Ever considered turning off the music and practicing to the song of your breath?

For months now I have been teaching without music. It is liberating but also when the harmony of natural rhythm and flow is not quite in reach, it can be mentally challenging for me as facilitator. But on the whole, when the students are ready to commit to Ujjayi and are able to bring their mind down into their bodies - the room is on fire with precious moving meditation that comes from the body, from the heart and not the mind.

We begin with meditation and a dharma talk. We breathe in deep fragrance of frankincense and lime, or ginger and ylang-ylang. We adjust the the sanctuary of the yoga room and we breathe. We let go. We come home to the present moment.

After twenty minutes we transition, very slowly into organic self-motivated  movement in deep accord with the Ujjayi breath.

Naturally I have a plan for the class that is intertwined with the Dharma talk so we flow through our asanas. It is magic to watch and to be apart of. The connection my students and my teachers find with themselves is trans formation.

It is only during self-practice that I know if a little music is needed. Sometimes I will put something on to deepen the practice or insert a bit of pitta but mostly the class can flow on with the gorgeous sound of the ocean in their own breath.

The evolution of teaching and practicing without music has been a long path of meditation. It has taken maturity most of all, to feel comfortable with others in the presence of nothing but human spirit.

If you are interested in reading what other teachers have found, I recommend you take a look at a fabulous blog called The Yoga Lunch Box and specifically an article by Kara-Leah Grant called The Humbling Experience of Ditching Music While Teaching Yoga.