FAQ
Q. Bhakti means devotion. How is it similar, or different, from other religions' devotional chanting?
A. One of World Bhakti's goals is to show how Bhakti is inherent in ALL religious/spiritual traditions. It's actually the string that holds them all together. We are all trying to re-connect with our Spiritual Source and we call upon the many forms of that source. All that changes is what we actually call the Source, but there is only one Source.
Q. For the inaugural festival, why was Sean Johnson chosen to lead the workshops, and the concerts?
A. He came up in our conversation, since one of our co-founders Kalindi was so inspired by his Unity album. Kirsten had been planning to bring a homegrown Yoga + Music festival to DFW, and she was also inspired by his music, most specifically Jai Ganesha
Q. Who are some of the other local musicians, healers, artists and yoga teachers, and where do they fit in on the agenda? Will the free part of the agenda be concurrent to main concerts/workshops?
A. The Westside Wellness campus is large, so many things can be happening at the same time. All of Sean's offerings will be happening in the Grand Auditorium. The rest of the festival will take place in the basement, the "Little Church" and upstairs in the yoga/wellness and coworking rooms.
Friday night concert is from 7pm-9pm, and kicking off the weekend is local yogi/kirtan artist Stefanie Tovar, who will share part of her story how Sean introduced her to Bhakti. On Saturday, Sean's programming is from 9:30am-11am with a Bhakti on the Mat class, a poetry class from 2-4:30 and another concert from 7pm-9pm. Bhakti House Band will play before Sean from 6-7.
The free festival will be happening with the vendors, food and healers all day Saturday from 9-6. There will be some workshops and classes happening at the same time as Sean's events, but mostly in the times in between. I'll have Kirsten/Kalindi tell you more about the local artists and healers.
Q. 2020 is a very politically-charged year. There is a huge divide. How can Bhakti blur the line of separation in this respect?
A. The heart of Bhakti is learning to see how we are actually more alike than different. When we sing in kirtan, there is no "us" and "them," and separation dissolves. By awakening our relationship to the Divine, we can then see how we are all children coming from the same source.
Q. Is there a relevance to the Leap Year timing?
A. Another "divine intervention!" Our Vedic astrologer, Pandit Hema Chandra, told us that Feb 29th is a very auspicious day this year. He said that whatever is done on this day will be done 3 more times! Considering we want to host more of these kinds of festivals, we were very excited to hear this news. It's also like, "hey, you've got an extra day this year spend it with us and Source
Q. Part of the proceeds go to the non-profit ‘the widow’s journey’ - why is that?
A. Co-founder Kirsten Joy Burch was widowed in 2014 after her husband’s 2 year battle with brain cancer. The loss of a spouse is the #1 stressor listed by the American Medical Association. Kirsten experienced the symptoms of complicated grief and certainly a broken heart. The Widow’s Journey provided Kirsten with the social and technical support to navigate the necessary legal and procedural aspects of widowhood, while yoga therapy was instrumental to bring her back to mental and physical health. We serve this under-recognized demographic with programming at Westside, and offering discounts to Widows, to help them heal, and realize the love and light that shines from within.