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Honestly, I had no idea what I was in for, but it sounded fascinating, so I wrangled a friend into going with me. When we walked inside, we were given wristbands… & snap-on glowsticks. (Ever the maximalists, we went back later & grabbed huge fistfuls of glowing bracelets to stack up our wrists.) The main floor of Pacha was writhing with bodies, gyrating inside LED hula hoops & contorting into extreme yoga poses: the pre-show entertainment. A serene-looking girl DJ presided over the scene, wearing a huge pair of bedazzled headphones.
When you think about yoga, what comes to mind? Calmness & serenity? Nag Champa incense & downward dog? Or glowsticks & ecstatic dancing?
There was a time, when I, like you, thought of the first two examples when the subject of yoga was mentioned. But last night, I had an experience that — as well as raising my consciousness — opened my eyes to what yoga could really be.
Enter Yoga Rave. Founded by the Art of Living Foundation, the largest volunteer-run NGO in the world, the first Yoga Rave was in São Paulo in 2001. An alcohol, drug & smoke-free event, Yoga Rave is a wicked combination of yoga, guided meditation, chanting & ecstatic dancing.
Around the border of the dancefloor, booths were set up, giving away free chocolate & raw food. There was a stall doing UV-reactive body-painting. Smiling women gave away cards advertising free meditation classes. Soon, the club was full of people… & it was yoga time.
We did sun salutes & Warrior II (also known as Virabhadrasana II). We linked elbows & stretched back & forth. We sat back-to-back & allowed our oms to fill the room. They swelled up, deep & tonal. Next was guided meditation. Sitting on the floor, with our legs crossed, we were led through a ten minute meditation which left us feeling relaxed, even a little divine.
My friend & I watched most of the proceedings from a remote spot. We had snuck upstairs to a VIP area, which had its benefits & its downfalls. On the one hand, we felt quite removed from the whole experience: like outsiders. On the other, we were meditating on big, squidgy couches, as opposed to the floor! We also had a fantastic vantage point. When the ecstatic dancing began — & balloons started to fall from the roof, onto the masses below — we had the best view in the house.
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EVENT FEATURED YogaRave: Can You Find Inner Peace In A Nightclub?
by Gala DarlingMarch 30, 2012 - 7:38 am
When you think about yoga, what comes to mind? Calmness & serenity? Nag Champa incense & downward dog? Or glowsticks & ecstatic dancing?
There was a time, when I, like you, thought of the first two examples when the subject of yoga was mentioned. But last night, I had an experience that — as well as raising my consciousness — opened my eyes to what yoga could really be.
Enter Yoga Rave. Founded by the Art of Living Foundation, the largest volunteer-run NGO in the world, the first Yoga Rave was in São Paulo in 2001. An alcohol, drug & smoke-free event, Yoga Rave is a wicked combination of yoga, guided meditation, chanting & ecstatic dancing.
Honestly, I had no idea what I was in for, but it sounded fascinating, so I wrangled a friend into going with me. When we walked inside, we were given wristbands… & snap-on glowsticks. (Ever the maximalists, we went back later & grabbed huge fistfuls of glowing bracelets to stack up our wrists.) The main floor of Pacha was writhing with bodies, gyrating inside LED hula hoops & contorting into extreme yoga poses: the pre-show entertainment. A serene-looking girl DJ presided over the scene, wearing a huge pair of bedazzled headphones.
Around the border of the dancefloor, booths were set up, giving away free chocolate & raw food. There was a stall doing UV-reactive body-painting. Smiling women gave away cards advertising free meditation classes. Soon, the club was full of people… & it was yoga time.
We did sun salutes & Warrior II (also known as Virabhadrasana II). We linked elbows & stretched back & forth. We sat back-to-back & allowed our oms to fill the room. They swelled up, deep & tonal. Next was guided meditation. Sitting on the floor, with our legs crossed, we were led through a ten minute meditation which left us feeling relaxed, even a little divine.
My friend & I watched most of the proceedings from a remote spot. We had snuck upstairs to a VIP area, which had its benefits & its downfalls. On the one hand, we felt quite removed from the whole experience: like outsiders. On the other, we were meditating on big, squidgy couches, as opposed to the floor! We also had a fantastic vantage point. When the ecstatic dancing began — & balloons started to fall from the roof, onto the masses below — we had the best view in the house.
When everyone on stage & in the audience started to sing about Krishna, though, my friend & I decided it was probably time to go home. Outside, on freezing cold 11th Avenue, we looked at one another.
“That was really weird,” my friend said to me.
“I know,” I replied.
“But I’m glad we went!” She added. ”It was fun! Just… weird.”
Such is life in New York City.
Click here to know the schedule of Yoga rave in different cities of USA and to buy a ticket for the same.
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