Written by Sanja Stankovic

Is it possible to change the global consciousness? Organizers of the first global Festival of Consciousness think so.

Under the symbolic slogan “Return to yourself”, this festival opened its doors to all lovers of traditional meditation and yoga techniques with the aim of connecting with themselves, on the Island of Ada Ciganlijain, Belgrade.

On July 24th, 2021, oneof the most energetically powerful days – the full moon – participants from all parts of the world gathered to achieve inner balance and connect deeply with oneself. Festival of Consciousness took place in the open area in natural surroundings of a beautiful river island, Ada Ciganlija, with the goal to give festival attendees an opportunity to reconnect to themselves, and elevate their awareness of who they truly are, what potential they hold within, and how they can contribute to their communities through love, harmony, and nonviolence.

Yoga in the park.

Visitors enjoyed a rich and diverse all-day program starting at 7.30 am with traditional yoga from Himalayan School of Traditional Yoga (http://himalayanschool.com/), followed by meditation and deep guided processes, Pranayama breathing exercises,

Conscious Dancing, deeply cleansing Mai Tri treatments, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda, Coherent Water System, Conscious Walking, and others. Festival visitors could also enjoy fabulous presentation of Himalayan School of Traditional Dance and Traditional Martial Arts.

Bliss in Conscious Dancing

They also had the opportunity for inner transformation and deeper connection to oneself, through questions and answers in a transformative conversation (Satsang) with Mohanji. The festival was organized by the Mohanji Foundation (https://mohanji.org/), founded by Mohanji, a humanitarian who has dedicated his life to the world and has founded charities and non-governmental organizations around the world, the winner of numerous awards from world officials and author of several books in which he talks about his teachings based on spiritual liberation.
“Once you connect with yourself, you begin to see the wholeness and perfection that is already there,

within you, no matter what culture you belong to. It is very important to understand that this is not something that can be picked up from outside and that is the reason for this festival “, said Mohanji whose new books “Silence of Shiva” and “Success” were launched at the festival by special guests, dignitaries from the Serbian Embassies of Venezuela and India. Mohanji reminded visitors of a reason why we remember people like Mahatma Gandhi, Nikola Tesla or Jesus Christ: “Why does the world remember them? Because they invested themselves in the world. Each of you have the power to give to the world. All of you are unlimited. You are a true path to success”.

Festival founder Mohanji addresses attendees.

Global Platforms that inspire people worldwide to lead meaningful and conscious life presented their work. Early Birds Club (https://www.earlybirdsclub.org/) whose members wake up early and start their day with mindful activities presented by their Early Birds Club team, who prepared creative workshops and yoga for children. World Consciousness Alliance (https://www.wca.earth/) team gave a powerful talk on the Conscious Talk stage and invited young artists to join them to raise awareness of the highest human values through art and performance. Their popular anthem for the world “Reimagine” was sung live by Jelena Fassbender after Conscious Dancing, the closing performance at the festival and children from many countries sang on the stage wearing the hand-made t-shirts they created to show how they imagine a world of peace and harmony.

“Reimagine”

As the Festival of Consciousness is of humane and ecological nature, additional value was brought by charitable activities that offer a real opportunity to give back to the community and nature, as a small token of appreciation for our surroundings. Several global and local charity organisations and foundations presented their volunteering work and invited participants to get involved in current charitable and ecological activities such as supporting South Africa, joining the Fruit Tree Plantation Drive, or collecting funds for the medical treatment of children.

For lovers of authentic, traditional food, healthy, delicious vegan repast was the order of the day. Plant based food served as a clear statement of respect for all living beings.

This unprecedented festival is intended to serve as inspiration and an indicator that a global shift starts within us. When we embrace our strengths and celebrate them, we remind ourselves of a powerful force lying within us, our ability to reimagine and create world of peace, respect, and harmony. The Festival of Consciousness honours that through celebration.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.