A soothing collection of songs for yoga, meditation and relaxation

To be released on September 14^th, Yoga is Putumayo ’s first CD release featuring a collection of songs selected to accompany yoga practice and also serve as a relaxing soundtrack for daily life. Rooted in ancient Hindu, Buddhist and Jain traditions, the practice of yoga has evolved over the past 5,000 years.  Adopted by millions of people around the world, yoga provides a vehicle for greater health and spiritual awareness.  Music has long had a close relationship with yoga, particularly in the Bhakti tradition, which incorporates musical chants into its practice.

With his extensive background as a yoga instructor and musician, Sean Johnson, founder of Wild Lotus Yoga studio in New Orleans, collaborated closely with Putumayo on this project. Combining songs used in his classes with Putumayo ’s global research, Yoga creates a musical flow that works as well during yoga practice as at home for meditation or relaxation. Sean’s expansive liner notes, including a glossary of yoga terms, will help people better understand the practice of yoga and its relationship to music.

Yoga features renowned musicians from around the world. British-born, South Indian artist Susheela Raman duets with Kenyan singer Ayub Ogada on the harmonious “O Rama.” Krishna Das, who is the best-known US performer of traditional Indian kirtan-style music, demonstrates call-and-response chanting on “Hanuman Baba (Dub Farm Remix).” Costa Rican group Amounsulu create a serene atmosphere by blending sitars and glass bottles on the song “El Bosque Eterno de los Niños (Children’s Eternal Rainforest).”  On “Bolo Ram” celebrated western devotional musician Wah! sings a tranquil verse that is believed to bring bliss to all who chant it. Sean Johnson and the Wild Lotus Band are known for their beautiful, melodic chanting as displayed on “Om Hari Om/Sharanam Ganesha (Refuge).”

Yoga also features the collaborative world fusion group, The Lucknow Project, US kirtan artist Gaura Vani And As Kindred Spirits, renowned producer/musician Ben Leinbach and percussionist Geoffrey Gordon, bhajan and kirtan singer Karnamrita Dasi and British producer Niraj Chag. Swedish musician and teacher Yogini, Senegalese singer Ablaye Cissoko with German trumpeter Volker Goetze, husband and wife duo Shantala and Bhutanese monk Lama Gyurme with French pianist Jean-Philippe Rykiel round out this eclectic collection.

For more info visit www.putumayo.com

Sean and the band's song Shiva Shankara is featured in a new video produced by Yoga Journal to promote their yoga conferences. The montage features John Friend, Richard Freeman, Rod Stryker, Shiva Rae, Rodney Yee, Krishna Das, B.K.S. Iyengar, Ana Forest, Judith Lasatar, Sharon Gannan and David Life, and many more. Sean will be teaching and the band playing at the Yoga Journal Conference in Hollywood, Florida November November 11-14th. See the video here.

Sean And The Wild Lotus Band along with Wah! have been invited to headline the annual kirtan at The Telluride Yoga Festival Friday July 9th in Telluride, Colorado.  The kirtan is sponsored by Bhakti Fest. The Telluride Yoga Festival is the weekend of July 8-11th. Yoga teachers include Aadil Palkhivala, Mark Whitwell, Richard Freeman, Tias Little, Chandra Easton, Amy Ippoliti, Scott Blossom, Chandra Easton, and Lama Tsultrim Allione. In addition the festival will bring the best of yoga instructors and Buddhist scholars from around the country to lead workshops in Astanga, Jivamukti, Anusara, Purna, Prajna, Tibetan Heart, Yin, Hatha, and Buddhism as well as offer a series of public events designed to unify the yogic community and raise awareness of environmental issues. www.tellurideyogafestival.com

Join Sean and the band at the 2010 Florida Yoga Journal Conference November 11-14th.  The band will lead a kirtan celebration on Friday night November 12 and a bhakti/chanting workshop for yoga teachers on Saturday November 13th. Other teachers presenting at the conference include: Seane Corne, Jason Crandell, Eddie Modestini and Nicki Doane, Lilias Folan, Cyndi Lee, Tias Little, Kino MacGregor, Vinnie Marino, Dharma Mittra, Aadil Palkhivala, Natasha Rizopoulos, Desiree Rumbaugh, Cameran Shayne, Rod Stryker, Laura Tyree, Patricia Walden, Rodney Yee, Colleen Saidman, and more.  http://www.yjevents.com/florida/johnson.php

Catch Sean and the band at the 2nd annual Bhakti Fest in Joshua Tree, Ca the weekend of September 9-12th. This evolutionary spiritual event in the desert features non-stop kirtan, yoga classes, meditation, seminars, fire ceremonies and celebration. A who's who of kirtan artists will be there including Krishna Das, Jai Uttal, Bhagavan Das, Wah!, Donna DeLory, Dave Stringer, Shantala, Karnamrita, Govindas and Radha, David Newman and Mira, MC Yogi, Gaura Vani and As Kindred Spirits, Girish, Wade Imre Morissette, and many, many more. Yoga teachers include Shiva Rae, Dana Flynn, Saul David Raye, Mark Whitwell. Annie Carpenter, Seane Corn, Sianna Sherman, Duncan Wong, Ashley Turner, Steve Ross, Sara Ivanhoe, Micheline Berry, Lorin Roche, Hemalayaa, Felicia Tomasko, Debbie Steingesser, Kasey Luber, and many many more. Ram Dass will also be delivering a special message to Bhakti Fest attendees from his home in Hawaii, via dvd.  www.bhaktifest.com

Sean and the band have been invited to play the 2010 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. They are the first kirtan band to ever be booked to play the iconic annual festival, a two weekend mecca of music that draws fans from across the globe. They will be playing on the Lagniappe Stage Thursday April 29th. Time TBA.  

This year's headliners include: Simon and Garfunkel, Pearl Jam, Van Morrison, Widespread Panic, BB King, Gipsy Kings, Elvis Costello,  Lionel Richie, Anita Baker, Allman Brothers Band, My Morning Jacket, Dr. John, The Black Crowes, Steel Pulse, Baaba Maal, George Clinton and Parliament/Funkadelic, Blind Boys of Alabama, Wayne Shorter, The Neville Brothers and many more......

Join Sean, Gwendolyn, and Alvin at The Ojai Yoga Crib- a wonderful yoga festival in the Ojai Valley, Ca. Built on the rich Spiritual Tradition of the Ojai Valley, the yoga sessions, meditations, and evening events take place in some of the most historically significant and sacred spots in the Valley.  Sean and the band will be offering a kirtan celebration for the whole Crib community on Saturday night October 21st and also teaching vinyasa yoga and bhakti workshop with the live accompaniment of the band. Other presenters include: Erich Schiffmann, J.J. Gormley, Ravi Ravindra, Saul David Raye, Patricia Sullivan, Jason Crandell, Laura Tyree, Noah Maze, Uma Goswami, Jill Miller, Sean Johnson, and Kira Ryder.  www.ojaiyogacrib.com

New Year's Eve Celebration at Kripalu Retreat Center, Lenox, MA

Feb- Texas Yoga Conference, Houston, TX

March- Bhakti Weekend Retreat for Yoga Teachers in Ojai, CA

April- New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival

May- German Yoga Conference, Cologne, Germany

July-Telluride Yoga Festival, Colorado

September- Bhakti Fest at Joshua Tree, CA

More event announcements coming soon!