I think I went to my first convention in Stockholm at the SAFE convention in 1994. I remember the energy, the amazing presenters, and how I was infused with the passion for the joy of movement. I knew instantly that I wanted to stay in this community. I remember sitting down after each class, trying to remember the steps and how to build them up, while meeting new people and teachers from other parts of the world. Looking back, I realize that this was one of the first steps I took to turn my passion into a future career.

Fast forward to 2026 and another convention in Stockholm—the SATS Festival 2026. This is the fitness chain SATS' own gathering to inspire their staff working at all of their clubs in Finland, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. They bring everyone together in one place with a mix of education, inspiration, and celebrations.

33 years later, still being able to be a part of this context is a truly special feeling. It was a jam-packed schedule with three different sessions and a brief bonus appearance in Fredrik Sjöberg's dance aerobics class.

I led my movement class, 'Motion is Lotion,' delivered a lecture on osteoarthritis and exercise, and conducted a Space M Yoga class. I probably met more than 900 people during my various sessions, and it was an honor to share my work. In my yoga class, my dear friend Åsa Engman joined me on stage and gave inspiring demonstrations. It was incredibly special to reconnect with the old dance aerobics teaching era and participate in Fredrik's class. Most of all, it was deeply meaningful to recreate a warm-up to George Michael's "Freedom," which we used to do with our dear friend Camilla, who is no longer with us.

I didn’t have time to attend any of the other sessions, but I had the pleasure of meeting great colleagues who were part of the presenter circuit many years ago—Monika Björn, Riki Dackén, and Matthew Griffiths. It was so much fun to see you all again! This trio used to travel the world teaching spinning, and nowadays they are still top-notch in their fields of women’s wellness, business and sales coaching, and personal training.

I also met Sara Hoy at the festival. Sara and I hosted Expand Your Yoga events in 2019, 2020, and 2021 together with Robin Tåg. Sara is a big inspiration to me, and last fall, she successfully defended her PhD at GIH in Stockholm. You can read more about her project here. I hope we can collaborate more in the future on interesting research projects.

Another pearl that I got a glimpse of was Francesca Golfetto. She was in the opening act, demonstrating her talented fluidity and graceful movements. I hope that we get the chance to teach more together in the future.

Thank you Fredrik Sjöberg and Tonje Kristenstuen for hiring me. Thank you, SATS, for organizing live events and reigniting our passion for movement.

//Magnus Ringberg

SATS Festival

OA SATS