By EMILY SPARACINO / Staff Writer

MONTEVALLO – The University of Montevallo campus will transform into a hub for anyone wanting to attend yoga classes, workshops and a vendor expo on May 18.

The third annual Montevallo Yoga Festival, or MoYo, is an all-day, indoor and outdoor event offering a variety of classes taught by different instructors in a relaxed setting.

“The basic structure remains the same, with new classes and workshops led by the best teachers in the area mixed in every year,” MoYo creator and UM adjunct faculty member Diane Landers said. “There’s a mix of returning teachers and new teachers.”

Classes and workshops are between 60-75 minutes each, with two sessions before lunch and three sessions after lunch.

Participants will have four to five choices of classes at each session.

“The workshops and classes are arranged so that there is something for everyone during each block of time, no matter the level, from a first-timer to an advanced practitioner,” Landers said. “All fitness levels are welcomed. The belief or idea that a person needs to be flexible and/or strong to do yoga couldn’t be further from the truth. Yoga is for the whole body, yoga is for everybody, and the Montevallo Yoga Festival is a great place to enjoy, play and relax, the perfect place to experience and discover.”

Landers said golf carts were added in 2018 “because it’s a fun way to jet around campus, and also allows everyone an opportunity to participate and be mobile if needed.”

In addition to classes, participants can enjoy healthy, bountiful vegetarian meals (included in the admission fee) and access to health and wellness and arts and crafts vendors.

Early bird pricing of $50 is available until April 15. After April 15, admission will be $60.

College students may register for $20.

Landers said MoYo organizers were awed by the response in its first year, and excitement has continued to grow.

“The fellowship and good will among the guests, teachers, vendors and volunteers is inspiring, uplifting, and contagious, and that makes MoYo strive to bring the best, most dedicated teachers and workshops year after year,” Landers said. “Plan on spending the day with us and see why yoga is for every body, and everybody belongs at Montevallo, a unique and special community.”

Landers called MoYo a “great draw” for Shelby County, too, as people from all over the metro area and beyond have visited specifically for the event.

“The festival helps to equip people with the tools needed to be healthy on all levels,” she said. “The festival helps people make connections to the teachers, studios and services in our area, and thus benefits all involved. The Montevallo Yoga Festival on the University of Montevallo campus is higher education of a different kind.”

For more information or to register, go to Montevallo.edu/event/moyo-montevallo-yoga-festival/.