Perhaps you have noticed an increasing presence of yoga classes popping up around the city and on the Kosovo web. Prishtina has various comfortable—but makeshift—yoga studios organized by teachers in a room above a small bakery, an empty rec room at EULEX, or a conference room temporarily cleared of its tables and chairs. There are several regular classes held throughout Prishtina, but an intentionally united, coordinated activity has not been previously existed.

The upcoming Shanti Yoga Festival in the scenic Kukaj village aims to fix this.

Brikene Bunjaku and Jenny Uma from Total Yoga Prishtina reached out to local yoga teachers to collaborate on a four-day festival that will offer yoga classes, guided meditations, workshops on health and wellbeing, music, and local craft vendors.

“We noticed that there is a growing demand for yoga and we wanted to address and promote this,” Uma said after a weekend morning class in her Arberia studio.

This is evident in the students’ commitment to help organize the festival. Blerina Livoreka, a student at Total Yoga, was curious after speaking with Indian friends about yoga and seeing online posts about classes in Kosovo. She quickly became enthralled with it and is now a coordinator for the festival.  

Teachers Arijana Deshishku, Fabijan Persikic, Sara Nicole Baxley, Todd Kirkbride, Uma, and Bunjaku will lead individual and co-taught classes.

Although most of Prishtina’s yoga classes cater to a vinyasa style practice, a general term for coordinated series of poses linked by breathing exercises, there is plenty of variation from one teacher to the next. Deshishku, one of the organizers, often incorporates yin yoga, which focuses on meditation and muscle relaxation. At Total Yoga classes, one can expect an emphasis on breathing exercises called pranayama. The festival’s variation will allow students to try and “feel out” the right the teaching style for them.

Bunjaku, a nutritional therapist and psychologist, promotes positive body image in her classes. She always asks her students to reflect on why they come to a yoga class. Sometimes, she says, students are looking to lose weight and struggle with disordered eating and negative body image.

“Yoga is a backdoor way to confront this. When you are focused on having a healthy, strong body and a strong mind, it can be a less defensive way to learn self love,” Banjaku said.

To her, yoga incorporates values and practices beyond the physical and mental. A nutritious diet, particularly one that is plant based and sustainable, is critical.

As a result, the Shanti Yoga Festival’s program will include workshops on Ayurveda and Panchakarma, a traditional Indian wellness and medicinal regime focused on detoxification and digestion, led by Anil Mishra, president of the Indian Kosovarian Chamber of Commerce.

The festival’s ten euro early-bird ticket price includes access to all classes and workshops. The organizers decided that all service providers have to offer something for free. For example, Saranda Rexha, founder of Prishtina’s Stress Management & Counseling Center, will offer a free group session and optional personal sessions at half the cost of the usual price.

The low price is important to the organizers. “We don’t cater to ‘exclusive’ groups or any certain socio-economic class,” Bunjaku said.

“We wanted to make it as affordable as possible,” Uma said. The organizers say that the students’ dedication to organizing the festival exemplifies a people’s initiative for cultural activities in Kosovo—it isn’t necessary to have a big NGO or government sponsorship.

Participants can drop into the festival for one day to attend some classes, purchase some homemade shea butter or ajvar, and check out a DJ set in the evening. Or stay through the entire weekend.

The short trip to Kukaj is worth it even if just to see the property owner’s construction of a meditation space circled in mirrors to reflect images of the surrounding forest.

Many of the overnight rooms on site are already booked, but there are still dorm rooms and camping space available. The schedule is subject to additions and changes. For accommodation, ticket, and program information, check the website, or contact via Facebook.