The Texas Yoga Conference comes to Houston January 30 through February 2, celebrating its fifth anniversary with a weekend of concerts, presentations and yoga classes in a brand new location: Silver Street Studios.
This year's TYC theme is "A Year of Devotion and Love". The conference kicks off Thursday with a goal-setting presentation, "Rock Your Bliss," by Jacki Carr, a lifestyle coach who has led presentations for hip companies like Lululemon and Toms Shoes.
"You can come and set your intentions for the year," said Jennifer Buergermeister, CEO of BreatheCure, owner Jennyoga and the creator of the Texas Yoga Conference.
The festival has mirrored the growth of yoga in Houston -- which has seen three new studios open in the last three months. "Every year we've outgrown our previous venue," Buergermeister said.
Five years ago, while serving as the president of the Yoga Teachers Association of Houston, Buergermeister began to think about ways to incorporate the work at the Texas Medical Center with more holistic practices including yoga and meditative breathing. She gathered a meeting of mind-body leaders, and decided to create a conference to help grow their vision. Four studios invested in the first year, and the conference took place at Unity Church on a cold, rainy weekend.
This year, there are more than 80 presentations, three days of events, and everything from aerial silk performances to workshops on meditating for orgasms, the history of Tantra and yoga and relationships.
"There's something for everyone," Buergermeister joked.
Tickets for the festival vary from full passes at $325 to one-night concert tickets that start at $10. Shopping the many vendors at the TYC (and the artists-in-residence at Silver Street who are expected to have their studios open) is free. Buergermeister said the festival is a bargain compared to similar events in other parts of the country, considering all the entertainment and presentations. Wanderlust, a similar event that took place in Austin in November, started at $99 for single-day tickets.
In the five years since TYC began, it has also become a 501c3 non-profit, and this year's event will feature local nonprofits including Boys and Girls Country and Air Alliance Houston.
"It's beyond just a festival," Buergermeister said. "It has a purpose. It has meaning. It has a goal."
See the full TYC line-up and purchase tickets at Texas Yoga Conference.com.