Love Takes Flight Festival is a charity event promoting community, wellness, and the positive evolution of humanity. With our collective efforts, we will raise money to support four non-profit charities;
Musical Mentors (http://pastorduff.wix.com/musical-mentors-2012),
Mother Tree Sanctuary (http://www.mothertreesanctuary.org/),
Find out what's happening in Lake Forestwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Giving Naam (http://www.givingnaam.com/), and
Temple of Light Spiritual Community Center (http://www.liveyourradiance.org/).
Find out what's happening in Lake Forestwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
In these powerful times, we have access to the truth of all the ages. This truth lives within the heart. Through speakers and artists, workshops, classes, live musicians, and activities, Love Takes Flight Festival promotes self-awareness, self-healing, and self-growth from a universal perspective. Come and immerse yourself in a high vibration of love, peace, and light. Raise your energetic frequency, and celebrate your birthright of joy, health, and inner peace with your local community.
A Festival Like No Other….
Love Takes Flight Festival is for everyone!
The Love Takes Flight Festival is a community celebration dedicated to promoting the values of health, self-awareness, self-healing, global healing, holistic living, eco-education, and the conscious celebration of life and Mother Earth. This event brings together artists, entertainers, visionaries, and leaders to express the Oneness intention through lecture, live music, art, and intercultural and universal classes, workshops, and activities. This festival offers a rich, multifaceted experience that demonstrates our humble gratitude for all of humanity, and invites reflection, imagination, and inspiration for our future on this planet.
This event takes place in two parts; The Pre-Flight Party Friday evening, May 30th, features musical performances by local and international artists, essential oil elixirs, and healthy food provided by local donations. The Love Takes Flight Festival is all day Saturday, May 31st. This includes a morning ceremony, speakers, workshops, classes, live music, crafts, vegetarian food, and many other vendors, activities, and live entertainment. Both events will be held at our local spiritual center, Temple of Light.
A Day To Open Your Heart...
Love Takes Flight is honored to share resources and teach people to live more cohesively with the planet. Through local Earth projects, community support programs, education resources, and other vendors, sponsors, and local supporters, this festival promotes community, togetherness, brother and sisterhood, and a shared global citizenship.
We have teachers from universal backgrounds and belief systems, scientists, doctors, and spiritual leaders shared throughout the weekend. It is through this universal approach that we wish to share the unity and Oneness of all life.
LIVE MUSIC
Shimshai
"Shimshai is a heart-centered musical prodigy and one of the most gifted performers I've ever experienced". ~Bruce Pavitt (Founder of Seattle based Sub-Pop Records, Nirvana’s first record label)
Whether singing the ancient Sanskrit mantras of India, age-old Hebrew prayers, traditional folklore of South America, or performing his original works of divine inspiration, Shimshai’s music invokes a sentiment of ancestral devotion and a dedication to higher consciousness. A self-proclaimed seeker of truth, described by many as possessing the voice of an angel, Shimshai is gifted with the innate ability to deliver his message flawlessly in several languages; most profoundly the universal language of Love and Oneness.
Shimshai’s fans range from young children to great grandparents, it seems as though people representing all walks of life, races, and religions are drawn to Shimshai’s recorded music and live performances. International performances in places like Colombia, Holland, Switzerland, England, France, Israel, Finland, Canada, and Germany have been helping to make Shimshai a household name in the worldwide reggae/world music/spiritual community.
Surrounded by music from birth and formally trained on piano in his native state of Washington, today Shimshai performs effortlessly on guitar and other strings, piano, flute and woodwinds. He plays many of the instruments on his self-composed and self-produced albums, 'I sense your Presence' (2001), 'Toward the One' (2003), and 'Live on Maui' (2003), all which have been highly revered by the worldwide spiritual community. His collaboration with fellow artist Tina Malia, 'Jaya Bhagavan' (2004), has also been met with tremendous success, being signed to the independent record label Spirit Voyage in 2005, and 'Deliverance' (2006), showcases his abilities as a solo performer. 'Alianza' (2008), is a versatile world fusion studio CD that features multiple languages and ethnicity as well as world spirituality. Finally, ‘True Heart’ (2012) takes us back to more of Shimshai’s roots in reggae music with the full power Seraphim Sound System behind him. He continues to offer his talents to various studio projects, including current collaborations with traditional healers and several undertakings with indigenous communities throughout South and Latin America..
Whether playing at large festivals, yoga studios, or spiritual retreats, Shimshai's live performances world-wide have helped to create a devoted and ever-growing global fan base. Shimshai has performed worldwide at numerous festivals, notably the Ancient Trance Festival (Germany), Sunrise (UK), Wollumbin (Australia), Earthdance (USA), Harmony Festival (USA) and many others. Shimshai recently opened for Folk Legend JOAN BAEZ with an amazing response. He has shared the stage with artists such as Michael Franti, David Grisman, Mickey Hart, Jai Uttal, Ram Dass, Deepak Chopra, Bhagavan Das, Dezarie & members of Midnite, Wisdom, Jaya Lakshmi(Lost at Last), Hamsa Lila, Youssoupha Sidibe, and many other gifted musicians & visionaries. Additionally, Shimshai has performed twice on television including the widely broadcast interview and performance on FOX Central Coast CA & Mel Van Dusen Presents .To experience the essence of this young mystic is to be taken down a musical journey that ultimately leads us back to the very core of our own inner existence.
"Shimshai's music emanates a divine presence and a quality of peace, a truly 'natural mystic' energy that flows into the hearts of his listeners. His musicality is superb, as is that of his bandmates, and his singing is sublime and transcendent." -Jai Uttal
"An enchanted mixture of spirit and soul, danceable and tranceable." -Lieb Ostrow - Founder and CEO Earthbeat Records
"When I hear this music I feel my soul rise up and start dancing". -Sunshine Pressider - KMUD - Humboldt County CA
Avasa & Matty Love
In the fall of 2008, Avasa and Matty first connected, while Avasa was waitressing at Cafe Gratitude in northern California. It was an instantaneous recognition of love, and soon after discovered they shared a devotion to music. The two have been one ever since. They married October 2, 2010, at ‘Love Field’ (the land upon which Matty was raised), and two weeks later released their first EP Love is King, Love is Queen, produced by Robin Livingston. As husband and wife, they walk a path of deep commitment to serve God and humanity through music. They find great joy and purpose in experiencing divine love, cultivating inner peace and making music that uplifts the heart and heals the soul.
Their music is an inspiring blend of world pop and devotional soul sound with unique anthemic coloring in each song, that is especially highlighted by the gifts of their voice, known to touch the heart of the listener. Avasa and Matty have rich, evocative and soulful voices that beautifully weave together in every lyric, offering the listener a transcendent experience of divine union.
Avasa and Matty have shared the stage with numerous artists such as: Jason Mraz, Ben Lee, MC Yogi, The Makepeace Brothers, The Raining Jane, The Luminaries, Luc and The Lovingtons, Parker Ainsworth, Jessie Payo, Me & Mr. Cassidy, Alex Cigolini, Ryan Dilmore, Sarah Englehart, among others.
Avasa and Matty Love currently reside in Los Angeles, California, and are in the midst of recording their second album “The Road” due to be released in December of 2013.
Mental Physix
MENTAL PHYSIX are a DJ duo made up of Crisanto Santa Ana and Dru Ali. Their mission? To explore the fusion of music and yoga to "create a divine union of healing, through self-realization and sound." Both Santa Ana and Ali perform at yoga studios while Vinyasa classes are going on, and the experience -- with both the yogis and the DJs feeding off each other's energies -- is intensely spiritual. Last month, Mental Physix took their Technic1200s on the road and toured yoga studios around California, Nevada, Colorado and Utah.
OC Weekly: How did you guys meet?
Crisanto Santa Ana: We met through music. I remember Dru working at the Tower Records at Beach Blvd back in 1996. I never really hung out with him, but I'd always buy records and he'd be there working. It wasn't until 2005-ish that we met again through a mutual friend. From there, we started collaborating on music projects. We became music partners in a seven-member group collective known as the Parallel.
How did you end up doing music for yoga?
Santa Ana: We were influenced by the yoga festivals we attended in 2012. We got into yoga early 2012 -- it wasn't until we attended our first yoga festival, Shakti Fest, that we decided to combine the two elements, deejaying and yoga. Both elements had made tremendous positive impact in our lives. Our first class we deejayed was summer of 2012 with yoga teacher Tiffany Janay.
Dru Ali: We went to Joshua Tree and had a "musical awakening" where we knew we wanted to contribute our DJ skills to yoga. Everything kind of just fell together after that.
Why play live music for yoga?
Santa Ana: Music for yoga is unique. Certain tones and frequencies can enhance your practice and bring you to a certain level of vibratory frequency. Music during yoga can create calmness or raise the intensity of a practice. Yoga is like a dance, and we provide the soundtrack. Doing music for yoga also allows us to assist teachers in creating an amazing playlist -- freeing up the teachers time to focus more on their flows. Having a DJ present in the studio adds another exciting element, allowing the DJs, teachers, and students to exchange and feed off one one another's energy.
Ali: Music adds depth to the practice and can help take you on a journey with the flow of the class.
The Conscious Groove
The Conscious Groove shares their heart’s passion with joy and the intention to unite beings as One through music. Through love, unity, and the conscious evolution of humankind, all dreams are possible. Vibrating positive lyrics and mantra from many different traditions and belief systems, The Conscious Groove serves to spread the frequency of love and devotion, helping listeners connect to the Creative Life Force that lives within the heart. Music unites people together, and as we all “meet at the beat”, all perceived barriers break down, and the heart opens to a new reality of unconditional love. As we all find our unique instrument in the orchestra of life, the most beautiful harmony is born. Through Love, we find truth, and through music, we find peace. May peace, love, and truth live in our hearts for eternity!
Light Warriors
Conscious music with energetic intention toward manifesting inner and global peace. Every note played and sung has this goal in mind.
www.facebook.com/lightwarriorsmusic
www.soundcloud.com/lightwarriorsmusic
Gabriel Logan Braun (Gabriel Lion Heart) is a movement and yoga instructor, life coach, sound healer and musician, who rediscovered his unique purpose and gifts through spiritual study and extensive travel. Gabriel has been offering his healing work to individuals and groups for the last 6 years and most recently to rehab clients coping with drug addiction. Gabriel is deeply committed to helping others awaken to their own innate gifts and inner knowledge, and inspiring others to rediscover their connection to the sacredness of life.
Jeffrey Briar – Laughter Kirtan
Laughter Kirtan is a new technique which models itself after traditional Kirtan, a form of Call-and-Response (or Call-and-Echo) singing.
Traditional Kirtan: Accompanied by rhythm instruments, a vocalist (the Leader or Wallah) sings a line; the rest of the group (the Congregation) then repeats that line. Emphasis is on participation by all, with no separation between performers and the Congregation (“It’s the heart, not the art.” — Ragani).
In traditional Kirtan, the sung line is often words in the form of a sacred phrase or chant (frequently in the Sanskrit language of ancient India).
In Laughter Kirtan the sung line consists of laughter sounds. These are rhythmic, but not always melodic. Laughter Kirtan Congregation “singers” are also welcome at any time to let go of trying to recall the sung line and instead to allow themselves to laugh freely.
YOGA CLASSES
Lemia Astarabadi & Joshua Bowser – Shakti Naam Yoga & Live Music
The practice of Shakti Naam is virtually unknown to those who practice yoga in the West. It looks and feels different from other forms of yoga, and the energy released is felt by most new students within five minutes of its practice. It provides an almost immediate experience of the meditative state as it quickly causes the brain and nervous system to shift. This is far more than just a state of relaxation but rather a physically achieved and supported altered consciousness that has been described by yogis for thousands of years as a state of higher vibration which is responsible for allowing the individual to access their spiritual gifts and revitalize the body. The human brain, regardless of beliefs, is capable of achieving this altered state because it is induced by intrinsic mechanisms that create the platform for this to happen. The class uses a specific series of unique exercises that train the brain and body to more easily experience this optimal state during daily life thus beneficially impacting one’s performance, communication, intelligence and health. Set to live music, this class is like no other yoga class you have experienced. Come and breathe, chant, move, and groove in a fun and relaxing atmosphere that is fit for all levels and all people in all states of health. This yoga practice is for everyone!
Bios: Lemia and Joshua are two beings that have dedicated their lives to the highest manifestation of Light and unconditional Love on the planet. Through Live Music, Holistic Health, Massage Therapy, Harmonyum Healing, Universal Wisdom, Naam Yoga, Medicinal Aromatherapy, Nutritional Counseling, Gardening, Education, Doula Service, and Ministry Services, they each serve to uplift others and bring conscious awareness on this journey of life. Lemia and Joshua are on the Naam Yoga Therapies Teacher Training Team and are a part of a mantra and positive music band called, “The Conscious Groove”. They co-created the first annual Love Takes Flight Festival in 2013 in order to bring the idea of charity, service, conscious awareness, live music, and community together to help in the movement of Unity Consciousness and Oneness in Southern California. In every endeavor that they collaborate on, fun, positivity, and wellness is the theme. They are grateful for every breath and every opportunity to serve, share, and help others on the path of Truth and Love.
Troy Cox – Kundalini/Tantra Class
A slower moving, introspective yet invigorating Kundalini/ Tantric class. All Levels, some experience suggested.
A Traditional Yoga posture class AND understanding of breathing techniques, deeper postures, releasing energy, building heat, and how to integrate. Following in the footsteps of Yogi Amrit Desai, this practice comes from a lineage of teachers directly from India as interpreted by Troy.
This integral approach to yoga classes is intended to give students access to more of the diverse teachings and techniques that the yoga system has to offer. When practiced and understood holistically, yoga becomes even more beneficial and helpful for humanity in bringing harmony and balance to our lives, families and to society.
Bio: Troy has taken classes and workshops directly from master Yogis such as Bikram, John Friend, Saul David Ray, Shiva Rae, Sean Corn, received mantra initiation from the living saint Amma and is a Master Amrit Yoga Teacher Training completing four years Yogi Amrit Desai training in 2011. He has studied meditation under Diane Ross since 1995 and is the owner of Sun Salute Yoga. He is certified Level Three Yoga Fit, Three Core Power certificates Nidra Meditation Certified, and Registered 500 Hour ERYT, Yoga Alliance. He has been teaching for over ten years and is the creator of his own technique; TEC method. Troy is a published article contributor. Master Teacher Troy Cox, creator of the Total Engagement Concept™ system, a natural optimization of all systems of our being technique that combines the deeper understandings of Yoga philosophy with Personal Training exercise techniques and Yogic postures, martial arts concepts and movements, mental understanding of Yoga Nidra therapy unblocking the mind, and a detailed approach to structural alignment, with the trainings of the Amrit Method of meditation in motion, leads his students to a ‘fine tuning’ of all their facilities. Troy’s skill at utilizing the posture as a total engagement of our being, and his ability of relating the connection between our physical, mental and inner bodies, leads students to a deeper state of being through techniques he learned that have been handed down from masters from India and Asia This concept leads student to see how the physical mirrors what is being held mentally and how it affects our higher selves, leading us to unblock and open age old holdings and have deep understanding of ourselves in different reactive states, freeing us from old habits and opening us to new way of being. Total Engagement Concept™, investigates how we relate to the outer world from the inner and our connectedness to all living things. Through his guidance we learn how to allow a divine unity to manifest at last completing who we really are as a whole, totally engaged being, alert and aware in each moment. As an experience, Total Engagement Concept™ is a series of complex and challenging powerful movements and postures, oral cueing techniques, mentally guided experiences, deep meditative philosophy and Yogic concepts that complete who we truly are leading us back from the individual to the source of all: One Sun; Many Rays. Troy has traveled the world and taught Yoga. He has studied with top Yoga and energy workers from many walks of life. Studying meditation and Yoga for 16 years, he worked in Orange County California as a Personal Trainer and Yoga Instructor at a variety of locations, from multi-million dollar private spa and fitness facilities to health clubs to private gardens and public parks. He has trained with established Western Yoga and Meditation teachers and authentic award winning originators of Yoga in the East. He has trained hundreds of weight loss clients to their goals, and professional athletes to enhanced performance in their fields. His specialty is stress reduction and homeostasis training. Troy loves to run marathons, travel, and create art to create his own personal balance. Troy believes that the mind and body connection directly affects a person’s overall wellness. While lifestyle and the drive to succeed is important, finding balance and reducing stress are equally important.
Kelly Buskirk – Vinyasa Yoga
All-levels Vinyasa class. Kelly's Vinyasa or "Flow Yoga" classes are a fluid practice connecting breath and movement. Hopefully you will strengthen, lengthen, sweat, and let go of whatever is weighing you down and open up to a spring renewal! What better time than now?
BIO: Raised in the Bay Area, Kelly was a dancer for 14 years. While attending college at UC Santa Barbara, Kelly was first introduced to yoga. She fell in love with vinyasa yoga's beautiful balance of effort and ease, and the way yoga created not only a strong and relaxed body, but facilitated a quieter mind and taught how to let go. She also found a greater sense of connection to life and living in the present moment. She has been enjoying her practice for over 15 years now.
After college, Kelly did special events fundraising for non-profit organizations. Then, following her love of yoga, she changed paths and received her yoga teacher training in 2004 at the White Lotus Foundation in Santa Barbara, CA. After becoming a yoga teacher, Kelly traveled Southeast Asia and lived abroad teaching yoga in Malaysia, Bali and Thailand. More recently, Kelly lived on Kauai where she gave birth to two kids and worked as a Spa Manager. During her pregnancies, Kelly was inspired to teach prenatal yoga, and in 2008, Kelly became a certified Prenatal Yoga Teacher at Bodhi Baby Yoga in Grass Valley, CA and in 2013 became certified through the YogaWorks, Yoga for Kids program. Kelly now lives with her husband and two young kids and enjoys being a mom and teaching yoga.
Jeffrey Briar – Laughter Yoga
Enjoy unconditional heartfelt laughter techniques as developed by Dr. Kataria of India. Proven to relieve stress, anxiety and depression and strengthen the immune and cardiovascular systems, laughter is free, easy to carry around, and a pleasure to share.
Laughter Yoga combines easy stretches, Pranayama breathing exercises, and voluntary playful hilarity to reliably create the Chemistry of Happiness, building health and creating friendships.
“As far as your health is concerned, laughing from having fun is just as good as laughing at something funny.” (--Jeffrey Briar, leader of this workshop).
It has been proven that you don’t need to feel good in order to laugh. Laugh first; the good feelings follow naturally.
Suitable for families and individuals of all ages and all levels of ability. Wear clothing you can stretch in.
BIO: Jeffrey Briar has been a Yoga Teacher since 1976. He first studied under Swami Turiyananda, director of the Integral Yoga Institute of Santa Cruz. He joined the staff of the Office of Physical Education at the University of California at Santa Cruz (teaching yoga, Polarity, juggling and clownery) while he was still an undergraduate there (studying theatre, dance, music and film). He has undergone extensive training in the Integral/Satchidananda and Sivananda Schools, as well as 4 years in the Iyengar School, 1 year of Kundalini, 1 year of Ashtanga, and at least 3 months' training in 5 other schools of Hatha Yoga.
Mr. Briar has led Yoga classes throughout the USA, Canada and Europe. Notable assignments have included: Yoga Place/YogaWorks (Costa Mesa) 4 years; The Heart Center (Laguna Beach) 5 years; Malibu Gym (1 year), Angel City Yoga (Studio City) 2 years, Yoga Shakti Laguna Beach (3 years); and Master Classes for the Yoga Teachers Associations of Greater Detroit, Southern California; at Europahaus in Vienna, Austria and Yoga Centre du Marais in Paris, France.
His greatest enthusiasm is for Hasya ("Laughter") Yoga, which he discovered in 2004. He studied immediately with Sebastien Gendry (director of The American School of Laughter Yoga) in the Los Angeles area, completing their Leader Training in February of 2005. Mr. Briar was so taken with the spirit and potential of Laughter Yoga that he soon attended the 7-Day "Certified Laughter Yoga Leader Training" with the founder and creator of Laughter Yoga, Dr. Madan Kataria ("The Laughing Doctor of Bombay"). Mr. Briar completed his Training in Switzerland in May of 2005. earning the title, Certified Laughter Yoga Teacher. He promptly started the Laguna Laughter Club; since June 21, 2005, more than 12,000 people have participated in laughter sessions.
The Laguna Laughter Club now meets seven days weekly by the crashing ocean waves of Laguna's Main Beach. It is the first Laughter Club in the world outside of India to meet seven days per week. In addition, Mr. Briar currently offers: three regular weekly laughter yoga classes through Irvine Valley College, monthly Public Awareness Seminars, and frequent workshops and customized programs for corporate stress reduction and workplace satisfaction.
In November of 2005, Mr. Briar was appointed Co-Director of The American School of Laughter Yoga, where he coordinated their Leader Training programs. In May of 2006, after assisting Dr. Kataria by co-producing the first American Laughter Yoga Teacher Training, Mr. Briar began his independent training organization, “The Laughter Yoga Institute”. He offers Certified Laughter Yoga Leader Trainings quarterly and travels throughout North America delivering Leader Trainings, workshops, keynote speeches and special programs.
Mr. Briar co-produced and served as Program Director for the First All-American Laughter Yoga International Conference in Sept. 2006. In October ’06, he completed the Laughter Leader Training developed by Steve Wilson (World Laughter Tour), from which organization he carries the diploma of “Certified Laughter Leader”.
A few media appearances include: Oprah Winfrey (January 1, 2009; April 11 and August 8, 2007); “One-Two-Three-Laugh!” (museum video installation in Darmstadt, Germany) and “Paradise” (which ran several months at the Orange County Museum of Art); “Dancing with the Stars” (ABC-TV, Sept. 19, 2006); “The Megan Mullally Show” (Oct. 11, 2006); and the CNN-TV special on “Happiness and Your Health” with Dr. Sanjay Gupta (Nov. 19, 2006).
Mr. Briar is also an accomplished comedian and performer on stage and screen. A member of the Screen Actors Guild, his career highlights include: cofounder of the popular Cock and Feathers comedy troupe (Renaissance Pleasure Faires, 1970 to date); Stan Laurel lookalike in extensive advertising campaign for Tikkurila paint company, Finland (3 years) and hundreds of other TV and stage shows; Charlie Chaplin lookalike performing thousands of appearances, including Universal Studios Tour/Hollywood and on several TV series; Inspector Clouseau impersonator for Murder Mysteries and Roasts; and motion picture work with Blake Edwards, Robert Zameckis, Mariel Hemingway, James Garner, Bruce Willis, Malcolm MacDowell and many others.
He has created, scripted and performed in 100 custom-crafted Murder Mystery environmental theatre-plays.
Jeffrey Briar concurrently flourishes as a concert pianist and composer. His performance repertoire includes works of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Liszt, Debussy, Scott Joplin, Jelly Roll Morton, and Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” (adapted by Mr. Briar for piano solo). He performs regularly at the Tapestry Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Mission Viejo (10 years) as well as giving frequent solo recitals and serving as accompanist for opera singers, Broadway musicals and variety shows.
