There are a tremendous number of quality events and workshops in London that can help you thrive. Whether you are looking to increase creativity, reduce stress or to simply express yourself more freely – there is likely an event that you could benefit from.
However, there are also some eccentric practices out there. These are often accompanied by pseudoscience explanations, and attended by some weird and wonderful participants and practitioners.
The below clip from Peep Show is a funny depiction of a fictional “Rainbow Rhythms” class where Mark is thrust into something way outside his normal experience and has a comedically bad reaction!
Sometimes these events can be quite extreme and first timers can be turned off the whole Well-being scene as result of one negative experience.
Some people also come to these events looking to heal something – it could be an abusive relationship, unresolved childhood memories or more recent stresses linked to work and money. These people come well intentioned and optimistic but after a bad event can leave feeling even more vulnerable and dependent (and often parted with more cash than they had anticipated!). It is a personal pain point for us when we see this happen.
If your senses are telling you that something is not quite right then there’s a good chance that its not just you thinking that. Whilst we’re fans of pushing past your comfort zone and having fun in the process, there are times when it is a bit too much. We think the best way to approach these events is to have an ability to laugh at yourself afterwards and not take it so seriously.
Here are some two of our own comedic moments of “woo” overload whilst exploring the well-being scene in London. We would love to hear about your stories of extreme woo!
– Sat at a guided meditation and after 5 minutes of visualization exercises we were invited to “bring in Archangel Gabriel and Michael”. This went on for another 45 minutes whilst the music got darker and louder. At the end of the class the leader proceeded to tell us a story about when they had misplaced their keys, but still managed to get into their car just by “talking to the lock to give it some emotional release”.
We aim to only feature events which we feel genuinely do what they say on the tin, are grounded in reality, and are worth the money.
– At the start of a yoga class we were invited in invoke our primal energy by roaring multiple times as loud as we could. The regulars really got into it whereas all we could muster was a pathetic ‘meow’. Although we’re open to the benefits of releasing tension – it was not the best introduction to Yoga for my sceptical friend Emily.
We aim to rate each of the events we review with a ‘Woo factor’ between 1 and 5 ; with 1 being for beginners and 5 being for the more adventurous. Our readers can then find events at the right level for them.
All joking aside, these are just two examples across multiple years in the London well-being scene. We are amongst the thousands of people who regularly attend yoga, meditation, conscious dance, workshops and retreats. The large majority of these have been life enriching and have led to new lifelong friendships and amazing memories. You may even meet a like minded partner whilst trying something new 😉
WooWoo London is here to help you explore the well-being scene. You can trust that all our recommendations are vetted and that we remain impartial by not taking any sponsored ads.
- Broga – “When Just Do It isn’t enough and you want to kick some Asana!” - 10th January 2017
- Well-being practices and Sleep - 20th December 2016
- Bad experiences within the Well-being scene - 12th December 2016