TUUUUUUNE!

You may notice that I like to reference song titles or lyrics in my messages, and that’s my way of expressing my love of music.  Other than that I tend to keep yoga and music separate. This is a personal preference, and I do think there are circumstances where music can compliment or even enhance the yoga practice.  

There’s Kirtan, a form of meditation, which is chanting (usually in a call and response format). In my limited experience with Kirtan it has brought forward the most cathartic and joyful release of held emotions. I highly recommend trying it! 

There are teachers who are really good at choosing music that’s precisely curated to their sequences, and teachers who have an ear for finding the right kind of ambient music for their classes. Without a doubt it’s a skill. One that I’m not sure I have…

As a yoga teacher, music pulls me out of focusing on my students because I’ll be thinking, “Do they like this song? Is it distracting? Oooh I think they like it! Ohhh no they don’t”. 

I know for some, silence can feel uncomfortable, but as a yoga student, some of my most memorable classes have been when my mind was able to focus on: 1) the teacher, 2) on my breath, 3) movement, and 4) the sensations in my body. That’s actually a lot to pay attention to!

The visceral experience of music can be profound - the singing, dancing, swell of emotions, triggering of memories - there is nothing like it. But unless the music perfectly blends with the poses or fades into the background, it can be a distraction. 

For me, there are already so many distractions running through my monkey mind, that if I have an opportunity to hone my attention and be fully present in what I’m doing, I’m going to take it. 

Maybe at some point I’ll explore soundtracking my classes but for now, I’m going to park my DJing skills and only drop it like it’s hot in my comms. 

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this, please comment below. 

Sending big love,

Sue x