My Sunday was full of mud, silks, hula hoops, and downward facing dog.
Only at Wanderlust!
Yesterday I got to attend Wanderlust 108, a pop-up Wanderlust festival here in Portland, OR. It’s a version of a triathlon, featuring running, yoga, and meditation. Though I taught at FFY in the morning and couldn’t attend the run, I got to participate in the afternoon, and was reminded why these festivals are so much fun!
I’d attended Wanderlust about 5 years ago the first time they hosted it in Copper Mountain, CO. This was an unusual venue for them as no one lives permanently in this resort town. Everyone had to commute in for the festival weekend. The classes were amazing and I got to train with some incredible teachers, but I think the turnout was a little low from what I’ve seen in pictures from Whistler and Squaw. I think the festival thought so as well as they haven’t continued to host the festival here.
Yesterday we gathered at the main stage (post-rainy run) for a yoga class with Chelsey Korus. This is where I got to join in, rolling my mat out on mud partially covered by a wet poncho next to my friends. I got the best parts of the practice: pigeon, happy baby, and savasana. 🙂 Flowing with hundreds of yogis while rolling around in the grass and mud under stormy skies with a DJ spinning tracks in the background… Talk about #SundayZenday.
After making sure all of us had gotten our faces painted (when in Rome, or yoga land)…
We toured around the mini village. That’s one of two main differences I noticed this time around, a smaller village area. Luckily the rain held off until after wandering around time when we got to mingle with friends and explore the attending brands. Right as afternoon workshops began, the rain began to downpour. We were in the safety and scenic Dome shopping the awesome Wanderlust swag (another time I was so impressed by a brand outside of my norm! Great job, adidas!) and could view the rain from the clear “skylight” in the tent.
I think the rain scared a lot of people off. Understandable as most of the workshops were outside. We hopped into one of the covered flows, and by the time the class was over the rain had stopped and the sun emerged. Full classes now had available spots. So we got to fly with AIReal Yoga and hoop it up.
The beauty of the mini festival structure is each class was 25 minutes. We had the opportunity to experience all of these new activities without having to commit to a full-length class. I have tons of friends who love aerial, and now I see why.
I couldn’t tell you the last time I played with a hula hoop, and we actually got to work on a routine of sorts. The jams, the sun, and the laugh was all on fire!
This has all gotten me so excited about our TWO upcoming festivals:
- OutFound Festival in Hood River: Join us in Hood River the weekend of June 9-11 for a weekend of sweat, yoga from Flex & Flow, and wonderful outdoor adventures! Use the code FLEXANDFLOWYOGA to get 30% off registration.
- EMPOWER Race Series: We’ll be in the Bay Area August 4-6th for this weekend of yoga, running, and empowerment! Use the code FLEXANDFLOW to get 20% off registration!
Want more Wanderlust? Check out my Instagram Stories story from and recapping the day:
Even with some rain this festival looked like a good time. There is a Wanderlust festival in Vermont and I have always wanted to go. Maybe this summer?
It definitely was! We always have to be ready for rain up here in Portland! 😉 You should definitely check it out. I can imagine it’s a beautiful place for a yoga festival.