No Music?

I personally have enjoyed many yoga classes where music was played. They have been fun, and afterward I feel like I have been to a great party. I am usually excited to go back for more. Yet, there is a part of me that feels like it takes away from the inward reflection and can be a distraction from the breath. At times it has felt more like an aerobics class than a yoga class. Hence, the great debate.

It wasn't until I started teaching that the issue became of real interest to me. Students would ask me either why I didn’t play music or if I would consider playing it.

All day long we are distracted by the external stimuli: the telephone ringing, the humming of an air conditioner, voices, sirens, the car radio, the alarm clock and other sounds. For the most part, when people come to a yoga class they are looking for quietude. They look forward to a retreat from the hustle and bustle of their day and the constant noise. In fact, some of us are probably unaware of how much background noise is part of our life.

To some, the idea of music playing in the foreground or background is quite appealing and is central to relaxation. To others, it may be just another distraction from their internal environment. If yoga gives us that opportunity to take a look inside and even a chance at self-realization, then how does music play a role? Doesn’t the quietude give us a chance to listen more closely? Can you listen as closely with music playing? Is it possible that music can aid in achieving self-realization?

We all have different music preferences. What one person loves, the other person may despise. A song for one person can trigger the fun college days. The same song can trigger a hurtful breakup for another. Not only do people’s music preferences vary, but also people choose music based on how they feel. Sometimes we might need a pick-me-up; other times, after a stressful day, the idea of something soft can be quite appealing.

I spoke with several peers from studios around the USA and Canada to find out their thoughts on playing music in class.

The Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers offer classical hatha yoga classes according to the Vedanta tradition. They do not play music, explaining that in their tradition the focus is on the breath and that it is the breath that helps to get yogis in and out of postures. With music playing during class, the student can be distracted when the attention should be inward. Additionally, music can get the mind going, but a lot of people come to yoga to relax the mind.

Focusing on the pose and the breath already provides two points of concentration. An Iyengar Instructor notes “It is not that music distracts, but so much of our lives are lived responding to what is external, and music, however beautiful, is still a sound coming from outside of ourselves. Yoga teaches you to tune into the music that is within.” This Yoga teacher also does not play music.

A Canadian Center offers a variety of yoga styles ranging from ashtanga to universal to tantric hatha. The director likes to play Indian instrumental music during his class because it is calming for the brain. Although a drummer as a child, he stays away from playing anything with percussion instruments because the beat affects the heart rate, and he is aware that instruments affect the organs differently. While he respects the independence and creativity of his 40 instructors to choose whether they want to play music and the type of music, he has a policy of no music during savasana.

Lisa, a Vinyasa yoga instructor from Chicago, incorporates anything from rap, hip-hop, classical, blues and old jazz into her classes. She usually picks a theme and plays music accordingly. For example when the Gay Games were in Chicago, she featured songs from the soundtracks Chariots of Fire and Star Wars. Lisa believes that music is a ready-made vehicle for helping people connect with their feelings.

A teacher from Texas incorporates a variety of music into his classes. I have personally found his blend of music and vinyasa to be very moving. He explained that music and yoga have many similarities--for example, they are both inherently joyful. The combination of the two can enhance harmony in the body.

As an experiment, I played music in a couple of my classes. I put together a CD of some of my favorite songs. I felt terribly nervous about playing it, but it was a fun class. I asked my students for any feedback they wished to share about their experiences.

One student E-mailed me and said how much she enjoyed it. She loved the music that I selected and said how it helped her wake up. Another student came up to me after class and asked me to never do that again. After one of the classes, many students said how they really appreciated the music and it helped them to go deeper in their practice. At the same time, a few said there were parts they liked and didn’t like and found it to be harder to concentrate.

In the few classes in which I played music, half liked it and the other half didn’t. Now it might have been my music selection, or it might have been my asana sequences, but what I learned is that there was an added pressure to choose music that everyone enjoyed, and it is a difficult task. In other words, I should stick to being a yoga teacher and not attempt to become a DJ. Still, it is worthwhile to change patterns and try new things once in a while, both as a teacher and student.

What I found when talking to the teachers who played music during class is that they have a passion for it and are thoughtful about the music they play. They don’t randomly play what’s in their iPod. They are also aware that some students may like or dislike their music and that sound, whether pleasing or not, is a lesson in itself.

Music preference in yoga class begins with what you were taught. Often your first teacher has a considerable influence on your yoga practice and style. It’s not to say you can’t grow and change. If you started practicing yoga with music, it may be more difficult to practice without it; if you are accustomed to silence, you may find music distracting. It’s worth it to try the other.

I felt somewhat disoriented the first time I went to a class that played music. I was very intellectual about the experience even though my body thoroughly enjoyed the feeling. The practice that day taught me that sometimes it is healthy to let go of all my rules and expectations about what yoga is supposed to be and just go and have some fun.

As a musician from an early age I love music, rhythm and harmony. I still occasionally attend classes that have music. I can feel when my body needs that type of class. However, on most days, my body and mind prefer a quiet practice and so leads to my teaching…