Loud Music During a Yoga Class? Really?
Dr Farah Shroff
Principal @ Darya Public Health & Wellbeing Services | Policy, Planning, Knowledge Translation Harvard HealthLab Board Member; Harvard iLab-Expert, Vancouver Coastal Health Board of Governors Member
Dear yoga teacher friends, i really love being taught by other teachers. Recently, during some of these lovely yoga jaunts, i have been jolted off my otherwise blissful yoga experience with really loud music, even during the very last part of the class--sivasana (deep relaxation). Wow! I used to be a high impact aerobics instructor so i understand the importance of music for revving up the fun. Music can motivate people to go harder, faster and really rock! Most traditional yoga schools, however, don't use music. The rhythmic quality of breath, particularly the group synchronized breathing, is quite helpful to the practice. Here in North America, where asana (poses) is the most important part of the practice for most studios, music keeps people going, especially in 'power' yoga classes.
High volume music during yoga, puts people at risk of noise induced hearing loss. Why would anyone want to pursue a healthy activity only to put their hearing at risk?
Pharmaceutical and Biopharmaceutical Project Manager (Smartsheet preferred)
1 年Thanks very much, Dr. Shroff. I so love my yoga teachers at LifeTime, but the volumes during flow are forcing me to skip classes or bring ear plugs. It's so hard for me to understand how the same teachers who are so mindful and compassionate feel that they need to blast music at unpleasant, distracting and harmful levels. Don't they know the U.S. has used loud music as torture at Guantanamo? Also, with 1/3 of adults over 50 suffering from tinnitus, are they unaware that loud music triggers episodes. I'm so confused, again, but they're such nice nurturing compassionate people in every way except this :(
Rural generalist, GP Oncologist, Point-of-Care US crusader / instructor. Faculty @ UBC Dept of Fam Medicine. Special interest in medical culture. Honoured to live + have deep community on Haida Gwaii, Canada.
6 年Hi Farah, interesting post. For the kundalini yoga lineage, music is an essential component, and it's often loud. It often contains mantra and evokes kirtan - devotion to the inner guru and an internal dristi for the mind. For hatha style classes, music is background, and if loud, can distract from the cuing of the teacher or one's attention.?