Welcome festival-goers
Very very soon we will all be crossing paths.
I’m Emily the festival-maker and i wanted to share a few things with you.
Powhiri
On Friday we are unveiling our festival with a Powhiri, to acknowledge the vital role Tangata Whenua play in this beautiful Bay of Plenty, and indeed Aoteaoroa.
For those of you who haven’t been to a Powhiri now’s your chance.
It’s a profound ritual full of song, speaking, reverence, power and togetherness.
The Powhiri preparations will start at 5.15pm>
NB: if you can’t be in the space before 5.25pm please come after 6.30pm so as not to interrupt this sacred welcome.
If you’re feeling nervous about what to do and not to do at the Powhiri here’s a link:
http://www.newzealand.com/int/feature/powhiri-maori-welcome/
Check in
We will do our best to make your check in flow smoothly.
To help us please
1) print out your ticket show that upon check in at 13 May Street
OR
2) bring up the email on your phone as you enter.
Our team will scan your ticket and issue you with a wristband.
There may be some peak times when check in takes longer.
Please allow plenty of time before the class you wish to attend starts, to avoid disappointment.
You’re welcome to come check in early e.g. pop in on Friday night, get your wristband ready for Saturday etc.
Off-site events
SUP Yoga and Aerial Yoga are off-site (as they require water and aerial rigs).
We really wanted to include them in our programme cos they’re so fun.
You’ll need to take an easy walk, or use alternative transport to get to these sites.
SUP Yoga happens at Mount Hot Pools, 9 Adams Ave (at the end of Maunganui Rd, beneath Mauao).
Aerial Yoga happens at Float Fitness, 249 Maunganui Rd (in front of Mount Event Cinemas and opposite Coronation Park).
To avoid disappointment please register your booking for SUP or Aerial Yoga by emailing littleyogafestival@gmail.com with your ticket number, full name, phone number and the date, name and time of the class you wish to book. NB: You need to register at least 1 hour before the class is due to start. You’re welcome to go for a wander to the off-site venue after this time and see if there is space in the class. We will post on the FB event when the class is full.
Opening Night & Closing Night Parties
Mount Social Club is your one and only destination for the little YOGA festival OPENING & CLOSING PARTIES Friday (10pm -1am) & Sunday (7pm- 1am) night! With special performances by DJ Ria Rhythms & Alice Sea – Music + featuring exclusive deals for festival participants, it’s an event you won’t want to miss! Anyone with their wristband receives 10% off their meal whilst dining at Mount Social Club, the most beautiful bar and restaurant at the Mount.
Information
In the Dining Marquee will be hanging a noticeboard to display any updates, share panui.
There will a QR code you can scan to automatically download the programme to your phone.
There will be a print out of the timetable to squizz at.
Recommendations
Bring some cash if you don’t want to queue up for $ at the Herbal Potential tea caravan because you’ll need it for our sustainability stall or the co-op shop…
Expect to fall in love with sometimes hand-made, sustainable, beautiful gifts, toys, homeware etc at our co-op stall of products from all over…
Reminders
* Drink Bottle (we’re aiming for Zero Waste)
* Keep-cup
* Come prepared for ‘four seasons in one day’ e.g. Raincoat, A change of clothes, Warm Clothes
* Yoga Mat
* A blanket
* A cushion (if you like/need one)
Helpful pages on our website are:
Frequently asked questions click >>> here <<<
Location click >>> here <<<
Timetable click >>> here <<<
Location
May Street Reserve
13 May Street
Mt Maunganui
home to The Yoga Collective Mt Maunganui
And Mount Community Gardens
May Street Reserve is snuggled between Rita Street and May Street downtown the Mount.
From May Street entrance you can enter via the driveway (note: no cars during festival).
From Rita Street entrance you can enter via a beach access which is a concrete uphill short path.
Parking
On the above location link there are suggestions of the range of places to park from street parking, carpark sites. Marine Parade is a ‘safe’ option and follow the pink and white signs that lead to LYF17
Safety
little YOGA festival claims no responsibility for any damage or theft to items left in cars whilst at our festival.
Remember to find a way to let your teachers know if you have an injury or you’re pregnant before the start of the class OR as soon as you remember (oops) as they may suggest you adjust a pose.
Disappointment
Some of you may not fit into the class of your choice, which is challenging.
Please return to the timetable as you may find the teacher appears at another time OR the same form is taught by another. We invite you to be bold and go to something out of character for you. In the words of Joseph Campbell “Where you stumble there lies your treasure.”
Hot pools
A reminder you get 20 % your hot pool entry with your wristband for the duration of the festival
Mount Beachside Holiday Park
30% off cabins, caravans and tent/caravan site hire
Social:
Feel free to use #LYF17 on Instagram
Equally feel free to ‘unplug’
We’ll post this on wild & grace website and little YOGA festival blog in case you’d like to re-visit it.
Nau mai, Haere mai welcome to our festival of the heart.
For those who have stumbled across this post (in the final hour)…
There are day passes, weekend passes available. FREE for kids under 14 years.
Tickets: www.littleyogafestival.com/tickets
Aerial Yoga
AcroYoga
African Drumming
Aqua for Teens
Ashtanga
Alice Sea on the Live Stage
Beekeeping
Blog to Book
Body Love
Cacao Ceremony
Chakras and Intro
Chakra Yoga
Circus
Compost
Crochet a dishcloth
Cultivate your Life Force
Death & Dying
Death Cafe
Didgeridoo
Drawing
Embody: M & B
Embodying Your Energy
Emma & Autumn on the Live Stage
Em River on the Live Stage
5km Fun Run around Mauao
Family Yoga
Focus Yoga
Franko Heke on the Live Stage
Galactic Mayan Archetype
Given – The Movie
Grace & Hattie
Happiness & Mindfulness
Hatha Yoga
Heart Circle for Women – Shine Your Light
Heart of the Sacred Masculine
Hot Yoga
How to set your face free
Hula Hooping
Kapa Haka
Karen Hunter on the Live Stage
Kids Yoga for 5-9 years
Kids Yoga for 3-6 years
Kirtan Collective
Knitting
Kundalini Yoga
Kung Fu
Laughter Yoga
Ignite Your Radiance (for women)
Interactive World Singing
Jivankmuti Yoga
Mandala Art
Matrescence
Meditation
Music&Creativity
Neil Crowe on the Live Stage
Nonviolent Communication
Outdoor Explorers
Out of the Cereal Box
Poetry
Powhiri
Qigong
Ra on the Live Stage
Re-member, Me
Restorative Yoga
Ritual Design
River and the North Winds on the Live Stage
Sarah Marlowe Spence on the Live Stage
Sauerkraut
Self Compassion through Mindfulness (for women)
Sewing with Boomerang Bags
Shamanic Journey
Simone Vitale on the Live Stage
Sing-a-long for preschoolers
Shakti Naam
Soundbath & Meditation
Soundbath
Sunrise Yoga
SUP Yoga
Te Reo Maori
The Circle of Breath
The Food Mood Connection
The Journey
The Joys of Edible Weeds
The Presence Zone
The Women’s School
Ukulele
Vinyasa Flow
Vision Boarding
Wim Hof Breathing Technique
Yin
Yoga Nidra
Yoga Rhythms Tribe Ecstatic Dance Activation
Yoga Rhythms: 5 Elements Dance Workshop
15-17 September Mt Maunganui.
Day passes, Weekend passes, FREE for kids under 14 years.
Tickets: www.littleyogafestival.com/tickets
Happy Sunday People
Taking the plunge
We’re beavering away this Sunday morning after taking a plunge off Tauranga’s waterfront wharf alongside Angela Wallace the leader behind Women Who Get Shit Done Unconference in Bay of Plenty, and Natasha Lucas from Tauranga Community Co-op, followed up by a Cacao Coconut Smoothie from Vitality Organics.
Timetable
As you’ve probably seen our timetable is now available and we’ve been getting oodles of warm feedback about how abundant it is, and how inspiring the weekend is for people already. On facebook the organic reach within 2-3 days was 2000 people. Interesting huh, the work sells the work. The things sells the thing. The reality of a being speaks more than the talk of it.
Can we Yoga?
Here in HQ it’s now the continued challenge or invitation can we yoga through the next 4-5 festival weeks, including pre, during and post to live the message we are cultivating.
Staying with our breath, accepting where we’re at, meeting it, living with imperfection, embracing the shadow, remaining open to possibility, observing, listening, being with empathy.
Given – the movie
The most exciting thing we’re excited about – yup we’re still excited, is Night Owl Cinema screening Given on the Saturday night of our 3 day festival.
For those of you you haven’t seen Given yet, you’re in for a soul treat.
It’s a story about a surfing couple who are Mum and Dad to a brand new baby, and Given baby’s older brother (who narrates the film). The family take to the road, to surf, adventure and experience this one wild and precious life we’ve been given.
It’s a poignant tale the follows the bond between father and son, about living in the moment, about choosing life over work, about travel, about culture, about the wild, about love, and about being uniquely YOU.
It exemplifies the quality of our festival and we are whole-heartedly grateful for Jess Bianchi, Paige Livingstone and the people that make decisions, for giving us the generous green-light to share this film with you.
Wim Hof Breathing Technique
Nigel Beach is the only (soon to be officially accredited) Wim Hof Technique Teacher in NZ. His workshop has been in the making since LYF 2015, when we’d heard he was learning Wim’s techniques…Nigel is doing great work alongside Waikato University around applying Wim’s practices to women with endometriosis, in an initiative called EndEndo. Wim Hof is a Dutch daredevil, commonly nicknamed “The Iceman” for his ability to withstand extreme cold, which he attributes to exposure to cold, meditation and breathing techniques. As you have read, Wim’s all about the cold, he would have approved at our taking the plunge this morning. Here’s a link to Wim: https://www.wimhofmethod.com/
How does the ticket work?
If you’re confused about what your ticket gets you OR whether you have to register etc, go to our FAQs here OR look on our facebook page for 2 minute videos ‘making things clearer’ here.
Last little snippets…
Co-op Shop
Thanks to Jenni Werth from Herbal Potential, we’ve got a holistic bunch of businesses and products who’ve come together for the co-op shop, within our vendors at the festival. This co-op shop features Paper Plane, Saucha Soul, Boomerang Bags, Gilly’s Eczema Cream, Remmady Upcycled, Epiphany Toys among others.
Sponsors
We feel all warm and filled-up when people behind businesses contribute to our little YOGA festival, Aotearoa’s most hand-made and whole-hearted weekend.
It takes courage to stand in the face of no (sometimes felt as rejection) but ask anyway AND ALSO it takes heart to say no, when we half want to say yes and also half need to say no. Both positions have challenges.
Back to the people in business who’ve said yes:
We’ll make an edible (in the metaphoric sense of the word) list of all our sponsors before the festival opening but for now, kia ora Epiphany Toys for donating handfuls of giant Lyra pencils to our Makers’ Space. These German made coloured pencils leave all others behind. Vibrant in colour, oozy-glidey on the paper, and organic in the hand, they add another dimension to creativity. Epiphany Toys sells them in packs of 6 or 12 here.
Combibo water filters are kindly donating a water filter to our hose system, so you & we can re-fill our re-suable drink bottles with sweet-tasting-and-life-giving H2O. If you need one of these filters you can find them here: https://www.combibo.co.nz/
UNO Magazine have popped us in their August issue, and probably, maybe, surely in their September issue too – thanks for spreading the love and word UNO. We love your beautiful photography, the fact you help us feel proud to live in the Bay, and your helpful pointers of what’s hot and helpful in our region of Plenty of good times to be found and experienced.
Gratitude
We appreciate all those humans getting behind, in front, around our grassroots festival. We acknowledge it takes creative or economical risk and generosity when collaborating with a fledgling. Tuakana Teina is a nourishing dynamic. Let us all look for the opportunity to give to each other, to help, and to build stronger communities and industries.
Future Opportunities for Business Alignment
If you own a business and would like to ‘share our audience’ because you feel your product or service aligns with our sustainable values, our vision for a more empathetic, courageous and authentic way of being, get in touch: emily@wildandgrace.co.nz.
We’ll leave you with this…
Take the Plunge
We’re interested in all things wild, here at wild & grace events and media (responsible for bringing little YOGA festival to life). We’re drawn to tales of people living wild some with and without death e.g. Into the Wild, Miriam Lancewood, the family from Given – The Movie, Ocean Family Road Trip, The Horse Boy – The Film, This Way of Life – The Film, Chef’s Table set in Paraguay (some feature below).
GIVEN Trailer from Jess Bianchi on Vimeo.
Apart from wild, or adventure we’re drawn to inviting the uncomfortable, which reminds us of a conversation we had with a local Ashtanga Teacher recently.
He suggested:
Yoga is not about the stretches, about the body. If you’re enjoying Yoga you’ve probably or possibly missed the point. Yoga is about much much more.
He said:
I’m interested in meeting what’s not comfortable. In what doesn’t feel pleasant. This can be what Yoga is.
During the plunge this morning Ange, talked about Brad Dixon and the Wednesday Without Wetsuit Ocean Wwim she does with the aforementioned. One idea is:
the more comfortable we get with the uncomfortable the better we are at it – being in pain, being with suffering, accepting what is, rather than striving for the pleasant in every moment.
Without further ado, taking the plunge…
One with sound and one without depending if you’re in a yin or a yang mood/mode.
Sound
Silence
We’re gonna start by saying a trumpeting whole-hearted thank you Jenni Werth of Herbal Potential for tenderly curating and co-ordinating our delicious and nutritious array of food, drinks, and well-meaning products for little YOGA festival 15-17 September 2017.
In no particular order here are the ‘food-smiths’ and ‘drink-stations’ confirmed for our festival in Springtime Mt Maunganui, East Coast, New Zealand.
Temaki Truck
Temaki is a cone shaped hand rolled sushi, featuring fresh and seasonal produce.
Organic Mechanic Kombucha
Organic Mechanic will be serving up their amazing kombucha on tap at the Little Yoga Festival. They are made in a place of pure joy and presence, with each unique flavour being crafted specifically for individual areas of health and wellbeing. They are dedicated to using only organic and spray free produce whilst also expressing a passion for sustainability and the health of the environment we live in. Alongside their natural ginger or lavender & black current kombucha, OM will also have their organic cotton Tees and singlets available.
Organic Knowledge

Little Yoga Festival is all about healthy conscious options and POP by Organic Knowledge fits right into this!
Las Masitas

Herbal Potential

Herbal Potential brings you genuine handmade health from nature to you.
Herbal Infusions crafted from organic and wildcrafted herbs for everyone.
See you in May Street Reserve, 13 May Street, (home to Yoga Collective) Mt Maunganui for Aoteaoroa’s most handmade and whole-hearted little YOGA festival. There are 80+ workshops and inspiring speakers + live music all set on the edge of Mount Community Gardens and a beach access away from Marine Parade (Mount Main Beach).
Buy Tickets here: www.littleyogafestival.com/tickets
Written by Emily with wild & grace