When I’m planning a yoga class or private session, one of the biggest and often most overlooked pieces to consider is the music. Do I play music? What kind of music should I play? Should it be soothing, calming? Should it be groovy, danceable? These are all questions that run through my head when I’m planning to teach yoga. It can often be just as important as the sequence being taught. Music can set the tone for a yoga session, creating an upbeat environment or creating a quiet, calm space.
So, what’s the answer?
Well…it depends.
There are so many factors at play when it comes to planning the type of music, if any, to add to a yoga session. What kind of yoga are you teaching? What’s the make up of the class? What’s your mood or the mood of the student/students?
Ultimately, my plan is always to have a couple options at hand. Usually, I ask the student or group of students if they would be okay with music being played during the class. Then, before playing the music, I do a check in. This helps me determine if more upbeat, active music is appropriate or if calming music is better fit.
No matter what type of music I start with, I always always always end the class with a calming song. I believe its always best to have a calming, soothing song during savasana (corpse pose). This will definitely help with the release, the whole point of the pose.
A great, though pricey, option is to have headphones for the students. You can have a couple different playlists available so the student can choose what they want to listen to. Be sure to connect a microphone to the headphones via Bluetooth so that the students can still hear your instructions.
I’ve been to many different classes with many types of music playing and it all works. Go with your gut when picking out music for your class. You will set the tone for the class and the class will follow your lead.
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