or observing your thoughts to bring calm and focus,
others see it as a tool for going inward, for timing the
breath to the beat, or for simply feeling joy during the
practice. “There is a time and place for a quieter, more
introspective practice, and you shouldn’t dismiss that,”
says Stephanie Snyder, a San Francisco–based vin-
yasa teacher who travels across the United States and
Europe and teaches some classes with a live DJ. “But
there are many aspects you can choose to incorporate
into a traditional class—dharma, chanting, Sanskrit.
So, I don’t think having live music is a complete
departure. I see it as a special event.”
Snyder points out that a seasoned DJ can
complement the class in real time, backing out of
one track and into another effortlessly so that both
music and movement align. “The vibration of sound
helps students dive into the challenging moments and
move more freely in the joyful moments,” she says.
“Students in the West can be wound up pretty tightly,
and music helps them let go and drop some sweat and
stress on the mat.”
And just like there’s a yoga style for everyone, DJ
styles run the gamut from modern techno pop to deep
house to ethereal ambient sprinkled with the occa-
sional classic-rock tune. So, if you show up for class
and you’re surprised by some musical accompaniment,
see if you can let the music guide you into places you
may not normally go.
“Music is so powerful because it changes your
brainwaves and puts you into another state of con-
sciousness,” says NYC-based DJ Tasha Blank, who
has partnered with Snyder at events and collaborates
regularly with longtime yoga teacher and book author
Elena Brower. “My hope is that people really use it to
go on a journey to return to a deeper place of connec-
tion with themselves.”
Here, Bhakti Styler, Tasha Blank, and two other
rising stars in the yoga-DJ scene share their artistic
process and inspiration, and what they hope to offer
students on the mat.Andrea Ferretti writes and practices yoga from her home
office in San Francisco.ONCE A MONTH in the mountain town of Aspen,
Colorado, locals gather, mat alongside mat, for
Full Moon Yoga at the Shakti Shala studio. The
class is a monthly ritual, a celebration of the full
moon and a way to come together and practice to
music. DJ Bhakti Styler (whose given name is Tyler
Lambuth) supplies the soundtrack, which varies
from soft ambient sounds to electronic dance music
(EDM) to pop rock like Stevie Nicks.
Unlike a typical party DJ who is there solely to
entertain, Bhakti Styler—also a vinyasa teacher at
the studio—aims to become a seamless part of the
class. He sits cross-legged on the fl oor, makes sure
his audio equipment won’t crowd students or inter-
fere with their drishti (focal point), and carefully
crafts his playlists so the songs sync with the pacing
of the teacher, the energy of the students, and even
the weather outside—he might play sentimental
songs on rainy days, or reggae or reggaeton for an
upbeat vibe on sunny days. And while Bhakti Styler
has a rough playlist planned ahead of time, he also
tries to respond on the fl y to what’s happening in the
room. “Lately, I’ve been working on the bass drops of
certain songs with the timing of postures,” he says.
“When students windmill their hands or go back to
Chaturanga, I’ll drop the beat at the same time.”
Five years ago, having a live DJ like Bhakti
Styler in your local studio was a rarity. You might
have done yoga to DJ Drez’s recorded playlists or
gone to a concert to hear MC Yogi, but for the most
part, you probably practiced in silence. Today, there’s
an entire roster of DJs on yoga-festival lineups, and
up-and-comers like Bhakti Styler are booking regular
gigs in studios and event spaces across the country.
While some yoga teachers dismiss the live-
music trend as a mere distraction from yoga’s most
powerful exercises, such as listening to your breath80
june 2016yogajournal.com