Yoga and Music: The Ultimate Mindfulness Recipe You Need

Ahhh, yoga. It’s been a while, old friend. Twenty years and 20 pounds ago, to be exact. I’m older and not as flexible as I used to be. So, why on Earth did I decide to try yoga with music infused?

Yoga and My “Why”

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It has been a little over a year since the pandemic hit. I haven’t gone to the gym at all since last March, and it shows. With all of the virtual teaching I’ve had to do since then, my body got used to being lazy and sitting around on my butt all day in front of a computer. Luckily, we do have students coming in a few days out of the week. So that got me moving again. However, every day seems like I’m stuck in the movie “Groundhog Day.”

I couldn’t let myself stay stuck in this rut. I had to do something so that everyday doesn’t just seem like a repeat of the day before. So, I added some things into my daily routine. I began walking everyday after work. Also, I decided to try out yoga. My reiki master, who I mentioned in a previous blog post, told me that I would benefit from Vinyasa Yoga and also Yin Yoga. In Vinyasa Yoga, you flow from one pose to the next. You focus on your breathing as you move from pose to pose, as it is “choreographed” together. Yin Yoga is very slow paced and meditative, forcing you to hold each pose for a longer period of time.

I am still not too comfortable going to a gym or a yoga studio. But after looking online, I found this incredible site that I can subscribe to for video yoga sessions.

YogaDownload

YogaDownload has everything you need if you are more comfortable trying yoga out at home. It is great for beginners, like me, as well as for those who have been doing yoga for a while and can bend and fold in more ways than even Gumby can. (Did I just show my age there?) YogaDownload is the Netflix of Yoga sessions! The site is organized extremely well, making everything easy to find. You can find sessions filtered by yoga style, instructor, ability level, intensity, session duration, and what you want to actually focus on. That was the first thing that caught my eye.

But what REALLY drew me in? They are really invested in infusing yoga and music together as much as they can! Some sessions feature specific artists. Others may suggest a Spotify playlist for you to tune into while participating in the session. They even have a section on the site dedicated to music for your wellness!

Since I’m new to this and have no yoga supplies of my own other than a mat, I’m just going to pretend that you are in the same boat as me. I only wanted to share with you some of my favorite sessions where no props are needed. If it says that a block is recommended or optional, I just used a folded up blanket and it worked just fine. Also, if you want more than the background ambiance sounds, check out yoga or spa playlists to create your own yoga and music session!

Vinyasa: Morning Wake-Up

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Energetic Flow with Music by Global Underground

Instructor: Ali Duncan
Duration: 30 Minutes
Level: All Levels
Intensity: Everyday Namaste
Props: None
Music: Included in Session

My experience: This session was an amazing way to begin my day! I felt all of my chakras open as Ali guided me through the stretches to get the energies flowing. The yoga and music combination was perfection! Very soothing! Ali had such a peaceful, calm tone. She explained throughout the session how we were stretching certain muscles, reminded me to focus my attention on different areas, and explained how to visualize the flow of energy throughout the areas of my body.

Morning Quickie

Instructor: Elise Fabricant
Duration: 15 Minutes
Level: Advanced Beginner and Up
Intensity: Everyday Namaste
Props: None
Music: Spotify Playlist recommendations

My experience: Sometimes I’m short on time in the morning because I hit the snooze button too many times. If you sometimes have that same habit, this quick wake-up session is perfect for you. This session made me realize that I need to work on my balance and flexibility more. Don’t we all?! The only critique I have with this session/instructor is that I wish she was more clear on the exact foot placements and which body part to really focus my attention so I could make sure I’m doing the poses as accurately as possible.

Get Your Day Started

Instructor: Robert Sidoti
Duration: 55 Minutes
Level: Advanced Beginner and Up
Intensity: Everyday Namaste
Props: None
Music: Just Light Background Ambiance

My experience: Ok, this one is definitely longer than the session I just finished sharing with you! I tried getting up earlier to have enough time. I had to pause it a few times because some of the poses and flows were pretty intense for me. For example, during the crow pose, he stated, “Whatever you’re doing right now, very good. Even if you’ve chosen not to.” I heard him say that as I took a break and drank some coffee. Thank you, Robert! I do consider myself an expert coffee drinker; I’m glad you noticed! Anyway, I would like to try this one again after I gain more experience and get more comfortable with yoga poses. Also It might be better for me to try it out on a day off when I’m not limited on time.

Morning Movement

Instructor: Kylie Larson
Duration: 30 Minutes
Level: All Levels
Intensity: Ahhhhhh
Props: Blocks
Music: Just Light Background Ambiance

My experience: Kylie called this the “AM Energize” session. I did not need a yoga block during this session even though it is listed in the props. The twists felt incredible! Sometimes when I was in certain twists and Kylie said to do something with a right or left arm or leg, I actually had to stop and think which one was my right and which was my left! My muscles felt amazing and not stiff like how they usually feel first thing in the morning!

Vinyasa: Increase The Intensity!

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Solid Core Flow with Music by Selador

Instructor: Kylie Larson
Duration: 30 Minutes
Level: Advanced Beginner and Up
Intensity: You’ll Feel It
Props: None
Music: Included in Session

My experience: O…M…G! This session was VERY intense. Thank goodness they combined yoga with music for this one! The description “You’ll Feel It” is an understatement. I had muscles feeling it that I didn’t even know I had. The funny this is that I actually caught myself cursing more than I was breathing. I was thinking about giving up, but the music and Kylie kept me going. She was very positive and motivational. Kylie is in impeccable shape. Me? Not so much. I don’t think the poses I was trying to mirror looked ANYTHING like hers! For instance, the “flying cat” pose? Um, yea…mine looked more like a drunk cat trying to fly, realized it had no wings! I had to pause it numerous times for a water break and some rest. My “rest” was walking around the house just to keep my muscles moving. Hey, I survived and stuck with it!

Yoga For Weight Loss: Your Body Is A Temple

Instructor: Kristin Gibowicz
Duration: 30 Minutes
Level: Advanced Beginner and Up
Intensity: You’ll Feel It
Props: Block (Optional)
Music: Just Light Background Ambiance

My experience: My body shook, I was sweating, and my heart rate went up past 120! I had to pause the video twice to grab some water and rest for a few minutes. However, I honestly thought it would have been a lot worse. I loved the different flows that were put together with different poses. The meditation at the end was just the icing on the cake. Kristen reminds us to treat your body like a temple, be kind to it, and not to be so hard on ourselves.

Vinyasa: Evening Yoga

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Moon Salutations

Instructor: Kristin Gobowicz
Duration: 10 Minutes
Level: Advanced Beginner and Up
Intensity: Everyday Namaste
Props: None
Music: Just Light Background Ambiance

My experience: I loved the positive affirmations that Kristen talked about throughout the session, such as letting go of and releasing negativity. She forced me to remind myself that I am “whole.” The flow of all of the poses was beautiful. The only critique I have is that I wish the flow was just slowed down a little so I could really experience each pose, stretch, and release emotions and tensions that I had. But for a ten minute session, it makes sense. It was a nice, calm way to end the day.

Yin Yoga

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Yin Yoga

Instructor: Elise Fabricant
Duration: 1 Hour
Level: All Levels
Intensity: Ahhhhhh
Props: Block or Blanket
Music: Just Light Background Ambiance

My experience: Very calming and relaxing. I definitely noticed and felt a difference between Yin Yoga and the Vinyasa Yoga I’ve been practicing. It forced me to slow down and relax. My reiki master recommended this for a reason. Hahaha, well played! She must be cracking up imagining me trying out Yin Yoga for a whole hour for the first time! She stated that I have a TON of energies around me. During this session I felt them battling for my attention as I tried to just relax in each pose and turn off my brain. Yes, I had a very hard time holding the poses for so long and trying to relax, but I did it!

Yin For Flexibility and Relaxation

Instructor: Elise Fabricant
Duration: 42 Minutes
Level: All Levels
Intensity: Ahhhhhh
Props: Optional Bolster, Blanket, and Blocks
Music: Just Light Background Ambiance

My experience: I felt extremely relaxed after this session! It felt so good to hold the poses and let gravity do all of the work. I love how Elise directed my attention constantly to my breathing. Obviously breathing is a major part of yoga and relaxation. Her calm voice guiding me through this session helped me to relax and become aware of where in my body I was holding tension. I loved this session and can’t wait to do this one again!

Yin and the Power of the Pause

Instructor: Elise Fabricant
Duration: 40 Minutes
Level: All Levels
Intensity: Ahhhhhh
Props: Optional Bolster, Blanket, and Blocks
Music: Spotify Playlist Recommendation

My experience: This session was exactly what I needed to experience. It was perfect for my mindfulness journey and my blogging journey. It was difficult to stop my mind from wandering, but I’m sure the more I practice this and replay this session, the better I will become at quieting my mind. Something that Elise talked about during one portion of this session really grabbed my attention. So much so, that I had to note the timestamp on when she said it so I could go back and be able to write it down and share it with all of you.

“Mindfulness is all about pausing. Pausing before reacting. Through mindfulness, we study the self…svadhyaya. And the more that we can become friends with ourselves, familiar with ourselves, the more that we have choice in how we respond to difficult situations.”

Elise Fabricant

Summary

One thing I learned about myself during all of the yoga sessions is that I need to focus more on my breathing. I tend to hold my breath when things get difficult. I’m sure I do that when things get difficult in life in general! I also need to practice quieting my mind. Often, I start thinking of things, like what I need to get done and other mental lists. I need to learn to let go and be in the moment. I think the combination of yoga and music will help me with both my breathing and quieting my mind.

Throughout these sessions, I found that combining yoga and music made the experiences much more enjoyable. The music was a beautiful distraction that took my mind off of any difficulties I had with the poses. It relaxed me. The music also motivated me when I struggled and became tired. Even though some sessions didn’t have music infused or have a Spotify playlist suggestion, it is very easy to just search playlists on your own streaming devices. Be creative! Play what you think you need to hear to get through your sessions. Maybe you need something calming and only instrumental. Maybe you need to listen to something more intense for those difficult weight loss yoga sessions!

If you haven’t done so yet, start combining yoga and music. Feel free to check out YogaDownload! Browse the site and see for yourself all that they offer! Add it to your daily or weekly routine! I’d love to hear about it if you decide to try it out, so please share your experiences with me in the comments.

Peace and love, always.
Namaste.