When I’m in a yoga class, ideas come because my mind is clear, or because I’ll hear my teacher say something that starts me thinking in a different way. Often, when I practice without any sound at all, I’ll hear melodies in my head that I’ll sing to myself as I’m practicing.
~Michael Franti
butes his ability to play basketball and run long distances to the flexibility and strength derived from his yoga practice. Currently performing with guitar legend Carlos Santana on the Sound of Collective Consciousness tour, Franti weaves the yogic philosophy of ahimsa, or the sacredness of life and nonviolence in thought or action, into his music. He explains, “For songwriters, one of the most difficult things to do is to instill all of your ideas into just one phrase, word or melody. When I’m in a yoga class, ideas come because my mind is clear, or because I’ll hear my teacher say something that starts me thinking in a different way. Often, when I practice without any sound at all, I’ll hear melodies in my head that I’ll sing to myself as I’m practicing. All of these insights find their way into my songs. “I like to rock out!” notes Franti of his preference for nontraditional yoga music during his personal practice. “Sometimes I make playlists that are all loud dance music, or all reggae. I’ll do a whole class to The Beatles sometimes. Today, I listened to singer- songwriter William Fitzsimmons.” A supporter of several charities and an environmental activist, Franti also values seva, a yogic philosophy that emphasizes selfless service. “As an individual in this world, I believe that we all have a responsibility to give back to our communities and to the planet,” he says. Ten years ago, he decided to go barefoot after play- ing music for children abroad that could not afford shoes. Since then, he’s remained barefoot, except in airplanes or restaurants. The artist also collects
shoes for Soles4Souls (
Soles4Souls.org) at all of his shows.
As a touring musician, Franti enjoys traveling to places such as Haiti, Israel, Palestine, Brazil and Indonesia so that he can share his music on the streets, but also so that he can experi- ence unfamiliar settings. “I learn so much when I go outside of my comfort zone. Similarly, yoga forces us to step outside of our comfort zone and look at our self from a different perspective.” Although he enjoys practicing advanced arm balances and inversions, the final pose in every class, savasana, is Franti’s favorite. “It doesn’t matter if I’m at a workshop for three hours and we
do 15 minutes of the relaxation pose, or if I just did one side of a sun salutation and I lay on my back for three minutes. Savasana always changes my whole out- look on life, on my day and the present moment. To lay quietly on my back on the floor, close my eyes, breathe deeply and let everything go for a few minutes enables me to then move forward into whatever comes next in my day.”
Meredith Montgomery publishes the Mobile/Baldwin, AL, edition of Natural Awakenings (HealthyLivingHealthy
Planet.com). She also serves as direc- tor of donor relations for National Yoga Month (
YogaMonth.org).
september 2011
Inspiring everyone to live a healthy life
{one yoga class at a time}
Celebrate with a week of FREE YOGA! Find a participating yoga studio near you!
www.YogaMonth.org
natural awakenings September 2011
27
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