Yoga mats are rolling out at Hotel Peter & Paul this week as the New Orleans Yoga Festival kicks off its second annual run in the Faubourg Marigny. The multi-day gathering, spanning September 3 through September 6, brings workshops, live music, sound baths, and movement sessions to 2317 Burgundy Street. Proceeds from the event benefit YEAH! YOGA, a local nonprofit that brings yoga to New Orleans young people affected by the juvenile justice system.
Festival founder Mark Berger is described as a storyteller and yoga teacher. Berger is also associated with NOLA Vibe Yoga and co-organizes Yoga in the Dome, a large-scale public yoga session held on the field of the Caesars Superdome in partnership with the New Orleans Bowl, per a GovDelivery announcement.
From Warehouse District Debut to a Deconsecrated Church
The New Orleans Yoga Festival launched in September 2025 as a four-day inaugural gathering held at Republic NOLA and ARORA NOLA in the Arts and Warehouse District, according to Big Easy Magazine. For its second edition, organizers are holding the festival at Hotel Peter & Paul.
The setting gives festival attendees a striking backdrop for their practice.
Every Ticket Funds a Mat or a Teacher
The festival's charitable spine runs through YEAH! YOGA, which the New Orleans Yoga Festival names as its primary beneficiary. The organization works directly with young people involved with or affected by juvenile detention facilities.
Financially, the festival identifies YEAH! YOGA as a beneficiary. The organization provides youth programming, and the festival also offers discounted entry.
Music With Roots in Post-Katrina Relief
Among the festival's featured performers is Seán Johnson & The Wild Lotus Band. The band has been active since 2005, according to Explore Asheville. The group blends Indian devotional chanting with gospel, blues, and New Orleans rhythmic influences.
Bandleader Seán Johnson also founded Wild Lotus Yoga in New Orleans, which was voted the best place to take a yoga class for 22 years in a row, according to a Your Yoga profile. Johnson now serves as Director of the Asheville Yoga Center.
A Full Schedule of Movement and Mindfulness
Festival programming has included yoga, dance, sound healing, Ayurveda, and yogic philosophy, according to NOLA Vibe Yoga. A marketplace featuring local artisans and wellness practitioners rounds out the multi-day event.
