Over the past 10 years we’ve seen a surge in festival culture all over North America and the UK. What is emerging in many corners of the globe is something quite spectacular. Events are evolving to an ever demanding population that yearns for something more than just a place to party. Don’t get me wrong, we all love to get out there to dance and let loose, free of any inhibition, but as participants evolve so do the festivals. As a whole there are those of us that seek out events that encompass all the facets of culture: music, art, dance, education, food, personal growth and sustainability. Many of us are hungry for a cultural experience and the influence it bestows on us when we leave. The notion that a festival can be transforming is very powerful and is what we are witnessing with our very own eyes. This year we are taking an expedition to our neighbours down South to attend Lightning in a Bottle at Lake Skinner, California, which coincidently is an event that has been described to many as “transformational”.

So come transform, relax, and indulge your curiosity with endless possibilities and experiences that await you at Lightning in a Bottle’s 2013 workshops. Today we will  take a look at the offerings of the Lucent Temple of Consciousness, The Village and The Learning Kitchen.

THE LUCENT TEMPLE OF CONSCIOUSNESS

This is the epicenter of expanding your mind, body and spirit. Workshops, speakers and yoga abound, all with there own companionable music. These are only a few of the dozens there is to offer:

SPEAKERS: 

Authors, artists, creative minds alike come to gather and share stories, wisdom and knowledge.

Alex and Allyson Grey: Entheogeneration: The History of Visionary Culture

Are you a fellow psychonaut, a connoisseur of psychedelics or perhaps a curious mind of the awe inspiring visionary art that is emerging in our culture. Come listen to one of the most prominent visionary artists Alex Grey as he speaks about our urges to reach altered states of consciousness through ingestion of sacramental and mind-expanding substances. Alex and Allyson Grey’s work is visually and spiritually stunning, this is one presentation I refuse to miss.

Melanie St. James: 7 Stages to Sustainability: Social Permaculture in Action

A few of us here at AYNiB have been recently exposed to the ideals of permaculture by a close friend and teacher of ours.  The ethics and principles of permaculture do not apply solely to nature. The principles can be applied to communities, organizations and businesses. Melanie St. James is the creator and developer of the 7SS curriculum. So if you would like to apply the principles of nature to develop sustainable solutions than this speaker is definitely for you.

Evolver Series – The Speciation of Humanity: Food, Sex, Psychedelics and Technology 

What role does technology play in your lifestyle? Are you curious about the effects of what we consume and absorb. The old aphorism ” you are what you eat” still rings true with us today. We are consciously discovering that what we consume mentally and physically can drastically alter our lives. This is part of the Evolver series, brought to you by the creative minds of an ever expanding platform of learning, commerce and global culture. Join Evolver Los Angeles’ Baza Novic, Brian Duffy and Jill Ettinger along with Evolver co-founder, author Daniel Pinchbeck in an exploration of our relationships to food, sex, psychedelics and technology. 

YOGA:

The Lucent Temple of Consciousness is offering a place to stretch your mind and body, for beginners and  to the most serious of practitioners. I am not the most limber of folk as I am out of practice, but I am absolutely looking forward to finding some inspiration and direction from the fine folks at LIB this year.

80’s Yoga Dance Party!

Ummm HELLO!  Did somebody say Dance Party! Sometimes yoga can be intimidating, perhaps you aren’t as stretchy or limber as your  gumby like neighbour or maybe you haven’t done yoga before and are looking for the right style to downward dog your way into. This could very well be your gateway yoga class. I will be there with bells on, or perhaps some NKOTB snap bracelets (j/k…or am I). Who doesn’t want to combine yoga and channeling Jane Fonda. Also when leg warmers and sweatbands are encouraged you have to know this is going to be a doozy of a fun time.

Fuck Yeah!! Yoga with Cheri Rae Russell

Want to experience the healing power of yoga and find inspiration? Cheri Rae Russell is an instructor and living food magician based out of the Peace yoga/allery L.O.V.E  cafe in downtown Las Angeles. Fuck Yes to Fuck Yeah yoga is all I have to say.

WORKSHOPS:

We are all lifelong students, there is never a point at which we stop learning. It is not required to attend workshops at festivals but I fully believe we all owe it to ourselves to participate, to help us grow and push the boundaries of what we are comfortable with.

1 Giant Mind Mass Meditation and the Earth Harp
I love science and spirituality, I am thrilled and absolutely intrigued over the idea of fusing them together in such a unique way. On the Sunday of LIB there will be a mass meditation lead by William Close on the Earth Harp. If you have never had a chance to experience the awe inspiring beauty of this instrument do not let this chance pass you by. I had the honor to hear it at Burning Man 2011 and to this day is one of the most chilling and hauntingly beautful things I have ever experienced. Participants will be lead into a deep meditation with 50 volunteers providing blood samples before and after, recording the effects of mass meditation on brain chemistry. This is headed up by Dr. Paul Zak, Director of the Centre of Neuroeconomics Studies at Claremont Graduate University in California. It is not required that you give blood to participate, that is completely optional. Ready, set Meditate!

THE VILLAGE

One of the unique aspects of Lightning in a Bottle that is perhaps more foreign to some festivals is the respect and honor paid to the earth stewards of lands that we celebrate on. At The Village participants can learn ‘Ancestral Arts’  from Indigenous teachers and elders who have devoted there lives to century old traditions and techniques. Come honor the sunrise and sunset at the Ritual Fire or hear words of healing at the Medicine Wheel. It is a cultural experiment set in motion as we approach a shift in thinking. As we make this shift we need to be conscious of how we bridge the gap between communities of the old and new. The Village is a place where we can celebrate and practice old ways of being, where we can all play an integral part in community.

WORKSHOPS:

Archery with Olaf Vali Duna

Olaf is a bow maker, shoe maker canoe builder and owner of Olaf Tattoo. He is doing an introductory course to the bow and arrow. Archery is an exceptionally fantastic practice to learn, even just the basics for loading, aiming and shooting will most likely have you hooked. The history of the bow and arrow is very rich so it would be hard not to enjoy this class. As a person who has dabbled in archery this sounds like a really great hands on class.

Timo Granzotti & Nathan Tinder: Firecraft

Are you feeling fiery? Are your survival skills up to task or would you be completely left in the dark when it comes to making fire. I would perish, absolutely if I had to make fire. So I am pretty sure I am going to be attending this class. Tim and Nathan will be teaching participants how to learn to make fire with various woods and techniques. What intrigues me the most about this is the in depth look into specific plants and there relationship to fire they will be giving.

Other Village Workshops worth a closer look:

• Timo Granzotti: Woodcraft
• Shira Weaver: Fiber Arts
• full workshop listings for The Village here

THE LEARNING KITCHEN

Who doesn’t like food? Especially when it is delicious, healthy and invigorating. Lightning in a Bottle is one of the first festivals that we here at AYNiB have attended that is wholly vegetarian. What a simply splendid idea. The Learning Kitchen is an area that promotes healthy living through food workshops and classes. I am going to consume as much fruit and veggies as I can before we return to our frosty homeland (I joke, its not frosty..anymore… we can grow stuff too…most of the time, for at least 4 months out of the year) Lets see whats tickles our fancy at the Learning Kitchen.

The Alchemy of Cacao with Mr. Brian Wallace

Have you ever had cacao before, real raw cacao? It is simply divine, I’m not joking I have eaten it before and questioned the legality of the substance. This could have been the serotonin at work or my affinity to chocolate but regardless this is a workshop worth attending. Mr. Brian Wallace will be talking about the Alchemy of this aforementioned substance, from its health benefits to the neurophysiology sensory experience. Come pair your cacao with exotic superfoods or learn to make your own healthy cacao elixir. There will most certainly not be any death by chocolate here.

How to Eat for Better Sex

Looking to spice up the sex life? Have no complaints at all but curiosity has gotten the best of you? What a great way to better ourselves than to better our sexy selves. Count me in, there is always rooms for a bit more sauciness especially when it comes with health benefits. Celebrity raw food vegan Chef Jason Wrobel will navigate us through the plethora of foods to which ones will boost our libido, increase our bedroom stamina (my cardio could use some tuning up) open our hearts and become the best lovers we can be. His superfood tonic will get you ” on the scene like a sex machine”. Umm yes please.

Other workshops at the Learning Kitchen worth a Look:

• Living Foods with Cheri Rae
• Herbal and Medicinal Beer Making with Erica Wholdmann
• full workshop listings for The Learning Kitchen here

So whether you are looking to rejuvenate after a night of debauchery, replenish for a day of dancing or simply in the mood to listen and learn Lightning in a Bottle is sure to have something for everyone, for everyBODY. So open your heart, open your ears. stretch yourself in ways you never thought possible and connect to your fellow participants! It is up to you to choose your own adventure!

Full listings for The Village here