Every year, the Bodrum Yoga and Healthy Living Festival literally draws in dozens of experts on a wide range of holistic practices from all over the world who share their knowledge and techniques with participants who are newbies or not. This festival is a wonderful opportunity to learn about the who’s who of the wellness world in Türkiye and beyond and to try different types of yoga and other holistic practices you may never have had the chance to check out before. Many of Türkiye’s top yoga trainers will be offering the practice in all of its many forms and complimented by workshops on meditation, Ayurveda, crystals, astrology, family constellations and much, much more. Some workshops will also be held in English by foreign teachers.

While over the past few years this very special festival switched to an online format due to the pandemic, this year the 6th Bodrum Yoga and Healthy Living Festival has resumed in-person events hosted live at different locations in Bodrum. Held for five consecutive days starting this Wednesday, Oct. 25 and running through Oct. 29, the event will be hosted by both the Halikarnas Arena and the Kempinski Hotel in Barbaros Bay.

But as per this festival’s newer tradition, all of the workshops offered, where esteemed instructors from Türkiye the United States, Canada, India, New Zealand, Denmark and the Netherlands will share their expertise in yoga and healthy living practices with participants, will be broadcast live on the Bodrum Yoga Fest YouTube channel. Furthermore, all of the workshops and training sessions on offer are free of charge to attend and open to anyone at any level. But the best news is that anyone can easily watch each session live and later on the Bodrum Yoga Fest YouTube channel, meaning that literally, anyone can participate worldwide.

This highly anticipated festival, with the unique setting and community of Bodrum, provides an opportunity to collectively feel and experience positive energy, love, tranquility and health all during one of the most relaxing times of the year, autumn. The events encompass various areas of interest, ranging from qigong to mandala, different yoga practices to aromatherapy. If you want to attend in person, all you need to do is check out the program for the Bodrum Yoga and Healthy Living Festival (Bodrum Yoga ve Sağlıklı Yaşam Festivali in Turkish) and send a message to Bodrumyogafest@gmail.com. Most of the sessions are aimed to have around 30 participants more or less and the outdoor spaces to do the yoga and wealth of other wellness practices are also spectacular in their own right.

The Halikarnas Arena is now the venue where the famous Halicarnas Disco used to be. This location also hosts concerts and performances and has ample outdoor space with stunning views of Bodrum Castle. There is also a former church on the site, which will serve as the venue’s indoor location. The Kempinski Hotel Barbaros Bay is also a luxurious and comfortable location to try the wide range of holistic practices that will be made available. Located in Kızılağaç, visiting the Kempinski can also be combined with an adventure to this area of town famed for its pristine beaches, more untouched and laidback lifestyle compared with the center of Bodrum proper.

The founder and creator of the Bodrum Yoga and Healthy Living Festival is Menekşe Karaman, who has been teaching yoga in Bodrum to locals, relocated urbanites and the expat community for years. Karaman is also a yoga teacher at the famous Sianji Wellness Resort, which has helped sponsor this event. The festival is the result of the culmination of her years of connecting with like-minded holistic trainers who like her all volunteer their time and efforts to make this festival a reality. I repeat all of the events are free of charge to attend and offer the opportunity to learn about Türkiye’s wide range of specialists in wellness practices.

Sessions will take place from 8 a.m. and run to around 9 p.m. and will switch between the sites of Halikarnas Arena and the Barbaros Bay Kempinski and so it is best to check the program accordingly. The schedule of all of the workshops, of which there will be dozens held each day, is available to peruse on the Bodrum Yoga Festival social media handles and viewing will be open to anyone at any time on the Bodrum Yoga Festival YouTube channel. Some of the workshops will be led by foreigners in English with simultaneous translation into Turkish, which is denoted in the festival program, while others will be in Turkish.

Just to give an idea of some of the wide practices that will be available, there will be: face yoga, vinyasa yoga, guided meditation, qigong with animals, maternal yoga, handstand workshops, self-foot massage, chair and office yoga, mandala, feng shui, aromatherapy and so much more. This is truly an amazing opportunity to connect with people in the Bodrum peninsula and to learn about different yoga methods and other holistic practices and what works best for you.

This is an invaluable opportunity to learn about the different wellness experts in Türkiye and beyond for free and to try them out in person in spectacular and luxurious locations overlooking the sea and Bodrum Castle, but if not, all of the teachings will be made available free of charge and online.