How Yoga music can enhance your Yoga Practice
Can Yoga Music Change the Effectiveness of your Yoga practice?
It’s fairly obvious that music has an effect on us as human beings. How many times have you been driving along in your car and all of a sudden a song you love comes on the radio, you turn it up and feel happier almost instantly. Similarly, a song you detest might instantaneously put you in a bad mood. Music has a solid impact on how we operate in most situations of our life, including the effectiveness of our yoga practice.
Yoga has a rhythm and momentum to it, whether you’re practicing in a class or on your own. The Yoga music that is playing in the background of your session does have an effect on the atmosphere of the room. Classical or steady 4/4-tempo “easy listening” music is simple for us to digest, as it doesn’t require much of our attention. Disjointed or loud music, on the other hand, can have the opposite effect, making it hard to concentrate and focus on the session.
Music and Breath in Yoga
You can lock the rhythm of your breathing onto certain tempos that are “easy on the ears” such as 4/4 beats. You can find Yoga music with this tempo easily, and if you time it right, you can synchronize your breath to the beat. This will help you stay focused on healthy diaphragm breathing.
Additionally, the tempo of the music being played in the background of your session will impact your mood and emotions. If the sounds evoke positive feelings, you’ll find yourself having a deeper, more meaningful yoga session. The breath doesn’t have to lock onto the beat for this to happen, but your breathing will be smoother and more in tune with your movements.
How Music Affects Us
Music stimulates us in multiple ways. It can push us to try harder, it can relax us into a deep sleep, or it can make us want to dance and have fun. The effect music has on our moods is almost endless, and since we can tie individual sounds together with memories, we can bring forth a variety of emotions as we hear those sounds.
This begs the question, how do we want to feel while practicing yoga? Depending on the type of yoga you’re learning, you’ll want to choose music that resonates with the concept and pace of the practice. For example, if the speed of breath and movements is faster, you may want to play upbeat pop music, this is very common for most gymnasiums as it helps people put in a good workout by lifting their spirits.
Scientific studies and research have been conducted into how music can increase our athletic abilities through pushing us to reach goals and try harder. It feels natural to be moved by music, but the science behind it is truly incredible. As soon as certain music is played, chemicals are released from the brain throughout the body, changing our emotions, feelings and mood simultaneously. This is why people go crazy when their favorite song comes on in a club or at a wedding.
What Music is Best for Yoga?
There are hundreds of music videos on YouTube that induce distinct moods which will help you practice yoga. Simply search the platform for the type of atmosphere you wish to create along with the word “music,” and you should get a substantial amount of results back. Certain videos may be censored in your country, but you can always get around that by using a VPN.
You can also find playlists on YouTube or streaming services such as Spotify that are tailored specifically for yoga. These have become very popular in recent years as the interest for yoga continues to grow. New Yoga music is being added to playlists every day, so it’s a good idea to favorite any songs you like in case they’re replaced by more modern selections.
Alternatively, whatever music you already love that puts you in a good mood is perfect to practice yoga to. Just make sure that your session isn’t slowed down or lethargic compared to normal when you listen to music. If you feel like you aren’t enjoying the session as much as you usually would, change the music until you find something that works for you. Remember music can impact us in positive and negative ways depending on our circumstances and how we wish to feel.
Author : Cassie is a yoga student who also enjoys listening to relaxing, calming music while practicing. She likes teaching others about the benefits of yoga and how it can contribute to a healthy, well-balanced lifestyle. Follow Cassie on Twitter @eHealth_Inform
