I love how music can set the mood and groove. If I'm in the right, receptive frame of mind, music can take me to another place.
(beginnings of a painting of an elephant, an animal associated with the Root Chakra)
(beginnings of a painting of an elephant, an animal associated with the Root Chakra)
I love listening to music while I work, while I drive, while I paint, while I write, while I clean, while I cook, and when I practice yoga.
Since I started teaching yoga, I've been experimenting with playing music in my classes. Every once in a while, I find myself speaking to the beat of the music, each breath in tune with the rhythm, each instruction feels like a lyric to the song. It's in these moments my words and the message begin to come from someplace else, from some greater, bigger, pulsating place.
I love when it happens because I almost immediately feel more confident and connected to my class.
I wonder if the students notice these moments and what it does for their experience in the class.
I wonder if the students notice these moments and what it does for their experience in the class.
I still sometimes struggle with putting playlists together and always am wondering where people find all their great music.
So far, the resources I use to find music are:
(I create a station with a musician/song I know and find all kinds of new music that is similar to it)
(sometimes, after perusing through music samples on itunes, I'll go to Groove shark to listen to the whole song, or to put together a playlist of songs to hear how they sound as a whole)
(Yoga Journal has a regular column of yoga playlists put together and used by featured yoga teachers, which you can listen to samples of on itunes)
What are some resources you use for finding great music for
practicing yoga or making art?
(blue chair and root charka print in part of my studio space)
practicing yoga or making art?
(blue chair and root charka print in part of my studio space)
This past month, I've been teaching a lot of "Root Chakra" themed classes (themes like embracing abundance, stability and steadiness in order to find freedom, rooting down to rise back up).
The musical note that helps to activate the root chakra is the C-note and the type of music related to activating the root chakra is drumming music (according to The Book of Chakras by Ambika Wauters).
So I've put together a Root Chakra playlist for you to enjoy while creating art or practicing yoga!
Allow the beat and the rhythms to move you and the deep, earthy drumming to ground you.
If so, what do you listen to and why?
If not, what do you love about the silence?
5 comments:
Love this post, love this blog, love yoga!
It may sound odd, but I like to listen to techno for yoga. I practice ashtanga and I tend to have a pretty dynamic, fast-paced practice, and techno suits my energy.
For creating it depends on my mood and what I'm making! When I'm designing I like really weird experimental electronic and beats - I like to push my own creative boundaries. When I'm making I tend to go for more mellow folky tunes.
I love the blue chair. Great post as usual. Since I don't practice yoga, I can't answer the yoga/music question, but my best thinking music is Norah Jones, James Taylor, and Carol King. Nice, mellow stuff. I also LOVE Yo Yo Ma.
I usually nab the monthly playlist from http://www.blalocksirp.com/ Great source of the latest popular/unknown indie music
This is so timely for me too, Eliza. I've been working a lot on foundation and Root to Rise in my practices (and it flows over to my teaching). The playlist was awesome for my practice yesterday.
For yoga I use a iTunes a lot still. i like to find other people's mixes and use their inspiration. And it's a fun way to mix up my own.
For creating i like to get into a resonance and use Todd's Bija Cd, or Chanting the Chakras by Layne Redmond.
and for Crafting I really like to listen to NPR's fresh air or I check out podcasts found on the web or iTunes. I've been listening to Oprah talk to Jon Kabat-Zinn and Ekart Tolle lately. : )
@Jess thanks so much! I love that you practice to Techno. I think sometimes there is this idea that yoga needs to be done in silence or only with special yoga music. but really, I think whatever moves you to the mat! It makes it much more about your practice, filling your needs and as you said so beautifully, suits your energy!
@EricaG My husband and I painted all four of our dining room chairs blue! I'll have to share pics sometime.... I enjoy Nora Jones and James taylor too!
@Kevin Thanks for stopping by, Kevin! How are you? thanks for the link to the monthly playlists, I'll be checking that out!
@dancingyogini oh I'm so excited you enjoyed the playlist and used it for your practice! I haven't heard the chanting chakras by Layne Redmond, I'll have to check that out! THanks!
Post a Comment