Yoga Tunes: Episode 2

45 Minute Killer Beats Playlist

• One Day with You - Pogo
• Composure - B. Fleischmann
• A Real Hero - College & Electric Youth
• Halcyon Days - Mokhov
• Deltinu - Aydio
• Tiger Tempo - Arms and Sleepers
• A Summer Song - Conner Youngblood
• I Wanted You to Stay on the Other Side - Summer Heart
• Staying - Koda
• Lost Karma - The Herd Brothers

Yoga Tunes: Episode 1

While some claim they are able to tune out the background music in a yoga class, I find that it plays a pretty big role in my concentration. The right music can really make or break a class. 

I try to put a lot of thought into choosing music for my classes and arranging it in such a way that it matches the tempo of the class (thanks to an awesome Yoga Music course with Derek Beres at the Yoga Nation tour).

50 Minute Flow Playlist

• Candy Coated Intelligence - The Secret Whistle
• Decibel - The Analog Affair
• Composure - B. Fleischmann
• Tiger Tempo - Arms and Sleepers
• Someone Great - LCD Soundsystem
• Are You With Me - Lost Frequencies
• Stay With Us - Seoul
• The View - Eastern Sun
• Song in G - Kevin Courtney

What are your favorite songs to hear in yoga class?

10 Favorite Savasana Songs

Oh, sweet corpse pose. Nothing is better after a stretchy and sweaty practice than a long and fluffy savasana.

I try to give my classes between 5 and 9 minutes to marinate in savasana, and even then I feel like I'm not allowing ample time to savor the sweetness.

A great savasana experience is something that you'll carry with you for the rest of the day, and hopefully long afterwards.

Here's a few of my favorite tunes to whisk troubles away during relaxation:

• Aqueous Transmission - Incubus (My personal favorite)
• Things Meant to Be - Xavier Rudd
• Forever - Ben Harper
• I Am Willing - Liquid Mind (Wonderful instrumental)
• Grasses Grow - A Fine Frenzy (Overwhelming response from students - their fave)
• Om Namo Narayanaya - Deva Premal
• Be Not So Fearful - Bill Fay (Walking Dead fans may recognize this one)
• Settler - Balmorhea
• Butterfly - Xavier Rudd
• Everything - Ben Howard

*Pictured: Juicy Savasana after SUP Yoga with Tracy at Three Oak Recreation

Rocking Yoga Playlist (1 Hour Class)

I'm always looking for new music for my classes. I love how music ties in with yoga to make it almost like a dance.

So here's my latest mix! It's upbeat, fun, and a little more edgy than a traditional yoga playlist, but a good balance of both upbeat and soothing.

The actual length is about 58:30, perfect length to end at savasana and give students time to awaken before closing.

"Lion Heart" -- The Human Experience
Funky instrumental, good way to set the mood for centering.

"Breathe" -- New Navy
Another funky beat, and I like putting this in the beginning of class where we have a little silence to remind students to--you guessed it--just breathe.

"Pompeii" -- Bastille
I love how this song is powerful without being overpowering. Great for a yoga playlist.

"Safe and Sound" -- Capital Cities
I'll be honest, I'm usually the biggest fan of this song, but I think it works really well in this playlist.

"One Day" -- Matisyahu
Love the progressive reggae vibe in this tune.

"Wake Me Up" -- Avicii
This song is another great mix of funky vibes. I love that it starts out acoustic and goes into an electronic beat.

"Harvest Moon" -- Poolside
Credit to Rachel Brathen for this song. I absolutely LOVE this version of a great Neil Young song.

"Feel It All Around" -- Washed Out
Yes, the Portlandia song again. I can't get enough of it. Whenever I play it in class, everyone bops their head!

"Stubborn Love" -- The Lumineers
Just a really catchy, upbeat song.

"Have a Good Time" -- Paul Simon
OK, HERE IT IS! My chance to use my favorite song of all time in a yoga class! Seriously, just the best song ever. Who doesn't love having a good time?

"Golden" -- My Morning Jacket
There were a few MMJ songs that I toyed with adding to this list, but this one was the winner. I like it toward the end of class. Jim James' voice is just too amazing.

"The Wind Cries Mary" -- Xavier Rudd
One of my favorite covers of a Hendrix song.

"Breeze" -- Xavier Rudd
Really wonderful song for the end of class, or could be used in the beginning. I love the lyrics. Imagine yourself floating away.... they will inhale you deep into their lungs...

"Latika's Theme" -- Slumdog Millionaire Soundtrack
Great instrumental with beautiful vocals, can be used for savasana or in the beginning of class.

"Forever" -- Ben Harper
I used to be a fan of instrumental songs during savasana so that students minds could take them wherever they wanted to go, but I've gotten a really great reaction when I've played songs with beautiful lyrics like this at the end of class.

10 Favorite Yoga Playlist Songs

Sometimes the music can make or break a good yoga class. And let's be honest, we've all got that easy playlist that we go to when we are having a creative slump, but it's really refreshing and can be pretty inspiring to your practice to being some fresh music with you to the mat.

Here's a few of my current favorite songs to play during my classes:

"Keep Your Head Up" - Ben Howard
A great medium between a calming acoustic song with an upbeat tempo. I like to play this toward the beginning of class after meditation because of its message. I just love the chorus -- Keep your head up, keep your heart strong. 

"Let Me Be" - Xavier Rudd
Pretty much every one of my yoga playlists includes an Xavier Rudd song because he's just that amazing. This is a fun, upbeat song that I like to play toward the middle of class.

"Love is My Religion" (Acoustic Version) - Ziggy Marley
This is a really sweet song to play toward the end of class. It has that great reggae sound without all of the business of being too instrumental.

"Pumped Up Kicks" - Foster The People
Great for the middle of class, or even the climax of a more yin class. It's wonderfully upbeat without being too distracting.

"Feel It All Around" - Washed Out
Okay, so I never would have thought to use the Portlandia theme song in a yoga playlist UNTIL I heard Mackenzie Miller play it during an inversion workshop. It was the coolest thing, and fits so perfectly into a class.

"Your Hand in Mine" - Explosions in the Sky
Great instrumental song for opening meditation.

"One Day" - Matisyahu
Great for a climax song or leading up to it. I just love the beat, it fits really nicely.

"Shake It Out" - Florence + the Machine
I really like how this song is powerful without being overpowering. Plus, what an amazing voice.

"Stubborn Love" - The Lumineers
I've used this song for both Vinyasa and Yin classes, it's very versatile. Plus I love playing it during challenging poses when the lyrics say, it's better to feel pain than to feel nothing at all. Yep. I did that.

"Untitled (Grasses Grow)" - A Fine Frenzy
I couldn't think of a more perfect song for savasana. Not only is it perfect length - about 7 and a half minutes - but the combination of the piano, the soft voice, and the amazing lyrics literally make it the perfect song. Let your breath fill the empty space, where you used to keep the dead, dead weight.