The Practice--Morning Music

Some of you probably start your day with a spiritual ritual such as meditation, yoga, toning, chanting or taking a meditative walk.  Some of you journal or set an intention for the day.  Perhaps, you do a little of all the above.

I have found through my various morning rituals that starting the day with spiritual recordings including Gregorian chant, Buddhist chant, kirtan, or sung affirmations help me deal better with the stress throughout the day.  It's true that we don't have control over outside events except that we do have control over our thoughts, feelings, emotions and reactions to life's events.  With the Law of Attraction teachings our thoughts, beliefs, and emotions radiate vibrations that attract like vibrations.

The problem arises when we have a tendency to think negative thoughts and find that we were not born Polly Annas or come from a family of upbeat people.  Training the thoughts in the direction of joy, peace, and balance is still possible with effort and uplifting music that eventually creates new grooves in the brain for positive thoughts and feelings to travel.  

I'm including 5 of my favorite morning music recordings, though I have many more recordings that serve this purpose well.  You can check out Sounds True for more spiritual recordings and any number of new age labels and publishers or you can check out recordings by individuals such as Jonathan Goldman, Joshua Leeds, yogi masters, sound healers, etc...Set the intention and you will find the right music to start your day.

Here is my list:

1. Doug Cox and Salil Bhatt, Slide to Freedom 2 (Make a Better World), Northern Blues

When I had a yoga practice, this was my CD of choice. Some tracks lean towards upbeat and others toward mesmerizing-relaxing.

2. Diane Rogers, Love Reigns (Kirtan), Sounds True

While there is some programming on this recording, mostly it features acoustic instruments, polyphonic drums, a lovely spectrum of timbres to balance chakras and enchanting melodies sung of course in a call and response kirtan fashion.  Besides, I love Diane's voice--powerful and beautiful.

3. Aine Minogue, Celtic Pilgrimage, Sounds True

Also light on the programming, acoustic cello, Celtic harp, Celtic drums, throat-singing, soprano vocals, and bansuri flute provide inward music.  I feel love and deep compassion when I listen to this recording.  Track #8 provides a fabulous trance dance music.  Besides, I enjoy the pilgrimage concept whether that retreat happens inward or on an actual pilgrimage road.

4. Yofiyah, Kabbalah Kirtan, Sounds True

This recording features Jewish Kabbalah text over a backdrop of Indian and Middle Eastern instruments so on the surface it sounds like Indian kirtans minus the Hindu deities and Sanskrit text.  Yofiyah another fabulous voice from the kirtan world, emphasizes Oneness and melting into God with text from the Bible and other holy text, sung in English, sacred Hebrew and Aramaic.  Out of all these recordings listed here, this one takes me to the highest realm, though I was tongue-tied when I first started singing these chants.

5. Trish Hatley, Sing, Ask and It is Given, Swinging Singing Affirmations, independent release

If the Law of Attraction and quantum physics are your beliefs, and you have trouble remembering to say your affirmations every day, sing them along with jazz vocalist Trish Hatley.  She's not joking when she calls these affirmation songs swing, because the affirmations are sung to a variety of jazz genres from swing to bossa nova. You'll have so much fun singing these songs that you might forget that the text are affirmations attracting abundance, prosperity. peace and love into your life.