In addition to music, a majority of music festivals have been seen adding yoga and other activities to their daily schedules. With hundreds of like-minded attendees, wide open outdoor spaces, and access to talented musicians, it’s no wonder music festivals play the perfect host to yoga sessions.
With Catskill Chill on the horizon, we took some to talk to Melia Marzollo, Director of Yoga at Catskill Chill, to learn about the power of yoga at these events, how attendees can stay centered and healthy, and how to restore after three days of – more or less – raging. Marzollo is the owner and director of the beautiful SkyBaby Studio in The Hudson Valley. Melia is also a certified instructor of Pilates, Power Yoga, Yamuna Body Rolling, and Holistic Health Counseling.
Vinyl Mag: How did you first become invoked with Catskill’s yoga program?
Melia Marzollo: I am the director of SkyBaby Studio in Cold Spring, New York, and when the Catskill Chill was looking for activities to offer festival goers, I immediately went to my happy activity and suggested yoga.
VM: Why do you believe music festivals are the perfect venue to provide yoga?
MM: For so many reasons, but at the root, vibrational energy. Music and movement create vital energy; they are the perfect couple.
VM: What are the benefits for practicing yoga at a festival?
MM: Centering, restoration, invigoration, self-love by practicing self-care, to name a few.
VM: Do you feel there is something special, and almost unifying, in sharing in a yoga class with fellow music festival attendees?
MM: I do. What happens when you move with other people? When you open and move? Good Stuff – that’s what.
VM: For someone who has never tried yoga before, what would you say to encourage them to try it out at Catskill Chill?
MM: Take on today. Try it on fully. The Teachers at The Chill are amazing lights in their industry and share the same love of music as you. You already have something in common.
VM: Do you have any suggestions on what one should wear and bring with them to yoga at Catskill Chill?
MM: I always feel best while taking a class when I dress in layers. The weather in The Catskills at this time of year can go from hot to “Chill” pretty quickly, especially when you are in and out of movement – layers are so accommodating. There will be some yoga clothing for sale in the Wellness Village where the classes will take place. I would also suggest, water, a yoga mat, and if you forgot yours, bring a towel!
VM: What are some tips you have in order to stay centered and healthy during a multi-day festival?
MM: Rage and Restore. Yin and Yang, baby. It can be so easy at festivals to get over stimulated and stay up for three days straight, leaving you wiped out in the following week. We want you to leave feeling good. Really good. Soul-shining-good. You have to take care of yourself to feel that way. Take time to stretch and sleep and love and eat good food and dance and laugh and relax and get a message and dance some more, then repeat.
VM: What are you looking forward to the most about the festival?
MM: Spending time with friends and being part of the magic that live performances bring to the human experience.
VM: Are there any artists in particular you are excited to see?
MM: Nakho and Medicine for the People. I’m also looking forward to the surprise collaborations that always seem to happen at this festival.
*Catskill Chill offers two free Yoga classes on Saturday and Sunday at 12:00 p.m., on the Northwestern Tennis Courts. When the weather is kind, practice is under the big, beautiful Catskill Sky! If the weather does not cooperate, there is an indoor studio adjacent to the courts, so show up, rain-or-shine! No reservation or appointment required. Mats are limited, so if you have your own, please bring it!
It all started when a much younger Jackie dove into her parents’ record collection, grabbed that trippy Magical Mystery Tour album, and played “Strawberry Fields” over and over again until it was engrained into her soul. She grew up on the dreams and stories of Simon and Garfunkel, “Bleeker Street” being one of her favorites, the seduction of The Doors, Van Morrison, because “Brown Eyed Girl” is definitely her song, and the likes of Jefferson Airplane, The Who, Jimi Hendrix…you get the picture. It may not show on the outside, but Jackie has a hippie heart, and that reflects in her musical tastes today. While some of her favorites may or may not be jam bands, her taste in music feeds into many genres. From alternative, Brit, and indie rock - OK, maybe all rock - to pop, to rap, to electronic, she loves it all. As a northerner, she thought she would never understand country until she found herself on a Georgia farm in cowboy boots watching Luke Bryan shake it for her- yeah, she got that. She is a chronic wanderluster, she doesn't believe in guilty pleasures, enjoys a great Moscow Mule, and is an absolute music festival fanatic- you’ll find her wherever the music takes her.