Yoga enthusiasts at the Wanderlust festival, in Oahu. Photo / Ali Kaukas
Yoga enthusiasts at the Wanderlust festival, in Oahu. Photo / Ali Kaukas
Rachel Grunwell finds serenity, seals and Shiva on Oahu.
The Wanderlust Oahu yoga festival in Hawaii showcases world-class yoga and meditation teachers, music, healthy food, inspirational speakers and adventures like horse riding to ukulele or Hawaiian dance lessons.
It's a great getaway, too. Turtle Bay Resort is nestled in a stunning seaside spot with swaying palm trees,aqua blue water and pristine white sand. It's a terrific place to unplug.
You don't have to be good at yoga. The event caters for beginners to advanced yogis; there's lots of choice on the jam-packed schedule. You can opt into as many or few classes or days as you please during the four-day event.
My highlights from this year's festival include yoga on a stand-up paddleboard - being taught by a girl who has taught Lady Gaga - and seeing an endangered seal pup on the beach.
Lying on the paddleboard and feeling the gentle rise and fall of the waves and sun warming my skin, all stress melted away. I also had a giggle or two as some yogis lost balance in some of the more challenging poses, tipping into the water. Yoga on water is a lot of fun. It requires even more core strength and balance than yoga on land, making it a great challenge. But the savasana (rest period) at the end was heaven as the waves rocked me under the sun.
Paddleboard yoga at the Wanderlust festival, in Oahu. Photo / Ali Kaukas
Trail run or walk options are scattered throughout the schedule - I chose a 5km run and we went through giant trees, over sand and by the sea. About 10 people joined in. This got my heart rate up and it was neat to see the stunning coastal scenery, but this activity also ended up melting my heart. An endangered Hawaiian monk seal had just been born and so our group stopped to admire the little pup and its mum. There are only about 1100 monk seals left in the world and so it was a cute, unexpected and wonderful sight.
There is endless choice of different styles of yoga (big-name experts included Shiva Rea, Eoin Finn and Janet Stone). There are restorative classes, playful partner-type sessions, and more energetic and flowing yoga teachings. If you're advanced, you can even go to workshops on how to master handstands. But this festival is perfect for beginners too - you can try lots of styles and find something that suits you best.
My room at Turtle Bay Resort had breathtaking sea views of rolling waves for miles. The on site restaurant, Kula Grille, boasted decadent and delicious cuisine and the resort's beauty rooms at Nalu Kinetic Spa are bliss. I had an hour-long massage from an expert masseuse in a room that overlooked a beach. So, your mind, body and soul will savour this place. (There's also a campsite for nature lovers and those on a budget).
At this festival, you'll meet other yoga lovers - people flock from all over the world to soak up the Wanderlust experiences. So, a plus is you could travel here solo and do all the things on the event timetable that appeal to you without having to please anyone else.
If you are into mindful living this event will suit you, too. There are health food stalls (with local and sustainable food), clothing and goods stalls too, with an Earth-friendly focus.
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Getting there: Air New Zealand flies direct to Honolulu from Auckland with up to four return services per week.
