Ambient music, natural soundscapes, affirming mantras, and guided meditations can bring the sensory grounding that we need in times of stress or sadness. Let this playlist be an accompaniment to your morning or evening routine, study, or an auditory oasis during a difficult time. If you are unfamiliar with the concept of “sound healing”, different types of music have been shown to lower blood pressure, lift mood and reduce pain, and music or ambient sounds can aid in the process of meditation, which has many well-known emotional and spiritual benefits. Take some deep breaths as you melt into this playlist.

1. Jhené Aiko – Trigger Protection Mantra

Every single day of our lives we are exposed to external messaging about ourselves. The words we here from childhood until the present moment can significantly shape both how we see ourselves as well as our internal monologue, and mantras are a way in which we can begin to take control of how we see ourselves and the world as, through constant repetition, our mind begins to internalise the words we hear. While it is not a means of achieving an instant, drastic change to your wellbeing and can often feel uncomfortable or strange at first, it can become very empowering. Jhené is one of the most important vocalists in modern RnB and she has constantly found a way to weave elements of sound healing into her music. This track has accompanied me through stress-filled moments since I was a teenager, and it can be amazing for calming down when everything feels very overwhelming. Jhené’s affirming voice repeats “calm down” to a background of Tibetan bowls and binaural beats that feel extremely grounding in times of deep chaos.

“Different types of music have been shown to lower blood pressure, lift mood and reduce pain”

2. Dreamcloud Haze – Visionary Dream – Sound Bath

For all fans of listening to rain and water sounds as a way of relaxing, I can only recommend this lush sound oasis of flowing water and Tibetan bowls swirling into one another. Listening to this feels like travelling through waterfalls, with the water rushing through your headphones in different directions in perfect harmony. It immediately makes me melt into a more tranquil state of being.

3. Khotin – Dwellberry

The resonating, overlapping echoes of the arpeggios on this track combined with its soft percussive accompaniment make for the perfect calming background track to everyday life. Khotin is a Canadian electronic music and visual artist who is known for featuring abstract snippets, field recordings, and genre experimentation in his tracks. He is inspired by the “mood of stillness, the melancholy after the club”. I recommend giving the EP this track is a part of, Beautiful You, a full listen, it is a body of work defined by its abstract combinations of sounds but ever-present underlying calmness.

4. Ashcan Johansen – Shimmering Forest

This soundscape of birds, chimes and glowing synths brings forth a vivid visualisation of the shimmering forest mentioned in the track’s title for me. The track opens with a crescendo, mirroring the feeling of walking into a natural space and immersing yourself in it. It is magical that we are able to transport ourselves to different, potentially more pleasant environments through our daily soundtracks, including natural spaces when they are far from where we find ourselves.

5. Kokoroko – Abusey Junction

Performed by London-based afrobeat band Kokoroko, this is one of the most gentle and calming tracks I have ever heard. Known for being incredibly talented instrumentalists with a keen affinity for jazz-like improvisation, they are one of the best bands I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing live. Abusey Junction is their most popular track, and rightly so, it is a 7 minute long journey that feels like a sun-kissed, lazy and warm day. The melodies of trumpeter Sheila Maurice-Gray as well as the gentle vocal accompaniments near the end of the track make for a divine listening session.

6. Marconi Union – Weightless

You might have heard of this track when it rose to fame for being scientifically proven to reduce anxiety by 65%. The first time I watched the music video with a friend we were almost in a relaxed trance, it felt hypnotising. Compared to the other tracks, Weightless boasts a lot of bass, creating a calming heartbeat like rhythm that can feel soothing in times of stress when our heartbeats are very elevated. 

7. Boards of Canada – Over The Horizon Radar

Let the wind echo through your headphones with this short yet consoling ambient piece by Boards of Canada. Listening to this feels like floating or drifting into the peaceful abyss of tranquilising white noise.