Yoga Buzz: On the Communal Om ॐ
Today’s life can be overwhelmingly busy. We are often rushing from one place to the next, and juggling a half dozen responsibilities all at once. With technologies making leaps and bounds forward in accessibility and ease of use, we turn more and more to our phones, computers, and other devices for connection. But is that connection human? Does it return the value we seek? How can we make more meaningful connections? I recently witnessed something that left me thinking about all of these questions.
ॐ
Jill Firns — DJ
On March 17th, 2015, I DJed at a very special and unique event for a Saint Louis organization called Yoga Buzz. Yoga Buzz is run by Elle Potter, who focuses on creating wellness through community by making yoga accessible to every body. That’s right, everybody AND every body! Yoga really isn’t about how bendy you can be, how much weight you can lose, etc. It is about seeking the light within yourself, and sharing it with others.
Yoga Buzz brings yogis together for incredibly fun events that go a little something like this: take an hour-long yoga class, and then drink beer or cocktails, and mingle. If that doesn’t sound like fun, even for those who have never tried yoga, I don’t know what would.
This event was a new spin on the traditional Yoga Buzz happening – it was a fundraiser to help bring yoga study scholarships to those who may not otherwise have access to yoga. With over 200 attendees, the Starlight Room of the Chase Park Plaza was filled wall-to-wall with practicers of all levels. As I spun music not traditionally heard in a yoga class but still atmosphere appropriate (examples: “Calling in the Name of Love,” Active Child and “Christine,” by Christine and The Queens”, Elle led the little yoga army through a variety of vinyasas, warrior studies, and a few poses that acquainted everyone perhaps a little too closely with their neighbors.
At the end of the class, Elle requested that all of the class participants scoot in towards the front. Because I was DJing on the stage, I felt slightly out of place as they all gathered in close right in front of us. Elle sat on the stage, and talked about community, and this and that of the power of yoga. And then she asked that everyone join in a communal “om.” For those who are not familiar with the idea of om, it is a mantra, or chant, that is typically performed at the beginning and/or end of classes. It is meant to help your spirit vibrate just as your vocal chords vibrate. It is not difficult – you pretty much just say and hold the word “ohhmmmmm.” You don’t have to have a nice voice to participate in om – just as with the rest of your yoga practice, the quality of the experience lies in you focusing on yourself.
When every participant closed their eyes and began their own om, suddenly it became almost blindingly clear (although I had already grasped at the concept) that yoga truly is about community. Yes, you may have a private practice. But the strength of yoga come from the energy that you put out into the world, and into your neighbor. It comes from the literal “good vibrations” you send forth. And while the om was vibrating in a way that I have never heard it before, I knew in that moment that yoga is something that should not be ignored as path of healing, self-love, and joy. I stood awkwardly on a stage in front of 200+ closed-eyed, humming yogis, and I’m pretty sure I felt my toes tingling, as well as my soul.
LINKS
Photo of Yoga Buzz fundraiser taken by Jamison Ford.
Full album: Yoga Buzz Ball Fundraiser at Chase Park Plaza
