For most of my nine years of teaching yoga, Iāve been mildly obsessed with the construction of the perfect playlist. I kept a running master list of every possible song that I thought would make a fine addition at some point, and every couple weeks Iād sit down and build a new sequence and then the corresponding tunes, meticulously choreographed with the flow, choosing each song based on the energy, tempo and overall elusive vibe it offered.
Inevitably, the most common piece of positive feedback I would get after class from students was about the music. Every so often I would let this irk me, questioning whether I was even a good instructor, or if I just happened to have a Spotify discover algorithm that was simply a primo fit for the folks whoād frequent my classes. Alas, my ego was also a wee bit stoked by these comments. Truth be told, making playlists was one of my favorite parts of teaching a yoga class.
I could judge this obsession of mine, say that the music has nothing to do with yoga or its teachings ā but also, is that even true? And who says? Like language and movement itself, music does unite us. (In fact, music is one of the core tenets of the Jivamukti yoga method. Plus, Iām often pitched new music from emerging artists looking for exposure on Spotify, so it gives me the chance to help spread the love to new communities. So much union!!)
Last year was the first time I flipped how I develop my movement/asana classes. Still teaching online, it was getting trickier to tap into the energy of the room, (although, youād be surprised how much this evolved over time in a virtual setting). So, I swapped my approach and instead would build my playlist and then choreograph the sequence based on that. The process goes something like this:
Go about my daily life, hear a song that strikes a chord, add it to a new playlist.
A few days before teaching a new class, lay out my mat, hit play, and move in a way that feels right.
If my energy peaks too early, or Iām left wanting more or less, I might re-arrange the playlist.
Sometimes I write down the basic sequence but usually I donāt have to, because moving to the music and linking each song to a piece of the flow imprints this memory a lot better than writing.
In March 2020, everyoneās yoga practice became a home yoga practice and some of us have kept that going. I do a little bit of both now, but my home yoga practice is less of a structured set of traditional yoga shapes, and more of a dance that I do in my living room. Some days I have more time and Iāll take a full yoga class online, some days I take The Class, and some days I donāt have much time at all (and some days I skip any form of movement entirely, and on those days I transform into a monster).
Today I want to share a practice that we can all do on the days we donāt have much time at all, and itās a method Iām henceforth calling: Four on the Floor. All you need is a body, a floor, and a way to play music.
Itās an impossibly simple method that can be done in less than 15 minutes and it will probably improve your whole day, and Iām sharing it because I believe we chronically over-complicate fitness āprotocolsā in This (read: western) Culture. I also think itās unnatural how weāve intellectualized and sexualized dancing when it is effectively a cultural universal that exists all over the world in various contexts and is definitely central to being a human. (Donāt even get me started on the notion that āsome bodiesā are for dancing.) Iāve been teaching yoga for almost a decade, and I still break into a mild sweat at the notion of dancing in public (e.g., office Christmas parties, weddings, etc.) without a soft blanket of comfort knowing everyone around me and also me would be intoxicated. But Iāve been working on it, and in fact, I actually just went to my first belly dance class the other week (amazing).
But you donāt have to dance in public if that stresses you out. Because thereās four on the floor! I like to do this practice in the morning, but you can do it any time of day. All you need to do is create your playlist comprised of four songs based on the following:
A song that makes you tap your toes (My current: Fleetwood Mac, āThe Chainā)
I like to stomp, march, tap the floor with my heel or maybe do some side shuffles.
A song that makes you move your hips (My current: Bad Bunny, āTitĆ Me PreguntĆ³ā)
I like to do pelvic tilts and hip circles and shimmies.
A song that makes you clap your hands (My current: Queen, āAnother One Bites the Dustā)
I like to throw in some jumping jacks here to get my heart rate up.
A song that makes you sing (My current: Taylor Swift, āAnti-Heroā - Yes, already.)
And you gotta sing.
When you hit play, youāre powerless to the encouragement of your music, how it moves up your root, sacral, heart and throat chakra. If it still doesnāt work, you might just need new songs, something a bit more alluring, something with a stronger pull.
And if you are like, Kelly, I do this every morning already, itās called dancing in my kitchen, well, thank you and please continue to bring that goodness into the world. I am certain our society would be approximately 20% more functional if we all just did four on the floor every morning and that is based on the scientific testing I have done onā¦myself.
Never let anyone tell you (not even me) that they make the perfect playlist. You feel the perfect playlist in your body, so only you can do that.
PS - All the links above are collaborative. I would love to see your additions. š
PPS - There are just 5 spots left in our upcoming Intentional New Yearās Yoga Retreat December 30 - Jan 1, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Maryland. In addition to a 2023 intention setting and Tarot workshop, daily meditation and yoga nidra, and delicious food, there will also be some š„ playlists, too. Catherine and I would love to have you there!