This is a question we get asked time and time again. Music. Is it beneficial for a yoga class or is it actually better to do it without? Personally, I love using music, and it helps me to stay focused by when I decided to research and think about this question, I started to discover that I might be doing more harm than good.
Today, I’m going to talk through a couple of points on whether or not music is a good aspect to yoga so you can make up your own mind.
Lyrics Can Be Distracting
This was the first thing I thought of when I began writing this article. If a song has lyrics in it, it can be very distracting, especially if it’s similar to a chart song and has a beat. If you know the lyrics, you can end up singing them in your head, rather than concentrating on your breath or what you’re doing.
However, the music I usually listen to contains mantras or vocalisations, so, I decided to do two sessions with different genres of music to compare. One was purely instrumental, and the other had a woman singing.
When the woman was singing, I did find myself concentrating very heavily on the music, rather than the pose I was trying to perform. With the instrumental, I found myself more focused. So, maybe it’s a good idea just to use instrumental music?
The Side Effects of Music
Music is so popular and such a core in our society, and societies around the world because it invokes emotion. Music can make you feel happy, and music can make you feel sad. So, what happens when you listen to a sad song while trying to bring positivity to your life through yoga?
The answer, unproductivity. Most of the music I listen to is usually quite positive, and there’s a lot of uplifting sounds and vocals. However, there was one song that I made sure to never listen to, so I tried it.
The effect was surreal.
It made me feel sad, low and as though I had no energy. I tried listening to a modern song, and the lyrics contained strange lyrics and words, such as ‘old’, ‘young, ‘smoking’ and words you wouldn’t normally associate with yoga.
Actually listening to these lyrics, rather than having them in the background didn’t make me feel great, so it leaves me wondering what kind of subtle, subconscious effects these words were having on my brain during my practices.
Loud Music is Stressful
This is probably a point that most of you will have already discovered by yourself but I’ll mention it anyway. Even if you have the most relaxing song ever playing through your speakers but it’s on full volume, and it’s booming throughout your house or studio, it’s going to be a stressful experience.
However, does this mean you’ve just got to find that perfect volume setting?
Final Thoughts
All in all, this was a very interesting experience, and it’s one I’m glad that I tried out. Many yoga studios I’ve been to recently have played hip-hop music, chart music and instrumental yoga sounds but, until now, I’ve never really paid that much attention to it.
However, from this study, I’ve discovered a few things.
- Always pick instrumental tracks and avoid any lyrics at all costs.
- When relaxing in Shavasana at the end of your session, lay in silence. It’s far more beneficial.
- Find the right, low volume setting and resist the urge to change it throughout your session.
