In case you strolled through the Village at Squaw this weekend you may have noticed a number of interesting changes. Let’s begin with the vibe. Squaw Valley is known as a place with extremely high energy, off the radar stoke factor and at times a touch of in your face attitude. But that’s on a powder day. Very rarely do we speak of the summer vibe in the valley. That all changed this weekend as the third installment of the Wanderlust Yoga and Music Festival came to town.
The extremely high energy was still there but was slightly replaced by a zen like meditative peace. The stoke was there but was channeled by chantings of “Ohmmmmmm”, deep internalized breathings, and a oneness with one’s inner chi. As far as the in your face attitude goes, duh, there’s no place for that at a yoga fest! Keep your unshakti-like vibes to your past life. And one more thing…karma’s a bitch!
So there I was at a Squaw Valley transformed into a valley of peace, a valley of love, a valley of wonder. A valley of ladies! For those who may still be stuck on the idea that Tahoe has no ladies, then you clearly either missed the boat or really just have no game. Sure you can huck the fingers but can you find inner peace surrounded by hundreds of ladies clearly comfortable with their inner feelings? The answer to this is no, you cannot. These ladies have no time for you. They are deep in downward dog, inverted in a yogic bliss that has no time for external mind wanderings, not to mention rooted in a oneness with the greater cause. But it sure is nice to Wander our Village and gaze at smiling faces, warm spirits and the hottest gene pool on the planet!
Then there is the music scene. Though it seems to have tightened up over the last couple years, nighttime at Wanderlust rages! Both Michael Franti and Girl Talk took a break from the day time yoga mat in hand classroom vibe and initiated the Tahoe Festival feeling. It was a sea of fans, an ocean of wide eyed partygoers. It absolutely went off. From “How you Feelin?” to mashed up versions of “Livin’ on a Prayer”, Squaw Valley brings it any time of year.
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