Livingonthebside

30/11/2025

With December around the corner, it can feel like a blur of noise and expectations… but then a random song comes on my playlist and suddenly my shoulders drop, then my body exhales. It’s wild how quickly music can remind us we’re still here — underneath all the busyness.

Today I’m leaning into that reminder a little more intentionally; to pay attention a little more how music can help me feel calmer and relax.

Maybe you need that reminder too.

27/11/2025

Sometimes the loudest things are quiet.

In this piece, I share a moment of realisation sparked by two emails, a song, and the gentle threads that connect us. It’s about noticing the wind of change, the echoes of our younger selves, and the quiet ways music reminds us we’re not alone.

A little reflection, a little vulnerability, and a space to feel seen — even in the middle of it all.

Read the full blog post here

👉https://livingonthebside.com/in-the-middle-of-it-finding-home-in-the-quiet/

21/11/2025

Find Your Calm This Christmas: Music Mindfulness Webinar

The holidays can feel… a lot. Family expectations, endless to-do lists, the pressure to keep it all together.

What if music could meet you where you are—not as background noise, but as a small, grounding anchor for your emotions?

In this intimate 30-minute live webinar, I’ll show you simple ways to use music intentionally to:

✨ Shift your emotional state
🎵 Regulate your nervous system before, during, and after stressful moments
💫 Build micro-playlists that actually support your wellbeing

You’ll also experience a guided music reflection exercise that you can start using immediately.

Event Details:
📅 Date: Monday, 15 December 2025
🕢 Time: 7:30–8:00pm AEST
💻 Online via Zoom
💰 Investment: AUD $26
👥 Limited to 24 attendees for an intimate experience

Includes a Holiday Music & Mindfulness Reflection Pack PDF with journaling prompts, playlist-building guide, simple grounding practices, and a mini music mood tracker.

This is for you if you want practical tools to stay grounded, especially if the holidays leave you feeling stretched thin.

Come as you are — no musical expertise needed. Just curiosity, and maybe a favourite song in your back pocket.

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/1970803394004?aff=oddtdtcreator

18/11/2025

Silence can feel like a treat I need — especially when life gets heavy.

But the last few days, I felt a gentle nudge to put my headphones on again. Not to tune out… but to tune in.

The first song I played had this line repeated softly: “Everything will be okay.”
And combined with this simple piano pattern, my whole body just… eased.
My shoulders dropped. My breath deepened.

It was exactly the moment of “aaahhh” I needed.

After rehab visits, tough conversations, and holding space for someone I care about deeply… being met by that quiet song felt like an anchor.

Music does that.
It reaches us where words can’t. It softens places life has been tightening.

And because this has been showing up so strongly in my own world lately, I’ve been putting together something small and supportive for December — a way to help you use music as an anchor during an emotional, busy season.

I’ll share more soon.
For now, maybe play the song that feels like a breath for you today. 💜

13/11/2025

I am so excited to share my post on !!!

This post is very close to my heart, and when I read it on their website, I did have a few tears come up again.

Why?! Because the song I talk about saved me.

Saved me from numbness.
Saved me from giving up.
Saved me from going down a path I did not want to be on.

And now I can share this story with more people, and hope that they can find their song to help them with whatever they are going through and need right now.

Music is medicine.
Music is a healer.
Music is the bridge for us to connect with ourselves on a deeper level.

I would love if you would have a read and if you like it, pass it on to someone that you feel needs music support, too. 💜

11/11/2025

Not every moment needs a soundtrack.

I know that sounds strange coming from a music mindfulness guide, but it's true.
Sometimes our nervous system is so full that even our favourite companion - music - needs to wait.

This week I'm honouring the blank spaces. The quiet. The rest.

And if you need that too? Consider this your permission slip. 💜

08/11/2025

Wow, it’s been a full-on week here — the kind that brings up a mix of emotions that can be hard to hold.

A family member has been admitted to hospital, and the unexpected quiet in the house has made me feel everything all at once... and also nothing at all, at times.
In those moments, music is more often than not my companion.

Not in a performative, “I’ll make a playlist and fix my feelings” kind of way — but more like sitting beside an old friend who doesn’t need you to explain.

On Saturday (a week ago), I sat outside and hit play on one of my Spotify playlists.

I didn’t journal. I didn’t analyse. I just listened.

And somehow, that was enough to release what words couldn’t express.
I cried a little. Then I just sat there, letting it all move through me.

That’s what I love most about using music for self-care — it doesn’t demand anything from you. It simply meets you where you are.

If you’ve had a lot on your heart lately, maybe music could hold a little of it for you, too.

My eBook, Jamming Through Journaling, offers prompts and songs to help you do just that — explore, release, and reconnect with yourself through sound. ➜ Get your copy for AUD 7.50 here: https://livingonthebside.gumroad.com/l/bjihu

26/10/2025

If you want to try something a little different, then start your week off with Elegant Rebel - Peta-Ann Wood's weekly card pull. And guess what?! Yep, it is all about moving...let music and sound guide you to what movement you need today, and this week....🎧

PS: If you need some support with this, I can help! My Music Momentum Session is designed to see how you currently use music and how you could deepen that connection with it to create more harmony in your life. Leave a comment if your interested.🥰

✨Weekly Soul Nudge: Boogie & Dance (Card 41)✨

What is your intention this week lovely souls? I pulled a card to give some depth to your weekly intention setting and she’s definitely got a groove about her!

This week, our soul nudge is simple: Move.

Not for performance. Not for perfection. Just for the pure, rebellious joy of it.

The Boogie & Dance card reminds us that movement is medicine. It’s meditation. It’s a way to shake off the noise and reconnect with our soul’s truth—no ritual required.

Whether you’re chair-dancing in your office, swaying while stirring your tea, or stomping barefoot in your backyard, this week is about letting your body lead.

Simple ways to embody this energy:
🎶Play a song while you get dressed—let your hips choose your outfit.
🎶Take a 3-minute groove break between tasks. No need to ‘feel’ it—just move.
🎶Dance while you fold laundry or stir dinner—make the mundane magical.
🎶Create a ‘Soul Moves’ playlist with songs that shift your state (Birgit over at Livingonthebside can help curate this with you, if you like!).
🎶Notice your body’s natural rhythm—how does it want to move when no one’s watching?

And if you feel the rhythm calling your to write here are some Soul Writing prompts for you:
🎶When I let myself dance freely, what truth does my body speak?
🎶What colour, memory, or dream rises when I lose myself in music?
🎶What stops me from dancing more often—and what might shift if I did?

This week, let dance be your meditation. Your rebellion. Your joy. Your connection to your inner knowing.

And remember: an Elegant Rebel always dances like someone’s watching—and doesn’t give a hoot or even two.

Have a wonderful week and feel free to drop a note below about how you are dancing your intention to life this week! 💜🙃🙏🏻

22/10/2025

I interviewed Martin earlier this year on my podcast and we had a wonderful time talking all things artist, touring and the mental and physical challenges it can bring. But also how healing music is...all around Martin is a wonderful human being and fantastic musician.

So, if you are interested in his music - why not check out his latest album?

It is titled "The Solo Piano Collection" and is out now on all platforms. To celebrate 30 years of him writing neoclassical and new age piano music, he chose 16 of the best pieces he'd written for this record.

It is available everywhere you stream your favourite music, and at www.martinmayermusic.com!

My new album – aptly titled "The Solo Piano Collection" – is out now on all platforms. To celebrate 30 years of writing neoclassical and new age piano music, I chose 16 of the best pieces I'd written for this record.

Featuring new recordings of favourites previously released – as well as a few new pieces taking the stage for the first time – it was truly a work of love in putting this album together, and now sharing it with all of you.

"Martin Mayer: The Solo Piano Collection" is available everywhere you stream your favourite music, and at www.martinmayermusic.com!

22/10/2025

“I don't understand how people can go days without music – my body, brain and spirit just need it to perform at their best.”
~ Peta-Ann Wood

These words from my friend and podcast guest, Peta-Ann, stayed with me.

Music can be a quiet but powerful part of our daily lives.
Whether it’s a song that grounds you in the morning, helps you focus at work, or eases you into rest at night—music has a way of meeting us where we are.

I share a few ways you can intentionally use music to support your wellbeing (including one often-overlooked role that surprised even me) in a blog post.

🎧 Read here: https://livingonthebside.com/how-do-you-use-music/?

Where do you already use music in your life—and where could you start?

16/10/2025

It's official and live - my post on Tiny Buddah!!!

This post is very close to my heart, and when I read it on the website this morning, I did have a few tears come up again.

Why?! Because the song I talk about saved me.

Saved me from numbness.
Saved me from giving up.
Saved me from going down a path I did not want to be on.

And now I can share this story with more people, and hope that they can find their song to help them with whatever they are going through and need right now.

Music is medicine.
Music is a healer.
Music is the bridge for us to connect with ourselves on a deeper level.

I would love if you would have a read and if you like it, pass it on to someone that you feel needs music support, too. 💜

This song became the catalyst for me to open up, to feel again, and to realize there was a way out—a way back to myself.

15/10/2025

Dance Like Nobody's Watching: The Power of Inner Expression

This powerful insight from Blanca on my podcast perfectly captures why movement and music are so healing 💃

In Episode 105, we explored energy, trauma, and the therapeutic power of music. This quote reminds us that authentic self-expression through dance isn't about perfection - it's about letting our inner emotions flourish freely.

📌 Save & share this reminder: Your authentic expression matters more than perfect moves (link to this episode is in my bio).