Фестиваль разума, тела и духа отмечает 25-летие

What began as a small gathering for people interested in complementary health and self-development has grown into a festival built around participation, connection and personal growth. As the Mind, Body & Spirit Festival celebrates its 25th anniversary on November 14 and 15, Managing director Marilena Angelides reflects on its evolution, the community it has created and what comes next.

From exhibition to experience. When Francesca Pinoni and Anette Martisen came up with the idea of a permanent meeting place for Cyprus’ growing wellbeing community in 2001, many now familiar practices were still considered alternative.

The first Mind, Body & Spirit Exhibition followed in 2002, bringing therapists, energy healers, teachers, artists and personal development practitioners together under one roof, alongside natural products, books and healthy food. Talks, demonstrations and workshops invited visitors to explore different approaches to wellbeing.

“When it was held at Hilton Park in Nicosia, MBS was primarily an exhibition. People came to explore the stands, shop, meet practitioners and try mini treatments or readings,” Angelides recalls.

A turning point came with the move to Filoxenia Conference Centre in Nicosia. The larger venue allowed the organisers to expand the programme, introducing more yoga, workshops and interactive experiences. Gradually, the exhibition developed into the MBS Wellbeing Festival, attracting people who came specifically to participate in classes rather than simply browse the stands.

Angelides’ own journey with MBS began as a visitor and supporter. With a background in media and advertising, she helped introduce the festival to a wider local audience when she took over its organisation in 2013.

Her first edition came during Cyprus’s banking crisis. “It was a very uncertain time to take on something like this, but I had so much energy, passion and determination to make it happen.” Despite the uncertainty, exhibitors filled the floor at Hilton Park and the event was a success. Angelides was also discovering many of the subjects herself, learning from the practitioners and people she met.

A changing relationship with wellbeing. Over the years, Angelides has witnessed a shift in how people in Cyprus engage with wellbeing.

“In the early days, the wellbeing scene in Cyprus was much smaller and quieter. There were very few events of this kind, and it was often difficult to discover what was available unless you already knew someone involved,” she says.

Today, interest in personal development, holistic therapies, yoga and healthier ways of living is more visible. For Angelides, one of the clearest changes is the appetite for active participation.

“We can have seven sessions taking place at the same time, sometimes alongside outdoor classes, and still see strong participation across the programme.”. The festival’s development has not been without setbacks. The pandemic interrupted the event for around a year and a half, prompting the introduction of outdoor Wellbeing Days that allowed people to reconnect through classes. These have since evolved into smaller versions of the festival, combining indoor and outdoor activities with an exhibition and keeping the community connected throughout the year.

After the pandemic, the loss of the Filoxenia venue meant the Nicosia edition did not resume. MBS continued with one annual festival in Limassol, at St Raphael Resort & Marina. The move has also helped attract an international audience, with practitioners, exhibitors and visitors travelling from abroad to participate.

Yet for Angelides, the festival’s most significant milestone was not a change of venue or a bigger programme. It was in 2018, when she sensed a deeper connection among participants.

Marilena Angelides “I could see people being moved by their experiences, friendships beginning and the community growing closer. That was when I really felt the significance of what we were creating.”. The relationships formed through the festival remain particularly meaningful.

“The most meaningful growth is what happens beyond the weekend,” she shares. Friendships, professional collaborations and even marriages and children have emerged from connections made there. The team and returning volunteers, she says, have come to feel like family.

That sense of connection also inspired MBS Travels, launched in 2015 with a group trip to Kerala. Combining travel with yoga, Ayurveda, treatments and nature, the project extended the community beyond the festival weekend. This year, MBS Travels will also host its first retreat at the end of November in Egypt’s Red Sea. What comes next?

The 25th anniversary edition will feature more than 100 classes, workshops and performances, with a focus on self-development and personal growth. Ayurveda, longevity and biohacking will feature alongside meditation, yoga, dance, music and voice-based sessions, while local and international exhibitors will offer natural products, art, jewellery and wellbeing experiences.

For those who prefer a more in-depth experience, international guests will also lead day retreats on November 21 and 22, including a Tantra immersion and an intuitive music workshop and concert with German musician and composer Mitsch Kohn.

Looking further ahead, Angelides wants to develop MBS into an international wellbeing community that remains active throughout the year. Alongside the festival and travel programme, plans include an Experts Directory, an MBS Agenda listing events and training opportunities, and collaborations with companies to bring wellbeing practices into the workplace.

After 25 years, the ambition is not simply to make the festival bigger, but to extend the connections and experiences it creates into everyday life.

“You do not need to know anything about wellbeing to come to MBS,” concludes Angelides. “You can arrive with questions, curiosity or simply the wish to spend a day doing something for yourself.”. Mind, Body & Spirit Wellbeing Festival. November 14–15, St Raphael Resort & Marina, Limassol. More than 100 classes, workshops and performances, plus an exhibition and marketplace. Saturday: 10.30am–8pm; Sunday: 9.45am–8pm.