So excited to announce Mmmm album!
When it was suggested that I meditate, I always used to say no because the idea of quietening my mind was an impossible concept.
I now do it every day and have developed some techniques to share for people who may find meditation a challenge as well. Being a lover of multitasking, I find most of these practices can be done on the move and have double benefits.
In moments of anxiety or worry I created and sang comforting lines of affirmation to use like mantras to calm me down and music to go with it.
And so Mmmm was born…….
Five Meditations
Technically, these could all be called mindfulness practices. I believe the purpose of meditation is to focus the mind so that is not getting carried away on many trains of thought, this can calm us down as well as open us up to insight.
Vocal Toning Body Scan
This was the first gift I’ve been carrying around with me for over a decade. When I discovered that my job was good for my health and considered how sound healing can be done with our voices, I got people to use tones in the bath to give themselves internal massages.
Using the body scan model we give ourselves the once over and it can be done in the car, in the bath, in bed, even as a vocal warm up.
try it
YouTube version
Controlled Exhalation Practice
I devised this one to help me extend my out breath for singing and found it really helped me to calm my overactive mind. I count all the way through and slowly extend the length of the exhale. I often give it to my singing students and will probably make a longer one using scales at some point. It is fascinating how fast we think so even in one second the mind can fit a lot of thoughts in, too many though, and you lose your way.
Controlled breath exercises are sometimes called pranayama.
Try this
YouTube version
Loving Hands Meditation
When I was single for 5 years, I developed a loving relationship with myself, I missed human touch and realised I could give it to me. I developed this practice because we all have hands and our body receives loving touch with appreciation, it can be profound and, even in relationships, it is rare to have this kind of non sexual touch EVERYWHERE.
I Dare you
YouTube version
Two Minute Mindfulness
I devised this one for waiting in line, like the post office at Christmas, having to wait a couple of minutes is transformed knowing it’s an opportunity to meditate.
Yoga Nidra
This awesome meditation is actually a power nap at the same time, you lie down, set an intention and a speedy body scan, counting and visualisation can set most people off into what is sometimes called a yogic sleep. The benefits though are that I often ‘wake up’ feeling refreshed.
Five Mantras
Technically these could be called affirmations, many traditional mantras are in Sanskrit, an ancient Vedic text, I had a conversation with a fellow musician a while back about using English language so we know what we are saying and these came through for me. Most of these were partly recorded lo-fi on my ipad or iphone.
Everything Always Works Out For Me
This track came about when I realised that, in retrospect, I can look at everything in my past and see the good that came from it. I wrote it when I was in overwhelm and needed something to reassure me that I was gonna make it through. I played it on loop until it chilled me out and slowed down my breathing.
It is my first full Alison David production in my 25 year career.
Listen and Download
On Soundcloud
Trusting
Another song I made to relax me, this time, when I was worried. I did try a version with full music and I reverted to this beatless track. It is very fun to create the Alison David sound, I’ve waited so long. I have only uploaded it so far onto this super cool free meditation app called Insight Timer.
This image by Tash Mitch is the feather bed of grace in the song.
Listen Here
On insight Timer, the coolest free app with SO MUCH music and meditation and community
Love is Everywhere
Well it is, if you care to look and it surely is worth doing.
I actually used a Sanskrit mantra on this one and missed out one syllable, I tried to re record but couldn’t replicate the original vibe.
The All is One mantra
This is simple mathematics that helps us to realise our Connection to ourselves and each other. I turned out to be a community project where I had over 35 contributors, most of them singing, mostly people I know and love, some of whom have never recorded themselves before.
Pleasure Letting Go
This song has a connection to toilet functions, it is always worth remembering that in basic daily life, we can create rituals that symbolise much deeper things. The question here is can we enjoy saying goodbye to stuff that is no longer of value to us?
Meditations, ideas and Ting
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