About love shine play
Since its inception in 2016, The Love, Shine, Play Festival (formerly known as the Asheville Yoga Festival) has been dedicated to sharing the transformative power of yoga.
Over the years, we've curated weekends filled with world-class instructors, dynamic musicians, inspirational speakers, and a vibrant array of vendors.
Our co-owners, Amanda Hale and Sara LaStella, have passionately undertaken the mission to elevate the festival into the Southeast's premier gathering for yoga, health, and wellness. We're deeply grateful for your participation in this journey, and we invite you to be part of the adventure!
Our Mission & History
Our Team
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With a deep rooted passion for yoga and holistic wellness, Amanda is deeply grateful for the physical, emotional and spiritual benefits the practice offers. She and her family moved to Asheville in 2011, where she immersed herself in the thriving yoga community, and while teaching at Asheville Yoga Center, was blessed to meet Sara LaStella. The two purchased the festival, formerly Asheville Yoga Fest, in 2016 with a vision to create an vibrant and inclusive celebration of mind, body & spirit ~ and the adventure continues!
Outside of the Love Shine Play Festival, you can find Amanda enjoys hiking, music, biking, skiing, and traveling just about anywhere. Her husband and 5 children are her greatest teachers, reminding her to stay open to love and gratitude, and that this short, sweet life is meant to be a celebration.
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Before becoming a yoga instructor, Sara was the Events Coordinator at a popular publishing company in San Francisco, where she traveled around the globe attending conferences. In 2007 she transitioned to teaching yoga after finding her heart on the mat. Sara was fortunate enough to work closely with many wonderful teachers, including the founders of Off the Mat, Into the World - an organization bridging the gap between yoga and activism. With them, she attended multiple festivals, where she learned the true ins and outs of the festival world. After moving to Asheville with her husband in 2013, relocating her teaching career, and having two beautiful daughters, she thought she had settled down. But luckily, fate had it that she would partner with Amanda Hale to take over ownership and management of the Love♡Shine♡Play Festival...The rest is yet to be told.
Giving Back
The Love Shine Play Festival places high value on giving back, and we are honored to support our community in the following ways…
Bloom Fitness
Bloom offers health & wellness for adults in the intellectual and developmental disability community. We provide athletes with a place to belong. Our program offers people with intellectual and developmental disabilities an inviting and safe environment to exercise, learn about healthy lifestyle choices, and experience the impact of belonging to a fitness community.
Umoja ~ A Container For EveryBODY
Our belief is that an event like ours should be open, accessible and safe for EVERYbody. We stand behind our efforts to provide a container where courageous conversations can take place and where people can practice with teachers who remind them of themselves. We also understand that not everyone has been equally represented in yoga spaces across the US.
*The Umoja Lounge is a space for our presenters and attendees to connect and reflect on their experiences at the festival and beyond in the wellness world. This space was created in collaboration with Kennae Miller of Transformation Yoga SC.
Scholarships
We are proud to offer a special group of individuals full and single day scholarships to the festival. If you believe you or someone you know deserves to attend on scholarship, fill out the application below!
