I love teaching yoga to a great playlist – and for my vinyasa classes, I like music that’s uplifting and joyful. Music that will infuse my students with energy and happiness.
Most of my yoga music is the same music I enjoy listening to the rest of the time (fortunately I have a penchant for fairly chilled, indie-folkie stuff, not death metal!) I’m often asked at the end of class what a particular track is, or whether I’ll email someone a copy of the playlist. I’ve helped students put together playlists for home practices, for travel, even to give birth to.
I’m also aware that not all students will enjoy my music, or having music at all, and that’s fine. As a yoga teacher, it’s impossible to please everyone – but if you’re not authentic and don’t teach yoga in the same way that you live and breathe it yourself, you probably won’t please many people at all.
So without further ado, in no particular order, here are 10 artists that are on high rotation during my yoga classes and my own practice, with a couple of my fave songs from each of them.
Michael Franti & Spearhead
This man radiates so much love, I could list loads of his songs! Check out:
Feelin’ Free
The Sound of Sunshine Going Down
Alexi Murdoch
Orange Sky
All My Days
James Vincent McMorrow
Higher Love
Gold
Sol Seppy
Enter One (my favourite Savasana track ever!)
Part Of
Ben Howard
Only Love
Keep Your Head Up
Benjamin Francis Leftwich
Atlas Hands
Shine
Xavier Rudd
Follow The Sun
Solace
Iron & Wine
Naked As We Came
Love and Some Verses
Ben Harper
(Why are there so many Bens on my list??)
Crazy Amazing
Forever
Bon Iver
Holocene
Skinny Love
And in addition to my top 10 yoga artists, here are a few extra songs that I think deserve a special mention:
Let’s Be Still, by The Head and the Heart
Live Your Life, by Yuna
Society, by Eddie Vedder
Breathe In Breathe Out, by Mat Kearney
So Much Magnificence, by Steve Gold
Are there others you think deserve to be on the list? I’d love to hear about them!