Music & Silence

Music & Silence

Is there really a conversation to be had regarding the value of music as opposed to silence?  I'd rather think of them as mutually supportive, and in fact deeply connected.  Music is simply an elegant way of marking space within infinite silence through the passage of time.

The real question is does the right music played at the appropriate volume help you go deeper into your asana?  Deeper into yourself? 

If the answer is yes, then you've come to the right place! With our help you can enjoy listening an incredible array of inspiring music while you practice yoga.

If the answer is no, then consider practicing without music, or listen more carefully to what might not be working.  Is the music fighting for your attention as you try to listen to your teacher?  Perhaps the music is too busy, too loud, or not the right intensity level for the pose you're in.  Bad acoustics in the room?  Very common in bright, hard wood floor studios which are acoustically speaking not ideal.  If so, just like in asana, adjust, breathe and approach your edge again until you find the balance between tension and release, rhythm and silence.

I've personally found that music helps me better enjoy the silence left after a deep embodiment practice.  It's as if the symphony of my own inner voices come to a close as the music ends and we both participate in a mutual silence that is truly golden.

I'm going to take a wild guess and state that there is most likely nothing in any yogic text that speaks against practicing to music.  Therefore it's truly up to the individual to decide for themselves what works best, which is huge part of yoga to me.

Also sometimes people have an initial experience that turns them off, closing them down to future opportunities.  Not everyone has learned the skill of playing supportive music for yoga, so if you're referring to a time when someone bounced a booty hip hop track during savasana, then yeah that might not be the best argument for music vs. silence.

If you have however, experienced a beautiful flute melody or tabla rhythm during a cool down series that transports you deep into a state of pure samadhi then you're pretty much a yoga music junkie (like us) and we're here to support your fix.

In my personal practice I often spend time in silence… but when I practice with others I love how the right music connects us and brings us closer together.  A commonality we all share without having to activate our thoughts and casual conversation in order to be present with one another.

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Alex King-Harris (aka Rara Avis)

Yogi Tunes CEO/Co-Founder