This is the third article in a series about how to use music to enhance whatever you’re doing, whenever you’re doing it. See also: Two Meditative States that are Best with Music and Shiva Rea: Why the Soundtrack to Your Life Matters.
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Music shapes emotion, adding to the ambience of life’s many soundtracks. It helps us drop into a moment and carries a tremendous force of creative power. Music feeds us—which is why music is especially effective during a yoga practice. It acts as a sponge that absorbs mental noise and directs energy toward the desired impact. I’ve witnessed it firsthand as a yoga teacher, longtime practitioner, and the creator of ‘Yoga Soundscape’, a yoga + meditation practice orchestrated to an eclectic range of live music. When you match movement and music thoughtfully, you bring harmony and insight to your body-mind-emotion-spirit connection that will ripple into every aspect of your life.
Ready to combine the perfect music with your yoga practice? Here are five musical qualities to inspire the rhythm of your movements and breath. Take a moment, tune-in, and feel how you need to flow today:
Steady Progress
One of my favorite ways to move is slow and steady while aligning my intentions and bones with smooth electronica. Dive in and practice your favorite yoga sequences to Electronic Study: IDM Radio.
Heady Calm
If you need some mental space, slow down. Find a comfortable seat, hit play, and meditate on Tibetan Singing Bowls Meditation Radio. Enjoy a sweet calm while you do some restorative yoga or simply sit still and listen.
Grounded Power
More in the mood to root and rise? Build heat and shake out the dust as you flow to Blissed-Out Beats Radio. Don’t be shy if your hips start to bounce and swing a little in down dog.
Nurture the Soul
Some days the noise of life may feel like overload and you need music that’ll smooth the edges and drop you in deep. Nurture yourself with a relaxing journey: Keep Dreaming: Morning Downtempo Radio.
Uplift & Inspire
Discover a perfect balance of strength and grace in your practice. Uplift your senses and refine your focus with the eclectic blend of evocative and inspiring music on Yoga: Elevation of Spirit Radio.
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So there you have it! Five awesome musical options to breathe, move, and meditate to. Each inspires a different energy, so explore the full range and enjoy the ride.
Let me know how it goes. How did the music shift your practice? Which station worked best for you? Do you have a favorite station you want to share?
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Note: Google Play Music is available for free in the U.S. and internationally for $9.99/month. Try it free for 30 days at g.co/playmusic
Aarona Ganesan
With yoga, holistic health and the arts being at the forefront of her life’s journey, Aarona has a deep sense of how to guide a nourishing and dynamic experience both on and off the mat. In 2008 her love of music led her to create ‘Yoga Soundscape’, a live music moving meditation (not to mention that her father was a manager for Johnny Cash, Stevie Nicks and the Motown record label when she was wee big). Aarona teaches in NYC, facilitates adventure yoga retreats and events globally, leads empowering women’s workshops and is the author/founder of the upcoming healing cards ‘The Moon Deck’. Aarona has been featured in the NY Times, Self Magazine, National Geographic Traveler UK, The Weather Channel, Wall Street Journal, Fréttblaðið, Times of India, Origin Magazine, the cover of FitYoga, NBC, Elephant Journal, Yoga Journal, AlignYo, Well+Good NYC, and Co-Creator Radio. To learn more about Aarona, please visit: www.aaronaganesan.com
Photo by Ali Kaukas
In partnership with Google Play Music
Google Play Music provides free, ad-supported radio for what you’re doing, how you’re feeling, or what you want to hear. Instantly start radio stations based on songs, artists, or albums, or browse by genre, mood, activity, decade, and more. Bring your own music collection with you by uploading 50,000 of your own songs; then listen to them across Android, iOS, and the web, for free. Want more? Subscribe to remove the ads and get on-demand access to millions of songs. Plus, download anything to your mobile device and listen even when you’re not connected.
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Learn where Google Play Music is available here.
Learn more about Google Play Music here.