NMW Award nominee Anne Malone, tells us how yoga and music keep her from stagnating physically and emotionally, reminding her how wonderful it is to dance to the music from the inside out.
As a musician and a student of yoga, Anne Malone has a deep understanding of how music and movement flow and unfold with ease and grace, creating a wonderful world of sacred sound. Here she tells Yogacampus how she came to find yoga and music.
What, when and where was your first experience of music? And how does yoga fit in?
When I was about three years old, I remember being moved to tears by the theme music from Coronation Street, the deep brass sound and melancholic melody transported me to an emotion that felt way too big for me to comprehend. And so my fascination and love of music was realised, and continues to grow.
As I grew up, music, dance and sport rocked my boat. I would dance to music whenever I could, and I adored the freedom of movement that sports allowed me to experience. In my early twenties, I was blessed to find my Teacher - Maharaji, who taught me how to find peace within my heart. Meditation, sound and movement were crucial in my life, and when I found Yoga it was the perfect movement for me to meditate and hum internally to the movement.
What made you decide to specialise in music and song writing within the context of yoga?
My songs evolved from meditation and my SoundScapes evolved through Yoga. When I was shown how to still my mind with Maharaji's meditation, my song writing became very internalised and the lyrics reflected this transition. With my practice of yoga the desire to play live music during flow yoga was irresistible ... and during one of Shiva Rea's Trance Dances, we chatted about music, and she invited me to play at her Yoga Class. This gave me the confidence to develop my musical interpretations of Yoga within Music.
What does your own self-practice involve?
Due to a knee injury, for the past year I have been practicing Pilates and Yin and Restorative Yoga with the odd Flow Yoga practice. My delight is being challenged during my practice and being rewarded with a long savasana!!
If you only had 10 minutes to practice, what would you do?
Inversions, twists, gentle backbend and child’s pose.
Who/what is the biggest inspiration on your music journey at the moment?
My constant inspiration is listening to awesome melody and lyrics sung with the deepest emotional output ... there are so many wonderful artists out there, I am inspired by their desire to sing and play from this pure space within their heart ... to name a few Deva Premal, Jai Utall, Joni Mitchell, Kate Bush, David Sylvian, Pat Methany.
What role do Yoga and music play in the way you live?
Yoga and music keep me from stagnating physically and emotionally, and remind me how wonderful it is to dance to the music from the inside out!!
What do you hope your students experience when they practise and sing with you?
My hope is that we will travel together into a common place of pure sound, my role being a Guide, helping find and open windows of wonder within their hearts, finding their unique voice, and finding the freedom to sing and play from the joy and divinity within their hearts.
Which yoga text could you not live without? And music track?
I LOVE the words of Haffis...not strictly Yoga, but totally yoga!! I adore Deva Premal’s Gayantri Mantra track.
What’s your favourite instrument to play and to teach?
Some days my favourite instrument to play is probably The Hang, and to teach the Tibetan Bowl. Then some days it is the guitar, the Sansula...keyboard, drum, rainstick...each day brings a different experience and appreciation of the instruments and this applies to the teaching of these beautiful instruments.
Describe the meaning of yoga in 10 words or less.
Yoga takes me out of the illusion of Maya, bringing me back home to the reality of one breath, one moment in time and space, where my spirit flies into freedom of simply being a Human Being!
