Music for the soul ...

From the 'Ashes and Snow' collection (the most inspiring collection of photographs and my favourite artist)

Who doesn't love a free gift? .. and in this months issue of Australian Yoga Journal (Feb/Mar 2010) there is a free 70 minute gift of music! I have blogged before about my love of music .. so of course I was very excited to get home, lie on the couch to open my fresh read and listen to my new CD .. bliss!

After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.
~Aldous Huxley

Music has the ability to weave some wonderful magic .. it can inspire us, mellow us, ignite us and take us places we may never have expected. I have music that I listen to when writing, music for entering meditation, music for my morning yoga routine, music for bbq's in the sunshine, and even music that inspires my house cleaning (well, sometimes).

When we listen to music we are engaged in 'just listening' .. and this allows our thinking mind to quieten and our body to relax. The right music can easily sooth the chaotic thinking that so often overtakes us .. and gently leads us into the present moment. Research has shown that different sounds/pitches/tones can soothe different parts of the body .. deeper tones work on the lower chakras (heart and stomach), while mid-range tones soothe the heart, and higher tones move to affect the throat, third eye and head.

Three artists are featured on this Cd, two Australian and one international. I first saw Sacred Earth at a festival in Queensland many years ago, and instantly fell in love with their sound .. so I have many of their albums and receive their regular newsletter so I am in the know for any new opportunities to see them. I often put details up on the Meditation Tribe link .. and you can see them next at the Warburton Harmony Festival 17th-23rd March.

Pravana was new to me .. but when I went hunting I found that this is in fact Simon Lewis .. again, an Aussie who has made some of my favourite music as both a solo artist and as part of Rivertribe (another band I first heard at a market .. St Andrews). Pravana's current album Eastern Meditation 'Music from Bali to Tibet' is described as "an enchanting journey to exotic lands and beyond with a unique fusion of sounds that resonates and provides a fresh and uplifting soundtrack for meditation, yoga and dreaming. You can purchase the Cds or download direct from the artist (this way supporting the artist 100% and helping to keep independent music alive - which is an added bonus!) at Pravana Music. I found out also that Simon has been involved in some of the Buddha Bar albums which are my absolute favourite compilation albums, and I nearly have every one of them!

Deuter is new to me .. and I am so thrilled to have this amazing addition to my iPod .. the two tracks on this CD are so hauntingly beautiful that I have been playing them back to back all weekend. Living in the New Mexico forest, Deuter describes himself as hermit/monk/wolf and is renowned for his inspiring sound in the genre of healing and meditative music. Soaring flute melodies, angelic vocals and delicate keyboard, these tracks have a special gentleness .. track 4 'Temple of Silence' instantly brought to mind the photo above .. one of my favourites from Ashes and Snow .. delicate and surreal.

So go out and get yourself a copy of the magazine, or check out the site links above .. I would love to hear what music leads you to those quiet meditative spaces ..