Yoga enthusiasts in their droves took to the mats for the inaugural XYoga Dubai Festival, which wrapped having welcomed more than 20,000 participants to over 25 fully booked sessions for the two day event, including opening with a mass yoga session headlined by Bollywood sensation, Shilpa Shetty and yoga guru Suneel Singh for 9,000 yogis.
The festival, founded by Dubai Tourism and XDubai and presented by du, drew international and local yogi masters as well as thousands of yoga fans of all skills levels, from first-timers to seasoned experts, to the wide range of sessions, catering to all skill and practice capabilities.
“XYoga Dubai gave residents and visitors alike the opportunity to press the pause button on their fast pace of life and take some important time to focus on themselves, embrace a healthier lifestyle, share experiences with like-minded enthusiasts and make the conscience decision to take ownership of their own wellbeing,” said Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation of Tourism and Commerce Marketing.
“What really resonated from the event was being able highlight the accessibility of yoga as a lifestyle choice for everyone. XYoga Dubai will spur more wellness events in Dubai and as we continue to establish the city as a centre for wellbeing travel, we expect this to grow in international appeal.”
Set at Emaar’s amazing Burj Park underneath the iconic Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower, and with views of the Dubai Fountains and Dubai Mall, highlights from the festival included ‘yoga for all’ with Tao Porchon-Lynch, the Guinness World Record’s oldest certified yoga instructor at 97; a spectacular show on the Dubai Fountains with Stand Up Paddle Board star Dashama Konah; and a high-energy session on and off the mat with US star Sadie Nardini, one of the most in-demand yoga instructors in the world.
Speaking after her session, Porchon-Lynch, said: “This festival won’t just impact Dubai, but also the rest of the world. The atmosphere created is very vibrant and speaks of peace and beauty in a very unique way. My time here has been very special – this will teach other places and festivals in the world a lesson to practice and celebrate yoga in a similar way.”
The festival also provided a platform for local talent with names such as Megan Joy, Alexey Pavlyukov, Ragini Nagu and Linda Zaoghaib sharing their yoga techniques and encouraging Dubai to slow down, take a breath and stretch. Catering to all types, the festival also held women only sessions, different language classes and children’s classes as well as more offbeat DJ yoga sessions.
The two day XYoga Dubai Festival, which ran 19-20th February 2016, marked the culmination of weeks of wellness initiatives, including yoga flash mobs at the city’s most iconic attractions, social media competitions, school activations and roving yoga demonstration.
