Weep & Mourn Your Way to "Zen"

For the past 8 months I've been on an intentional healing journey learning how to BE in my body and stay present with all of her painful and uncomfortable sensations - which, is hard AF considering the fact that I've been viscerally realizing that I am an empath and a Highly Sensitive Person. The more I sit with ALL the sensations that come through this vessel of mine, the more I can feel and tune into the emotional, spiritual, and even physical pain and discomfort of those around me - which wreaks havoc on my nervous system (D:) Along my journey I've learned that reaching a state of "zen" takes my body, mind, and spirit hellaaa time and heartwork.

I've learned how to work with my body and the energy she's picked up on and has been carrying for the past days, weeks, and months. Music has been instrumental (:P) in helping me regulate my emotions, discharge excess energy, and transmute low vibrational energy into lighter and more pleasant energy. I've learned that my body gradually and physically needs to release my emotions through music before I can really sink into a state of "zen."

So I hope that some of the songs on this playlist may assist you in tuning into the heavier emotions that may be weighing on your heart. My hope is that these songs can help you really feeeeel those feelings and release them through tears, singing, intuitive movement, humming, and just vibing them out. My suggestion is to find a private space, light some lavender candles, have some comfy cushions to rest on, have your fav soothing beverage of choice on hand, some tissues for the tears you might shed, and some peppermint essential oil (or something similar) to help clear and soothe a potential stuffy nose <3

I'd love to hear if/how any of these songs helped you tap into and release some difficult emotions - wishing you all a cathartic release and ease into your "zen"!

1. Faith's Hymn by Beautiful Chorus

Alright, so first up is this soothing melody. When I'm feeling some type of way that I just can't put into words or logically understand - this song just helps me feel the sorrowful energy I'm carrying and triggers a soothing release through tears. (PS: their whole album is 100!)

2. 2nd Movement: Wisdom by Nawang Khechog/R. Carlos Nakai

This song came into my life when I was grieving the loss of my grandpa this past August. The playlist I had been listening to finished and Spotify started playing a radio-playlist based on my original playlist (I fucking LOVE that feature - tbh, that's the only way I discover new music these days, lol). And I love this song because it just helps me really feel into grief I didn't even know I was carrying. When I need help grieving, this is my go-to song. I let the melodic and rhythmic wisdom wash over my heavy spirit and this song just holds me through my weeping.

The first two songs on this playlist were lyric-less because my spirit just needs to feel and release emotion - gotta ease into my zen process. Then my body is usually ready to release some emotion through singing (karaoke, anybody?! :D) Lol but forreal, I love solo-karaoke because I can choose more sorrowful songs to vibe out to that would usually be a downer at a karaoke party with friends lmao. Singing stimulates your vagus nerve, brings your throat chakra into balance, and is such a powerful tool to literally let your emotions out through vocal vibrations.

Which brings me to......

3. A los Bosques by Savia Andina

Forgot to mention that I am Bolivian so I grew up listening to música Andina. The Andean flutes are so spiritually soothing. Savia Andina has hellaaaa songs that are my go-to's when I need to feel into and release some ancestral grief. Their lyrics are beautiful and also reflect themes of sorrow and grief. So after some lyric-less songs my body is ready to sing the sorrow out of my heart. Singing in my native tongue just HITS different. Sometimes I even sing some songs in Quechua - I look up the lyrics and do my best to sing even if I have no idea wtf I'm saying. It just feels GOOD.

4. Alone by SOL Development

And I love me some R&B to sing my feelings out to. I mean Rhythm & Blues literally gets our souls in touch with any blues we may or may not be conscious of. SOL Development is a band of beautiful souls who use their divine lights to bring healing to their communities through their musical gifts. I especially love this song (though ALL of their albums are fireee) because the melodies, rhythms, and lyrics resonate deeply with my spirit when I'm healing my codependency wounds.

5. Work by Charlotte Day Wilson

Okayyy, so after a brief weeping session followed by a karaoke session, my body is typically ready to release emotion through movement. I love slow, soulful, and sorrowful songs (like this one!) that my body can intuitively emote and move to. I'm a spirit-led dancer and I get a lot of relief by letting my body intuitively move and dance to songs that evoke any grief she's been carrying.

6. SULA (Paperback) by Jamila Woods

I loooooove Jamila Woods - her melodies, rhythms, and lyrics just resonate so deeply. So after I dance to a few songs to physically express and release my sorrow, my body is finally starting to approach a sense of "zen." And I'm finally in an emotional place where I can welcome in lighter and more pleasurable feelings. So I like to switch back to singing songs that remind me of my strength, resilience, and self-love. And EVERY single one of Jamila Woods' songs do just that. Check out ALL of her albums. I love this song in particular because it feels like a soothing mantra that heals me each time I repeat the lyrics (I'm better, I'm better, I'm better, I'm betterrrr <3)

So after hella weeping, singing, intuitive movement, and intense emotional release my body is usually WIPED. And at this point is so much closer to reaching my version of "zen." And my body typically craves more lyric-less songs that can help my nervous system settle down.

Which takes us to...

7. Hallelujah by Eddy Tyler

I start approaching my "zen" by listening to instrumental versions of feel-good songs that I recognize and love. And since my body is so tired at this point, all I'm able to muster is humming along to these tunes. Again, very soothing to my throat chakra. I stumbled upon this Acoustic Instrumentals playlist by Olivia21 on Spotify and frequent it when I need chill, recognizable, lyric-less music.

8. Comptine d'un autre ete, l'apres-midi by Jean Baudin Clarke AND Calma #1 by Lucas Cervetti

Love me some classical to settle my spirit. Here's a 2 for 1.

9. Water is Life by Rosey Chan

I was recently listening to the latest episode of The Science of Happiness titled, How Music Soothes Us and I learned about Rosey Chan and her amazing and soothing musical works. I listened to her whole album right after the episode finished and immediately added her albums to my musical repertoire of emotional regulation. Pure GOLD.

And finally, I saved my fav for last...

10. Healing by Sampa the Great

After all that heartwork, my spirit may be exhausted but she feels light as a feather and can finally feel into energies of joy, gratitude, harmony, peace, tranquility and yes, finally z e n.