An Idea Whose Time Has Come...
I knew this was the yoga festival for me when a one-hour
conversation with its founder left me wanting to be a better person. Sridhar
(Steven by birth) Silberfein is a man who has walked his talk for so long that
now he’s simply talking his walk.
Steeped in the rich traditions of yoga since 1968,
Sridhar considers the moment he introduced Swami Satchidananda to the stage at
Woodstock, to be the seed that started it all. Now with two major yoga
festivals in full swing – Bhakti Fest as of 2009 and its sister Shakti Fest as
of 2011 – it’s clear he was right.
Our conversation centered around Shakti Fest which is
right around the corner in May. It includes all of the devotional elements of
Bhatki such as yoga, sacred music, and personal growth, but with an added
emphasis on the divine feminine. While, to Sridhar, both festivals are acts of
service, or seva (the Sanskrit word for selfless acts performed without any
regard for reward or repayment) as he calls it, he feels Shakti Fest meets an
ever-growing need in modern times.
And the fact that he started the very first natural food
store in southern California in 1970 is a good indicator that his finger is on
the pulse of what the world needs. In his words, “If we don’t’ utilize the love
of the divine feminine which is within all of us we won’t survive. We need this
essence to return balance to the world, to our inner lives, and to our bodies.”
When asked to bring this idea down to the micro level and
to speak about how it effects male/female relationships, he spoke of the
disrespect between men and women he witnesses in his travels around the world.
While the disrespect goes both ways, he says the majority is from men towards
women. This he feels is due to the fact that men are alienated from the divine
feminine within themselves. Sridhar sees Shakti as the remedy for this.
What is Shakti?
And just what is Shakti you may ask? Sridhar refers to it
as, “The Hindu Mother Goddess. The Source of all.” He experienced this power
firsthand during his time with Swami Muktunanda, his guru from 1970-1982. It is
known among yogis that certain individuals can transmit the energy of Shakti or
Shaktipat and Muktananda was one of them. For my skeptic readers, before you
“woowoo” this away, let me say I’ve known several incredible people who
attribute their reception of Shaktipat to Muktunanda and they are some of the
most balanced, loving, and successful people I know. This tells me there is
something very real about this phenomenon.
Why Shakti Fest?
According to Sridhar, “Once the Shakti starts moving in
your body, there’s nothing you can’t do or accomplish in life.” That’s what he
hopes everyone who attends Shakti Fest gets a taste of. Nurturing, love,
understanding, and compassion are just a few of the words he uses to describe
what attendees at Shakti Fest can expect to experience. With non-stop
workshops, yoga practices, meditation, kirtan, and super healthy food
transformation is at your fingertips.
What makes it even better is this is a totally green
event. It’s also a drug, alcohol, and meat free event. Sridhar who has been a
vegetarian for 48 years is committed to keeping the festival true to the
traditional values of yoga. Sponsors, vendors, and presenters are carefully
chosen with this in mind. The integrity of the event won’t be sacrificed for
any amount of money. How refreshing!
Sridhar is also very candid about the fact that this is
not the place to drink, drug, and hook up. He has no qualms in saying if you
want that, don’t come to Shakti Fest. “Yoga is not about escaping from
yourself. It’s about connecting with and going deeper into yourself,” he says. I wish I could transmit the compassion and
tremor of hope in his voice when he speaks of this possibility. He’s delighted
also that more people have been bringing the whole family, so all can grow
together.
The Red Tent Tradition...
A very special feature of Shakti Fest is the Red Tent, named after the tradition rooted in ancient Native American, Chinese, and African cultures. This is a secluded, domed space where strong female elders lead workshops for women only. The Red Tent is designed to target contemporary issues facing women, to empower and strengthen them, and help them find their own voice.
You cannot talk to him for more than a few minutes
without realizing that service (seva) is woven into the fabric of his being.
Whether it’s helping his friend and spiritual luminary Ram Dass or taking
flowers to someone in an old age home, to Sridhar service and transformation go
hand in hand. (Take a look at a series of insightful interviews with Ram Dass HERE.)
He’s very no nonsense when he says: “You can’t do
anything for the planet unless you change yourself. How much seva are you
doing? It’s easy to quote phrases and give lines, but what are you really
doing? How deep are you really going? Going deep inside the process, really
surrendering and getting to the next round, that’s the work. And that requires
discipline. It takes everyday focus…you have to get up every morning and do the
work…and not talk about it…there’s no more time to talk. Discipline is really
the key. You break through much quicker if you have a discipline.” He credits
his understanding of discipline to what he learned from Muktananda.
The Influence of Amma and Muktananda...
I think we can take these words to heart, from a man with a proven track record of service, who still stands on his head daily, engages in meditation, spiritual study, and who I might add, is still humble enough to know he needs a guru. After Muktananda’s passing, Sridhar found Amma, the hugging saint. He’s been with her now for 28 years and considers her “the highest female presence on the planet.”(You can learn more about her in the 1999 film, River of Love.)
Sridhar describes Shakti Fest as being about “getting out
of your comfort zone…it’s a gathering to celebrate, to go deeper into this divine
feminine, which is a spark that will help us ignite into a deeper spiritual and
biological transformation.”
Standing on such solid spiritual lineage as the
discipline of Muktananda and the compassion of Amma as embodied by Sridhar in a
life of devotion and service, Shakti Fest is bound to spark something in the
open heart of anyone who attends.
And there’s more expansion on the horizon, including
Bhakti and Shakti Fest in China and Europe in 2017.
Making the Pilgrimage to Joshua Tree...
But for now, May 13th is fast approaching, tickets are
selling fast. Buy yours today and get thee to Joshua Tree! At the very least
you’ll have fun, eat delicious vegetarian food, dance, and sing your heart out
all in the company of like-minded people. And beyond that you may catch a spark
of Shakti that changes you forever, leaving you transformed and ready to serve
the planet like you’ve never done before.
And if you miss Shakti Fest for some reason there’s
always Bhakti Fest Midwest in June or Bhakti West in September
Love this! Can't wait to experience all that is the creative divine feminine! Thanks for sharing and see you there!
ReplyDelete