A Q&A with singer Michael Franti

Michael Franti understands the similarities between music and yoga and the immense joy they both bring. So much so, he has synergised the two into an inspiring and transformative yoga and music concert and plays all around the world. WellBeing chats with the inspiring American musician about Soulshine, yoga and his take on the world.

How did the idea for Soulshine, a fusion of yoga and music evolve?

I’ve been practicing yoga for over 13 years and had started inviting fans to practice with me backstage before the concert. It began with 2 or 3 fans, then it grew to 20 fans, and when we performed at Red Rock in Colorado, we had 1800 people show up to practice yoga before the concert. In 2014 we thought let’s do this at every show, so we invited yoga teachers to join the tour.

Where has Soulshine toured recently?

Last year we toured the US, Canada and Bali, and have another tour planned for Bali in October this year.

What are some of the emotions running through you as a musician and yoga practitioner when you see hundreds of people flowing freely through postures to your music?

Yoga allows people to tap into emotions that they never realized were there. I could get on the mat and be really stressed out from a crazy day and within a few minutes start to feel a transformation occurring, I feel something shift and I begin to look inside myself and discover what’s happening in my heart. Music fits perfectly with yoga as it’s another way to connect with ourselves. To have a place where people can come together to practice yoga with hundreds of others, sometimes for the first time, is a really fun way to practice. To look up and see people practicing yoga and connecting with each other and my music is so beautiful and inspiring.

What experiences do you hope your audience takes away with them after each concert?

My fiancé Sara and I have a saying in our house which is ‘Be your best, serve the greater good and rock out wherever you are.’ To us that means never stop challenging yourself to find new ways to grow, give back to the world and most importantly, never lose your enthusiasm for life. I want people to walk out of our shows feeling like that can face any challenge that comes their way, with a new sense of positivity and determination.

Can you recall a significant moment when your music began to move towards spirituality?

Once I started practicing yoga, I immediately dedicated myself to the practice, so much so that it changed the way I viewed music. My music has always been political and I used to think music was just a way to highlight issues that were taking place in the world.  Yoga has shown me that feelings and our connection to the planet is more important than just getting angry over the injustices of the world.  I’ve always wanted to change the world but when I first began my music career I was more focused on pointing the finger towards problems and politicians. Today I’m more solution-based and believe that those solutions have to come from a place of love. I’ve learnt that we can’t always be angry and raging, there has to be a more mindful solution about where we are heading in the future. For example, in order to reduce climate change we need everybody to take responsibility. We need the best scientists, the wisdom of the indigenous people, the corporation of governments and the creativity and resources of businesses. We need family and the common sense of people and for consumers to think about things differently. You have to find ways to communicate this to people that invites them to be a part of it and invites them to care.

Can you explain the Do It For The Love foundation?

The Do It For The Love is a foundation that my fiancé Sara and I started about 18 months ago. It’s similar to the Make a Wish foundation but for music. We invite people with advanced stages of life-threatening illnesses or kids with intense challenges to live music concerts. People can go online to nominate their friends or family members. We’ve taken people to Metalica, Beyonce, the Opera and even to country music artists – whoever their favourite artist is we try our best to make it happen.

Can you explain a little about the significance of your ‘Today I’m praying for’ tattoo?

On my arm I have ‘Today I’m praying for’ and then a blank space tattooed. This came from a conversation I was having with someone unsure about getting a permanent tattoo. I suggested why not get a tattoo you can change or add to every day, and thought it was a really cool idea for me. Every day I write what I am praying for with a sharpie pen. Sometimes fans will write what they’re praying for too. It’s a living tattoo.

For more details, visit michaelfranti.com.