Yoga App for Musicians

There’s a new yoga app for musicians! We spend a lot of time using small muscles with repetitive motions. Musicians like athletes need  to stretch and care for their bodies. I know I am guilty of just picking up my violin and playing. Either I’m running late or just want to jump right in without warming up my muscles. My high school orchestra director used to tell us that we would get to an age where stretching and warming up was necessary. I think I’m there! 

I’ve recently started attending a yoga class at our local YMCA. First I want to say, yoga isn’t easy. It might look easy, but it is challenging. I’ve been doing HIIT classes for the last few years and thought I was in good shape and strong. Wow! do my muscles ever shake and quake during some of the poses. But I love going to the yoga class because I walk out of class with my shoulders hanging in their proper spot and my back and arms more relaxed. I’m also finding my body awareness is increasing and that I can feel my posture slipping while I’m playing…before everything starts to hurt.

So I was really intrigued when I saw an ad new yoga app for musicians called Intermission. In checking it out I discovered that they just launched the app in September 2019. It is described as the “first-ever digital resource for music, movement and mindfulness.” Created by violinist, yoginis, and friends Melissa White and Elana Urioste. In 2017 they began by hosting retreats and sessions for musicians using yoga to help alignment and breathing and then to transfer that into playing the violin. Both have solo careers as violinists and you can read their story here.