“So close no matter how far
Couldnt be much more from the heart
Forever trusting who we are
And nothing else matters

Never opened myself this way…Life is ours, we live it our way…
All these words I dont just say….And nothing else matters….”

These are the lyrics from the song, “Nothing else Matters” by Metallica. Now, what’s a yoga lover doing listening to one of the most famous heavy metal bands in history? Well, over the past several months, I’ve been exposed to the band for the first time ever ( other than hearing about them .. I don’t live in a cave, you know?). As you can imagine, my sweetie loves them and grew up learning how to play guitar, sing, play drums and just all around love music by listening to this band. I have to say, some of their songs are too much for me, but this one really gets to me. They do a version with the San Francisco Philharmonic that you can grab off of iTunes that will just make your heart melt. And that’s what it did to me.

I’ve been listening to the song for the past several months and the other day I was inspired to try to practice to it. I set up my mat at home, downloaded a bunch of their music off of iTunes ( thanks, Bill!) and started away. About halfway through, I did a really intense standing backbend during my sun salutations and I literally heard a crack! It was just my pectorals expanding and stretching but it felt like some kind of hard outer shell around my heart just popped and split open. It was so intense and between the physical feeling and the music, I just started to feel my eyes well up with tears ( for all you cynics out there, don’t freak out). It was a pretty amazing feeling.

Music can bring us to places that we can’t go without it. It can inspire us, make us feel happy or sad and help us bring amazing joy into our lives. One of my favorite workouts is to sing my heart out to some of my favorite videos on YouTube ( thank you Chad, Steve and Jawed). If you’ve never done it, give it a shot. It’ll make you feel like you ran around the block a few times and you’ll just feel alive. That’s why I love chanting three Ohms before a yoga practice. It’s a great way to say, “I’m here, I’m alive and I feel great!” ( ok, so some days I don’t feel like that, but I chant anyway!).

Find some music that inspires you. Match it up with something you love, like running or yoga. Add it to your workout. And let go. Let the music move you. Oh, and if you have a second, take a listen to “Nothing else matters.” See what you think!

Be well.