Relaxing Music Video Under The Palm Trees

A little different sounding video, but one that I still love.  It is called "Relaxing Music - Under The Palm Trees".  It was recorded back in 2007 at John Pennekamp State Park in Key Largo and set to some music I created.  If nothing else, just sit back and enjoy the short one minute video.  Happy relaxing!

YouTube Video:  Relaxing Music - Under The Palm Trees

Relax To Piano Music

I just wanted to highlight some relaxing piano music.  Something that helps you just let the stress melt away and zone out from every day life.  Some people have shared with me that they just love to sit in a nice warm bubble bath while listening to this music.  They have told me that it just helps them relax after a stressful day.  Others have shared with me that they listen to this music at work to help ease the tension and stress throughout their day.

For me, I use it in massage and for times when I just need to chill out.  It really is perfect for any time that you want some relaxing piano music playing in the background.  As one person recently stated, "It sounds like elevator or doctor office music".  I'm sure they meant that in a positive way, but the point is, this music is relaxing.

Unlike other CD's out there you can buy, Relaxing Spa Music is all piano music and it is played and created from the emotions of my heart.  There is no singing in it as it is entirely 100% instrumental.  So, go and check it out on iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody or any of your favorite places where you listen to music.

By the way, if you don't find it on the service you use for music, let me know and I'll see what I can do to get it distributed through that site.

Unexplained Pain From Workout, Part 3

This is part 3 of a 3 part series.  Please read Part 2, first.

This time, my body was nearing exhaustion and so I found my comfortable floating raft and laid down on it in the water.  The movement of the water in the pool was relaxing and I allowed myself to just drift off and be there in the moment.  There was no hurry at this point and I knew that allowing myself to just rest was an important part of the process.

This may seem a little strange of an exercise and it may be difficult to do this at first.  However, by connecting with the emotion (saying the words), adding the movement (pushing the water in the pool), taking a breath of air and then releasing it all into the pool, you will be doing something that is a built in mechanism for our body.  There is no greater healing force and process than this if we allow ourself to travel here.  By screaming in the pool, you don’t have to worry about freaking your neighbors or family members out because they can’t hear you!

You might be amazed at just how much tension, stress and anger this moves from your body in a safe way.  Punching the water isn’t going to hurt your hand and neither is screaming into the water going to hurt anyone.  It is a very safe way to release anger and we all have to find those ways.  More importantly though, this connects the mind and body together with the emotions, movement and breath as you release.

Unexplained Pain From Workout, Part 2

This is part 2 of a 3 part series.  Please read Part 1 first.

Finally, I gave up and went to the pool to do some activities that would help let go of what was kicking up in me.  I knew there was plenty of anger there, if not just from this frustrating physical pain.  As I got into the pool, I began to think about all that was irritating the daylights out of me at this point in time.  It is not difficult to come up with a list right now as there is many stressors weighing on my life.

As I started this process, I just started saying the words out loud.  Since they are personal, I’ll not share them here but if you were doing this, you would just connect with your own list.  It could even be just one item on your list.  There is no right or wrong list, just what is impacting your life in this moment.  Through this part of the exercise, I take my hands and push the water around me in the pool as hard and forceful as I can.  To summarize, you are saying the words from your list and pushing the water at the same time.

At first, it was difficult for me to truly connect with this.  Even though I was alone, I found it difficult to let go and just connect with these words that were causing great frustration and anger in my life.  It took me a couple of times but once I finally connected to it, I think I could have moved all the water in the pool with one stroke of my arms.  When I finally got to the point that the anger and frustration were connecting with my movements and I was nearing the point where I could not physically continue this, I took a deep breath.  Next, I plunged my head down in the water and began screaming and pounding my fists against the water.  I did this until I had to come back up for air.

Unexplained Pain From Workout, Part 1

This is part 1 of a 3 part series.

Last night going to the fitness center, I really enjoyed the workout.  I finished it off with a soak in the hot tub that felt so relaxing.  Not long after I got home, I started to notice pain in my back and shoulders near my scapula.  It was strange because I really did not do any exercises for this part of my body.

 

I do know that you can kick up emotions, stress and other connections to the mind by events that seem to be unconnected in the moment.  From past experience, I figured that this was kicking up something in me, but I had no idea what it was.  It did not take long for the pain to become excruciating and for me to be to the point of tears and crying.  It was intense.

 

I laid down on my massage table and tried to just allow whatever it was to run its course and let go.  Putting the heating pad on my shoulder area for relief, I just attempted to be there in that moment.  The heat did feel good and I got my friend to just lay his hands on my back.  It was difficult to connect because the pain was overwhelming.  However, it started to lessen a little.

Let The Music Play

Out of my morning meditations came a stream of consciousness which stated that listening to some music as I worked during the day at my desk would help me stay focused and more relaxed. It sounded like an excellent idea but the speakers on my Dell Inspiron 1525 laptop are not that great and to hook up external speakers means that I have to plug another cable into the front of the laptop which I hate to do all the time.

Anyway, the only other way for me to listen to music was through my ipod. However, I hate the headphones/earplugs in my ears all day. It just doesn't work that well for me. I'm not a headphone/ear plug person for a long period of time. So I was in search of a new solution.

I had heard about and seen the JBL On Stage Micro speakers in action. They have some excellent sound and work well. However, I knew these very nice speakers were a lot more money than I wanted to spend. That was - until I found them on sale at Amazon. Reading some of the reviews, I was not sure how great the quality of this little speaker was but I'll have to say, I'm blown away by the quality and volume of this unit.

This little 6" diameter speaker allows you to plug into an electrical outlet or run it off of 4 AAA batteries. If it is plugged into the electrical outlet, it will charge your ipod. I've actually used it on my iphone 3gs as well and it works great with either one. There's a little remote that allows you to operate the speaker system and ipod functions without touching your ipod. The sound is excellent and I even turned the volume way up and it is still excellent. I could turn it up loud enough to hear it throughout much of my house. It is tiny and compact so when I travel, I can take it with me. I love having music play at night while I sleep and so this makes it easy to take with me to a hotel room. There are many more features of this that I won't go into detail here. This is my short little review of this speaker and you can click on the link below to read more about it on Amazon.

So why am I mentioning this up here on a Mind Body Thoughts blog? Well, part of it is that I wanted a way to play my relaxing music during the day as well as at night when I travel on business. It helps me focus and sleep better. Otherwise, my mind can run a million different creative directions in an hour and night time sounds can distract my sleep. It is small enough to travel with. I can keep it close by on my desk at a low volume to not bug others working around me.

More importantly, when I do workshops or bodywork sessions, instead of lugging around a big boom box with CD's, I can just take my compact speaker and ipod and away I go. It is one less thing to carry with me and pack. It is so compact, it takes very little space.

I know there are cheaper speakers out there and ones that are much more expensive but this cost $59.95 (regular price on Amazon was $99.95) and I know I've seen them for much more than that. The one thing I noticed was that you could get this in different colors but they were much more expensive. Mine is a black color and that's fine for me.

So now, my only problem comes in buying more relaxing music for my ipod! Anyway, I try not to make this into a commercial blog but every now and then I run across something that is too good to not share on here. My emphasis is not on the commercial side but on writing information and experience based blog entries. So, don't worry, I won't be doing this very often.

But go and check out these speakers and let me know what you think of them!

JBL On Stage Micro Portable Speaker Dock for Ipod (Black)

*For more articles, check out the Mind Body Thoughts Blog

Massage Music Video

Just thought I would post one of my videos, called "Massage Music Video" on YouTube.

- Don Shetterly's song "Massage Music Single" from the CD, "Focusing" put to photos of relaxation. Photos, music and video all copyright by Don Shetterly 2006. For more info: http://www.donshetterly.com

Relaxing Music - Under The Palm Trees

www.donshetterly.com
Music by Don Shetterly

Here's a nice little video to help warm up these cold days and nights.

Imagine relaxing under the palm trees by the water on a warm summer day as the gentle breezes go by. Video taken at John Pennekamp State Park in Key Largo, Florida. (c) 2007 Don Shetterly

RELAXATION To Yanni

R E L A X A T I O N

I am laying here trying to find a sense of relaxation. Listening to the CD by Yanni, Live At the Acropolis, I felt as if I was miles above the earth. There were vast mountains below me with a rippling, flowing stream leading down to a quiet, peaceful lake on the left. To my right, was the sun set in a gorgeous horizon filled with beauty and splendor. In front of me rising high into the sky, were the blackest, meanest and most horrifying storm clouds you have ever seen. As the music started with its fast tempo, I could see myself flying all around over the earth. Not a thing was holding me down and at that moment in time, I had risen above life and the problems it so freely gave me. As the music slowed to an eerie tempo, I found myself scared and anxious. Waiting and watching; looking out for someone that may bring harm to me. I was cautious and frightened, not sure where to hide but knowing I was not ready to go back down to the earth and face the pain. As the music became a slow, peaceful pace, I could see two large hands coming down from the heavens. These two hands scooped me up with a warm gentle touch that made me feel so safe and secure. As the music carried on, I rested in the warm safety of these hands.

(c) Don Shetterly 6/2/98

Music Connects Us

Music can lift us from our current plane into a world where nothing matters, where no stress can be found and where true peace abounds. The individual notes combined together can transcend our hearts and minds.

We all have a favorite song, CD or band that picks us up when we are down and energizes us. Have you ever stopped to consider this and consider just what the music does for you? How does it take you from your current state and leave you feeling fulfilled, ready to fight whatever it is you need to or just feel empowered?

I firmly believe that music is the way that the innermost parts of our lives and the universe communicate with us. Music speaks where no words are found. Music creates a language where there is a void. Music knows no boundaries put in place by cultures, governments or laws.

For a long time in my life, I have played the piano and created music of all kinds. In recent years, I have focused on letting my innermost soul release the sounds that it holds. Just a few years ago, I would find a piano and sit down and play for hours at a time. I never used sheet music as I did not need it. I would just play whatever came out of my fingers. This music was a combination of notes that had never been heard before. And yet I found, that I did not really hear the music that I was playing until one day I recorded a session. When I listened to what I recorded, I could not believe what I heard. I did not realize just what I was creating.

Up to this point, I’ve not been able to replay anything that I have created. It is like the music I create is a conversation and we all know that you can never repeat a conversation once it has been spoken. You can paraphrase it but there is no way to repeat it. This is why I believe that music which comes from deep within our souls is such a pure form of communication and it goes where words can not form.

I began to share my music with a few trusted friends and saw their reactions. It was at that point that I decided it was time to share my music with the world. The more I have shared the music, the more I have seen the effects of it upon the lives of others. I can see when someone hears it and it affects them in such a deep way. For I know that when someone’s ear tunes into the songs I create, I know that they have connected with the deeper language found deep within the music and they have connected with a much broader source, the Universe.

My music and the music of many others that I know, come from a greater source than we find in ourselves. It is the universe that provides this music and it has the ability to do whatever we need at that moment in our lives. For the universe provides peace, healing and power to everyone and one of the ways it does this is through the music that it provides. I’ve seen how my music reflects the times I am in and how it has changed as I changed. Each song I create gets a title so as to keep it separate from the next song and reference it to what actually was taking place in my thoughts while it was created.

So as you go about your day, stop for a minute and think about the music you listen to. What is it trying to tell you? What is it connecting you to? What is your mind and body needing at this very minute. Remember we are all connected to something greater than ourselves and that connection is kept together by a force called music.

If you haven't had a chance to hear my music, you can check out the link to the left "Relaxing Spa Music" on Amazon
or you can listen to it as well on iTunes and Spotify.

© Don Shetterly 11/9/05

Connected To Source

There are many people that will tell you that when connected to source, things happen quickly, easily and come together in ways that no one can imagine. If you want to understand what "Source" means, check any of Dr. Wayne Dyer's works such as The Power of Intention. Source is not about religion, it is about the source energy living within ourselves.

So anyway, back to the story.

I was given an idea for a project by someone I know. It always amazes me just where some of these ideas originate and how I come to be acquainted with them. Sometimes they are like this particular method and sometimes they are just thoughts that float into my mind almost as if they are being whispered into my ear by an angel. This idea sounded good but at first I thought, this is going to take a lot of work, a lot of time and then the detailed questions of how to make everything happen filled my mind. I knew though that if I took each thing a step at a time, it would all come through.

So as I'm out walking in the park a couple of weeks ago, I was taking pictures and one of the pictures I took hit me like a ton of bricks. As I focused on it with my camera, I thought this could be a CD cover. At the time, I had not totally put it together with the project that I was working on. The two thoughts had not completely connected.

So then I sat down at my keyboard to do the recording part of this project. Usually in the past, this part of the process takes considerable time. Not only do I need to create the actual music, then play it so that it sounds right and record it so that it comes out correctly as a digital file. A process that one little mess up sometimes yields the work useless for a finished piece. This particular project though came together the quickest that I have ever seen and without too much difficulty. It wasn't completely ease free but not like some projects where you struggle to get the right sound. It just all flowed together easily and nicely.

Once this was done, I was sitting there wondering what type of artwork I was going to use and then the picture of the park popped into my mind. The songs came around and formed the right image. But as part of the artwork, I needed a special graphic which I had no idea what I was going to use. Within about 5 minutes of searching on google, I had found the right image, purchased it and was able to get it into my graphic artwork I was creating. That's no easy feat for me either as my expertise in using graphic art software is limited.

The complete package came together in a very cohesive way and I was beginning to see that maybe this project had some outside help and assistance. The next step involved uploading it to the digital sites which again can go easily and painfree or it can be excruciating and a long drawn out process. This time, it was up on all the digital sites within about 8 days. That's just unheard of.

And so I can't help but think the "idea" of this came from a connected source and was perfect for me in this moment. Of course if I would have just heard it and done nothing, than nothing would have happened. However for something to happen, I had to act up on it. Where the project will go or the results I will get from this project, I do not know at this time. I'm anxious to see what happens!

Once again, I'm reminded that if we stay connected to source, than all we need and all we desire is there at our fingertips. We need not look any place else because we will not find it any other place.

Last Minute - Mother's Day Gift Idea

How about a CD of beautiful and relaxing music for Mom on Mother's Day?

Download it on iTunes in a matter of moments
- burn it to a CD
- create some pretty artwork
- make your mom proud!


An ideal way to say I love you Mom!

Relaxing Spa Music:  Mothers Day




If the link doesn't work, just search Amazon on my name "Don Shetterly" and you'll find not only my Mother's Day CD but all of my wonderful music I've created!