Music and Mediation

August 22, 2026 · 8 min read · Daily

This week has been long and stressful. I find myself falling back on old stress relief habits I haven't used in a while... It's been kinda nice, aside from the stress. I've always found music to be cathartic. But lately I've been listening to a lot of old school hip-hop and gansta rap. It's great for workouts but not so much calming my mental. Plus, music is often deligated to the background of other activities.

Sara B.

I was so stressed/irritated earlier this week though that I could feel my heartbeat in my head and that's not great. So I reached for an older album that i used to listen to all the time, What's Inside by Sara Bareilles. I sat in silence and listened to the whole album from start to finish. it's been so long since I've listened to music as the "main event." It was a nice calm hour or so, and then I felt better. So, I put on my shoes and went for a 2 mile walk, with the album on repeat.

Lately I've been doing my walk to T.I.'s latest album, but it wasn't a good fit for my mood. What's Inside is songs she wrote for the musical, The Waitress. That being the case the whole album is basically a story. It's about fear and self-doubt, losing control of your circumstance, love, unexpected blessings, and a lot more. I love this type of album (see also "The Jungle" by Shakka). It left me feeling relaxed and seen.

Standouts are

Joe Budden

That was a super relaxing and enjoyable afternon and it reminded me how i used to consume music. So I continued the streak by reaching for hip-hop I used to love, but not gangsta rap. Joe is a podcaster now and, like all podcasters, he gets on my nerves a lot haha... but let nobody ever say Joe can't rap!

Joe Budden's All Love Lost is one of my favorite albums of all time. It's super introspective and raw and honest! I sat an listened to that one in it's entirety as well. There's something about the intimacy of an honest piece of art that is really healing to experience. The album is about 80 minutes I think, cus Joe has several songs on there that are like 7/8 minutes long lol... it's a no-skip album for me though.

Standouts are

Meditation

Illustrated woman Meditating

In addition to the music, I had an hour long meditation session. It's been probably a year since I've meditated and every time I do it I wonder why I dont do it more. I lit some candles turned off everything but some very quiet tones, and let myself be for a while. It really helped me get some thoughts and feelings in order and solidify some things that have been moving around the edges of my consiousness.

I've heard mediation described a lot of different ways by different people, but for me it's a bit like fixing the focus through which I view myself and the world around me. It helps me bring important things into focus and let other things blend into the background. I spent time on ideas/feelings that I haven't really given my full attention in some time. I definitely came away feeling less stressed about thigns and more capable of dealing with them.

I should do this more :-)

Peace.