This article was edited and originally published in Vogue India (digital).
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Imagine waking up at 6 am to go to an arena and dance for 3 whole hours to Beyonce while sipping on apple cider vinegar and knocking back spirulina shots. Or better still, you are hungover on a Saturday night and want something to do so you head to a venue with an insane DJ set, great vibes and people who just want to let their hair down.
Some of us like to pour back tequilas over the weekend and G & T for Sunday brunch while there are others that don’t drink or smoke but still love being out and listening to a DJ spin some tunes. If you belong to the latter or are tired of binge drinking weekend after weekend, you might want to give this one a shot (pun intended).
What it is:
Popularised by Morning Gloryville and Daybreak, Conscious Clubbing is a movement that hopes to take the wellness world by storm. The Yoga Barn in Ubud, Bali also hosted a party every Saturday night and they called it ‘ecstatic dance’.
Based on the premise that we were born to dance and don’t necessarily need stimulants like alcohol or other illicit substances to have a great time. Conscious clubbing has had great success at early morning dance parties in New York, London and is quickly moving to other major cities too. Advocates say that “It’s a great way to meet people, enjoy a good Dj set and dance until your feet hurt whilst staying sober”.
What to expect:
Wheatgrass and spirulina shots, fruit kebabs and acai berry bowls. You can expect to see people meditating, grooving to the music, getting hot and heavy or just swaying to the rhythm of the music. Expect a mad DJ set and a group of people moving to hip hop, electro, trip hop without any alcohol. It’s a great way to meet friends when you aren’t inebriated and the dancing is a real calorie torcher. It is a win- win situation in our heads.
Closer to home, Devang House, run by the sibling duo Pranav and Aarushi Chaudhery hosted its first conscious clubbing event on Valentine’s day to culminate the organic living festival weekend. They invited a mix of wellness enthusiasts, regular party goers, friends and health nuts. Avantika Bakshi was behind the DJ console and the attendance for an event like this was about 30-35 people but it can easily go up to gatherings of hundreds and thousands. The session started with meditation and then the DJ made a gentle progression from chill tunes to dance music. Apple cider vinegar shots, flavoured nut milks, green smoothies and cold-pressed juices in collaboration with Shuddha foods. Pranav Chaudhery, director at Devang House promises that there will be more events like this in the future with slam poetry, health food, hip hop parties and more. We don’t want to let the cat out of the bag just yet, but we are expecting a sequel soon. Stay tuned for more details.
