A 2016 collaboration between music therapists and the UK soundscape band Marconi Union  resulted in Weightless, a 8-minute composition that was demonstrated in a small research study to reduce blood pressure, heart rate, cortisol levels and for some participants, their anxiety rating by as much as 65%.

Weightless became so popular as a aid to relaxation and sleep that the 10-hour version has logged over 10 million views. 

Will you love it? There's only one way to find out. 

Years ago, when my kids were little, I thought it might be cute to get a sticker for my minivan that read "MultiTasking Mommy", or better - a personalized license plate, but couldn't make it work with 7 characters. After further thought, I realized that announcing that I could be multitasking while driving with children in car was more terrifying than funny. But my tendency to try to multitask didn't go away. I'm not alone. 

We live in Distractionlandia, with a thousand things clamoring for our attention - certainly from that device in your pocket if not from the back seat of your car. The pull to do 2, 3, 4+ things at once is ever-present, including for those of us who are supposed to know better. We multitask with and without awareness of doing so. Some people claim that they're more effective when multitasking. I used to be one of those people, but not any more. 

While I still find myself multitasking all too often, it does help to understand what's really going on in the brain. Notice, refocus on one thing at a time. Notice, refocus. Lather, rinse, repeat. 

Dr. Sanjay Jupta, a truly great explainer, on multitasking. 

From the esteemed Andrew Weil, MD, a breathing exercise that activates your parasympathetic nervous system, counterbalance to our usually-way-too-active sympathetic nervous system (producer of the famous fight/fight/freeze response). Dr. Weil prescribes four rounds of 4-7-8 breathing to shift out of tension into calm and even sleep. 

​In the midst of what is surely the most bizarre election season in living memory, perhaps it would be helpful to review some old advice on how to maintain one's mental stability when it seems that the world really is in the handbasket, headed down to a very hot place.

And by old, I mean old.  The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali are presumed to be at least 1,600 years old, maybe more. Yet the advice in Sutra 1:33 about how to not get all freaked out by what other people do or say feels quite fresh and relevant.  

From Christopher Isherwood's translation:

and T.K.V. Desikachar explains Sutra 1:33 like this:

Notice the term "cultivate" in the first quote.  That's a reminder that growth takes effort and attention over a period of time. It's worth it, though, since friendliness is the antidote to jealousy, compassion allows us to be supportive rather than judgmental, delight lifts us up when envy or comparing ourselves to others drags us down and indifference (not paying too much attention) frees us from getting worked up with worry or outrage.

And if at first, you don't succeed, no worries - there will always be plenty of opportunities to practice!

Hokusai says look carefully.
He says pay attention, notice.
He says keep looking, stay curious.
He says there is no end to seeing.

He says look forward to getting old.
He says keep changing,
you just get more who you really are.
He says get stuck, accept it, repeat
yourself as long as it is interesting.

He says keep doing what you love.

He says keep praying.

He says every one of us is a child,
every one of us is ancient
every one of us has a body.
He says every one of us is frightened.
He says every one of us has to find
a way to live with fear.

He says everything is alive --
shells, buildings, people, fish,
mountains, trees, wood is alive.
Water is alive.

Everything has its own life.

Everything lives inside us.

He says live with the world inside you.

He says it doesn't matter if you draw,
or write books. It doesn't matter
if you saw wood, or catch fish.
It doesn't matter if you sit at home
and stare at the ants on your veranda
or the shadows of the trees
and grasses in your garden.
It matters that you care.

It matters that you feel.

It matters that you notice.

It matters that life lives through you.

Contentment is life living through you.
Joy is life living through you.
Satisfaction and strength
is life living through you.

He says don't be afraid.
Don't be afraid.

Love, feel, let life take you by the hand.

Let life live through you.