Sound Current & Seva: the Joy of Work Exchange at Sat Nam Fest

September 23, 2014
ditta
Haridev at Sat Nam Fest East 2013

Haridev at Sat Nam Fest East 2013

As I am about to attend my ninth Sat Nam Fest in just a few short weeks, I am starting to get reflective about how my experience with Kundalini yoga and meditation truly began at that first “Spirit Fest” in the woods of West Virginia back in 2010. While I had taken Kundalini classes for a few years before, it was the mantra and sound current at that first festival that supercharged the experience and began me down this beautiful and sacred life path.

Starting at Sat Nam Fest East in 2013, I took the plunge to do seva (or to serve) as a work exchange volunteer and now am so honored to be the Work Exchange coordinator for the festival. It has been so much fun to meet so many fantastic volunteers and work with the committed and passionate Spirit Voyage team!

There is still a chance to attend Sat Nam Fest East in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania on October 8-12, 2014 as a work exchange volunteer! We have a few slots left. Go to www.satnamfest.com and click on “experience” to apply.

Learn more about my experience on work exchange at Sat Nam Fest in a recent post on the Spirit Voyage blog:

Sat Nam Fest: The Beauty and Bliss of Work Exchange
A clear memory from my experience at the first Sat Nam Fest was how everyone looked at me straight in the eye. I saw such beautiful eyes there – they were clear, sincere and passionate. I felt so welcomed and embraced by the amazing sound current and wonderful community of people who had gathered at that summer camp in West Virginia in fall 2010.
I have savored all eight of the Sat Nam Fests I have attended – five in the East and three in the West. My life has shifted dramatically in that five years. I know it all started for me at that first festival, though. Reconnecting with my creativity and my voice through chanting and the sound current has been a truly amazing gift!
Aren’t my experiences getting repetitive since I am about to attend my ninth Sat Nam Fest in October? Absolutely not.
Last fall I was in the midst of launching my own business so I decided to apply for work exchange to attend Sat Nam Fest East for the first time to save some money. I was so pleased when I was accepted on the registration team. It was such a pleasure to greet all of the attendees and help to kick off their Sat Nam Fest experience in a positive way, just as I had experienced years before. It was such a blessing to work with the registration team and the Spirit Voyage staff and contribute to the creation of this amazing creative event.
At Sat Nam Fest West earlier this year, I had the great privilege to serve as the coordinator of all of the work exchangers at the festival. What a blessing it was to work with such a group of beautiful, kind and hardworking yogis! It was hard work but so rewarding to see the beautiful experiences that the attendees were having and to get to know so many of the work exchange volunteers. I saw the sacred sound current in action as I observed so many friendships made and saw so many have powerful experiences through yoga and chanting.
For example, when helping out with security, it is so amazing to get to watch (and participate a bit in) some of the classes when on duty. I felt such incredible peace watching hundreds of beautiful yogis in deep relaxation following a vigorous yoga class – with the voice and presence of Snatam Kaur (and the other artists!) radiating through the space. Just taking a few moments to soak in all that prana – so amazing! I experienced a beauty and bliss so special as a work exchanger that I could not have experienced as an attendee.
If you have not yet registered to attend Sat Nam Fest East, I hope you will consider joining us as a work exchange volunteer. We still have a number of positions available on a variety of teams. Look at the information and fill out the application on the Sat Nam Fest East website under “Experience.”
Now I am the one who is less afraid to look others in the eye and I want to share that same open, loving and peaceful greeting with you when you arrive at this blessed festival. I look forward to welcoming you to our cozy Kundalini and sound current community that comes together each year at Sat Nam Fest East.