The Yoga Picnic Festival 2023

The Yoga Picnic Festival returns to Lilliput House for a second time this year. Founded by teachers Alice Harrison, Mary Gardiner and Katy Harrison, the festival has a top-class line up of some of the best Yoga teachers and facilitators planned for 2 July 2023 from 10am to 7pm. The festival will also serve tasty organic and vegetarian food, host an artisan market and musicians.

Over 700 people expected

The Yoga Picnic Festival will be back at Lilliput House on the beautiful banks of Lough Ennell in County Westmeath. This authentic, one-day, Earthwise festival will bring together Ireland’s top yoga teachers, offering a diverse range of classes for students of all levels.

Located on the shores of Lough Ennell in County Westmeath, Lilliput House is a historic estate that will create a relaxing atmosphere for the attendees to connect with nature. For the organisers, this festival is a great way to bring yoga teachers to the people from the midlands because they felt that it was lacking compared to big cities.

At last year’s inaugural event over 200 tickets were sold. This year they expect over 700 people. “Last year we had four areas. Now we have eight areas”, explains Katy Harrison, one of the festival’s organiser. “It’s really growing legs this year. Because it was so well-received last year and everybody loved it, we’ve decided to make it a bigger festival while keeping the intimate experience and authentic feel to it. It’s going to be a really good day and we are really excited about it.”

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We have something for everybody’

A vast array of different yoga practices will be available. Image by The Yoga Picnic Festival.

But there’s more to this day than yoga. A vast array of attractions awaits the yoga enthusiasts: movement practices, breath-work, meditation, ecstatic dance, and wellness talks, as well as sound-baths, reiki, paddle-board yoga, soulful Kirtan (Yoga music concert) and amusing, mindful activities for kids. A ‘Craic’ area is an entire area designed for kids. The little ones can enjoy kid’s yoga, dance, bushcraft and more.  Adults can even relax in the Driftwood Sauna by the lake. The festival will close with a Kurtan, which is a yoga community sing-along. Katy states that all ages and levels can come: “We have something for everybody and we have some amazing teachers and headliners.”

The featured yoga teachers include Kitty McGuire, Daniella Moyles, Lou Horgan, Mari Kennedy, Sineád Mooney, Michael Ryan, Benita Wolfe, Erica Bracken, and Jen Healy. Katy, Mary and Alice will teach also during the festival. Katy explains that yoga runs into the Harrison’s family: “My dad, Jack Harrison, is a yoga teacher and owns The Celtic School of Yoga. He’s been doing yoga for about thirty years so we’ve grown up with yoga in our family. He is going to teach at the Yoga Picnic Festival.”

“We want people to be able to step away from the crazy busyness and hustle and bustle of life. And just have a day where they’re having time for themselves, relaxing, while also connecting with a community that has the same values as they have”, emphasises Katy.

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A healthy picnic

The James Brown Curry Pot served by BishBosh Kitchen. Image via BishBosh Kitchen.

A picnic full of organic food will keep you energised throughout the day. The Yoga Picnic Festival gives opportunities to connect with like-minded people, participate in mindfulness activities, and browse wellness vendors. Co-founder Alice Harrison said “We want to showcase Ireland’s incredible yoga teachers at the same time as being a platform for education and awareness about yogic philosophies, wellness, sustainability and the environment.”

BishBosh Kitchen will serve up veggie street food like buddha bowls. The Little Coffee Hut will serve freshly brewed speciality teas, coffees, iced coffees and hot chocolate along with treats and snacks. They focus on sustainability when it comes to coffee cups and they use local ingredients including Bell Lane Coffee and milk from Mossfield Organic Farm. While having a break, you can enjoy the music and poetry displayed by artists like Jack Harrison or Eve Rose.

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Artisan market

Katy, Alice and Mary have selected vendors and retailers, all of whom offer sustainably sourced, ethically produced products which are good for the environment and locally produced by Irish businesses.

You will find hand rolled incense at Be Kind Industries, taste organic and ethically sourced cacao Magic Earth Cacao and honey from Abbeyshrule in Co. Longford at The Farmhouse. The festival also hosts crafters and artisans like Sandra, from Million hare Ceramics a self taught ceramic artist who makes both hand throw and hand built stoneware pottery. You can also find the creations of ceramist Jaqui Ryan from Kinvara Pottery, who makes one-off pieces and small decorative ceramics inspired by her connection to nature.

The Yoga Picnic Festival will bring together yoga enthusiasts for the second time this year and is a great opportunity to relax for a whole day in nature. Tickets for The Yoga Picnic Festival are on sale and participants are encouraged to book early as space is limited.