One night long ago while grinding in a basement somewhere, an actual thought found its way through the fog of noise and tequila in my brain: after all the effort I’d put into assembling such a fetching outfit, I was sweating right through it, and it wasn’t even all that comfortable. In that moment, I wished it were socially acceptable to hit the clubs in a sports bra and yoga pants.
Little did I know I was at the wrong dance party. I just needed to ditch the tequila and grab some coconut water.
Naturally Induced Fun
In cities across the globe, but maybe nowhere more so than New York, a hybrid of club culture and holistic wellness has sprung up. Some of them are more yoga and others are more rave, but virtually all feature live DJs and focus on the “natural high” of endorphins and interpersonal connection. Hangover-free dance parties like The Get Down start early in the evening, when the sun’s still out in the summertime. With events as far-flung as Shanghai and Copenhagen, No Lights No Lycra is all about the spiritual experience of pure dance, transcending societal constraint. And while patrons of Deep House Yoga at the Brooklyn club Verboten can take advantage of the full bar, most instead opt for smoothies and coconut water.
Catchphrases such as “natural rhythm,” “high on life” and every possible permutation of “energy” abound. Some of the more yogic variations even kick off with meditation. Not to be out-New-Aged by New York, Los Angeles has spawned its own crop of health-conscious club experiences. Silverlake studio One Down Dog offers themed yoga dance parties with live DJs alongside their variety of classes and teamed up with Lululemon last year to host an outdoor 80s bash on the green in Glendale. Wherever you are in the world, you can check the upcoming events at Friday Night Yoga Club or Yoga Rocks The Park.
Dance All Day to This DJ
And if you thinks 6 p.m. seems early for a party, wait until you meet Daybreaker and Morning Gloryville. These early-morning raves, which start at 7 a.m., are apparently all the rage with the tech startup crowd and even finance types looking to let loose before work. But their roots are in the world of the arts, often serving as a showcase for up-and-coming DJs. High-energy and low on the yogic scale, morning dance parties are often fueled by caffeine or water and can sometimes draw hundreds of people. As long as they shower before coming into the office, more power to them.
The idea of wellness-conscious clubbing isn’t exactly new. The Yoga Rave, an outgrowth of the Art of Living Foundation, toured in 2012, and the trend was on the rise well before that. But now it’s reached a critical mass and is catching like a meme across the globe. If you’re sober and miss kaleidoscopic lights and the throb of bass in your bones, or if you want to like yoga but can’t quite get into that bikram class your sponsor’s so jazzed about—or if you just want to get your groove on without clocking in a late night—your party scene has landed and it’s just getting started.
Sponsored DISCLAIMER: This is a paid advertisement for California Behavioral Health, LLC, a CA licensed substance abuse treatment provider and not a service provided by The Fix. Calls to this number are answered by CBH, free and without obligation to the consumer. No one who answers the call receives a fee based upon the consumer’s choice to enter treatment. For additional info on other treatment providers and options visit www.samhsa.gov.
