The Portland YogaFest 2018 took place on the International Day of Yoga, June 21, 2018. For this wonderful day of yoga, Pioneer Courthouse Square, in the downtown area of Portland, Oregon, was rented. There were nearly 40 booths in the Square, sharing yoga as expressed through music, art, business, science, education, senior care, technology, meditation, hatha yoga, and more. In addition, there were 3 venues for speakers throughout the day, with over 50 presenters, plus a hatha yoga pavilion and meditation area – both with guided practice throughout the day. Hundreds of people came and discovered yoga as a vehicle for personal and global change.
The time before and after the event also included a gathering of the next generation of developing Ananda leaders from around the world who served during the event. This allowed them to have a wonderful connection with each other as well as to share a time of service together.
Also included in this time was a visit by Ananda’s Worldwide directors, Nayaswamis Jyotish and Devi. They spoke at the June 21, International Day of Yoga event, as well as at a wonderful symposium on Friday evening at Portland State University symposium on “Raising Consciousness for Global Peace.” Keynote speakers included Nayaswamis Jyotish and Devi, artist Dana Lynne Anderson, and scientist Joseph Puru Selbie, author of “The Physics of God.” The evening concluded with a global peace ceremony with the voices of 10 different spiritual traditions offering a prayer for peace.
Saturday and Sunday, June 23 and 24 centered at Ananda Center at Laurelwood, where further explorations into the experience of yoga as a way of life were available. Saturday afternoon was focused on the unveiling of the eight-foot high bronze statue of Yogananda at the “Yogananda Gardens of the Northwest, a Meditation Sanctuary.” The unveiling included a ceremony as well as sharing of the process of creation of both the Gardens and the statue. The statue is in a standing posture, with hands uplifted in blessing and rests on a hilltop at the Laurelwood campus.
The four days from June 21-24 were filled with endless moments of inspiration, insight and powerful beauty as the presence of God and Gurus was shared with hundreds of new and old friends from around the world and throughout the Portland area.
Thousands of hours went into the planning of these events. Over 150 people came together to put them on, around 80 Ananda next wave members came from India, Europe, South America, the US and Canada to share this time together, and there timeless moments of inspiration, joy, play, service, friendship and the experience of what life can be when lived for God and Gurus. Thank you, Janaka Foundation, for helping support this life-changing, and world-changing time.
