Imagine practicing yoga at Fort Mason, where each pose comes with a crisp sea breeze and the distant sound of the ocean – Sacred Thread is an irresistible opportunity to do just that. This San Francisco yoga festival, taking place from Monday, October 11, 2010 to Sunday, October 17, 2010, is the only one of its kind in the city and the leading yoga festival in Northern California. Not only does this festival cater to those interested in yoga, but also to those interested in meditation and health & wellness events.

The Sacred Thread of Yoga Festival brings an array of phenomenal practitioners to present over the seven days, the first five of which will be an Iyengar Yoga Intensive series. For the Iyengar Yoga series in this San Francisco festival, a group of highly qualified and deeply skilled teachers with years of experience will be offering a variety of Iyengar focuses, including Asana & Pranayama teachings, foundation & principles teachings, and the three phases of yoga practice as defined by the renowned Sage Pantajali. The latter days of this Bay Area yoga event, Friday, October 15 through Sunday, October 17, will offer a series of open weekend classes for anyone who could not attend the earlier parts of the festival or just wants to expand on their weeks’ learning. These classes include Asana/On-the-Mat work, breath and energy work, Off-the-Mat yogic practices, education on the feeling the presence of the inner divine, living yoga, and education on the concept of the Sacred Thread, the ancient icon of the acharyas (teachers) and gurus of India.

The list of presenters and contributors for the Sacred Thread of Yoga Festival in San Francisco reads like a selection of the top practitioners from around the world. The list includes H. S. Arun, student of Guru Sri Guruji; Pat Deacon, a yoga practitioner and healer of South Africa; Gabriella Giubilaro of Italy; senior Iyengar practitioner Agnes Mineur; Iyengar International members Pat Deacon and Joyce Zouves Van Rensburg of South Africa; Maxine Tobias, teacher and initiator of one of the first Iyengar teaching programs in London; and many, many more.

Everyone from new students to seasoned yoga practitioners will rejoice in the thorough offerings of this Bay Area yoga festival. Sacred Thread is an opportunity to not only preserve the sacred lineage of the thread itself, but to also welcome other members into the community and share the common message and practice.