I’m a lover, not a fighter, and I especially love to share my yoga-class playlists. Here is a playlist I used a few times in December and for a class I taught on January 8. I got a few requests to share it, so here goes.

 

I started out my class by reading this awesome quote courtesy of Mario Duguay. It was the perfect statement to explain the importance of being present during yoga practice and to help get the class grounded.

Attain Serenity

I no longer let myself be swept into the turmoil of my mind and emotions.

From now on I let go of all stress, tension, and worry so I may attain harmony and serenity.

I will do one thing at a time and savor each moment.

I took the class through some breathing exercises, and when I felt everyone was relaxed and in the right frame of mind, I fired up the music.

I have to admit, there was not a specific theme to the music selected other than just wanting to share some of my favorites songs from a mix of new and classic artists.

Annie Lennox kicks off the class with “A Thousand Beautiful Things” and has such a great pool of music to select from that she may just be my next Yoga Playlist Featured Artist.

You have to check out the version of “Empire State of Mind” I selected. It’s not the rap mash-up version of Alicia with Jay-Z, but rather a slow-moving, beautiful ballad sang solo by Alicia.

I included a little shout-out for my love of Broadway musicals and Green Day by including a song from the American Idiot soundtrack.

For savasana I selected “Aqueous Transmission” by Incubus. If you are ready to commit to a longer savasana in your class, “Transmission” provides a full seven minutes and forty-nine seconds of blissful relaxation. The last portion of the song includes up to a minute of real frogs croaking outside the studio where the song was recorded. It is sublime and, trust me, the perfect background to peacefully bring your class out of savasana.

If you are wondering about the Cliff Habian Trio, I always try to include a local Ohio artist in my playlist, and Cliff and his boys (Bill Ransom and Glen Holmes) are a classical jazz group and mainstay of the Cleveland lounge scene.

Warm-Up

“A Thousand Beautiful Things” · Annie Lennox

“Like a Star” · Corinne Bailey Rae

“Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down” · Alicia Keyes

“The Reason” · Hoobastank

Somewhere Only We Know” · Keane

Standing/Sun Salutations

“Changes” · David Bowie

“Baby, I Love Your Way” · Big Mountain (This is a cool reggae cover version of the Peter Frampton classic.)

“Holiday” · Madonna

“Virtual Insanity” · Jamiroquai

“Speed of Sound” · Coldplay

Floor for Hip and Heart Openers, Cooldown

Wake Me Up When September Ends” · Performed by Original Broadway Cast of American Idiot/Green Day

“Ordinary People” · John Legend

“Gravity” · John Mayer

“Long Time Sun” · Snatum Kaur

Savasana/Close

“Aqueous Transmission” · Incubus

“First Snowfall” · The Cliff Habian Trio

Total Music Time: 66 minutes

Total Class Time: 75 minutes

Stay tuned; next week I’ll be posting the playlist from my goddess-themed yoga class.

Mexico widget