If you scroll back in my public playlists on Spotify, you'll find Yoga playlists from as far back as June 2017!
I take great care in creating the perfect Yoga playlist for both my classes and my personal practice, and I think I have come up with the perfect formula for the types of songs to include and where to put them.
For me, my playlists help set the tone of my classes and my practice and give me an indication without looking at the clock of how long I’ve been doing a certain thing and where I should be up to in the class.
Use this list and my playlists for inspiration and create your own playlists that you love! Don't forget to share them with me so I can check them out!
1. Types of songs
There are a few different types of songs that are included in my Yoga playlists
Meditation songs
Lo-fi beats
Beautiful songs
Yogi songs
Meditation songs
These are songs with no lyrics other than gentle hums or oms which start to relax you the minute you start listening to them. Think spa music, with gentle instrumentals, sounds of nature, no real beat or rhythm, just calm, quiet sounds.
Lo-fi beats
These are songs with minimal lyrics, strong beats, and a repetitive melody. They are often chill and calm with a hip-hop vibe. Think elevator music or study sounds.
Beautiful songs
These are songs with some lyrics (although, the lyrics can’t be the biggest focal point as I find this disruptive when I’m trying to teach), nice instruments (often acoustic), and a positive message. They can be songs you’ve heard on the radio or just songs you love, these songs bring a real character to your playlist and to your practice.
Yogi songs
These songs are ones that I associate with yoga. Often Indian songs, sometimes chanting common Yoga mantras or simply in an Indian style, these songs just make you feel good! As a teacher and a practitioner, having a couple of ‘yogi’ songs remind me to think about the core foundations of yoga and the philosophy, as well as being really beautiful to flow to.
2. How to make your playlist
Once you have your songs, you need to order them in a way that will suit what you are doing without having to get up and change the music every 5 minutes.
First, choose how long you want your playlist to be. I usually go for just over an hour to fit with the classes I teach.
Second, follow this formula to create your playlist. This will change depending on what style of Yoga and what kind of a practice you want to have.
A introduction song, usually one of your Beautiful Songs, to play before you actually start, just while you’re getting ready
Put around 10 minutes’ worth of Meditations Songs for your pranayama practice and settling in
A Yogi Song to start your warm up – I find these songs often build nicely and feel very uplifting
Alternate between Lo-fi Beats, Beautiful Songs and Yogi Songs for the bulk of your practice, particularly through dynamic yoga flows and sun salutations
As you more into a slower, more relaxing practice, take out the Lo-fit Beats and add more Beautiful Songs.
Finally, finish with a few more Meditation Songs for your relaxation and savasana. You might also like to add time for silence during savasana, so you may like to change your settings so that no songs start after your playlist has finished.
And that’s it! Most of my Yoga playlists follow this formula, so head to my Spotify to check them out!
I look forward to seeing what you come up with!
Namaste,