The Mix Tape 30 Song Challenge!

Your Life Soundtrack, a Big Dose of Music Medicine.

This is the season of 30 day challenges. In a sprint to conquer our new goal, we opt into over-drive. Get through one of those month long pushes and you’re nearly half way in establishing a healthy habit.

I have to admit, I have a 28 day yoga challenge ready to drop. But, knowing the week we’ve had and the week ahead - I feel like we all need a quick break from adulting. Not necessarily to bury our head in the sand from all the real life stuff, but a chance to soften the strum on the heart strings. We need some mood medicine.

Welcome to the Mix Tape Challenge:

Remember when you had a crush on someone in 9th grade and the grandest gesture you could take was making them a mix tape. You would try to send subtle “I like you” messages through the lyrics and reveal a little mysterious bit about yourself. Maybe even let them know you’re tuned in to what they like. It would take hours to get it right, from song order to Kool cover. In the era of chain letters and concert t-shirts, mix tapes were an angsty adolescent art form.

1. Use these Prompts to choose 30 Songs for your Ultimate Life Soundtrack

Pdf: Print the Challenge Prompts

30 Song Mix Tape Challenge

114KB ∙ PDF file

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When it comes to “your favorite” anything, picking one can feel impossible. It’s okay - it can be one of many favorites. I’m not a stickler with the rules. After all, this is the soundtrack to YOUR life. Choose one of the many. (I had spin off playlists, to tuck away the songs I didn’t want to go unnoticed. They’re my b-sides)

Your 30 Songs:

• A favorite song you discovered from a movie:

• A song that motivates you:

• A song that helps you focus:

• A song perfect when it’s raining:

• A song that makes you dance:

• A song from your childhood:

• A song while working out:

• A song that soothes you:

• A song without words:

• a song that makes you cry:

• A silly song:

• A hit song from the year you were born:

• A favorite cover song:

• A song that makes you think of a friend:

• A song in a different language:

• A song for a creative boost:

• A song that makes you confident:

• A song that’s on repeat:

• A song from your favorite artist of all time:

• A song you that’s a guilty pleasure:

• A song that puts you to sleep:

• A song you know every word to:

• A song for a road trip:

• A song you would sing for karaoke:

• A song that makes you sentimental:

• A song you love singing along to:

• A favorite song from your twenties:

• A favorite song from now:

• A song by your favorite solo artist:

• A song from your favorite concert:

2. Name it. Share it!

Once you get a sense of the vibe of your personal soundtrack, give it a catchy title. Pick three friends to share and exchange your playlist. Spotify makes this pretty easy, but you can always just copy and paste the song titles and artist OR burn a cd to mail! Wait wha? I know some of you don’t even have cds players anymore. This challenge is full of antiquities.

Share your playlist or even just a couple of the highlights in the comments. I wanna see them!

Come on GenX-ers and GenX adjacent - - show them how it’s done. You’ve got the weekend …

Check out the healing notes at the bottom, for more on

Music as Therapy.

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Here’s my Playlist on Spotify, if anyone wants a listen. 30 Song Challenge: Silly, Sullen, Surly, Sentimental, Signorina. (after listening again, I realized I had to add surly to the title)

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Healing Notes ~

Music is Therapy: A Soundscape of Mood Medicine

Whether, mantra, bija, musical instruments, or singing bowls - both Ayurveda and Yoga use frequencies for sound healing. The Doshas can be increased or decreased as we cultivate the opposite energy of the music with our own current state of being, like increases like/ opposites decrease. What results is an over-all state of energy and emotion.

Slow Pulse, Steady Beats, and Mid-Tempo - decrease the doshas of Vata and Pitta, But increase Kapha. Up-Tempo, High Energy, and Hyper-Speed - increase the doshas of Vata and Pitta, But decrease Kapha.

We all started in a beat; the rhythm of our heart gives us life. Much like music, the beats per minute fuels an energy. As our heart rate slows, it signals our nervous system to relax. The slow tempo of a song can calm us down. A good work-out needs high energy tunes to kick up the pace. Each of finds an affinity to a different style of soundscape.

You go to some artists for their lyrics and others for their rhythms. A good melody can settle us into our senses and invoke emotions. Take a minute to figure out what style of song will restore you. What lyrics tell your story. Each of us finds an affinity to a different style of soundscape. With the tempo and rhythm we can ground, calm, activate or uplift.