playlist
Beat's recommended playlist for all of your musical needs.
recovery and the music that guided me to it
“I’m so absorbed by worry, and so blinded by the ugliness in my brain that I’m forgetting how to live.” These are words I would have choked out over the phone to my therapist in the summer of last year. By that point, I’d been existing in the shadow of depression for around twelve years, and for maybe eight years, I’d also lived in the company of a vicious swarm of wasps known medically as Generalised Anxiety Disorder. The depression kept me in gloomy corners and crept its way into every pleasant memory, dimming the lights and turning down the saturation. It even had the audacity to lull me into a false sense of security, of dense and sickening faux-comfort, and tricked me to accept the numbness it concocted. With anxiety, that swarm of wasps constantly buzzed nearby, and every now and again, a wasp or two would dislodge from its cloud and sting me. Sometimes, I’d react to the sting with meer annoyance, but other times, I’d entirely swell and forget how to breathe. I guess, with experience and over time, I learned how to see in the dark, and how to fend off the wasps from attacking my more vulnerable spots. But that’s not living.
By Chloe Carter5 years ago in Beat
Relaxation Station
There are many different types of music people listen to get that zen feeling. Personally, I don't meditate or do yoga but music does let me reach those zen moments. Music is something I tend to turn to for focus and relaxation. There are two different playlists I have for chilling out relaxation and focus relaxation. When I'm writing or while I'm reading, I can't work in silence so music is my go-to. The only issue is I can't concentrate when there are lyrics because it makes me want to sing! So for those times, I listen to non-lyrical music and when chilling out I listen to lyrical music.
By Shannon Anderson5 years ago in Beat
Zen Playlist: BTS Edition (as told by "Picture It" scenarios)
We all have our own respective methods we use to try to relax. Some choose to bake, others binge The Office for the millionth time and many, like myself, take a long drive when it's pouring rain while listening to their favourite moody tracks. There are countless ambiance videos readily available on YouTube all dedicated to "X hours of Driving in the Rain when it's night time and you're a child asleep in the back seat of the car." I personally have gone through about 200 of them with a few dozen more patiently waiting in my Watch Later tab.
By Ghezal Amiri5 years ago in Beat
The Vibe To End All Vibes
The goal of meditation is marvelous but securing the result you desire is so strenuous. This is coming from my own personal attempts. There were occasions where I was in tears, muffling cries because I couldn't meditate the way I thought I was supposed to. At times, I fumbled through sun salutations and was unable to silence the negativity. Music has held my hand all along. Alleviating stress so naturally I wasn't conscious that the healing was happening. Music taught me how to meditate. To be in command of my mind and place myself in an environment indicative to tranquility. A lot of these songs are attached to a memory, but the source of their sustainability is the feelings they cultivate. All these recollections and emotions spanning the volume of a Giant Sequoia tree. Towering over me, shielding me, giving me a place to rest my head and my thoughts.
By Jada Ferguson5 years ago in Beat
Music for Mind, Heart, and Soul
When I think of zen, I think of becoming centered and grounded. Allowing stress to melt away while I find a happy place to collect my thoughts and shed negativity. Using music is the perfect way to uplift your spirit and soothe your soul.
By Yvonne Lovejoy5 years ago in Beat
The Secret Chord
The Hebrew scriptures tell the legend of how King Saul, the first recorded King of Israel was, from time to time, tormented by an evil spirit. His advisors suggested that a skilled harpist be found and David, who would later become King, was put forward as a potential candidate. The King ordered that the young man be brought to him and a rather strange thing happened because the chronicle records that every time the evil spirit visited Saul, David simply played his harp and the spirit left the King alone. Perhaps it was this “secret chord, that David played and it pleased the Lord” that Leonard Cohen was referring to when he wrote his iconic ballad “Hallelujah.” What the king’s advisors knew back then, is a scientifically confirmed fact today and it is this: Music has the ability to alter not only the mind but also one’s very physiological state of being, reducing stress, alleviating anxiety and pacifying emotions.
By Stephen Bhasera5 years ago in Beat
Forever Trying to Chill
My taste in music has been greatly influenced by my parents from when I was very young listening to classical music and smooth jazz daily. My father would start the day with classical to calm the mind and “keep the dogs company” when we were gone. When the day was done, we’d come home, finish up our homework, and prepare for dinner with family and/or friends depending on the night of the week. My dad would change the station from classical to Smooth Jazz 94.7 The Wave. It was our go to evening radio station that played various jazz musicians and singers like Kenny G and Sade, but, if they were feeling extra saucy, then we'd listen to the Gypsy Kings, Carlos Santana, and other similar artists. I remember the sound of corks popping, the love flowing from one glass to the next; hearing my dad’s booming laughter that felt like a warm hug against my body; the delicious smells of my mother’s cooking pulling me downstairs to hang out with the adults. This was the zen I grew up with and it has served as the basis for what brings me zen and happiness today :)
By jaz valentino5 years ago in Beat
Radiohead and Zen
When I sit down to meditate, there is one playlist I go to frequently, my personal Radiohead and Zen list. I believe in embracing the light and the dark in meditation. Allowing myself to feel all my feelings allows me also to set them free. There is something about Thom Yorke's voice that lifts me into a different realm where I can be present and mindful. I am truly in another place when the intricate beats and rhythms start in on one of their songs. I can feel my breath slow down, my body relaxing, and all of the tension that I have been holding in my body starts to release into the supernatural sound of Radiohead. The emotions I feel when listening can release me from anger and sadness and change my day's trajectory. It isn't just Thom's voice or the music itself; it's also the lyrics. In meditation, we aren't meant to hold on to any thoughts, but acknowledge them and let them pass. When it comes to Radiohead though, I like to pluck the words flowing into my ears and devour them whole, like a drug.
By michelle stuart5 years ago in Beat
