Finger Lakes Yoga Festival

Cortland, NY - Hope Lake Lodge at Greek Peak Mountain Resort will be hosting the Finger Lakes Yoga Festival. This event will feature over 30 classes, with over 15 teachers hailing from all over New York State. Promoters hope to draw a crowd, and create an annual event to bring together New York's well established yoga community.

"This festival is the first of its kind" says Mathew Ingles, festival director and local yoga instructor. "We have worked hard to create an event where anyone can have a good time, yogi, or not. We want people to bring family and friends, and we want everyone to have fun."

Festival planners think this event will be a boost to the local economy. Ingles, who teaches power yoga in Ithaca, Dryden, and Cortland says, "People will be traveling into the local communities, shopping, lodging, going on wine tours, and taking part in tourist activities." Yoga is a growing business, and no doubt this event will also bolster student numbers for local yoga studios. The festival will also be providing funds to local charities.

The weekend will be three days of nonstop classes, three and four classes at a time, so people get to choose what they want to do. From six a.m. to midnight, classes will be starting about every two hours. Yoga classes for beginners, and the more advanced. Also, classes in meditation, belly dancing, nutrition, and fire dancing will be offered. "You can pick and choose what you would like to do and what classes you want to take, it's like a yoga salad bar", says Ingles.