
“There is this radiance in yoga that you can see in people when they really receive the message of yoga. When they find that place inside of unshakeable peace, one-ness, total alive-ness.
“My real measure of success will be seeing up to 1,000 people breathing, moving, singing in unison and beaming with this radiance of unity with all.”
The June 19 festival will run 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. in Junction Park downtown and tickets will be available in March.
For more information go to West Coast Yoga Festival on Facebook.
