Artist: Chrisette Michele 

Album/Song: I Am (Bonus Track), “I Am One”

How do you start off your hip hop classes? You might have a long warm up or go straight to an upbeat combination, but NYC teacher Robin Dunn takes a more unusual approach. Her classes begin with what she calls “getting in the room.” Students, relaxed with eyes closed, lie on the floor listening to soothing music, as she repeats inspirational words like, “You are the best there is. You are the best there is.”

“It’s almost like hip hop meets yoga,” she says. And her class ends in a similar way. Dunn leads a quiet meditation to the same song while students stand, hugging themselves. Her inspirational music choice for these segments of class is Chrisette Michele’s “I Am One”. “It’s soothing and relaxing, and I love the message in the music,” says Dunn. “Anything that reinforces the message of self-empowerment gets my vote.”

For more on Robin Dunn and her motivational approach to class, check out “Tough Love.”