Chances are, if you are reading this, you have googled “yoga music” at some point in the not-too-distant past. I certainly have. And like me, you were probably pretty disappointed with the search results.
Yoga Music Overload
My quest for yoga music — or “free yoga music” to be totally honest with you — usually comes to an abrupt halt when I am confronted with so much choice. How can you sift through the myriad of songs and albums out there on the great world wide web without a compass?
The best yoga music I have found is not unlike good advise. It did not come from a keyword search, but rather from a real live person. Here are a few ways to navigate the expansive yoga soundscape to find the best yoga music out there. You might even have some fun while doing it!
3 People Before Google
Dismayed by seeing direct knowledge sharing between people being replaced by the much less social activity of Wikipedia and Google searching, a good friend of mine devised a new ‘rule’ for her household, she called it the “3 people before I google rule”.
Whenever anyone in her household has a question — such as “how do I make corn-bread” or “which yoga pose can help my sore back?” — they have to ask 3 people before they go online to find the answer. This actually started some great conversations, even if no one knew the answer.
Ask a Stranger, Ask your Mom
I suggest you do the same when you are looking for new yoga music. Before browsing the web, ask your yoga teacher about his or her favorite yoga CD. Ask the person beside you in your next yoga class what they love to listen to when they do yoga at home. (You may make a new friend.) You might even ask your mom what she loves to listen to when she’s by herself. Engage with the people all around you, and you will find a wealth of musical knowledge.
Listen Outside of the Box
This brings us to the next point: Do you have to listen to yoga music when you practice yoga? What do you love to listen to when you need to relax or when you need an energy boost? Experiment by doing yoga at home to a whole range of music outside of the yoga, meditation, or new-age categories. Try different options and see what resonates with your yoga practice.
Dare to Be Different
One of my favorite yoga classes during my yoga teacher training program had a soundtrack comprised entirely of ‘pop’ music. Because I knew so many of the songs, they summoned deep emotions and my practice was enlivened and made memorable by listening to yoga music that dared to be different.