5 Things Wanderlust Taught Me About Life

Sometimes we don’t stop and take time to acknowledge what life is teaching us. It’s important to pause and reflect on what you’ve learned and how far you’ve come. There’s always a lesson to be learned in each moment. Take time to reflect and notice what comes up for you.

I recently got back from Wanderlust; an international yoga and music festival in Stratton, Vermont. It was the fifth festival I’ve taught and attended. I realized they’ve given me lots of different experiences. Here are five life lessons I learned from teaching and attending the Wanderlust Festivals.

Be open to possibility
I bought my very first wanderlust ticket on trust; not knowing how I was going to get there, who I was going to go with, or where I was staying. I just had a goal to go to a yoga festival and Wanderlust Squaw Valley was the one I picked! “Yoga, Music, Nature” – I had to go.  I am usually one to plan, research, figure things out, have everything organized, and know exactly what I am doing before I pull any triggers or spend money.  I like to be organized and prepared. Spending $400 on a festival ticket without doing any of that stuff was a leap of faith and totally put me out of my comfort zone. I put trust in the universe and trust in myself that I was going to figure it out because gosh dang it, I was crossing that goal off my list! That was over two years ago. I have now been to five Wanderlust Festivals and taught at three of them, all because I was open to possibility.

Go with the flow
I was teaching Stand Up Paddleboard Yoga in Chicago when I went to Wanderlust at Squaw Valley. There were only three SUP Yoga classes available and they were all filled up when I went to register for my classes. I was so bummed and disappointed. When I got to the festival, one of the amazing people I met there had registered for one of the classes.  She was driving separately instead of taking the shuttle and told me she would drive me and we should go to see if maybe they would have an extra board or perhaps there would be a no show. I was open to possibility at that point so decided to give it a shot. Sure enough, a board became available to me and I took an amazing class and met the BOGA YOGA team.  I am now an ambassador for them and have met even more amazing people because of them. You just never know who you will meet or where life will take you.

You’re not alone
The Wanderlust festivals are as much about yoga as they are about community. This, in my option, makes total sense because yoga is union and connection; thus, how could it not also be about community. Walking around the festivals, I always feel at home in a faraway place.  I’ve found myself saying, “See, there are other people who are just as crazy about yoga, recycling, healthy eating, and stretchy pants as you are.” I’m from Chicago where there’s a big yoga community but at the festival it’s a whole new level. At Wanderlust, I’ve always felt it was very easy to talk to and feel a connection to someone you’ve never met before and I’m usually an introvert!

Connect to the real life
The first time I taught at a Wanderlust Festival, it was in Whistler, Canada.  This meant that I was going to be charged out the wazoo if I used my phone much at all. I limited my usage to when I could connect to wifi (which wasn’t often). I was working and traveling with Canadians so felt safe and didn’t need to use my phone much to get a hold of people. During down times though, I found myself instinctively grabbing for it to delete unwanted emails, check social media, give my hands and eyes something to do or feed the need to be connected. I had to stop and actively tell myself that I could totally get connected to all the beauty, people, and nature around me.  Phones may give us a world of information at our finger tips but nothing beats the real life of people watching and mountains around you.  Why wouldn’t I soak up every moment in beautiful Whistler, Canada?

Follow your own compass
Everyone’s experience of the festival is different.  Some people go mainly to do yoga, others go to relax, and others are primarily there for the music and night scene. There are so many classes and opportunities, you can catch the FOMO (fear of missing out) bug. I know I did at several of the festivals I’ve been to.  Go with your gut, listen to your body and follow what opportunities speak to you. “Find your true north.” Remember be open to possibility, go with the flow, you’re not alone and connect to the real life!

I’d love to hear about a life lesson you’ve learned from a big event or festival. Share in the comment section below.

peace & carrots,

Katarina Arneric
CHC, RYT-200

“The best way to predict your future is to create it.” – Abe Lincoln