ESTEVAN — The third annual OM Yoga Festival was not only an opportunity for participants to practise their yoga techniques, but it was an opportunity to receive tips on mindfulness and wellness.
Nearly 70 people, including the instructors, attended the event, held Saturday and Sunday at Rotary Park inside Woodlawn Regional Park. Kim Mayuk, who owns the OM Yoga Studio in Estevan and organizes the festival, said this year's event was the biggest one yet, thanks to growth in the participant and attendee list.
"We had more people travelling from other provinces, so that was great," said Mayuk.
The event had some new instructors to go along with some favourites. A few of those guiding the sessions were from the Estevan area. In addition to conventional yoga classes, the registrants enjoyed aerial and acro yoga, along with meditation, wellness workshops, live music and sound healing.
The acro yoga was new for this year, and Mayuk said it proved to be a hit.
"It's partner yoga, where you balance on other people's hands and feet, so that's definitely new to Estevan," said Mayuk. "It's never been here before; we've never had anyone teach it before. It was a great thing for the community."
Rotary Park also hosted the OMazing Market, which was open to the public. Wellness vendors and healers came from across the Prairies.
A vegan/vegetarian lunch was created by Freshii Weyburn both days, and Mayuk said it was "awesome".
Another highlight for Mayuk was courtesy of Sarah Garden, who offered a presentation on the art and science of relaxation.
"With the increasing anxiety in people, especially after the pandemic, [she talked about] how to regulate your nervous system," said Mayuk.
The other presentations were also well-received, she said.
Mayuk noted this is one of a small number of yoga festivals happening in Canada this summer. There are wellness retreats in Alberta, but nothing that she said is classified as a yoga festival. Many of the big festivals in Canada shut down following the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.
"I think the closest one happening to here is in Colorado," said Mayuk.
Among those who registered, 15-20 of the participants were from the Estevan area. Others came from throughout Saskatchewan and into Manitoba. Those from outside of the city stayed at hotels or camped at Woodlawn Regional Park.
"We had a lot of participants camp right at Woodlawn because then they could walk to the festival grounds and even some of our teachers … who came from Regina and elsewhere, they stayed at the campground."
