{Life} WE LOVE INDIGENOUS MUSIC!

The kids, hubby and I all love music. Our taste in music may vary - a lot in some cases. But our love is equal.

I recently blogged about the relaxing power of music,  http://alifeonvenus.blogspot.com.au/2016/06/life-five-ways-to-help-you-relax.html.

If you love music too, you are also in good company...

Charles Darwin is documented as saying, “If I had my life to live over again, I would have made a rule to read some poetry and listen to some music at least once every week.”

Albert Einstein has been said to have declared, “If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician.”

Jimmy Hendrix called music his “religion.”

Research has also proved that when you listen to music you like, your brain releases dopamine, a “feel-good” neurotransmitter. It has also been found to help with insomnia, make you run faster, lower stress levels, reduce stress levels and strengthen your learning and memory.

In an effort to assist you in releasing some dopamine goodness, I am sharing a music playlist that recently aired on Triple J Breakfast.

As part of NAIDOC week,  Briggs and Trials (A.B. Original) took over the Triple J airwaves on Friday morning.  They played all of their favourite tunes by Indigenous artists and in the words of Trials, they put up "three hours of very good music, very black music, celebrating black excellence, which is what NAIDOC is all about."

Here it is and it is AWESOME!



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{Life} Five ways to help you relax

Everything is so fast paced. Gotta be here, gotta be there, got a To-Do list a mile long that just must get done. It seems to be the same for everyone.

Relaxation needs to be the aim of the game.

Here are five ways that I relax.....

Meditate

Some of the relaxation benefits of meditation include lowering blood pressure, increasing serotonin production and reducing anxiety attacks. And I say Hallelujah to that folks.

I recently blogged about our (my little miss and my) top two meditation apps, you can check it out here. The difference meditation makes to both of us is really quite amazing. I highly recommend you give it a go. 

Take a bath

Make sure you lock the bathroom door too - nothing screams non-relaxing like kids shrieking at you for something when you are floating in the tub.

Balancing essential oils to add to your bath can include jasmine, mandarin and ginger oils.

Sources say that a heated bath before bed is apparently a good way to endure that you drift off to the Land of Nod without too much difficulty.

Go for a walk

Get outside, breath the fresh air. Even if it is just a quick trip around the block it can help you relax.

I find this useful at work when things are super stressful, I just disconnect and go for a walk around the block, do some deep breaths and get back into it.

Get a massage

One of the immediate benefits of massage is a feeling of deep relaxation and calm - and who can argue with that. This occurs because of the release of endorphins. And we can't get enough of those!
It is also claimed that stress hormones are reduced.

So best to run off and book yourself one now.

Listen to music

Did you know that listening to music can have a wonderfully relaxing effect, especially classical music. It can have a beneficial effect by slowing the pulse and heart rate, lowering blood pressure and decreasing stress hormones.

I recently found this link and it is lovely - http://blog.freepeople.com/2016/04/namaste-mix-music-yoga-practice/

How do you relax?

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Changing Tracks - 100% Pure Love

Today's prompt for "Blog Every Day in May" is Changing Tracks - a song that reminds you of a certain time in your life.

Year 12 holds memories for a lot of people for a multitude of different reasons. Some good, some bad.

Thinking back I can recall a lot of the bad ones.

However, there are always some good ones peppered around, here and there.

Finishing Year 12, I headed to Surfers Paradise with a group of friends to indulge in Schoolies Week. Yep, that is how old I am, when I went it was referred to as Surfers Paradise and not the Gold Coast!

I have to admit most of the memories of that time have washed away with time and unimportance. The one that sticks with me is dancing at a nightclub with one of my closest friends, Stefan (who still is one of my closest friends) on our last night away.

The nightclub is a distant memory, but the song was 100% Pure Love by Crystal Waters.

Every time we went out after that we would always try to dance to that song. When it played at my wedding, we danced and laughed at what memories this song holds.

This song now reminds me of all those times and of my dear friend Stefan. Whenever I hear it I send him a
message, laughing. I am sure he laughs too.

 

What song changes tracks for you?

Joining up with the lovely Claire at Clairey Hewitt for Blog Every Day in May.

Tuesday Tunes...The Truth About Love by Pink

Pink, born Alecia Beth Moore, released her sixth studio album in September this year titled "The Truth About Love" and I love it!

Image from here

Admittedly I am a Pink fan. I have all her albums and have seen her in concert twice. I like sassy confident women (I hope to be one...one day!), who aren't afraid to say "F*** You!".

Image from here

The truth about Pink is that she is not without her demons too, making her relevant to many. In the November 2012 issue of Rolling Stone magazine, she talks about self-esteem issues. She's very passionate about reminding young women of their worth and despite her successes, she has the same doubts and fears - check out her previous songs Stupid Girls and Raise Your Glass.

In the same Rolling Stone article, she says her therapist helps her to communicate, to stop over-thinking and worrying about every little thing. And that this process has led her to ease up on the drinking she once use as a crutch to take away panic and anxiety.

More power to her. I am a believer in therapy - a lot more people should do it to exorcise their own demons.

This new album is definitely one I have added to my play list for exorcising my demons - I use music a lot for that.

My favourites for singing out loud in the car are:

Blow Me (One Last Kiss) - about the end of her tumultuous 10-year relationship with motocross star Carey Hart. "I think I finally had enough / I think I maybe think too much". (BTW - they are back together).

Try - about taking risks with love, no matter the consequences. "Where there is desire there is gonna be a flame / Where there is a flame someone's bound to be get burned / But just because it burns doesn't mean  you're gonna die / You gotta get up and try,"

I recommend checking out the video for this one too, the dance moves and acrobatics are great.



Just Give Me A Reason - featuring Indie singer Nate Ruess. A very raw track, not as common as Pink's anthem type fist pumpers. "Just give me a reason / Just a little bit's enough / Just a second we're not broken just bent / And we can learn to love again".

How Come You're Not Here -another narrative on her separation from husband Carey Hart. This song really makes you sing out loud in the car and maybe even fist pump. "Are you hiding in the closet / Are you underneath the bed / Did you go for a long walk off a short pier / How Come You're Not Here".

Here Comes the Weekend - featuring Eminem. Being an Eminem fan (another great artist for exorcising those demons), it was a given that I would like this track!

Image from here

Are you a Pink fan? Do you use music for therapy?