Music adds an extra dimension to our yoga practice and like the practice itself it can shift our awareness, change the way we feel and affect our physical bodies in very profound ways. Moving to music can help us stay focused in the present moment and give us a break from the chattering of our minds, but if not picked wisely music can also have the opposite effect. It can become a distraction that pulls us further away from ourselves.
In most of the yoga classes I teach, I play music. Not always throughout the entire class and sometimes only during savasana. I have created several playlists that I can choose from depending on what type of class I am teaching and who is in the class. When choosing the style of music and which songs to play in a yoga class it’s important that they are aligned with the overall theme of the class, so that the music supports the practice and does not simply become entertainment drawing our attention away from the practice itself. When I pick songs for a particular class I want them to support and enhance the energy of the room. Having said that, I sometimes pick out certain songs during class to change the energy, if I feel there is a need to do so.
Just like the experience of listening to our own breath, what we experience when listening to music is highly personal. What works for one person might not work for another. Anyway, there are some guidelines that I always try to follow when putting together a playlist for a yoga class. Here it goes:
In the beginning of the class, the build-up part, I choose music that is spacious and light enough to allow for the students to settle in their bodies and become aware of the breath. When the sequence gets more challenging physically, towards the climax, I like to add a bit of playfulness to it all, so that it doesn’t get too serious. Often a straight up pop or rock tune with a good beat to it does the trick. After the peak poses when it’s time to slow everything down I play songs that have a softness to them. Towards the end of a class when our minds and hearts are more open, I believe that we are more easily influenced by music, so for this part I tend to focus more on lyrics and pick out songs that tell a story.
This “build-up, climax and slow down“-template was also used as a reference when we wrote the songs and music for the CD that I am currently working on. I look forward to trying it out in my classes!
YogaWise Music 