A Journey to Mandala
The journey to the Mandala Yoga Festival began with just two people and a simple idea. United at the perfect moment, they envisioned creating a space where community and yoga could thrive. In 2024, this vision blossomed into the first-ever Mandala Yoga Festival, an event that has been warmly embraced by our community.
As the initial spark ignited excitement, our team grew, bringing together passionate individuals who shared a commitment to promoting connection and mindfulness. This expanding team has been instrumental in shaping and enhancing the festival, allowing it to flourish beyond our expectations.
It is quickly transforming into a vibrant celebration of diverse yoga practices and community spirit. As we continue to grow, we invite everyone to join us on this incredible journey, cultivating love, growth, and unity within our yoga community.
“The movements of my yoga practice
Meet the MYF Team
Danita Nelms | Co-Founder | Event Manager | 500-Hour ERYT
The first glimmer arrived during the pandemic. I felt scared and worried. Didn’t we all?! Some yoga studios closed and teachers were not teaching. Our practices radically shifted at home. My heart felt so achy and heavy.
I do not recall the day the idea arrived. There were a lot of quiet days that all felt the same. I had been practicing Sun A Salutations (no worries if you do not know what they are) and birthday leg lifts (again, no worries) daily in my sunroom that first summer when we were in lock down. The sun would peak around the rooftop and plant a few sparkles on my yoga mat. Those sparkly moments inspired celebration. I did not want the feeling of the celebration to end. There she was, a festival, tiny and perfect on my mat, full of expansive energy.
I spoke to groups in the community, letting them in on what was coming through for me. Some folks around the area have told me they remember hearing me talk of a festival those years ago. The seed of the festival sat. She was ready for a willing crew.
They showed up in their yoga clothing with all the props. It is time. There are huge smiles on their faces, happily tipped to the sun. The festival is being nurtured to life in Wisconsin. A very long time ago, yoga was one teacher and one student practicing together. Now we are practicing together in connection and community.
This is your Yoga Festival! This is your celebration of practices that enrich your mind, body, and spirit. Maybe this is your sparkly moment. Please join us! We cannot wait to practice with you. More Love
Namaste and Welcome!
Jenni Davel | Co-Founder | Event Manager | Sponsorship Manager | 200-Hour RYT
Jenni Davel is a co-founder and event manager of the Mandala Yoga Festival, where she weaves together her love for yoga and community with a deep spiritual intention. She was confident and convinced she would build a festival, without fully knowing how or when it would all come together—or what that even meant. Yet, she felt an undeniable pull to bring it all into existence. When Danita asked if Jenni wanted to create a festival with her, her immediate response was a resounding YES!
As a 200-hour Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT), Jenni sees yoga as a sacred practice that connects us to ourselves and to each other. She aims to create a nurturing space where individuals can explore their unique journeys and celebrate the joy of being present.
As sponsorship manager, she cultivates partnerships that resonate with the festival's mission to inspire yoga within ourselves, inviting others to join in the collective experience of love and connection. Jenni is dedicated to nurturing an environment where everyone feels welcomed and inspired to expand their practice and deepen their connection to the heart of yoga.
Victoria Guns | Vendor Experiences
When I think about what the day of the festival will bring, my heart and soul explode with joy. I think about the connections that will be made; the opportunities to expand (existing and new) relationships inside the yoga community, the connections that will be made between the entrepreneurs (providing experiences, workshops, nourishing food/beverages, and merchandise) and those who attend to experience opportunities for yoga, connection that creates support, inspiration and growth. I am looking forward to helping create an environment to make those connections and experiences for anyone and everyone that attends this festival. My hope is that there will be something for everyone to experience and share. That everyone walks away from this event inspired to continue to grow love and connection in their communities.
Jackie Paplham | Healing and Mindfulness Experiences
Why a yoga festival? Why not? Yoga on and off our mats is a magical kind of life force energy. It not only unites you back to your own mind, body, and spirit but also to your connection with the community. And there, within that space, we thrive. We discover healing, peace, steadiness, adventure and so much love. We all need a little more of that to take up space within our own hearts and the heart of our community.
Jackie is supported by Kari Mattioli.
Kathy Davis | Yoga Experiences
Connection...we talk about it often in class. Connection with our breath, connection with our body, connection to the tradition of the practice. But one of the most energizing connections is that with each other! This yoga festival is such a wonderful way to bring us together - beyond our separate studios or groups, beyond our mat set up at home - to share our love of this practice and the unique way that practicing in a large group of diverse yet like-minded people can nourish our soul and reinforce the goodness and love that is out there. And there is nothing like practicing outside! Hope to see you there!
Chris Marcks | Youth, Athlete & Accessible Yoga (YAAY) Experiences
I fully believe that the world will be a better place with more yoga! This festival will be a beautiful opportunity to introduce yoga to many, and deepen its roots for those already practicing. At the heart of cultivating the festival experience is creating a space where EVERYONE feels like they belong. We aim to accomplish this by including offerings designed for all ages and abilities. We will also provide exposure to elements of yoga off the mat. More often than not, especially in the states, we think of yoga primarily as the physical practice. However, yoga is not only about the poses, or asanas, it’s about how we interact with ourselves, and how we interact with others and the world around us. It’s about being at peace with ourselves, and with others. There is so much for all of us to learn, so much growth to be experienced! Come festival day, I envision an abundance of joy, smiling faces and a sense of peace that brings us one step closer to making the world a better place. It starts with each and every one of us, as we build a stronger community with those around us.
Allison Butt | Brand Experience Manager
There’s something amazing about yoga. The feeling that comes after, that moment of reconnection with Self, discovering something new about yourself. It’s even more amazing when you can share that with others, when something that you love becomes bigger than yourself, but you have the honor of being part of it. What better way to do that, than through a free yoga festival that makes yoga available to everyone. I’m so honored and excited to be part of making this come alive.
Jess Haessly | Volunteer Experiences
My mission as a Yoga Professional is to Inspire Empowerment and strengthen individuals and communities through Movement, Meditation, and Empowered Mindset Work. With that mission in mind, I am thrilled and honored to be a part of the Mandala Yoga Festival Team. Appleton is home to numerous talented, strong, and creative individuals, and this festival is about bringing everyone together, sharing space, promoting health and wellness for all, and building and strengthening connections. As Volunteer Coordinator, I look forward to inviting community members into a space where they can share their talents, their love for community, and be a part of something brand new and truly remarkable. One of the greatest things I've learned from my 8 years as a Yoga+ Meditation Coach is that no one ever leaves a Yoga Class upset. I look forward to an entire day of inviting our community to unburden themselves from whatever heaviness they may carry, then head back to their homes, their work, and their world with a greater sense of freedom and ease.