As we pass the halfway point of winter, now is the perfect time to decide how to spend the rest of the season before it transforms into spring. Will you embrace the darkness and dormancy of wintertime and practice stillness, silence, and contemplation? To give you a little encouragement, we’ve chosen seven albums for this month’s best yoga music list that reflect and amplify winter’s naturally introverted energy. These multi-layered compositions feature slow tempos and ambient drones that will help you go within to quiet the mind and explore your inner workings. We hope this month’s collection of music supports your exploration of the deep inner spaces of your soul.
Ram Dass : Chapter I (2019) by East Forest, Ram Dass
This beautiful EP is a collaboration between beloved spiritual teacher Ram Dass and electro-acoustic ambient musician East Forest. On these four compositions, Dass’s words are perfectly complemented by a powerful mix of piano, synths, harmonium, strings, flute, and percussion. The first in a series of four, this album also features guest appearances from Trevor Hall and Krishna Das.
Adrift by Robert Farrugia
Most of the soundscapes on this album incorporate slow electronic drumming which creates more entrainment and interest than your typical ambient album. All nine tracks start and end softly but build in complexity and intensity as they approach the middle, making them perfect for a slow flow or gentle yoga practice.
Water & Air – Heart Chakra Meditation by Calm Whale
This intent of this hour-long “music ceremony” inspired by the elements of water and air is to activate the heart chakra and cultivate “love, warmth, compassion and deep bonds with other beings.” Beautiful steel tongue drum compositions resonate over electronic drones and are accented with Peruvian shaman rattles, shakers, bells, and ocarina.
The Barcelona Kirtan Project by Mantranima
On their debut album, Mantranima, a duo from Barcelona, perform Sanskrit “mantras with a Mediterranean touch.” With their mellow tempos and traditional kirtan mantras, these eight tracks are the perfect music to play for relaxation or during the slower parts of a yoga practice.
Shimmer and Radiance by Jim Butler
This luscious ambient album is a peaceful one hour and forty-minute journey suitable for sleep, meditation, relaxation, massage, or yoga. Throughout the track, a repeating composition of plucked strings drifts spaciously atop a base of calming and undulating ambient drones.
Portals Awaiting by Intelligent Wind
The intention of this ambient album, composed of layers of highly-processed guitar and synths, is to help listeners with “connecting to the planet & the cosmos.” Play these slow and soothing tracks whenever you want to draw your focus and attention inwards, like during a deep meditation practice.
Les Moments Étranges by Introversion
Layers of synth drones and swells intertwine with haunting vocal samples in this new ambient album from France. Each of these eight compositions have an ethereal and angelic sound that is perfect for a gentle or restorative yoga practice.
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