During my childhood I suffered several traumatic experiences that left me with emotional scars and wounds. I covered up those scars and wounds with protective barriers and walls to keep people from entering my vulnerable heart. When I was too scared to even whisper the word gay, it was music that eventually showed me how to sing the song of who I am.
Rewind to 1991, age 16. I decided that I wanted to create music for a living. For the first time in my life, I felt a true passion for something. I devoted hours to mixing, listening and studying. Later, I would realize that these are the three things we all must do, every day, if we want to live our dreams: Listen, Study and Mix.
The premise is simple. Listen to your soul. Study the masters. Find the right mix of what moves you – what you’re good at, what you feel driven by and what makes you sing. Set yourself free.
My father introduced me to some of the great modern sages of mindfulness and empowerment. It was on his coffee table that I first discovered The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, by Deepak Chopra.
From there, my dad introduced me to other metaphysical and spiritual teachers such as Wayne Dyer, James Redfield and Dan Millman.
This new journey felt as right as my music. In fact, I knew instinctively that the two would always go hand-in-hand. The works of the great sages were about creating my life; the work of my music was about writing the soundtrack. Finally, the right mix was becoming clear to me.
Using these new found tools – and marching, as always, to the beat of my own drum- I set off. My first audience was the dance floor. As a young DJ, I realized how music can transform an empty room into a space of love, community and celebration. My DJ career took flight, and took me around the world. Performing at events that I had only dreamed about, I moved from New Orleans to Miami and began traveling the globe. My star was on the rise. My visualizations were becoming reality. All my plans were reaching fruition.
Underneath all of the success, I still had a deeper level of healing that needed to take place.
Enter new love and subsequent heartbreak. I lost myself and the resulting grief broke me open and left me unsure of who I was. It was as if the world had collapsed around me. I was swimming in a pool of depression, anger, sadness and shame. I was stuck in a loop and I had no idea how to get out of it. This lesson allowed me to see how my repeated patterns and behaviors were causing me to hurt myself and others. While struggling with displaying my vulnerabilities to others, I continued to tour wearing a mask of deception. As I would take the stage before a gig, I would try and find my value through the reaction of the dancefloor, but my self-worth was diminished amidst the fog in the club. I felt a deep sense of not belonging. I didn’t feel worthy of love. I would play a gig with thousands of people filled with high energy and excitement only to return to the hotel alone. I wanted to vanish. I felt like I was lying to myself and to the world.
Unbeknownst to me, that dark period provided another powerful opportunity to listen, study and mix. I took this opportunity to understand and trust the voice of my intuition and listened to the call to move to Boulder, Colorado in the fall of 2011. I became a fearless explorer by surrounding myself with nature, diving deeper into my meditation practice, working with my own coach and therapist and attending various spiritual retreats and personal development workshops.
Transforming myself became my first priority and I knew that the only way out was through. This deeper look into my fears gave me the space to sit with myself and ask some uncomfortable questions:
“Do I matter?” ”Am I worthy?” “Am I good enough?” “Why am I here?”
It was time to get to the root of my patterns, release past traumas and heal my wounds. I committed to two years of The Personal Transformation Intensive thru the Wellness Institute. Not knowing what was before me, I had to learn to trust the process, take time off of touring and invest in my emotional well-being. Thru the power of group work, I realized how connected we all are. We shared the same fears of speaking our truth, being seen, being judged or keeping an appearance of having our lives “all together”.
We can each find the special instrument we were given to achieve our dreams and desires.
Holding space for others and witnessing their transformation in front of my own eyes was liberating, inspiring and heart-awakening. In witnessing someone’s “aha” moment, it reminds me of the same feeling when I play a new record on the dancefloor and see wonder, excitement or a release on their face. That realization was the seed that lead me to pursue the path of becoming a Life Coach. Once again it was time to listen, study and mix.
It was once said to me, “The wounded becomes the healer,” and that resonated with me like a deep soundwave all through my body. I knew that it was time for me to share my experience and help others transform their lives so that they too could be seen as the light we were all born to be. I know, first hand, that darkness can be scary, intimidating and real. I understand what it is like to find yourself at a crossroads. I know how agonizing it can be to reach to the other side. I understand the importance of following one’s vision and dreams, regardless of the negative loops in your head that tell you otherwise. And most importantly, I know that the show of life must go on, even when we want to scream – “last call.”
Fast Forward to 2016. What I believe is simple, and simply true: We can each find the special instrument we were given to achieve our dreams and desires. My instrument, Music, was and will always be a form of service. Now, a new instrument of service has been added to my repertoire. Yet my mission remains the same; to move, motivate and inspire others on and off the dancefloor.
If you mix, listen and study with purpose, passion and vision, you can and will Remix Your World.
It is my own version of seek, and you shall find.
Bodhi Calagna (they/them)
Whether they are remixing pop and underground artists or headlining major dance festivals worldwide, Calagna’s dancefloor is where faith and fable, gods and goddesses, and discovery and desire meet in a new truthology of sound.
Their unique blend of organic sounds, poetic wisdom, hypnotic beats, and modern pulses combine to elevate the listener to the center of their consciousness and the heart of the dancefloor. Mixing sensual and spiritual rhythms with tones of empowerment and ecstasy. They define their soul-enriching sound as “omtronica.”
Regardless of how you connect with Calagna, you are guaranteed to leave with your soul nourished and your heart ready to tackle your next challenge.
Remixer. Change Maker. Visionary
Calagna has remixed pop artists such as Lady Gaga, Yoko Ono, Ricky Martin, Akon, Audien, and Lady Antebellum, in addition to releasing numerous underground house tracks for dance music’s most notable labels. Their original music has been featured on major networks, including NBC, USA, A&E, and MTV. Outside of traditional DJ life, Calagna has curated music for the prestigious Z Bar at The Peninsula Hotel Chicago and is a voting member of the Recording Academy.
Inspired to take people beyond the dancefloor, Calagna created Remix Your World to empower others to achieve their vision, navigate difficult life transitions, and develop deeper relationships. Bodhi’s coaching method combines hypnotherapy, heart-centered inquiry, sound healing, music, and online self-mastery classes. They bring their love of personal development, insight as a musician, and experience as a spiritual seeker, to each person’s pursuit to remix their world for the better.
