Smoky Mountain Yoga & Wellness Festival

06/08/2026

Meet Kristin Jackson of Think Somatics & Take It Outside Fitness💪

Somatic Educator | Body-Positive Personal Trainer | Menopause Coach

Kristin helps women feel good in and about their bodies through somatic awareness, mindset, and varied movement training. She works with clients around the world, in person and online. Now based in the mountains of WNC, she loves hiking, thrifting, community involvement, upcycle crafting, and reading from her ever-overflowing stack of books. 🌿

Catch Kristin leading:
🧠 Somatics: The Secret for Pain Relief — Sat 10:00–11:00 AM
We're in a worldwide pain epidemic — but stretching, strengthening, and manipulating muscles misses the root cause. Your brain runs the show. Learn to tap into your somatic nervous system to reset muscle length and relieve tech neck, low back pain, plantar fasciitis, and more. Space is limited — sold out last year!

🚪 ThinkSomatics Open House — Sat 11:15 AM–12:15 PM
Instead of relying on others to "fix" you, Somatics is a powerful form of self-regulation and self-acceptance. Drop in to learn more.

Reset. Relieve. Reconnect. 🌀

Get your tickets at smokymountainyogafest.com

06/08/2026

This picture shows the vibrant energy of last year's festival and I expect this year is going to bring even higher vibes with all the extras we've added 😍🥳🙌 😍🥳🙌

In LESS THAN TWO WEEKS the 2nd annual Smoky Mountain Yoga & Wellness Festival is back at Folkmoot in Waynesville and I hope you'll be there too! Tickets are available at smokymountainyogafest .com

There are SO MANY (sorry, to yell, I'm just excited) ways to help you feel more grounded as the world keeps trying to pull the rug out from under our feet.

The way to ride this crashing wave is to stay strong and the best way to stay strong is Self-care 💜 and kindness. You will learn so many incredible tools to take home with you, I promise! ✨ Come with an open heart and soak up the light that our extraordinary team will be shining for you this weekend as we radiate our theme of HOPE. 💗

I would love to see you in the Folkmoot auditorium at 1 for my "I AM" flow. We will create gentle space for old and new thoughts about who we are and what we've been told to be. It is your Divine right to receive what your heart desires. Flow, meditation, and contemplation. Bring a journal for held reflection.

06/07/2026

We are pleased to bring you Raj K and the GuruKula Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to mental health awareness, at the Smoky Mountain Yoga & Wellness Festival. The foundation collaborates with organizations, providing essential support to those in need using a funding model that involves offering handmade arts and crafts crafted by Raj, the founder of the organization and local Nepalese artists in their Kathmandu Valley workshop. You will find Raj's art and imports in our Makers & Healers Bazaar Friday, June 19, 5 pm to 9 pm and Saturday, June 20, 9 am to 6 pm. And we are blessed indeed to have Raj joining festival founder Robin King June 20 at 7:30 pm outdoors on the green as a part of our evening ceremonies with a special offering, Building Hope through Community. Bring your mats, blankets and camp chairs to the green area adjacent to Folkmoot at 112 Virginia Avenue, Waynesville for a free evening of engagement, entertainment, and enlightenment from 4 pm to 9 pm on Saturday, June 20.

06/06/2026

Meet Melissa Helmer 🌻

Teacher of Family Yoga, Kids Yoga & Chair Yoga with Fun Flow
Melissa is a yoga instructor focused on family fun — sessions full of music, dancing, relaxation, and chair yoga that bring everyone together. 🌿

Catch Melissa leading:
🌱 Kids Yoga (FREE!) — 4:00 PM, On the Green at Heart Yoga
Let's bend, bloom, and believe together! This all-ages class blends fun movement, partner poses, mindful breathing, and imagination to spark hope from the inside out. We'll plant seeds of hope, stand like strong trees, and practice rest and gratitude. Perfect for every age!

Remember: all activities in our Play Space are FREE — be a kid again and join us! 🎈

Find her on the Main Schedule at smokymountainyogafest.com

06/06/2026

Don't miss Chikomo Marimba on June 20, outside "on the green" at the Smoky Mountain Yoga & Wellness Festival. FREE concert, all welcome, first set 5 - 6 pm, and second set 6:30 - 7:30 pm, featuring a special addition of hooping with Tiffany Halo where you'll be welcome to join!

Chikomo Marimba Band is a lively and extremely danceable world percussion ensemble known for high energy, tight arrangements, and infectiously joyful grooves. Based in Asheville, NC, and inspired by the music of the Shona people from Southern Africa (Zimbambwe, South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and Mozambique), their repertoire includes a blend of traditional Shona tunes interspersed with other African-inspired stylizations of American folk, blues, rock, and pop music.

"We perform with large hand-hewn wooden marimbas, accompanied by full drum-kit and auxiliary hand percussion instruments and are especially well-suited for festivals, outdoor spaces, and large-stage venues because of the commanding presence and naturally amplificatory quality of our instruments. The polyrhythmic sounds and irresistible grooves get people of all ages shaking their bodies!"

Bring your camp chairs, blankets and yoga mats, setup on the green at Folkmoot, 112 Virginia Avenue in Waynesville from 4 pm to 9 pm for entire evening of community building activities. FREE - all welcome!

We drove up to Craggy Gardens on the Blue Ridge Parkway to shoot th...

06/06/2026

Earthfluenced one of the many amazing vendors in our Makers & Healers Bazaar at the 2026 Smoky Mountain Yoga & Wellness Festival. At EARTHFLUENCED you'll find a range of handcrafted artwork inspired by Mother Earth: unique jewelry pieces, one-of-a-kind paintings, bikinis and more. Products that have been created with Earth in mind. Born December of 2017, and since then they have donated to organizations such as The American Foundation For Su***de Prevention, Nature Org, Bail funds, D.A.R.E, and 8CANTWAIT, all while reducing our carbon emissions! https://www.earthfluenced.com/

No admission fee to shop and dine with us Friday, June 19 from 5 pm to 9 pm and Saturday, June 20 from 9 am to 6 pm at 112 Virginia Avenue in Waynesville, NC. So much more than yoga!

06/05/2026

Meet Raj K 🔔

Ta***ic Meditation Guru | Founder of Shakti Ta***ic Sound Alchemy | Author & Certified Shakti Ta**ra Teacher

Originally from Kathmandu, Nepal, Raj was nurtured from birth within the ancient Hindu and Buddhist Ta***ic cultures of Nepal, carrying the wisdom of a millennia-old spiritual tradition. He's the author of A Complete Guide on Nepalese Ta***ic Sound Healing and has spent over a decade teaching and performing transformative Ta***ic Meditation and sound therapies. 🌿

Guiding seekers through Buddhist, Yogic, Ta***ic, and Hindu meditation paths, Raj plants the seed of spiritual awareness and nurtures it until it flourishes. Through his nonprofit, the GuruKula Foundation, he serves communities with a focus on mental health, awareness, and spirituality. He believes meditation is the key to unlocking our infinite potential. ✨
Catch Raj leading:

COME FOR FREE 🔔 Building Hope through Community — Sat 7:30 PM, On the Green
He will be joining Robin King for a vibrant, intercultural gathering where all backgrounds, ages, and interests come together for a participatory experience of exploration and illumination, featuring Tibetan bowls and bells.

Bring your blankets, mats, and camp chairs. 🌙

06/05/2026

Meet Marga Fripp 🐝

Founder of Marga Fripp Studio for Healing Arts | Co-Founder of The Pollinators Foundation | Expressive Art Therapist, Mental Health Advocate, Artist & Qigong Teacher

Marga brings together expressive art therapy, mental health advocacy, and Qigong to support healing through movement, creativity, and presence. 🌿

Catch Marga leading:
🌀 Mindful Movement Qigong: From Stress to Vitality — Sat 11:15 AM, Auditorium
A gentle, trauma-informed practice integrating Qigong (Tai Chi–like movement), breathwork, and mindfulness to support nervous system regulation, emotional processing, stress reduction, and embodied healing. All ages, bodies, and experience levels welcome — movements can be done standing or seated, with modifications always offered. Reconnect with your inner wisdom and step into the life ready to unfold from within.

Bonus: The Healing Hive of The Pollinators Foundation will be open all day with creative healing activities for kids and adults! 🎨

06/05/2026

So much more than yoga at the 2026 Smoky Mountain Yoga & Wellness Festival, including the opportunity to find your next best friend. Don't miss the Haywood County Animal Services Adoption Event, made possible by Festival Sponsor Kelly Ison of Wonder Bark, 10am - 2pm. Let's set a record with number of adoptions on June 20! Please share and help spread the word.