MENAHEM KAHANA via Getty Images
As the new year stretches out before us, it's the perfect time to start setting intentions. Among them should be a renewed commitment to self-expression and healing -- and there's no better way to do that than in a community of like-minded souls.
2016 will be full of festivals, retreats and gatherings to suit a wide variety of spiritual paths. From California desert yoga festivals to virtual meditation retreats, take a look at the list of this year's spiritual festivals below to see which one calls to you:
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WanderlustWanderlust festivals take place around the world every year, bringing people together for yoga, meditation, music and mindful living. Nine festivals are scheduled already for 2016, in beautiful places like Oahu, Hawaii, and Lake Tahoe, California. Check the Wanderlust website for festival dates and locations. The first festival of the year takes place Feb. 4-7, in Great Lake Taupo, New Zealand.
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Witchcamp
Mitch Diamond via Getty ImagesWitchcamp gatherings take place around the world and are associated with the Reclaiming tradition of paganism. The first one coming up in 2016 is Winter Witchcamp on Feb. 11-15 in western Wisconsin. California Witchcamp will run from June 26-July 3 in northern California. The gatherings include rituals, dancing, storytelling and communal living. -
Envision Music, Art & Sacred Movement Festival
Matteo Colombo via Getty ImagesHosted every year in Uvita, Costa Rica, Envision Music, Art & Sacred Movement Festival is a gathering dedicated to "awakening our human potential." The four-day festival includes art, yoga classes, music, dancing, performances and workshops. The 2016 gathering runs from Feb. 25-28. -
Forestdance Festival
Riddhish Chakraborty via Getty ImagesRun by the community-building organization heARTbeat Collective, Forestdance Costa Rica is a five-day gathering for people interested in "expanding consciousness." The website states: "Our facilitators and teachers will guide the circle on a profound journey helping us to access and reclaim our own core, our inspiration, and our connection to nature." In 2016 the festival runs from March 3-7. -
Mind Body Spirit Festival
RunPhoto via Getty ImagesAustralia's Mind Body Spirit Festival takes place multiple times during the year and treats participants to a weekend of meditation, healthy living seminars, psychic readings and performances. The first festival of 2016 takes place in Brisbane from March 11-13. In Melbourne, the festival runs from June 10-13, then again from Nov. 18-20. In Sydney there are festivals May 26-29 and Oct. 27-30. -
Camp Calm
Poike via Getty ImagesMeditation blogger David Cain will host the second round of his virtual retreat, Camp Calm, beginning on March 14. The 30-day workshop leads participants through the basics of meditation and mindful living. Perfect for meditation beginners! -
BaliSpirit FestivalThe BaliSpirit Festival draws thousands of people from around the world each year for a gathering of yoga, dance, sacred music and healing workshops. According to its website, the gathering "offers rejuvenation and inspiration to all participants." The festival takes place in Ubud, Bali, and runs from March 29 - April 3.
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Sat Nam Fest
Josh Ross via Getty ImagesSat Nam Fest describes itself as "an opportunity to immerse yourself in the joy, challenge and rejuvenation of Kundalini Yoga, sacred chant, healing, creativity and a discovery and return to your self." The festival occurs in two different locations during the year. Sat Nam Fest West will take place in Joshua Tree, California, from April 6-10. Sat Nam Fest East will run from Aug. 17-21 in Lenox, Massachusetts. -
Shakti Fest
James O'Neil via Getty ImagesShakti Fest is a five-day celebration of the divine feminine, bringing people together for yoga, workshops and devotional music. The festival takes place in Joshua Tree, California and runs from May 13-15. -
Festival of Faiths
The Festival of Faiths is an interfaith gathering that brings together spiritual leaders, thinkers and practitioners for dialogue and worship. The five-day celebration includes music, poetry, film and the arts, and in 2016 it runs from May 17-21 in Louisville, Kentucky. -
Ozark Mountain Yoga Festival
Ed Gifford via Getty ImagesThe Ozark Mountain Yoga Festival brings people together in the beautiful Arkansas landscape for a weekend of workshops and performances. The 2016 festival runs from May 28-29 and includes teachers from a wide range of yoga backgrounds. -
ILLUMINATE Film FestivalILLUMINATE is a film festival dedicated to promoting what it calls "conscious cinema." The event organizers write that "the language of film is universal and a dynamic force in carrying messages to the masses," thus the festival is an opportunity to educate and inspire. The event will take place from June 1-5 in Sedona, Arizona.
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Spirit Weavers GatheringSpirit Weavers is a five-day gathering brings women together on the northern coast of California for skill-sharing, sacred ceremonies and rituals to honor the earth and ancestors. There are two registration options -- a "sun session" that runs from June 2-6 and a "moon session" from June 9-13.
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Pagan Spirit Gathering
Zoonar RF via Getty ImagesWant to celebrate summer solstice this year with song and ritual? Then check out the Pagan Spirit Gathering organized by Circle Sanctuary and held at the Tall Tree Lake campground in southern Illinois. The event is family friendly and includes workshops, panels, dancing and more. In 2016 the gathering takes place June 19-26. -
Glastonbury Festival
Guy Moberly via Getty ImagesOn the surface, Glastonbury Festival is like other music and arts festivals of its kind. But several things make it unique. The festival takes place every year in the Vale of Avalon -- a land steeped in mythology from the King Arthur legend. Festivalgoers know not to come with preconceptions and rather let the spirit of the gathering do its magic. The website reads, "There will be enlightenments, awakenings, surreal happenings, Damascene epiphanies and people doing the strangest things in public." This year the festival runs from June 22-16. -
Wild Goose Festival
"The Wild Goose soars on year round and creates emergent dynamics that fuel the imaginations of those who love gathering...
Posted by Wild Goose Festival on Tuesday, November 11, 2014Wild Goose Festival is a four-day, outdoor gathering in Hot Springs, North Carolina, for people dedicated to social justice, art and spiritual community building. The theme for 2016 is "Story: Receive, Respond, Reshape." The festival will run from July 7-10. -
Summerland Spirit Festival
Wallace Garrison via Getty ImagesOriginally founded as a pagan event, Summerland Spirit Festival has evolved into a gathering of people from many faiths and backgrounds who are seeking a divine connection to the earth. The nine-day retreat includes workshops, arts and crafts, rituals, music and communal living in the forest of Turtle Creek Glen in Clayton, Wisconsin. In 2016 the festival will take place July 9-17. -
ARISE Music FestivalARISE is a music festival and so much more. The three-day gathering includes not only live music, but also yoga, workshops, art installations, a children’s village, keynote speakers, film screenings and camping on the 100 acres of Sunrise Ranch in Loveland, Colorado. The 2016 festival runs Aug. 5-7.
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Osun-Osogbo Festival
Education Images via Getty ImagesThe Osun-Osgobo festival takes place every year in Osogbo, Nigeria, in honor of the goddess of fertility, Osun. A cultural festival of the Yoruba people, it draws participants from around the globe, and the festivities last for roughly two weeks in August. -
Greenbelt
A registered charity and annual festival in Northamptonshire, England, Greenbelt brings people together for a four-day gathering of arts, faith and justice. The 2016 lineup includes poet Lemn Sissay, environmentalist Bill McKibben and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. This year's festival will run from Aug. 26-29. -
MuslimFest
Posted by MuslimFest on Sunday, August 17, 2014
MuslimFest takes places every year in Mississauga, Canada, and celebrates Muslim art, entertainment and innovation. The event's website states: "In a post 9/11 world that is filled with violent images, we at MuslimFest believe it is imperative to hold bridge-building events that positively engage young Canadians." In 2016 the festival runs from Aug. 27-28. -
Burning Man
Tens of thousands gather every summer in the Nevada desert for Burning Man, a music and arts festival known for its transformative power. The 2016 art theme is "Da Vinci's Workshop," and this year the festival runs from Aug. 28-Sept. 5. Be prepared to get out of your comfort zone for this one. -
Bhakti FestBhakti Fest bills itself as "the yoga and music experience of a lifetime," so you are in for a treat. The six-day festival includes yoga, sacred music and personal growth workshops and takes place every year in Joshua Tree, California. In 2016 the gathering runs from Sept. 7-12.
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Whirling Dervishes Festival
Tuul and Bruno Morandi via Getty ImagesEvery December, Turkey's Whirling Dervishes (also known as the Mevlevi Order) commemorate the death of Sufi mystic Rumi in 1273 with a 10-day festival of sacred music and dance. Tens of thousands of attendees show up each year, and UNESCO has added the ceremony to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Carol Kuruvilla and Jaweed Kaleem contributed to this story.
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