Yoga and music – two interests which have certainly helped a lot of us feel better during the pandemic. And two passions of Miss Le Brun, who teaches music at senior school and yoga outside school. But the connections between the two don’t end there.

Here are some of Miss Le Brun’s thoughts on the subject:

Flow

It is the state in which we become totally absorbed in an activity to such an extent that we lose track of time; like how it can feel on the yoga mat or when playing an instrument. It is an optimal state of engagement, in that sweet spot between being challenging enough but not so difficult that you switch off. Anyone can experience ‘flow’ and it is a wonderful state to be in, because it helps us to realise the intrinsic motivation of doing something for the simple joy of doing it, rather than for any simplific goal. In both yoga and music I sometimes lose myself in flow and this is definitely a similarity between both disciplines.

Discipline

Both music and yoga need to be practiced regularly with commitment and dedication.

Creativity

The creativity that I use to sequence a yoga class is also essential when I am composing new musical works and songs. I combine my knowledge of either yoga poses or musical harmony, with imagination and playfulness. The idea of ‘play’ is a vital one in both yoga and music; both yogis and musicians understand that childlike joy and curiosity are essential to making our practice meaningful and long lasting.

Supporting health

Both yoga and music combat stress. Listening to music helps reduce cortisol levels and ease pain. They can have positive effects on your mood through the release of chemicals such as endorphins (yoga) and dopamine (music) and can increase or reduce our heartbeats depending on the tempo.

Connecting people

I feel called to connect with people and to help others connect. I believe music and yoga to be equally helpful tools on this path. 

There are lots of similarities and links between yoga and music –  if you’d like to explore them further, I wrote a blog post about this on my website https://marialebrun.com/the-yogini-musician/