On February 25, the Wanderlust festival returned to the grounds of Turtle Bay for another challenging and sweaty event. Over the course of four days, yoga enthusiasts from around the world gathered to take part in what the Wanderlust team has dubbed “an all- out celebration of mindful living.” From yoga to music, meditation to surfing, and delicious locally-grown food to dancing, there was no shortage of activities to engage in.
Certainly yoga has become mainstream within our Islands as of late (whether it’s at the beach, the park, a living room or a formal studio) but Wanderlust shook things a bit by offering an incredibly unique and diverse range of classes and workshops. This year’s schedule had options such as aerial yoga, hula hooping, yoga on a stand-up paddle board, slacklining and acroyoga. Many classes were held in the grass and participants practiced facing the ocean (balance postures have an added level of difficulty when focusing on the horizon looking for whales) and were accompanied by musicians or DJs. 
In addition to yoga classes, festival attendees could also take advantage of the stunning beauty and raw power of the Hawaiian outdoors by participating in nature walks, surf lessons, guided hikes, fishing, horseback riding, organized trail runs and kayaking. There were also a variety of workshops where participants could learn more about the history of the Hawaiian people and culture.
For those that needed a break from the physical activity or were interested in broadening their minds, there were ten Wanderlust Speakeasy sessions to choose from, which promised to “immerse yourself in the inspiring ideas of thought leaders…These intimate and casual lecture series cover topics ranging from holistic health to progressive politics, from personal empowerment to community betterment.”
Each day, shortly after sunset, the Lululemon sportswear was traded in for short-shorts and little dresses while the guys donned their best board shorts and an entirely different kind of celebration transpired. Crowds flocked to the stage to listen to bands like Citizen Cope and Trevor Hall and shake their sore yet highly limbered muscles out under the stars. It didn’t stop there, either. When the musicians finished their sets, everyone moved to Surfer, The Bar where DJs spun records for bodies that only hours previous had held postures like Utkatasana (chair pose).
This year’s festival provided an opportunity for people to practice yoga, explore the outdoors, examine and perhaps push their spiritual, physical and mental limits, dance to a plethora of live music, eat locally grown food and learn a thing or two about themselves and the islands while enjoying the experience with all.