Meditation for Ministers: AMM’s Favorite Pink Noise Playlists on Spotify

As an ordained minister and professional wedding officiant, there’s a lot for you to do during wedding season. (And with rescheduled pandemic weddings stacking up this year, every season is starting to look like wedding season!)

 

With all the hustle and bustle, it’s no surprise that there suddenly aren’t enough hours in the day to get things done. There are scripts and sermons to write, couples to meet with and counsel, emails to return, and our own families and needs to attend to. 

 

How do we possibly find the time for it all? 

 

 

As counter-intuitive as it seems, spending five minutes a day doing *nothing* during meditation can actually make us more productive (and positive!).

 

 

Sound impossible? Sound like a new-age myth? Trust us, it’s true! 

 

Here’s how: Without realizing it, we burn up a lot of energy and time thinking. It’s not our fault -- our brains are wired to do work, so even if we’re engaged in a relatively low-key task, there’s always more going on in the background of our minds.

 

Repetitive thoughts, worry, anxiety, continuous inner dialogue, observations, and judgements, all of these are ongoing and just out of reach of the conscious mind, but close enough to the surface to keep us feeling distracted, rushed, and tired. 

 

When we meditate, by focusing on our breath or specific sounds, we quiet the ‘background noise’ of our minds. We untangle these threads of thought, so that they can move smoothly past us. In meditation, we become briefly grounded in our bodies and in the present moment, giving us an anchored vantage point from which to view the rest of our day. 

 

 

Take a deep breath... this wedding is going to be great! 

 

 

This can have powerful results. With even five minutes of meditation a day, our minds become more focused and uncluttered, able to work more quickly and productively on the challenges we encounter. Focused and clear-minded, we begin to work more efficiently, are more patient with difficult people (you know who they are!), and can accomplish much more than we do when stressed and spread too thin.

 

 

Adding ‘Pink Noise’ to your meditation practice can help even more, by encouraging relaxation.

 

 

Pink noise is a mix of high and low frequencies, containing all the frequencies the human ear can hear. It’s different from white noise, and has a natural, organic, lower-pitched quality that’s incredibly soothing. It’s often found in nature -- think of wind rustling through tree leaves, or a soft rain hitting the sidewalk outside. 

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Convinced? Curious? Give it a try! 

 

Here are a few of our favorite Pink Noise Playlists on Spotify:

 

 

 

1. Pink Noise Loop 2 by Matthias Stuski

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Ambience of the Forest at Night by White Noise Atmospheres

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Pink Noise - Rain by auoilin

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Wind in the Forest (Eastern Woodland, Songbirds, Rustling Leaves) by Nature Sound Recordings

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Pink Noise by Zenibly

 

 

 

 

 

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Pre-wedding jitters? Officiants can get them, too.

 

We're here to help: 

 

 

• Meditation for Ministers: What is Grounding?

 

• 7 Tips for a Stress-Free & Socially Distanced Wedding Ceremony

 

• Wedding Ceremony Stage Fright: Tips for officiants (and couples)

 

• 4 Tips for New Ministers

 

• Last Minute Wedding: Officiating a Ceremony on Short Notice, or Same Day!

 

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