November 2018 Playlist

One of My Most Requested Playlists

This is the playlist I have been using in class this past month.  I usually work with a playlist for a 90-minute class.  The playlist is not exactly 90 minutes because I usually spend a few minutes talking at the beginning of class.  My playlists usually start with pop music and end with mellow yoga music.  I often switch songs in and out until I get the right tweak.   I must have tweaked it just right because several people asked me for this playlist:

Woman by Mumford & Sons
Yellow by Coldplay
What’s Up? by 4 Non Blondes
Go It Alone by Beck
Wow by Beck
I Try by Macy Gray
Crash Into Me by Dave Matthews Band
Royals by Lorde
Adventure Of A Lifetime by Coldplay
How Come by Ray LaMontagne
Glycerine by Bush
Round Here by Counting Crows
Stay by Rihanna
Killing Me Softly by Fugees
Servant Of Peace by Snatam Kaur
Ong Namo Bhagavate by Deva Premal
By Any & All Means by Brad Roberts

1 hour, 25 minutes

For those of you who are on Spotify it is called "My playlist #2"

Sri Argala Stotram

The song I have been playing in class is the Sri Argala Stotram by Krishna Das.

Without knowing the meaning of the word stotram, I think it is obvious that the song is a hymn of devotion. The melody just exudes that sentiment. Nevertheless, I looked up the word stotram on Wikipedia, and here is what it says: Stotra or Stotram is a Sanskrit word, that means "ode, eulogy or a hymn of praise". It is a literary genre of Indian texts designed to be melodically sung, in contrast to shastras which are composed to be recited.

This stotra is to the goddess Durga. She is the warrior goddess, whose mythology centers around combating evils and demonic forces that threaten peace, prosperity and the dharma of the good. She is the fierce form of the protective mother goddess, willing to unleash anger against wrong, violence for liberation and destruction to empower creation.

The first line of this song calls her by another one of her names: Chandika. Chandra is the word for moon.
Om Namas Chandikayai (Om, I bow to the goddess Chandika)

The repeating verse of this song is:
Rupam dehi, jayam dehi, Yasho dehi, dvisho jahi
Which translates to: Grant us your form (Liberation), Grant us victory, Grant us welfare, remove all hostility (negativity).

You get a better sense of from whom you are asking these things in the line preceding it:
Madhu Kaitabha vidravi vidhatṛ varade namah
To you who have defeated the negative qualities of “Too Little” and “Too much”, Giver of blessings and of creativity, I bow to you.

It’s a beautiful song and I hope you are enjoying it as much as I am. To listen to it click here. To read more about it on Krishna Das’ own website, click here.

If you want to buy the song, it is on the album Kirtan Wallah by Krishna Das and is available on itunes.

My Favorite Playlist

Students often tell me that they like my playlists.  I am flattered, thank you.  Last week, the son of one regular student took a couple of my classes before going off to college. When I saw the mom, I told her how much I enjoyed meeting her son. She told me that he enjoyed my class and that he really enjoyed my playlist.  I found this surprising. I am not surprised when students who are closer to me in age tell me that they enjoy my music, but when a young man in his 20s says he likes my playlist?!  This past Saturday several students remarked that the playlist was being particularly good, so I told them that I would share. Enjoy, and please share some of your favorite songs with me. You can leave your recommendations in the comments below this blog post.  Who knows, your suggestions may end up on a future playlist!

All My Days - Alexi Murdoch
I Try - Macy Gray
All the Wild Horses - Ray La Montagne
Wild Horses - The Rolling Stones
After the Gold Rush - Neil Young
Desperado - The Eagles
Ain't No Sunshine - Lenny MacDowell
Redemption Song - Bob Marley
Into the Deep (featuring Macy Gray) - Galactic
Crazy - Gnarls Barkley
Crazy Love - Van Morrison
All the Little Lights - Passenger
Walkin' Away from Caroline - Dave Carter and Tracey Grammer
Angel from Montgomery - Bonnie Raitt and John Prine
For What It's Worth - DJ Drez
Breathe Me - Sia
Veerabhadra (DJ Drez Remix) - Sound Ambassador
Gayatri - Jane Winther

P.S. It is nice to know that you all are focused inward on your breath and what is going on in your body and that you are not distracted by any external distractions! ;)

Krishna Das Playlist

Here is an hour-and-a-half playlist for you to enjoy:

Namah Shivaya - Pilgrim Heart
Rock on Hanuman - Elephant Power - M.C. Yogi featuring Krishna Das
Sri Hanuman Chaleesa - Door of Faith
Mountain Hare Krishna - Pilgrim Heart
God Is Real/Hare Ram - Door of Faith
Kashi Vishwanath Gange - Breath of the Heart
Ma Durga - Breath of the Heart
Mere Gurudev - Door of Faith
Baba Hanuman - Breath of the Heart
Sita Ram - Chants of a Lifetime (CD comes with the book)