When Alice Hu first got into wellness and spirituality practices such as meditation, sound bathing, and crystals, she was a little skeptical.
“I had a friend who was hosting a two-hour-long meditation session at her yoga studio and I wanted to support her, but I was like ‘I don’t know what meditation is. I know I’m supposed to do it, but it’s so hard,'” says the 30-year-old Rockville resident.
Turns out, she discovered she actually enjoyed tapping into her spiritual and intuitive side. But there weren’t many places helping folks do that in the Washington area. When visiting friends on the West Coast, she’d find plenty of spots to hit a sound bath or a kundalini yoga class, but couldn’t find that same kind of access back home.
“I was really getting more interested in this,” Hu says, “and I wished I could continue this learning in DC, but there wasn’t as many things happening.”
That’s when she decided to start the Woo Woo Company, which is now a year old. The “community for skeptical hippies” brings experts in things like reading tarot cards, numerology, or breath work to events in DC so folks can try them out in an educational, relaxed setting.
“There’s a lot of apprehension about these topics because people don’t understand them. It seems outside their realm of experience,” says Hu. “[Woo Woo Company] is bringing something that is unfamiliar in a familiar way so people aren’t afraid.”
Events are hosted at spots like Jrink and Eaton DC and include everything from chakra-aligning yoga and sound bathing classes to workshops in using Akashic records for self-discovery.
And under the “Into the Woo” section of the company’s site, Hu posts Q&As with people like energy healers and yoga teachers about their own spiritual journeys, as well as guides to using tools like essential oils. The company also sends out a newsletter and curates an online map outlining Woo Woo-centric sites in DC such as clean beauty stores and juice bars.
The event series has been a success, says Hu, so much so that it’s now her full-time gig. “People really like it in DC,” she says. “I’m really surprised how open and receptive people have been.”
And, yes, the name is supposed to be a little tongue-in-cheek, says Hu. The event series is all about participants reclaiming things once dismissed as “woo woo” and deciding how to best use them to reflect inward, especially in a world that’s increasingly hectic.
“What we crave at the end of the day is a deep connection with the people around us. Not just talking about ‘What are you watching on Netflix?,’ but those soul-searching conversations,” says Hu. “[Woo Woo events allow people] to get in tune with themselves and spend time with themselves and quiet the chatter.”
Tickets for Woo Woo events often range from $15 to $35, and soon you can spend several days devoted to all things woo. Hu is planning a Woo Woo Company retreat in September, which will feature a weekend of healthy food, sound healing, yoga, and breath work in Berryville.
Mimi Montgomery joined Washingtonian in 2018. She’s written for The Washington Post, Garden & Gun, Outside Magazine, Washington City Paper, DCist, and PoPVille. Originally from North Carolina, she now lives in Del Ray.
