Meditational Melodies: The Benefits of Yoga Music
Research into the effects of music on our mental and physical well-being has proven to be overwhelmingly positive; it notably reduces anxiety, as well as blood-pressure, heart rate and stress levels. And, during practices such as meditation and yoga, it also aids us in terms of spiritual wellness and performance. Particularly when we don’t have access to outdoor spaces with the calming, ambient sounds of nature, music during yoga is imperative in making sure we stay focused and relaxed. A good environment not only entails spacious, airy surroundings and a comfortable yoga mat; to please all of our senses, the perfect ambient music is a must for a worthwhile yoga session.
How Music During Yoga Can Help Your Performance
Having the right yoga music can help us in a number of ways. Sometimes, there are unavoidable distractions around; the sounds of passing traffic outside your yoga studio or noisy neighbours disrupting you during home practice can all take you out of the zone. That’s why, for some, yoga music is a necessity to replace the dissonant sounds with relaxing ones. In addition to this, yoga music can actually improve your practice. If the right music is chosen based on the pace of your session, it can help you keep your breathing and movements in time. This is especially important for beginners, as good timing means you can get the most out of the initial positions you’ve learnt.
Choosing Your Music
When it comes to which music suits your yoga style, there are two decisions to make: would instrumental or mantra music be best? And would you benefit more from pre-recorded or live acoustic music? Early practices such as Bhakti yoga include recitations of mantras for keeping the spiritual focus, as well as providing a rhythm to help sustain breathing and poses. However, not only can the right mantra for you be difficult to find, but also any sort of vocalisation can sometimes serve as a distraction from focusing on your posture and pacing. That is why many opt for instrumental music. Then the next choice arises: live or recorded? If available, live acoustic guitar music is the most beneficial. The musician should choose their guitar carefully – as the better quality the more relaxing the tone will be – and discuss with the class what the mood and pacing of the session will be like. Having live music is therefore far more manipulable for the perfect personalised workout. If live music isn’t at your disposal, then a good quality recording that is synchronised to your pacing is a must, as research shows it can improve your performance by 70%.
Whilst practices such as Ashtanga yoga require no music, most yoga classes and private yoga sessions need it to keep the focus and improve techniques. They help set the pace, and in turn set a discipline which can help you master the poses and postures you’re currently working on. Once you’ve found the right music, or are able to tailor it to your practice by using live music, then you’ll be able to see the improvement for yourself – both in mind, and in performance.
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