Cultivating Yoga Movement Concepts to Live Music | Culture & Leisure

Among the plethora of summer festivals returning to the Valley, a new one is making its way.

The Drishti Beats Yoga and Music Festival is coming to Snowmass Village July 8-10 for a weekend filled with movement, music and moments of spiritual exploration. From daily programming of yoga classes and guest speaker presentations to evenings happening right in the live musical performances, the inaugural festival takes a fresh look at spiritual experience.

What sets Drishti Beats apart from other festivals of its nature is the alignment of movement to music, said co-founder Lori Lowell. Throughout the daytime yoga class schedule, each yoga instructor is accompanied by live musicians. Rather than moving from a pose to background music, as is usually the case in most yoga classes, Drishti participants will be guided by live rhythms.

“It’s a performance,” Lowell said. “It’s a production.”

She added: “We really believe that the movement towards music brings people to a higher level of consciousness, it affects people in different ways. … The collaboration of yoga movement and music – that’s our whole philosophy.

While Drishti Beats is a first-time festival, the organization began eight years ago when Lowell and her husband Jeremy, along with their three children, started producing music specifically for yoga classes. and perform this music live in the studios.

These downtempo electronic chill tracks, complete with live instrumental elements, quickly gained momentum on music platforms, and the Lowells found themselves mixing yoga and live performance on stages around the world.

Having lived in Snowmass for 16 years, the Lowell family was ready to cultivate the Drishti experience in their home. They planned to hold the first Drishti Beats festival in 2020, and when the pandemic interrupted their plan, Lowell said she and her husband focused on growing the online Drishti Beats yoga teacher training program – which placed the accredited organization even more so on the global map.

Now, finally bringing the Drishti Festival to life this summer, Lowell has curated a list of the industry’s top performers across all experience sectors. From acclaimed yoga instructors, as well as renowned speakers and electronic music artists, the festival features a mix of top local and incoming attendees.

Events will take place in and around Snowmass Village, as well as some mountain trail adventures. All lectures take place inside The Collective building and yoga classes will start at OM’s Drishti – located next to the Village Express chairlift – or at the Jardin Collectif outside the building.

Each day, programming begins at 7 a.m. or 7:30 a.m. with back-to-back class options until 4 p.m. DJ sets start at 5 p.m. and the night ends at 11 p.m. with a silent disco experience. There will be food vendors and jewelry and clothing pop-ups scattered around the Snowmass mall all weekend, Lowell said.

She mentioned that one of the challenges of hosting a festival of this nature at Snowmass Village is the lack of on-site camping options. With no camping spaces available, festival-goers from locations outside the valley must find accommodation, which may limit access.

Under the “Accommodation” tab of the Drishti Beats Festival website, you will find a list of hotels in the area, ranging from the most luxurious to the most economical. The webpage also has links to Airbnb and Vrbo options.

Despite the barrier of camping, Lowell pointed to many advantages of the Aspen-area environment in regards to the overall festival experience. Unlike common festival campgrounds — such as Burning Man and Lightning in a Bottle — where festival-goers face heat and a desert climate, Aspen naturally cultivates a more elaborate experience, she said.

“Come to Aspen and you won’t have to fight those festival elements; you’re in the beautiful mountains, the air is fresh and crisp, and you have access to clean bathrooms and restaurants,” Lowell said. “It aligns with what Aspen stands for.”

The abundance and quality of yoga instructors, speakers and musicians make for an efficient and smart three-day experience, she said. The owner hopes people leave the weekend supporting what they have learned, applying yoga and mindfulness to their daily lives.

“We’re thrilled to bring the magic of this ability to Snowmass – it’s never been offered before,” Lowell said. “It’s going to be a great event, and you can buy a ticket any way you want.”

There are many ways to participate in the Drishti Beats Yoga and Music Festival, and the organization offers a range of tickets for the event. For attendees who only want to take advantage of daytime yoga classes and lectures, there are one-day, two-day, and three-day pass options. The same pass options — though different price points — suit those only interested in late-night DJ sets.

The full three-day yoga and music pass is $349. If ticket buyers enter the discount code “setmefree” at checkout, the price of the pass will drop to $289, according to Lowell.

All passes and ticketing options for the festival can be purchased at festival.drishtibeats.com.