Apr 16, 2025 | Sedona Yoga
by DJ Taz Rashid
Before I was DJing at yoga festivals around the world, I was working in the corporate world — feeling disconnected from my deeper purpose. I wasn’t sure what that was, but I wasn’t feeling lit up in my world. So I took the leap. Through travel, sound, and spiritual practice, I slowly began to align with what truly made me shine: creating music that helps people awaken.
I’ve since produced dozens of albums and performed at major festivals like Wanderlust, Telluride Yoga Festival, Sedona Yoga Festival, and others — all with the mission of using music as medicine for the soul. I am absolutely psyched to be returning to SYF this May, offering not only my music for classes and a dance party, but two workshops that I’m honored to get to share with you.
Music has the ability to bypass the mind and go straight to the heart. In a yoga class, the right playlist can guide breath, movement, and emotional release. It creates a container—a rhythm—for transformation. Whether it’s a deep bass drop in a power flow or soft ambient tones in savasana, music invites us deeper into the present moment. As a DJ in wellness spaces, I see music as a co-teacher, helping guide people to their own inner wisdom. I know that a majority of people who participate in SYF are yoga instructors or facilitators in the wellness world. One workshop I’m offering is for YOU, that distills my decade of creating music for transformational events into “The Art of Yoga Music: Crafting Playlists That Inspire & Elevate.”
(Not coming to SYF? You can also access the entire “My Best Playlist” workshop collection with a membership to my Royalty-Free Music Library. The Royalty-Free Music Library provides teachers and brands access to high-quality, conscious music they can legally use in classes, online videos, and social media — without worry of copyright infringement or platform removal!)
I’m also facilitating my classic “Soul Groove: A Sound Journey for Inner Awakening” workshop, developed nearly a decade ago. This sound journey combines a mesmerizing blend of singing bowls, didgeridoos, overtone singing, Native American flutes, percussion, guitar, and atmospheric soundscapes — all curated to open the four directions and harmonize your energy. Because music, when used intentionally, really does give your soul a chance to find its groove.
That’s why over the past year, I launched the Soul Groove Wellness App — a unique wellness app where movement meets music, and where teachers can access curated playlists, guided journeys, and more. Each class or workshop has intentionally-curated soundscapes by me, so you can bring the experience of SYF right into your living room.
Whether you’re a student flowing on your mat or a teacher crafting a transformative space, I invite you to explore the power of music as part of your journey. Let’s co-create rhythm, presence, and purpose—one beat at a time.
Access three Playlists here and stay inspired in your wellness yoga flows: https://djtazrashid.com/giveawayplaylist
Learn more about my offerings, music, and upcoming events at djtazrashid.com — and be sure to join me at SYF this May 1–4! Passes on sale now.
Lead image by Ty Dobbs at SYF2024.
Dec 2, 2024 | Sedona Yoga
by Rani Chaves
In The Islands of Tahiti, we are welcoming Matari’ i Ni’a, our season of abundance, of renewal. In ancient times, our ancestors, or tupuna, guided by their supreme knowledge and understanding of Nature, had determined two main seasons: Matari’i i Ni’a, the season of abundance, from November to May, and Matari’ i Raro, the season of scarcity, from May to November.
Marari’i i Ni’a was marked by the arrival of the Pleaides in the night sky. It also coincided with the turtles coming to lay their eggs on the shores, and seasonal flowers blooming after a time of dormancy. All these natural occurrences indicated a great shift, and the dawn of a new year, or Matahiti. Sacred rituals, incantations, dances and offerings were performed by the local communities to celebrate the natural rhythms of Life, honor all the gifts and thank the ancestors and gods.
There was no religion in that time. These meaningful ceremonies were their way to nurture the profound connection to the visible and invisible worlds, from Te P? (the dark night, or the world below) to Te Papa (the layered rock, or foundation) to Te Ra’i (the sky and the heavens).
Oral traditions tell us that the Pleaides represented the original home of the gods and the ancestors. Our lineages are woven into the fabric of the stars, unfolding like a song from the infinite expanse of the celestial realms to our earthly existence.
Our lineages are woven into the fabric of the stars.
Significance in Other Wisdom Traditions
In many ancient civilizations, the Pleiades held a vital role in the dynamics of life and death. In the Vedic tradition, they are portrayed as the wives of the Sapta Rishis, the seven sages and earliest disciples of Lord Shiva. The six visible sisters of the Pleiades symbolize the five senses and the mind, while the mysterious seventh sister represents pure consciousness. Associated with Krittika Nakshatra, the Pleiades are considered the womb of Agni, the fire god, embodying the power to create, birth, and manifest.
In Greek mythology, one version reveals that the Pleiades were the seven nymph-daughters of the Titan Atlas and the Oceanid Pleione. Pleione, protectress of sailing, gave the name Pleaides. Titan Atlas was condemned to hold up the sky for eternity, leaving him powerless to protect his daughters. To shield the sisters from the hunter Orion’s advances, Zeus transformed them into stars. However, legend says that one sister fell in love with a mortal and went into hiding, which is why only six stars are visible.
The Australian Aboriginal’s tales often depicts seven sisters being chased by the morning star, Jukurra-Jukurra. The pursuit continues across the deserts of Australia, and the sisters take refuge in the sky. The Orion constellation is often depicted as chasing the sisters across the night sky.
For the people of the Native American Navajo nation, the Diné, the Pleaides are the most highly ordered constellation, with its form and shape representing the harmony of the heavens. They refer to it as Dilyéhé, a term loosely translated as “Sparkling Figure” or “Sparkling Particles.” It is said to be associated to the Black God, responsible for magnifying the dark skies. In Japan, the Pleaides are called subaru, meaning “to unite” or “to gather,” symbolizing unity and connection; and in Egypt, the Pleaides were the manifestation of the goddess — the divine mother, the light of love.
Divine Bounty
In the end, these stories all carry a similar message, reminding us that everything is connected and that we all are part of this divine theatre of Life. From the depths of darkness, light emerges, much like the Pleiades shining in the night sky. Over time, they fade from view, symbolizing a period of rest and dormancy, known as Matari’i i Raro in Polynesian tradition. Conversely, Matari’i i Ni’a celebrates Nature’s magnetic radiance, her nourishing vitality and bountiful gifts.
During Matari’i i Ni’a, fruits reach their juiciest ripeness, flowers burst into a mesmerizing display of vibrant colors, and the lagoon and ocean overflow with abundance. Nature is at her peak, and we bask in her luminous embrace, making this time deeply connected to strong feminine energy and heightened creativity.
Reflect the Light to Make Space for Rejuvenation
Here in the northern hemisphere as I write this, it is in the light of autumn that I am basking. I love seeing the leaves changing colors, witnessing the trees gracefully transition. Just as they shed their leaves, this season invites us to let go and allow the leaves of the past to drift away; to journey within our inner universe and reconnect with our land of wisdom and the melody of our heart, and to celebrate our inner Thanksgiving. This is a time to let the golden cloak of autumn wrap us, with the gentleness of a mother: “You are loved. You are love. You are light,” she whispers softly.
November is one of my favorite months here, with the celebration of Thanksgiving, the delicious and comforting scent of pumpkin spice lingering in the air, and the Christmas songs playing on the radio. There is some kind of softness and peace, that gently nudges us to slow down, recharge and prepare for rejuvenation. As we reflect on the past months, we contemplate what we have accomplished, learnt and created. And just as the leaves of the past gently fall to the earth, forming a soft mantle over her, we too are called to release what is no longer part of who we are.
And no matter where we are, the shift in seasons invites us to reflect on our inner landscape. What do we need to let go of? What do we need to make room for? How can we mirror the magic and beauty of nature’s delicate balance? How can we align ourselves with the natural rhythms of life rather than a disrupted connection which leads to stress, disease and suffering?
Living our humanity and spirituality is a journey. In a world where we tend to rush everything, this one is not one we want to run through. We want to savour every bite. Is it perfect? Absolutely not! Is it easy? Not always. Is it worth it? Yes, and a million times yes.
There is comfort in the synchronicity that as my home Islands of Tahiti celebrate the new dawn and the new year, in the Northern Hemisphere, we honor autumn and our harvest. Wherever we are, we turn to our inner lands and give thanks for the breath of life that sustains and moves us, for every gift and lesson that make us stronger and wiser, for the guidance always available to us when we create silence and make space to receive.
From the Pleaides to the constellation within, may we embrace the light that we are. May we celebrate our journey and that of our ancestors and may we serve in ways that recognize the majestic theatre of life we are all part of. As above so below, as within so without.
Yoga is Union. Like the Pleiades creating a harmonious order in the night sky, we come together to foster a deeper sense of community, cultivate self-care and self-love and tend to our inner peace and healing. It is a journey and we don’t have to walk it alone. And if you find yourself at a crossroads, if you find that it is time to give your journey a new direction and a fresh impulse, join us in Sedona next year for the Sedona Yoga Festival! Passes are on sale… OR, drum roll please, maybe Tahiti is calling? Mark your calendars for October 3 to 6, 2025, when we will gather in Tahiti for Tahiti Yoga Fest, a sister event to the Sedona Yoga Festival. Stay tuned for more details coming soon.
Lead image by Lisette Cheresson
Nov 8, 2024 | Sedona Yoga
Written by our friends at Bright & Marvelous: Energy Healing School
Visiting Sedona and the surrounding red rock area always feels energizing, to say the least. Those who immerse themselves in the rust-colored mountains describe feelings of comfort, uplift, and sometimes euphoria. What if the majestic view itself was just a fraction of why the area feels magical?
The sandstone that forms Sedona and the surrounding area is made primarily of sand-sized grains of quartz (silicon dioxide), mixed with silica and iron oxide. The latter provides the red tones. When you get up close to Sedona red rock, you will find small pockets of exposed quartz crystal formations that developed over time as the former ocean bed turned into sedimentary rock. They often appear in divots ranging from the size of a quarter to about the size of a palm, nestled into the rock, and often resemble the inside of a crystal geode. You might even find a vein of quartz winding through the stone.
Because most of the quartz formations are affixed snuggly within the stone, they are always under the piezoelectric effect. Piezoelectricity occurs when crystals with that property undergo a mechanical stress, such as a strike or bending, they produce an electrical impulse or signal if the stress is maintained. The reverse is also true, where an electric current running through piezoelectric material will cause it to bend. This property is used to turn quartz fragments into crystal oscillators in watches that create an accurate and consistent frequency for the timepieces.
Healing Bowl Effect
These quartz formations are found all throughout the surround geographical features, resulting in a spectacular array of bouncing light and energy waves. On the west side of Sedona, Thunder Mountain and Coffee Pot rock tower from the north, leaving a valley in between that and the hills leading up to the Airport Vortex. In between, the area of West Sedona is bathed in the pink-toned light and crystal energy like a healing bowl with a constant circulation around the shape of the land.
In Uptown, the Sun’s rays cascade down the crystal-laden hills. Venturing down the winding road towards the Oak Creek visitor’s area, drivers are surrounded by walls of magical red rock on either side. Throughout the Village of Oak Creek, buttes and Bell Rock provide cozy nesting points and resonate with the same vibrancy.
Taking it all in
When visiting Sedona, no matter which spot you find yourself in, you’ll be sure to take in high-vibing sandstone simply by being there. For an enhanced experience, try setting a mindful intention to connect with the local quartz clusters.
Experience how this energy can be magnified through intentional practice and community at the Sedona Yoga Festival in May, 2025! Passes are now on sale. Reserve your place today — pass prices increase by $40 every month!
Lead Image by Danielle Holman
Sep 10, 2024 | Sedona Yoga, Yoga Festival Experience
Lead image by Danielle Holman; words by Lisette Cheresson
If you’ve been to SYF, you know that a large bit of the magic — the sensation of something awakening in your soul, drawing you closer to not only the divine but your personal divine purpose — is augmented by the fact that we’re here, in the energetic vortexes of Sedona. It’s said that the iron in the red rocks interacts with our bodies in ways that actually increase our energy; there’s proposed science behind the idea. While the red rocks were sacred to the Yavapai-Apache nation, according to Visit Sedona, the existence of electromagnetic vortexes was proposed and popularized in the 1970s by spiritual seekers and settlers to the area.
If you’re skeptical about the power of electromagnetic energy influencing your soul, there’s another explanation as to why Sedona feels so special. According to past SYF presenter Pete Sanders, speaking to Visit Sedona:
“Sanders explains that the neuro-stimulating red rocks enhances creative thinking and problem solving; the green cacti, agave and pines provoke a sense of hope and renewal; and the vast blue skies and winding creeks of the region incites a soothing feeling of serenity and purpose.”
Whatever the science, we can speak from experience that something intensely spiritual happens out on those red rocks — particularly when we bring our practice and our prayers. It’s why a Sedona Yoga Festival On-the-Land Immersion is so powerful.
We’re excited to announce that all 2025 Immersions will this year take place out on those sacred rocks, led by local Sedona guides. Immersions are deep-dive workshops and experiences facilitated by leaders who help you tap into the wisdom, personal truth, and healing power of specific aspects of yoga. You told us after our 2024 event that being on the land truly augmented this learning — your feedback is not only appreciated, but implemented.
We want you to experience just how nourishing an Immersion on the red rocks can be, so we’re reserving the Thursday and Monday around the festival for these special events. Be sure to add an extra day to your trip when you’re planning! Programming specifics and teachers will be available soon, but festival passes are available now. Learn more and register here.
Sep 1, 2024 | Sedona Yoga, Sedona Yoga Festival Teacher Feature
When we approach yoga, we often do so in a way that feels fractured — we lay out our mat, and it’s time for asana. We sit on our cushion, and it’s time for meditation. Even if we integrate other practices, such as Ayurvedic rituals before bed, we often think about them as separate to-dos that are to be checked off a list. According to SYF2025 presenter Vaidya. Jayarajan Kodikannath, BSc, BAMS, and Chief Ayurvedic Consultant & Academy Director of Kerala Ayurveda, however, we’re doing ourselves and the practices a disservice by thinking of them as separate activities. “What is lacking,” he says, “is the approach and application of yoga as a system. Yoga is a complete integration of an individual starting from the outer world to their inner world. The whole journey of an individual is yoga,” he says. The honorary title “Vaidya” is a Sanskrit term for a non-codified Ayurvedic doctor who is a part of lineage of Ayurvedic practitioners in the community tradition of Kerala, Southern India, but as teacher and director as well as Ayurvedic practitioner, Vaidya. Jayarajan (known informally to his students as “Dr. J.” for short) brings more to the table — much like the understanding of Ayurveda itself. Ayurveda is often called the sister science of yoga, and primarily associated with the physical self; a prescription for diet, medicine, physical wellbeing. Yet according to Dr. J., it’s much more than that. “It’s not a physically-oriented healing science,” he says. “It’s a science of life.” While we need our physical body for longevity, to clear out the karma accumulated and grow into a self-realized stage, Dr. J. says with a laugh, “Ayurveda covers the body, mind, and emotion. It’s a complete system of healing — physical, mental, emotional, spiritual — at all levels.” It’s a way to work toward continuous contentment, beyond just healing problems, like whack-a-mole, as they come up. Ayurveda, says Dr. J., is a way to stay healthy, harmonious, happy, and peaceful — no matter what challenges life throws your way.
What It Means to Be Harmonious
This all sounds well and good, but in today’s busy, stressed, and tragedy-heavy world, the idea of true harmony may feel like a pipe dream. And yet Ayurveda, and all the Vedic sciences, teach that we are, in fact, always in harmony with nature and the world around us. “The very definition of life in Ayurveda is that nature flows through you without interruption,” says Dr. J. “You are always in relationship with everything — including fellow human beings, animals, birds, plants, nature. Your sustenance is based on an in-sync relationship with nature and its rhythms,” he says. This is true whether we are aware of it or not. When we are aware of it, however, and intentionally living in awarenesses and pursuit of that connection, this is when we feel harmonious in it. This doesn’t mean that we don’t feel pain or darkness. “The reality is that if there is daytime, there will be nighttime,” says Dr. J. “If there is hot summer, there will be cold winter. We must understand that everything is part of one — you cannot have only one aspect of existence.” What the Vedic sciences teach are ways to remain neutral, despite the fluctuations of the external world. “The ultimate state of human mind and emotion is to be able to accept not only the pluses, but the minuses too — and to stay neutral as a witness. From here we are able to be a part of positive changes for a shift in ourselves, our family members, our colleagues, our community. We are able to accept reality and make it better. And this is an individual’s dharma, or purpose,” says Dr. J.
Avoiding Spiritual Bypassing
The emphasis on positivity and creating positive shifts does not mean, however, that we don’t recognize or acknowledge the darkness. “The existence of this cosmos itself is in its disorder,” Dr. J. says. “There is no perfection.” But perfection is in the eye of the beholder — the only way we perceive something to be imperfect is through our mind’s perception. “We generally relate that more money means more happiness; or if I’m in a higher position, I’ll be happier; or if I’m in a good relationship, I’ll be happy. These are all human intellectually-created criteria to be happy. In reality, it is none of this — it is our frame of mind. Shifting that frame of mind is what we need, individually and collectively.” Using Ayurveda to create the experience of inner harmony is exactly what participants can expect to learn from Dr. J. at the Sedona Yoga Festival next May. As we explore how to integrate our practice into our daily lives, Dr. J. will impart what it means to be one cell of the interconnected whole — that is, how we can take care of ourselves in order to be able to move from the whole heart and love others in that place of harmony and healing. Experience this depth of wisdom and knowledge with Dr. J. in May. Passes are on sale now!
