Bend Yoga Festival 2026: Full Schedule

Where you belong. The Bend Yoga Festival is an inclusive, multi-day celebration of yoga, wellness, and outdoor experience rooted in the landscape of Bend, Oregon. Expect sessions led by internationally respected educators, alongside community ritual, specialty offerings, and adventures that invite you directly into Central Oregon’s rivers, trails, and wide-open sky.

This year’s theme: Making Space for Joy.

And yes — you’ll feel it.

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This year, you can filter the schedule by "Pathway" — there are six, based on what you might be looking for. It’s a way to navigate the schedule and easily find what you seek. The pathways are:

Movement & Practice
Explore Bend
Restore & Regulate
Tradition & Lineage
Empowered Aging
Arts & Performance

1:30pm PDT

Yoga, Brain Health and Glymphatics

FILLING

Friday June 12, 2026 1:30pm - 3:00pm PDT

The Oxford Hotel — Minnesota Ballroom @ 10 NW Minnesota Ave, Bend, OR 97703

Limited Capacity filling up

Ever wonder how yoga can support cognitive function? Perhaps you’ve sensed it already and wondered how it works, or maybe you’re looking to get more out of your practice to support your brain? This class looks at how your glymphatic system, the lymphatic or waste clearance system in your brain, supports brain health and how yoga can support that.

We’ll start with a short lecture then we'll look at practices supported by both scientific research & clinical experience to enhance the glymphatic clearance system in the brain.

This will be an all-levels practice for those with a basic understanding of yoga.

No props needed but block & blanket would be great if available.
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Before the session begins, as you check in and settle into your space, enjoy a mini-sound bath experience from Lisa Tynan of Settle into Stillness.

Presenters

Tiffany Cruikshank

Founder, CEO, Yoga Medicine®

Tiffany Cruikshank, L.Ac, MAOM, is the founder of Yoga Medicine®, a community of yoga teachers focused on fusing science & research with traditional yoga practices to help people thrive and live their best lives. Tiffany is also an acupuncturist with over 22 years of practice and... Read More →

Exhibitors

Lisa Tynan

Founder, Step into Stillness

Lisa is a Certified Yoga Instructor, Certified Sound Healer, Montessori Teacher and Kids Yoga Instructor.
Her business, Step Into Stillness, brings affordable and accessible Yoga and Sound Bath classes, Guided Sound Meditation, and Chakra Balancing to the Central Oregon commun... Read More →

Friday June 12, 2026 1:30pm - 3:00pm PDT
The Oxford Hotel — Minnesota Ballroom 10 NW Minnesota Ave, Bend, OR 97703

Yoga | Holistic Wellbeing

Pathway Restore and Regulate, Tradition and Lineage, Empowered Aging, Movement and Practice
Production Notes: Hotel screen + projection; BYF PA + wireless headset mic

5:00pm PDT

Empowered Aging — A Panel Discussion

FILLING

Friday June 12, 2026 5:00pm - 6:00pm PDT

The Oxford Hotel — Minnesota Ballroom @ 10 NW Minnesota Ave, Bend, OR 97703

Limited Capacity filling up

What does it mean to age with strength, clarity, and agency?

Does aging feel like inevitable decline? If so, this panel is a 'must'!

In this dynamic expert panel, Tiffany Cruikshank, Amy Ippoliti, Dr. Usha Navagaparu, PhD, Doctor of Ayurveda, and Dr. Marsha Hamilton—Portland-based menopause specialist—come together for a grounded, science-informed conversation on Empowered Aging, moderated by Gina Caputo.

Expect practical insight, myth-busting clarity, and empowering reframes of midlife and beyond—not as decline, but as an intelligent recalibration and an opportunity to level up. This is a space for real information, nuanced dialogue, and tools you can immediately apply to move, live, and lead with power and confidence as you age.

Presenters

Gina Caputo

Founder, WHOL: Whole Health One Life

Gina Caputo is an international Yoga and Meditation Teacher and Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach with decades of experience in making the mystical feel practical and the challenging feel accessible. She is known for her down-to-earth and playful vibe as well as her depth and... Read More →

Dr. Marsha Hamilton, ND

Founder, Flow Natural Healthcare

A naturopathic physician, Menopause Society Certified Practitioner (MSCP) and a lifelong athlete, Dr. Hamilton's focus is keeping perimenopausal and menopausal women strong, healthy and empowered.

Amy Ippoliti

Founder, Yoga Educator, Amy Ippoliti Yoga

Amy Ippoliti is a yoga teacher, author, and advocate for human health and environmental stewardship. Her deep passion for yoga philosophy breathes life into ancient teachings, guiding students toward more purposeful lives. Known for her intelligent sequencing, clear instruction, and... Read More →

Usha Nagavarapu, Ph.D., AD

Founder, Surrasa

Dr. Usha Nagavarapu is a Doctor of Ayurveda with a Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Neuroscience, and postdoctoral training in Dermatology from Stanford University. She has over 25 years of experience in translational research, cancer and clinical research and product innovation.

Found... Read More →

Tiffany Cruikshank

Founder, CEO, Yoga Medicine®

Friday June 12, 2026 5:00pm - 6:00pm PDT
The Oxford Hotel — Minnesota Ballroom 10 NW Minnesota Ave, Bend, OR 97703

Community Session | Open to Non-passholders by Donation

Pathway Empowered Aging
Production Notes: Sound Engineer & System + 5 BYF handheld mics/XLR cables

10:30am PDT

The Unsung Hero | Connective Tissue and Physical Resilience in Yoga Practice

LIMITED

Saturday June 13, 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm PDT

The Oxford Hotel — Minnesota Ballroom @ 10 NW Minnesota Ave, Bend, OR 97703

Limited Capacity seats available

Resilience is a word that gets thrown around a lot but what I love about this word is that it implies a state of health that is adaptable to the pressures of life and allows us to be more injury resistant. The muscles get a lot of spotlight, and rightfully so, but when it comes to physical resilience the connective tissues are the unsung hero. This class will start with a short lecture on how & why the connective tissues are so critical for our resilience as we go through the decades of our lives, then we’ll focus in on how that applies to a yoga practice with some accessible practices for all levels with some yoga experience.

No props needed but block & blanket would be great if available.
____________________________________

Before the session begins, as you check in and settle into your space, enjoy a mini-sound bath experience from Lisa Tynan of Settle into Stillness.

Presenters

Tiffany Cruikshank

Founder, CEO, Yoga Medicine®

Exhibitors

Lisa Tynan

Founder, Step into Stillness

Saturday June 13, 2026 10:30am - 12:00pm PDT
The Oxford Hotel — Minnesota Ballroom 10 NW Minnesota Ave, Bend, OR 97703

Yoga | Holistic Wellbeing

Pathway Empowered Aging, Movement and Practice
Production Notes: BYF PA + wireless headset mic

1:00pm PDT

The Body's Changing Architecture — Strength and Movement in Midlife

FILLING

Saturday June 13, 2026 1:00pm - 2:15pm PDT

The Oxford Hotel — Minnesota Ballroom @ 10 NW Minnesota Ave, Bend, OR 97703

Limited Capacity filling up

This session explores the hormonal drivers behind musculoskeletal changes in perimenopause and menopause, including shifts in connective tissue, muscle recovery, joint health, and injury risk. Attendees will gain a clearer understanding of why their bodies feel different and how to adapt their routines to support long-term resilience and maintain an active lifestyle.

Note: this is a 60 minute lecture-based session with 15-minute audience Q&A afterward.

Chairs are provided; no mats necessary.

Presenters

Dr. Marsha Hamilton, ND

Founder, Flow Natural Healthcare

A naturopathic physician, Menopause Society Certified Practitioner (MSCP) and a lifelong athlete, Dr. Hamilton's focus is keeping perimenopausal and menopausal women strong, healthy and empowered.

Saturday June 13, 2026 1:00pm - 2:15pm PDT
The Oxford Hotel — Minnesota Ballroom 10 NW Minnesota Ave, Bend, OR 97703

Community Session | Open to Non-passholders by Donation

Pathway Empowered Aging
Production Notes: All Hotel: screen, projector, lavalier mic, speakers

1:00pm PDT

The Nervous System at Midlife: Stress, Recovery, and Resilience

FILLING

Sunday June 14, 2026 1:00pm - 2:15pm PDT

The Oxford Hotel — Minnesota Ballroom @ 10 NW Minnesota Ave, Bend, OR 97703

Limited Capacity filling up

Hormonal changes in perimenopause and postmenopause significantly affect the nervous system, altering stress tolerance, recovery, sleep, pain perception, and emotional regulation. This session explores how shifting hormones influence the stress response—and why practices that once felt restorative may no longer be sufficient—while offering practical insights into nervous system regulation, recovery capacity, and sustainable resilience.

Note: this is a 60 minute lecture-based session with 15-minute audience Q&A afterward. Chairs are provided; no mats necessary.

Presenters

Dr. Marsha Hamilton, ND

Founder, Flow Natural Healthcare

A naturopathic physician, Menopause Society Certified Practitioner (MSCP) and a lifelong athlete, Dr. Hamilton's focus is keeping perimenopausal and menopausal women strong, healthy and empowered.

Sunday June 14, 2026 1:00pm - 2:15pm PDT
The Oxford Hotel — Minnesota Ballroom 10 NW Minnesota Ave, Bend, OR 97703

Community Session | Open to Non-passholders by Donation