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Everything Zen

I don't think so?

By CatsidhePublished 3 years ago 3 min read
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Photo by Ying Zhu on Unsplash

I don't meditate, do yoga, or practice mindfulness in the traditional sense. I'm more a fan of catharsis. There's nothing quite like being able to channel all of your frustration and emotion into a piece of music and sing your guts out without a care in the world. If you do it right, you forget about what upset you in the first place. The experience becomes about feeling each note, each lyric, as though it was the first time, as though it's your entire existence for that one moment. And, if mindfulness is really about remaining present in the moment and fully experiencing it, then you can consider this my own personal form of meditation. Let me walk you through my playlist.

First, the warm up, the entry point to the catharsis zone. We start with My Chemical Romance's "Disenchanted." It's a song about pain and disillusionment, and its slow build to the repetitive, gut-wrenching chorus is a perfect outlet for the sadness and betrayal that underlie most anger. "You're just a sad song with nothing to say," a scathing indictment of those who would doubt us or keep us from moving forward in our lives.

Next, we start to let that anger build, moving on to Chevelle's "The Red." The slow bass drives the song, slowly ramping up as the lyrics tell a story of a man pushed too far. Again, the repetitive chorus, especially at the end, serves as a mantra, a focus for emotional release. "Seeing red again" becomes about feeling that frustration grow in ourselves and allowing ourselves to experience it.

Now that the anger is building, we move to songs that allow us to express it more fully, alternating between powerful lyrics and primal screams. The heart of our meditation begins with Disturbed's "The Vengeful One." The irregular rhythms and complex lyrics require concentration while still allowing for potent expression. What began as anger becomes righteous fury. By now, we've most assuredly moved out of ourselves and our personal grievances in order to focus on the world the lyrics paint and the injustices that lurk within it.

Next, the music becomes heavier, driven by the intricate drum beats of Slipknot's "Psychosocial." The lyrics are rapid, demanding our attention and our passion. The experience serves as a contemplation and condemnation of those who would prey upon others for profit.

Slipknot's final growls flow naturally into our next song, Otep's "Smash the Control Machine." It's a call to action against the inequities that infest our world, an anthem decrying the materialism and exploitation that surround us. "Work, Buy, Consume, Die" doesn't have to be our fate. We can take action and agency in our own lives.

Now that we've hit the peak of our playlist, it's time to start the cool down. Bush's "Everything Zen" continues the sentiments of our prior entries, but the pace is a bit slower, and there's somehow an undercurrent of hope despite the cynical lyrics. The song is simultaneously a plea for understanding and a search for purpose.

We bring it back home the way we began it, with My Chemical Romance. This time it's "Sing." The song continues the sensibility and rock styles of those that came before, but now we're wrapping up on a note of hopeful rebellion, encouraging us to "raise your voice every single time they try and shut your mouth." Our disillusionment and rage has grown into purpose and power, a reassurance that we have a voice in our own lives and in the world around us, a voice that can't be silenced unless we allow it.

And, breathe. Inhale, exhale, and feel yourself re-centered. The journey is complete. We've experienced our emotions, channeled them through song, and come out the other side recharged and ready to take on the world. This is the end of our meditation cycle but only the beginning of our mindful appreciation of each experience in our lives. Everything really is Zen if you choose to experience it.

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About the Creator

Catsidhe

Pronounced Cat-she: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat-s%C3%ACth

A public figure writing privately

Dark poems and fiction my specialty

Come explore the abyss with me

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