So you’re already well aware of all of the healthful benefits of yoga, physically, spiritually and mentally. But what if your spiritual idea and state of zen differ from the hot room exercisers and babbling brook chasers that inhabit all of the other yoga classes you incessantly avoid?
Heavy metal yoga, and more specifically, Black Yoga (or as they refer to it, ‘BLACK YO)))GA’) may have been invented just for you. According to The Village Voice, there are heavy metal yoga classes meant for those who use metal in their worship space. Participants stretch and sweat to the likes of Type O Negative, Earth and Sunn O))). While writer Nick Keppler, who attended a class in Pittsburgh for the investigative piece, noticed no one was stretching to Sepultura, he did observe a variance in metal genres from doom to trip-hop but that the sounds coming from the stereo were of the more ambient genres. The songs, he said, provide more of a focus and calm to those who don’t feel tranquil when listening to the typical nature-infused yoga soundtracks. BLACK YO)))GA’s website refers to the lessons as “Vinyasa yoga set to drone, noise, stoner metal, ambient, industrial, trip-hop and other traditional meditation music.” The instructor, Kimee Massie, is married to the vocalist of the band Storm King.
The classes also offer an equal male to female ratio, but since sessions are generally held in the dark, you shouldn’t be creeping up on that anyways. Check out a sample playlist below:
New Risen Throne – “Orbiting Gates”
Sunn O))) – “Orakulum”
Genocide Organ – “Their Mighty Slaughter”
Wolves in the Throne Room – “Dia Artio”
Mustard Gas and Roses – “IV”
Ulver – “Theme 03”
Earth – “Raiford (The Felon Wind)”
Bunk Data – “Angelus Rector”
