So I'm really excited about this new feature that I'll be bringing to the Sunburnt & Salty Blog. It's called GOOD VIBES and I'll be sharing with you a yoga-inspired playlist that is perfect for an at-home practice or just for finding some peace and lifting your spirit throughout the day. And if you're a teacher, please feel free to use these playlists for your own classes :)
My yoga background and training is in Baptiste Power Vinyasa Yoga. In a typical class, no music is played. The silence is meant to encourage practitioners to stay tuned into the sound of their own breath, and throughout the practice a sort of community + support is created through the symphony of all the breaths combined --- and I think that's beautiful. And absolutely necessary. Practicing in silence, to just the rhythm of your breath is one of the most powerful ways to practice - hands down - but, as someone that has always turned to music to help me shift my perspective, I find that sometimes you just need to throw on some good sounds to lift your spirit high and to get yourself out of your head and into your body. And through these playlists, this is what I intend to help you do.
From a teaching standpoint, if I'm outdoors I prefer no music, for me the sounds of the natural world is enough, but if I'm indoors I typically have music playing in the background. I try to be mindful about lyrics and never play the music so loud that I have to shout, it's simply there as a way to give people support to lean into the beats, and to encourage playfulness, letting go, and becoming comfortable + connected to the body. I try my best to align the tempo of the music and the pace of the practice and look at this background sound as a way to enhance the participation within the practice instead of being a distraction from the practice.
This playlist features some cruisy sounds that fit perfectly with a 90-minute(ish) practice. The exact playlist time runs at an hour and 23 minutes, giving you a few minutes after for an extra-long savasana, a meditation, or any breath work you'd like to include.
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Get present and get into your body with the smooth sounds of DJ Drez and Steve Gold. Build the heat as you flow through a few rounds of Sun Salutations alongside Seinabo Sey and the Kygo Remix of "Younger" paired with the bubbly beat of "Calcifer" by Yoste. The Earthy-vibe of "Mangalem" helps ground me after a fiery flow and I love to drop back into my heart openers with the help of Corinne Bailey Rae and Jai Uttal. Once East Forest is playing, I know it's time to start unraveling and really let myself unwind - this is when I become a lot more passive in my practice. Then, with the help of my boy MC YOGI, it's time to slip into sweet savasana with the dreamy sounds of "Shanti (Peace Out)"
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So however you choose to enjoy this playlist, I hope that you do, and as always I'd really love to hear your thoughts - do you practice with or without music? If you do, what are your favorite songs and artists? Comment below!
Nothing better than moving your body to some good music // Photo by Anna Posada, RSC