Nothing can help you reach a higher level of consciousness
faster than music. Supriya Sharma finds out how yoga classes, in India and
abroad, are using music to reach out to more people.
In a faintly lit room young yogis try and balance delicate
asanas to the tune of a sitar. The room vibrates with this coming together of
two ancient forms. As the class sways to yoga guru Zubin Atre's postures, the
accompanying sitarist Galen Passen does impromptu musical improvisations making
it a seamless flow of energies. Sitar yoga has caught the fancy of Delhiites,
who love this new concept of musical yoga sessions. "I have done
improvised jam sessions before, where a group of people play music, dance, and
sometimes do yoga simultaneously at my yoga studio. Passen and I improvised
together at one such session, and then the idea of sitar yoga followed,"
tells Atre.
Music can help lift students through difficult sequences
with upbeat music or create a restorative vibe with calm music. A soulful
musician can truly make a difference in creating the perfect atmosphere for a
class. Combining music with yoga is a famous practice abroad. Musician Todd
Boston fuses acoustic world instruments together to create a unique and
beautiful sound. With no pre-recorded tracks he mixes and blends the
instruments and his voice in harmony to create a musical journey of soulful,
heartfelt compositions. He has played at the Kundalini Yoga and Music Festival
in Rishikesh. Similarly, Yoga Soundscape is a unique yoga and music experience
curated and guided by Aarona Pichinson in New York. Every week, an eclectic
array of talented musicians, laptop masters, or DJs perform live soulful music
ranging from old-world tribal instrumental to experimental electronic beats for
classes filled with stretched-out breaths and sweaty patches! Source
