Today, in celebration of International Day of Yoga and the Summer Solstice, NYC-based musician and yoga studio founder Jason Samel has released his heartfelt new single “Heads Bowed Down,” available now on all major platforms. The release, which coincides with the launch of the inaugural Long Island Yoga Festival in Glen Cove, NY today, features an impressive lineup of musicians from the jam band scene, including Marco Benevento, Scott Sharrard (Gregg Allman Band), Leslie Mendelson (Phil Lesh, etc.), and Jason Crosby (Susan Tedeschi).
“Heads Bowed Down” is a poignant tribute to the life-altering influence of yoga on Jason’s personal health, relationships, and spiritual path. The song was premiered on the St. Louis NPR station’s music show “Big Muddy Music Hour,” and its accompanying music video was premiered today by Relix Magazine.
Jason’s personal journey—emerging from a deep depression, catalyzed by yoga during a profound moment of clarity on a beach—inspired both the song and his creation of Buddha Jams Yoga in Glen Cove, NY. Weighing 250 pounds and struggling with severe depression, Jason’s spontaneous encounter with yoga marked a pivotal shift in his life, leading to remarkable weight loss, renewed passion, and ultimately, the opening of his yoga studio and the planning of the Long Island Yoga Festival, launching today at Buddha Jams.
The music video for “Heads Bowed Down,” filmed at Buddha Jams Yoga, visually captures Jason’s transformative journey. It celebrates the synergistic power of yoga and music, which Jason believes significantly enhances their therapeutic impacts. This belief is not only the foundation of his personal recovery but also the ethos behind Buddha Jams Yoga and the Long Island Yoga Festival.
The Long Island Yoga Festival, running from June 21 to June 23, aims to unite the local community through yoga, music, and cultural activities, reflecting the transformative themes of Jason’s single. Renowned yoga masters Rodney Yee and Colleen Saidman Yee, Alan Finger and Sarah Platt Finger, “TheYogiMatt” aka Matthew Giordano, and celebrated Long Island teachers will grace the mats. The musical ensemble includes world famous kirtan musician Nina Rao and DJ Taz Rashid, who are set to elevate the festivities with their rhythms.
Guests can look forward to more than just yoga and music; the festival is a mosaic of cultural experiences with food trucks, craft vendors, dance parties, drum circles, and more. This event is designed to be a microcosm of Buddha Jams Yoga’s philosophy—creating a communal song where every individual's voice finds harmony.
For more information on the Long Island Yoga Festival and to purchase tickets, please visit longislandyogafestival.com.
