Published September 9, 2025 10:34AM
20 Songs To Instantly Set the Vibe at the Start of Yoga Class
There's something for whatever mood you're trying to evoke.
(Photo: Mixed musical artists)
I was lying on a secluded beach, my eyes closed, when a soothing voice began to sing from somewhere behind me. It was Janine Valecillos, a holistic therapist and yoga instructor local to Aruba, signaling the beginning of a musical meditation. It wasn’t long before I started to slip into serenity.
Curious, I asked her after class what makes a song transcendent. “For me, music is not just sound. It’s a portal, a reminder, a way of deep reconnection,” says Valecillos, who has been seeking and transmitting medicinal music for her students for years. One of her roles, she explains, is teaching others to “listen to their hearts again and vibrate with that intensity that connects us to this life.”
But unlike Savasana songs, which are unfailingly frictionless and meditative, the music that sets the tone at the outset of yoga class could be any of many things, whether quieting, uplifting, or energizing. Following are some of the tracks that Valecillos and other teachers consider the ideal yoga songs to set the vibe for any practice.
20 Yoga Songs to Start Your Practice
Mystical Music
Vedant & Andres Salcedo | “Ganapati Ancestral”
A modern invocation to Ganesha, the remover of obstacles and deity of new beginnings, this spacious and rhythmic track blends Sanskrit mantra with earthy percussion and flutes. It’s also a fave of Valecillos. “These universal mantras are incredibly grounding,” she says. “They immediately establish a sense of peace and unity, inviting the mind to let go and the heart to open.”
Length: 7:03
Mose, Danit | “Naturaleza – Mose Edit”
An excellent choice for Spanish-speaking classes, although lovely for any audience, this ambient-electronic track by Swiss vocalist Danit and producer Mose features a slow, engaging beat that facilitates an immediate connection to your body. Lyrically, it’s a tribute to Mother Nature, with a call to honor “la fuerza que alimenta” or “the force that nourishes.”
Length: 7:25
Águila Real, Miguel Coiz, Julieta Ferrero | “Wana Hey”
Rooted in reverence for ancestral wisdom, “Wana Hey” is a vibrant blend of flute, ceremonial drum rhythms, and multilingual chants that seem to speak directly to the spirit. Julieta Ferrero’s voice, shaped by years of travel among varying cultures, brings a rich depth that reminds us we are one in our response to sound. Valecillos says that every time she plays this, her students inquire what it is so they can include it in their own playlists.
Length: 7:50
Jesús Hidalgo, Teresa De Jesus | “Pluma De Guacamayito”
Both grounding and uplifting with gentle percussion and heartfelt chanting, this song sets a sacred, earthy tone for practice. “Jesús’s vibration is astonishingly pure,” says Valecillos. “His mantras and chants have an innate ability to elevate energy and purify the space.” Drawn from his cross-cultural journeys and work with the Todo el Mundo dice Aho festival, this song, in the words of Valecillos, “reminds us to feel with the heart and to walk barefoot.”
Length: 7:49
Milo Manzana | “Isla”
Clocking in at 11:11 in length, “Isla” is an extended instrumental that feels like a meditation. Milo Manzana blends spacious ambient textures with ancestral instruments, creating what Valecillos describes as “a sonic embrace that transports you to inner landscapes.” This track is ideal for prolonged centering moments, quieting breathwork, or easing into movement with intention.
Length: 11:11
Instrumental Tracks
Cloudchord | “Waterfalls – Reprise”
This dreamy, instrumental take on TLC’s classic swaps vocals for melodic guitar riffs, offering a familiar but not distracting vibe to begin your flow. Arizona-based yoga teacher and DJ Kaley Jones says she loves this track specifically for Cat-Cow or opening spinal stretches. “It’s a widely known melody that students can follow along to as they warm up,” she says. “And since string instruments are said to be resonant with the heart chakra, the intention of opening with this song is to set a foundation of love and inner-connection.”
Length: 2:36
Beautiful Chorus | “Faith’s Hymn”
Featured on the 2014 album Hymns of Spirit, this serene, expansive track creates a meditative and spiritually uplifting atmosphere. It brings a slow build of harmonies, ideal for opening any asana session, and the combination of choral harmonies, R&B/soul influences, and mantra-like repetition creates a trance-inducing, inward-focused experience.
Length: 6:19
Dangle | “Mereya”
“Mereya” mixes warm beats with Middle Eastern-inspired timbres. The hypnotic and grounding result is simple enough to hold space without distraction yet rich enough to bring texture and feeling. A perfect track to accompany the first few mindful breaths or gentle warmups.
Length: 2:54
Essie Jain | “Opening”
Aptly titled, “Opening” sets the tone with quiet intention. Essie Jain, an English singer-songwriter, uses minimal instrumentation and layered harmonies to create stark, powerful ambient-folk music. This track weaves soft piano and subtle percussion, anchored by vocals that feel both intimate and expansive.
Length: 4:17
Harrison Storm | “Change It All (Instrumental)”
With flickering acoustic guitar and a steady stomp-and-clap rhythm, this instrumental version of “Change It All” brings a grounded, heart-opening vibe to practice. The simplicity of the arrangement creates space while still offering a sense of momentum that’s gentle yet uplifting. The perfect backdrop to inviting presence and moving with the breath.
Length: 4:07
Contemporary Songs
Låpsley | “Station (2014)”
Written and produced in her bedroom when she was just 17 years old, “Station” introduced the world to Låpsley’s signature style: sparse beats, layered vocals, and haunting emotional clarity. The track moves slowly yet powerfully, anchored by a quiet tension between connection and distance. It’s an opening track to encourage dropping into presence.
Length: 3:14
Fleetwood Mac | “Albatross”
A gentle, oceanic instrumental from the Peter Green era of Fleetwood Mac, “Albatross” carries a rolling rhythm that feels like a long exhalation. “This is one of my favorite songs to open up with,” says Jones. “Though the albatross is often linked to guilt or burden in poetry, this track reframes it—offering reverence, peace, and emotional depth.”
Length: 3:11
Black Sabbath | “Planet Caravan”
Surprised to see Black Sabbath on a yoga playlist? I don’t blame you. But trust me, this lo-fi, acoustic track is sublime. The late Ozzy Osbourne’s voice shimmers and warbles over gentle conga drums and soothing guitar. I play this song regularly in my classes. You’d have no idea that this track of the album is sandwiched between the raucous hits “Paranoid” and “Iron Man.”
Length: 4:29
Khruangbin | “A Calf Born in Winter”
Khruangbin is a Texas-based three-piece that creates psychedelic, Thai funk perfection. This under-the-radar single from their first EP begins with gentle chimes and a happy-go-lucky melody before dropping into breakbeat drums and reverb-drenched electric guitar.
Length: 3:29
Jasleen Royal + Prateek Kuhad | “Kho Gaye Hum Kahan”
With delicate acoustic guitar and a tender vocal exchange between Jasleen Royal and Prateek Kuhad, this track offers an easeful landing at the start of practice. It’s sung entirely in Hindi, with the title translating to “where have we lost ourselves.” Originally featured on the Baar Baar Dekho soundtrack, it captures the feeling of nostalgia and presence. The gentle melody and emotive vocals create space to arrive fully—quiet, open, and ready to move inward.
Length: 3:33
Electronic Music
Sol Rising | “The Light”
A favorite yoga song on studio playlists, Sol Rising blends his background in hip-hop and meditation to create music that synchronously uplifts and grounds. “The Light,” from the 2018 Timeless album, is a heartfelt, mid-tempo electronic track with meditative energy, grounded in major‑key warmth and spacious production.
Length: 3:34
James Blake | “You’re Too Precious”
Released in 2020, “You’re Too Precious” finds James Blake and co-writer Dominic Maker layering high-pitched vocals and glitchy textures over a piano-led ballad. Lyrically, Blake reveals a deeply protective love that cherishes every detail. It’s a delicate and haunting expression of devotion.
Length: 3:43
Desert Dwellers | “Wandering Sadhu”
Taken from the 2012 album Anahata Yoga Dub, a truly a set-it-and-forget-it record for yoga practice, the track layers earthy percussion, subtle bass, and ethereal vocal chants to evoke the image of the namesake wandering sadhu on a spiritual journey. A staple in yoga and meditation spaces, it’s like sonic incense.
Length: 5:41
Tycho | “Japan (Instrumental)”
With warm synths, airy guitar lines, and steady, unobtrusive beats, the instrumental “Japan” creates a sense of spacious calm. As a producer, Tycho (Scott Hansen) tends to strike a balance between movement and stillness, making his music aligned with any yoga practice. He drew inspiration for this track from the lush landscapes of Hakone, Japan.
Length: 6:15
Ona Mae + Doctor Flake | “Iana Koba (Dub Version)”
A mystical, slow-burning track grounded in mantra, “Iana Koba” blends deep bass, spacious percussion, and layered vocals in a sound that is both ancestral and otherworldly. “When I listen to her, I feel the call of the vibration in every cell of my body,” says Valecillos.
Length: 5:59
