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Festival activities will be centred in the village of Shella, but will include Manda island and the Lamu Old Town.
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A variety of yoga classes and meditations for all levels will be offered over five days at 12 venues and studios.
From early-bird sunrise yoga on the beach to meditation under the moon, the Lamu Festival is returning.
"It offers something for everyone, including newbies, experienced practitioners, curious souls and everyone in between," festival founder and organiser Monica Fauth said.
And it's free.
Lamu will host its biggest Yoga Festival from October 5 to 9 after a two-year suspension caused largely by the Covid-19 pandemic. It will be the eighth edition.
The main site is Shella beach town. The festival theme is 'Shine Your Light.'
It will also be celebrated on Manda island and in Lamu Old town.
Yoga classes and meditations for all levels will be offered at 12 unique venues and studios.
More than 25 yoga instructors will give at least 150 yoga classes, meditations and workshops.
Participants will experience different schools of yoga, including aerial and bird yoga, from renowned teachers.
The festival is usually celebrated in March every year.
The last festival was in March 2020, just days after the first case of the coronavirus had been announced in the country.
In 2021, only about 50 people congregated for a small retreat in line with health regulations banning large gatherings and requiring physical distancing.
Founder Fauth said the major objective is to promote Lamu as the perfect tourist destination.
About 400 participants from Africa, including Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa and Ethiopia are expected to attend.
Participants from Europe, the Americas and Asia are also expected.
The highlights are a beach opening ceremony, sizzling Swahili dinners, dhow sailing and a final bonfire.
She said the festival will strictly adhere to Covid-19 protocols.
The aim of yoga is to promote wellbeing, especially in health, to improve immunity, calm the mind, reduce stress and restore energy.
Lamu island, as Fauth puts it, is a completely different and compelling yoga destination owing to its tropical climate and variety of accommodation to suit all budgets.
“Not to mention miles of empty beaches and car-free sandy roads," she said.
"It’s the ideal destination to relax and forget all your worries. We urge all those interested to try out this year’s festival," Fauth said.
“Wellbeing is one of the most important words of the 21st Century. Lamu is the wellbeing destination of East Africa."
"The island and the beaches where we do most of the yoga are as natural as can be. No cars, no pollution, amazing nature, clean beaches, breathtaking ocean views, great breeze and amazing food."
In recent years, yoga has gained momentum in Kenya, especially at the Coast where international tourists arrive in throngs.
Lamu Tourism Association chairperson Ghalib Alwy said this year’s festival will be marked after months of struggle with the pandemic in Lamu and Kenya as a whole. He called it "a clean win" for all who take part.
“The Yoga Festival is one of the major events promoting Lamu. The more festivals we have, the more we propel our heritage and culture to global heights,” Alwy said.
Lamu island has been called the Island of Festivals because of the many celebrations that marketed the region globally.
Other festivals include the Eid-Ul-Adhar, Maulidi Festival, the Food and Expo Festival, Lamu Fishing Competition, Lamu Art Festival, the Lamu Cultural Festival, the Kite Festival, Shella Hat Contest and the Lamu Painters' Festival.
All of these festivals are scheduled throughout the year so the calendar is busy and an estimated 30,000 tourists arrive for each.
The festivals were critical in reviving the county's tourism sector following the 2014 Mpeketoni terror attacks.
In recent times, however, some festivals have failed to take place or have been greatly scaled back, partly because of economic hard times, Covid-19 and concerns about terrorism.
The army and law enforcement are on full alert year-round, especially during holidays.
(Edited by V. Graham)