FESTIVAL PROGRAM
The Anahata festival provides a vast array of opportunities to nourish your mind, body, and spirit. You can engage in transformative workshops, immerse yourself in soul-stirring live music performances, experience the pure joy of dancing, rejuvenate yourself in the tranquil nature, and purify your body in the sauna. Embrace the abundant offerings of the festival and allow yourself to connect deeply with your inner self and the divine.
Workshops
The workshop program and schedule for 2025 is in the making, but here are the highlights
Yoga
With Igal
Join Igal for an hour-long, all-levels mindful slow-paced yoga class that's perfect for everyone. We'll work on building a strong foundation, energizing our bodies, and using our breath to explore different poses. Igal will guide you through each movement, helping you find balance and support while you engage and recharge. Whether you're new to yoga or have been practicing for years, this class offers a great mix of challenge and chill vibes. Come ready to connect with your body and mind, and leave feeling refreshed and centered.
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Igal is a multi-faceted practitioner dedicated to bringing greater health and happiness to clients for over a decade.
He's a practicing Registered Massage Therapist, Medical Acupuncture Practitioner, Yoga student & Teacher and Sound Therapy Facilitator.
Avid lover of life, music, healing practices and healing arts, mysticism and everything in between. website
Kundalini Yoga
With Elena Klymenko
Anahata Kundalini Yoga with crystal Bowls sound bath – practice that focuses on opening the heart center and aligning with your true path. We will start with realigning chakra warm up, followed by Hatha flow to get your entire body and mind rejuvenated and balanced, followed by special Kundalini yoga kriya for the open heart shining with love and kindness.
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Kundalini Yoga is called the Yoga of Awareness. It is a dynamic, powerful tool that is designed to be an experience for both body and soul.
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In Kundalini Yoga we harness the mental, physical, and nervous energies of the body and put them under the domain of the will, which is the instrument of the soul. This technology precisely and consciously combines breath, mudra, eye-focus, mantra, body locks, and postures to balance the glandular system, strengthen the nervous system, expand lung capacity, and purify the blood. It brings balance to the body, mind, and soul.
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Your experience will be enhanced with the meditative sound of seven crystal bowls corresponding to each chakra which helps with their alignment and balance.
Shamanic Sound Circle
With Masha Andreeva
A large sound circle has become a staple of Anahata. We activate our shamanic wisdom through offering a gift of improvised soundmaking to each other, setting off into a journey into our hearts and dreams. Explore your voice, practice deep listening and mindful sounding that open the heart and invite harmony.
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Let your heart guide you, hear your inner voice, take a look at the signs and messages that are waiting to be discovered. As a group, we will be co-creating a healing soundscape for a receiver. Participants will take turns in receiving – journeying through the soundscape. No previous musical experience is necessary. User-friendly instruments will be provided. You may bring your favourite instruments, if you have any.
Connect and Reset
With Zeena Dotiwalla
Relax and unwind – and learn how to help someone relax and unwind too! This
workshop invites you to collaborate with a partner to both give, and receive the
healing benefits of therapeutic touch. This class is welcome to all, whether it is your first time offering manual therapy, or you want to enhance and hone your palpation skills. Zeena will offer her knowledge and experience from her extensive education and training in osteopathy, professional dance, yoga and personal training. The class will be divided in two parts; you and your partner will each take turns offering, and, oh yes – receiving (!) therapeutic touch. Zeena will guide you through every step of the process, from head to toe, while leaving room for your own intuitive inner healer to take the lead. This is an opportunity to connect, not just with another person, but also to your own inner self. In this interoceptive journey, you will leave feeling a little more connected to your body, the earth, your partner and the world around you.
*It is recommended (but not necessary) to bring: a partner, a (yoga)mat, pillow(s), blanket, water, journal, and any other therapeutic additions you may enjoy.
** Verbal consent will be necessary for touch therapy
Zeena is an active member of the OAO (Ontario Association of Osteopathic Manual Practitioners). She received her D.O.M.P. (Diploma in Osteopathy Manual Practice) and D.Sc.O. (Diploma in the Science of Osteopathy) from the Canadian College of Osteopathy (2020). Her treatments consist of layering various techniques, such as cranio-sacral therapy, osteo-articular mobilizations, myofascial release, as well as addressing visceral, fluidic and energetic work.
Zeena has also earned a diploma in contemporary dance from L’école de danse
contemporainne de Montréal (formerly known as LADMMI, 2011), a BFA Hons in
dance from York University (2008), certified in Reiki Level Two (2016), completed
her 200-hour yoga teacher training with the Yoga Alliance (2021), CanFitPro
Personal Trainer certified (2012), First aid and CPR certified, and bilingual in
English and French.
Your Powerful Voice
With Francesca Ranalli of Sacred Earth Sounds (M.Mus, B.Mus, Vocal Alchemy)
Francesca’s journey with the voice spans many years and expressions. She holds
space with sound, teaches voice to actors, and performs as a classical and jazz
vocalist. She brings this collective experience and knowledge into any work she
does to facilitate well-being. She views working with sound and voice as the
facilitation of the vibrations, sounds and energetics for the healing capacity that
exists within each of us. It is in the conscious nurturing of this capacity within
ourselves that we assert ownership and growth of well-being and whole living.
In this workshop: So many of us are inhibited vocally, silenced in physical and
psychological ways. Yet, joyful freedom of expression and song is our birthright
and the voice is a reflection of the soul and how we show up in the world.
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If you would like to begin to understand how to liberate the power of your healing voice, this workshop will introduce the art of transforming feelings, thoughts and experiences through the voice. Not by bypassing, but by using the energy of our state of being and giving it passage through sound, by exploring the powerful effect of vocal vibration within the body, by inviting in transformation through intentional sound, and, above all, by honouring Self, offering permission and surrendering to trust. All of this will be grounded in an understanding of vocal pedagogy affording ease and authenticity.
Emotional Wellness with Stress Buster Techniques
With Katya Revenko
Learn how to “Calm the Storm” with quick and efficient 5-minute Neurovascular therapy techniques for self-care and helping the world at large around you.
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In this workshop, we will focus on methods of busting up that stress! You have probably heard the expression “Stress is a silent killer.” It wears the body down, impairs your ability to think, and makes it hard to cope emotionally. It can suppress your immune system, upset your digestive and reproductive systems, increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, and speed up the aging process.
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This method is a part of Eden Energy Medicine (EEM) Method, and it aims to open the ways for the body’s organic self-healing abilities, so you can revitalize your life.
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You Will Learn:
- What Neurovascular means
- The role of Neurovascular Holding Points in stress management
- Location and use of NV Holding Points
- What emotions these NV points correspond to
- Default stress emotions and how to reprogram your response
- Easy techniques for immediate stress relief and long-term resilience
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At the end of the workshop, we’ll do a partnered-up exchange micro session for deep mental+ nervous system relaxation+reset.
-It is recommended to bring (but not necessary): yoga mat, pillow, blanket, water, journal, and any other therapeutic additions you may enjoy.
-Verbal consent will be necessary for touch therapy
Katya Revenko is a certified Eden Energy Medicine (EEM) Practitioner and Personal Healing Path Coach. EEM blends ancient healing and spiritual traditions with scientific health principles.
Her journey into EEM was fueled by a desire to find a comprehensive holistic modality. Growing up with herbalism and traditional medicine, she explored various energy healing practices over the past 15 years, including EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), Ho'oponopono, Emotion Code, Epigenetics, Neurographica, and reprogramming limiting beliefs. Through EEM, she experienced transformative improvements in her well-being, which motivated her to obtain certification and pursue holistic healing. Her passion is in fusing research, continuous learning, and specialized training to master the secrets to healing and wellness.
​Katya is excited to share this knowledge and help you on your holistic path to your healer within. Learn more about Eden Energy Medicine and its benefits at [www.eemhealingarts.com](http://www.eemhealingarts.com).
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Sacred Geometry and "Anahata Chakra"
With Elena Akulova
For the past 9 years, Elena's artistic journey has been enriched by the presence of mandalas in her life. Mandalas have become a central theme in her artistic expression, reflecting her fascination with their intricate patterns and symbolic meanings. Elena has delved into the study of art therapy, mandalas, and secret geometry. This exploration has deepened her understanding of the therapeutic power of art and the profound impact that mandalas and sacred geometry can have on one's well-being.
Join us for workshop where we will delve into the world of sacred geometry and the profound symbolism of the Anahata Chakra. This experience invites you to explore the harmonious patterns and vibrant energy of the heart chakra through watercolors.
🌿Watercolor Techniques: Learn how to use watercolors to bring the essence of the Anahata Chakra to life on paper.
🌿Nature Inspiration: Draw inspiration from the natural world, focusing on the lush greens and beauty that resonate with the heart chakra.
🌿Creative Connection: Connect with like-minded artists who share a passion for creativity and personal growth.
🌿Joyful Expression: Experience the joy of artistic expression and the therapeutic benefits of engaging with sacred geometry.
🌿No prior artistic experience necessary—just an open heart 💚
Let's create beautiful art inspired by the sacred geometry of the “Anahata Chakra” and experience the joy of connecting with nature and each other.
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Press your Buttons
With Anto Chan
At the Be Awesome Shoppe, we create one-of-a-kind pinback buttons using images repurposed from upcycled magazines, books, and print items. In our workshop, we will browse print materials to discover gems, cutting out or drawing those images and pressing our own unique designs that you can take home with you at the end!
Anto Chan is a Queer Chinese-Canadian artist, performer, writer, producer and mentor, deeply committed to exploring the intersections of identity, culture, and healing through art.
Science and Psychedelics:
Today’s Key Issues and Finding Your Voice Within Them
With Brian Rush
Brian is a Scientist Emeritus, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and Professor, Dalla Lana School of Public Health University of Toronto. With over 45 years’ experience as a mental and substance use health services researcher, Brian is among the leading researchers in psychedelic science in Canada and internationally. He is a strong advocate for Indigenous voices and perspectives in this space, author of major research syntheses and scientific papers and lead
researcher for the Ayahuasca Treatment Outcome Project and the Entheogen Treatment Outcome Project.
Brian will lead a workshop offering participants learnings and insight into:
the state of the science concerning psychedelic and traditional entheogenic medicines - what we “know”, how we “know” it, and what we would like to “know” about their healing potential, current regulatory issues and challenges to improve access to these medicines as well as responsible therapeutic and ceremonial practices that honor the sacred and community.
Participants will be encouraged to reflect on key issues in the field today related to science and ceremony (e.g., Indigenous reciprocity; intersection of science and spirituality; role of industry and community) and find their voice in the issues that most resonate with them and their own gifts.
Anahata Sounds
Friday evening will treat us to live music performances and electronic music will start Saturday afternoon with the sounds of ambient and downtempo and will slowly morph into upbeat dance party by the evening. Sunday we continue to relax with the ambient music in the daytime and will have a second dance night. Saturday and Sunday evening will be sprinkled with some live music – see below for sound bath and live performance details as well as DJ lineup from 2023.​
DJ LINEUP
house / d&b / downtempo chill
Deep house / d&b / funky electro salad
Deep techno / minimal
Shamanic-organic-dynamic house
Hypnotic Modular techno
Amapiano
Melodic tech house / d&b
Deep driving house and techno / Melodic tech house
Basstech drum n step polymorphic dub
And more!
VJ: Kane Alexander
Click the DJ name for more details
Live Performances
Bondar F.M. Muti-instrumentalist musician
Fedor Bondar is a versatile musician and captivating storyteller who harnesses the power of harmonies and vibrations to
nurture both the soul and body.
His performances, which seamlessly blend voice, guitar, flutes, jaw harps, melodica and a loop pedal, pay homage to ancient traditions of aboriginal people, while also innovating in the modern musical landscape.
Since 2012, Fedor has enchanted audiences across Canada, the US, Europe, and Asia, showcasing his talents as a solo artist and collaborator with talented session musicians.
His belief in the transformative potential of music to foster kindness and unity resonates throughout his artistry, making him a compelling and impactful performer.
During the Anahata Festival, Fedor will be performing original and cover songs with his close friends, Sanya and Julia, around the fire on Friday night. He will be improvising on multiple musical instruments, initiating and participating in live jam sessions, and inspiring others to share their creativity around the fire.
Fedor will play a live accompaniment with DJ Shamashka, augmenting the electronic dance music with live improvisations. Flutes, jaw harps, and vocals will seamlessly blend into DJ Shamashka's set, adding the distinctive effect of live music.
Sound Bath
With Project Mariri
Enjoy one hour of multi-instrumental multi-dimensional journey through sound.
Project Mariri is a collaboration between Mariya Garnet and Masha Andreeeva based on their longstanding dedication to using music as medicine. Their experience with traditional healing modalities of South and North America and Eurasia informs their shared values that nature is sacred and that we are all interconnected in the web of life on Mother Earth.
Masha and Mariya are integrating years of traditional apprenticeship with formal western education in psychology and psychotherapy to create safe space filled with healing sounds for groups and individuals to journey through soundscapes.
"Mariri" means Force of Nature/Forest for Indigenous people of the Amazon. We feel that the name strongly relates to our belief that nature is sacred and we are part of it. "Mariri" is also a tribute to our plant medicine work.​​​
Svitoplas
Svitoplas is a Toronto-based group that aims to create deep, moving musical journeys ranging from meditative to full ecstatic dance. The group consists of Will Luai on guitar, bass, vocals, and production, Alex Widder (Sanya) on percussion, synths, piano, and vocals, Yulia Shevel on violin and vocals, and Hao Hong (Giza) on didgeridoo. The four are looking to nurture a sense of belonging in their new found home here in Toronto. Yulia moving from Ukraine just a year ago, Giza coming recently from China, Will making his way from Vancouver, and Sanya a first generation immigrant of Georgian and Russian descent who has been building community here in Toronto for many years. Weaving together history, emotion, and instrumentation from around the world, their intention is to create a space for expression, creativity and play. They wish to continue showing how humans can thrive and co-create on this beautiful planet, no matter what obstacles may stand in the way.
Diverse is the musical background, coming together to create something fresh and unique. Yulia was the first violin in a classical orchestra touring all over Europe; a true student of all forms of music she also DJs techno and electronic music. Sanya was also trained as a classical pianist and DJs ecstatic dance music at Ecstatic Dance Toronto and all over Toronto, as well as being a well accomplished multi instrumentalist. Will has a background in jazz guitar, electronic music, and ambient music and blends these diverse genres in his productions. Giza plays didgeridoo at sound healing events and uses a looper to create lush layers of sound with his horn.
Fire Show
Ignite your imagination with the breathtaking fire performances on Friday night, accompanying the live music, and additional shows on Saturday and Sunday.
Stan Velikolepny - fire staff
Teeba Alkhudairi - fire hoop
Masha Andreeva - fire poi
Vendors
Anahata expanded in 2023 and was delighted to host these talented crafters this year, who offered us locally and lovingly hand-made jewelry, clothing, delicious food and drinks! Make
Contact us, if you would like to join as a vendor in 2025.
Kellies Samies
Hand-made vegetarian sandwiches by Kelly
If you and your family get hungry between the communal brunch and dinner, theres no need to rush to the tent and start cooking - Kelly's got your back!
Enjoy freshly made two-bite sourdough sandwiches filled with local produce.
Zsolt Sauce
Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, Red Thai Chili Peppers, and time. No Sugar, Oil or Preserves. Vegan, Keto and Paleo Friendly plus Gluten-Free with a no-refrigeration required shelf life of five years. Leave it out with your salt and pepper instead of losing it in your fridge.
It's the sauce everyone can enjoy, as it's not about the heat but the flavour. His youngest taster was 6 months old (recorded on Instagram) at the Tillsonburg Fair in Ontario and she loved it!
Zsolt always has his sauce by his side and will take you on a magical Guided Flavour Journey that will blow your mind. It's a kid-friendly trip that anyone can partake in!
Hand-made jewelry and crafts from the Rainforest
Brian Rush will offer Amazonian hand-crafted jewelry and other personal use “artes” from two Indigenous communities in Acre, Brazil - the Huni Kuin community of Aldeia Caucho and the Nukini community of Aldeia Recanto Verde.
Brian will also have available hapeh from the same two communities - hapeh being a sacred snuff used historically in many parts of the Amazonian basin for healing and spiritual purposes (e.g., improved circulation, cleansing negative thoughts, reducing anxiety or craving for alcohol). In respect and reciprocity for
Indigenous people in general, and these communities specifically, all proceeds from the sale of these hand-crafted gifts are returned to their creators (the families of Jose/Para and Iri/Fatima and to Txana Yan Shanenawa, a young shamanic trainee living with his family in Aldeia Caucho.
Sauna
We are happy to welcome iSauna back to Anahata in 2024, with their aromatic wood-fired barrel sauna, refreshing shower and cooling tubs. Sweat, refresh and chill by the fire in their cozy and welcoming atmosphere. The sauna experience is included in the price of the ticket and will be available on Saturday and Sunday.
