Music to bring you back to yourself - to bring you back to being present & release the tension you are holding

In our latest Wellness Discussion is titled "How to come back to yourself and release tension and control". In this video we discuss how we can move from a state of holding a lot of tension in the body, rigidity, perfectionism, controlling, overthinking or being stuck in our heads to a state of flow. A state of being relaxed, grounded, present and agile.

What our latest wellness discussion

One of the recommendations we cover is the use of music and sounds to bring us back to ourselves. What a simple, yet powerful thing.

Let me share some songs and sounds that I use to ground myself and that bring me back to being present.

The moment before this doesn't matter and what comes after this doesn't matter - let us be with the now.

As part of our wedding ceremony, Ian and I incorporated a minute for everyone to come to the moment and be present. Often this is a silent minute, but we feel that having certain sounds can facilitate that coming back to the present more than silence. We used the beginning of the song "O, I Love You" by Essie Jain. This song was the perfect song, and I've used it many times since.

Why? Mostly because of the humming. Another underrated, but powerful way to release tension is to hum. As someone who used to have chronic jaw tension that led to migraines - I can attest that humming is a wonderful way to release that tension. I hum often. I hum with my toddler. I hum when I find myself tensed up, in my masculine energy of controlling and perfectionism to bring me back to a state of flow.

I don't want to wish away any part of my life, even the uncomfortable parts. We can be present even in times of fear and anxiety.

I am paralyzingly afraid of flying (or used to be). I used to wish away every single minute on that plane. I used to take meds, drink alcohol & deprive myself of sleep so I would pass out and have it go faster, but one day I realized it was time to face this fear and to stop wishing away any minute of my life. I did a lot of meditation before and during flights. A lot of breath work and affirmations. But some flights I've done are REALLY long. So, I searched for something I could use for hours on end to help me to stay present, calm and relaxed.

Here is what I used for a 14-hour flight, followed by a 9-hour flight (and other flights since then because it is gold):

I use the app Insight Timer. It is my favorite meditation app. I use the free version most of the time, but I activate the premium version when I fly so that I can download what I want to listen to while flying and not worry about needing Wi-Fi.

My favorite song on Insight Timer that I listen to on repeat (and thankfully it is long, so I don't need to restart it often) is "Calming Healing Music" by Joseph Nimoh.

And finally, I have a sleep playlist that is made up entirely of tracks by Kenneth Soares. I don't necessarily use this track to sleep, but I do find it to be very relaxing and calming, and in particular I appreciate the affirmations every so often. Since these tracks are created for the purpose of sleep, they are also nice and long.

There are also amazing guided mediations on Insight timer (I am a big fan of guided mediations) - my favorite guided mediations are by Sarah Blondin.

I hope that these are as valuable for you as they are for me, or at least give you some inspiration to find your own sounds and songs that bring you back to yourself. If you have some already - I would love to hear about them in the comment section!

A reminder of our offering - if you are wanting to journey back to yourself and are ready to dive deeper into your wellness journey - our course coming to yourself is a wonderful space and community for that journey.

Thank you for being part of this journey with me. I’m so glad you’re here, and I can’t wait to share more soon. Take care and stay well!

Carmen