Music can be one of the quickest ways to create a shift of being. Remember the last time you listened to music that moved you. How did it feel in your body? What happened to your thoughts and your mood? It's instantly transformative, right?
We all respond to music innately, it's in our DNA. Music is a universal language and we are hard-wired to appreciate it. Did you know that music also has plenty of surprising benefits? Music amps up your happiness and brings us together. It also has physiological effects: it reduces heart rate, blood pressure and anxiety. Music actually changes your brain.
What kind of music works? It's a very individual choice. What works for one person does not necessarily work for another, so follow your own guidance and taste.
Here are two tunes that I play every day:
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Words spoken by Soygal Rinpoche inspired by a poem by Nyoshul Ken Rinpoche set to music written and performed by Richard Page.
Rest in natural great peace this exhausted mind,
Beaten helpless by karma and neurotic thoughts
Like the relentless fury of the pounding waves
In the infinite ocean of samsara.
Rest in natural great peace.
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The Vietnamese Buddhist master Thich Nhat Hanh, invites the bell to sound with these words:
May the sound of the bell penetrate deep into the cosmos. Even in the darkest spots living beings are able to hear it clearly. So that all suffering in them cease. Understanding comes to their heart, and they transcend the path of sorrow and death.
The universal dharma door is already open; the sound of the rising tide is already heard clearly. The miracle happens. A beautiful child appears in the heart of the lotus flower. One single drop of this compassionate water is enough to bring back the refreshing spring to our mountains and rivers.
Listening to the bell I feel the afflictions in me dissolve. My mind is calm, my body relaxed. A smile is born on my lips. Following the sound of the bell, my breath brings me back to the safe island of mindfulness. In the garden of my heart, the flowers of peace bloom beautifully.
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Here are two playlists that I created during my BIG Shifts that are particularly soothing for trying times:
Make sure to share some of your favorites in the comments below!
