Created by Dayton-based yogis, Tori and Ben, GO W/ THE FLOW is an immersive collision of music and movement that is designed to get you out of your head and into your breath. Tori’s powerful but playful vinyasa sequence is scored by Ben’s guitar and vocals, paced by live-looped beatboxing and dictated by each class’s abilities. Improvisation prevails, reminding us the benefits of good breath and a #gowtheflow outlook on your life, your practice, and the days to come.

It all started in the late winter of 2012…

Ben was in the midst of his 200 hour teacher training at a small studio where Tori was teaching named Practice Yoga in Dayton, OH. Being the independent musician and entrepreneur he is, Ben asked Tori to team up to create a unique rhythmic atmosphere for her classes.

By using his looping station, he was able to create an ambient, energetically driven soundtrack from beatboxing, vocals, and, at the time, acoustic guitar. Originally, Ben thought playing 4-5 longer songs was a useful and entertaining addition to a yoga class, but decided after a couple of classes with Tori, he would try one consistent song throughout the practice.

As the class got moving, Ben locked in a tempo that happened to resonate with the pace of the breath, and seemed in a way to pick up and carry the breath throughout the last half of class. Ben happened to record the music he played that night and titled it “GO W/ THE FLOW”, and thus by accident, a project and long standing collaboration was born!

1 experimental 2-week tour and 4 GO W/ THE FLOW classes out of state later, the two decided to officially take it on the road.

Ben and Tori travelled coast to coast in 2012 teaching a few dozen classes and continued to gain momentum in 2013. During that year they taught another 100 classes in studios, stadiums, stores, and other various venues, traveled internationally, and 2014 saw them to their first, 4-class appearance at Wanderlust Festival Squaw Valley.

Over the last 8 years Ben and Tori have continued to travel and spread the message of conscious breathing and the benefits of a strong community bond within and between yoga studios around the globe. They both agree that the project has grown beyond the story of two (very former) twenty-somethings teaching a simple yoga class, but that GO W/ THE FLOW is a life lesson we can all benefit from of how to be present, shift our perspectives, and interact with the world we live in.

GO W/ THE FLOW //// FULL CLASS VIDEO

BJSR - GWTF LIVE INSTRUMENTALS

GO W/ THE FLOW //// CLASS AUDIO //// DISCOGRAPHY

After over nearly 400 classes and over 150K miles of touring since early 2012, we have finally curated our favorite class recordings. The improvisational nature of the GO W/ THE FLOW project has allowed us to grow in our respective fields, and as a result the overall experience has become more immersive and cohesive. We cherish that we have an audio record of the profound experiences we've had in studios, schools, stadiums, and more along our journey. We hope they provide you with an equally immersive yoga experience and convenient way to tap into the energy we feel in each class.

If you've never taken a live GWTF class with us, you'll find that some include partner work. If you're practicing solo, we encourage you to take advantage of these moments to practice stillness, notice your breath, your mind, and the rhythm that resides within you. Think of it as your time to truly #gowtheflow and do what feels right for you!

All music was written, performed and produced by Benjamin Rivet. Yoga sequence and surrounding message was written and presented by Tori Reynolds.

GO W/ THE FLOW //// INSTRUMENTALS //// EXPLAINED

TECHNICAL

Using a digital looping station, Ben plays guitar, beatboxes, and sings to create multilayered grooves that are set to a consistent tempo throughout the class. Trained in vocal performance in college and having spent the last 15 years refining his craft, Ben has acquired a unique set of performance, composition, and technical skills to be able to accomplish what you hear below. All sounds are created live with digital effects, his vocal chords and guitar. While he follows a some-what similar pattern and song structure for each GWTF class, each performance is arranged, layered and created in the moment to follow the emotional energy of the class. As GO W/ THE FLOW has matured, so has Ben's musical abilities and technical mastery. Whether you are immersed in a class experience or meditating with headphones on the in the park, we hope you get absorbed by the focus and creativity each of these unique tracks embodies.

FORMAT

Instead of playing 5-10 songs like a usual concert or performance, these instrumentals are instead one continual musical thought, some as long as 90 minutes. Following the energy and tone of Tori's classes almost always leads the music to having somewhat of an arc 3/4 of the way through the class with a steady build up and cool down. The tracks below are snippets of various lengths of these classes and therefore don't always have that steady arc, but have been selected because of their head-bobbing characteristics and interesting sections or solos. If you've taken a class or have already listened to these and would like more, please shoot us and an email with your thoughts. We have countless hours of these recordings and would love to release formats that serve a purpose in peoples lives.

KEY

You know that scene in This is Spinal Tap where the lead singer explains to the director that D Minor is "really the saddest of all keys." ? If you haven't check the link, it's hilarious..

Originally, Ben thought that the music for the GWTF would vary from class to class, and that each event would be dramatically different in structure and tone. But after some time working on the project, we started to settle on B Minor as a good key for the overall tonal experience. B minor is not too dark when its played on guitar, and the relative major of B minor is D Major, which is really the happiest of all keys... Ben finds that this combination of harmonies and patterns creates an energy that can be motivating, calming, energizing and up-lifting. Ben also found that once he chose a specific key and structure he could improvise and compose all sorts of twists and turns within those parameters of a singles "song". So as you listen you'll find a lot of similar chord changes, structures and motifs (musical phrases). Hopefully, like your old favorite tunes, the recognizable rhythms and consistent melodic lines will provide some mental ease throughout the listening experience. We feel that the music in a yoga class should never take away from the mental quieting that can achieved in a vinyasa flow, and therefore this music is help sink you into a state of flow while you move. Everyone has their personal tastes, though. Ben is constantly releasing new recordings from tour classes, so see what moves you!

TEMPO

After enough time working on the project, teaching all levels of the class to groups big and small, we found that a tempo between 82 - 89 BPM is moderately paced enough to allow for calculated, meditative breathing while performing a fairly rigorous workout.. (chatarungas!) Although this seems like a tight window to work in, you will be amazed how much the track can changes with a slightly faster tempo and beat structure. We also hear that the "tempo feels fast" at the beginning of the sequence, slow in the middle, and feels good by the end of the class. Know that the tempo is not changing, and notice how your body and breath aligns (or resists) throughout the arc of the class. What does it say about your emotional state, attention and body awareness while doing something so challenging? We find this to be the true practice of yoga. The intention is to find presence, once you've found it, the possibilities are endless!

how will you #gowtheflow?

While these groove were created originally (in the moment) to support a power vinyasa class, we've found that the longer format, steady groove and overall tone make the tracks useful for a variety of listening experiences and styles of practice. Friends and fans have told us that they listen to the GWTF instrumentals when they study, work, run, have parties, yada yada yada.. So we hope that you enjoy these snapshots of collaborative synergy no matter how you use them, and look for more recordings coming soon!