This article is part of our series from Wanderlusters in Australia and New Zealand. Check back for more Dispatches from Down Under!
Some say that the real magic of yoga happens in savasana. It evokes so many feelings. Relaxation, joy, and bliss are just some of the emotions I witness in class as my students lie back and absorb the benefits of the practice. Through my co-creation and journey of the Future Sound of Yoga (a sensory experience fusing together yoga and live electronic soundscapes), I truly believe music can uplift the practice of yoga to another level. The beat can build intensity and weave through each movement, creating subliminal cues. The right music can improve the rhythm of breath and energise the body.
Orchestrating this new plane of focus means that extra care has to be taken in selecting the sounds to wind back and float into savasana. Soothing music can help deepen relaxation even further, slowing down the heart rate and calming the breath. After moving through postures, the body is spent and relies on the breath to ride into relaxation. However, the mind needs a gentler touch to be softly coaxed into switching off and letting go.
As a yoga teacher, it’s not always easy to choose the right music for savasana; a beat that’s too fast becomes unsettling and tracks with high-pitched vocals can often feel too intense. Every time you step onto the mat you create a new experience, and the final pose becomes an essential cultivation of the entire journey—which is why it is important to get the final track right.
So I wanted to share my top three tried and tested tracks that I hope will help you and your students melt into a perfect, sublime savasana.
1. Phlebas – A track for savasana by SOLON
This track was designed with savasana in mind, inviting the listener into complete physical, mental, and emotional relaxation. At 10 minutes long, Phlebas gives ample time to get your students into the zone. The ambient composition of the music features electronic sounds, the distant call of bells, and analogue synthesisers that swell and envelope like the waves of the ocean.
The track was composed by Matt Singmin (a.k.a. SOLON), an English electronic musician based in Sydney who produces music for meditation and savasana for yoga practitioners, teachers, and meditators worldwide.
Check it out here (free download available).
2. Ya Devi by Edo & Jo
This track is all the more poignant because the vocalist Jo Mall Kahn passed away last year. As musicians and writers of Kirtan and devotional music, Edo & Jo travelled and toured extensively throughout Australia, Southeast Asia and India for six years. Sadly in 2015, Jo passed away due to cancer while still only in her 30s.
Ya Devi features her singing a mantra with a sonic background that is both calming and uplifting. The flute melodies and beautiful vocals combine to create a heart softening melody and a sense of freedom and weightlessness—a gentle way to end a class.
Check it out here.
3. Hold on by EAST FOREST
The timeless melody of Hold On instils a feeling of accomplishment and sense of drawing to a close. Trevor Oswalt, A.K.A East Forest plays with the sounds of nature, bringing students closer to Mother Earth and a feeling of stability and surrender.
East Forest creates musical experiences that empower inward transformation and subsequently engender positive global change. Chiming throughout this track evokes a sense of closure and a sealing in of the experience—these sounds can be very effective to wind students down after a particularly difficult or technical class.
Check it out here.
Savasana can bring up all aspects of life, not just what occurred on the mat. For many of us, this moment is the only time in our daily routines that we can completely let go and surrender, so choosing the right music can have a profound effect. I’ve seen many expressions of peace, smiles, and even tears during this quiet time. The right music takes each yogi on a different journey—recognising these moments is where yoga really begins. I’d love to hear about the tracks that work for you—feel free to share in the comments below!
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Angel Singmin is a yoga teacher based in Sydney, Australia. She is one half of the Future
Sound of Yoga. She has taught at yoga and meditation events since 2009, including Wanderlust
Festival, The Byron Spirit Festival, and The Asia Yoga Conference. She loves music festivals,
anything that sparkles, and having cuddles with her cat. Connect with Angel Singmin at futuresoundofyoga.com.