Yoga Music Playlist

A good playlist can really make a class. I personally enjoy teaching to music, and as a student, I love hearing what other instructors have on their playlists - it's kind of like a little peek into what's inspiring them lately. Whole classes or workshops can be built around music (much like Megan Currie's Metamorphasis workshop which was set to Philip Glass' album of the same name). The one thing I don't care for, however, is when instructors use the same music over and over again. It might be the best playlist on earth, but after hearing it again and again it can get old, you know? So I'm always exploring iTunes to see what I can find that would work for class. These are a few of my favorite recently discovered tunes that I've added to my yoga playlist. They're, in my opinion, beautiful for a power class.

1. Thunderclap by Dr. Toast.  Great to open the practice with.

2. Tulsa by Poolside. Slow, pretty, great for warming up.

3. Bounce dive by Helio. Downtempo, sort of haunting.

4. A Walk by Tycho. The prettiest, prettiest, prettiest song. Especially the beginning.

5. Man O To by Nu . Uptempo. Perfect for beginning the most challenging part of the practice.

6. Kidda by Natacha Atlas. Love this song. Reminds me of my Labanese roots. :)  It's uptempo, so best for the middle of your practice.

7. Dobro by Kaya Project. This is a really cool song - kind of like a dub step song with a few blues riffs and harmonica action. Still uptempo, great for the most challenging part of your practice.

8. Elegy by Tycho. Still a bit upbeat, but a great way to start slowing the practice down. 

9. Libanon 7 by Rayon. A soft instrumental featuring piano and cello - so pretty. 

10. A path with a heart by TJ Rehmi. Downtempo and gentle, good for winding down the practice. 

What do you enjoy listening to while practicing? Other playlists can be found here. 

Summer Playlist

Today I'm sharing a good-mood-inducing playlist I've got on repeat here at my house. It's not for yoga (though I guess it could be), but rather we play it once we're fully awake and ready to get our day going whether it's starting lunch, or cleaning the house. The music is motivating, upbeat and happy. Hope you enjoy!​

1. 3 Little Birds (remix) by Bob Marley. They say you should remix the greats, but this is an exception, as it's better than the original.​

2. When the Night Feels my Song by Bedouin Soundclash. I dare you to listen to this and not be in a good mood after.​

3. Get Lucky by Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams. I looove this song, it's one of those songs that you put on and you can't help but start dancing.

4. Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke. Same as above.

5. And be Loved by Damian Jr Gong Marley. One of my favorite summer songs - you may remember this from the Grammy performance by Rihanna, Sting, Bruno Mars and the Marley brothers. 

6. Rock and Roll by Burning Spear. A sweet little reggae jam. 

7. Come Around by Collie Buddz. This has been a favorite for years.

8. Exodus by Bob Marley. ​The best bass line.

9. Lisztomania by Phoenix (Alex Metric Remix). ​Kind of a heavier song than the others so far on the list, but it's such a good remix.

10. Sweet Nothing by Florence Welch and Calvin Harris. Less chill, more motivating.

Currently listening to...

It's been a while since I've done a playlist post for yoga practice (or it's great background music for studying, working, whatever). Some people prefer silence in class, and I get it- yoga was started thousands of years ago to the soundtrack of the breath so using music is obviously quite different from yoga's roots. I appreciate both types of classes, but prefer teaching and practicing to music. I am passionate about music- about good beats and sweet melodies, and I think a well thought out playlist can enhance the class. Just my humble opinion.  This particular playlist is great for a power class. Hope you enjoy.

​60 Min Power

1. Metamorphosis One - Philip Glass

2. Gentle Awakening - Dean Evenson & Soundings Ensemble

3. Devabandha - Tribal Matrix

4. Light - Dr. Toast (this whole album is awesome, actually)​

5. Mi Mujer - Nicolas Jaar

6. ​Song of the caged bird - Lindsay Stirling (another one whose album is great)

7. Ketto - Bonobo

8. Goddess Invocation - Go-Ray & Duke

9. The bicycle & the boardwalk - Nada Sadhana & ​Kevin Courtney

10. Near light - Olafur Arnalds

11. Latika's Theme - Slumdog Millionaire Soundtrack

12. Shanti - MC Yogi

PS- More playlists for yoga, ​dancer's pose in motion, and everything you've ever wanted to know about your first yoga class.

The Seven Hour Trip No Where

This past Monday goes down in my book as one of the most frustrating travel days of my life, topped only by the The Great Switzerland Train Mix-up of 2002, and the time a lady thew up on me on the flight home from Istanbul.

This latest particular travel adventure started at 8am, when I woke, showered, and gathered my things for the yoga workshop I'd be giving. I ate a leisurely breakfast, sipped tea, and went through my list to be sure I had everything.

I was dropped off at the train station, and took a deep breath. Considering the last solo train trip I did ended in disaster (I was 18, an au pair en route to meet my family, and accidentally got off in Basel instead of Geneva with no way to contact them), it was only natural that I was nervous. Training it isn't like flying. With a flight, you get on the plane, close your eyes, wake up and you're at your destination. With a train (especially in a foreign country), you need to pay attention to the announcements and be sure you don't miss your stop.

I climbed up the stairs into the train, and was pumped to see the large leather seats and the huge leg room in the near-empty car. Then I realized I had entered first class. The car I was supposed to be in was at the very end of the train. So I hauled myself, my yoga mat, and all my equipment for the workshop through something like ten cars until I got to the entrance of my car.

A man in a plaid shirt was blocking the walkway.

"Sorry," he said, "But you can't go in there. We are filming a movie."

"But I paid for a reserved seat, and I've been assigned a seat in this car- what should I do?"

"Sorry, i don't know."

Huge sigh. I turned around, found an empty seat and settled in. I pulled out my headphones, and pressed play, looking through my notes for the day's workshop. 

To my right, the large window let in the most delicious golden sunlight, warming my whole body- a welcomed warmth, as I have been dealing with a couple joint issues due to the cold. Behind the sunlight, vibrant rolling fields passed by, dotted with white houses with textured caramel rooftops. No trees for miles, just these picturesque paved roads bordering the pastures.

It's not often I get a chance to just sit and appreciate the scenery, and I smiled to myself, taking it all in, feeling immense gratitude for the life I have, and the traveling I get to do. I got lost in those thoughts, watching the land go by, listening to the most beautiful songs. 

Four hours later, the train stopped. I had one more stop to go before my destination. The man seated across from me waved to get my attention. I took out my earbud.

"I heard you say you were going to Ingolstadt?" his kind blue eyes sparkled.

"Yes," I smiled.

"The announcement they just made said they are sorry but they will not be stopping in Ingolstadt as scheduled, so you have to get off the train and find a new one."

"What?" I asked, beginning to panic.

"I'm sorry, I don't know why...."

I thanked the man as I gathered my things and hurried off the train along with a number of other disgruntled passengers.  After talking to an employee, I found out the next available train would get me in town an hour late. We had a room reserved at the gym but the reservation time couldn't be changed, and I would be too late getting in. I called my contact person, and we realized we had no choice but to cancel the workshop.

In yoga, we talk about being an observer of your body. Instead of getting sucked into whatever thoughts are going on, we're encouraged to take a step back and notice the thoughts/feelings and let them go. Whether it's happiness, annoyance, whatever- you acknowledge them and let them go.

Let me tell you how hard that was for me.

I walked to the platform for my train back home, and noted the sign said it would be delayed about 40 minutes. It was freezing cold, my joints ached, it was 3:30pm and I hadn't eaten since breakfast. I stood there in the middle of the track, with people bustling around me, and it took  everything I had not to break down in tears.

Forty-five minutes later, the train arrived, and I heaved myself and my bags onto the train and sank into an empty seat. By now it was dark, and I could only make out the outline of the bare trees as we flew by. I tried to find that happy place I was in a few hours prior. I squinted, trying to make out more of the beautiful landscape I knew was there, trying to find that sense of gratitude, but I couldn't help but feel like my entire day had been wasted. At the next stop, I was asked to move my seat, and there weren't any open ones. So I stood for a bit, rocking back and forth slightly with the train as it balanced itself along the tracks. 

It was nearly 8:30pm by the time I got home. I dropped my things with a thud at the door, and rushed to my bed. Tears of exhaustion and frustration lined my eyes and spilled over. And then reality set in. Yes, I had spent a total of seven hours on the train and gone no where. But the train wasn't derailed (I had a friend tell me today how she was on a train that had derailed when she was 13!!!!), the scheduling issue wasn't my fault, I didn't get hurt or lost...it could have been much worse. And I still got to see the beautiful German countryside. So, there's that.

PS- If you ever find yourself on a train passing the most beautiful countryside, here are some songs that will make the moment that much better.

PPS- More songs here.

Gym Love & A Cardio Playlist

Yoga is my true love, but a close second is the gym.

I started working at a gym when I was seventeen. It was a small family-owned place, so I wore many hats. I sold memberships, taught people how to use the machines and I scrubbed, vacuumed, dusted,  and wiped down every inch of that place (including the toilets and showers- good times!).

But I really did love being there. There's something about a gym environment that inspires me. The people around you are all working toward a common goal- improved physical health- and it's a collective yet individual effort. Maybe i'm romanticizing it, but that's how I feel every time I'm in a gym.

Anyway, I've started amping up my cardio and I thought I'd share a collection of songs I've got on heavy rotation. Admittedly, it's not the most cohesive playlist I've made, since it features The Doors, Janet Jackson, RHCP, and Rihanna, but hey, I never claimed to be a playlist master. ​Side note: I'm incapable of running on the treadmill and not playing a bit of air drums. Is that a gym-goer/music-lover symptom or is it just me? (True story: My high school English teacher used to do an hour on the stair master at the gym where I worked and play some SERIOUS air drums complete with head banging, so I'm not convinced it's only me.)

A note on a few of the songs:

• Lunar is great for interval training walking/sprinting.
• Talk That Talk is a good warm up song since the beat is slower.
• And James Brown I don't really run to, but I do stop everything I'm doing at the gym and gown DOWN to that song. Kidding. (Not really.) 

PS: Some yoga playlists here.​