October 30th, 2012 
Yoga on the lawn (Photo Credit: Leslie Silver)
The 2012 Austin Yoga Festival had a perfect weekend. The weather was a bit chilly, but just right for working out outdoors and enjoying a break from the hot weather. Walking up to the Long Center you saw a variety of booths offering snack bars from Luna, massages with therapy balls and jewelry being sold along the lawn.
Performance at the Festival (Photo Credit: Leslie Silver)
The class that I was attending the festival to try was the Festival Workshop: Get Core-geous with Yoga Tune Up. Taught by Peggy Sue Honeyman-Scott, Peggy has more than 30 years experience and has studied with some of the best teachers in the yoga industry. Yoga Tune Up combines Peggy’s earlier experience and teachings with new healing techniques.
The participants in the class were a little cold from the weather outside, so to warm us up, Peggy had everyone crawl around the room. As silly (and awkward!) as it felt to crawl, it really made a difference and warmed you up very fast and was a good move to just wake up your muscles as it’s not every day that you crawl and then crawl backward which takes a bit of concentration to not hit another class participant!
Booths at the Festival (Photo Credit: Leslie Silver)
Then, we used workout balls to stretch different parts of our bodies from the back of our legs to backs to feet, it was really interesting work. After each move, before working the other side of the body, we did a basic stretch, and I could feel just how rolling the ball on one side of my body opened up me up so much more and just felt better overall than the other side. They were really unique moves that seemed simple, but I felt them in my thighs just walking home from the event.
From the ball moves it was a lot of ab work and even a move on a trash bag that, believe it or not, left my abs and midsection seriously burning. Some of the moves incorporated arm and leg work too, so it definitely was a full body workout.
The yoga festival had a great variety of classes. From introducing yoga to a new audience to classes for the teachers themselves, it was a weekend of variety across the sport. Even walking out enjoying the brisk weather and sunshine I was able to watch another class get started on the lawn taking in the last few hours of the festival, until next year!
