Tag: Soothing

Favorite Calm Things: Kaiyukan Aquarium in Osaka

(Title image: Photo by Cristian Palmer on Unsplash)

It’s been quite a week. And that means another post with some of my favorite ways to bring calm into my life…

This time around I’m posting about a video instead of a livestream. It’s a 12-hour long YouTube video of the central tank at the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan in Osaka, Japan, and it is glorious.

The central tank is a massively huge aquarium, showcasing marine animals from the Pacific Rim. According to the Kaiyukan Aquarium Wikipedia page, the tank is 34 meters (112 feet) long, 9 meters (30 feet) deep and has a staggering capacity of 5,400 cubic meters (190,699 cubic feet) of water. Its enormous size enables it to house an impressive range of animals, including whale sharks!

The central tank at Kaiyukan Aquarium in Osaka, Japan.

As long as you don’t have a fear of ocean scenes, the blueness of the water is very soothing. It feels nurturing and safe.

The soundtrack itself of the video is a little surprising: it’s disarmingly upbeat and I would not have expected it to have a calming effect…but give it a listen. I turn the volume down a bit while still allowing the tune to fill the space around me—excellent for focus as I’m working. Not distracting or sleep-inducing, just an effective noise blocker that helps with concentration.

Give this a view – I hope you enjoy it!

Favorite Calm Things: Bob Ross and “The Joy of Painting”

(Title image: Photo by Ryan Stone on Unsplash)

If you’ve ever seen one of Bob Ross‘ painting shows, you immediately understand why he is magically relaxing.

Bob Ross had an instructional painting series on US Public Television (PBS) in the 80s and 90s, up until his untimely death from complications from lymphoma on July 4, 1985.

He used a wet-on-wet technique with oil paints that allowed him to blend colors on the canvas and he became famous for landscape paintings that he completed within the space of a half-hour video segment. It was amazing watching him work, and even though what he painted wasn’t “high art”, that also wasn’t his purpose. He wanted to remove the intimidation factor from painting and introduce as many people to it as possible.

But it wasn’t just that. Bob was a former master sargeant in the Air Force, a position that required him to be loud and tough, and after he left the service he decided never to raise his voice again. I don’t know whether this story is true, but during his painting shows, Bob used such a calming voice that many would watch just to be soothed by him. It was ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) before ASMR became a “thing”.

Additionally, ever-kind, he would drop positive bits of wisdom and encouragement during his shows. Not in a toxic positive way, but gently, to demystify oil painting and empower his audience. He was known for his “happy little trees” and “there are no mistakes, only happy accidents”.

And who can forget Peapod the Pocket Squirrel. Bob loved not only nature, but also the woodland creatures that inhabited it. He would adopt injured or orphaned animals and raise them until they were ready to live on their own, and then he’d let them go, because they needed to be free.

Bob had such a kind heart and even though some poked fun at him for his gentle demeanor and animal-loving nature (and famous permed afro), so many of us appreciated his abilities and sensibilities.

So why am I writing about him here? Every weekend from Friday at 12pm ET (US) through Monday at 12pm ET, there are marathons of about 4 or so of his seasons (out of 31, which rotate through). These stream on Twitch (@BobRoss) and YouTube (@bobross_thejoyofpainting). We put him on and leave him going, allowing his quiet relaxing voice to waft around our apartment over the weekend.

If you’ve ever needed something to help bring your out of the worries in your head while mesmerizing you with artistic aptitude, Bob’s your guy. Next weekend, put him on and watch for a bit, and you’ll quickly understand what I mean.

Favorite Calm Things: Music that Soothes

(Title image: Photo by Mohammad Metri on Unsplash)

Let me begin by stating that I have no connection with Jason Stephenson or his YouTube channel, Relax & Rejuvenate with Jason Stephenson, other than that I fell in love with some of the music for which he has posted a (thankfully) loooong version on his channel. Nor am I getting any sort of kickback for writing this post.

The video is called “Happiness Frequency: Serotonin, Dopamine, Endorphin Release Music, Release Negativity”, which is a long title that smacks of click bait and sounds like just about every other positivity-enhancing, negativity-busting title available on YouTube.

But there is something about Jason’s music and this piece specifically. I have used it for yoga, meditation, pre-bedtime wind-down and as a calming backdrop for a stressful day.

https://youtu.be/8M143iRrbgw?si=hC3MTRYWSqz15Cdg
What is it about this that is so soothing?
(Relax & Rejuvenate with Jason Stephenson)

I usually don’t put much stock into the claims on these videos. You know, the ones that assure you they can increase positivity, bring you good fortune, pay off your student loans, cure your ingrown toenails and improve your gas mileage. But this one…there is something very special about it.

Everyone I’ve played it for feels the same way that I do, and inevitably, they ask me for the YouTube.

So, I’m curious. Do you have the same reaction? Give it a listen and let me know.