Playlist for Mercury Retrograde

I love a good playlist. Music in general has forever inspired me, spoken to my soul, and carried me through life’s joys and challenges. I craft playlists for everything: road trips, dinner parties, bath time, even a day of household chores. So naturally I became one of “those yoga teachers” who meticulously curates her playlists to a theme.

This is in no small part inspired by some of my favorite teachers. My Greensboro teacher Andrea (who has very similar music taste) often created themed playlists for various classes. Friday nights was always good rock’n’roll. New Moons meant a dimly lit practice accompanied by Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. A favorite of mine was “Flowy Glowy Bowie” with David Bowie and black lights. Sometimes it was simply a solid album… think Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti. One of my teachers here in Durham themes her playlists on a topic – colors, holidays, a celebration of queer artists, even literary themes – and encourages us to shout it out when we figure out the theme.

I definitely do not make a new playlist each week, but I do enjoy running with a concept for the week and seeing what I can find. And covers. I love finding covers that fit the “style” we typically play in a Flow class (I don’t teach at a studio where a Led Zeppelin theme night would be terribly popular).

So presenting “Retrograde.” My playlist for Saturday Flow, in preparation for Mercury Retrograde beginning Sunday. We’re revolving many poses and starting sequences on the left. (Because I don’t have enough trouble remembering right from left at baseline!)

Enjoy!

Retrograde

60 Minutes of cosmic-themed music for a Retrograde Flow

Root Chakra Singing Bowl – Sound Bath

Night – All India Radio

Retrograde – James Blake

Venus in Furs [Velvet Underground cover] – Unwoman

Obscured by Clouds [Pink Floyd cover] – All India Radio

Untitled (Late Sun) – Kerala Dust

Sisters of the Moon – Fleetwood Mac

Planet D – Portishead

Marquee Moon [Television cover] – Niki Moss

Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun [Pink Floyd cover] – Bedouin

Life on Mars [David Bowie cover] – Anggun

Total Eclipse of the Heart [Bonnie Tyler cover] – Angie McMahon

Starless [King Crimson cover] – The Unthanks

Root Chakra – Beautiful Chorus

[Sidebar: At some point maybe I’ll publish my nearly five-hour long playlist of all cover songs, not for yoga but simply as an homage to artists paying homage to one another. It’s a good one.]