I’ve been to music festivals over the years as a concertgoer, crewmember and band wife. I’ve been to yoga classes as both a teacher and a student. I’ve experienced nature as an observer and participant in outdoor activities. But, I’d never been to the festival that celebrates the union of yoga, music and nature until this past weekend.

I journeyed to Wanderlust California for the fifth anniversary of the festival held at beautiful Squaw Valley Ski Resort in Olympic Valley, Calif. (home of the 1960 Winter Olympics), near Lake Tahoe. Squaw is the original of the series of Wanderlust Festivals that now includes eight full-scale, four-day locations and Yoga in the City, a condensed version of the festival set in urban environments so patrons can get "Wanderlusty" closer to home.

Squaw is an incredibly user-friendly venue, just 50 minutes from Reno, Nev. and with ample free parking. I was greeted at the main entrance by a bevy of product tents generously giving free samples of their yogi-focused goods. Vega, Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day, Evolution Juices, Coco Libre, Lyfe Kitchen, Sunology, So Delicious, Kind, Lifeway Kefir, My Yoga Online, TurmericALIVE, Mary’s Gone Crackers and even Ben and Jerry’s (Greek Yogurt) filled my goody bag each time I passed by. It was like an outdoor "granola" version of Costco on sample day, only my dream version of the warehouse superstore.

There were also "Hydration Stations" sponsored by Camelbak located throughout the grounds where you could refill your reusable water bottle with filtered water at no charge. This struck me as particularly considerate, extremely eco-conscious and almost charitable considering the amount of profit that could have been made by selling bottled water on-site in the record heat of the weekend. Recycle, compost and trash bins punctuated this emphasis on "green."

A huge variety of classes were offered during the day, taught by everyone from super star international instructors to local teachers, scattered throughout the festival grounds in indoor, tent and outdoor settings. AcroYoga seemed to be a pervading trend displayed spontaneously on the grounds, in classes, in the entertainment and at the pool. I personally took only one to two classes per day, which was plenty considering the heat and the activities that ensued in the late afternoon into evening.

The highlight for me was Kundalini innovator and legend Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa’s "Becoming Strong as Steel" class. Blame the transformative energy of the final days of Mercury Retrograde, but she entered the space and I completely lost it. She incited a deep emotional reaction in me by her very presence that continued through the duration of her Kundalini yoga class. Consisting of wild shaking and asanas quite foreign to me, I just gave in and participated like no one was watching and reaped the spiritual benefits. The class focused on developing the strength of the nervous system and, although completely joyful, left me weeping uncontrollably once again at the end of the class.

This letting go was pivotal for me as the whole "hippie" festival experience was quite unfamiliar to me. I may look "counterculture" with my tattoos and such, but I work a corporate job, am accountable to occupation deadlines and family responsibilities that contrast with the freedom displayed at Wanderlust. I embraced this openness more and more each day and realized I need to engrain a bit of that looseness into my everyday life where I can sometimes be all too regimented and strident.

The exposure to a variety of classes also had the unexpected effect of reinforcing my love and respect for my Ashtanga practice. Although I adored the Vinyasa practice set to live music offered by Kathyrn Budig, blissed out during the Tantra yoga of Rod Stryker and fell deeply into the Restorative sequence from Annie Carpenter, the self-discipline and structured sequence of Ashtanga continues to make sense to me. (See above paragraph for explanation.)

But the liberty and delight I experienced in these classes once again drove home that diverging from my norm is FUN. I learned something that either applied to my personal yoga practice or to the bigger picture of my life in each session. It was good for my soul and also inspired me to continue to be a yoga student who dips into the sampler platter for a taste of all styles of yoga.

Even though Wanderlust may seem to many to be only about those yoga classes, I found that it was so much more. My favorite part of the day was hanging out at the Food Co-Op/Rue Boheme area enjoying a post-practice meal of raw veggie curry at Lydia’s Lovin’ Foods while watching the Shimmy Sisters belly dance or enjoying amazing music from the festival’s headliners in a more intimate venue. Although wine was offered, for me it was a "happy hour" untainted by a drop of alcohol or other mind-altering substances. I was buzzed on the energy of the festival, freshly tapped Kombucha and clean food. I relaxed, danced with strangers and chatted with friends – both old and new.

Twilight shopping excursions came next. The Kula Market offered an array of festival and yoga fashions, jewelry, oils/incense and more. My favorite vendor was Thatch - a mobile boutique with one of the most finely curated collections of vintage clothing I’ve ever shopped. Owner and gorgeous lady Romyn Scarpulla has a knack for constantly changing her displays throughout the day – a clever and bizarrely intuitive marketing strategy.

Whatever she expertly styles on her dress form seems to find its proper owner. I was drawn to an amazing, multi-colored bias-cut 70s skirt and belt that to my delight fit like a glove and are now the most prized items in my closet. It’s set off a whole new "look" for me to play with. One of my girlfriends I was with purchased an entire outfit off the same dress form another day that magically fit her to a tee.

Adding to this store’s good mojo is that Thatch is a family business. Romyn brings her husband and three beautiful children in a motor home along to the festivals her mobile boutique sets up shop at. Too adorable.

The days concluded by dancing away under the stars. The Wanderlust evening offers up an incredible music lineup that may be off the mainstream radar. My heart was captured by Caravan Palace – a French electro-swing band that brought out the gyrating gypsy in me. I was mesmerized by Quixotic, a string-heavy, super-sexy group of artists that includes musicians, dancers, visual art and fashion all rolled into a performance art piece that stirred my body through their entire set.

But Saturday night’s headliner Moby reminded me that phat beats spun by a baldheaded DJ are a necessary part of life. My friends and I could not keep ourselves from dancing like no one was watching, from the moment his black-rimmed glasses hit the stage until his very last scratch. And instead of the stench of sweaty bodies, the air was filled with sweet incense, Paulo Santo (and yes, other plants) as we boogied the night away.

Although I felt a bit like I was dressed to go to a Bon Jovi concert in my all-black rocker gear (hey – I’m not going to be something I’m not), I was completely fascinated with the festival fashion. The style gleans its inspiration from the Playa of the festival that perhaps started it all – Burning Man. Clearly, this is an entire other blog for me, but there was certainly a "look" to the Wanderlusters.

Natural fabrics in earthy hues, low-riding fold-over stretch pants with big flares and attached skirts, teeny tiny "booty" shorts, bodysuits, body-conscious silhouettes with skin-revealing cutouts, woven and braided slits and attached hoods all accessorized with belts, beads and crystals prevailed on the grounds.

And the best part was that all of these festivities totally jived with my early-to-bed-early-to-rise schedule. I appreciated that everything seemed to wrap up at a decent hour because here’s the thing about a lot of yogis (or at least me): there are many of us who rise before the sun to do our practice. So, staying up past when the moon shines high and bright is not really in our program. I was grateful that I could crawl into bed for blackout sleep at a decent hour to recharge for the next day’s activities.

However, there is something about the vigor of Wanderlust that summons endless endorphins and infinite strength in muscles to make bodies rejoice until the music stops at midnight.

Of course, there were festival-goers who kept the party rolling all night long at "High Camp." But you’d never know it when you mingle with this group of happy, energetic, positive people. I was completely struck by the amazing groove of the whole place. There was an undeniable electricity surrounding us.

Everyone from the festival organizers, to the workers and volunteers to the participants were friendly, helpful and adding to the collective wonderfulness of the affair. I had access to the production and presenters' area and was impressed by how mellow and cheerful the vibe was for a production of this stature.

I capped off my Wanderlust experience with the Pool Party at High Camp. After riding the tram over the mountains to an elevation of over 8000 feet I was completely overwhelmed by the scenery and revelry. Scantily clad bodies gyrated, hula hooped, yoga-ed and AcroYoga-ed to the amazing beats of DJ Fabian Alsultany.

Surrounded by mountains, some even snow-capped, it was an otherworldly fete to conclude the event.

Perhaps one of my new Wanderlust buddies may have put it best when she said the weekend was like "one big yoga class." It was true. That bliss you experience post-yoga class was perpetual all four days.

Wanderlust most certainly stimulates the question of "What is yoga?" With all of the practice styles, the commercialization of the ancient practice through the extensive products and the diversity of people, it makes you wonder just what exactly yoga is anymore. I’ve come to the conclusion that it is, and is in, everything. Yoga literally means "union" and for me Wanderlust enforced that yoga is continually all around us.

The synergy of the physical practice of asana, of spirituality, of nature, music, food, drink, shopping and celebration assaulted all my senses in the very best way and worked beautifully together to create what yoga was for that particular four-day space of time. Yoga was simply everything that I experienced the entire weekend.

I may have learned to shake my spirit, awaken my "sushumna" and open my hips in class, but what I really absorbed at Wanderlust was how to let go, release my inhibitions and have pure fun. That’s a gift that will make Wanderlust a part of my soul forever.

I received many lessons over the four days and have a bevy of memories from it. A gentleman I affectionately called the "Glitter Man" because he kindly applied sparkles to my entire group told me: "We all were born and we are all going to die. Everything else is just in between. That ‘between’ should always feel like Wanderlust."

So, here’s the thing. If you like yoga, most certainly go to Wanderlust. If you like any of the offshoot sports like slack lining, hooping or AcroYoga – go to Wanderlust. If you like nature, go to Wanderlust. If you like delicious, natural, integrous food – go to Wanderlust. If you like music, go to Wanderlust. If you like to shop, go to Wanderlust. If you need a change of pace from your everyday life – go to Wanderlust.

Just go to Wanderlust.