Yoga with live music in Uluwatu
Musicians playing beside you as you move.
Live music classes have one or more musicians in the space while you practice. It might be a cellist, a handpan, harmonium and voice, a guitarist or an ambient electronic set, played in response to the pace of the class. The style of yoga varies; the soundtrack is made in real time.
No classes scheduled in the next two weeks.
What Live music does for you
Sound made right next to you lands differently from a playlist. You feel low notes in your chest and through the floor, and the music moves with the class, building in the flow and softening for rest. Many people find it easier to stay present and stop checking the clock. It often feels more like an evening out than a regular class.
It suits you if
- playlists feel flat to you
- you want a class that feels like a small concert
- you love long, spacious rests
- you are bringing a friend who is not sure about yoga yet
Read the full guide to Live musicWhat a class is like, your first time, history and the words you will hear
What a class is like
Classes often run 75 to 90 minutes and are usually flow or slow Hatha, ending with a long rest where the music takes the lead. Musicians set up at the front or side with guitar, cello, harmonium, handpan, percussion or a looper. Volume is usually moderate, and the facilitator keeps cues short so the music has space. Some include a little singing or chanting. Many are special events with candles, low light, advance booking and a higher price than a regular class.
Your first time
- Book ahead; these classes tend to fill.
- Arrive early to choose your spot: near the musicians is louder and more immersive, the back is calmer.
- Bring a layer or socks for the long rest at the end.
Good to know
- Many live music classes are sold as events with fixed tickets and limited spots, so class passes may not apply.
- Some include call and response singing; joining in is always optional.
Where it comes from
Music and yoga have met for centuries in devotional practice. India's bhakti traditions set devotion to song, and kirtan, group call and response singing with harmonium and drums, is still part of many yoga communities. Many of the lineages behind today's postural yoga, such as Iyengar and Mysore-style Ashtanga, still practice without music.
Music became a normal part of Western classes in the late 20th century. Jivamukti Yoga, founded in New York in 1984, made music, chanting and dynamic flow part of its identity, and playlists became standard in vinyasa culture.
Live musicians followed, especially at yoga festivals and special events from the 2000s. The harmonium, a European reed organ of the 19th century that Indian craftsmen reshaped into a compact, hand-pumped floor instrument, became the signature sound. It was joined by the Hang, developed in Bern in 2000 by Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer, and the wider family of handpans it inspired.
Berlin has a large pool of working musicians, from classical players to experimental and electronic artists, so live music classes here range from cello and voice to modular synths, often as evening events in studios, lofts and galleries.
Words you will hear
- Harmonium
- A small hand-pumped reed organ, the classic sound of kirtan.
- Handpan
- A steel instrument shaped like a flying saucer, played with the hands, with soft, bell-like tones.
- Looper
- A pedal that records and repeats a phrase so one musician can build layers live.
- Kirtan
- Call and response singing of mantras, led by a musician.
- Savasana
- The final rest lying on your back, where the music often takes over; the name means corpse pose.