Wanderlust: Reigniting the spirit down under

Determined to take the seriousness out of wellness, the team at Wanderlust is reinventing and challenging wellness stereotypes.

Based on the motto of “find your true north”, the mindfulness, yoga and plant powered supplement brand is expanding its reach back into Melbourne through the resurgence of its popular festivals.

Founded by three New York college friends, Jeff Krasno, Schuyler Grant and Sean Hoess in 2009, Wanderlust has always been envisioned as a brand that will go above and beyond in the realm of wellness through events and products.

“From the beginning, we wanted to create an event that is fun but also based on meaningful ideals, where attendees are participants, and where people leave feeling better than when they arrived,” Mr Hoess said.

“We wanted to create a community centred around our key pillars of mindful living: wellness, arts, personal spirituality, environmentalism, organics, and conscious consumerism.”

Having conducted a Wanderlust Festival and one-day Wanderlust 108 “mindful triathlons” in Australia in the past, the brand is back after a hiatus and debuting its Wanderlust True North event in Melbourne and Sydney.

Aiming to create a festival atmosphere based around the core practices of yoga and meditation, this more “eco-friendly alternative” to traditional festivals will lean on a “healthy dose of mental and physical practice”.

“We will move together through a star-studded all-level program of live music, yoga, meditation, and inspirational stories, exploring the intersection of practice, art and in-person community,” Mr Hoess said.

“The modalities that we offer have evolved too, going beyond practice to focus on other elements of wellbeing such as nutrition, environmentalism and even social justice.”

Among the list of established names on the program are Adam Goodes, Nick Littlemore, Emmanuel Jal, Tahl Rinsky, Laura Poole, Benny Holloway, Gawurra, and Sarah Todd.

“Hearing the inspirational stories of transformation and social consciousness from speakers like Emmanuel Jal and Adam Goodes, are designed to expand hearts and minds and foster compassion and empathy in what can often feel like a disconnected world,” Wanderlust’s executive chairman Radek Sali said.

Following the program line-up, attendees will then be provided with the opportunity to explore a curated market stall of the Wanderlust supplements and wholefoods that have been part of the brand’s range since 2021.

The range is focused on products that are naturopathically formulated, plant-active, vegan, in sustainable capsules, powders and herbal liquids – designed and produced in Australia.

Wanderlust True North will be taking place at the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton from September 17 to 24, and is open to adults and older teens, with teens between ages 14 and 17 needing to be accompanied by a legal guardian.

True North seekers interested in attending and rolling out their mats can get tickets online from $50, and with every ticket sold Wanderlust will donate $2 to Igniting Change – a charity creating positive changes for people doing it tough in the community. •

wanderlust.com.au/events