Spoiler alert... the answer from me is always a resounding YES! Add in some smoothie bowls and a farmer's market to that day and it sounds like a perfect one. Amazing days aside, music has always been a big part of movement and exercise for me. I feed off the energy that a song gives; it keeps me going and motivates me to push harder. So when I started practicing yoga, attending classes that had great playlists was important to me (though it's not my #1 factor anymore).
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What I want to share here is how I curate the playlists I use for the vinyasa classes I teach and maybe offer some tips if you want to make yoga playlists of your own. So this may come as no surprise, but the first thing about making a yoga playlist is to make it YOU.
If you're using it for your own practice, then make it something YOU want to listen to! If you're not sure where to start on that front, attend a few classes at a gym or studio and tune into which classes you like for the music. Ask the instructor if they will share their playlist with you or where they get their music from. This could be a great starting point! After I became a yoga teacher, I knew I wanted music to be an important part of my classes. I started using Spotify to explore already made playlists and discovered a ton of amazing music.
Spotify has been my absolute go-to for making yoga playlists! I love that it offers recommendations based on songs that are in the playlist already. If making music sets isn't part of your teaching but you want music, there are so many playlists already out there that are wonderfully amazing! So get on exploring your favorite music streaming provider! (I've embedded some of the playlists I've made for Vinyasa classes below).
"Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything." - Plato
Music for Yang Classes versus Yin Classes
Yang classes are fiery and build heat, so you usually want your music to match that tone. When I build playlists for my vinyasa classes, I keep in mind that I also include warm ups and cool downs (& obviously Savasana!); so typically, the first and last 3ish songs are slower and may not have any lyrics. From there I like the mood of my music to build and then come down before the cooling poses. So my middle main songs are upbeat and happy for the peak flow component. The songs that come directly before and directly after still have beats, just a little less so.
Yin classes are cooling and more meditative, so I like to choose playlists that are either completely instrumental or consist of some chanting. I don't think much about the order of the songs for yin classes because they all tend to have the same tone and mood - nice and mellow to allow more focus on the breath and the meditative state of the mind.
Here are some links to my Vinyasa classes playlists:
Benefits of No Music
Now, music could totally not be an element of your yoga practice and that is 100% okay! In fact, there are several benefits to practicing yoga without music (especially compared to music with lyrics or easily recognized songs). When you practice yoga without music you...
tune into your breath as a guide
focus on your mind body connection
become more aware of body alignment
might experience a more emotional practice
cultivate a sense of self
So feel free to explore this space as well. For teachers, it's also a great practice to get comfortable without music on the off chance that the studio's music system isn't working or you forgot your phone. I've been there a couple times! And it's up to you as the teacher to decide what the tone will be in not having music... so use it as an exciting opportunity!
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"Silence is a source of great strength." - Lao Tzu
Whatever your musical preference, there is a place for it in your yoga practice. So one last thing to wrap this up... your yoga playlists are also excellent cues for you as a teacher! I was kind of getting into that when talking about how I make my Vinyasa playlists, but the idea is to curate your songs in a way that will help you to recognize when it's time to pick up the pace or slow things down. It can be very easy for me to go off of my class plans, but I know I can rely on my music cues to keep me on track for a timely finish. I mean, everyone is looking forward to that well deserved savasana!
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