Soulshine Music and Yoga Festival Heads to Boston
Music and yoga have always gone hand and hand. Some artists, such as Daphne Tse, tour the country and travel from yoga studio to yoga studio just to sing live in classes. Recently, Tse spent a Saturday in Boston, starting at Back Bay Yoga (BBY) for a morning class and then headed down to Southie to continue the soothing trilling at Radiant Yoga. In fact, most live music yoga classes sell out way in advance. (We were lucky enough to catch Tse live at BBY and the class was face-to-butt packed.)
The music and yoga connection was not lost on the creators of the Soulshine Music and Yoga Festival, which will be gracing Boston with its presence July 18 at Blue Hills Bank Pavilion.
Attendees can enjoy two hours of optional daytime yoga classes (starts at 3:30 p.m. with the music portion beginning at 7 p.m.) geared towards people of all ages and experience levels. Classes at the 31 city tour will be led by well-known instructors such as Baron Baptiste, Seane Corn, and Ryan Leier. At the Boston stop, yoga will be led by Honza and Claudine LaFond of YogaBeyond in Sydney, Australia.
After yoga, the event turns into a jam session featuring Michael Franti & Spearhead, several DJs, and other artists. There will also be a “Soulshine Village” with vendors and sponsors like Essentia Water giving away samples.
“Bringing people together to celebrate with music is very powerful. When I started practicing yoga 13 years ago, I found that inviting people to practice together has that same effect,” said Michael Franti, the musical and creative force behind Soulshine. “With Soulshine, it is important that we align with partners who are also advocates for healthy living. Essentia shares our passion for this project and we’re happy to have them on board for our summer tour.”
A portion of the Soulshine Tour’s proceeds (ticket prices range from $35 to $175 and include an option for “yoga only”) will be donated to three non-profits: Do It For the Love Foundation that brings musical experiences to people in advance stages of life threatening illness, wounded veterans, and children with severe challenges; Love Hope and Strength, an international music-centric charity dedicated to providing support for cancer centers and patients; and Reverb, an organization that educates and engages musicians and fans to take action towards a more sustainable future.
