Meditation, Music & Sharing the Light

For those of you who are new to this blog, you may not know that one of my passions in life is Yoga/ Meditation. I taught for a long time and stopped a few years ago because my schedule became so booked with music coaching students.

People have often asked me, are you ever going to do a yoga record? The idea of marrying my 2 passions of music & yoga, had always appealed to me, however, the concept for a record and the time create it always felt daunting. As you know, my updates often focus on how to pare things down in life.

Over the past few years, I have been honing my production skills on Ableton Live, learning a little bit about sound design and combining this new knowledge with my past studies of classical composition.

That arena has always been a LOVE of mine, however, I haven’t found much application for it in the pop world. THEN BOOM Last spring I was introduced to a small German Label, Sywa records. They were looking for instrumental music for relaxation & yoga. They requested to hear a track - they liked what I sent - and suddenly we were negotiating a digital distribution deal!!!

Creating this album has been an incredible experience that combines my love of composition, technology and knowledge about meditation. And working in this genre also brought me a deep sense of peace. I knew a track was done when I could listen it and feel a stillness within throughout the whole song. Completing the compositions took a few months. Because of other responsibilities, I would work on and off with solid days dedicated to only composing or mixing.

Note the production of this record all took place in my home!

First in my studio, which I then moved to a corner in my bedroom to accommodate my boyfriends sleeping schedule & live Meredith Blis Electric online shows and a few tracks were also created in Taos, NM.

The studio is becoming my happy place, but no worries - you’ll still find me around, songwriting and performing!

Next step: Enter the brilliant Mike Green (who created the Shine Again Video) He had both experience in this genre as well as decades of audio engineering experience. So grateful for his mixing genius, creative contribution and expertise! I dreamed up the Lotus and the talented Katie Gross painted the image.

So, even though I no longer teach yoga, I still maintain a daily meditation practice. To be specific, I have actually practiced the same Bound Lotus meditation every day since it was taught to me on July 1, 2010. Sometimes I can’t believe I’ve made over 8 years!

Why? Meditation has been a rock for me, a way to clear my mind, a way to curb my anxiety, a way to lift my depression, a way to offer my brain a little reprieve from the chaos of the world, and a way to practice grace.

In Kundalini Yoga (the style I teach) we say that meditation is a shower for the mind.

And did you know that it only takes 3 minutes of meditation to positively affect your circulation & blood chemistry!

Maybe next time I can tackle more about the specifics of how to and some tips ….

Til then? Take 3 minutes, find a cozy spot to sit, pull up a Tranquil Light track, breathe deep and enjoy some chill time :)

CD’s will be available soon - you can pre-order one HERE - or stream on Spotify or Apple Music.

Sending you Love and Tranquil Light

OH P.S.!

Why the name Tranquil Light?

Well, the label wanted to separate this project from my ‘pop-songwriter’ brand as Meredith Blis. To be honest, it was a huge challenge to find a name that shared a message of peace and inspiration. At first EVERYTHING I came up with was already taken on Spotify or by another brand.

For me music is about sharing the light - especially in this format where I want people to listen for healing, relaxation, improved sleep, yoga practice and meditation. And alongside of that, I want people to feel peace and tranquility as they experience the music.

I chose the Lotus as a symbol because it of its association with spiritual enlightenment, it’s simple beauty and I’ve always loved the idea that it is able to blossom from the mud. Our world today is so fraught with challenges and ‘psychic mud’ I want to remind people that we have the strength to access our peace within, bloom in the midst of chaos and that transformation is always possible.