Wellness is often imagined as something we do in carefully designed spaces: a yoga studio, a fitness centre, a meditation room or a retreat far from the noise of everyday life. But what if wellbeing could be found simply by stepping outside, meeting people and reconnecting with nature? The Flow Fest is taking that idea into its fifth edition with Winter Wellness, bringing movement, mindfulness, creativity and connection into a three-day outdoor experience.
At the heart of the festival is a simple belief that wellness should be accessible to everyone. Founded by yoga teacher Shazia Omar, The Flow Fest has spent four years building a community around holistic wellbeing. This time, the festival is moving beyond its familiar Gulshan setting to create a larger space where people can learn, participate and explore different ways of taking care of themselves.
“I have always loved the spirit of yoga festivals and ashrams, where people come together to learn, share, eat, sing, move and simply be,” Omar says. “Where animals and trees matter as much as people.”
That spirit will shape Winter Wellness, which will take place from November 12 to 14 at Fortis Platinum Lounge in Jolshiri. Under the campaign “Dhaka, let’s go outside”, the new outdoor destination, with its green fields, open skies and horseback riding, will become a living classroom for wellbeing.
Rather than focusing on one definition of wellness, the festival will bring together different approaches. Visitors can explore yoga, meditation, sound healing, martial arts, dance and fitness challenges, alongside sessions on nutrition, rest and recovery, women’s health, workplace wellness, fascia stretching, lymphatic drainage and mental decluttering.
Mental health will also have a place at the festival. Omar wants conversations around seeking help to become less uncomfortable and more natural.
“I want to create a space where asking for help is seen as courage, not weakness. Where people feel comfortable talking about mental health, exploring different approaches to wellbeing and sharing what has helped them,” she says.
The programme will extend beyond conventional wellness activities. Children can take part in storytelling, arts and crafts, singalongs and playful movement, while poetry slams, open-mic performances and live music will bring creativity into the experience. Nemesis, SYM Society, TUI, Cassette and Project Dhaka Creative are among the performers featured across the three days.
A Flow Market will bring together wellness products, self-care, fashion, home décor, food, arts and crafts, local sellers and thrift shops. New businesses, including Bare and Blossom and Bhorta Bros, will also be introduced.
But perhaps the festival’s most important offering is the opportunity to simply spend time outdoors with other people.
“If someone comes for a concert or a picnic and leaves having discovered a new practice, a new friendship, or simply the courage to ask for help, then we have achieved something meaningful,” Omar says. “Wellness should not be a luxury. It should be a way of life, accessible to everyone.”
Visitors can practise yoga under the open sky, spread out a picnic blanket, try horseback riding or spend time with family and friends.
In a city that rarely slows down, Winter Wellness offers a different way to pause. Sometimes, wellbeing may begin not with another appointment or routine, but with stepping outside, finding community and discovering that taking care of ourselves can also mean connecting with others.
Registration is available at- theflowfest.com/winterflow
