My Journey of Awakening

The last few years I’ve been on what I consider a journey of awakening. It’s not as mystical as it sounds, or at least not all of it. I tend to gravitate towards the more spiritual and new age way of thinking, yet I don’t believe that is the only path a person can take to go on a journey of awakening. The reason I say this is because I believe we are all human, having human experiences collectively and having them on the same round rock called Earth that spins in this vast universe. It’s a personal journey and I’ve seen a lot of my friends go on this journey through other means. Means like therapy, exercise, writing, art or other self help like activities. My definition of a journey of awakening is basically getting real with who you really are. The good, the bad and the ugly. Taking ownership of who and what you are, what you’ve experienced in life and taking healthy steps to heal any and all traumas every human being on this planet experience just by living.

My journey started when I decided to go through my Usui Reiki training and get certified for Reiki 1, Reiki 2 and Reiki Master. For those of you who don’t know what Reiki is, it’s a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that promotes healing. Reiki can be translated to “universal life energy.”

Little did I know when I decided to take this path, I would have the opportunity to face a lot of the things in my life that needed healing. Some call this “shadow work”, some call it the “dark night of the soul”. Whatever you call it, it’s basically when a person is faced with some of the hard truths about themselves and they can choose to accept, face and heal through it, or not. Everyone has a choice, and hey, no judgement here.

So how does music and mediation fall into this? Well, let me tell you.

At my first Reiki 1 attunement, I was introduced to the music of Ayla Nereo. Her music was playing while we were getting our attunements. It was such a profound and spiritual experience, her music spoke to me and cemented in my brain a connection to that experience. Music can do that, right? How many times does a song come on and bring you back to a memory or an emotion?

When I heard that Ayla Nereo was coming to our neck of the woods in the end of 2018, I jumped at the chance to go see her in person. She was playing at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland, OR, and that is where I discovered another amazing group called Yaima. And again, I fell in love. I don’t even know how to describe the feeling, the energy, the messages given through music at this concert. I had never heard Yaima’s music before that night, but I knew I had to have them in my life. The message in their music, the instrumentals that uplifted and calmed me guided me to purchase all three of their albums that night. I have found myself meditating to some of their albums. One is Hollow Bone by Ayla Nereo and the other is Ovo by Yaima. Here are some photos of the concert.

Another group that I had come across during this time through a random song played on Pandora was Rising Appalachia. It was called Medicine. This band is led by two sisters and a lot of their music touches on a bunch of topics and sociological change. I had the privilege to see this group in 2019 at the same Crystal Ballroom. I’ve been to a lot of concerts and this was by far the most energizing and amazing experience (aside from Ayla/Yaima concert) I had ever been at. Their albums are great, but in person, it was a transcendent experience. Here is a playlist of some of my favorite songs by these three musical groups.

Over the last couple years as I went on my Reiki journey, or journey of awakening, I have faced some hard truths about who I am and who I want to be. I’ve had to get honest with myself and acknowledge some of my shadows, as well as learned to love the parts of myself that didn’t want to be seen. I’ve pushed outside my comfort zones. Don’t worry, I’ve had some amazing times too! And I think the journey of awakening never ends. But with out the calming, uplifting and amazing music by these three musical groups, it would have been much harder. They bring me peace and remind me to accept that deepening relationship with myself. Whether I was listening to their music while meditating, getting attuned to Reiki, driving in my car, or sitting at my desk writing, I have been able to cultivate a feeling of calm, peace, creativity and joy. I hope someone out there will enjoy the playlist or these artists just as much as I do!

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