Yoga Movement in Vermont: the BYC by Shakti Sunfire for elephant yoga
Shakti Sunfire
“Yoga is a movement I’m proud to be a part of.”
Jane said this to me, her soft tone only hinting at the depth of passion and purpose behind her words. A vision, and indeed, a practice, that has kept her and co-founder Ben Lanza at the forefront of creative, conscious event planning for the past 6 years running.
I had the honor of experiencing one of their events myself, last weekend at the Burlington Yoga Conference; a sweet, local gathering of like-minded progressives, intent on holding a container for free expression, for deep play, and for ignited community. As I make my way through the constantly evolving public yoga sphere, with it’s variety of offerings and incarnations, it has become easy to see that the space Jane and Ben create, is one born of yoga in action. In a sense, it’s a dharmically-powered move towards what’s next, a common role for the agile, quick-thinking little guy that holds one giant vision.
In their case, it is all about curating experience. Not numbers, not huge growth, not large profit margins, but the insatiable and irresistible urge back towards sustainable service. It’s service to their local communities in connecting the web of studios in the Burlington area and to the creation of a safe, free container. In Jane’s words: in keeping it real, which has been the case for the dynamic duo from the beginning.
Inspired by Power to the Peaceful, Harmony Festival and other Bay Area hybrids of music and mindfulness—by Jane’s California roots, Ben’s event experience, and their shared love of yoga, the first Liberate Music and yoga event was born in the spring of 2007. An offering that interwove yoga practices during the day and cutting edge music production at night, thus arguably instigating, and certainly catching, the innovative front end of now commonplace yoga/music events.
