YOGAFEST RETURNS
Sessions focusing on meditation, twisting, reducing stress and posture are among the buffet of classes that will be offered throughout the day at the fourth annual YogaFest OKC.
Yoga connoisseurs, intermediates and beginners will converge in Oklahoma City on Saturday for a day of outdoor classes that highlight the specialties of teachers across the state.
Sessions focusing on meditation, twisting, reducing stress and posture are among the buffet of classes that will be offered throughout the day at the fourth annual YogaFest OKC.
“Some of the classes will be a little more esoteric and others more physically based,” festival coordinator Martha McQuaid said. “They’re all structured classes, but each has a different flavor to it.”
McQuaid, who owns Spirit House Yoga and YogaLab, said yoga has been gaining popularity for about seven years now among Okies across the OKC and Tulsa metro areas.
She launched the daylong festival in 2013 after seeing the explosive growth at her OKC studios.
“There is so much going on here right now, and I wanted to give students an opportunity to try classes with teachers they wouldn’t otherwise have access to,” McQuaid said. “It’s also bringing the community together as a group to celebrate the positive growth of yoga in Oklahoma City.”
Cindy Espinoza Thornburgh aims to capitalize on the trend when she opens her own studio, Cornerstone Yoga, in Moore later this month.
New studios are fueling the workout’s popularity by expanding access with more classes at different times and with new specialties like iyengar — a type of yoga that uses blocks and straps to perfect form and technique, which Espinoza Thornburgh will offer at her studio.
Espinoza Thornburgh has taught at two of the three yoga festivals, and said the event is a perfect opportunity to try out different styles of yoga and learn from new teachers.
“It’s a lot less intimidating than walking into a class that you’ve never taken before with someone you’ve never met,” Espinoza Thornburgh said.
With a few changes to the festival, McQuaid is hoping to capture some of the state’s enthusiasm at this year’s event.
Organizers lowered ticket prices, added more live entertainment and moved the festival outdoors.
Last year, the event drew more than 100 participants despite a smaller, indoor space that limited the number of people who could attend, McQuaid said.
This year, classes begin at 9 a.m. on the lawn behind Whole Foods at 6001 N Western Ave.
Food trucks, live performers and kids activities including yoga aim to attract locals that may not be as serious about practicing, but are looking for something fun to do, McQuaid said.
The grand finale includes a group yoga session for all levels featuring a live soundtrack by Oklahoma guitarist Edgar Cruz, who will play a concert while Oklahoma painter Samantha Carlton creates art inspired by the class.
Tickets can be purchased for individual classes and kids yoga or half-day and full-day passes are available. Go to yogafestokc.com for more information.