Relaxing: Music

Music is a very powerful thing.  It can give you energy, make you happy, make you cry and it can help you relax!

Before we start, let me remind you that I am a rock chick.  I usually listen to classic rock, alternative, surf and even some heavy metal.  But, when I need some down time...  some time to detox from my day...  some time to relax and de-stress, Metallica and The Red Hot Chili Peppers isn't going to help!  Yeah, it may be my favorite kind of music, but the reality is that this kind of music increases our heart rate and blood pressure.  In fact, it has the exact opposite effect as what we should be listening to when we are stressed out.

So, what's the answer?  Dare I say it?  Yes, I feel secure enough in my coolness...  You should be listening to NEW AGE MUSIC!  That's right.  New age music.  But, I'm not talking Yanni and Enya here.  They are way to "John Tesh" for my tastes.  There is a ton of really good new age music out there that I'm sure you can get into.  The first new age guy I gave a chance was Kitaro.  His music has a definite Japanese flare (uh, cuz he's Japanese)...  Lots of flute and strings, but with some electric guitar too which gives his stuff a bit of an edge. 

Here are some CD titles I recommend for a good start to your new age experience:

Kitaro Ki          Best of Kitaro Vol. 1          Best of Kitaro Vol. 2

Here are some good new age channels:

Dish channel 977          Sirius Spa 73

I highly recommend that you download some new age tunes into your iPod so you can have it with you.  This is great stuff to listen to right before a test.  It's also pretty soothing to study with since there aren't any lyrics to distract you.