Even before the Yoga Challenge I was getting deathly sick of my yoga playlists. Really, how much Carlos Nakai, David Parsons and Todd Norian can a body take?? Now that I’m teaching 3 times a day, 6 days a week, my old playlists are really beginning to drive me bats.
I’ve tried downloading playlists that were suggested by Yoga Journal that were the faves of LA yoga teachers, and can I just tell you? I have no idea what postures they are doing in those classes that that music would fit. I listen to this music and think, “What the hell would I lead here?” But still, I liked that it wasn’t “yoga music.”
So last week I created a “mellow morning mix” in Itunes. I figured if it didn’t work for yoga, I would still like it for “life.” The other day I played it for morning yoga to mixed reviews, and this morning I played it again and it got more favorable reviews. Some people don’t like music for yoga at all, and I can totally respect that, but these days with all the truck traffic grinding down Main St. I really need to mask the roar.
So here’s my Mellow Morning Mix. Feel free to steal it, and if you do, let me know how it works out for you. And if you have a nice playlist that you think I’d like, for godsakes, send it! I’m desperate here!
Mellow Morning Mix
Song Artist Album
Radhe Wah! Savasana
Morning Has Broken Cat Stevens Cat Stevens: Greatest Hits
Breath Alexi Murdoch Time Without Consequence
Blindsided Bon Iver Valentine
Something The Beatles Abbey Road
Don’t Know Why Norah Jones
Here, There And Everywhere The Beatles Revolver
He Ma Durga Donna De Lory The Lover and the Beloved
Come Away With Me Norah Jones Come Away With Me
In My Life The Beatles Rubber Soul
On the Road to Find Out Cat Stevens Tea for the Tillerman
You Are the Only One I Love Jaymay Autumn Fallin’
Three Little Birds Bob Marley Legend
Here Comes The Sun The Beatles Abbey Road
Good Day Sunshine The Beatles Revolver
Inspiration Location 
Aaawwwwww, I love so many of these songs! I need to experiment more with my music! Last night, I went to see Ben Harper at Lycoming College. Fab Fab Fab. Fairly intimate setting. I had worked most of the day and didn’t get my yoga session in, so I knew that once I returned home, I would need to devote some late-night time to it. So, I had my session around MIDNIGHT … just 20 min., but I was energized from the concert & the mellow routine with long stretches & deep deep breathing was the perfect way to tuck myself in for the night.
Ben played a couple of my favorite songs last night and I would recommend them for Yoga: “Amen Omen,” “She’s Only Happy in the Sun,” “Happy Everyafter in Your Eyes” and “Diamonds on the Inside.” (He also played “Serve Your Soul” – great message but definitely a bit edgy for the yoga scene? But surely not improbable!) … Other good Harper tunes (I’m listening to them now! Ooooo …. mmmmmaybe I’ll create my own Ben Harper-Yoga Playlist on my ITunes and play it TODAY!! yyyyeah, yyyyyeah … good idea Kath!!!): “Morning Yearning,” “Blessed to be a Witness,” “Waiting for You,” “Picture in a Frame,” “When She Believes” and possibly the edgy “With My Own Two Hands” (would need to loop that one with the higher-energy zone along with “Serve Your Soul” … again, tho, great message surely embraced by yogarians … and a funky reggae beat to boot.) Harper also does a yummy version of Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes.”
Alright, that’s it … Kath, if you don’t have any of the aforementioned songs, I’ll pull these together for you & will burn you a CD. If not for yoga, for LIFE!”
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Cindy, I am going to check out Ben Harper right now!!
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Kath, check out this video for “Morning Yearning” (it was directed by Ben Harper’s friend, the now late Heath Ledger). Beautiful!
Last night, I did Sun Salutations to this: “She’s Only Happy in the Sun” … lovely. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJUOcrQ9_RM&feature=related
Did some leg stretches & twists to “Diamonds on the Inside” … http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gpGv0gG9fk&feature=related
Is Ben Harper totally yummy or what?!?
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whoops … I forgot to post the Morning Yearning link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqbcV39Sq1o&feature=related
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THESE songs?! For YOGA?!?! Ew. No. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Every cell in my body is disagreeing. Post savasana I would like them, as they are great, easy to listen to songs, but during? No. I don’t like songs with words during a practice unless I can’t understand them. They make me think to much about past memories when all I want to do is focus on the now. Self-appointed DJ Brynne’s review: Hell no.
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teeheeheehee. I have mainly been listening to NO music while doing my sessions. The other morn, tho, I listened to some tribal drum music (no words) and it helped me shake-things-up-a-bit. Truly, I would not make this music a “regular practice” – I prefer gentle music with no words or no music (especially if I’m outside – I like listening to nature!). But, every now and then, when I’m getting to the point where I need to inject some new life into it all, I will, indeed, spice-it-up-a-bit. Plus, it helped me relive some of my joyous concert experience last night (minus the drunk obnoxious college kids) and I added some dancing to the yoga too! Joyful! 🙂
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I know. I know. You’re right and I agree (esp. the “evocative” memory-inducing piece). But you “hadda be there” and had you been, I think you would have been alright with it. It was soft, in the background, and there was silence for savasana. I would not play this list regularly, but once in a while, just to get the “patchouli” stink out of the room.
K.
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Brynne–the comment after Cindy’s was to you. I don’t know what happened here.
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I’m still not 100% sold, but I’m sure it wasn’t that that bad. I’ll just have to get to the studio to try it out :j
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Alrighty, I just completed Day 18 (straight & twisted) with a breathless one-hour session while listening to my new Ben Harper Yoga Music Playlist on ITunes. 🙂
I yoga-ed from 8:15 to 9:15 pm … catching glimpses here & there in the window of a vivid planet in the Western sky … I believe it is Venus. There’s a lovely crescent moon hanging in the cobalt blue Western sky too. Oh, the joy.
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I loved this mix!! I left town Thursday for NYC and drove up Monday. Sorry I’ve been flakey about making it to Mansfield but now that I have my own mat I’ve been trying to do the yoga for strength “playlist” at home. I will try and force myself to get up in time tomorrow morning 🙂
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