With meetings scheduled weekly at North Avenue Beach pier, Scream Club Chicago is the respite you’ve been searching for. Whether you’re looking to release some tension among peers, or you just want to know what all the hubbub is about along Lake Michigan, keep reading to learn more.
Every Sunday at 7pm, at golden hour no less, a group of Chicagoans meets to practice breathing exercises, culminating with a collective yawp, a howl, bellow, caterwaul, yelp, or whoop along the waterfront. And, as you might imagine, life feels a bit lighter and freer afterward. Is it a quirky endeavor? Yes. Is this out-of-the-box thinking just the prescription you might need for today’s stresses? Maybe. But what do you have to lose?
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An initiative started by Manny Hernande, a breath-work coach, Scream Club Chicago is an outlet for many Chicagoans who are looking to relieve stress in a healthy way. Connecting with others in the outdoors, while gazing at beautiful Lake Michigan, can’t hurt either. Hernande used social media to grow a network of screamers, and the weekly sessions are growing in reputation.
"What's bringing me back out here really is that there are things I'm ready to let go of that I finally have an outlet where I can get it out of my system," said participant Alexaner Ruvalcaba to CBS News Chicago.
Forget screaming into your pillow, alone in your apartment, or, gasp, holding everything inside, which we all know is a recipe for disaster. Instead, you can join neighbors, of all ages and backgrounds, and participate in a community activity that is meant to leave you feeling as relaxed as you would if you had just finished a yoga or meditation class.
"I think this is a good way for us to be able to, in a healthy way, release whatever we have going inside out into the void," said Hernandez to CBS News.
The best part? These weekly—loud—screaming sessions are offered free of charge. Now that's truly something to scream about.