Today we’d like to introduce you to Camille Zolman.
Hi Camille, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I moved to the Greater Zion area in 2016. Despite all the stresses and worries that come with moving and relocating to a new place, I had excitement and hope to find connections within the local yoga community. I was a fairly new practitioner and the only knowledge I had of what a yoga community is was from the community I came from and they were incredible. The local studios supported each other, collaborated, supported each other’s events, referred practitioners to each other, and helped each other grow. I think most people are biased towards the very first studio they practice in but the first, and only studio I had known at that time, was completely welcome to every person and accepted them as they were and who they were.
Moving to southern Utah, I hoped to find a similar feel and energy in the yoga community but it wasn’t there. Studios weren’t collaborating and I couldn’t find a space where I felt I belonged. Where I felt like all people belonged and could come to practice by showing up on their mat as they truly are without feeling the pressures of needing to be someone different or feeling like their practice needed to be something other than what it was. I had a hard time finding friendships and I cried a lot. After about a year, I finally said “Eff it. I KNOW that community is out there, I KNOW a healing community can exist that brings acceptance, uplift, and joy. I’m just going to create that space.” And the Yoga Fest was created.
Our first year started with just over 50 participants at the Washington Community Center, we did an online festival in 2020, a few year hiatus, and here we are today back for 2023. All of my time and the planning team members’ time is volunteer work. We don’t get paid. We’re passionate about the message of the festival and are happy to share it with others.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The yoga fest is considered a success to me because it has brought the most incredible people into my life (which was the whole reason I started it in the first place). I joke that I started a yoga festival so I could find friends but it’s true AND the yoga fest has given me the most magical friendships that I will cherish until the day I die.
However, like any small business, it has its challenges. It’s funny, I get emails sometimes with people assuming we’re this big corporation with lots of money but we’re just a small team (I ran the festival all on my own for the first few years) that doesn’t get paid because so far we’ve put all the money we earn, and more, back into the festival to give participants a memorable experience. 2020 was a huge challenge shifting gears from an exciting in-person event with deposits paid to have to offer it online.
To be honest, each year I find myself in moments getting very overwhelmed with the planning of it all (especially now that I have two little kids) BUT the days of the event can’t be beat and I feel grateful to be a part of it and grateful to everyone that supports The Fest.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting?
Just start. If you feel called to do something, just do it. You’ll figure it out on the way.
I wish someone would have told me how much work putting on a large event took. Although, maybe if I had known I would have talked myself out of it. I still feel like I’m learning and am a “baby” in the industry and have a lot to still learn.
Pricing:
- Full Festival Pass $349
- 2-Day Festival Pass $285
- 1-Day Festival Pass $145
- Kids Yoga Pavilion Daily Pass $60
Contact Info:
- Website: www.zionyogafest.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zionyogafest/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zionyogafest
Image Credits
Jaclyn Bott, Hazel Sage Photo, and Arika – Zion Adventure Photography
