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Description
Scholars and musicians alike understand the healing powers of music. For example, music has been utilized in the treatment of Alzheimer’s, depression, and anxiety. It appears that music is not only for entertainment but is also linked to our personal histories and wellbeing. It is through these intimate links to our self-concept that music possesses the power to heal and transform. Yoga, a physical, mental, and spiritual practice, is a centuries old discipline that has only recently become popular in the West. Yoga has been promoted for its use as a complementary intervention for a number of illnesses, including cancer, heart disease, posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression. More recently, Western yoga studios and teachers have begun to incorporate live music, both traditional Indian music and modern Western music, into their teaching. The meanings communicated in a yoga class with live music are personal, cultural, political, spiritual, and ethereal. Through experiencing a yoga class with live music, participants enter their bodies into a subjective process of meaning-making. In doing so, bodies and identities have the potential to be transformed as meaning and understanding is perpetually made and remade. This study utilizes an ethnographic methodology to interrogate complex communicative practices surrounding yoga and music. In doing so, the study utilizes participant-observation, interviews, and field notes to inform our understanding of the experience. Through participating in and dialoguing about yoga classes with electronic and sitar music, this research investigates the question: What stratums of inspiration are communicated in the rhythm of yoga and music? This research seeks to deepen our understanding of the powerful healing and transformative potential of yoga and music while offering frameworks through which to interrogate yoga and music as communication. Keywords: yoga, music, inspiration, synthesis, embodiment, rhythm, consciousness
