Wellness travel continues to be one of the biggest travel trends. There’s no better place to plan a healthy getaway than the fittest city in America, home to many Olympians and record-holding athletes — and also one of the best yoga festivals in the nation.
The Hanuman Festival is Boulder’s annual yoga and music fest that draws renowned yoga teachers from around the world. It brings thousands of participants to Boulder every summer for days of yoga, music, meditation, a vendor village full of healthy products and more.
The three-day event is the perfect foundation for a wellness vacation in Colorado. You can mix and match different yoga classes throughout the day, grab healthy food in the vendor village around lunch, take a short walk to the Pearl Street Mall for a break and return to the festival in the evening for live music and social fun with other like-minded participants.
This year’s Hanuman Festival is June 15-18 in downtown, centering around Boulder High School by the Boulder Creek.
The festival has steadily grown at about 30 percent every year since its inception seven years ago. For 2017, the Hanuman Festival is even more significant. Two of Colorado’s most popular yoga festivals are not scheduled this year. With Yoga Journal Live Estes Park and Wanderlust Aspen not on the books, Hanuman organizers expect to help fill in the gap as the state’s premiere wellness event.
“The Colorado yoga festival landscape is dramatically different this year,” according to Courtney Love, spokesperson for the Hanuman Festival.
Despite the changes, she says Hanuman organizers remain “dedicated to offering a celebratory weekend, honoring the practice of yoga and holding space for transformation.”
New for Hanuman 2017
Adding to the cred this year is internationally famous yoga teacher Seane Corn, who will be teaching at the fest. Other big name instructors include Rod Stryker, Amy Ippoliti, Annie Carpenter, Saul David Raye, Sianna Sherman, Janet stone, Anand Mehrotra, Gina Caputo and more.
This year also brings a new package called the Peak Experience. This VIP-style package includes a full weekend pass, Thursday immersion classes, catered meals, access to master classes and small-group discussions led by the likes of Carpenter and Caputo. This is the only option that includes food.
Try This
With so much on the schedule, it can be had to narrow down which classes to take. Here are some ideas.
If you want to:
Dive deep into your practice: Try a Thursday half-day immersion with Carpenter or Mehrotra, or better yet, a full-day Hanuman Academy Five Elements of Yoga Immersion led by five different teachers.
Try something new and challenging: Head over to the Yogaslackers exhibit in the Vendor Village, where you can learn how to balance in postures on a slackline.
Go shopping and unwind: Browse the Vendor Village, with more than 30 “conscious” booths selling food, jewelry, art, clothes and more (and always a few great samples). The village is open 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday.
Learn something: Pop into the Community Tent for panel discussions and inspirational talks.
Fuel up on healthy fare: Head to the SunWatering Hole for food. You’ll find food trucks and other options here.
Get involved on a budget: Access to the Vendor Village is $10 a day and kids 12 and younger are free. In the village, community classes are included, such as a morning meditation (7:30 a.m.), a 90-minute yoga class (9 a.m.) and kids yoga (3 p.m.). There’s also live music at 1 p.m. and starting at 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Stay at one of the hotels offering a discount for Hanuman participants or look for an Airbnb to rent for a few days.
