I think it’s safe to say that coffee is the single most important part of my morning routine. My parents drank coffee every morning when I was growing up and I started drinking it when I was in college. I wouldn’t necessarily say that I need coffee to function but I just really love the ritual of drinking it. During the work week I usually grab coffee on the way into work and drink it as I catch up on e-mail at my desk or while I train clients or teach class.
The weekends usually offer time to relax with coffee at home. There is just something totally different and better about enjoying your coffee from a mug instead of a to-go cup. Sunday mornings are my favorite. I get up around 7, make a pot of coffee and breakfast and then curl up on the couch with my laptop to search for new music for my Sunday morning yoga class.
I get so excited about discovering new artists, songs and remixes and putting together a new playlist to share with my classes. I consider it a success when people come up to me after class to ask who sang a particular song or to request my playlist. I am a firm believer that the music you choose for class can be the difference between okay and amazing energy. As a teacher there is nothing better than seeing your yogis totally focused and in the zone.
My favorite post-class ritual is to come home, pour the rest of whatever coffee is left in the caraffe, turn on Pandora (usually Avett Brothers or Ray LaMontagne radio), open the windows and tackle cleaning and a baking project. Since I’m so go-go-go all week long, it feels like such a treat to have the opportunity to spend most of my Sunday at home doing normal life stuff. I feel so happy and relaxed to be in the kitchen with music playing and a breeze blowing in. I seriously look forward to my Sundays all week long.
Recently I was asked by Folgers to discuss how coffee and music play a part in my morning routine. What’s the #1 thing that comes to your mind when you think of Folgers? I’ll bet right now you’re singing, “The best part of waking up…” in your head. That jingle first appeared almost 30 years ago in 1984 (can you believe that!?) and Folgers has stayed committed to it over the years. There have been versions of it ranging from country to gospel to jazz and now Folgers hosts an annual Jingle Contest where up and coming artists can submit their jingle for a chance to win $25,000. The contest is meant to encourage musical creativity and keep the jingle fresh and alive!
Folgers recently announced their Top 10 jingle finalists and they’re asking fans to vote for the best artist. They are offering daily voting prizes featuring Folgers Coffee (of course!), signed CDs from contest spokesman Gavin DeGraw and iTunes gift cards. There will be one grand prize winner who will receive $10,000 just for voting. Be sure to check out the 10 finalists and place your vote. You can vote once a day through June 19. Before you vote, follow the Road to the Jingle on Facebook to see how they traveled the U.S. to track down the Top 10 contestants!
Click here for official rules.
Tell me about your weekend coffee ritual!
Oh I have coffee rituals everyday. I like having coffee after a good morning run! 🙂
It’s so funny. I know you teach more power yoga and so music can be very instrumental (no pun intended) in setting the tone of the class, but the YTT I went through was very firm on using minimal to no music. I did my training in an alignment/flow based studio, and the main teacher stressed the importance of having all of the focus on being present in each pose and felt that music took away from that (the assistant teacher uses some music, and would frequently give her two cents on how music can sometimes add to the energy of the practice, but still only really uses instrumental or kirtan). But, I have taken power yoga classes, and for sure see how having music to focus on can be helpful in long holds and heat 😉
Awesome playlist … thanks for introducing me to new artists! I’m a firm believer that music can either make or break a yoga class. I’ve heard amazing feedback from students about my playlist, so that has been my excuse to keep it the same for the past 2 months … Eesh! They will be pleasantly surprised to hear and experience new things tomorrow morning 🙂
Coffee has always been a sort of “ritual” for me too since I was in high school. There’s just something comforting about having it every morning! And making new yoga playlists is one of my favorite parts of teaching – I love matching the music to the flow and seeing the students light up with certain songs/tempos. It definitely can make or break a class!
My coffee ritual is the same just about every day. Wake up and press the button on the Keurig machine lol. Although lately I went back to “old fashioned” coffee grounds and use the insert for the Keurig machine that allows me to make my own Kcup. And funny, my coffee of choice is Folgers Vanilla Biscotti. So delicious.
I grab a cup of coffee as soon as I walk into the office. I catch up on personal email, blogs and news while I drink it and then I’m ready to really start the day.
I also totally agree with the music being a HUGE part of yoga. That is the reason I LOVE y2 soooo much. The music is so much better than traditional yoga music and makes me crave coming to class and push myself harder when I am in there. I am sure some people like the traditional, instrumental music that most studios use, but when I go to a class like that, I always find my mind wandering. Good music just puts me in the zone.
I also love the ritual of morning coffee also. My mom drank coffee all day long when I lived at home, but I never enjoyed it then. When I got to college, I started frequenting coffee shops and discovered that not all coffee tastes how my mom likes it (weak, decaffeinated, black). Now good coffee is one of the best parts of my mornings.
I really wish I lived in Charlotte so I could take one of your classes. I agree that music can really make a class great, but I’ve only had that experience once at a studio I went to whilst traveling.
I also love Sunday mornings. Something about having the whole day free and not being expected to be anywhere (in my case, since I don’t work on weekends). I used to drink coffee every morning but now I do the same ritual with a mug of green tea.
I love coffee!!
I just recently started drinking “bulletproof coffee.” If you want to learn more about it -bulletproofcoffee.com
pretty much i put grass fed butter and mct oil in my coffee and blend it in the blender to create a great froth on top. so delish!! and grass fed butter is GOOD for you!
I already love a bunch of the songs on that playlist, but am unfamiliar with others, I’ll have to check them out!
that’s an old playlist. i’ll post a newer one soon. so many songs i’m loving now!
Do you purchase all those songs or is there another way that you make playlists? I would love to check out some of those songs, but don’t want to buy all that music!
This is something I really struggle with. I’m a relatively new yoga teacher and I agree, music really can enhance a class (although I’m not opposed to or turned off by the occasional class that just plays something mellow or acoustic). My problem is that I am totally musically challenged!
Music is just not my thing, I don’t listen to music much, I can not make playlists to save my life and it’s honestly really stressful…I stress about the music more than anything else with teaching because it’s really something that’s difficult for me, so much so that’s it’s make me not enjoy teaching! I am going to check out the music listed on your playlist though, thanks!