The following is a guest post by Alicia Reid.

For prenatal yoga, listening to the different melodies has an extra benefit–your baby can hear it, too. If you’re an expectant mama, you’re likely aware that there are lots of research which show that playing music for your baby has various positive effects. By adding music to your prenatal yoga session, you can get your daily yoga fix and condition your body for labor, plus your baby also enjoys the concerto.

Of course, this is not to say that silent yoga sessions should be completely dimissed. If you ask several yoga teachers like Ekhart Yoga, you’ll find that the secret lies in knowing when to play music and when not to.

But in times when a little background music is appropriate, it can still be a challenge to decide which tracks to play. With that in mind, check out some of the genres and artists below which are go-to music choices for yogis in all phases of life.

Types of Music for Prenatal Yoga: Choose Your Soundtrack

Traditional/Ethnic

Traditional yoga music like kirtan and other types of devotional songs have been, and will always be, a staple for yogis. Dave Stringer, Ragani and Anugama are top artist picks in this genre ideal as background music for yoga.

Over the past few years though, the genre has picked up speed in terms of popularity. In fact, last year’s Grammy Awards saw numerous albums that adhere to the genre according to Yoga Journal. The Madi Das creation Bhakti Without Borders, for one, has become the third Best New Age album nominee as far as kirtan music is concerned.

See also How to Get Your Om On: A Guide to Kirtan

Instrumental/Chanting

Some yogis prefer other kinds of instrumentals and chanting songs. In this part, the likes of Enya and Lindsey Stirling are frequently chosen. These kinds of songs are far from Indian music, but they have a magical feel to them, giving yogis a dreamy atmosphere while in session.

Psychedelic/Blues

For a funky and groovy ambiance, yoga teachers often turn to one of the most iconic artists in the psychedelic and blues genre–Jimi Hendrix. The guitar virtuoso has long been a popular choice among yogis. His unique grooves are considered phenomenal and are often referred to as the ‘Jimi Hendrix experience.’ Many of Hendrix’s songs allow yogis to enter a state of focus on the inside, and that’s exactly why it works.

This hypnotic effect first captured the consciousness of Hendrix fans around the world in the 1960s. Yet the artist is still paid homage to through today’s media, usually in the form of movies and video games. For instance, an upcoming biopic which will use actual Hendrix recordings is currently in the works, according to the Rolling Stone. Gaming tributaries include the Slingo platform, creators of the virtual playroom Slingo Boom, which reaches out to fans of the guitar god through Jimi Hendrix Online Slot game featuring several of the artist’s greatest tracks. But more than these works, the psychedelic high that Hendrix’s songs provide has attracted the attention of yoga practitioners, as they found that the melodies can put them in the right mood for a relaxing session.

If 6 Was 9 and Little Wing are two of the most played tracks from Hendrix’s back catalogue which work well for yogis. Nonetheless, you can explore his other albums and see if they have the same effect on you.

EDM Chillout/Slow Trance

Slow trance is often used by therapists to condition a patient’s state of mind and keep them relaxed during sessions. It works in a similar manner when applied to yoga.

EDM Sauce listed a number of tracks that are connected to these genres such as Waves by Japanese Wallpaper, Levels by Avicii and Fallen From the Sky by Julian Kruse. These are all great for trance-like transitions, which will help you connect with your inner self.

What kind of music do you like to play while you practice?