I first started doing yoga after I jacked up my back on Warped Tour. I was (wo)manning the Alternative Press tent, and while trying to set up in the morning, I got frustrated with something totally trivial and thought it would be a good idea to take out my aggression on a box of tour guides that was in my way. I kicked the box with my foot, and no sooner did my toes make contact with the cardboard, I was immediately struck by an ungodly pain that surged all the way up the back of my legs and up my spine. Whoopsers. After I shouted every expletive in my vernacular, I hobbled over to the tour massage therapist in the shape of a human pretzel and vowed that I'd never be in this shape again!
When I finally straightened out and returned home, I knew that I needed to start up some kind of physical activity to ensure that my muscles wouldn't atrophy before I turned 30. That was when I discovered yoga, and my life was forever changed.
After taking a couple years off, I've rededicated myself to the practice. Not only am I counting the days until I can finally nail a shoulder stand again, but I've also taken this time as a great opportunity to reacquaint myself with some of my favorite soft rock artists -- and by "soft rock," I mean "music that doesn't give me a migraine upon repeated listens."
If you're interested in increasing your flexibility and anxiety control, I highly recommend practicing yoga (do it!) and making sure the background music includes songs from Adele, Radiohead, Broken Bells and Mumford And Sons.
Finally, and if you'd like to keep up with all my musings, please visit my website and follow me on Twitter (@redpatterndress).
1.) Adele's "Chasing Pavements": For me, the hardest part about yoga is keeping my mind on the practice and not allowing it to wander in a million different directions. Thankfully, when Adele comes on the stereo, I immediately zone out and just focus on her gorgeous voice. She's like the Pied Piper of Vinyasa; I'd follow her anywhere. I also find this song's lyrics especially apropos when I get frustrated: "Should I give up or should I just keep chasing pavements, even if it leads nowhere?" In fact, they remind me of a mantra one of my teachers used to open class with: "It's called a yoga practice, not a yoga perfect." Words to live by.
2.) Radiohead's "Karma Police": When it comes to moving and shaking, frontman Thom Yorke is a master. (I mean, didn't you see the band's semi-recent video for "Lotus Flower"? Pure brilliance.) However, I happen to find a tune like "Karma Police" is less about inducing seizures and more about slowing down my heartbeat and bending deeper into my Warrior 1 pose. After all, you have to stretch properly before you can even attempt to dance like Thom.
3.) Broken Bells' "The High Road": I don't know about you, but I miss The Shins. Thankfully, Broken Bells satisfies my taste for James Mercer's voice and affinity for spaced-out indie rock, courtesy of famed producer Danger Mouse. I love playing this in the background when I'm doing sun salutations because it makes me feel like I'm actually saying hello to the moon, stars and all the other celestial bodies floating in outer space. Far out, man.
4.) Mumford And Sons' "After The Storm": Some people might find Mumford And Sons provides the perfect soundtrack for whooping it up and throwing back a couple pints with your mates, but I happen to find the band's melancholy folk rock also offers a lovely musical backdrop to Shavasana, the period of full body relaxation that closes a yoga practice. I can't tell you how many times Marcus Mumford has sung me to sleep... and I'm not just talking about the weird dreams I have about us running away to become Vaudeville performers in the 1920s.