Mindful Movement Mindful Living

Movement, Mindfulness, Nature and Nourishment

Mindful Music

Valentine’s Music Playlist

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A Valentine’s music playlist is such a fun way to celebrate this week. I love music and am almost always listening to music, whether I am exercising, teaching movement classes, at home, or in the car.

Music for Movement and Mindfulness

Music is not only fun, but an effective tool to help us move more. When I am sluggish, an energizing and uplifting song can convince me to get moving or head out for a walk. If I only have a few minutes for a movement break, I can easily set a time limit of one or two songs before getting back to my task. My children love a dance break, and so do I!

On the other hand, music can help us to wind down when we need to relax and restore. Some calm and peaceful music is a useful tool to help me slow down and clear my mind when I would otherwise burn myself out. When music is part of our environment, we have an easy way to set the tone for our day and switch gears if needed.

Music for Valentine’s Day

Here is a quick chat about my thoughts on music and Valentine’s Day:

Valentine’s Day Playlist

If you are following along in our Monthly Mindfulness Challenge for February, our focus for this month is loving kindness, which is perfect for Valentine’s Day. This playlist is full of songs about love so it can help us focus on our intention in an enjoyable way. You can also send it to a friend for a quick (and fun!) act of kindness.

For more on the February Mindfulness Challenge, here is the video announcement for this month:

February Mindfulness Challenge

My Valentine’s music playlist is so much fun to put together every year. I appreciate variety and acknowledge that everyone has different preferences, so I included music from several decades a genres. If you have some favorite songs, I would love to hear from you, too!

Happy Valentine’s Day – I am wishing you lots of fun and loving kindness this week!

Thanksgiving Song Playlist

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I embrace any chance to celebrate and be present in the moment – Thanksgiving is no exception, so I have a fun Thanksgiving song playlist to share! I find that music is such an effective way to set the tone and focus on a theme. There certainly are not tons of people singing Thanksgiving songs on the radio, but with a little creativity you can find plenty of music to fit the occasion!

As a mind-body movement instructor, I find so much joy in the fact that music can be used to lift our spirits and inspire us to get moving. This Thanksgiving song playlist consists of music that I use in my classes during this time of year (I LOVE a fun theme!) I also use these songs during movement breaks, walks, runs, dance parties with my children and other “non exercise” types of movement like doing housework (music is a perfect accompaniment to so many activities!)

To me, Thanksgiving is a time to focus on gratitude and my family. Because of this, I am always mindful about staying present and aware of what the holiday means to me during this week, despite the fact that it is such a busy time of year. Playing music that reminds me of this theme helps me to stay grounded, lighthearted and present in the moment.

If you would like to see a quick “chat” with me on this topic, check out my video below:

Gratitude, mindfulness and movement all hold a special place in my heart and I am so appreciative of anything that reinforces that for me. As G.K. Chesterton said so perfectly, “I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.”

I am thankful for so many things and I hope this Thanksgiving song playlist helps you to also focus on joy and gratitude!

Halloween Music Playlist

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Using music to inspire joyful movement is something I love and Halloween provides a great excuse to do exactly that! I pretty much never pass up an opportunity to create a fun playlist for movement. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, so the candy isn’t a big deal to me this time of year, but I really appreciate that this holiday is basically just about having fun.

Because of this, I have created tons of Halloween playlists over the years to incorporate a seasonal element of fun to both my own movement and to the classes I teach. Some playlists are calmer and some are more upbeat, depending on the goal of the class, but all help to inspire movement while releasing tension and hopefully adding some extra joy at the same time.

Since Halloween is around the corner, I am sharing one of my favorite Halloween music playlists. I hope it inspires you to move more and stay present during this fun holiday! This playlist is about an hour long, but please do not feel like you need to wait until you have a full hour to get moving – even a few minutes will make a difference in both your body and mind! For more on that topic, check out this video from my YouTube Channel (yes, I am wearing a witch costume – I do love to have fun with a theme!)

And here is my playlist:

I hope this inspires some mindful movement and a Happy Halloween!

A Fun Fourth of July Music Playlist!

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With the Fourth of July coming up, I wanted to share a fun Fourth of July music playlist. Our environment can also really have an influence on how we feel, and the music we hear is definitely a factor. Nothing makes me want to move like some fun music!

Movement is also something that can really uplift our spirits and create joy. In this sedentary and often stressful modern world, it is important to be mindful of opportunities to move and be joyful. Whenever I have a chance, I seize that opportunity and a holiday is a perfect one!

As a movement instructor, it is so much fun to listen to a music playlist with my classes as we exercise. However, it is equally enjoyable to have a dance party with my kids, listen to fun music with friends, or play it in my earphones while walking. Movement and music are definitely two of my favorite things!

How to Choose Music

Regarding the type of music, I obviously went with a Fourth of July theme for this playlist. In this type of playlist, I prefer to include different music genres for a fun variety. If you are creating a playlist for a group, it is also more likely that there will be a song that appeals to everyone. (Another tip – it also makes it easier to find music that goes with your theme!)

When you are choosing music, anything that you enjoy will work to create joyful movement. Personally, I enjoy a wide variety of genres and artists. It is also fun to find songs that are new to you and maybe create some new favorites. While listening to fun music, I cannot help but feel uplifted.

Have a wonderful Fourth of July – I hope you enjoy this fun Fourth of July music playlist. I wish you lots and lots of fun music and movement this summer!