Wanderlust Demystified

The latest dialogue between me and my bestie, Certified Anusara teacher Emma Magenta.

 

Em: Hey Bern, our anniversary is coming up.

Bern: What anniversary? The anniversary of me injuring myself, and several innocent bystanders, while hula hooping last year?

Em: No, the anniversary of our first meeting! We should get together this summer and renew our vows at Wanderlust.

Bern: Oh, I love it!  In the interest of demystifying Wanderlust for our readers, can we talk about the fact that this summer there are two Anusara events coordinated around Wanderlust?  Are you as exuberantly dorked out as I am?

Em: Yeah, that is pretty exciting.  Why don’t you explain what Wanderlust is, in case any of our readers have been doing prolonged stints in ashrams, or living under rocks?

Bern:  Ha!  Good idea.  Wanderlust is a festival bringing some of the world’s best yoga together with some of the world’s best musicians in crazy, breathtakingly beautiful natural settings.  This year there are two dedicated Anusara events built around Wanderlust. One is for licensed teachers in Tahoe at the end of July, and one is for EVERYONE in Vermont coming up soon at the end of June.

Em:  So, in addition to the Anusara classes being presented during the actual festival, there are also dedicated Anusara events, on both coasts, preceding the festivals.  There’s the Inspired Gathering just for Anusara teachers on the West Coast, and The Anusara Grand Circle on the East Coast.

Bern:  I’m over the moon to have John Friend on the East Coast.  I’ll travel to see him any day, but it feels downright luxurious to have him on both coasts this summer.  I love the thought of not having to get on a plane, and just being able to hop in the car.  How delicious is it to drive to the mountains, spend Summer Solstice at The Grand Circle, practicing yoga outdoors, and hanging out around the campfire?

Em: It’s going to be such a massive love-fest in Vermont. Some of my very best memories in Anusara yoga are from big communal gatherings like the Grand Circle. It’s so, so sweet to be with our teacher AND our students.

Bern:  Agreed.  I also love that we’ll be outside, and not in some convention center.  That makes it magical. 

Em:  Yeah, usually we spend the day together practicing and then everyone goes separate ways in the evening. The cool thing about The Grand Circle is that it’s a festival, so we’ll still be together at night, enjoying great music, dancing, and breaking bread with students and teachers we love.

Bern:  I’ll pass on the bread; I don’t do gluten.  Poolside cocktails, however, have my name written all over them.

Em:  I don’t doubt it. You gotta bring your hula hoop—hooping goes great with cocktails!
 

Bern:  I won’t make that mistake again!  Okay, so that’s The Grand Circle.  Let’s tell them a little bit about The Inspired Gathering in Tahoe now. 

Em: Well, I think it is FABULOUS that there’s going to be a Gathering focused on Anusara Inspired teachers, because I was one for many years. There are way more Inspired teachers than Certified teachers. They do so, so much to bring Anusara yoga to people all over the world, often teaching in communities or settings where there are no other Anusara teachers. They need to be celebrated!

Bern: They sure do.  Also, I consider these gatherings to be staff meetings for Anusara yoga ® teachers; John really wants us there, so I make it a point to try to go.  This year’s intermingling of Certified and Inspired Teachers will be especially fabulous. Do you know that when I got Certified, one of the things I was most excited about was to finally find out for myself what happened at the Certified Teacher’s Gatherings? I thought maybe I would learn a secret loop or spiral!

Em:  No way, so did I! I always fantasized that it would be midnight revels and campfire singalongs, and this year it actually is.

Bern:  You’re so funny.  Remember, we first met and fell in love at one of those teacher gatherings.

Em: How could I forget? It’s one of the very best things about Anusara events—you find out there’s a whole world of kindred spirits out there.

Bern: Yup. Sometimes you just gotta wander a little bit to find them.