The uncertainties of the past three years have compelled a lot of us to re-examine the relationship between ourselves, society, and nature. In challenging times, it helps to search out new perspectives, new encounters, and new opportunities to achieve balance in our lives. Returning for its ninth iteration on October 15, the Healing Arts Festival Shanghai is providing guests with the chance to do just that, with activities, workshops, lectures, and performances that inspire inner stability, self-healing, and holistic rejuvenation.

This year's theme for the Healing Arts Festival is "Healing Society, Self, and the Earth", and includes highlighted activities like the "8 Living Habits" workshops, special music and dance performances, group therapy painting, parent-child interactive experiences, and an internationally curated 50-vendor Healing Market in a full-day event dedicated to mental, physical, and spiritual wellbeing. Event organizers are inviting all Shanghairen to "share your healing path, immerse yourself in the stillness and lightness of life, and allow your vitality to bloom."

A Little Bit About the Healing Arts Festival Shanghai

In 2014, China's first comprehensive event dedicated to holistic physical and mental healing, the Healing Arts Festival Shanghai (HAF) took place at The Living Room by OCTAVE Institute. At the event, founder Robert Applegate had simple ambitions: to inspire guests and plant a seed to awaken the body, mind, and soul in busy Shanghai. Since then, the Healing Arts Festival, has taken on expanded perspectives, voices, and values, touching the lives of over 100,000 guests at the yearly event. The HAF focuses on positive mind-body practices, family interaction, mentorship and coaching opportunities, and healing products and services sourced from all over the world.

Today, 8 years later, the HAF brings together healers, artists, counselors, life coaches, yoga and mindfulness teachers and related service organizations from Shanghai and beyond. The event strives to build a professional, innovative, diversified experience and platform to provide guests with direct access to top international healing products and services. With Rob's love of life, people, and curiosity about the world as the inspirational spirit, the Healing Art Festival will once again take place at OCTAVE, offering guests the opportunity to "return to their inner joy, build gratitude for the gifts of the earth, and enjoy the essence of life".

Festival Highlights:

Workshops and Lectures

Nearly 40 workshops and lectures will be held in multiple rooms, with diverse perspectives and voices communicating healing ideas and insights. As a unifying theme, the workshops will address the "8 Living Habitats": Eating, Breathing, Sleeping, Movement, Stillness, Middleway, Worldview, and Celebration of Life.

"Illumination": An Intuitive Sound Healing Meditation Concert

In this Master Workshop, guests are invited to enjoy an inspiring and intuitive sound music meditation concert designed to compel focus on the core of one's essence.

The sounds of crystal bowls, gongs, drums and many other acoustic sound music instruments resonate with the vital potential of life and open the doors of perceptions. "Illumination" is a collaborative workshop performance from sound artist and therapist Jens Zygar from Hamburg, Germany and healing artist Guanxue, a pioneer of gong healing from China. 499rmb participation fee. Runs 7pm to 8:30pm on October 15.

Family Activities and Creative Kids Corner

A creative children's activity area will be set up on site to host parent-child activities that are both entertaining and educational for kids, and enriching for parents. Here, families can experience the flow of family affection and love through the interaction among themselves.

Art Encounters and Performances

Exotic music and dance performances will be held, as well as creative group painting sessions.

The Healing Market

The Healing Market selects more than 30 local and international mind, body and healing brands, including various healing treasures, body and mind healing services, and healing related platforms.

Mindful Eating

Connect with the earth through locally-sourced, mindfully-prepared vegetarian cuisine, and learn to appreciate the unprocessed gifts of nature.

Looking Ahead

Expanding the spaces and dimensions of healing, the Healing Art Festival this year will host activities in both Shanghai and Suzhou.

Mark your calendars for the Suzhou Healing Arts Festival, kicking off from November 17 to November 19 at SANGHA Retreat by OCTAVE, continuing the theme of healing arts, and offering a three-day healing experience that promises plenty of opportunities to explore and enjoy.

About THE LIVING ROOM by OCTAVE Institute

THE LIVING ROOM by OCTAVE provides a diverse range of health courses and wellness workshops designed to foster learning, practice, and self-healing for urban dwellers. Their offerings include the 24 Solar Terms Workshop, Sleep Stress Reduction Workshop, Tai Chi, Pilates Workshop, and more. These programs revolve around the eight habits of OCTAVE: Eating, Breathing, Sleep, Exercise, Stillness, Worldview, Middleway and Celebration of Life. They offer a variety of courses and contents for urban dwellers to learn, practice, and heal themselves.

About the SANGHA Retreat by OCTAVE

Located on the banks of Yangcheng Lake in Suzhou, China, SANGHA Retreat by OCTAVE covers an area of about 189,000 square meters. Just an hour's drive from Shanghai, it is easy to reach this haven of tranquility for body and mind. As a large-scale health care and mindfulness practice community, SANGHA Retreat by OCTAVE condenses the vision of its founder Frederick Tsao, aiming to guide guests through the eight living habits: Eating, Breathing, Sleep, Exercise, Stillness, Worldview, Middleway and Celebration of Life. "By doing so, we immerse ourselves in the cultivation of body and mind, enhancing inner awareness, and gaining a new comprehensive health experience."