If you like festivals, yoga, great food and are drawn to the desert, then Bhakti Fest is the festival for you. While I’m sure you’ve heard of Coachella, Wander Lust, and any other trendy festival — they are just that; trendy. While I’m sure you would have an amazing time at any of these festivals, I’m not totally convinced that people’s intentions to go are completely authentic.

To me, Coachella seems like the place celebrities go to take their Instagram pictures, or other people go to look at celebrities and take Instagram pictures. Again, no judgment- I’m sure it’s got its other perks too, but for me, I’d rather spend my money on a more real experience.

Now, let’s talk about Bhakti Fest. It’s nestled deep in the desert in Joshua Tree, California. If you’ve never been here, just envision you were teleported into a Dr. Seuss book, and that’s what it’s like. Huge (I mean huge) Joshua trees everywhere, giant granite boulders, pink sun rises and orange sunsets. It’s magical.

Going into Bhakti Fest is like teleporting into a different world. Walking onto the grounds, you can already tell there’s something different and there is. People are open and grounded, not afraid to look you in the eyes and make conversation. The music is all high-vibrational and most of the music played is mantra and kirtan. And one important thing; it’s a dry festival, which means no alcohol. Now don’t get me wrong, I drink occasionally and have nothing against it, but to restrict alcohol for a weekend means everyone is dedicated to purifying themselves and being in their truest state of mind.

Now that you know a little bit about it, here are five things you must experience if you decide to go:

1. Take a yoga class with Govindas & Radha, Kia Miller, and Saul David Raye

I’m on my 5th year attending Bhakt Fest, and each time I go I make it a priority to go to these three yoga classes. All three bring something authentic and different to their class. Govindas & Radha are a couple based out of Santa Monica where they teach at their studio Bhakti Yoga Shala. They offer a sweet, kirtan filled class with singing, dancing, and a gentle vinyasa flow. Radha has the voice of an angel and she sings while Govindas teaches.

You’ll find Kia Miller teaching in the early morning, so if you’re a morning person then she is for you. She teaches a kundalini class and it’s the absolute best way to start the day. Not only is her class amazing, but she brings such a beautiful presence to her teaching and you’ll leave class feeling lighter, happier and more connected.

Saul David Raye is the perfect class if you need grounding and connection. He brings a gentle authenticity to his practice and each class is filled with a more yin-style practice coupled with chanting and meditation.

2. Dance under the main stage kirtan tent

This is really what Bhakti Fest is all about - the singing, chanting and dancing to kirtan. They have music playing all day and all night featuring different artists. This last Bhakti Fest, they had many amazing artists, such as Krishna Das, Jai Uttal, and Donna De Lory.

3. Fill your tummy with Lydia’s, Teechino, and Chagit

With all of the singing, dancing, and yoga in the desert, you’ll need to recharge and fill yourself with good foods to reenergize. All of the food offered at Bhakti fest comes from outside vendors, and all of them are mostly organic and vegetarian, if not vegan. Here are my favorites:

Lydia’s is an amazing organic, raw foods restaurant based in California. I eat here every single day, sometimes for every meal. (Yes, it’s that good!) My favorite things to get here are their raw power shake, their alkalizing green soup or their famous raw burger.

Teechino’s offers nutrient-dense cereals which I usually eat for breakfast every morning. (My favorite is the blueberry date). You can get a bowl of their energy cereal for $5 which they’ll top off with greek yogurt and fresh berries if you’d like. Their cereal is packed with nutrient-dense super seeds such as chia, flax, quinoa, amaranth, and more. I feel energized for hours after eating this.

Chagit is a newer company that I absolutely love! I'd go over to their vendor tent every morning and take one of their 2 oz chagit shots, which is basically a shot for energy, immunity and vitality. Their 'shot' is made from the chagit mushroom, which has amazing health benefits you can read about here.

4. Empower yourself through dance with Hemalayaa

One of my favorite classes! Hemalayaa brings an amazing energy to her yoga classes which mainly turn into dancing, laughing and throwing a tantrum. (Yes, we throw tantrums in this class and it’s so much fun!) Hemalayaa brings an essence of play into her class, throwing you into a child-like state to release the mind and embody the true essence of spirit.

5. Take a workshop with Michael Brian Baker, Darma Devi, Dawn Cartwright, and Divine Harmony.

I couldn’t pick a favorite workshop, so you need to check out all of the above. Each person has something completely different to offer, so it depends on what you’re interested in.

Both Michael Brian Baker and Dharma Devi offer breath workshops. They both have a different approach, but each of these workshops is extremely transformational and healing. If you've experienced working with your breath before you know how powerful this can be, and if you're brand new to this concept, I recommend giving it a try.

Dawn Cartwright is a tantra goddess and will help you explore your sexuality with yourself or others. Each workshop she offers is unique and has something to offer, but the fundamental basis of her class is love.

Divine Harmony is an astrology expert and offers at least one workshop every Bhakti Fest. If you’re interested in learning more about the stars, your zodiac sign, and what’s going on currently in the astrology world, then you need to go to her class. You can also find her astrology blog, here.

If you feel inspired to attend Bhakti Fest next year, I urge you to follow your gut and make the leap to go. You’ll meet amazing people, experience amazing things and leave feeling lighter, happier, and rejuvenated for months to follow.