Sometimes you just wake up and don’t feel like getting on your mat. It happens to everyone. What usually helps me is a solid playlist of songs that gets me out of my head and provides me with the focus I need to practice poses.
I think music helps you find your Zen, on and off the mat. Music in an integral part of my life, and also helps set the tone for my yoga classes. Anyone who knows me knows that I do LOTS of research to make the best playlists for myself and my yogi students! The following list includes some of my own and my students’ favorites, including songs for adults, teens, and kids!
If anyone would like to use any of the following songs, please email me at [email protected] and I can email them to you. I would love to hear your thoughts: please comment below with your own personal favorites and suggestions!
Song: Mangalam
Artist: Prem Joshua
LOVE love love this one for Vinyasa flow! Its smooth, Indian beats with minimal vocals will have you wanting to flow your way through the entire day!
Listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Mk8bHCPF_g
Song: Silver Cruiser
Artist: Royksopp
I like warming up (e.g. Surya Namaskar) to this electro-ambient tune, especially in evening or night classes. Added bonus: guy friendly!
Listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nktU07uLGQ
Song: Be Mine Or
Artist: Kaya
This is an original piece created by a talented friend of mine living in LA. Approximately 3 minutes long, this unique instrumental intensifies as it progresses, making it a perfect one to build heat to in class.
Listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0VSv6jtLWY
Song: No Woman, No Cry, instrumental
Artist: United Guitar Players
A little Bob Marley is always a good thing :) Using this in Shavasana to end a class provides an extra boost of lightheartedness to leave with! It’s a great one for all ages.
Listen to it here: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/album/no-woman-no-cry-instrumental/id951841359?i=951841389&uo=6
Song: In The Waiting Line
Artist: Zero 7
Yogis love Zero 7! Its calming vocals and slow pace make it great for winding down. Added bonus: It was featured in the Garden State soundtrack, and anything related to Natalie Portman is obviously cool.
Listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tZlu4wP4pw
Song: Loud Pipes
Artist: Ratatat
No lyrics in this song, just some awesome beats to help build heat. I have done quite a bit of work teaching men’s yoga, and learned this is VERY guy-friendly, adults or teens!
Listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iexoDhvwGbo
Song: Elevator Beat
Artist: Nancy Wilson
From the Vanilla Sky soundtrack, this guitar and piano based instrumental is totally suitable for a relaxing meditation exercise and Shavasana.
Listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfV-YzMfvns
Song: Who Says
Artist: Selena Gomez
Yoga, by nature, is super uplifting. Call me cheesy, but this song is too! Tween and teen girls especially love it, and it can be a great one to start off the day (even off the mat)!
Listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzE1mX4Px0I
Song: Breathe Me
Artist: Sia
You might know Sia of recent ‘Chandelier’ and ‘Titanium’ fame, but I’ve been listening to her from way back when. This is one of her older goodies. It works for both warm up and winding down, and the lyrics lend themselves to partner poses (which, if you haven’t tried, are awesome, especially for the kiddos)
Listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=539lIBy7QXs
Song: All of Me (violin version)
Artists: John Legend & Lindsey Stirling
If you don’t know this John Legend song yet, you must! The lyrics, truly heartening, can make movement to any sequence of poses more powerful. The violin played by Stirling adds extra warmth to an already touching song.
Listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwsYvBYZcx4
Honorable Mention
Song: Latika’s Theme
Artist: A.R. Rahman
Peaceful yet full of feeling, this song is wonderful for opening a yoga session, and also cooling down. I love it so much that I even used this as background music in my wedding trailer! :) Added bonus: It’s from the acclaimed film Slumdog Millionaire.
Listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kfjj8BOebMM
I think music helps you find your Zen, on and off the mat. Music in an integral part of my life, and also helps set the tone for my yoga classes. Anyone who knows me knows that I do LOTS of research to make the best playlists for myself and my yogi students! The following list includes some of my own and my students’ favorites, including songs for adults, teens, and kids!
If anyone would like to use any of the following songs, please email me at [email protected] and I can email them to you. I would love to hear your thoughts: please comment below with your own personal favorites and suggestions!
Song: Mangalam
Artist: Prem Joshua
LOVE love love this one for Vinyasa flow! Its smooth, Indian beats with minimal vocals will have you wanting to flow your way through the entire day!
Listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Mk8bHCPF_g
Song: Silver Cruiser
Artist: Royksopp
I like warming up (e.g. Surya Namaskar) to this electro-ambient tune, especially in evening or night classes. Added bonus: guy friendly!
Listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nktU07uLGQ
Song: Be Mine Or
Artist: Kaya
This is an original piece created by a talented friend of mine living in LA. Approximately 3 minutes long, this unique instrumental intensifies as it progresses, making it a perfect one to build heat to in class.
Listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0VSv6jtLWY
Song: No Woman, No Cry, instrumental
Artist: United Guitar Players
A little Bob Marley is always a good thing :) Using this in Shavasana to end a class provides an extra boost of lightheartedness to leave with! It’s a great one for all ages.
Listen to it here: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/album/no-woman-no-cry-instrumental/id951841359?i=951841389&uo=6
Song: In The Waiting Line
Artist: Zero 7
Yogis love Zero 7! Its calming vocals and slow pace make it great for winding down. Added bonus: It was featured in the Garden State soundtrack, and anything related to Natalie Portman is obviously cool.
Listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tZlu4wP4pw
Song: Loud Pipes
Artist: Ratatat
No lyrics in this song, just some awesome beats to help build heat. I have done quite a bit of work teaching men’s yoga, and learned this is VERY guy-friendly, adults or teens!
Listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iexoDhvwGbo
Song: Elevator Beat
Artist: Nancy Wilson
From the Vanilla Sky soundtrack, this guitar and piano based instrumental is totally suitable for a relaxing meditation exercise and Shavasana.
Listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfV-YzMfvns
Song: Who Says
Artist: Selena Gomez
Yoga, by nature, is super uplifting. Call me cheesy, but this song is too! Tween and teen girls especially love it, and it can be a great one to start off the day (even off the mat)!
Listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzE1mX4Px0I
Song: Breathe Me
Artist: Sia
You might know Sia of recent ‘Chandelier’ and ‘Titanium’ fame, but I’ve been listening to her from way back when. This is one of her older goodies. It works for both warm up and winding down, and the lyrics lend themselves to partner poses (which, if you haven’t tried, are awesome, especially for the kiddos)
Listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=539lIBy7QXs
Song: All of Me (violin version)
Artists: John Legend & Lindsey Stirling
If you don’t know this John Legend song yet, you must! The lyrics, truly heartening, can make movement to any sequence of poses more powerful. The violin played by Stirling adds extra warmth to an already touching song.
Listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwsYvBYZcx4
Honorable Mention
Song: Latika’s Theme
Artist: A.R. Rahman
Peaceful yet full of feeling, this song is wonderful for opening a yoga session, and also cooling down. I love it so much that I even used this as background music in my wedding trailer! :) Added bonus: It’s from the acclaimed film Slumdog Millionaire.
Listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kfjj8BOebMM