When a musical artist creates songs that have become Daily Downward Dog (DDD) yoga theme songs three times, then, my fellow yogis, the time has come to bestow the honor of being The DDD’s Featured Yoga Playlist Artist. This honor goes to none other than the incomparable Lenny Kravitz.

Lenny’s musical genius has inspired my yoga theme songs in the past with “Believe,” an inspirational rock anthem, and “Let Love Rule,” a personal mantra of mine that just happened to be Lenny’s very first hit song, so I’m thinking it resonated with quite a few folks. Now he kicks it again with “Stand,” a new song from Black and White America, his first album in three years. I can’t wait to get my hands on this album, which released on Tuesday in the U.S., and includes an whopping 16 tracks!  As always, Lenny likes to play a lot of roles in his work, and he got pretty busy in this video too.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X100qe-TnpQ[/youtube]

You have to admit, this song is perfect for the “standing” parts of yoga class where I like to play more upbeat music. The fact that it shares an uplifting  message for my students makes it all the better.

Selected lyrics from “Stand” by Lenny Kravitz

Your faith and patience will be your soldiers
To guide you through your troubled times
Just put one foot in front of the other
The battles are inside your mind
You have the power to face your demons
No matter how they go on time
And rid yourself of your fear and weakness
So you can start to live your life

COME ON! stand, up again
Come on, stand,
Stand, you’re gonna run again

 

I found a cool story on Lenny’s official Web site about how he came about writing one of the songs on Black and White America. He recorded much of the album in a tiny community in the Bahamas. Lenny states that he dreamed a lot of the music while hanging out at the beach. One morning, he recalls, “he just woke up and ran to the studio and this thing came out,” which turned out to be the funk-style groove of “Life Ain’t Ever Been Better Than It Is Now.”

I can just imagine Lenny waking up, his heart soaring, bursting with creative energy, and sprinting into the studio to record this song. I love when that same type of feeling just overtakes me at times—the feeling of pure bliss, the one that makes me feel that life is so freakin’ awesome! I always feel moved to write or smile or just share it with someone, and Lenny used his gift to carry it forth in a song.

Also from Lenny’s Web site, this is what he had to say about his new album: “This album is a celebration,” he offers. “Anybody listening is going to feel it and be uplifted by the spirit of the music.”

Lenny, that is exactly how I want music to make me feel, and why I have included so many of your songs in my yoga class playlists!

Rock Image: Gabriella Fabbri