• 2026 Dirty South Yoga Fest- October 17th, Atlanta GA

REAL. RAW. SOUTHERN YOGA

new orleans yoga
The Festival

Dirty South Yoga Fest

Dirty South Yoga Fest is a community and yoga inspired event featuring a diverse sampling of instructors for a day of yoga classes, workshops, community and festivities.

Dirty South Yoga Fest supports, spotlights and celebrates local yoga across the South.

Our Story

In 2013, a group of Atlanta yoga instructors got together to discuss what was happening in the yoga community, what it means to practice yoga in the South, and the direction we wanted to see our community grow. There was a clear desire for realness, rawness, connection, community and more yoga. That gathering planted an idea, a seed that slowly took root over a couple months, then breached the surface with an idea: to bring together the yoga community, to connect and celebrate yoga in a fun, approachable and authentic way: Dirty South Yoga Fest. In June of 2014, Dirty South Yoga Fest hosted 18 teachers, 24 classes, local vendors, fresh food, local brew, music and festivities. We ommed, we practiced, we laughed and we connected.

Who We Are

We’re a little rough around the edges, we’ve never been described as prim and proper, we may sacrifice the easy route to pursue adventure, we choose bare-feet over dress shoes, we’ll get our hands dirty just to practice falling, our lifestyle calls us to live, to sweat, to be still, to get dirty, and to practice… above all to practice. Through the lens of yoga, Dirty South Yoga, embraces the willingness to get your hands dirty: to do the work both for inner transformation and in community. Zen Buddhist Monk, Thich Nhat Hanh, offers the concept “No mud; no lotus” to teach the practice of mindfulness in transformation. Not everything in yoga or life is pleasant and easy, often it is the times that challenge us and force us to get our hands dirty that lead us to transformation.

Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray.

-Rumi

Jessica Murphy

Founder

I know what it’s like to long for connection in the yoga world. I spent 10 years of my yoga journey practicing yoga in studios without really connecting to anyone around me.

As a natural introvert, I just didn’t know how to connect to people within the constraints of a regular studio class. I still find myself saying awkward things to my teachers or other students in the 5-minute span of time before or after all the yoga goodness takes place.

While my practice was invaluable in helping me connect to my Self for years, I still longed for a community to belong to that crossed studio lines and that I could turn to for suggestions, advice, and conversation while on my yoga journey.

Dirty South Yoga was my offering to the Atlanta yoga community. A place to celebrate, connect and grow together.

Today, DSYF is carried forward day-to-day by Director Danielle Brunson and Programming Manager Brianna Whitfield, with me continuing on as founder and advisor.

As Featured In

Media

Over more than a decade, Dirty South Yoga Fest has been featured in:

  • Atlanta Magazine — Best of Atlanta (2017) → link
  • Yoga Journal — “Dirty South Yoga Fest Continues to Bring Community to Yoga” (2024) → link
  • Natural Awakenings Atlanta — “Another Celebration of Atlanta’s Yoga Community” (2024) → link
  • Yoga Love Magazine — festival feature (2024) → link
  • VoyageATL — founder interview with Jessica Murphy → link
  • Mastering the Business of Yoga (podcast) — Jessica Murphy on creating DSYF → link
Dirty South Yoga

Meet Our Team

Danielle Brunson

Danielle keeps the wheels turning behind the scenes — venue, budget, tickets, sponsors, and everything in between. She believes the best festivals are built on strong logistics and real heart, and she's committed to keeping Dirty South Yoga Fest rooted in community as it grows.

Jessica Murphy

Jessica founded Dirty South Yoga Fest in 2013 out of a simple desire: to build the kind of yoga community she'd always been looking for. Twelve years later, she's stepped back from day-to-day operations but remains DSYF's biggest champion — advising, cheering, and showing up for the community she built.

Brianna Whitfield

Brianna curates the day-of experience, from the Community Paths lineup to the teachers leading it. She's passionate about building a schedule that feels like a real invitation — something for every practice, every body, every level.
You ask, we answer

Ask Us Anything

Saturday, October 17, 2026, at the Loudermilk Center in downtown Atlanta.

Not at all — classes are designed for all levels.

Please email us at info@dirtysouthyogafest.com to inquire about teaching or volunteer opportunities.