Music and sound can inspire and enliven our practice environment. We have all been in that class in which the teacher artfully picks just the right song for the mood and tempo of the asana practice, and you are moving and in sync with the rhythm, deeply present for the full yoga experience. Conversely, music can also distract from connecting with our inner chi and be obtrusive to finding that centered head space. I'm sure you have experienced a class in which you couldn't help but be distracted by the music that seemed to keep you from emerging deeper into your practice. Music has the capability to add so much to yoga or completely change the climate of our practice.
Music has played a deeply important role in my personal life, and I have found it to be a refuge at times and symbolic of situations that I am experiencing in my life. I have also found it to be extremely telling and reported as therapeutic for many of my clients at my day job working as a behavioral health clinician. There are times when I gratefully saturate the sounds of nature, my breath, or my environment without the addition of music, and times when I am looking to be fired up for my practice or surrender to some hardly noticeable ambient music.
Whatever your relationship is with music, there is no doubt that there is infinite amounts of music available for our listening pleasure. I have narrowed down a 50 minute feel good playlist for those days when you want your yoga practice to be intensified yet equally chilled out. I have used this playlist in my vinyasa home practice routine based off of songs that have inspired me, my practice, and surrender. Flow on beauties!
1. Ends of the Earth by Lord Huron: Lonesome Dreams
2. Clair de Lune (ft. Christine Hoberg) by Flight Facilities: Down to Earth
3. Sleepless feat. Jezzabell Doran by Flume: Flume
4. 1998 by Chet Faker: Built on Glass
5. Breezeblocks by Alt-J: An Awesome Wave
6. Coffee by Sylvan Esso: Sylvan Esso
7. Trials of The Past by SBTRKT: SBTRKT
8. Go With It by TOKiMONSTA: Half Shadows
9. Here’s to Now by Ugly Casanova: 180 degrees south soundtrack
10. Breathe by Telepopmusik: Genetic World
11. Farewell to Earnest by Jyotirinda Moitra & Ustad Ali Akbar Khan: The Darjeeling Limited (Original Soundtrack)
by Elizabeth White