BHAKTI FEST SAYS IT IS ALL ABOUT LOVE, BRINGS 3,000 TO JOSHUA TREE

Anyone who’s driven along Highway 62 west of downtown Joshua Tree in the past week has probably noticed the commotion. Reporter David Haldane tells us what it’s about…
They say it’s a vibration. It starts in the cosmos, winds its way to earth and somehow – through music or dance or meditation – into your soul. And just like that, your heart is one with the universe.
That’s why they come to the annual six-day Bhakti Fest at the Joshua Tree Retreat Center. About 3,000 were there this week camping out, singing mantras, practicing yoga and well, just kind of grooving on each other and the desert winds.
Amy Dewhurst, a festival producer, says it’s all about love. “Bhakti is the yoga of love. It’s a move out of your head into your heart.”
That’s certainly what Judy Haft, an LA makeup artist attending for the first time, experienced. “It’s amazing. It’s really beautiful and the community is really connected.”
Founder Sridhar Silberfein, who lives in Joshua Tree, says it’s perfect for the festival. “There’s a power here, a divine power and we blend in perfectly with that.”