Music is a great way to access the emotions. It’s there in high times, low times and the everywhere in-between. The sounds of our musical peers reminds us that we’re not alone, whatever we face. For every mood, there’s a melody, and for every social movement a distinct sound to define it… So for me, music and yoga go hand in hand as a form of self-expression. Where words fail me music very often speaks, where life overwhelms me and I become stuck movement and dance allows me to flow. Often, music triggers unexpected mood, memory or emotion and at times can be an inspiration.
Using music in Yoga practice can be controversial though. It’s not for everyone. In fact, it’s not always for me. I would never practice Ashtanga to music for example. The repetitive flow of the Ashtanga series can be deeply meditative. A Place where we come up against ourselves in whatever state we are in. Music here can be a diversion away from our inner experience, and the point of this kind of practice is to find and be present for our deep self. The places we rarely access, the emotions we prefer not to stir, the human experience in all its varied glory.
In lesson planning and explorative flow though, music can add colour and depth to the process, triggering emotion and inspiring pace and mood… Music here can be the access point for deeper exploration, it can lead us in to the unknown in the most gentle of ways, and here is where we find our deep inner self. Music can simply be another teacher, guiding us on our unique journeys. So listen up!!
Here’s what I’m flowing to now, in no particular order, old and new, the artists and songs which I’m grateful for hearing and connecting with, and which I feel are worth sharing:
- ‘Unstoppable -FKJ Remix’, Lianne La Havas
- ‘Heartless’, Lapsley
- ‘Fading’, Vallis Alps
- ‘So Lonely’, Jorja Smith (Video Above)
- ‘6 Underground’, Sneaker Pimps
- ‘Spirit’, Colette Baron-Reid
- ‘Sunset Lover’, Petit Biscuit
- ‘Boat to Nowhere’, Anoushka Shankar, Matt Robertson
- ‘Shikako Maru Ten’, CAN
- ‘Raga Bhopali’, Shivkumar Sharma
- ‘Two Thousand and Seventeen’, Four Tet
- ‘Moonshine Freeze’, This Is The Kit
- ‘Beyond My Eyes’, Bibio
- ‘Salt’, RY X
- ‘Unfinished Sympathy’, Massive Attack
Have you got any favourites you can share? Comment below if you do! Enjoy your practice!
