First comes the sound of the gong, and then the sound of screams.
It’s not a horror film. It’s the sound of Clevelanders participating in a primal scream event on the shores of Edgewater Beach.
The Cleveland Scream Club offers attendees a way to let out raw emotions and reconnect with themselves by practicing primal screaming, a personal wellness technique often utilized by followers of yoga and new age spirituality.
‘Born out of a joke’
The Cleveland Scream Club is run by health coaches Megan Ruggiero and her fiance, Patric Pariano, of Embody Freedom Wellness. Ruggiero is also a yoga instructor and fertility/menstrual cycle health specialist.
“The Scream Club was born out of a joke,” admitted Ruggiero. “We had just thought it would be funny.”
“The first one we did,” she recalled, “we actually called it a ‘Scream Rave’ where we had ecstatic dance, we did a little bit of yoga, we had a sound healing session with my crystal bowls, and then we did some group screaming. So it’s a little bit different. It’s kind of evolved since then.”
Primal scream therapy is a way to relieve suppressed pain and trauma. “It’s all about just getting back in touch with nature,” Ruggiero said, “and getting back in touch with your roots as a human being who has emotions that are not always nice, and those have to come out too, you know.”
Who attends Scream Club?
Ruggiero said people who experience anxiety and may be timid by nature are most attracted to the benefits of the Scream Club. Attendees range in age — the youngest so far was 18, and the oldest was in their 60s.
“It’s people who are open to new experiences,” said Ruggiero, “and [some] who may have trouble with regulating intense, negative emotions, people who have never really been given permission to release, you know, the ugly stuff.”
“We’re appreciative of anyone who’s willing to give it a try,” she added. “We know it’s kind of weird and nerve-wracking, so we have respect for anyone who is willing to get out of their comfort zone. It really will help you grow and expand as a person.”
‘People are either deeply disturbed by it…or they are deeply curious.’
Every Scream Club event starts with a brief introduction to the event by Ruggiero and Pariano, who then lead attendees through about 10 minutes of somatic body movements and diaphragmatic breathing exercises to loosen up the body, mind and vocal cords.
“We educate them on how to take a deep breath so we’re not damaging the vocal cords,” Ruggiero explained. “That’s a big part of it is the breath, to be able to release a full primal deep scream.”
Everyone gets into their stance, and when Ruggiero hits the gong, the screaming begins. Each scream is meant to last around 30 to 45 seconds. She hits the gong again to end the session. The group re-regulates their bodies and breathing and prepares for the next scream. There are usually three to four scream sessions before the process concludes. The whole event lasts 20 to 25 minutes.
“People are like, either deeply disturbed by it and want nothing to do with it,” said Ruggiero, “or they are really deeply curious.”
The Cleveland Scream Club is free to attend meets every Sunday at Edgewater Beach at 6 p.m. For more information, find the Cleveland Scream Club on Facebook or Instagram.
