Today's DailyOM Offerings...
January 31, 2014
Reiki Healing Touch
Daniel Otsuka
2006
Created under the guidance of Reiki master Christopher Wilson, the music of Daniel Otsuka is tailor-made for Reiki, with all tracks at an average length of five minutes to indicate the proper time to change position. While some Reiki albums follow an ambient, natural direction, this one benefits from a very Japanese sense of dynamics: low, drawn-out wooden flute notes; shimmering tingsha bells; irregularly struck Japanese taiko; softly strummed zithers; occasional oceanlike gongs. All flow together with synthesized vocal pads, creating a beautiful and mysterious stillness. As the cover indicates, Reiki Healing Touch is ideal "for professional therapists or beginners," creating the perfect mixture of soothing and awakening, calming and invigorating, all merging in a tight yin/yang of active contemplation.
Opening with a thunderous gong, "Awakening of the Dawn" starts things off with a sense of mystery, like waking up in an alien landscape, a pink sky covered by low hanging clouds of chimes and stuttering bamboo flutes. As the album progresses, Otsuka's simple yet effective arrangements lend themselves to inner wandering, without allowing one to stray from the task at hand. Chiming bells and minimal percussion keep one's attention focused and indicate when it’s time to change position, while long drawn-out low-end notes stir the soul, and the occasional reverberation of the gong awakens deep energy centers and facilitates healing. "Refreshing Sea Energies" creates a delightful yet foreboding sense of coming autumn chill, as a gently cascading harp and synth pads morph effortlessly from voice to shakuhachi flute.
Otsuka's music grows more contemplative and wistful as the album progresses. "Timeless Rays of Light" carries a somewhat Celtic edge of emotional longing and loss, summed up in the mournful yet gorgeous and familiar melody of the chiming electric piano and zither. While basically a functional album, as per its title, Reiki Healing Touch is also a transformative, deeply soothing experience in and of itself, providing a restful oasis for contemplation wherever you happen to be. In his humble, unassuming way, Otsuka has given us the keys to our own kingdom. Like the Zen concept of "thoughts without a thinker," this is music that seems to erupt from our own unconscious, like an inner child putting balloons on the mailboxes and street signs of your mind so you can find your way to the birthday party of the fully integrated spirit.
January 31, 2014
Paths of Infinity
Sagittarius Daily Horoscope
You may feel inclined to spend your free time brainstorming the future today. Since your mind is likely opening to possibilities you would never before have considered, this can be a great time to reflect upon prospects that once seemed outlandish or out of your reach. Unrestricted brainstorming can help you access your newly developed expansiveness while simultaneously help you refine those ideas that do strike your fancy. As you imagine scenarios that at first appear too fantastic to be true, you will likely begin to see how you can shape them to meet your individual needs. If you believe that all is possible today, you will likely find it easy to accomplish anything you set your mind to.
Choosing not to discount a single possibility while contemplating the future can be one of the best ways to ensure that we never miss out on unexpected opportunities that will later prove rewarding. This open-mindedness serves as the stepping-off point for our later journeys by affording us the freedom to explore an unlimited range of prospects. Rather than push aside outlandish thoughts while brainstorming, we instead consider how we can modify these notions to better mesh with our established notions of success. As a result, we are able to draw upon a large store of ideas that are ours and ours alone, walking diverse and unexpected paths that nonetheless lead us toward those end goals we set for ourselves. When you believe that anything is possible today, you will be more apt to explore a limitless variety of possibilities.
January 31, 2014
Your Comfort Zone
Create a Soft Place to Land
by Madisyn Taylor
Create a soft place to land in your home a refuge from the stress of the day.
Our day-to-day demands can quickly take their toll on our well-being if we are not vigilant about caring for ourselves as best we can. One way we can ensure that we have an opportunity to relax and recuperate each day is to create a soft place to land when we arrive home. This landing pad, whether it is an entire room or merely a small corner of a larger area, can provide us with a safe and comforting refuge in which we can decompress and recover from the day’s stresses. There, we are enveloped in feelings of security that transcend other issues that may be unfolding in our homes. Our landing pads also act as way stations that enable us to shift our attention away from our outer-world concerns and back to our inner-world needs.
To create a soft place to land in your home, begin by scouting potential locations. Or perhaps your entire home is your landing pad in which case you may only need to declutter. Your habits can often provide you with insight into the perfect spot, as there may be an area of your home you gravitate to naturally when you are in need of comfort. Any space in which you find it easy to let go of stress and anxiety can become your landing pad. A basement or attic, spare room, or unused storage area, furnished with items that soothe you, can give you the privacy you need to unwind. If you appreciate the elements, you may find that spending time in a section of your garden or outdoor patio helps you release the day’s tensions. Preparing these spaces can be as easy as replacing clutter with a small selection of beautiful objects that put you in a relaxed frame of mind. Remember to consider noise and activity levels while choosing the site of your landing pad. If you know that ordinar! y human commotion will distract you from your purpose, look for a secluded spot.
The soft place to land that you create should inspire within you the mantra, “I can breath here. I can relax here. I know I am safe here.” When you return to your home after braving worldly rigors, you will feel a subtle yet tranquil shift occur inside of you as you settle in to this most personal of retreats and feel centered once again.
Reiki Healing Touch
Daniel Otsuka
2006
Created under the guidance of Reiki master Christopher Wilson, the music of Daniel Otsuka is tailor-made for Reiki, with all tracks at an average length of five minutes to indicate the proper time to change position. While some Reiki albums follow an ambient, natural direction, this one benefits from a very Japanese sense of dynamics: low, drawn-out wooden flute notes; shimmering tingsha bells; irregularly struck Japanese taiko; softly strummed zithers; occasional oceanlike gongs. All flow together with synthesized vocal pads, creating a beautiful and mysterious stillness. As the cover indicates, Reiki Healing Touch is ideal "for professional therapists or beginners," creating the perfect mixture of soothing and awakening, calming and invigorating, all merging in a tight yin/yang of active contemplation.
Opening with a thunderous gong, "Awakening of the Dawn" starts things off with a sense of mystery, like waking up in an alien landscape, a pink sky covered by low hanging clouds of chimes and stuttering bamboo flutes. As the album progresses, Otsuka's simple yet effective arrangements lend themselves to inner wandering, without allowing one to stray from the task at hand. Chiming bells and minimal percussion keep one's attention focused and indicate when it’s time to change position, while long drawn-out low-end notes stir the soul, and the occasional reverberation of the gong awakens deep energy centers and facilitates healing. "Refreshing Sea Energies" creates a delightful yet foreboding sense of coming autumn chill, as a gently cascading harp and synth pads morph effortlessly from voice to shakuhachi flute.
Otsuka's music grows more contemplative and wistful as the album progresses. "Timeless Rays of Light" carries a somewhat Celtic edge of emotional longing and loss, summed up in the mournful yet gorgeous and familiar melody of the chiming electric piano and zither. While basically a functional album, as per its title, Reiki Healing Touch is also a transformative, deeply soothing experience in and of itself, providing a restful oasis for contemplation wherever you happen to be. In his humble, unassuming way, Otsuka has given us the keys to our own kingdom. Like the Zen concept of "thoughts without a thinker," this is music that seems to erupt from our own unconscious, like an inner child putting balloons on the mailboxes and street signs of your mind so you can find your way to the birthday party of the fully integrated spirit.
January 31, 2014
Paths of Infinity
Sagittarius Daily Horoscope
You may feel inclined to spend your free time brainstorming the future today. Since your mind is likely opening to possibilities you would never before have considered, this can be a great time to reflect upon prospects that once seemed outlandish or out of your reach. Unrestricted brainstorming can help you access your newly developed expansiveness while simultaneously help you refine those ideas that do strike your fancy. As you imagine scenarios that at first appear too fantastic to be true, you will likely begin to see how you can shape them to meet your individual needs. If you believe that all is possible today, you will likely find it easy to accomplish anything you set your mind to.
Choosing not to discount a single possibility while contemplating the future can be one of the best ways to ensure that we never miss out on unexpected opportunities that will later prove rewarding. This open-mindedness serves as the stepping-off point for our later journeys by affording us the freedom to explore an unlimited range of prospects. Rather than push aside outlandish thoughts while brainstorming, we instead consider how we can modify these notions to better mesh with our established notions of success. As a result, we are able to draw upon a large store of ideas that are ours and ours alone, walking diverse and unexpected paths that nonetheless lead us toward those end goals we set for ourselves. When you believe that anything is possible today, you will be more apt to explore a limitless variety of possibilities.
January 31, 2014
Your Comfort Zone
Create a Soft Place to Land
by Madisyn Taylor
Create a soft place to land in your home a refuge from the stress of the day.
Our day-to-day demands can quickly take their toll on our well-being if we are not vigilant about caring for ourselves as best we can. One way we can ensure that we have an opportunity to relax and recuperate each day is to create a soft place to land when we arrive home. This landing pad, whether it is an entire room or merely a small corner of a larger area, can provide us with a safe and comforting refuge in which we can decompress and recover from the day’s stresses. There, we are enveloped in feelings of security that transcend other issues that may be unfolding in our homes. Our landing pads also act as way stations that enable us to shift our attention away from our outer-world concerns and back to our inner-world needs.
To create a soft place to land in your home, begin by scouting potential locations. Or perhaps your entire home is your landing pad in which case you may only need to declutter. Your habits can often provide you with insight into the perfect spot, as there may be an area of your home you gravitate to naturally when you are in need of comfort. Any space in which you find it easy to let go of stress and anxiety can become your landing pad. A basement or attic, spare room, or unused storage area, furnished with items that soothe you, can give you the privacy you need to unwind. If you appreciate the elements, you may find that spending time in a section of your garden or outdoor patio helps you release the day’s tensions. Preparing these spaces can be as easy as replacing clutter with a small selection of beautiful objects that put you in a relaxed frame of mind. Remember to consider noise and activity levels while choosing the site of your landing pad. If you know that ordinar! y human commotion will distract you from your purpose, look for a secluded spot.
The soft place to land that you create should inspire within you the mantra, “I can breath here. I can relax here. I know I am safe here.” When you return to your home after braving worldly rigors, you will feel a subtle yet tranquil shift occur inside of you as you settle in to this most personal of retreats and feel centered once again.