onvergence Wellness Campout isn’t another edm festival built for escapism, it’s a place to rest, recharge, and grow with a community that wants to make the world a better place. Convergence doesn't allow alcohol and the programming is totally centered on contemporary wellness activities with live music beginning just before sunset. I've only been to two festivals with classes that really impacted me, Sonic Bloom (CO) & Unison Festival (NM), but every Convergence class left me with my jaw dropped. Each class felt like a mushroom trip that offered powerful realizations that needed months to unpack. A day at Convergence looks like sunrise yoga, cacao ceremonies, ice plunges, breathwork sessions, partner thai massage, and incredible classes on Somatic Psychology, Healing the Inner Masculine/Feminine Wounds, and Honoring the Inner Child. Then there is super intentional musical acts at night such as Liquid Bloom, Yaima, Kr3ture, and David Starfire. To put it bluntly, Convergence is a hippie wonderland..
In this crazy world, it’s natural to want a weekend away with copious amounts of intoxicants and intense music, but after a decade of festival attendance, I was looking for something different. Convergence caught my eye through Liquid Bloom, Amani of Desert Dwellers, at first but they pulled me in with their focus on the newest wellness activities and being relatively sober. I’m not against alcohol by any means but when you take it out of the festival experience, so many things get better. No hot hangover mornings, no 5 AM campsite riddim sets, no obnoxious fans in the crowd and just an overall chiller vibe. I really didn’t mind the lack of liquor because I was stoked on the classes.
Each class at Convergence felt like opening a Pandora’s box of sensations and thoughts that have been waiting sooo long to be acknowledged. I’m not sure if it was the power of suggestion or just potent teachings but many of these sessions left attendees in tears, jumping for joy or giving their neighbor a giant hug. It’s not often we talk about traumas, triggers and undesirable tendencies in public but that’s exactly what happens at Convergence. One surreal moment was when female attendees formed a circle surrounded by a circle of male attendees at the end of Surya Solfree's class. Each person shouted out three words on how they were negatively affected by the opposite sex and the next round they did the same for the positive aspect. The result was intense, liberating, and ultimately beneficial for all. It was like group therapy with people you’ve never met and may never see again.
Another session led by Ciara Mislan began with the visualization of the happiest photo one can remember from childhood. We were asked to examine the eyes of our child selves and the emotions behind them. We spent the rest of the class trying to express those emotions again by pretending to be a bird, plane, and a car. The toughest part was laughing for five minutes straight, but the message was clear. Get out and play because there ain’t much time left! The final lesson came from “a group of guest speakers” that happened to be the child population of the festival. They marched onto the main stage to be applauded as future converters and our teachers of pure joy.
Yes, this was definitely woo-woo, and at times I felt absurd for trying to be a bird. But isn’t this a good time to start embracing absurdity? Shouldn’t we be evolving our practices of joy so they can dispel the growing darkness that envelops us? If we stay tied down by old mental constructs, how can we manifest a new reality? These are the types of questions Convergence leaves you with.
Another awesome aspect of the event was the interactive opportunities. Those who attended the Sacred Shimmy class were actually invited on the main stage during Magnetik Moon’s set to show off their new moves. Attendees also had the chance to learn about looping and jam with Derek Abt in the Dreams to Reality Academy tent all weekend. It was also very inspiring to learn that many of the people dancing next to you are helping create the event. There were so many hardworking flow artists, fire spinners, aerialists, vendors, photographers, yoga instructors, teahcers and festival organizers conciously co-creating unforrgetbale experieinces.
It goes to show what people can do when they put their minds together, but it also shows the brightness of each individual light. It’s so cool to think that someone learned about yoga, organic farming, or wire wrapping and decided that they are going to dedicate their whole life to that subject. Say what you will about their choices, but that is passion! And isn’t that what we are all seeking in this world?
Going to convergence will either plunge you deeper into your life’s mission, or you may just fuck around and start a new life. This year's Convergence was in Astral Valle,y but next year will be hosted in Playa Mexico in April 2026. Don’t miss out!
