A careful examination of our life patterns and rituals we have developed to give ourselves peace at home during turbulent times.
Steven Halpern New Age and Meditation Music Icon
Music
We first became acquainted with Steven Halpern (his music) at a clients home. When we would come to visit this client would make us hot tea and put on this soothing ambient music in the background. It always put us in a peaceful state to discuss more stressful topics like demolition, remodeling and budgets. Then a few years later we started to recognize Steven Halpern’s music being played in an acupuncture studio - Golden Hour. Turns out, Mr. Halpern used scientific studies and research to create the basis and pattern for his musical compositions, specifically to reduce stress and create a sense of wellbeing. He designed his music to be relaxing. Most recently, Shannon remembered his music and its soothing effect towards the end of this Summer. Since then our design team has been playing his music non-stop. It’s helped us immensely and we highly recommend it to anyone in a stressful mental space. But you know the saying - Don’t just a book by its cover, or a musician by his album titles or embroidered jacket…
Movement
Prior to March 2020 we would go to the gym 5x a week. Usually in the morings, and usually for some type of restorative practice. It was for our physical and mental wellbeing. When gyms closed and we found ourselves more sedentary we began to realize how much that daily movement truly mattered. In the summer months we were naturally out and about - working in the gardens, exploring nature and taking full advantage of the long daylight hours. Now that fall is settling-in and the days are shorter, we are taking long walks in our neighborhoods. It is lovely to observe the homes around us - their design, the vernacular of architecture, noting the daily change as the season shifts. Before we were taking walks for our general welfare, now we are doing it for our general sanity.
Meditation
We were listening to an NPR interview in regards to meditation and the commentator mentioned that they have always used meditation as a form of daily maintenance for stress relief/ to induce calmness, however lately they have found themselves needing it a number of times a day to just do the barest of hanging on. We have always recognized the importance of stillness, those moments where no one needs anything from us and we are free to focus on the quiet or to work through the constant troubling thoughts that do not go away easily on their own. Meditation is helpful for this and so much more. For some meditation is that classic picture of legs crossed on the floor, eyes closed. For others it is a long bath, a quiet cup of tea on the porch; anywhere we can find time to quiet our mind. We are often presented with requests from clients to create a cozy quiet space to reflect, write, meditate and have found that even a corner of a room can work easily with a Zafu ( meditation cushion ) and a candle. We noticed that somehow this has rubbed off on those around us. Note the photo above of one of ours…quieting herself while listening to some Japanese music.