Why you should definitely give 'humming' yoga a go.

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Hum. Hummmmm.

Hummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Is that annoying? Surprisingly, in a yoga class, it isn’t.

A friend suggested I tried a class at Humming Puppy, a yoga studio (based in Melbourne and Sydney) with a room that literally hums. Her reason for me trying the class was not the strange humming noise – it was because the studio itself was so fancy and dreamy, AND it had free coconut water. She knows me.

The hum itself, however, was what got me in the end.

I arrived for my first class and immediately went for the free coconut water. I don’t even like coconut water, but… you know… FREE. Also, a herbal tea and a free hair elastic. What a great start.

Anyway. Back to the yoga. (Post continues after gallery)

The studio is a very large, warehouse looking room, painted black inside with barely any light, which already feels like a stark contrast to the bright yoga rooms I’m used to. It has a very high apex ceiling with sci-fi black heating panels hanging down – the room is heated to a comfortable 27 degrees.

The mats are aligned perfectly, but you don’t just choose your own here; you have pre-booked a specific mat. I find my way to mat B4, and all the tools of a yoga class are already there for me – a block, a strap and a mat, with a bolster and a towel nearby.

It was 10 minutes before the class began, so I copied everyone else and lay down on my back. I had noticed the ‘hum’ as soon as I’d walked in the room, and now I looked around for the source. I think it was coming from small speakers hidden in the ceiling – otherwise, there was a man crouched on a rafter up there, fooling us all.

Here’s what the Humming Puppy website says about the humming noise:

“Our yoga space or ‘shala’ is injected with a combination of frequencies to enhance and deepen your experience. More specifically we use a combination of 7.83hz and 40hz. Being submersed in these frequencies helps you to naturally produce matching frequencies through a process of entrainment.”

“7.83hz (otherwise known as the Schumann Resonance) is actually the frequency of the earth itself and helps to ‘ground’ you through your practice. 40hz is specifically associated with ‘Gamma’ brainwave activity, integral for achieving states of peak performance. Elite athletes, top-notch musicians and high achievers in all fields, typically produce far more gamma waves than average.”

Right-o. It sounds very technical, and I was worried it would be annoying, but the hum is quite peaceful. I immediately preferred it to the ‘nature bird soundtrack’ and other such tracks they play in yoga studios – this feels so natural.

It’s hard to explain the effect the hum has on your body; it’s soothing in the same way as when a heavy bass speaker at a music concert resonates through your body, but without the stress on your ears. As I was lying there, I genuinely felt the sound moving through my body, soothing it with resonance.

The class itself was incredibly relaxing (although, I did choose the laziest class possible – they certainly have far more advanced classes than ‘Mellow Hum’). Though Humming Puppy doesn’t prescribe to any particular style of yoga, choosing a conglomerate flow instead, this class has a few long-held poses and lots of deep breathing. Classic yoga, really.

At the end of the class, there is some chanting (which I just sit and listen to, because I don’t know the words and can just imagine doing a cringe-worthy chant at exactly the wrong spot) and the instructor uses some singing bowls to create an even louder hum. The singing bowls are amazing – again, I feel surprised at the peaceful reaction in my body. Am I becoming a hippy? Yes. Do I care? No.

I leave the class in the most incredible daze, feeling so relaxed that I swear my body could be poured into a coffee cup. This place is so fancy, you don’t even have to wipe down your mat – you just float away from class, leaving someone else to do all the dirty work. I have another sixteen free coconut waters (just kidding. I have one. Okay, three.) and then climb on my unicorn, riding the rainbow road home to my wheat hut. I’m a hippy now. I do hippy things.

In all seriousness, if you’re looking for a new addition to your yoga practice, or you just want to feel so relaxed you might melt, I highly recommend trying a humming yoga class.

Or at the very least, hire someone to quietly hum at 7.83 hz and 40hz while you stretch on your mat at home. Lovely.

Would you be interested in a humming yoga class?