The Must-Know Music Essentials for Your Yoga Playlist by Black Artists

I’m Black y’all and not just 28 days of the year. 365 days, my Blackness is central to my being.

Every Black History Month, and now Juneteenth, social media is flooded with images of and words by great Black leaders and thinkers of the past. Their contributions undoubtedly advanced civil rights, improved race relations, and/or resonated with the Black community.

February/June are great times to recall their actions and use them for motivation to continue to make progress individually and collectively, but I want to see people embrace that year-round.

This year in particular, I have seen even more content about present-day Black history and the strides that Black doctors, entertainers, lawyers, athletes, etc. are making.

My understanding of Black history started at home and was greatly reinforced at school. Considering how much of our conditioning starts at school, I am grateful to have started my education at African Peoples Action School (APAS) - a Black-owned and led private school, where we learned Swahili, sang the Black National Anthem every day, and understood that Black History encompassed so much more than slavery.

That quick mention of my upbringing is essential because APAS affected my outlook on life, how I navigate the world. At a young age, I knew my Blackness was an asset. I am also hypersensitive to diversity in background and perspective of the places and spaces that I occupy.

As I have grown, I have developed a range of hobbies and interests - a primary one being yoga. I took my first yoga class back in 2009 and was off and on with my practice until 2019 when I challenged myself to a 30-day challenge.

I loved heated flows, flowing to music, and the vibe. What I did not love was the lack of racial representation amongst yoga teachers and the use of hip hop music by instructors I highly doubted had a true love for the culture.

Months into a steady practice, I decided to do a 200-hour Teacher Training. I wanted to see more of me on the mat, in the greater wellness space generally, and plus I knew I could bring something different. Fast forward to almost 3 years of being certified and my value add (I am a MBA student too) is hands down my very Black playlists that match my flows.

I have provided my yoga playlist essentials below, songs by Black artists that are a must for me on and off of the mat.

More Must-Add Songs For Your Yoga Playlist By Black Artists 

• Almeda - Solange
• Already - Beyonce, Shatta Wale, & Major Lazer
• Birdie - Kota the Friend
• Bloom - bLAck pARty
• C-Side - Khruangbin & Leon Bridges
• Energy - Big K.R.I.T.
• Essence - Wizkid [feat. Tems]
• Everybody Loves the Sunshine - Roy Ayers Ubiquity
• Everytime - Big K.R.I.T. [feat. Baby Rose]
• Fye Fye (At The Crib Version) - Tobe Nwigwe [feat. Fat Nwigwe]
• Go(l)d - Mereba
• Morning Asana - Londrelle (honestly, the whole Stay Free album)
• Own2 - April + Vista
• Sanufa - Bas
• Self Love - Dreamville, Ari Lennox, & Bas [feat. Baby Rose]
• Soul Sista Remix - Bilal & Raphael Saadiq
• Sun Came Out - Gunna
• Super - Cordae
• Tadow - Masego & FKJ
• Too Much - Drake
• Trigger Protection Mantra - Jhene Aiko
• Velvet - Kirby

Besides being by Black artists, these songs encompass Blackness, self-love, and love for the people.

My Apple music profile contains at least a dozen 1-hour playlists for relaxed flows and yoga workouts.

Each has a song in the middle specifically for your core. Please enjoy and let me know your favorites/musts for your playlists.