People sometimes find it surprising when I tell them that I listen to New Age.
"But you're not a practitioner!" They exclaim.
Afterwards however they become more receptive when I tell that there are, in fact, many sub genres to New Age, and that not every song I listen to has to be because I'm a Reiki Healer, or because I'm doing yoga, or because I'm trying to anchor my chakras.
It can be because I find certain sub genres relaxing.
And it can be because I simply enjoy the music.
You don't have to listen to everything, I tell them.
I don't listen to everything.
Neither do I listen to everything at all times of the day.
There are times when I put on the music of Enya, Yanni, Los Rajos or Kitaro.
There are times when I plug my ears into the Panpipes album which CD I got from Sydney's Farmers' Market years ago, or the Alaskan Journey album in the Lifescapes collection that I got from Target during the time when I was there.
These days, however, I seem to want a bit of variety- and that's when I switch to the Zen Radio app which I downloaded from Google Play couple of months ago.
When exactly I downloaded it- I don't know.
It might have been late Spring, or early Summer.
Or it might have been during the second HA after I got tired of the offline spa music apps but still wanted something ambient to begin the day.
It's not the kind of music that makes me enter into any sort of mood.
It's just the kind of music that I like playing in the background whilst I have my meals, check the emails and do the necessities- a sort of (ambient) Space, if you will.
I've found it helpful.
One thing I like about this app (besides it being free) is that it's got multiple channels that you can choose- and which you can then plonk what you like into the Favorites which allows you go to straightaway.
The other thing I like is how you can experiment with the different sub-genres and then determine which suits you, or not.
Some of the channels- I have to admit- are a little too ambient, a little too atmospheric, a little too penetrating for me.
I don't turn on the app because I'm trying to fall asleep.
I turn on the app because I'm trying to start the day, get tasks done, or needing to escape to a (less urban) Space whilst on the bus enroute somewhere.
It all depends on the hertz (Hz).
And whilst someone might find Study Music, Deep Focus, Deep Concentration, Ocean Sounds, or Space Dreams suitable for their needs, me- on the other hand- felt like the hertz was going into my brain a little bit too much, sending me onto an unintended pathway far from the direction I was supposed to go.
Maybe one day I'll find myself in a place where Shamanic Music seems right to put on (I won't know).
Maybe one day I'll find myself wanting to put on Atmospheric Dreams or Native American Flute (I also won't know)
But for the moment I'm good with the music of Tranquility & Healing, Relaxing Piano, Relaxing Guitar, Reiki, Downtempo Lounge and Chillout Dreams.