 Waaaayyyyy back in 2012 (feels like a lifetime ago!), I wrote a post called "10 Must-Have Savasana Songs." Since it's been, oh, 4 years since then, I figured it was time to revisit this post topic and share some of the savasana songs that I've used over and over again in my classes since then. So today, 10 [More] Must-Have Savasana Songs! The following--in no particular order--are some of my favorite songs to relax to at the end of a juicy vinyasa class... 1. "Returning" by Jennifer Berezan 2. "Golden Om" by Steve Gold 3. "Djorolen" by Bela Fleck 4. "Common Threads" by Bobby McFerrin 5. "Yellow" by Scala & Kolacny Brothers 6. "Closing" by Wah! 7. "Kyrie Eleison" by Stellamara 8. "Closing Meditation" by Shantala Music 9. "Feather Moon" by Vienna Teng 10. "Shanti (Peace Out)" by MC Yogi What do you think? Have any recommendations for me? Please send them along! I'm *always* looking for new yoga music... And if you like this post + want more yoga music ideas and recommendations, check out my class playlists and/or the following posts:
Happy listening + savasana-ing!   It's that time of year again...yoga song roundup time! I looked back and it's been *almost* 1 full year since my last installment of Shake Your Asana, so I figured now was as good a time as any to share some of my favorite "conscious hip hop" and yoga-inspired reggae songs with you. Here's a list of my personal Top 10...and although it might be a stretch to call a few of these hip hop, when it comes to yoga music, I think they're close enough ;) Have any recommendations for me? Please send 'em my way or post to comments so others can share in the yoga music love! 1. Metaphysical Fitness by EarthRise Soundsystem 2. Be the Change by MC Yogi 3. Karuna Sagari Ma by CC White 4. For What It's Worth by DJ Drez [Featuring Joey Lugassy] 5. Moonlit Horizon (Drumspyder Mix) by Desert Dwellers 6. Love Belongs to Everyone (Krishna Venkatesh Deep Dub Remix) by David Newman 7. Om Namah Shivayah by MC Yogi (featuring Bhagavan Das) 8. The Maha Mantra by CC White 9. Voice by DJ Drez 10. Jaia Ganesha by The Dum Dum Project Looking for more yoga class songs with a beat? Check out my last installment of Shake Your Asana, Volume 4: Top 10 [Upbeat + Energizing] Yoga Songs. You can also check out all of my previous "Shake Your Asana" and yoga-song-related blog posts below:
Want more yoga music recommendations? Visit my class playlists page. Happy listening + yoga-ing!  
I like a little beat with my yoga. Actually, I like a lot of beat with my yoga (the more base, the better?). So today, I wanted to share some of my favorite upbeat + energizing yoga songs with you, in the hopes that they'll add a bit of flavor to your yoga class playlists. I play most of the following songs during the more heated parts of my classes--sun salutations, a fast-paced surya namaskar B-inspired flow, or during a quicker warm-up sequence--because they're great for building energy and getting everyone moving and breathing together. Thus, without further ado, here are 10 of my favorite energizing yoga songs. Oh, and they're not in any sort of order this time around (that would have been too hard!). You can listen below: 1. Elephant Style by The Dum Dum Project 2. The Garden by Cut Chemist 3. Shrine by Beats Antique 4. The Fear by Ben Howard 5. Khalgi Stomp (Thievery Corporation Mix) by Transglobal Underground 6. Anthem by Emancipator (Also: Lion Heart, With Rainy Eyes, and Soon It Will Be Cold Enough to Build Fires) 7. Parashakti by Wah! 8. Quimey Neuquen (Remix of Jose Larralde Original) by Chancha via Circuito 9. Days to Come by Bonobo (And really anything by Bonobo. My other faves are Ketto, Sapphire, First Fires, All in Forms, Black Sands) 10. Ca Se by Scotch & Sofa Honorable mention (Didn't make the cut but are really great!):
Also, there are a few songs that *would have* made this list if they weren't already included in some of my past yoga music-related lists/round-ups. You can check them out below:
Want more yoga music recommendations? You can also check out my class playlists. Happy listening! 
 Okay, so please hear me out on this one. This post is for all the critics of (or even people who are just kind of wary of) Hip Hop Yoga. Or 80's Yoga. Or Electric Yoga. Or any yoga class with a live DJ, or a non-asana/non-yogic-philosophy-related theme. Listen, I get it. I know that themed yoga classes are a FAR, FAR, FAAAAR cry from the yoga taught in India, from the yoga discussed in the original yogic texts, and from yoga as it was first practiced when it was brought to the U.S. back in the 1890s. I am well aware of that. I also get it that to some, Hip Hop Yoga seems like a mockery of the practice, a disgusting Westernization or commercialization of yoga as it goes more mainstream, a need to make yoga more "sexy" in order to get people to practice. But to me, a teacher who has been teaching Hip Hop Yoga classes for over two years now--and who has also taught a Glee themed class and a couple of 80's music themed yoga classes--it's just pure fun and pure joy. It's silly and it's playful and it's not serious and that's it! I love yoga and I love music. I love practicing in a silent room, where all you hear is the breath (SO powerful), but I also love practicing to loud music in a packed room with a heavy beat in the background. There's just something about it. To me, a Hip Hop Yoga class is a way to stop taking ourselves and our practice so seriously. Yoga can be serious, yes, but it can also be just pure fun. And strangely enough, sometimes, when the music is loud and different, it drowns out all other distractions and allows you to get even deeper into your practice. Or, if you're distracted by the loud music, it can be an extra challenge to stay focused and present, and that's another great way to mix things up. I grew up in Atlanta listening to Hip Hop. I've always loved a good rap song and probably will until I die (just like I also love country music and once attended a country music themed yoga class and it was amazing!). It can be special to put together two unexpected things that you love, and I say, why not offer people a fun, carefree weekend night activity that isn't centered around going to a bar? I know that purists will say that the practice doesn't need anything else--that it's perfect as it is--and I wholeheartedly agree with that. But I also think that changing things up and loosening up every once in a while is a good thing for all of us. In the words of Baba Hari Dass, a yogi who has been in silence for more than for decades (he wrote the following on his chalkboard, which is how he communicates): Don't think you are carrying the whole world on your shoulders. Even if you are, make it fun, make it easy, make it play. So why not lighten up and shake our asanas a bit in down dog, ya know?  PS. If you're local and want to give Hip Hop Yoga a try, I'm teaching it at Power Yoga of Cape Cod {Dennisport} this Saturday, 10/25 from 6:30-8pm. You can sign up here to reserve a space And no, there's no dancing--it's just vinyasa yoga set to hip hop music spun by an in-studio DJ ;)
Hip Hop Yoga Image Credit: StylishGraffiti.blogspot.com 
It's been a long time since I've done a "Shake Your Asana" post. In fact, I just checked, and the last one went up in July, 2011--so yeah, a long time. This time around, I don't think it needs much introduction. You all know that I love music, you all know how I feel about music in yoga classes (hint: LOVE), and you all know that I spend mucho time making my class playlists each month. Thus, this post is simply a personal roundup of sorts, listing my Top 10 INSTRUMENTAL yoga songs. Why "instrumental" this time? Because I've been using more instrumental songs in my classes lately. I know I've mentioned this here before, but this is basically because I've recently moved to a new place (and a new yoga community), and my former playlists had gotten pretty, um, lets say, progressive. However, my former students knew to expect a wide variety of songs in my classes, and I believe that they didn't find it distracting, but rather, a part of the experience (at least I hope this is true!). But, since moving, I've noticed that most teachers here on the Cape use pretty soft, fairly traditional music in their classes. Although this isn't my style, I have tried to back off a bit from my typical music choices, in order to ease my new students into my class experience (one in which music plays a bigger part in the class), by using more songs without words. Over time, I hope to add more songs with vocals back into my playlists--once my students come to expect a more upbeat soundtrack in my classes. Make sense? Having said that, let me emphasize that just because a song doesn't have words or vocals does NOT mean that it doesn't have energy. Or that it can't be extremely powerful, upbeat, and/or moving. To prove it, I've included my Top 10 Instrumental Yoga Songs below (countdown to #1!): 10. Voice by DJ Drez 9. Where is My Mind by Maxence Cyrin 8. Opus 37 by Dustin O'Halloran 7. Angel of Hope by Omar Akram 5. Wake Up by Anesthesia 4. The Resistance by 2Cellos 3. Ketto by Bonobo 2. Song of the Caged Bird by Lindsey Stirling. 1. Truth by Balmorhea. So many beautiful songs! It was terribly hard to pick just 10! Therefore, here are a few other favorites, which I'll call "The Honorable Mentions:"
Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy! I hope that you, too, can now understand the power of vocal-less songs ;) Want more yoga music recommendations? Check out my class playlists and/or the following past posts:
If you've been reading Starr Struck for a while or you've ever been to one of my yoga classes, you know that for me, yoga and music go hand-in-hand. One of the best parts of reading through the results of my 2013 Reader Survey was going over all of your answers to the question, "If you practice yoga, what is your favorite yoga song/artist/type of music to listen to while you practice?" Not only did I get tons of new artists and songs to check out from these answers (many of which you'll hear on my August class playlist soon, so thank you!), but I was also able to see some interesting trends in the types of music that you all like to hear while practicing (which made me smile, because many of your favorites are also my favorites!). So, today, I thought it only appropriate to share a list of my readers' [your] favorite non-new agey yoga artists and musicians, so that you, too, can be exposed to new music that can add great energy to your yoga practice. Keep in mind that these are the non-yoga-focused artists that were mentioned multiple times in the survey responses, so you will not find your favorite yogi artists listed here. That's not because I don't LOVE yoga-specific artists or bands, because I do (!), but because I feel that it can be fun to mix it up and add other types of music to your yoga playlists, and yogi-artists are often a no-brainer. Therefore, without further ado, here are your Top 10 [Non-Yogi] Artists to Listen to While Practicing--in order of preference/how many times they were mentioned (all of these artists were mentioned repeatedly!):
Here are some other non-yogi artists that you mentioned liking to practice to:
Overall, most of you seem enjoy listening to alternative or Indie music while practicing (at least that's what you told me!), and many of you like a wide variety of genres in your class playlists--from reggae, to hip hop, to electronica, to classic rock, to kirtan. I loved reading this, as I really do feel the same way and am happy to hear that we're all so compatible when it comes to musical taste :)
Oh, and this answer to the question made me kind of sad: "I get an F for this question since I haven't been practicing yoga lately :( " Here's my response to that comment, and to all of you who might have a similar feeling when you take a break from practicing regularly: Don't give yourself an F if you haven't been to the mat recently! It's always there for you and will be waiting when you come back to the practice. Sometimes life gets in the way and you shouldn't beat yourself up about it. Practice a little self-compassion--that's yoga in itself. Looking for more yoga music goodness? Here are some past Starr Struck yoga music posts:
Thanks for being my source of great music and musical camaraderie! You can check out all of myyoga class playlists here. See you [grooving] on the mat soon... 
 Wishing you a wonderful summer holiday full of laughter, family, friends, relaxation, and of course, red, white, and blue. To celebrate, I wanted to share my FAVORITE Independence Day song with you--one that I've basically been playing on repeat since waking up this morning (Ben loves it!), "Independence Day" by Martina McBride. You can listen below: [If you know the song, singing along at the top of your lungs is highly encouraged...] Oh Martina, how I adore thee! Happy 4th, ya'll.  
As you all probably know by now, music is a BIG part of yoga for me. Yes, this is a somewhat "controversial" topic in the yoga world, and is a totally personal preference, but for me, music is a wonderful part of both teaching and taking class (to read more about this topic, check out this post). So, for those who feel the same way, I wanted to delve a little deeper into the playlist-making topic today.
Last week, when working with a group of Teacher Training students, one of the students asked, "How do you make a class playlist? Where do you find the music? How do you put it all together?" and it got me thinking. Similarly, I recently got an email from a reader in Portugal (yay!) who asked something similar--she explained that she'd never taken a class with music, and wasn't sure how it would work--"There are no such yoga classes where I live, so I never understood if you link the movements with the music or the music is just for the background." Since I assume that these two teachers aren't alone in their questioning, I hope to help out by answering these inquiries for my fellow yogis. Obviously, I'm no DJ or music professional, but I do like to think that in my almost 3 years of teaching (wow!?), during which I've made a new playlist on at least a monthly basis, I've learned a thing or two...
How to Create a Yoga Class Playlist
1. Before tackling a playlist, you need a clear picture of your class structure, as the way that you put together your playlist should have a lot to do with your class plan. Here's an example of a class plan (this is a very rough outline of the structure that I use for a 1 hr class):
2. Once you have a class plan (with a general idea of the timing), you can begin to build your playlist around that class plan. What do I mean by this? Think about what type of energy/mood/music you want during each class segment, and try to find songs that create that energy. For instance:
3. How do you find good songs/appropriate music? This is the part that takes some time. If you're new to making class playlists, this can be a little more time-consuming, but over time, I promise it gets easier. Here are some tips on how to find good music:
4. Over time, I've learned to avoid certain types of music, because you want the music to add to the class, not distract or take away from it. Here are some tips (this is a personal preference, of course, but this is my opinion):
5. Once you've made a playlist, listen to it the entire way through. If you hear anything that sounds jarring/not quite right, remove the song and replace it with another. Then, once you test it out in class, feel free to make a few more tweaks if it still isn't right. Remember, the music shouldn't be distracting to you as a teacher, either! Does this help? I hope so. If you need more music ideas or examples of playlists, you can check out my playlists page and the following resources/posts:
Now get to making those playlists! And as always, if you come across a great new artist that you think would be perfect for yoga, please send them my way ;) Namaste! Mary Catherine 
If I had to name my favorite band/singer these days, it would without a doubt be Florence + The Machine. I love everything Florence, or as we affectionately called her last night, Flo. Every song, every haunting lyric, every flowy outfit, every movement of her thin, pale arms as her hair and clothing blows in the wind of her own personal fan (!), every crazy octave of her extremely powerful voice. Therefore, even though it kept me up *waaay* past my early 10pm bedtime, I ventured to Maryland (or, "Merry Land, as Flo called it) to see a Florence concert at Merriweather Post Pavilion last night. To say it was fabulous is an understatement. She was spectacular. I mean, just look at her?
Although I tried my best to get some good pictures with my iPhone from the lawn, sadly, it's flash and focus doesn't extend as far as I'd like, thus, the fuzzy images above. However, what's most important is my memory of her haunting voice, and that's not going anywhere quickly. Isn't it simply amazing to see and hear some of your favorite music live? Concerts are one of my favorite things and I need to get back to going to them more often. There's such a power to singing along to every word of a song that you've listened to 100s of times--especially when there's an entire crowd doing the exact same thing with you.
Oh, and did I mention that it was cold enough to wear jeans and a sweater outside (and cover up with a blanket--see the image above!) AND that we had cupcakes + wine for dinner? Perfect night.
Thanks, Flo! Namaste, Mary Catherine PS. For those who don't know Florence's music, you can hear some samples/snippets on my Playlists page, as I often put her music in my yoga class playlists...I think it's amazing to practice to her voice ;) 
Image via feedtheyogi.com
It's been a long time since I've posted a new "Shake Your Asana" songs list, mainly because I started posting my monthly playlists to the blog, and felt that this answered a lot of the yoga playlist needs out there in the interwebs.
However, as I was enjoying an amazing savasana song in class over the weekend, I realized that I've never posted a list of my favorite savasana songs, which in my mind, is one of the most important parts of a yoga playlist (and of a yoga class, of course...). Thus, here we are today. You can listen to 10 of my favorite final relaxation songs--in no particular order, and certainly not order of preference--below. You may have seen a couple of these songs listed in my SJOTW, or in past "Shake Your Asana" posts, but I hope this provides you with one place to find a plethora of ideas. So get ready to relax, okay? Maybe close your eyes, allow your body to melt into the earth (or your office chair, or office floor...), and allow your breath to return to a steady, soft, natural breath... 1. "Enter One" by Sol Seppy (because this is my all-time favorite savasana song, it's going first. So technically, this is the only one that is listed in order of preference...)
2. "Hallelujah" by Rufus Wainright (there are many amazing versions of this song, but I think this is my favorite)
3. "Breathe" by Alexi Murdoch (yoga music master. I have two songs by Alexi on this list!)
4. "Offering Chant" by Lama Gyurme & Jean-Philippe Rykiel
5. "Aad Guray" by Deva Premal (I have also listed to by this talented lady...)
6. "Le Ceil Dans Une Chambre" by Carla Bruni
7. "Heaven" by Brandi Carlile
8. "Orange Sky" by Alexi Murdoch
9. "Duet" by Rachel Yamagata featuring Ray LaMontagne
10. "Gayatri Mantra" by Deva Premal
*Bonus Track* "Time After Time" by Eva Cassidy (because I love it too much not to include it!)
Which must-haves would you add to this list? I'm sure I'm missing tons of amazing ones, and would appreciate some recommendations. I sure do love me some good savasana music!
Looking for more yoga music goodness? Here are more Starr Struck yoga music posts:
And of course, you can also check out all of my yoga class playlists here. So here's to a relaxing and mindful Monday... 
Hey, remember that time that you asked me for a song after class? Or the time that you asked me to send you a screenshot of my iTunes playlist? Now you don't have to do that anymore! I mean, you can (and I don't mind!), but you don't have to!! Why? Because from now on, you can find ALL of my playlists in a handy dandy new spot on my blog (or through the link on my yoga site); all of my recent playlists can now be located by clicking on the new link in the sidebar entitled "Shake Your Asana: Class Playlists" (fun button coming soon...). You can also listen to small snippets of each song to ensure it's the right one before downloading it for yourself ;) Want to check it out? Preview my March playlist below, and peruse all of my playlists here. Fun, huh? I heart good yoga music. Happy listening! Namaste, Mary Catherine PS. Looking for more of my favorite yoga songs? Check out my past posts, Shake Your Asana and Shake Your Asana, Volume 2. OMG!!! This is so funny. Really. I know that some yogis out there may have a problem with it, but I absolutely LOVE it. It includes three of my favorite things--yoga, rap, and jokes--yay! Plus, it's from the guys who brought us the "Whole Foods Parking Lot" video, which I shared on my blog a few months ago and just adore. Also as much as I hate to admit it, a lot of their "yoga girl" stereotypes are really true (and hysterical!). Enjoy...and don't take life too seriously :) Thanks to Danielle for sending this to me! Enough said. Namaste! Mary Catherine (a yoga girl, albeit not such a sexy one...)  I love practicing to music. Love it. Can't get enough.
Personally, I think that an interesting, inspiring, energizing-at-the-right-time and relaxing-at-the-right-time playlist can help me to get completely lost in my practice, to amp things up when I'm building heat, and to relax a bit more when I settle down for my final savasana. I've practiced without music and I've taught without music at many different times over the past year or two, and although yoga is still amazing either way (I'm not saying that yoga is any less powerful without music!), I think that my love of music--no matter what I'm doing--gives me this urge to practice to music, as well. My personal need for inspiring tunes while I flow is one of the reasons that I spend hours on my new playlists each month (and then tweak them and work to perfect them for a week or so, until they're just right). Many of my fellow yoga instructors do the same thing as they work on their playlists, so I know that I'm not alone in this, but a yogi's comment about my playlist after class last week got me thinking about yoga + music + preferences. What makes a song "right" for yoga? Does it need to be classic "yoga" or new-agey music? Can it have words, or must it be instrumental? If it does have words, does it have to be chanting, or yoga words, or can it be anything, even angry words? Should the music be played quietly, or should it be played loud enough to fill the room with it's energy? Can you only practice to off-beat, unrecognizable musicians or bands, or can you get your yoga on to Enrique Iglesias (see below ;) or Britney? So many questions, and really, it all comes down to personal preference. Every time Ben comes to my classes, he says I should turn up the music ("louder," he always says, even when I think it's blasting!). I love when I go to classes where the music is loud and I can really feel it as I flow, but I've heard students give feedback that they like it when the music is low and just there for a bit of background noise. Since I started teaching I've had students tell me that they love my music, or love hearing one of their favorite bands in the mix, and then I've also had students who ask for more "Eastern-inspired music," less up-beat music, or even no music at all because they find it distracting. It really depends on the person! So what conclusion have I come to regarding the subject? You just have to be true to yourself (isn't this the answer to almost every question in life?). As teachers, we should play what resonates with us while also taking our "student body"--or what the majority of our students tend to like--into account. As students, we can gravitate towards those teachers whose entire teaching style works for us, music and all. I believe that the most important part of any practice is that your practice is your own, and that no outside sources are going to take you away from that. On the other hand, even if you don't like a teacher's music in a particular class, you can think of it as a chance to challenge yourself to tune inward and forget about any and all sensory distractions around you...you just may find that in the end, the music really doesn't even matter for you. So how do you feel about this topic? Why do you enjoy the type music (or lack of music) that you like to hear when you practice? What are your favorite yoga songs, and why? I know my musical preferences during yoga are clear (see my "Shake Your Asana" posts, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2...), but I'm always very interested to hear other people's take on yoga + music, and very open to suggestions, as well :) Now off to make my new November playlist! How appropriate, no? Namaste! Mary Catherine  So we've officially started talking about planning our wedding. We aren't planning yet--but we're definitely talking about it, and that's a big step in the right direction. The one thing we've decided so far? We're taking a hint from Usher's hit song of the 90's and doing it "My Way"--or "Our Way." Yep, that's right, we're throwing conventional wedding planning out the door (kind of...) and are going to do whatever we want to do, in order to make our wedding as fun, as stress-free, and as "Mary Catherine & Ben" as possible. To quote Usher, "What I say goes! I'm in control..." And that's exactly how we feel :) Some of the exciting ideas we've tossed around in our Usher-inspired pre-planning stages? Having our favorite delicious, organic breakfast place cater with breakfast for dinner (this is definitely happening because we both LOVE breakfast), personalized bridesmaids and groomsmen (My brothers on my side? Sure! You want to have two Best Men/Mans? Sure!), having a Jamaican/reggae band sing our favorite country song to an island beat for our first dance (we've seriously talked about this for years--don't ask--but this probably won't be possible), egg toss at the reception (um, yeah....why not?), etc. So do you see? The possibilities are endless. And we may just send out Save the Dates with a picture of Usher on them to take this theme to the next level--who knows!?! We're that crazy right now! (Kidding about the Save the Dates. Kind of.) Anyways, the moral of this whole story is that I'm finally at the point where I think this whole wedding-planning thing is going to be really, really fun and special. I'm excited to start picking everything out and am even more excited that Ben is as into it as I am (at this point). I bought my first bridal magazine for myself yesterday (I know, can you imagine me doing such a thing? I felt like I had to slink around with it hidden under my arm so no one would see me...) and I'm committing to the process. We're thinking next October, so we've got a little over a year to plan things "our way." Yeah, yeah! (Another Usher reference...did you get it?). To close, I'd like to share the amazingly outdated and somewhat-ridiculous video to our inspirational song--"My Way" by the one and only Usher. Maybe we'll use the video as inspiration for our wedding decorations/theme (the wedding will be in ATL, after all!) and we may just perform a little version of one of the dances as our first dance...I told you, we're total wild cards! Can't you just see it now? Elegant, classic, and romantic--all the things a first dance should be :) Yep, that's definitely what our first dance is going to look like. Outfits and eye makeup included. Namaste! Mary Catherine P.S. For those of you who just read this pose and are truly concerned about our wedding being the tackiest event of the century, I promise it won't be. We're going to make this work! It will be as classy and smooth as Usher's voice :) But yes, we may have to throw a few of our wilder ideas out the window... 
As promised back in March (when I first started my blog!), it's time for a follow-up to my musically inclined "Shake Your Asana" post. To repeat what I said the last time that I posted some of my favorite yoga songs--I feel that creating playlists is a crucial part of my "job" as a yoga instructor.
To me, music is a very important part of setting the tone for my classes, and I believe that it can help to boost or calm people's energy when the time calls for it. There are many yogis who think it's better to practice without music--which is completely fine with me--but personally, my favorite classes are filled with wonderful music that helps me to stay present, enjoy the moment, and truly be in my body. So, without further ado, here are 10 more amazing yoga songs. It's a countdown to #1--feel free to listen to each song using the player below as you scroll down the list! And get ready to shake your asana...or at least mellow out at your desk :)
10. Fantasy Man by the Swell Season: I almost think that every single song by The Swell Season could be used on a yoga playlist (they're all THAT soothing!), but this is one of my favorites to include in my mixes. I find it's a good one to play when class is winding down--during seated poses, finishing poses, etc.--as it helps people to relax and begin to transition into savasana mode...
9. Seven Wonders by Nickel Creek: Another band that I love to intersperse in my playlists near the end of class...their voices are absolutely gorgeous in this song!
8. Dazzling Blue by Paul Simon: Continuing on with my obsession with Paul Simon's latest album, I've loved playing this song in class lately. I play it towards the beginning half of class because I find it to be an upbeat, fun song for when we're flowing...he's just the greatest :)
7. Africa (Cottonbelly Remix) from the Solarium/Delirium Soundtrack by Cirque Du Soleil: One of my recently-added songs that I love to insert during the beginning of class, when we just begin our sun salutations or when I want to start building the energy in the room. It's a great beat--very energizing!
6. Waiting on an Angel by Ben Harper: Ben Harper has a number of great yoga songs (his voice is perfect!), but this is my favorite. I like to play it near the end of class or at the beginning, during centering. SO relaxing.
5. Kashi Vishwanath Gange by Krishna Das: Another great song for the beginning to middle of the class in a more energetic part of the flow. Krishna Das--there's no one else like him! It was hard to choose just one of his songs...
4. Latika's Theme from Slumdog Millionaire Soundtrack: Great opening/centering or savasana song. It's romantic, soft, soothing, and beautiful. I love that it says so much without words. A song that I get asked about a lot after class...
3. Set Fire to the Rain by Adele: I've already shared this song on the blog before, but I just love it that much! It's a great song to play near the beginning of class, when you're moving a bit more quickly and building heat. But really, you can't go wrong with Adele. Every single one of her songs is amazing and could find a space on a yoga soundtrack. I've noticed a lot of other teachers playing her music lately, as well :)
2. Offering Chant by Lama Gyurme & Jean-Philippe Rykiel (from Putumayo Presents Yoga): Every time that I play this song in class, I get at least one person who comes up to me after class and asks me the name of the song. It's SO sad, beautiful, haunting, and relaxing--all at the same time. I typically play it during savasana or right before...
1. The Night Starts Here by Stars: ALL CREDIT for this song goes to my amazing teacher, Dibora Amanuel. She has it on her playlist and it is one of my favorite songs to practice to. Ever. It's wonderful! Ben agrees...after he went to her class for the first time he came home and downloaded it right away. He was listening to it while he made breakfast the next day (haha!). Thanks, Dibora!
What's your favorite song to practice to? How do you feel about these songs? Or, do you rather practice in silence and if so, why? I'd love to hear. Want more yoga music recommendations? Check out my class playlists and/or the following posts:
Namaste! Mary Catherine 
Image credit: yogaandmusic.com
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HELLO!I'm Mary Catherine, a Cape Cod-based yoga teacher, painter, designer, writer, mom, and list-maker extraordinaire. My goal is to inspire you to start living a more creative, simple, joyful, + purposeful life.
{Learn more + read my story} 
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Motherhood Monthly
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Simple Joys of the Week
Simply Sugarless
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Love This!
Mat Matters
Motherhood Monthly
Reading Lists {Seasonal}
Simple Joys of the Week
Simply Sugarless
Starr Struck Radio
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