For as long as I can remember, music has been the most effective, reliable medicine I could reach for. It didn’t matter whether it was pouring out of my toy record player or the crappy cassette recorder I carried everywhere as a kid, the fancy stereo I had in my twenties, or my currently dying green mini-iPod. The medicine of music has been an immediate and often universal recognition of hurts and loves and truths that sometimes get lost in the fog of day-to-day living. I find that it meets me where I am in the moment, accepts me as I am, and brings the truth up and out of me.
So last year I introduced Music Medicine Saturdays, where I share some tunes with you that have carried me in the dark, and lifted me out into the light.
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Dance Dance Dance Edition
In honor of this week’s happy, I give you the Dance Edition of Medicine Music Saturday. I’m going to let the music speak for itself this week — these being my go-to hip-shaking favorites from when I was a kid all the way through to last week (yep, Lady Gaga has been added to the hip-shaking arsenal).
Ever since I can remember, music has been the most effective, reliable medicine I could reach for. It didn’t matter whether it was pouring out of my toy record player or the crappy cassette recorder I carried everywhere as a kid, the fancy stereo I had in my twenties, or my currently dying green mini-iPod. The medicine of music has been an immediate and often universal recognition of hurts and loves and truths that sometimes get lost in the fog of day-to-day living. I find that it meets me where I am in the moment, accepts me as I am, and brings the truth up and out of me.
So last year I introduced Music Medicine Saturdays, where I share some tunes with you that have carried me in the dark, and lifted me out into the light.
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Crazy Sexy Self-Love Edition
Oh, the journey of Self-Love. It has had the same ups and downs of any other relationship I’ve ever known.Yet the stakes are much higher. Who, after all, is guaranteed to be with me all the moments of my life? I’d better get used to that fact. It is a process.
(Be on the lookout for, Crazy Sexy Self-Love Links, coming soon! for more juicy Self-Lovin’ I found in the blogosphere.)
Tori Amos -- Winter
This song is less about self-love than about someone outside ourselves offering unconditional love and the wish that we might one day see ourselves as they see us. My best friend has long been the one person who has completely seen me and loved me no matter what.
When you gonna love you as much as I do?
Ani DiFranco -- Present/Infant
There comes a time when you recognize that you’re spending too much time being self-critical and therefore you’ve got a problem. And you resolve to change that!
There’s nothing wrong with your face!
Christina Aguilera -- Beautiful
Cheesy though it may seem, I adore this song and its message, and it seemed an obvious choice for the theme of Self-Love.
I am beautiful no matter what they say
Words can’t bring me down
I am beautiful in every single way
Yes, words can’t bring me down
Natasha Bedingfield -- Pocketful of Sunshine
This song was going to be one of my anthems for 2009, and if you heard it as many times as I did in 2008, you may be sick of it. But it’s such an upbeat message, about joy and happiness and love that is all from within — perfect and total sovereignty within our own being.
Tan Dun featuring Yo Yo Ma -- Farewell
(from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon)
This may seem like an odd song to feature, given that it is instrumental. However, this song speaks to me of parting ways with others who are toxic to us, for the protection of the self. There are differing opinions about the ending of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, but it is my belief that the heroine chose personal sovereignty over a life of being caged by another’s passion and jealousy.
Ever since I can remember, music has been the most effective, reliable medicine I could reach for. It didn’t matter whether it was pouring out of my toy record player or the crappy cassette recorder I carried everywhere as a kid, the fancy stereo I had in my twenties, or my currently dying green mini-iPod. The medicine of music has been an immediate and often universal recognition of hurts and loves and truths that sometimes get lost in the fog of day-to-day living. I find that it meets me where I am in the moment, accepts me as I am, and brings the truth up and out of me.
So last year I introduced Music Medicine Saturdays, where I share some tunes with you that have carried me in the dark, and lifted me out into the light.
****
Clean Slate Edition
This is where we say goodbye to 2009, and HELLO to 2010! This is where we embrace new possibilities and erase the mental obstacles that prevented us from that embrace just days ago. We all need these moments in our lives to pause and start anew.
Alanis Morissette -- Thank U
Before we move on to the wishes and dreams of tomorrow, we must tend to the open wounds of yesterday, in gratitude for all that is and was. This is a necessary first step in the letting go process!
Natasha Bedingfield -- Unwritten
This was to be one of my “resolution” songs of 2009, but it wasn’t to be. It’s still one of the clearest definitions of “clean slate” in song that I can think of. Happy 2010!
Dar Williams -- It’s Alright
Somewhere between saying goodbye to yesteryear and looking at the clean slate of today is the fear of and resistance to that thing called change. And that’s okay!
I’m my own sovereign nation/Dedicated to a transformation/Marching on with this target on my chest
Music Medicine Saturday is on a little hiatus while I spend quality time with visiting family. We’ll return next week, January 2nd, with the “Clean Slate” edition.
The short version:
My name is Sara, and, depending on the day and my disposition, I'm a writer, artist, graphic designer, dancer, photographer, musician and all around art and media enthusiast. I live in Manchester, NH with two furbabies in an apartment overlooking the Piscataquog.
For the slightly longer but infinitely more fun version of "About Me", click here.
