Music that Enhances

I may be wrong in saying this, but those moments that follow a tv/social media binge are pure ecstasy. Why? Because when you finally tear yourself away from the phone (hello, Tik Tok addicts, I’m talking to you), you immediately experience the bliss of pure presence. How? Well, during those scrolling sprees, the mind is processing everything that’s coming into its awareness. On a subconscious level, we are engaging with every single image, text, and idea that comes our way. Sounds exhausting, doesn’t it? Another thing that happens during all of this is that we tend to consciously tune out, becoming less and less present the longer that we scroll. So, after a period of over-consumption and non-presence, it feels especially relieving to put down the phone and just BE. Sadly, this moment doesn’t last long as we are bombarded with another urge to pick the phone back up and continue the mindless scrolling frenzy. But man, that short and sweet experience of doing absolutely nothing is so damn alleviating. It's as if you've finally exhaled after a long held breath. In those sacred moments of release, the mind, like a relief valve, is opened from its tight constriction and the built up pressure is free to escape. The continuous stream of incoming stimuli is interrupted and we return to a higher state of awareness.

To me, this is pure bliss and I find myself becoming more drawn to this state of being as I grow older. The space of stillness is increasingly alluring as its promise of peace and quiet continues to draw me in. Although yoga and mindful movement have taught me a lot, I’ve found another teacher that speaks to me through the sounds of my own breath. This new mentor is only able to reach me when my mind is quiet and the outside noise is lessened. I’ve learned that the music it moves through is minimal. And because of this newfound inspiration, I’ve created a playlist where the sage of inner listening can come through. If you feel called to listen, keep reading, my friend.

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In today’s society, we’ve become so accustomed to receiving immediate validation and instant gratification. We are constantly bombarded with stimuli, coming from every direction, and it can be hard to find a moment to pull ourselves away from it all. I mean, it’s great that we have the ability to google the answer to any burning question we may have and that we can connect with anyone in the world at the touch of a screen. But to have so much information continuously entering our stream of consciousness can be really hazardous to our mental health.

We have to remember that we are still at our core, animals of instinct and habit. We were hardwired to pay attention to everything in our environment that may pose a threat to our survival. Although we no longer have to worry about saber-toothed tigers or other monstrous animals, our social environment has moulded us to become extremely sensitive to other things like outside judgement, violence, poverty, fear, not belonging and much more. Thus, our phones have become a safe haven. It gives us some sense of control and security. If I just sit here and pretend to be busy on my phone, I lessen the risk of being judged or having to talk to a stranger. Overtime, our automatic response to moments of discomfort is to go straight to the phone or mentally check out from our environment. What’s so bad about this? Well, we eventually lose the ability to form authentic connections (both with ourselves and others), we favour the instant feedback from our phones and we train our brains to seek out high dopamine behaviours that immediately gratify us. Some examples of high dopamine behaviours are watching television, scrolling through social media, eating junk food, and masturbation. Although great in moderation, these activities can be destructive, especially when a person is conditioned to constantly seek out these types of behaviour.

Our instincts tell us to stay safe. We learn through experience that mindless scrolling is a “safe” activity. And through habit formation, we turn to this behaviour every time we feel threatened. The cycle repeats itself over and over again, strengthening this particular response as we continue to numb ourselves from the true experience of being.

So what can we do to reverse this cycle of constant consumption, anxiety and destructive behaviours? It’s simple. Replace the outside noise with something more calming, soothing and nurturing. In a sense, we need to remind ourselves that it’s okay to just sit in contemplation, to do nothing. For me, this practice has been integral to my wellbeing. Learning to sit in silence without the excessive stimuli, listening to music that’s more calming, and finding peace in stillness.

The music has been a major one. As I said before, replacing the outside sounds with something that is soothing can help us immensely. Music has the potential to either enhance our sense of peace OR it can be just another thing that adds to the continuous stream of mindless consumption. If we can make this simple shift towards a more mindful and intentional listening experience, we can minimize our tendency to over-consume and/or check out of reality. By tuning in and allowing the sounds/melodies to guide us towards greater introspection and reflection, we can then start walking the path of true alignment and inner clarity.

Here is a playlist that I have crafted with immense intention.

It’s called Minimal because it was created to serve as a soothing anchor for the mind and replace any external input with something that is more beneficial for psychological health. It contains a range of sounds from chill lo-fi beats, simple piano pieces, minimalistic electronic tracks, and heavenly melodies. Over 33 hours of music, this selection of songs is your gateway to experiencing that moment of release.

Press shuffle, allow your body to relax and feel the rhythm of your own mind take over. Surrender to its sounds and notice how it softly takes you on a liberating journey of inward expansion. Rather than “drowning out” the outside noises, turn them off and return to a state of pure being with this playlist.

Your mind will thank you, I know mine does.

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