Making sweat feel spiritual didn’t start with SoulCycle – a religion scholar explains
Cody Musselman, Postdoctoral Research Associate, John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics, Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis
Each January, Americans collectively atone for yet another celebratory season of indulgence. Some proclaim sobriety for “Dry January.” Others use the dawn of a new year to focus on other forms of self-improvement, like taking up meditation or a new skin care routine. But adopting a new fitness plan is the most popular vow.
Fitness experts insist that the best kind of exercise is the one you will do regularly – the one you can view as a joy, not a chore. And as more and more bespoke boutique fitness programs pop up, some devotees seem to take this advice even further. The notion that fitness is a religion – a place where people find community, ritual and ecstatic experience – has become a common refrain.
Can fitness really be a religion? Given the difficulty of defining religion, it’s an almost impossible question to answer. Is religion about belonging? Transcendence? Feeling the divine? Is it scripture, traditions or creeds? Religions can have all of these traits, or none of them.
There is ample evidence of fitness trainers, influencers and companies unabashedly incorporating religious language, sentiments and practices into their exercise routines.
Take Peloton’s superstar cycling instructor Ally Love. A former theology student, Love offered sermonlike messages on topics such as accountability and selflessness, and occasionally played music from Christian artists during her weekly “Sundays with Love” rides, prompting some riders to argue that Peloton should label her content as Christian.
Then there are explicitly faith-based programs using fitness to enhance religious practice. The Catholic workout SoulCore integrates prayers of the rosary with core exercises, stretches and functional fitness movements to “draw others closer to Christ.” A “Neshama Body & Soul” class offered by a Conservative Jewish synagogue in Saratoga, California, meanwhile, combines prayers with jumping jacks, planks and lunges.
Religion, remixed
More common than traditionally religious fitness programs, though, are ones that borrow the trappings of religion and more subtly tap into spiritual experience.
SoulCycle, another iconic indoor cycling program, makes regular use of religious aesthetics, ritual and language in its classes. Instructors may talk about the cosmic energy radiating from the class or guide riders through opening their spiritual centers, or chakras. In candlelit rooms, instructors praise strong efforts by presenting selected riders a candle to blow out during the “soulful moment” of class. This soulful moment comes at the end of the 45-minute class arc, designed to deliver a breakthrough moment of spiritual or personal revelation and catharsis by combining the natural high of physical intensity with spiritualized self-help messaging.
Other fitness trends, like CrossFit and the meetup group November Project, are less intentional about incorporating religious messaging. However, they’ve garnered reputations for being religious or cultish because of how intensely they foster community. Special jargon – like “WOD,” which stands for workout of the day – as well as annual activities and special commemorations like “hero workouts,” which honor people killed in the line of duty, solidify the religious comparisons.
To understand the relationship between fitness and religion, it helps to look at their history.
First, fitness itself is a relatively new concept. While there are certainly ancient accounts of sport and military training, the idea that one ought to exercise for health, enjoyment and community is a modern invention, a response to increasingly sedentary jobs and cultures.
But while voluntary exercise is new, intense physical regimens to connect with the divine are not. People have long experimented with ways to generate a sense of transcendence, to stir emotions, or to spur self-reflection through bodily discipline. The Siddhas, mystics in ancient India, developed unique physical practices in an attempt to achieve enlightenment, render the body divine and, ultimately, become immortal beings. Or consider 12th century Taoist ascetics who thought sleep deprivation could bring them closer to the truth. Catholic saints practiced self-mortification, such as wearing itchy sackcloth, to encourage humility and to create greater compassion for the suffering of others.
Religious fixations with the body highlight an abiding paradox: Many faiths view the body as a temple, but also a hazard to the soul. They teach that the body must be disciplined and tamed, yet honored as a conduit to the divine.
Training the body to move the soul along a path toward salvation did not disappear with modernization. Rather, movements like “muscular Christianity” arose at the turn of the 20th century, blending fitness and bodybuilding techniques with Christian piety. The YMCA, for example, opened gyms to train physical and moral strength in young Christian men. As religion scholar Marie Griffithwrites, such movements reinforced a message that “fit bodies ostensibly signify fitter souls.”
Evangelical sports ministries took off later in the 1950s, followed by the U.S. yoga boom in the late 20th century. Together, these developments underscored the enduring connection between flesh and spirit, and primed 21st century exercisers to readily accept spirituality as part and parcel of their fitness routines.
Shopping for fulfillment
This history is important, yet it is incomplete. Most journalists and cultural analysts who write about fitness as religion also cite the decline of traditional religious belonging as the reason people are finding spiritual fulfillment in other settings. People’s religious needs have not disappeared, they argue, rather they appear remixed and re-bundled for the modern secular consumer.
Fitness entrepreneurs use this explanation, as well.
“That stuff that happened on Sunday morning at church or in your synagogue is still important to human beings,” John Foley, founder and CEO of Peloton, stated in a 2017 talk. People want “candles on the altar and somebody talking to you from a pulpit for 45 minutes – the parallels are uncanny. In the ’70s or ’80s, you’d have a cross or Star of David around your neck. Now you have a SoulCycle tank top. That’s your identity, that’s your community, that’s your religion.”
As Foley’s quote highlights, the market is not only responding to people’s desire for ritual, guidance, spirituality, reflection – and even a sense of salvation. Rather, companies are also feeding into those desires, and helping to generate them.
Religious objects and experiences have long been available for purchase, but boutique fitness trends show today’s market logic at work: the idea that if you have a personal, spiritual need, there must be a product out there for it. Various seemingly secular companies have attempted to sell spiritual fulfillment, but few have been as successful as for-profit fitness companies that can capitalize on the long history of pairing the status of the body with the status of the soul.
The next time you hear a friend assert that fitness is their new religion, know that it might not be just hyperbole. Rather, it reflects how religious meanings attached to the body have endured, transformed – and are now available for purchase at the nearest fitness studio.
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Cody Musselman does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
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Making sweat feel spiritual didn’t start with SoulCycle – a religion scholar explains
Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS
When: Jan. 18-19
What it is: For what feels like a step back in time, it's worth planning a trip to this centuries-old religious festival in Ethiopia at the start of the year. Celebrated countrywide by Ethiopian Orthodox Christians, Timkat commemorates the baptism of Jesus Christ in the River Jordan by John the Baptist through reenactment. The festivities begin with parades as Orthodox priests in colorful garments, complete with umbrellas and replicas of the Ark of the Covenant in hand, walk the streets as they chant and pray to the sound of traditional drums. The celebrations always take place near a main body of water — from a river to a pool — that is blessed before believers step into it as symbolic renewal of their baptism vows. The most popular cities for witnessing Timket are Addis Ababa, Gondar and Lalibela.
How far ahead you need to plan: Airfare and hotels book up quickly; Ethiopians expatriates tend to return for the yearend holidays and stay on for this vibrant festivity. Book your airfare and rooms at least six months in advance, or a package tour, to get the best rates.
How you get there: Fly into Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, which is well connected globally via Ethiopian Airlines and major carriers. Catch an internal Ethiopian Airlines flight to Gondar or Lalibela if you’re attending the festival in one of these smaller historic cities. A packaged tour is highly recommended so the logistics of the event will be worked out in advance, including airport pickup.
Where you should stay: In Addis Ababa, the Sheraton Addis Luxury Collection is a favorite. In Gondar, the hilltop Goha Hotel offers splendid views over the city, as does the Maribela Hotel in Lalibela.
Travel agencies that can help: Ethiopian Holidays by Ethiopian Airlines offers packages, or book through Absolute Ethiopia Tours.
Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS
When: Jan. 18-19
What it is: For what feels like a step back in time, it's worth planning a trip to this centuries-old religious festival in Ethiopia at the start of the year. Celebrated countrywide by Ethiopian Orthodox Christians, Timkat commemorates the baptism of Jesus Christ in the River Jordan by John the Baptist through reenactment. The festivities begin with parades as Orthodox priests in colorful garments, complete with umbrellas and replicas of the Ark of the Covenant in hand, walk the streets as they chant and pray to the sound of traditional drums. The celebrations always take place near a main body of water — from a river to a pool — that is blessed before believers step into it as symbolic renewal of their baptism vows. The most popular cities for witnessing Timket are Addis Ababa, Gondar and Lalibela.
How far ahead you need to plan: Airfare and hotels book up quickly; Ethiopians expatriates tend to return for the yearend holidays and stay on for this vibrant festivity. Book your airfare and rooms at least six months in advance, or a package tour, to get the best rates.
How you get there: Fly into Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, which is well connected globally via Ethiopian Airlines and major carriers. Catch an internal Ethiopian Airlines flight to Gondar or Lalibela if you’re attending the festival in one of these smaller historic cities. A packaged tour is highly recommended so the logistics of the event will be worked out in advance, including airport pickup.
Where you should stay: In Addis Ababa, the Sheraton Addis Luxury Collection is a favorite. In Gondar, the hilltop Goha Hotel offers splendid views over the city, as does the Maribela Hotel in Lalibela.
Travel agencies that can help: Ethiopian Holidays by Ethiopian Airlines offers packages, or book through Absolute Ethiopia Tours.
Making sweat feel spiritual didn’t start with SoulCycle – a religion scholar explains
Gerald Herbert
When: Jan. 6-Feb. 21
What it is: In New Orleans, Mardi Gras celebrations kick off in January with several weeks of parades leading up to Mardi Gras. Consult the parade schedule published months ahead to check out which “krewe,” or organization, you want to witness. You can’t see it all; opt for traditional “Krewe of Hermes” with costumes for a step back to the 19th century, or the Super Krewes, which are high-production parades with flashy costumes and massive floats. On Fat Tuesday, colorful floats parade from the intersection of Napoleon Avenue and Magazine Street and make their way down St. Charles Avenue (not down Bourbon Street) toward Canal Street by the edge of the French Quarter. Catching the goodies flying out of floating trucks — plastic beads or coins, candy and decorated signature items — is part of the fun. Don't miss the masking tradition of Mardi Gras Indians as they show off beaded feather costumes near the French Quarter. (There’s no set place, so inquire.) Lavish balls also take place: Get tickets to the Krewe of Armeinius’s glamorous, satirical, gay carnival ball.
How far ahead you need to plan: Book your rooms and flights as early as March or April of the preceding year. Keep your eyes peeled for online news of ticket releases for the various private balls and concerts.
How you get there: Driving into the city is best avoided during Mardi Gras; use public transportation or ride-shares.
Where you should stay: Hotel Provincial offers five-star digs in the French Quarter.
Travel agencies that can help: Perspectives Travel, a Virtuoso Agency, can help plan New Orleans Mardi Gras travel.
Gerald Herbert
When: Jan. 6-Feb. 21
What it is: In New Orleans, Mardi Gras celebrations kick off in January with several weeks of parades leading up to Mardi Gras. Consult the parade schedule published months ahead to check out which “krewe,” or organization, you want to witness. You can’t see it all; opt for traditional “Krewe of Hermes” with costumes for a step back to the 19th century, or the Super Krewes, which are high-production parades with flashy costumes and massive floats. On Fat Tuesday, colorful floats parade from the intersection of Napoleon Avenue and Magazine Street and make their way down St. Charles Avenue (not down Bourbon Street) toward Canal Street by the edge of the French Quarter. Catching the goodies flying out of floating trucks — plastic beads or coins, candy and decorated signature items — is part of the fun. Don't miss the masking tradition of Mardi Gras Indians as they show off beaded feather costumes near the French Quarter. (There’s no set place, so inquire.) Lavish balls also take place: Get tickets to the Krewe of Armeinius’s glamorous, satirical, gay carnival ball.
How far ahead you need to plan: Book your rooms and flights as early as March or April of the preceding year. Keep your eyes peeled for online news of ticket releases for the various private balls and concerts.
How you get there: Driving into the city is best avoided during Mardi Gras; use public transportation or ride-shares.
Where you should stay: Hotel Provincial offers five-star digs in the French Quarter.
Travel agencies that can help: Perspectives Travel, a Virtuoso Agency, can help plan New Orleans Mardi Gras travel.
Making sweat feel spiritual didn’t start with SoulCycle – a religion scholar explains
Rick Rycroft
When: Feb. 17-March 5
What it is: There’s no better time to get back to Australia. Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras and Sydney WorldPride are coming together in 2023 for one massive global pride event celebration. The underlying theme this year is “gather, dream, amplify,” inviting revelers from all walks of life to come together to celebrate their human connection and their communities. Of the multitude of events you’ll want to catch: the Sydney WorldPride Opening Concert with Kylie Minogue on Feb. 24, the Mardi Gras Parade on Oxford Street on Feb. 25, and Pride March across the Sydney Harbor Bridge on March 5.
How far ahead you need to plan: Book your rooms and flights as early as March or April of the preceding year. Keep your eyes peeled online for news of ticket releases for the various private balls and concerts. Tickets and packages for the main 2023 events were snapped up soon after they were released on Nov. 1 for the U.S. and Canadian market. For 2024, stay tuned for the ticket sales opening in fall 2023 — and as early as summer 2023 for Australia.How you get there: Line up your tourist visa and fly to Sydney. The Central Business District can be reached by train from the airport. Walk, use public transportation or ride-shares to reach events.
Where you should stay: Pier One Sydney Harbour’s luxe waterfront or the Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park, located within walking distance of many WorldPride events.
Travel agencies that can help: Goway Travel offers a seven-day WorldPride package.
Rick Rycroft
When: Feb. 17-March 5
What it is: There’s no better time to get back to Australia. Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras and Sydney WorldPride are coming together in 2023 for one massive global pride event celebration. The underlying theme this year is “gather, dream, amplify,” inviting revelers from all walks of life to come together to celebrate their human connection and their communities. Of the multitude of events you’ll want to catch: the Sydney WorldPride Opening Concert with Kylie Minogue on Feb. 24, the Mardi Gras Parade on Oxford Street on Feb. 25, and Pride March across the Sydney Harbor Bridge on March 5.
How far ahead you need to plan: Book your rooms and flights as early as March or April of the preceding year. Keep your eyes peeled online for news of ticket releases for the various private balls and concerts. Tickets and packages for the main 2023 events were snapped up soon after they were released on Nov. 1 for the U.S. and Canadian market. For 2024, stay tuned for the ticket sales opening in fall 2023 — and as early as summer 2023 for Australia.How you get there: Line up your tourist visa and fly to Sydney. The Central Business District can be reached by train from the airport. Walk, use public transportation or ride-shares to reach events.
Where you should stay: Pier One Sydney Harbour’s luxe waterfront or the Sheraton Grand Sydney Hyde Park, located within walking distance of many WorldPride events.
Travel agencies that can help: Goway Travel offers a seven-day WorldPride package.
Making sweat feel spiritual didn’t start with SoulCycle – a religion scholar explains
Bruna Prado
When: Feb. 17-25
What it is: It’s called the greatest show on Earth for good reason: For five days, Rio’s more than 70 samba schools, more than 8,000 participants, perform in carnival parades at Rio’s Sambodromo stadium to celebrate Rio Carnival in the week preceding Lent. Up to 90,000 ticketed spectators stand or sit back to enjoy the defile of gorgeous costumes to the infectious beats of Afro-European samba music. The celebrations will begin on Friday, Feb. 17 and close with the Champions parade on Feb. 25. The show starts around 9 p.m. but picks up later until the wee morning hours. There are highly coveted tickets to attend the balls around carnival, namely the Magic Ball at the Copacabana Palace, for red carpet glamour and celebrity spotting; sign up to be notified of ticket releases.
How far ahead you need to plan: This is not a last-minute trip! Start with hotel rooms and flights. Tickets to the Sambodromo stands come next; choose to buy assigned seats in the front boxes, or frisas. You’ll need sufficient time to arrive and pick up the tickets you purchased online. There will also be street celebrations with parades outside Rio’s Sambodromo. How you get there: Fly into Rio de Janeiro International Airport. The easiest way to get to the Sambodromo, in the heart of Rio, is to hop on the subway and hop off at one of two stations near the event, depending on your ticket location; Central Station and Praca XI station are both in walking distance from the parade. The subway functions 24 hours daily during Carnival celebrations, with local revelers heading to the event in costume. Taxi options and private hotel transfers are available. Book ahead to avert surprises.
Where you should stay: The Emiliano and the Fasano are two of the poshest options; the former is already sold out for those dates in 2023, while the latter has availability as of today.
Travel agencies that can help: Goway Travel offers Rio Carnival packages, as well as tailor-made options; or contact Jeanne Derderian at Largay Travel, a Virtuoso agency based in Connecticut.
Bruna Prado
When: Feb. 17-25
What it is: It’s called the greatest show on Earth for good reason: For five days, Rio’s more than 70 samba schools, more than 8,000 participants, perform in carnival parades at Rio’s Sambodromo stadium to celebrate Rio Carnival in the week preceding Lent. Up to 90,000 ticketed spectators stand or sit back to enjoy the defile of gorgeous costumes to the infectious beats of Afro-European samba music. The celebrations will begin on Friday, Feb. 17 and close with the Champions parade on Feb. 25. The show starts around 9 p.m. but picks up later until the wee morning hours. There are highly coveted tickets to attend the balls around carnival, namely the Magic Ball at the Copacabana Palace, for red carpet glamour and celebrity spotting; sign up to be notified of ticket releases.
How far ahead you need to plan: This is not a last-minute trip! Start with hotel rooms and flights. Tickets to the Sambodromo stands come next; choose to buy assigned seats in the front boxes, or frisas. You’ll need sufficient time to arrive and pick up the tickets you purchased online. There will also be street celebrations with parades outside Rio’s Sambodromo. How you get there: Fly into Rio de Janeiro International Airport. The easiest way to get to the Sambodromo, in the heart of Rio, is to hop on the subway and hop off at one of two stations near the event, depending on your ticket location; Central Station and Praca XI station are both in walking distance from the parade. The subway functions 24 hours daily during Carnival celebrations, with local revelers heading to the event in costume. Taxi options and private hotel transfers are available. Book ahead to avert surprises.
Where you should stay: The Emiliano and the Fasano are two of the poshest options; the former is already sold out for those dates in 2023, while the latter has availability as of today.
Travel agencies that can help: Goway Travel offers Rio Carnival packages, as well as tailor-made options; or contact Jeanne Derderian at Largay Travel, a Virtuoso agency based in Connecticut.
Making sweat feel spiritual didn’t start with SoulCycle – a religion scholar explains
Shirley Bahadur
When: Feb. 15-23
What it is: Known as the birthplace of carnival in the Caribbean, more than 35,000 people visit Trinidad to experience “the mother of all carnivals” in the region every February in the week preceding Lent. Trinidad carnival celebrates both emancipation from slavery and creative expression. Like locals, tourists can dress up or, “play mas,” and parade down Port of Spain streets, or simply watch. The highlights are J’ouvert, a sunrise mud, oil and paint street party followed by Carnival Monday, and the main Carnival Tuesday or “pretty mas” parade, when the feathered and bejeweled costumes emerge and carnival bands compete. Further popular events during this season that you’ll want to catch: the reenactment of the Canboulay riots of 1881, when emancipated people were celebrating freedom and the British tried to ban their carnival festivities; the Carnival King and Queen competition; Panorama, a steel pan band competition in the birthplace of this instrument; and the many private themed “fetes” or parties. Afterward, get some rest on the beach in Tobago.
How far ahead you need to plan: You’ve probably missed the boat for 2023. For 2024, book flights and your hotel as early as you can; rooms can sell out up close to a year in advance. Expect high prices. You might best book as soon as the dates for 2024 are announced. Reserve your hotel room, get your plane tickets and preorder a costume to take part in the fanfare. Tickets to private parties sell out fast, too, so keep your eyes open for online announcements.
How you get there: Fly into Piarco International Airport. Check the calendar for updated information on where events will take place and how to reach them. Most band parades end at Queen's Park Savannah Stadium.
Where you should stay: The BRIX Hotel, Autograph Collection, is the latest addition to the city and close to Queen’s Park Savannah, where many Carnival events take place. Hyatt Regency Trinidad is a longtime favorite.
Travel agencies that can help: Liberty Travel, or contact Soca Islands for “all inclusive” packages to Trinidad Carnival.
Shirley Bahadur
When: Feb. 15-23
What it is: Known as the birthplace of carnival in the Caribbean, more than 35,000 people visit Trinidad to experience “the mother of all carnivals” in the region every February in the week preceding Lent. Trinidad carnival celebrates both emancipation from slavery and creative expression. Like locals, tourists can dress up or, “play mas,” and parade down Port of Spain streets, or simply watch. The highlights are J’ouvert, a sunrise mud, oil and paint street party followed by Carnival Monday, and the main Carnival Tuesday or “pretty mas” parade, when the feathered and bejeweled costumes emerge and carnival bands compete. Further popular events during this season that you’ll want to catch: the reenactment of the Canboulay riots of 1881, when emancipated people were celebrating freedom and the British tried to ban their carnival festivities; the Carnival King and Queen competition; Panorama, a steel pan band competition in the birthplace of this instrument; and the many private themed “fetes” or parties. Afterward, get some rest on the beach in Tobago.
How far ahead you need to plan: You’ve probably missed the boat for 2023. For 2024, book flights and your hotel as early as you can; rooms can sell out up close to a year in advance. Expect high prices. You might best book as soon as the dates for 2024 are announced. Reserve your hotel room, get your plane tickets and preorder a costume to take part in the fanfare. Tickets to private parties sell out fast, too, so keep your eyes open for online announcements.
How you get there: Fly into Piarco International Airport. Check the calendar for updated information on where events will take place and how to reach them. Most band parades end at Queen's Park Savannah Stadium.
Where you should stay: The BRIX Hotel, Autograph Collection, is the latest addition to the city and close to Queen’s Park Savannah, where many Carnival events take place. Hyatt Regency Trinidad is a longtime favorite.
Travel agencies that can help: Liberty Travel, or contact Soca Islands for “all inclusive” packages to Trinidad Carnival.
Making sweat feel spiritual didn’t start with SoulCycle – a religion scholar explains
Vladimir Voronin
When: March 7-8
What it is: What better way to celebrate life than with one big, color-splashing festival? That’s pretty much how Holi unfolds, except this Hindu religious ritual that’s primarily celebrated in India (as well as by Hindus in other parts of the world), holds a deeper meaning. Holi welcomes spring and marks the triumph of good over evil. It’s also believed to be a celebration of harvest and land fertility, with various legends tied to it. The event kicks off with a bonfire on March 7, followed by a day of color splashing that ends early in the afternoon. Holi is celebrated nationally: Mathura and Vrindavan in northern India are said to host the most traditional versions, though smaller towns in the state of Rajasthan, such as Jodpur, Udaipur and Pushkar, are ideal for first-time visitors. Join in the fun by throwing yellow, red or blue dyes (purchased from vendors or shared by participants) at all passersby. It’s best to stick to a group of travelers or with a local family—and to avoid the bhang lassi, a drink made with cannabis leaves in which many locals indulge on this day. Expect food, music and lots of dancing.
How far ahead you need to plan: Book your tickets to your chosen destination as soon as you can. Arrive at least a week before the festivities to get acclimated and to ask your hosts about the various Holi private party options. Traveling with a small tour group is a great idea.
Travel agencies that can help: Colourful India Travel, based in New Delhi, or contact Poe Travel, a Virtuoso agency in the U.S.
Vladimir Voronin
When: March 7-8
What it is: What better way to celebrate life than with one big, color-splashing festival? That’s pretty much how Holi unfolds, except this Hindu religious ritual that’s primarily celebrated in India (as well as by Hindus in other parts of the world), holds a deeper meaning. Holi welcomes spring and marks the triumph of good over evil. It’s also believed to be a celebration of harvest and land fertility, with various legends tied to it. The event kicks off with a bonfire on March 7, followed by a day of color splashing that ends early in the afternoon. Holi is celebrated nationally: Mathura and Vrindavan in northern India are said to host the most traditional versions, though smaller towns in the state of Rajasthan, such as Jodpur, Udaipur and Pushkar, are ideal for first-time visitors. Join in the fun by throwing yellow, red or blue dyes (purchased from vendors or shared by participants) at all passersby. It’s best to stick to a group of travelers or with a local family—and to avoid the bhang lassi, a drink made with cannabis leaves in which many locals indulge on this day. Expect food, music and lots of dancing.
How far ahead you need to plan: Book your tickets to your chosen destination as soon as you can. Arrive at least a week before the festivities to get acclimated and to ask your hosts about the various Holi private party options. Traveling with a small tour group is a great idea.
Travel agencies that can help: Colourful India Travel, based in New Delhi, or contact Poe Travel, a Virtuoso agency in the U.S.
Making sweat feel spiritual didn’t start with SoulCycle – a religion scholar explains
Amy Harris
When: April 14-16 and April 21-23
What it is: This annual music and arts festival is held in the Coachella Valley at the Empire Polo Club, dating back to 1993. The festival takes place over two consecutive weekends, with the same lineup of emerging and established artists performers showcasing multiple music genres. Think such epic performances as Beyoncé’s surprise reunion show with Destiny’s Child in 2018, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg’s set “resurrecting” Tupac in 2012 and Lady Gaga’s performance in 2017. Beyond multiple music stages, you’ll find an activities tent with games and giveaways, affinity shopping featuring BIPOC designers, food trucks, an art studio, a Ferris wheel, an outdoor dance club and further options.
How far ahead you need to plan: Advance ticket sales begin around June in the year preceding the event, so watch for a presale announcement. Get on the official online waiting list as early as you can to snag one of multiple categories of passes to one of the Coachella weekends as soon as they become available; if you prepay online, tickets will be sent as soon as passes are released. Some ticket options include transportation, campsite space (wood lodges or cars) and access to the festival’s VIP areas.
How you get there: Fly to Los Angeles International Airport and drive to the festival or stay in Palm Springs, a half-hour drive to Coachella. You can also hop on a shuttle bus from LAX. Keep an eye on the website for all 2023 options.
Where you should stay: In Palm Springs, the Mediterranean-inspired Korakia offers a relaxing ambiance. Travel agencies that can help: Valley Music Travel offers weekend accommodation packages suited for Coachella.
Amy Harris
When: April 14-16 and April 21-23
What it is: This annual music and arts festival is held in the Coachella Valley at the Empire Polo Club, dating back to 1993. The festival takes place over two consecutive weekends, with the same lineup of emerging and established artists performers showcasing multiple music genres. Think such epic performances as Beyoncé’s surprise reunion show with Destiny’s Child in 2018, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg’s set “resurrecting” Tupac in 2012 and Lady Gaga’s performance in 2017. Beyond multiple music stages, you’ll find an activities tent with games and giveaways, affinity shopping featuring BIPOC designers, food trucks, an art studio, a Ferris wheel, an outdoor dance club and further options.
How far ahead you need to plan: Advance ticket sales begin around June in the year preceding the event, so watch for a presale announcement. Get on the official online waiting list as early as you can to snag one of multiple categories of passes to one of the Coachella weekends as soon as they become available; if you prepay online, tickets will be sent as soon as passes are released. Some ticket options include transportation, campsite space (wood lodges or cars) and access to the festival’s VIP areas.
How you get there: Fly to Los Angeles International Airport and drive to the festival or stay in Palm Springs, a half-hour drive to Coachella. You can also hop on a shuttle bus from LAX. Keep an eye on the website for all 2023 options.
Where you should stay: In Palm Springs, the Mediterranean-inspired Korakia offers a relaxing ambiance. Travel agencies that can help: Valley Music Travel offers weekend accommodation packages suited for Coachella.
Making sweat feel spiritual didn’t start with SoulCycle – a religion scholar explains
Ron Lewis
When: Aug. 27-Sept. 24
What it is: More than 70,000 “burners” (participants) flock to this makeshift 4,400-acre city every year in the middle of Nevada desert for a weeklong celebration of inner creativity, fantasy and community. Expect epic art installations, which you might help build, that will exist just for the moment as part of this massive playground. You’ll see fantastical costumes and musical performances co-created on the spot and hear music thump all day and night. Hop from tent to tent and indulge in food, drinks and community — all free. This year’s Burning Man will be the first since the pandemic began in 2020. The theme is Animalia: You’re invited to bring “your imaginary menagerie of creatures you hold dear, not in the flesh but in the form of art you create.”
How far ahead you need to plan: Tickets aren’t yet on sale for 2023, but you’ll want to keep your eyes peeled for their online release. (To do that, you’ll have to create an online Burner profile.) Choose whether to rent an RV or hole up in a tent or yurt. To get there, you need to take a bus or drive, which will require a vehicle pass. Stock up on all the goods you’ll need for your stay, from food to water to sunscreen, as well as costumes. It helps to attend with a planned camp that will build community infrastructure in the days leading up to the event.
How you get there: Fly or drive to Reno-Tahoe International Airport (San Francisco is an option). Pick up your rental RV and head 28 miles east on I-80 from Reno. You can also book a Burner Express Air or Burner Express Bus from Reno, Oakland or Burbank to and from Black Rock City.
Where you should stay: In your tent, yurt, camper van or RV — with or without shower access, though the latter won’t be much use amid all the dust!Travel agencies that can help: The Dreammakers Agency.
Ron Lewis
When: Aug. 27-Sept. 24
What it is: More than 70,000 “burners” (participants) flock to this makeshift 4,400-acre city every year in the middle of Nevada desert for a weeklong celebration of inner creativity, fantasy and community. Expect epic art installations, which you might help build, that will exist just for the moment as part of this massive playground. You’ll see fantastical costumes and musical performances co-created on the spot and hear music thump all day and night. Hop from tent to tent and indulge in food, drinks and community — all free. This year’s Burning Man will be the first since the pandemic began in 2020. The theme is Animalia: You’re invited to bring “your imaginary menagerie of creatures you hold dear, not in the flesh but in the form of art you create.”
How far ahead you need to plan: Tickets aren’t yet on sale for 2023, but you’ll want to keep your eyes peeled for their online release. (To do that, you’ll have to create an online Burner profile.) Choose whether to rent an RV or hole up in a tent or yurt. To get there, you need to take a bus or drive, which will require a vehicle pass. Stock up on all the goods you’ll need for your stay, from food to water to sunscreen, as well as costumes. It helps to attend with a planned camp that will build community infrastructure in the days leading up to the event.
How you get there: Fly or drive to Reno-Tahoe International Airport (San Francisco is an option). Pick up your rental RV and head 28 miles east on I-80 from Reno. You can also book a Burner Express Air or Burner Express Bus from Reno, Oakland or Burbank to and from Black Rock City.
Where you should stay: In your tent, yurt, camper van or RV — with or without shower access, though the latter won’t be much use amid all the dust!Travel agencies that can help: The Dreammakers Agency.
Making sweat feel spiritual didn’t start with SoulCycle – a religion scholar explains
By Graham McLellan from London, UK - 00690016, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4725328
When: Aug. 30
What it is: This massive tomato fight is celebrated every last Wednesday of August in the small town of Buñol, approximately 25 miles west of Valencia, and dates back to 1945 even if its origin is unclear. By around 9 a.m., head to Buñol’s main square, where people begin to gather for a game of climbing a pole to grab the ham on top. If someone reaches it, the tomato fight begins; if no one does before 11 a.m., a cannon will fire and a truck packed with near-rotten tomatoes will dump them into the streets. People will jump into the trucks or stand around them, grabbing and hurling tomatoes at anyone they spot. Expect several hours of fruit flying about, as well as water hoses spraying the crowd. A final shot sounds to indicate the official end of La Tomatina.
How far ahead you need to plan: Hotels sell out early for this popular festival, so you’ll want to book rooms in Valencia — close enough for a day trip. The same goes for tickets to enter La Tomatina: Admission is capped at 20,000 participants, so keep an eye on the website and purchase online as soon as they’re released. How you get there: A day trip to Valencia by train or bus can have you back in the afternoon; you can opt for transport to be included in your ticket. For a fuller experience, you could stay in Buñol for a few days to witness the related festivities, including a paella competition — after all, Valencia is the dish’s birthplace—on the eve of La Tomatina. Your children could join a 40-minute kid version of La Tomatina, which takes place a week earlier. An after-party follows La Tomatina, if you’re still looking for one.
Where you should stay: The historic beachfront Hotel Las Arenas Balneario in historic Valencia is a popular pick that would let you indulge at its sprawling spa after the fruit throwing, or take a beach walk or poolside nap. The hotel is a short walk from the city’s central Old Town. Also in Valencia, Palaioi Valler is a former 19th century mansion-turned-glamorous 31-room hotel that’s home to a bar-museum paying homage to the city’s craftsmanship in glass and ceramics and offering a rooftop view of the city.
Travel agencies that can help: Totally Spain.
By Graham McLellan from London, UK - 00690016, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4725328
When: Aug. 30
What it is: This massive tomato fight is celebrated every last Wednesday of August in the small town of Buñol, approximately 25 miles west of Valencia, and dates back to 1945 even if its origin is unclear. By around 9 a.m., head to Buñol’s main square, where people begin to gather for a game of climbing a pole to grab the ham on top. If someone reaches it, the tomato fight begins; if no one does before 11 a.m., a cannon will fire and a truck packed with near-rotten tomatoes will dump them into the streets. People will jump into the trucks or stand around them, grabbing and hurling tomatoes at anyone they spot. Expect several hours of fruit flying about, as well as water hoses spraying the crowd. A final shot sounds to indicate the official end of La Tomatina.
How far ahead you need to plan: Hotels sell out early for this popular festival, so you’ll want to book rooms in Valencia — close enough for a day trip. The same goes for tickets to enter La Tomatina: Admission is capped at 20,000 participants, so keep an eye on the website and purchase online as soon as they’re released. How you get there: A day trip to Valencia by train or bus can have you back in the afternoon; you can opt for transport to be included in your ticket. For a fuller experience, you could stay in Buñol for a few days to witness the related festivities, including a paella competition — after all, Valencia is the dish’s birthplace—on the eve of La Tomatina. Your children could join a 40-minute kid version of La Tomatina, which takes place a week earlier. An after-party follows La Tomatina, if you’re still looking for one.
Where you should stay: The historic beachfront Hotel Las Arenas Balneario in historic Valencia is a popular pick that would let you indulge at its sprawling spa after the fruit throwing, or take a beach walk or poolside nap. The hotel is a short walk from the city’s central Old Town. Also in Valencia, Palaioi Valler is a former 19th century mansion-turned-glamorous 31-room hotel that’s home to a bar-museum paying homage to the city’s craftsmanship in glass and ceramics and offering a rooftop view of the city.
Making sweat feel spiritual didn’t start with SoulCycle – a religion scholar explains
Michael Probst
When: Sept. 16-Oct. 3
What it is: This globally recognized beer fest is a German tradition that dates back to 1810. It brings together more than 6 million locals and tourists for a beer-guzzling celebration in the center of Munich that lasts a couple of weeks, although most Germans who attend spend no more than a day or two. The tents at “Wiesn,” as it’s locally called, open from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. and fill up at midday, which is when the beer starts flowing— unless it’s a weekend, when the beer begins at 9 a.m. Join hordes chugging pints, with some standing on tables as the crowd cheers. Be sure to wear your traditional Bavarian dirndls and lederhosen, which you can buy online or in Munich. Drink and eat all day in the tents, singing along and making friends. Stroll the surrounding theme park-like setup’s amusement rides, games and food stalls. Bring cash to pay for beer and food orders unless you have reserved an “all-inclusive” table.
How far ahead you need to plan: Reservations for tables of eight to 10 people in one of the 17 popular large tents or 21 smaller tents—which includes beer and food—begin around February and last through April. You might take a chance on showing up at a free tent to find an open seat. It gets competitive on weekends, when Germans show up in bigger numbers.
How you get there: Fly into Munich International Airport. The city is accessible by train from major cities in Europe. Once there, head to Theresienwiese, the meadow in central Munich where the event takes place annually.Where you should stay: Such hotels as Munchen Palace list special offers for Oktoberfest, or pick the Kempinsky Munchen for its pool, spa and central location.
Travel agencies that can help: Oktoberfesttours offers packages.
Michael Probst
When: Sept. 16-Oct. 3
What it is: This globally recognized beer fest is a German tradition that dates back to 1810. It brings together more than 6 million locals and tourists for a beer-guzzling celebration in the center of Munich that lasts a couple of weeks, although most Germans who attend spend no more than a day or two. The tents at “Wiesn,” as it’s locally called, open from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. and fill up at midday, which is when the beer starts flowing— unless it’s a weekend, when the beer begins at 9 a.m. Join hordes chugging pints, with some standing on tables as the crowd cheers. Be sure to wear your traditional Bavarian dirndls and lederhosen, which you can buy online or in Munich. Drink and eat all day in the tents, singing along and making friends. Stroll the surrounding theme park-like setup’s amusement rides, games and food stalls. Bring cash to pay for beer and food orders unless you have reserved an “all-inclusive” table.
How far ahead you need to plan: Reservations for tables of eight to 10 people in one of the 17 popular large tents or 21 smaller tents—which includes beer and food—begin around February and last through April. You might take a chance on showing up at a free tent to find an open seat. It gets competitive on weekends, when Germans show up in bigger numbers.
How you get there: Fly into Munich International Airport. The city is accessible by train from major cities in Europe. Once there, head to Theresienwiese, the meadow in central Munich where the event takes place annually.Where you should stay: Such hotels as Munchen Palace list special offers for Oktoberfest, or pick the Kempinsky Munchen for its pool, spa and central location.
Travel agencies that can help: Oktoberfesttours offers packages.
What it is: Mexico’s Day of the Dead celebrations are rooted in Aztec tradition and take place around the country, with Mexico City and Oaxaca topping the list of places to visit. This Unesco-recognized Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity is a time when Mexicans gather to celebrate the departed. Nov. 1 is for remembering departed kids, and Nov. 2 for the souls of adults, when families gather at cemeteries with offerings of flowers, music and food to honor loved ones who have passed away. It’s not a time of mourning or fear but focuses on color and joy in the memories that remain. Festivities begin a few days earlier with weekend parades, so come before Nov. 1. Expect to see and partake in the painting with make-up of sugar skulls and faces called La Calavera—an artistic rendering of your face to resemble a skull in celebration of the cycle of life and death—and witness altars decorated with candy skulls, marigold flowers and photos of loved ones and their favorite foods.
How you get there: Fly into Mexico City, or head to Oaxaca.Where you should stay: Stay at the St. Regis Mexico City or Quinta Real Oaxaca in the historic center.
Travel agencies that can help: Numerous tour operators offer group visits. Try Goway Travel for an agency or Travelworld International Group, a Virtuoso agency based in California.
What it is: Mexico’s Day of the Dead celebrations are rooted in Aztec tradition and take place around the country, with Mexico City and Oaxaca topping the list of places to visit. This Unesco-recognized Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity is a time when Mexicans gather to celebrate the departed. Nov. 1 is for remembering departed kids, and Nov. 2 for the souls of adults, when families gather at cemeteries with offerings of flowers, music and food to honor loved ones who have passed away. It’s not a time of mourning or fear but focuses on color and joy in the memories that remain. Festivities begin a few days earlier with weekend parades, so come before Nov. 1. Expect to see and partake in the painting with make-up of sugar skulls and faces called La Calavera—an artistic rendering of your face to resemble a skull in celebration of the cycle of life and death—and witness altars decorated with candy skulls, marigold flowers and photos of loved ones and their favorite foods.
How you get there: Fly into Mexico City, or head to Oaxaca.Where you should stay: Stay at the St. Regis Mexico City or Quinta Real Oaxaca in the historic center.
Travel agencies that can help: Numerous tour operators offer group visits. Try Goway Travel for an agency or Travelworld International Group, a Virtuoso agency based in California.
A studio set up for a SoulCycle event in New York City. Sean Zanni/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images
An Equinox fitness center in Brooklyn, New York. Angela Weiss /AFP via Getty Images
Wooden engraving of a Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) gymnasium opened in London in 1888. Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images