Pink Floyd Laser Light Yoga Is Now A Thing That Happens
During our wild, misspent youth, many of us took in the occasional Pink Floyd laser light show. Now that we're older, wiser, and (thanks partly to those laser-induced munchies) a little fatter, maybe it's time to give Pink Floyd laser light yoga a try.
That seems to be the idea, anyway, behind yoga instructor Chris Calarco's latest offering. Calarco, who offers classes in a variety of locations around the country, wants to help his students "discover how yoga and music are two paths up the same mountain" -- and to that end, he's put together a course titled Pink Floyd Yoga. Calling the band members "masters of polarity" who created "created terrifying and beautiful music that narrates the universal human experience," Calarco argues that "the internal and external practices of yoga requires us to confront our deepest fears while also inspiring us toward our highest creative potential. Exploring one’s entire self means diving into the dark side and celebrating the light of gratitude and love."
Spin writer Julianne Escobedo Shepherd took the challenge, signing up for a crowded 70-person session to try and figure out, as she put it, "What is it about Pink Floyd that makes everyone want to vibe into their third eye?" As Shepherd points out in her piece, the laser light show experience that was once a rite of passage for young rock fans has lost a bit of its luster over the years, but at least on that particular night, Calarco and his fellow instructor Todd Vogt drew a mostly younger crowd.
Not that they were only there to have a peaceful, laser-assisted trip. To her annoyance and mild discomfort, Shepherd discovered that Calarco and Vogt mean business, putting their students through a tough two-hour session that adds up to what she described as "a post-groovy path to rock-hard abs on a Friday night." Which sounds a lot more demanding than simply turning on, tuning in, and dropping out, but it's certainly a lot healthier -- and it even includes a few moments of 'Wizard of Oz' footage in the bargain.