Breathe With ADHD

Steve and I met on Focusmate – if you’re reading this because you’re working with ADHD, it’s a brilliant way to get things done. Having received breath coaching from Maria – I was immediately intrigued to meet another breathworker and so we got chatting.

We soon found out that music was a huge part of our lives & the idea of creating a playlist for the ADHD audience seemed like a natural thing to do. So here’s a playlist designed to take you on an immersive journey, whether you are practicing breathwork in the comfort of your own home or just needing a soundtrack to calm and ground you.

Una Mattina – Ludovico Einaudi

When I’m facilitating a breathwork session, the music is such an important part of the journey. And so how I like to start off with an emotive but gentle song that ensures the breather they’re in a safe space and gives them the musical support to begin the ‘work’. And that’s why I’v chosen Una Mattina. Ludovico Einaudi is one of my favourite composers, his music stirs the emotions and is incredibly cinematic. For me, it’s the perfect accompaniment for the start of a breathwork journey.

Circle 29 – Foam and Sand

I love Ludovico Einaudi – not least as I play a very similar style to him in my own music – but I will always have the image of him floating on an iceberg in front of a melting glacier – tied to a steinway and using music to bring attention to climate change.  Damn the man has balls!

I love the sparseness of the piece – the underlying rhythm – the setting of space.  I love how the notes demand our attention but also create the expectation of considered work to come.

I’m following with the fabulous Robot Koch – his current work is looking deeper at the relationship between sound and human performance but you can hear echoes of that in earlier pieces like Circle 29.

For me – if Una Mattina lets me know the work is about to start – Circle 29 guides me forward.

Skanegatan (Live) – Hang Massive

Yes, that was a strong look by Ludovico!

And a great selection by you! My next track is Skanegatan by Hang Massive, a duo who pioneered the global handpan scene. This song is almost dream-like in sound and acts almost as a gateway to access deeper levels of consciousness. Its ethereal sound reflects the otherworldly affects that breathworkers begin to notice around this stage of the journey.

Nå – Albør Åtte

Aaaah – handpan music – I love it.  You just know there’s going to be a rhythmic element to it and Hang Massive don’t disappoint!  It’s funny – on hearing this I knew almost immediately what was coming next – there’s a resonance to my ear between the handpan and how Andres uses the piano to create the tones of Nå.  We’re still keeping it quite chill – and I’m loving the start to the list!

Night Stories – Samite

I have literally been on a silent meditation retreat – hence the radio/song silence!

Great choice of song, stirring instrumental and very heart opening. Coming back at ya with this beaut of a song 🙂

Spirits, Pt. 2 – The Circling Sun

How was it?  I’ve read a few accounts of people going on similar retreats and it’s always insightful – my brain is screaming at me at the moment – it does that sometimes and I have to marshall my defenses.  I have so many tools and yet the most attractive one is always “shut down and burn time” which I always resent afterwards.  Life’s nuts.

Really enjoying Night Stories – the underlying groove – almost raindrops but heavier – constant and reassuring –  – I think it was the syncopation that had me reaching for Spirits, Pt. 2 – a recent recommendation from another stranger I’m making a playlist with – I go back and forth on the intensity of the track – it can get a little perhaps “too” powerful in the middle – but in the end I reckoned that there’s so much going on that one can attach to the groove and ride it – seemed like a good flow to me.

Sweet & Spacy – Enahm Hof

It was amazing, these meditation retreats provide the perfect conditions to drop all the B.S in the ‘real world’ and connect to something simpler and calmer. 

Nice choice  – feels like a lazy summer track, feelings of walking barefoot in the grass with the sun beating down on me arise and so naturally, the breathwork coach in me wanted to increase the intensity 🙂

A-Z (Yashi Moto) (Instrumental) – Vigro Deep

I was making an amapiano list with a curator down in Bulawayo – so many different vibes but we ended up in more of a trance / instrumental place and because of the consistency of the groove I’ve always thought these tracks could be great to breathe with.  There’s a couple of breakdowns on this track that could disturb the practice but I kind of dig them as they bring in a freshness and interest to the piece.

I Guess My Heart Got Carried Away – Hinkstep

I can fully relate, I also struggle at times, but like you, have developed tools to help me pull through. Life ain’t easy though! But I’m glad that you’re starting to feel better in yourself.

Nice choice of track – by this point our breathworkers are feeling sensations in their body, perhaps light tingling in their fingers and some visuals and so we pitch it up a notch. Right back at ya, you’re up!

Avril 14th – Aphex Twin

Really appreciate your awareness and that Hinkstep track. I’ve just listened to Sweet and Spicy flowing into A to Z into “My Heart Got Carried Away” – the transitions are awesome.

I was going to follow with another higher energy track, but it just didn’t feel right. Been thinking about the whole breathing thing, and where I felt the playlist was and wanted to bring it back, start afresh (shocker, huh?). So I’ve gone with almost a palate cleanser – a two-minute Aphex Twin track that’s just… one of those delightful things that lets me catch my breath, stop, reset. Let’s see where the second half takes us.

I’m loving this process. I can’t tell you how much I enjoy making playlists with strangers – I mean, we met for what, 50 minutes over a focusmate session and yet here we are trading tracks and stories. That whole idea just makes me smile. So yeah, Avril 14th, you’re up.

One River – Benjy Wertheimer

Nice choice of tune! I’m a big Aphex Twin fan and this track would work really nice in the integration part of a breathwork session, it has that almost cinematic emotive feel to it. Good decision to slow things down again. 

And I concur, this is such a fun ride – what a great way to go on a musical journey with someone on the other side of the globe!

Over to you again…

Wheels Within Wheels – Penguin Cafe

I love how we’re all over the world with the tracks on this. There’s that underlying hypnotic groove that makes it perfect for breathwork ;-p 

The kind of authentic instrumentation on One River is very cool. I’m following up with a more Western feel from Penguin Café – I’m again looking for the hypnotic movement that I can hang my breath on. I love how this track develops with the plucked motif that run all the way through the strings.

Hymn – Ashana

Totally! Excellent choice! I love Penguin Cafe, but actually hadn’t heard this track before. It leads on nicely from the previous one and has a gentle beat and melody driving it. It feels like that by this point, the breathers would need something softer to slow things right down, so this next track does that for me.

Whitacre: Lux Aurumque – Eric Whitacre

Hymn is just gorgeous – that’s going on my catchall 25 list and yes – the breathers would no doubt benefit from the bowl tones and gentle lullaby feel of the track – it certainly sent me to a calm meditative state.  So while they’re there – I’m going to push the introspection – replacing bowls with voices – keeping it ethereal but intense – working the breath in line with the emotion – I find this to be an incredible track for intentional catharsis.

Heartbeat – Sol Rising

Beautiful vocals, no doubt breathers will be having a higher power moment by this point so this matches that perfectly!

I feel we are coming towards the end of this breathwork journey so the track I have chosen reflects us moving towards what I call the ‘integration piece’.

Our breathers will have worked hard and now start to slow it all down and connect with everything that has come up for them…

Maggie Is Napping – One Of Them

You’re right – we’re definitely on the home stretch – 3 more songs each!

I love the direction to integration – and heartbeat is the perfect track for that – I’m following up with one those really sparse ambient tracks that just sit in the background enabling further introspection and – hopefully – integration! 🙂

Breathing Space – Sacred Earth

Yes love it, definitely love the vibe of Maggie is napping  – the perfect title for deeper integration.

And now as they start to tune into their heightened state of consciousness I thought this track might help them connect to their intuition and inner wisdom 🙂

Éclosion – Tony Anderson

And sometimes you need a little energy to act as the catalyst – not too much, not too overwhelming, but enough kinetic movement to encourage the connection and facilitate the bond.  I was recently hipped to this track and I absolutely adore it.

it feels like we’re close to the end of the session – two more tracks each – I’m curious as to how you see it ending

We Came And Left – Cedric Vermue

Yes, what a beautiful track Andrew!

This is the point in the session when participants are slowly coming back to reality but also feeling floaty and I think this track represents that magical  in-between stage 🙂

Starwood Choker – Bing & Ruth

And so – let’s help them on the way up – coming out of the single tones of We Came And Left we segue gently into the trembling piano and floaty strings of Starwood Choker.  Still nothing too heavy or overwhelming but slowly slowly we increase the intensity – bringing them up to the light.

Lustrous – Hibisc

Beautiful! And now they feel like they are almost reborn and a feeling of newness arises over them, and so Lustrous offers an opportunity to enter this brave new world as their latest self 🙂

Upstream Dream – Slow Meadow

Now that we’re awake and in this beautiful brave new world, take a little time first – stop – smell the flowers – take everything in.  There’s still a little time before reality has to descend – stop – listen to the flora, the fauna, the echoes of life – allow the smile to gently crease the corners of your mouth – life is amazing – you are amazing – it’s time – time to step out and see what will be…

Track Listing

• Una Mattina – Ludovico Einaudi
• Circle 29 – Foam and Sand
• Skanegatan (Live) – Hang Massive
• Nå – Albør Åtte
• Night Stories – Samite
• Spirits, Pt. 2 – The Circling Sun
• Sweet & Spacy – Enahm Hof
• A-Z (Yashi Moto) (Instrumental) – Vigro Deep
• I Guess My Heart Got Carried Away – Hinkstep
• Avril 14th – Aphex Twin
• One River – Benjy Wertheimer
• Wheels Within Wheels – Penguin Cafe
• Hymn – Ashana
• Whitacre: Lux Aurumque – Eric Whitacre
• Heartbeat – Sol Rising
• Maggie Is Napping – One Of Them
• Breathing Space – Sacred Earth
• Éclosion – Tony Anderson
• We Came And Left – Cedric Vermue
• Starwood Choker – Bing & Ruth
• Lustrous – Hibisc
• Upstream Dream – Slow Meadow

Playlist image by Chat GPT

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This playlist is part of The Human Collective. Each week we take a prompt and create a playlist and accompanying articles. Learn more about The Human Collective here.