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Yogi Tea Reviews – Stress Relief (Honey Lavender)

Walking through the store to choose a herbal tea is daunting. There are so many brands, so many types of herbs, so many benefits that are “guaranteed.” But which brands are good?

We all recognize the brands TAZO, Traditional Medicinals, Celestial Seasonings, but have you heard of “Yogi”?

This article is another one of my yogi tea reviews because I’ve recently stumbled upon a large selection at Wholefoods and one, in particular, caught my eye. Now, I have my favorites and my “go-to’s,” but I’m always up for trying new teas, especially if they offer stress relief.

The honey lavender flavored stress relief tea by “Yogi,” offers a “soothing serenity blend” of passionflower plant extract, rooibos leaf, chamomile leaf, lavender flower, and 6 other plants!

I’ve grown up with teas my whole life, from black tea to green tea, from jasmine white tea to medicinal healing tea. So I wanted to do some research and offer my opinion of this promising new tea I’ve picked up.

First Impressions

The box has yellows and purples, a clear layout, and a lot of information on the box itself (even instructions for a simple meditation exercise). The “Our Story” section is interesting enough for me to dive into some research which I’ll offer in another section below.

On the box, it states that it’s vegan, non-GMO, utilizes compostable tea bags, and is USDA organic. Their story begins in 1969 when an inspirational, holistic-living teacher gave “aromatic spiced tea” to his students. With a good story and an informative box, I was excited to try this tea in hopes I would feel its benefits.

Opening the box revealed the “Yogi Principles” that outlines their quality assurance – in summary: taste great, think before you blend, health is found in nature, combinations optimize nature, and wholes are used whenever possible (not parts).” It’s nice and comforting to know they care – let’s see if it lives up to the hipe.

I ripped open the blue tea bag and slipped it into my cup. As the water warmed, I read the inspirational quote on the attached tag: “Trust is the union of intelligence and integrity.” Not a bad quote. Some teas have very cheesy sayings that offer no insight, so this was a nice change of pace.

The first sip I took after letting it steep for 7-minutes (as instructed) was surprising. I never thought I would drink a lavender tea before. Though its smell is quite pungent (lavender is a girly smell to me!), the taste was true to its description: soothing.

I’m definitely glad there’s honey in the mix because without it I’d feel as though I’m drinking straight flowers! But the mix of lemongrass and honey, really left the entire blend to work well.

It’s definitely not a tea I would have every day, but the smell of the lavender offers a few aromatherapy benefits (as you know, lavender has calming effects). And on that note, let’s look at the benefits of this tea more in-depth.

Are the Benefits Real?

Now, I assume the benefits stem from the use of the different plants. So according to the box, the “Soothing Serenity Blend” contains”

Passionflower plant extract

Lemon balm leaf

Peppermint leaf

Stevia leaf

Vanilla flavor

Rooibos leaf

Spearmint leaf

Lavender flower

Honey flavor

Chamomile flower

Lemongrass

Sage leaf

Lemon myrtle flavor

The types of plants in this blend offer quite a number of benefits (roughly the same as essential oils), but the strength is determined by the amount of each. Because the main ingredients are “passionflower” and “lavender,” I’ll list them first:

Passion flower
- Known to help reduce the effects of menopause, hot flashes, and depression
- Also known to lower blood pressure, reduce anxiety, aids in ADHD symptoms, reduces insulin levels, improves sleep, and reduces inflammation
Lavender
- Known to help improve mood, reduce stress, and support brain function
- Also known to increase antioxidants, help treat diabetes, aid in healing burns/cuts, promote healthy skin/hair, relieve pain and headaches, improve sleep, help with symptoms of cancer
Peppermint
- Known to help relieve headaches and migraines
- Also known to help balance neurological function and help calm
Lemon balm
- Known to boost the immune system
- Also known to antiscorbutic, antianemic, and stimulant properties
Sage
- Known to reduce inflammation and fever
- Also known to help balance the nervous system
Spearmint
- Known to have hepatic, cephalic, and anesthetic properties
- Also known to act as an emmenagogue

Now, these benefits are not all jammed packed into each tea bag, but it is helpful to know what each plant source can do.

From the scent and taste of the tea, the strongest plants in the mix are probably the lavender, passion flower, and the lemon (both balm and grass).

The other plants were most likely mixed in to balance taste and not necessarily meant to add benefits. The box itself doesn’t offer the “secret recipe” for the blend, so unless you befriend a Yogi tea creator, we may never know!

Company Background

To fully appreciate a tea, the brand must represent a respected company and after tasting this tea, I was intrigued to look into Yogi.

The story begins with Yogi Bhajan, an inspiring teacher who came from India to the West in 1969. He often prepared a spiced tea for his yoga students in Southern California and soon enough, these students learned to make the tea blend themselves – and thus began the evolution of the company.

Being named after a yoga teacher, makes the brand name make much more sense. It wasn’t until over 15 years later that this charming story took shape. The Yogi Tea Company was based in Springfield, Oregon and was founded in 1984. And after only two years in business, their three tea blends began distributing nationwide.

Thirty years later, the company is the most well-known and respected tea producer in the natural industry (according to their website).

Their guiding principle is:

“Feel good. Be good. Do good.”

Overall Score

This specific blend of honey lavender, meant for stress relief, received a 4 out of 5 in my book (mainly because of the taste). But don’t just listen to me!

Online ratings based on customer reviews:

4.5 out of 5 – Amazon
4.5 out of 5 – Google Express
5 out of 5 – Thrive Market
4.8 out of 5 – Swanson Vitamins
5 out of 5 – LuckyVitamin
4.5 out of 5 – iHerb
4.1 out of 5 – Target

The average online rating is 4.6 out of 5.

Click here to view on Amazon.

The cheapest price I could find!

Conclusions

The atmosphere this tea creates from the aromatic lavender is unbeatable. The smooth taste and the countless benefits make this tea a “go-to” in times of stress.

The taste is very much a blend of lemon and lavender, so it wouldn’t be something I drink every day, but I will definitely be drinking this tea late at night as a preparatory aid in improving my sleep.

I would highly recommend this tea, not just because of its taste, but because of the genuine purpose behind the company’s creation. I hope to try out many more of their teas from here on out.

I’m so glad I tried it!

Stay tuned for more tea reviews among other informative articles – I invite you to sign up for my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

If you’re interested in other ways to reduce stress, I invite you to continue your research with these options:

Thanks for reading. And best of luck with all your tea adventures!

Chase

Feb. 2018

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Sources

https://draxe.com/passion-flower/

https://draxe.com/lavender-oil-benefits/

https://www.yogiproducts.com/about/

February 22, 2018

Natural Remedies for Depression – Proven Benefits
I’m sure this article isn’t the first to say there are plenty of natural remedies, so relax. There are options for you without having to resort to Western medication.

Natural remedies for depression are medicinal products with active ingredients derived from only natural sources that are known to help with the symptoms of depression. The lack of processing helps ensure maintained natural purity that will have less negative effects on the body.

When you choose the right products and remedies, with non-GMO and organic ingredients, there is far less chance to cause your body harm. Especially in comparison to prescription drugs that can alter moods negatively and cause unwanted side-effects (like over easting).

In this article, I hope to show you some options you might consider when treating the symptoms of depression through natural remedies.

The organization of this article will include some extra information worth considering near the end:
- Recommended Remedies (both supplements and essential oils)
- Remedies Explained
- Other Forms of Homeopathic Therapies
- Taking Action
Recommended Remedies

When you think of “natural remedies,” you might think of supplements and pills. While this is the most popular form, there are salt therapy and essential oil option as well.

Supplements need to be taken with a complete understanding of your own body and the possible repercussions. Just as a disclaimer, I am not a licensed doctor nor am I a nutritionist of any sort. I want to merely introduce you to some well-researched options for you natural remedy needs.

I would encourage you to look further into each of these suggestions as you may be more sensitive to others or you may have an allergy you need to take into consideration. But the positive take away is that these remedies are far less likely to harm your system as compared to over the counter drugs.

Here are 6 supplements that are known to help with depression (I’ll go into further detail about these remedies in the next section):
1. St. John’s wort
2. SAMe
3. Omega-3 fatty acid (recommended)
4. Saffron
5. 5-HTP (do some research before buying)
6. DHEA
I’m sure you’ve heard some terrible stories about side-effects from depression medication that alter people moods or increase appetite (leading to intense and rapid weight-gain). So I’m glad you’re considering a more natural route.

If you haven’t already tried aromatherapy or essential oils, I would highly recommend trying this ancient tradition of plant-based healing.

Here are some essential oils are known to help with depression (taken from my Essential Benefit Selector):
- Lime – helps with depression as well as bacterial infections, fevers, and acts as an antimicrobial and antioxidant
- Allspice Berry – helps with depression as well as digestion, sedation, and actas as an anesthetic and carminative
- Bergamot
- Cassia – helps with depression as well as symptoms of diarrhea and acts as an antimicrobial
- Geranium
- Lavender – helps with depression as well as stress and is used quite often for calming, soothing, and sedation (sleep)
- Magnolia
- Orange Sweet – helps with depression and acts as a choleretic and hypotensive
- Patchouli
- Rose – helps with depression and acts as a detoxifying agent, euphoria stimulant, and skin rejuvenator
- Ylang Ylang III
- Jasmine – helps with depression and acts as an aphrodisiac and a carminative
- Lavender Absolute
- Sambac (Jasmine) Absolute Oil – helps with depression and improves sleep
I know this is a lot of information that seems incomprehensible, especially if you haven’t heard of these supplements or of essential oils before.

But now that I’ve laid out some options, I’ll explain them a little more in detail.

Remedies Explained

Plant-based healing has been around for more than 20,000 years as evident from old French cave paintings of plant medicine that were carbon dated as far back as 18,000 B.C.E.! So although there is little evidence to back up the effectiveness against depression, natural remedies have stood the test of time and deserve serious consideration.

St. John’s Wort blossom

1. St. John’s wort has the scientific name of hypericum perforatum and is known to have antidepressant characteristics. Although rarely used in America (mostly due to the lack of high-quality evidence to back it up and the fact it isn’t approved by the FDA), St. John’s wort is said to be used quite regularly in Europe. According to MayoClinic.org, this supplement can help with moderate depression but can interfere with medications like birth control, blood-thinning pills, AIDS/HIV medication, and others. So it’s best not to use it with other anti-depression medication.

Proven benefits of St. John’s wort:
- Anxiety relief
- Antidepressant (moderate to severe)
- PMS relief
- Mood improvement during menopause
- Counteracts inflammation and skin irritation
- Improves symptoms of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)
- Anti-cancer properties
2. SAMe is actually a naturally occurring chemical in the body and is another popular treatment tool for depression in Europe. High doses of this dietary supplement isn’t recommended and combining it with other antidepressant drugs is discouraged as well.

Proven benefits of SAMe supplements:
- Support for low moods
- Pain management
- Supports liver health
- Supports bone health
The fishy Omega-3 Fatty Acids

3. Omega-3 fatty acids are naturally found mainly in fish (but also walnuts, flax oil, flaxseed, and other foods). This supplement is considered generally safe despite the fishy taste and has reached popularity as an antidepressant and an aid for improving heart health. Omega-3 fatty acids have reached a level of popularity to be seriously considered by healthcare professionals and is currently studied and under research to prove its level of effectiveness.

Proven benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids:
- Fights depression and anxiety
- Improves eye, skin, bone, and joint health
- Promotes brain health
  - in early life and during pregnancy
  - improves symptoms of mental disorder
  - fights against age-related mental decline (such as Alzheimer’s)
- Improve upon heart disease risks
- Improves sleep
- Aids with children’s illnesses
  - Reduces symptoms of ADHD in children
  - Reduces symptoms of asthma in children
- Reduces symptoms of Metabolic Syndrome
- Reduces menstrual pain
- Fights inflammation
- Fights autoimmune disease
- Can help prevent cancer
- Aids in fat reduction in the liver
Saffron blossom is mainly used as a spice!

4. Saffron is another supplement in need of FDA-standard study, but it is known to help with symptoms of depression as well.

Proven benefits of saffron:
- Relieves symptoms of anxiety
- Improves bone strength and nerve function
- Immunity booster
- Anti-cancer characteristics
- Healthy heart promoter
- Controls diabetes
- Anti-inflammatory
- Reduces symptoms of stomach disorders
The chemical makeup of 5-HTP.

5. 5-HTP is an abbreviation of 5-hydroxytryptophan requires a prescription in some countries, but not in the US. It is known to improve serotonin levels, though there is a current safety concern for a vague, but possible connection to a neurological condition (according to MayoClini.org). But WebMD states that it is “possibly safe” when taken appropriately. Just make sure not to take large doses by mouth because it has been linked to severe stomach problems and muscle spasms.

Proven benefits of 5-HTP:
- Improves symptoms of depression
- Improves symptoms of insomnia, anxiety, headaches, PMS
- Reduces symptoms of ADHD, seizure disorders, and Parkinson’s disease
- Aids in fighting obesity and fibromyalgia
DHEA chemical makeup.

6. DHEA is short for dehydroepiandrosterone, which is a natural chemical produced by the body. This dietary supplement is known to help improve DHEA levels in the body (a chemical linked to depression), but again, research is limited and has potential side effects as well. Also be careful not to buy soi or wild yam produced DHEA.

Proven benefits of DHEA:
- Helps prevent symptoms of depression
- Lessens aches, pains, and autoimmune symptoms
- Helps weight loss and muscle building
- Reduces inflammation
- Improves bone health, heart health, and libido (sex life)
- Protects brain health
- Lowers risk of diabetes
Other Forms of Homeopathic Therapies

STOP. And listen up.

Before you plan for large doses of supplements, please consider other homeopathic strategies in fighting depression. I have done so much research in the past few weeks to find some amazing and less-costly forms of therapy.

Again, there is so much information that I had to write entire articles to help describe and explain the benefits from these easy steps toward a better, healthier life.

Here are some other strategies to consider:
- Aromatherapy
  - Essential oils have so many benefits – I made it easy to select which benefit you’re after
  - Oils can be spread over your house with a diffuser or applied directly to the skin
- Salt Therapy
  - Himalayan pink bath salts – much better than Epsom salts, trust me!
  - Himalayan pink salt lamps – fight effects of blue light and EM radiation to improve your mood with negative ionization and color therapy!
- Stress Relief Teas
  - Yogi provides amazing teas such as honey lavender tea that fights stress!
The National Center for Biochemical Information states that aromatherapy can provide soothing and calming effects that reduce the symptoms of anxiety, stress, nausea, vomiting, and even cancer.

Essential oils are surprisingly effective and have been used for hundreds, if not thousands of years with proven effects by today’s science-based communities. Aromatherapy is said to have many benefits, but here are the top 5:
- Reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety
- Can relieve headaches and balance brain function
- Relaxes muscles and relieves headaches/migraines
- Symptoms of almost any illness can be relieved through specific oil types
- Some oils have anti-cancer characteristics (like Frankincense)
Salt therapy is another form of homeopathic therapy relatively unknown to the Western world. After researching it in depth, I really don’t know why no one knows about salt therapy!

The benefits of salt therapy can be stemmed from the original discovery. Siberian salt miners were found to have less respiratory issues in the late 1800’s, which led to Europe using salt caves as approved medical strategies to fight asthma and detoxification.

Here are the benefits of using Himalayan pink salt lamps:
- Improves mood
- Reduces stress
- Reduces asthma and allergy symptoms
- Improves energy levels, performance, and sleep
Here are the benefits of Himalayan pink salt baths:
- Stimulates the body’s circulation, immune system, sleep, and the production of endorphins
- Support balance with hormones, stomach acid, blood pressure, and the nervous system
- Detoxification
- Improves health, skin, and energy
- Relieves aches and pains by reducing inflammation
I have suffered from depression type symptoms and stress my whole life and after researching the benefits of salt lamps and the like, I’m upgrading my dinky little salt lamp with a 9-pound lamp!

Click here to look through the inventory of the BEST pink salt lamp production company online.

Salt lamps are so beneficial that I’ve even spent some money and ordered a new large lamp from So Well – the only company I trust for true Himalayan salt from the foothills of the Himalayan mountains in Pakistan. They also enforce fair trade regulations to ensure the salt miners’ quality of life.

Taking Action

Apart from all the extra additives, supplements, and products you may be considering, there are always mental exercises that can help. I’ve dealt with my own issues as much as anyone else, but I want to help those who don’t have the money to buy extra items to improve their symptoms.

I’ve written an article that I invite you to read to help you think through your depression. I want to help and am excited that you would even consider reading, because the main focus of this website is to help those in need.

Click here to read “How to Deal with Stress & Depression.”

Conclusion

I know that most people who read this article will take the things I have listed into consideration, but I’m afraid they won’t take action.

The hardest step in handling your depression is to take the first step – which I know is difficult! There’s a lot of courage in admitting to yourself that action needs to be taken and even more courage is needed to ask others for help.

But please don’t forget that everyone who knows you will be willing to help you. All you have to do is ask!

Thank you for reading this article and I wish you the best of luck in handing your own situations in life. I really care about each and every one of you who read this article. I myself am continually looking for things to help brighten my atmosphere and improve the positivity in my surroundings.

I’ll always be updating this site with more useful things to consider, so I invite you to stay up-to-date by signing up for the MusicalGrowth newsletter (below).

Thanks, everyone!

Chase

Feb. 2018

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Sources

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/expert-answers/natural-remedies-for-depression/faq-20058026

https://musicalgrowth.com/a-guide-to-essential-oils-benefits-selector

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypericum_perforatumhttps://draxe.com/st-johns-wort-uses/

https://www.xtend-life.com/blogs/supplement-ingredients/same

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/17-health-benefits-of-omega-3

https://food.ndtv.com/health/7-health-benefits-of-saffron-the-priceless-spice-1263525

https://www.organicfacts.net/saffron.html

https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-794-5-htp.aspx?activeingredientid=794

https://draxe.com/dhea/
February 21, 2018
Yoga Room Decor – 5 Ways to Improve Atmosphere

*Originally published on Feb. 3, 2018. Updated on Feb. 18, 2018.

As much as we all hate to admit it, music is sometimes just not enough to help influence a calm mind and a relaxing atmosphere. Consider yoga room decor as a way to invest in the quality of your meditation, yoga, and overall experience. Besides, without a well put together yoga room or calming section of your home, a beginner (one who’s new to the idea of meditation) may not fall “head over heels” for it. Worst yet, beginners may not understand the value of yoga or meditation without a good first impression of the experience. It’s only smart to prepare as best you can before expecting the best experience during yoga or meditation. Small improvements to detail can go a long way.

I always like to keep in mind the goal to surround myself with positive people.

I think this idea can be applied to our home decor, because each piece of art can be a reminder of something. And in this case, each piece I list below can be a reminder of the culture around yoga, meditation, and relaxation.

1. Wall Hangings

One of the simplest and easiest actions you can take is to hang up some earthly or interesting wall hangings around the surrounding of your meditation space. Art and architectural design have been long-standing traditions for a reason – depending on the balance of a space, differing “feelings” can spawn such as a sense of ease or even anxiety (if an artist is purposely going for anxiety). Of course, what we’re doing here isn’t culturally significant on a historical level, BUT little details to help influence the right mind can make a world of difference to ourselves as individuals.

Wall hangings can include tapestries, artistically woven rugs or quilts, paintings or visual artworks, or sometimes it can be as simple as a change in paint color (or a difference in color). Obviously, one of the biggest factors to consider when improving your atmosphere for meditation is to add earthly tones or even earthly materials: wood, grass, rope/twine, cloth, or maybe even a contemporary acrylic work of art (or even matte iron!).

Click for more ideas on wrought iron wall decor!

I would not recommend shiny materials, text-heavy items, plastic, mirrors, or anything that could distract from a calm tone (in other words, you don’t want colors or materials to be too “loud”). It is also important to make sure every wall has a purpose, because without a purpose, it becomes a distraction from the overall purpose of the space.

Click to view on Amazon!

2. Floor Additions

Floor additions refer to mats, rugs, and other accessories that don’t take up the room but enhance it. One of the best ways to improve the floor of a yoga space is to install a wooden floor – most of the time this is a dream for a better financially stable future, so the easiest way to improve the atmosphere is to add a woven or printed rug. There are many options for rugs, but as you shop around, please make sure it is large enough. You wouldn’t want your back foot to hit a different material flooring while doing a trikonasana pose.

A great compromise for flooring is foam tiles with a wood print! Don’t get boring mono-colored foam tiles – there’s imitation wood options to go beneath your feet that don’t even have splinters! Very excited to have found this – here are two I would recommend: light colored wood and dark colored wood.

Click to view on Amazon!

Click to view on Amazon!

To emphasis my point in the importance of improving the “feel” of a room, look at the picture below. Even a room that is not normally used for yoga or meditation can be greatly improved to encourage a calm and peaceful mind just be adding a rug and a few other items (not to mention to real wood beneath it offers an earthly feel).

Click to view options on Amazon!

3. Useful Additions

Shelving is useful in that an average rectangular room will be given some characteristics. Parallel walls are the worst nightmare because it can sometimes feel like a prison! Your mind can not wander freely if the walls are binding you into a confined space.

Wall mounts for holding yoga mats is another way to highlight related equipment while also adding to the room’s dimensional characteristic. The point is to distract the eye from the flatness of walls to allow the flow of a room to have a direction or shape. Consider the earthly, wooden yoga mat hanger in the image below. There are other options for wall mounts as well.

Click to view this item’s price on Amazon!

Add pillows! Pillows cannot only distract from an angular, 90-degree box (or room), but also offers comfortable seating and extra tools for yoga poses or stretches. Consider a meditation pillow as an investment for decor as well as for meditation.

Click to view the price of this item on Amazon!

4. Aromatherapy

An inexpensive and easy way to improve any space is make things smell inviting. I grew up with a mother who experimented with candles when I was around 8 and she would always buy vanilla scented candles. I used to love coming home from school because due to the candles, it always smelled like cookies!

I wouldn’t recommend hunger inducing candles! But there are some pretty amazing finds out there. One of my FAVORITE candles are these new concept candles from “The Woods” company. I know I know, this sounds like an ad, but please hear me out.

The first time I lit a WoodWick candle, I instantly fell in love (and I haven’t looked back). These candles burn an extra 10 – 26 hours (compared to traditional candles) and most importantly they come with a natural wood wick that provides a pleasant crackling sound as it burns!

Click photo to read my extended article about WoodWick candles!

I love these candles so much that I wrote an entire article on them. Yes – I know I’m a nerd, but at least I’m already married, right? It’s time I let my inner nerd SHINE.

The other amazing find I’ve recently stumbled upon in the last few months are Himalayan pink salt lamps – the newest fad in homeopathic, passive salt therapy. Trends like these are always questionable, but after researching over 20 articles, I’ve really come to love the idea of having air filtration and aid against EM radiation from a beautifully pure Himalayan pink salt lamp. I’ve just recently ordered a 9-pound lamp that I’m SO excited about after falling in love with my mini-USB lamp.

5. Furniture

One of the coolest ideas for adding to a room’s “feng shui” are hammock seats! With some time investment and an easy DIY installation, you can add a wonderfully enclosing space to sit and relax. Dogs are known to feel most comfortable in an enclosed space, especially for naps, so let’s follow their instinctual needs and find some warm, enclosing spaces to rest our own stressed out minds.

Another quick solution to a dingy space is wooden furniture and if you attempt to save space at the same time (a popular trend is to save space) you can really take advantage of your meditation space.

One of the coolest ways to save space and add to the general “feel,” while also providing more seating areas is to bring in a wooden bench with storage space! Real wood is also durable and can last the entire lifetime of your meditation room (don’t ever count on “IKEA” wood to last much longer than a few years – trust me). Below is a great example of this idea:

Click to view the price of this item on Amazon!

There are many DIY projects to create pallet bookshelves where you can store yoga or meditation equipment in a classy and natural way. As I said before, wood is a great addition to an earthly feel in your meditation room and recycled pallet would add that rustic, aged look for some characteristic.

Woods and metal are also very popular right now – conveniently, it is also very strong material. Below is an example of a wooden shelf held together by matte metal:

Click to view the price of this item on Amazon!

Rugged edges and little parallelism in a room will allow for a natural feel and can instantly improve the atmosphere of your yoga room.

Calming space: yoga and meditation are good learning tools (Image: Rex)

Conclusion

With a small budget, little additions to your yoga room can greatly enhance your mood when entering your space. Much like going to a library or a gym, a space with a purpose can truly help inspire and influence the experience of yoga or meditation. Even if you’re considering altering your lifestyle by adding yoga or meditation to your daily routine, small additions will help encourage your mind to really participate in this new activity.

I hope this article helps open the doors to some new possibilities in improving your yoga room decor or meditation space. With our stressful lives and fast-paced schedules, even 5 or 10 minutes of slow breathing in an inspiring space can do wonders. Many entrepreneurial guides, podcasts, and experts highly recommend taking time for yourself and by investing in a space by adding a few enhancing decor items (or even DIY creations), your 5 to 10 minutes can do twice as much for your mind.

It’s Important, Trust Me

Compare your meditation or yoga space to a car. A low-quality car can, of course, take you from A to B, but a comfortable and customized sports car with lumbar support and Bose speakers will make A to B seem like a blessing (versus a chore). It’s something to think about as you increase your investment in yourself and your health.

You are essentially “teaching” yourself to love meditation (or for teachers, you are educating your students the importance of continued practice). Everything you do to improve this experience is a worthwhile investment (don’t let yourself believe anything else).

A great source for inspiration collections to help improve your atmosphere can be found on BuddhaGroove.com – if you have heard of them, feel free to check out my article reviewing their value to our little community. Read here.

I would really recommend a salt lamp – I know they seem gimmicky, but they really do help improve mood, sleep and counteract electronic blue light. There are a lot of fakes online, so I’ve done quite a bit of research to aid you in handling your salt lamp shopping – read more about HPS lamps here.

Best of luck in all your meditation, yoga, and massage endeavors! Continue researching and never stop improving your place of peace and quiet. Take time for yourself!

Thanks for reading,

Chase Chandler

Feb, 2018

February 18, 2018
WoodWick Candles – The Smartest Way to Burn
*Originally published Jan 23, 2018. Updated on Feb 18, 2018.

Believe it or not my last name, “Chandler,” means candle maker. Growing up my mom would craft her own candles and burn multiple scents each and every day – even to the point where it became a a health concern for the family (good times though). To say the least, I love candles. They are the easiest and most effective way to improve the atmosphere of any room (for really any purpose).

Out of all the candles I’ve come across, the WoodWick brand is by far the best and most effective form of candle burning on the market. If you haven’t looked into them or heard of them, PLEASE save yourself and try one of these bad-boys out. You won’t regret it.

History of WoodWick Candles

The company who originally led to the creation of the WoodWick brand was founded in 1985 as “Dalvins” and created a concept store in 1997 labelled, “The Woods,” in Maple Grove, Minnesota (according to their website). Soon their popularity grew their customer base and their contributions to the community have gone a long way (including groups such as CROSS Food Shelf, Special Olympics, Toys for Tots, and United Way to name a few).

The official name of the company that owns the patented design of the WoodWick candles is known as “The Woods Gifts.”

What’s So Special?

The WoodWick Candles are not just candles. Not only are they aesthetically pleasing through their rich aromas, but the wooden wick in the middle of the candle (instead of the traditional twine or woven fabric) produces a pleasant sound of crackling wood.

The Woods patented their “crackling” design as PlusWick, so you can’t find it anywhere else. The warm sounds and feelings of a summertime bonfire now come in a small and mess-free little package with options of wonderful scents!

There are also candles with three scents in one. Click the photo to check the price on Amazon!

As my favorite brand of candles, I love to sit in my room at night with just my candle and a nice book. The crackling fire from the candle makes for a pleasant sound machine in the background – not too loud, but aesthetically incomparable to traditional candles (which have no sound – how boring!).

Because the wick itself causes a different type flame, the rate the candles burn is far improved as well:
- 10-oz WoodWick candles burn for up to 100 hours!
- 22-oz WoodWick candles burn for up to 180 hours!
According to CandleTech.com, the average small candle burns 7 to 9 hours per ounce of wax, whereas larger wick candles burn for up to 5 to 7 hours. This means:
- 10-oz normal candles burn for up to 70 to 90 hours
- 22-oz normal candles burn for up to 110 to 154 hours
The WoodWick candle design burns for an extra 10 to 26 hours MINIMUM.

Not only do they have the naturally built-in crackling sound, they last much longer than the traditional candles. They also advertise their candles to burn cleaner (all the way to the edges of the glass container) and the burn style throws the fragrance farther!

Types of Scents

Their scent line is as vast as any other candle line but far more creative in their titles. Just the names of their scents are aesthetically pleasing! Their scents include:
- Birchwood
- Havan Nights
- Vineyard Nights
- Fireside
- Redwood
- Sandalwood
- Campfire Marshmallow
- Gold Spun Sugar & Sand
- Driftwood
- Tropical Oasis
- At the Beach
- Tradewinds
- Sunset Beach
- Tropical Cooler
- Linen
- Cotton Flower
- Cashmere
- Cinnamon Chair
- Grown Cinamon
- Spiced Rum
- Dew Drops
- Water Garden
- Aegean Sea
- Frasier Fir
- Velvet Woods
- Lilac
- Rose
- Honeysuckle
- Vanilla Bean
- Caramel Biscotti
- And more!
Click photo to check the price on Amazon!

Proper Care

Because the WoodWick candles are a bit different, it is suggested that they are treated and cared for differently too. Their site (woodwick-candles.com) goes into a vast amount of detail, but the most important things to keep in mind are these little tidbits:
- Make sure the wick is always trimmed down to about 1/8 inch (IMPORTANT)
- When almost out of wax, stop the burn a fourth of an inch from the bottom
- Do not burn for more than four hours at a time (IMPORTANT)
- Allow cooling for two hours before trimming the wick
- Always burn for two to three hours at a time (IMPORTANT)
- Obviously, keep in mind of standard candle safety as described further on their site
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Conclusion

The WoodWick candles were immediately my favorite as soon as I lit my first candle a few years back. I had no idea a simple Christmas gift could change my opinion of what a true “candle” really is so drastically – but then again, I don’t think many people know of these amazing candles!

So to review, here’s some SparkNotes to take away from this article:
- Extra PlusWick provides a natural crackling sound (low volume)
- Fragrance spreads farther than traditional candles
- WoodWick candles burn up to 10 to 26 hours longer (depending on size)
- Burn them for 2 to 3 hours at a time, but no more than 4 hours
- Wick should always be trimmed to about an 8th inch
- WoodWick candles is owned by The Woods (est. 1985) – a company that gives back to their community
- Growing fast in popularity
There are also different style like the hearthwick. Click the photo to find out more on Amazon!

I hope I’ve convinced you to at least think about taking a WoodWick candle home, because it may chance your candle experience. I’m very curious of your opinion if you do!

What is your opinion? Do you prefer traditional, sound-free candles? Or do you absolutely love WoodWick?

Let me know your thoughts! Would love to hear from you.

Thanks!

Chase

Feb. 2018
February 18, 2018
FREE Guided Meditation Online – 5min Anti-Stress

*Originally published on Jan. 12, 2018. Revised Feb. 18, 2018.

No matter what you’re going through or how busy you may be, anyone and everyone can benefit from guided meditation online. Meditation has been a proven aid in the fight against stress, anxiety, and depression by many healthcare professionals (including Harvard Health).

On behalf of the community here at MusicalGrowth.com, I have personally created and professionally mixed a new piece for meditation that is available for FREE on YouTube (see the video below) and downloadable via SoundCloud.

If you’re interested in hearing the entire playlist I’ve made available on MusicalGrowth.com, I invite you to follow this link: Relaxing Piano Playlist.

“Musically” Guided?

Everyone has their own preference when it comes to meditation music, but what I find most alarming is the options available to choose from – for example, I don’t see any “musically guided” meditation music online!

What do you mean, musically guided? I find narrated meditation music can sometimes be distracting. As a professional musician of 15+ years (voice, trumpet, composition, etc.), it’s a natural habit to focus on someone’s voice rather than the activity. A few little things such as lisps, strange pronunciation, avid attempts to sound “smooth,” are all very distracting when trying to clear my mind. BUT, this doesn’t mean that I sometimes appreciate vocally guided meditation – there’s a time and a place.

I wanted to give everyone here at MusicalGrowth.com a chance to experience a different form of guided meditation. I hope this helps!

About the Music

I chose a tempo around 62 bpm (beats per minute) to allow for two things: the musical beat to land (relatively) perfect on every minute and so the listener’s heart beat would be influenced to slow down (the human heart beat is naturally around 60 to 100bpm according to MayoClinic.org).

I chose four chords and altered them slightly as I developed the music: Eb-Maj, C-min, Bb-dominant, and F-min. There are multiple layers of instruments – two piano sound libraries, an electronically modified men’s choral “hum,” rhythmic material on an acoustic piano, and a percussion track (combining metal and hide drums). Sound effects help fill out the surrounding (left/right) sound including bird sounds and ocean waves.

Listen via SoundCloud:

If you’re wondering more about the piano music itself, it was all improvised, which means it wasn’t notated and I wasn’t “reading” any pre-written music. To provide the most organic meditation music, my strategy is to create “in the moment” and build on a unique moment in time. For the last 10 years, I’ve improvised by myself, but the music produced from these moments in time are gone forever when I step away from the piano (since I usually never record myself playing!). During the making of this video, the music was improvised as per usual, but only this time, I record the MIDI information to enable playback of the material I improvised.

The piano (Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol S88 Keyboard) records the information through MIDI data and Logic Studio X. This allows the notes I recorded to playback with the respective keys lighting up – almost like “player pianos.” Pretty cool right? And I would highly recommend this keyboard. I just bought mine and am completely mesmerized and in love!

More Music?

If you’re looking for more free guided meditation music with narration, you are welcome to listen to 30min+ of MusicalGrowth relaxing piano music. I’ve also complied a list of the best YouTube videos which you can read up on here: Best Guided Meditation – Free 15min Transformations. Are you curious about meditation music? Read up on Buddhist music or my philosophy on music and the body, mind, and spirit. Listening to this on the go? Don’t let noise get you down, because there are options to help!

Sometimes music isn’t enough and some exterior materials are needed to improve the inspiration of your atmosphere. I’d love to share some ideas about your meditation decor, or if you’d like to search on your own (or if you have ideas too) please share whatever you’d like with our community in the comments below!

Conclusion

Options are always nice and I’m so glad I can offer a new way to experience guided meditation through the YouTube video listed above. If you have any more questions about the creation of the music, you know I like talking music theory so please don’t hesitate!

If you want to request more musically guided meditation, I would be ecstatic! Let me know in the comments below! I promise to read everyone’s thoughts and requests.

Best of luck on your journey through guided meditation!

Until next time,

Chase

Jan. 30, 2018

February 18, 2018
“Wind Chimes” – Free Relaxing Piano Piece

As one of the main focal points of this website, music is an important tool for relaxing as it helps influence the mind by “distracting” your thoughts. I’ve recently improvised a 5-minute piano piece that has quickly become one of my favorites so far.

Behind the Music

I invite you to listen a bit to the above song as this article is all about it! “Wind Chimes” was improvised by myself using roughly two chords (chromatic mediants to each other) for the duration of the piece.

Now, I know “two chords” sounds very simplistic and boring. But I have really come to appreciate the strategy of heavily developing chordal colors by the use of “time.” Time is the greatest tool for a composer or musician, because it is the way in which we as humans listen to music – it is our “medium” for art creation. Without the “time” aspect, music wouldn’t exist (if it was a singular sound, it would be considered a sound effect).

This specific piece explores these two chords, Eb-Major-7 and G-Major-7. Although at first glance, it seems as though they don’t relate, but at closer examination you’ll find that there are two common tones: G and D. These two tones make up a 5th interval, which is the second interval found in nature (in the overtone series). This is a big reason as to why it sounds so Earthly because I’m experimenting between the 5th interval and color tones (like the 7ths).

As the piece plays out, rhythms change, different melodies enter, but throughout the piece these two chords continue to change with the same timing between them. This progression becomes predictable, yet comforting to the listener. Each re-iteration of this simple progression feels warm and “home-y,” while the rhythmic playfulness and development keep things engaging throughout the piece (at least I hope!).

Sounds/Instruments

The sound of an acoustic piano is more than just melodic – it is very much percussive too. Hammers hit strings, felt hits metal. The “clunk” of each key adds an onset of energy to each pitch that sounds through the warm body of a grand piano (which the sound library I’m using in this piece is imitating).

The underlying layer involves two drone sounds: a low bass drone and a high (metallic) drone. I choose the metallic shimmers over the piano to elude to the title and purpose behind the music (to represent wind through wind chimes).

If you listen closely, I do have audio of wind passing through trees playing on the edges of the perceived sound (X/Y). Deep bass drum sounds echo underneath the piano as though played from a distance.

With all these elements tied together, a grand spectrum is found in this piece (from low to high frequencies).

Other Free Music Sources

If you’re looking for more free music sources, please feel free to listen to the entire playlist of relaxing piano music I have made available in another post: Relaxing Piano Music – Free Downloads.

If you’re a YouTube fan, I’d highly suggest my recommendations through other sources other than MusicalGrowth.com (though I have some videos as well). You can find my list of suggested meditation videos here: Free 5-min Guided Meditation on YouTube

Suggestions

I am always open to receiving suggestions – please, please don’t hesitate to reach out if you’d like me to create or compose a musical composition for a loved one or for yourself. Give me a purpose behind the music or the desired benefit you’d like from listening to a piece and I will get to writing.

I love commissioned music, because it gives me a purpose to write the music itself. And when the purpose is helping another, I find more “love” and passion finds it’s way in the process of creating the music.

Feel free to comment on this page to suggest anything or ask for anything. I always read every comment and will take everyone’s thoughts/advice/suggestions to heart. My goal is to help you – so please share what you think would help!

Conclusion

“Wind chimes” has become one of my favorite relaxing piano pieces so far. I find when I listen to it myself, all the rhythmic illusions keep me listening so I can “find out” what happens next.

Please keep in mind that this piece was improvised. The “feats” and piano skills involved happen at-will and are unplanned. So when I, myself, listen to it, it is almost as fresh to me as it is to another. I’ve only ever heard it one other time: when I was improvising the piece! I, of course, edit a few things in production and add a few sound effects, but the entire piece is still relatively “new” to my ears.

If you haven’t read my About the Author page, then I feel I should explain myself a bit further.

Piano improvisation, to me, is a form of meditation. Of course, I’m using the term “meditation” loosely because in this situation, I’m referring to meditation as an exercise that allows my brain to slow down, stop thinking, and focus on the “now.” Each piece I’ve improvised for this site has been a recording of myself meditating. Except when I “meditate,” I produce “sound” as a consequence.

Music is essentially wave forms or frequencies of vibrating air. The entire universe is composed of vibrations from each planet’s unique “hum” to the vibration of particles in cells, or even strings in “string theory.” No matter what you may come across in life, there is a vibrating material within it.

I find that music is humankind’s way of organizing this amazing magic we call “sound” and with the right balance, a composer can create wonderful works of art that “moves” people more than language can.

But please remember that I am just one person – everyone has their own opinion.

I would love to hear your thoughts on what music means to you! Please feel free to share in the comments below.

Thank you so much for reading and listening!

Chase,

Feb. 2018

February 17, 2018
How to Deal with Stress and Depression: Finding Your Purpose
Social media, the news, family issues, relationship problems, work stress, anxiety for paying bills – all these add up and can truly feel unbearable. I know.

Disclaimer: I am not a licensed psychologist. Nor am I a practicing therapist. BUT, I have dealt with stress and depression my whole life, so I hope the solutions that have proven useful to me can help you.

Quick Solutions

Stop. Breathe. Don’t think about anything. Calm your mind and focus on just your breath. In your head, calmly say “in” when you inhale and “out,” when you exhale. Don’t do anything but sit and maintain this cycle. In and out. In and out.

Stress is a real distraction from goals and happiness. I, myself, have suffered from anxiety attacks during times of intense pressure while handling concert organization, performance practice needs, people management, owning my own non-profit, financial planning, etc. Stress and depression is something that requires immediate attention or else symptoms will continue to worsen.

Whenever you feel stressed out or depressed, you MUST ignore everything going on in your life and find a quiet place to calm your mind. Sit. And slow your thoughts. Only focus on your breath and forget about the constraints of time.

“Stress happens when the mind resists what is” – Dan Millman from The Peaceful Warrior

You must understand that you can’t change anything but yourself and your own perception. Your perception controls what you feel and how you feel. The events that happen around you will only effect you negatively if you let them, so try your hardest to stop, calm down, and rethink to find a more positive perspective.

The quickest solution is to slow your mind. Close your eyes and forget about any negative thoughts. If the depression becomes so bad, then understand that fighting it will only make it worse. You MUST cry until you can’t anymore – only then will you be able to calm down enough to do the exercise I described at the beginning of this section.

Long-Term Solutions

Plan. You must accept the reality that you WILL feel stressed out and anxious again. Everytime you trick yourself into thinking, “I won’t be depressed again,” your actually committing self-destruction; a bad reaction to reality – you must PLAN for when it happens again.

A few things you can try that helps long-term:
- surround yourself with positive people
  - cynical people tend to influence others
- try only looking at positive materials
  - news, social media, TV shows, etc.
- work out on a regular basis
  - you MUST produce some endorphins to balance yourself out
- plan a day of the week to be in nature
  - nature has positive ionization, but electronics have the opposite (negative ions) so by drowning yourself in nature, you can help counteract EM radiation and blue light form electronic screens (if you’re interested in reading more about the science behind this, I invite you to read this article: Pink Salt Lamps)
Setting goals for yourself will help you feel your moving forward and keep you looking forward to “something.” The worst feeling when depressed is not feeling a “purpose” in life – well, you don’t need religion or any person to help, create your own purpose.

Finding Your Purpose

Now this is difficult not to make subjective, but I will tell you my advice (of course, take it with a grain of salt).

Purpose is something that drives us to move forward, plan ahead, and keep trying at life. A great Buddhist teaching that has always stuck with me is that “life is suffering.” You MUST accept this as depressing as it sounds. Once you do, then every time you “suffer” from life, you’ll remember it’s just a stepping stone – it happens when living life. Everyone goes through good and bad times no matter their financial position, their relationship status, or the job title.

How to find your purpose is another topic, BUT…

Here are my suggested steps to finding your purpose in life:
1. Think about what makes you most happy in your life –
2. Whatever that might be, think about what actions are involved to make it happen –
3. Write down the specific actions that others might benefit from –
4. From these specific actions, plan on what it might take to do “it” on a regular basis
5. How might doing “this” help other people?
6. If money wasn’t a factor, how far would you want this “action” to go?
7. What is your dream for this “action”?
8. What are the small goals to make this “dream” happen?
9. What small actions can you take to move toward making this “dream” a reality?
10. What things in your current life can you change to make #9 a reality?
11. What things can you do RIGHT NOW to make #10 a reality?
For example:
1. If someone answers number one with “dogs,” they could say taking care of dogs makes them most happy.
2. To answer #2, they might say walking them, feeding them, giving them a better life, etc.).
3. For #3, others may benefit from you walking their dogs.
4. You may ask a friend who owns a dog to walk them once a week (for #4).
5. Answering #5 is easy because walking a friend’s dog will save them time and help them feel less stress or overwhelmed.
6. How far could this go? How about an entire business dedicated to walking dogs (without even attempting to answer the question, “well, what about the money?).
7. Number 7 could be answered with the fact that walking dogs every day is the dream.
8. Small goals to make this happen could be writing down potential friends that would potential consider you helping walk their dogs (answering #8).
9. Small actions to make the “dream” happen, is to plan when you could fit walking dogs in your schedule and planning on how much time you have to dedicate toward making this dream happen.
10. Number 10 could be clearing up your schedule to make time for walking more dogs or planning for a dog training certification to better walk dogs.
11. And finally, number 11 could be calling a friend at that very moment! By taking that first step, you always have starting the gears turning and the “dream” is already evolving (maybe even becoming a reality!).
For me, my purpose is found (at least I think). But after finding an action to take (#11), inevitably the devil’s advocate will ask, “aren’t there already people doing exactly what I want to do?” The answer is YES. Does it matter? NO.

It doesn’t matter than others are doing the exact same thing, because they really don’t matter. What MATTERS is that it makes you happy. NEVER compare yourself to others when it comes to your personal steps in making the “dream” happen, because:

There is always someone who is better than you and there are always someone who is worse than you; this is always and forever the case.

No matter how hard you work, no matter how “special” you might consider yourself, you still existing within a context. And what I mean by that is, your desired “trade” (such as dog walking) has people already experienced in it. Your context is the tradition or the industry of your “dream” that already exists. Consider a creative solution – contact someone with experience and ask them questions. This will place you within the industry in the blink of an eye and you’ll gain some insight on how best to achieve this dream.

Never be scared to ask for advice. No one is ever alone and no one ever WANTS you to be depressed or unmotivated. If you’re stressed, people are always willing to help. The phone works both ways, so never wait for others to contact you. Be proactive – contact someone first.

Atmosphere

I benefit a lot from surrounding myself in positive reminders to be calm or stress-free. Decor is very important to me because the things we surround ourselves with represent who we are as a person. Much like “you are what you eat,” decor represents how you feel as a person.

Walking into a college guy’s dorm room might represent an undefined young adult looking for a reason to pursue a purpose (among other things). Walking into a family’s home might suggest an importance in child care and child friendly atmosphere. For me, walking into my office reminds me of nature due to the recycled wood on my wall, warm natural wood desk, Earthy blue and green walls with candles, incense, a desk fountain and paintings of nature.

Much like when we walk into a gym, inspiration to work out might sweep you off your feet. Walking into my office reminds me its time to focus and relax, helping me work tense free.

So. Decor and atmosphere shouldn’t be overlooked. Investing in improving your room or office will only be investing in yourself and your own health.

Stay Up to Date

The purpose behind this website is to help with these exact things from decor, meditation, relaxing music, yoga and more. I have dealt with my own issues and I continue to research new ways to make myself feel better. Everything I share on this website is for the purpose of helping others.

I invite you to explore this website in hopes that you’ll find something that may help you on a daily basis – and if it does, please let me know! I really want to help and I really love to hear when people find a difference in their life because of this website.

I am always updating this site so check back now and then. Or sign up for my newsletter – I’ll only send out an email once a week with a list of topics I’ve covered and written about. Below you’ll find the sign up sheet if you’re interested. I’m excited to share more positive thoughts, ideas, and music with you!

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Conclusion

Depression and stress effect a large percentage of the population and with our lifestyles continually speeding up, its only logical to plan ahead and invest in your health.

Connect with people. Set reminders to relax in your phone’s calendar. Plan a day to hike every week. There are helpful (and free) options out there so PLEASE don’t give up.

I’m here to help, your friends and family are here to help. Many sources online are made available to give you ideas in how to cope with depression and stress 24/7.

I always remind myself that no matter what happens, there will always been a brighter day in the future. Every bad experience makes the good one’s seem even better, because without the darkness there’d be no light. The universe is made of contrasting opposites. Don’t think you are “special” enough to escape universal rules, but keep in mind we’re all in it together 🙂

Let me know if you have any other suggestions for those who suffer from depression and stress. Leave your comments below so others can read, learn, and respond. The best thing we can do is start a conversation!

Best of luck with everything.

Thanks for reading,

Chase

Feb. 2018
February 15, 2018
Free Meditation Music Online – 6 Sources You Didn’t Know!
*Originally published on Jan. 4, 201. Recently updated on Feb. 15, 2018.

Music during meditation is one of the most important factors in influencing your mind – so don’t overlook its quality! There are plenty of high-quality sources for free meditation music online that is easily accessible on YouTube, Spotify, and various apps. Allow me to walk you through our options by listing them in this article.

On a side note, I personally like to use a sound machine – this website offers the most versatile sound machine: mynoise.net/NoiseMachines.

If you’re curious in Buddhist music, I invite you to read up on it! And you can also read up on my opinion in the importance of music and how it affects the body, mind, and spirit.

1. YouTube

Yes, everyone knows YouTube is the best place to find free music for quirky things: Halloween music, 10hrs+ music for dogs, and of course, meditation music. If you have uninterrupted access to the internet, YouTube could be a great source for free music. BUT, I would highly recommend finding or creating a playlist for your meditation music or else YouTube will automatically choose another video after the one you chose is finished. What’s the worst thing that can happen during a meditation? A random cover of Adele blaring over the speakers! Thanks, YouTube, for exposing us to whatever you decide. So, be prepared. Play music through YouTube playlists or choose a long enough video.

Here are some high-quality YouTube sources for meditation music I would recommend:

432Hz Miracle Tone – Raise Positive Vibrations (2hrs in length)

All 7 Chakras Healing Meditation Music (50min in length)

Tibetan Flute Music + OM Chanting (1:10hrs in length)



Super Intelligence: Memory Music (1:45hrs in length)


- Tibetan Singing Bowl Meditation Chakra Healing (3hrs in length)


2. Spotify

Streaming music is definitely an option, but keep in mind free accounts will most likely have advertisements playing every few songs. If this isn’t OK, Spotify is $10 per month or $5 per month for students. Spotify is one of the largest libraries of music and for meditation, you can create a playlist for practically an unlimited length! Here are a few I would recommend trying out:
- Peaceful Meditation | Spotify Playlist (4hrs 38min in length)
- Meditation/Sleep | Christopher Spatola Playlist (4hrs 7min in length)
- Meditation Relaxation | Meditation Relax Club Playlist (11 hrs 38min in length)
If you’d like to read more on Spotify’s meditation playlists, consider this article by Lead Rodriguez: Hear the Cut’s Meditation Playlist on Spotify | The CUT

3. Mobile Phone Apps

Everyone has a mobile phone nowadays and many people know how to plug it into an audio system. Most of the time, music is accessed through mobile devices anyway! So why go through websites, if “there’s an app for that.” I would highly recommend trying out these applications on your smartphone:
- Meditation Music – Relax, Yoga (Relaxio)
 - This app contains ads but offers in-app purchases to remove them. Music genres are at the whim of the user, through twelve different categories such as “gentle morning,” “soft piano,” “perfect rain,” etc. The timer functionality is quite useful when falling asleep or in yoga classes. The UI (user interface) is rather minimal but easy to use and understand. Their main focus is to help stop stress: “Meditation is a process of self-healing, all forms of stress is a sign of the presence of negative thoughts that torment our minds.” Read more on the app site through Google Play.
- Meditation Music (Avryx)
 - This application has a more slick design, rather than the bright colorful design in the previous app. This app is completely FREE and offers music and beautiful sound “that will aid you in finding inner peace, helping reduce stress and even to fall asleep.” The timer function is useful in many situations, but the playlist functionality is very customizable. When reviewing apps, easy and customization must be in perfect balance and I believe Avryx got it right with this one. Genres and sounds can be chosen from a drop-down menu and playlists can be created with choices such as “natural harmony,” “guitar melody,” “celestial piano,” “ambient peace,” “monks chanting,” etc.
If you’d like to read more about meditation apps in general, consider this comprehensive article by healthline.com – The Best Meditation Apps of 2017 | HealthLINE

4. Websites

Sometimes the quickest solution for quality music/sound streaming is through a browser. Though this could be considered old-fashioned to the younger generations (due to the lack of applications involved), there are quite a number of avenues to explore. Some of which I favor over apps!
- www.calm.com
 - Not only is this website dedicated to offering many tools for pristine meditation (including a mobile app!), they also offer a complete blog, sleep stories, and even a “calm masterclass.” This company under the alias, “Calm,” even sells their branded relaxing scent: “SLEEP MIST.” As a concoction of lavender, frankincense, chamomile, and clary sage oils, this “soothing scent” is meant to create a relaxing environment ideal for sleeping peacefully. There is very limited free material, but the user interface itself is gorgeous with a background video playing the entire time your browse their site (which can be changed at will!). Beautifully designed website.
- mynoise.net/NoiseMachines
 - As one of my personal favorites that I’ve used for years, “myNoise” offer a highly customizable noise machine app running straight through the browser. Choose a type of sound (such as rain, waterfall, distant thunder, etc.) and begin altering 10 different slidable qualities of the “sound” to create the perfect balance for you! It is truly amazing because each app or sound or online content found on the internet advertises itself as “perfect.” But really, perfection is different for everyone. With the ability to alter your unique sound on the spot, at will, anytime you want is really empowering to the listener. I would highly recommend this website as it comes absolutely free and provides an endlessly running sound machine streamable straight from the browser (accessible through a desktop or mobile devices.)
5. Albums

Though consider truly old-fashioned, there are many albums for meditation still in circulation. If considering finding more about these, consider reading up on this well written and research article: Top Relaxing Music Albums for Study and Meditation | Music by Mood

6. Royalty Free Downloads

If the internet isn’t your friend and connection to online streaming is just plain annoying (which we all can relate), then consider downloading and preparing beforehand for meditation or relaxation. There are many online sources for free music downloads that range from pretty good to just plain wasteful (in other words “bad”). Obviously, I’m being subjective and you can be the judge of this yourself, but I would consider this website before scouring the internet for free music:
- Music by Mood
 - This website is specifically catered for listeners in need of relaxing music. They sell royalty free music licenses “as well as give away music for free.” Give them a shot and explore their content! Each track is a full forty minutes of uninterrupted music created for “massage, meditation, concentration, hypnotherapy and more.”
- Free Meditation Music
 - This website centers around “high-quality meditation music downloads for FREE!” but what I like even more is the built-in audio player on the website itself. You can explore, discover, listen, and download songs in multiple categories such as “oceanside meditation,” “852Hz Nature,” “Root Chakra Healing,” “Study Aid,” etc. A wonderful source for free music online without the worry of financial troubles or royalties (please be sure to read their terms and conditions before attempting to make or use their music for monetary gains).
Conclusion

Obviously, the best choice for finding free online meditation music varies between contexts and each individual person, because situations change. The right answer is: whatever is most convenient at the time at which meditation strikes your fancy. Go with it! I hope this list aids you in finding some great online sources for free meditation music.

Happy meditating!

– Chase Chandler

January 24, 2018
February 15, 2018
6 Modern Table Lamps – More than Aesthetics
Today’s “hip” world requires decor to have multiple purposes. No longer is a light-switch controlled table lamp impressing the kids. It’s time to up your game with modern table lamps.

There are many lamps that offer an aesthetic improvement as well as health benefits that boost an atmosphere’s positive influence on the mind. Don’t buy bright office lights – consider investing in your mood and health.

1. Salt Lamps

Himalayan pink salt lamps are the newest fad with a lot of reason behind the hype.

The benefits of Himalayan salt lamps are almost too many to count with the 84 natural minerals found in the purest form of salt on Earth; but to name a few, these lamps can improve mood, counteract EM radiation, offer color therapy benefits, filter air, reduce allergy symptoms, reduce stress, improve performance and improve sleep. If you’re curious of the benefits, I’ve studied and documented all my research and offered everything you might ever need to know about salt lamps! Read more here: Salt Lamps – The Truth Behind the Pink.

When it comes to buying salt lamps, you really have to be careful which merchant you choose. There are many frauds out there that don’t offer the origin of the salt, an adequate light bulb (it needs to warm up the salt for best results), a dimmer switch, high-quality salt, etc. After searching the internet through and through, I was actually informed of the best quality merchant through a representative of Buddha Groove.

So Well offers the best salt lamps with a 30-day satisfaction guarantee and fair trade regulation. You can benefit from your new lamps in aesthetics and health benefits knowing that the “fair trade” provides the Pakistani hand-crafters of your lamp an improved salary of about 25% (according to SoWellMade.com).

The rustic exterior of the lamps is to provide more surface area for the salt to do its magic (I won’t go into the science of “how” here, but please do read my other article). These lamps offer the “hipster” look we’re all looking for with the added benefit of knowing the effects of blue light is lessened due to the salt’s natural production of negative ionization.

2. Salt Aromatherapy Lamps

For the ultimate lamp, I’d like to introduce the 3-in-1 aromatherapy salt lamp.

I say “3-in-1” because it acts as a table lamp, a diffuser of essential oils (aromatherapy), and a salt lamp (salt therapy). You know that when people ask “what is that thing,” you’ll have a pretty hefty answer that will “woo” any client into thinking, “man, this guy knows what he’s talking about.” But on a serious note, in order to use the little space we have in our rooms, studios, or offices we should take advantage of every possibility in improving atmosphere and our health.

3. Rectangular Salt Lamps

If you’re in search for an addition to your office, here’s the best option (in my opinion):

Minimalist architecture and simplistic indoor decor is the biggest fad nowadays due to the “clean,” professional look. Like I said before, salt lamps have MANY extra benefits besides aesthetic improvement. And this company I’ve found (after searching the internet) offers fair trade regulations and help the Pakistani workers maintain a better-quality life (which in turn influences them to produce better products). It’s a system of caring about the purest form of salt found on Earth (even better than Epsom salt!).

The orange light not only adds a nice contrast to an office’s darker colors, but also has the added benefits of color therapy and salt therapy. Looking at the above photo, the cube version of the salt lamp is very slick.

But please be cautious when buying salt lamps. I’ve searched Amazon and found most retailers don’t disclose the origin of the salt. I’ve browsed other companies and found similar results (with fewer options too). SoWellMade.com has the most options with each variation having guaranteed quality – I know I’m plugging their name quite a bit, but I really believe in the quality of their products. I don’t work for them, but I know it will save people a lot of time and frustration if they trust a niche company that’s been trading these salt lamps for over 14 years.

The first salt lamp I bought was out of ignorance (I just liked how it looked). Even though the company (Earthbound Trading Co.) was really cool and had an amazing brand, the lamp didn’t really work too well (the salt didn’t warm up from the light bulb and the USB plug was annoying). So I just want to save you some time by introducing you to a great company for Himalayan salt lamp decor.

4. Geode Lamps

Earthy lamps of rare, unique materials are a great way to light up a space and improve a room’s aesthetic by showcasing an interesting material – in this case, a geode!

I really like this option. Most geodes you see on display seem too dense to light up, but with this creation from YogaOutlet.com, the hollowed out inside allows for light to peer through the mineralized crystals. The benefits aren’t the same as pink salt, but the aesthetic is beautiful.

I remember growing up and being so excited to buy geodes to crack. I had even once attended a rock collector’s convention where I observed huge geodes and ate “rock” candy – aw, simple times.

Geodes may remind onlookers of good ol’ times like myself, but for most people a geode table lamp will be a sense of wonder. My wife didn’t even know what geodes were before I introduced them to her – so imagine someone who’s never seen a geode stumble upon this amazing creation!

5. Pyramid Lamps

Time to change up the color and shape scheme. Pyramid lamps are another option for geometrically portioned modern table lamps.

The surface of the Himalayan salt isn’t rough, so the clean look is maintained (the benefits are practically the same though). The low-light produced by the bulb shining through the gray salt is a great mood-inhancer for any room or lounge. This particular lamp is offered by, yet again, So Well – which like I said before, is the only source I’d really recommended for high quality salt lamp trading. And in this case, it is one of the very few companies that offer salt in different colors other than pink (or amber).

6. Globe Lamps

Another geometric lamp style! This time I’ll show you the unique and very rare white Himalayan salt lamp in globe form.

This particular lamp is only around $20 and can plug into the keyboard directly via USB. The salt itself is guaranteed to be of highest-quality (thanks to, you betcha, So Well LLC). This White Himalayan USB Salt Lamp Globe is a great little addition to any office, desk, yoga studio, or meditation space because of the pureness of the white light.

Now, because of the smooth surface, LED light, and small size, the benefits I’ve described at the beginning of the article probably won’t apply here as the effects would be too minimal to tell – BUT, be confident that the material this lamp is made of is quite unique and very rare. Himalayan salt is the oldest and purest form of salt found on Earth (not to mention white salt is even more rare) – how lucky are we to be able to even consider putting this precious and limited material on our desk as an additive decoration.

Conclusion

The term “modern” is very vague in itself, but as far as table lamps go, these are some of the best options for a quick fix to your drab office or lobby space. For the salt lamp options, the benefits speak for themselves (which I invite you to read up on).

These lamps were relatively the same in style and material since there are so many options that could fit this category. But for the sake of this site and the community’s interest, I went with lamps I think would best suit the lifestyle we all pursue.

If you need more help with decor, I have some great options:
Best of luck with all your meditative decor projects! Let me know if you found this article useful or if you’d like me to cover another topic!

Please leave a comment below and I’ll be sure to read each and every one of them!

Thanks for reading,

Chase

Feb. 2018
February 15, 2018
Relaxing Piano Music – Free Downloads
If you’re looking for relaxing piano music, you need not scour the internet further. MusicalGrowth has their own playlist on YouTube and free to download on SoundCloud.

Below I’ll have a SoundCloud player inserted so you can listen to relaxing piano music straight from the browser.

Playlist

Here is the playlist of relaxing piano music made available through the SoundCloud player. I will continue to add to this as I write and produce more music, so please check back here and there for more music!

*If you haven’t already noticed, there’s a button with the “download” sign in the player itself. Click it to download the music straight from this page without having to visit SoundCloud!

About the Creation

If you’re curious about the music in the playlist, let me answer many of the questions you might have by stating that I am the composer, producer, and mastering engineer for all the music (so far) of MusicalGrowth.com. And by I, I mean me – Chase Chandler (About the Author).

My version of meditation has evolved over the course of my entire musical education, which as of today is about 18+ years (including 7 years of college-level education). Needless to say, music is a large part of who I am.

Improvization is a huge component to the music I release to the MusicalGrowth community for a few factors:
- Each piece is an” imprint” of the moments in time when I, myself, am currently “meditating”
- I’m breathing and shaping the notes and the music “in the moment,” offering organically evolved musical creations
- If playing the piano is calming to me, it might be calming to others as well
- I meditate almost every day – I might as well share it 🙂
Throughout my classical education, reading music was always the emphasis. But I could never turn away from practicing my improvization skills. I remember around 7 years ago, I would sit in the practice rooms for hours playing the same chords and the same progression over and over again to make sure there were no mistakes to distract from the “pretty” sound I created from nothing (since I was playing on an acoustic piano most of the time).

Back then, improvizing a short piece would always disappear into the air and no one would ever hear it again, not even myself. And the thought of those moments being experienced only once without having to share them with anyone, made them feel special and meaningful to me.

In hindsight, not sharing your music is selfish. Musicians tend to fight a mental battle of whether to share their music because (1) no one cares and (2) no one will “like” it.

With all my musical experience from conducting large choirs, hosting student recitals, singing in front of hundreds if not thousands, I find there’s no point in keeping your musical experiences to yourself. Maybe, just maybe, someone will appreciate the music I improvize on the piano and if there’s a person to gravitates toward the music I release, then it would have been worth sharing (even if its only a single person).

It’s better to make use of my musical meditation by sharing it with the community, then hiding it away never to be heard of again. At least that’s the way I think of it.

My Two Cents

Music plays a vital role in many peoples lives and it affects the others without them even knowing it. Unless you’re a hermit who lives under a rock, most like music is involved in your life.

Think about it – where can music be heard playing?
- Grocery stores
- Elevators
- Movie theaters & Hollywood movies
- When waiting to speak to support over the phone (on hold)
- In the car over the radio
- In the gym
- Etc.
Many companies and monopolies spend a fortune figuring out how they can manipulate their potential customers into buying more or staying relaxed. A great way they do this is through the music – have you noticed in every store, happy and “go-lucky” music is always playing (except for maybe Hot Topic)? Music affects us without being to obtrusive, such as bright images flashing in an advertisement.

Meditation music is an interesting genre. When referring to the Eastern world of true traditional meditation music, we may hear Tibetan singing bowls, Buddhist chants, drums, gongs, or even a melodic shakuachi. But with most things, the Western world has modernized the idea of meditation music to mean something of a quiet, thoughtful, and sometimes pandering nature.

I find there are a few things meditation music shouldn’t do:
- It shouldn’t distract the listener by being too fast-paced or involved in the number of instruments or timbres
- It shouldn’t use cheap electronic sounds or gross 80s pads
  - Acoustically influenced sounds are best to invoke a sense of warmth, Earth, and nature
- It shouldn’t have a strong melody
  - If there is a melody, it shouldn’t be too complex
  - If there is a melody, it should be given enough time to develop more than a few measures
Music is always a fickle term, because everyone seems to have their own subjective and inarguable opinion about what “music” means. But if you’re interested in my definition of meditation music (after spending my whole life involved in music), please feel free to continue reading.

Defining Meditation Music

I, myself, define meditation music as any kind of combination of sounds that stimulates thought or focus. When done properly, the listener should experience an absence of time when they’re unaware of the minutes flying by. This to me, is meditation – when time is of no importance and the mind slows down to focus on the “now.”

The amazing thing about Buddhist spirituality is that it can be as flexible as you want as long as it helps you find the path to peace in the end ( a.k.a. enlightenment). So proper meditation music should aid you in meditation and not be actively distracting the mind with too many frills or embellishing sounds.

Meditation music is not about the composer “showing off” his skills in production or combining complex 20th-century harmonies. It is about aiding the listening in forgetting about time.

A visual artist paints on a blank canvas, but a composer paints on silence and time.

After doing a lot of research a few years back about Differences in Music within Buddhist Sects, there are three rules of Buddhist music that is generally accepted:
1. Buddhist music should not be strictly for temples and monastic life but spread to the public.
2. Music should be used to attract the public to study Buddhism, which means more advocation in the use of music.
3. Buddhists should start to form bands, choirs, orchestra, classical music troupes, etc. to help spread the teachings of the Dharma.
Hopes for the Future

After seeing this music take shape over the course of a few months or years, I will take the songs that people respond to most and compile them into an album. Through CD baby, ASCAP/BMI, and SoundLAB, I’ll post this album on Spotify and other online streaming services to make it more available (and easily findable) to the public.

My hope is to help or maybe even just improve the lives of the most amount of people.

Conclusion

When it comes to art and music composition, subjectivity is hard to avoid when defining the proper “aesthetic” choices. But, meditation music has a purpose and is meant to be used as a tool – almost as a form of music therapy.

MusicalGrowth.com should never be the only source for meditation music that people should use, but I hope that it provides some high-quality choices. I will always give purpose to everything I wrote, both in terms of articles & reviews and musical creations.

What do you think?

Does the music I’ve created help you in any way?

Do I sound genuine? Because if not, please let me know. My goal is to sound as genuine as possible because I truly do not want to make the music on MusicalGrowth.com be about me.

I create and compose for you and the community. I just hope to be an instrument in providing aid in your meditation.

Please let me know your thoughts!

As always, thank you for reading.

Chase

Feb. 2018
February 15, 2018