7 Essential Self-Care Tools to Maintain Your Energy Field Strong at a Yoga Festival
Festivals are the highlight of the season and a great place to experience new music, healing workshops, world class yoga teachers and shamanic practices, which allow us to uplevel our energy, get wild and play, while equally receiving that healing and nurturing soul balm. Since they are so much fun, we often try to be everywhere at the same time, taking in as much as possible, dancing, moving and being in community.
However, sometimes this can have a counter effect. Being on a festival can also be intense, be it because of the constant sense stimulation of sound and light, the great amount of people moving from workshop to workshop or the overwhelm of deciding between the many workshop options to get the most out of a few days of utopia and love!
1. DRINK LOTS OF LIQUIDS
It might seem obvious, but drinking water, juices and herbal teas is key number one to stay hydrated, maintain a healthy energy balance and stay fit in the heat, the sweaty dance floors and packed workshops. Coconut water is a good alternative too, as it is rich in electrolytes, the minerals you loose the fastest when you sweat and move, and as a side-effect also cleanses your blood and organs. If you usually drink 3 litres of water per day, drink four litres on a yoga festival.
2. EAT BANANAS
When the muscles get tired and the last yoga class is still sitting in the hamstrings, get yourself some bananas. These yellow fruits are rich in potassium and magnesium and provide the body with exactly what it needs, so that it regenerates faster and you don´t experience cramps, sore muscles and physical weakness after walking from here to there, dancing to ecstatic dance, joining your limbs together at a famous teacher´s yoga class or practicing acro yoga at the beach.
3.EAT MORE GREENS
Green salads, cucumbers, green juices, apples, kiwis, broccoli, spinach and all the good of a green garden buffet help the body to detox, are rich in antioxidants, eliminate free radicals, help to strengthen the digestive tract for better digestion and elimination of toxins, balance the pH levels and enrich the blood with oxygen. Greens have the healing power to regenerate all the cells in the body and therefore allow the immune system to operate at an optimum level.
4. TAKE TIME TO CHILL
This might sound counterintuitive since everyone tries to be as busy as possible at a festival, but it is crucial for optimum restoration. Just lying in the hammock, getting sufficient sleep or reading a book in between workshops are all good ways to reset your system, so that the workshops you do attend gain your full presence and energy.
5. SPEND TIME AWAY FROM PEOPLE
A festival does not seem to be a place to do this often, but it’s well worth it. Even if it’s just for 15 minutes a day, taking time away from people, best in nature, under a tree or at the beach helps you to shed energetic layers you might have picked up from others during the day, release what is not yours and restore your own energy field to its own natural high. When we spend a lot of time together with people, we tend to take on their emotions, energy and sometimes mental states. Time away simply helps to release and recharge and stay centered in our own space. Furthermore, time alone is a good way to digest the diverse sense impressions from the festival and integrate everything that has moved through the workshops and contact with people.
6. SPIRULINA SUPPLEMENTS
Spirulina is a sea algae and is rich in Vitamin A, B, plant protein as many minerals. It helps not only to detox but also to maintain a high level of energy after lots of physical activity. Whenever you feel low, tired or fatigued from action, Spirulina brings you back on track.
7. EAT LOTS OF RAW FOOD
Everything that is raw still has all the nutrients, minerals and vitamins available straight from mother earth. Therefore the fastest fix for an energy low is eating raw and fresh, organic products, such as local fruits and vegetables. A balanced diet usually contains a mix of raw and cooked or steamed food, however, on a festival you might as well a bit more of the raw treats to take in more vitamins and minerals.
ENJOY YOUR YOGA FESTIVAL SEASON AND HAVE FUN WHILE YOU ARE THERE!
written by Anne Haack, intuitive coach and psychic healer, Reiki Master, yoga and meditation teacher, movement facilitator and DJ.