“DJing as a Meditation” by Eric Sharp

“We are here to awaken from our illusion of separateness.” 

― Thich Nhat Hanh 

This might read like an oxymoron to some, but I am a DJ who lives a spiritual life. I am not an expert on mindfulness or meditation, but instead a student of both who has tried many techniques over time. I have found that literally anything can be a meditation if it is approached with conscious presence and awareness. 

When one thinks about meditation, typically the types of images that come to mind are of quiet reflection. Some picture a mountaintop in solitude, a spot on the beach, or sitting in a community setting together in stillness with some type of guide. Loud music with hundreds of people dancing in revelry is perhaps the last place that one would think to go within. Yet for me, the club and the festival have been some of the most enlightening experiences I’ve had in my life. 

My journey to becoming a DJ started off as a dancer. No matter what kind of strife was happening in my life, I could find sanctuary in the music. I would experience a deep sense of oneness with everyone around me and with the universe, being fully immersed in moving my body to the beat. 

From the very beginning when playing records in front of a crowd, my goal has always been to create the same type of spiritual release for dancers that I had enjoyed so deeply. For me this means cultivating mindfulness and awakening in my daily life, and bringing that energy with me when I perform. 

Taoism teaches us about the concept of wu-wei, or non-doing. In my best nights, I lose myself entirely in the moment. I am not thinking, and every decision feels intuitive. I like to visualize myself DJing as a connection between the heavens and the earth, with universal life force flowing through my body and out of the speakers into the audience via the music that I’m mixing. 

I like to think that in some small way, we as DJs can help heal the world. Dance is an ancient form of expression that we are enabling people to partake in. In a time where unhealthy distractions from life are abundant, we can create a healthy escape that is good for the bodies and the minds of our audiences. There is a stereotype that we are driven by ego and self-aggrandizement, and not without reason. But, bringing a mindful approach to performing is the polar opposite of this. When we can get out of our own heads and our own way, we can do a lot of good by doing the thing that we love the most. We can connect people to experiences of cosmic unity and bliss.

Check out Eric Sharp’s ‘Emergence’ EP below!

Cover Photo Courtesy Jeff Straw