By Karen Sherwood for NutritiousAmerica.com

“Yoga is like music. The rhythm of the body, the melody of the mind and the harmony of the soul create the symphony of life.” ~ BKS Iyengar

What would the world be like without music? It’s true the perfect instrument and lyric can accomplish a number of things. It can serve as a reflection, a memory, or it can simply keep you in the present moment where the mind quiets and we learn to let go. Yoga follows a similar school of thought, though traditional yoga studios usually keep their classes silent so students can learn to meditate and focus on their breath. This certainly makes sense, yet using music can often be a more effective way of getting a person to achieve serenity. When I practice yoga at home, or share my practice with students, I always use music to enhance the experience. Here is my ultimate yoga playlist that takes me through a perfect hour of practice.

Cheers to you and your yoga practice. Perhaps music can be your vehicle to get to that place of non-judgement, tranquility, and never-ending presence.

The music world took a hit this last week. The Queen of Disco, Donna Summer, lost her battle with cancer last Thursday at age 63. Shortly behind her was Robin Gibb, singer for the iconic 1970’s group The Bee Gees. Gibb lost his lengthy battle with cancer on Sunday.

These two were legendary symbols of the 1970s and the disco era. They will be missed, and far from forgotten.

As I was warming up for my workout this morning, the iPod was on shuffle. Before I rounded the corner, “Stayin’ Alive” came on. That song has remained on my playlist for years. There’s no denying a good song, regardless if the era it came from had men in bell bottoms and ladies in lots and lots of blue eye shadow.

I’m never too proud to workout to disco and you shouldn’t be either. I was never around for disco to be alive, but it’s always been one of my guiltiest pleasures while working out.

1.  I Will Survive – Gloria Gaynor – 1978
2.  Stayin’ Alive – Bee Gees – 1977
3.  Hot Stuff – Donna Summer – 1979
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Yesterday Jimmy Fallon more or less announced he’s going to take on a 5K. We love this news! For new runners, it’s an excellent goal to set for yourself. Those 3.1 miles aren’t extreme and are completely manageable. He’s doing it the right way and seeking out a little training guidance. He asked Twitter which app he should use and the unanimous vote was for Couch to 5K, our choice, too.

Jimmy already tweeted that he might give up. We think that’s nonsense. So, to keep him motivated, we’ve come up with a The Roots playlist. He might be able to slow jam his way through the news, but he’s going to need some bumping beats to carry him through a 5K.

The best runners have a little support from their friends, and what better support than music from your very own house band?

Jimmy, load up your iPod with these songs* from The Roots:
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Emma Roberts hasn’t always been the type to make a scene, generally playing coy in interviews and on photo shoots. But all of that seems to be changing now, especially since she showed off her trim, toned body in the barely-there outfit at the Coachella music festival last weekend.

Roberts, 21 and niece of Hollywood megastar Julia Roberts, was spotted at the outdoor music festival in Indio, California, wearing a shredded tube top and cheeky, rolled down denim shorts. The festival – which hosted big name artists like Bon Iver and Florence and the Machine – also drew in such stars as Katy Perry, Vanessa Hudgens and Paris Hilton, who also donned equally revealing attire.

Perhaps the controversy stemmed from Roberts being commonly viewed as a proper young lady of Hollywood royalty, or because of her naturally innocent look. But whatever the case, she raised eyebrows when she stepped out in her scandalous dress. But interestingly enough, other celebrities her age who also dress to turn heads, including Miley Cyrus, don’t catch much flack for their risqué wardrobes since it’s almost old hat and expected.
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April 21, 2012 is the fifth anniversary of Record Store Day. This offbeat celebration is in honor of the unique culture that surrounds independently owned record stores.

The first record store day was held in 2007 and has continued to grow ever since. On this day all independently owned stores come together along with artist to celebrate music. Most years special vinyl and CD releases are made exclusively just for Record Store Day. Artists from all over the world make special appearances and performances. Most local stores are turned into a small festival hosting all sorts of events from cookouts to parades, and even meet and greets with famous artists.

Every third Saturday in April, Record Store Day celebrates small stores whose products consist of at least 50 percent music retail, whose company is not publicly traded, and whose ownership is at least 70 percent located in the state of operation. This dying style of retail has been fighting to stay alive amongst online retailers of large corporations. Record Store Day is a chance for artists to show their appreciation for the record store and explain why this business model is crucial to the music industry.

“There’s nothing as glamorous to me as a record store. When I recently played Amoeba in LA, I realised what fantastic memories such a collection of music brings back when you see it all in one place. This is why I’m more than happy to support Record Store Day and I hope that these kinds of stores will be there for us all for many years to come. Cheers!” – Paul McCartney
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