Meditation Playlist 005

Meditation Playlist 005, Executive Producer: Ajani Charles, Producer: Ajani Charles, Art Director: Ajani Charles, Model, Stylist, Designer, Producer: Tlisa Ghany, Editor: Olga Tymoshchuk, Location: SteadyReserve, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Year: 2023, Photographer: Ajani Charles

We live in a dichotomous and conflicted world, but that has always been the case, especially long before the agricultural revolution.

As far as conflicts are concerned, the primary difference between the present day and past centuries is that we are more cognizant of various forms of conflicts around the world, often in real-time, due to social media and other forms of technology.

These same technologies also serve as amplifiers for interpersonal conflicts, offering endless opportunities for misinterpretation, polarization, and ideological clashes.

Anyone who seeks to engage in a debate or outright argument about politics, values, lifestyles, which rapper reigns supreme, or any number of divisive topics can do so effortlessly.

The digital age has eroded the barriers of time and space, making it easier than ever for strangers to become adversaries in the span of a few keystrokes.

Online anonymity allows for a level of hostility and confrontation that people might never display in face-to-face interactions, and yet, even in real life, conflicts of ambition, identity, culture, and power remain just as present as they ever were.

A meditation playlist to navigate conflict.

Some of us are victimized in horrible ways, experiencing conflicts that sometimes have life-or-death consequences.

Beyond external battles, every human being is engaged in an internal war, whether they acknowledge it or not.

The constant negotiation between our desires and responsibilities, aspirations and limitations, rational minds and emotional impulses can be exhausting.

Some struggle with self-doubt and imposter syndrome, while others wrestle with fears, resentments, or dilemmas that seem impossible to resolve.

And so, my fifth Spotify meditation playlist is dedicated to the transcendence of conflict, particularly internal struggles that shape the course of our lives.

Most of the playlist’s binaural beats are tuned to 4 Hz or around that frequency, which falls within the theta wave range (4-7 Hz).

Model, Stylist, Designer, Producer: Tlisa Ghany, Location: SteadyReserve, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Year: 2023, Photographer: Ajani Charles

Binaural beats work by playing two slightly different frequencies in each ear, creating a third perceived frequency in the brain, which synchronizes brainwave activity, according to a study published in 2014.

Theta waves around 4 Hz are linked to deep relaxation, emotional processing, creativity, and subconscious integration, making them especially effective for resolving internal conflicts (Jirakittayakorn & Wongsawat, 2017).

By meditating to 4 Hz binaural beats, one can access deeper layers of self-awareness, creating space for insight, release, and healing.

The graphic for this playlist features Tlisa Ghany, a multidisciplinary Toronto-based artist, model, stylist, designer, producer, and Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT200).

She was also featured in the graphics for my first two meditation playlists, which I produced during the COVID-19 pandemic, when different forms of meditation became exceedingly important to my health and wellbeing.

Tlisa is a graduate of The Remix Project’s 18th cohort; The Remix Project is a Toronto-based creative incubator that provides mentorship, funding, and resources to underrepresented young artists and entrepreneurs.

I consider The Remix Project one of my allies, much like I consider the organization’s co-founders Gavin Sheppard and Derek “Drex” Jancar allies, and I have been documenting The Remix Project for Project T-Dot, my documentary project on Toronto’s hip-hop culture, community, and history, since 2008, most of the organization’s 20-year existence.

This spring or summer, I will be announcing a long-term project in association with The Remix Project, which I am especially excited about.

I have also worked with Tlisa through Canon Canada and my solo Project T-Dot art exhibit at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, which has been extended by six months until the end of July 2025, due to its success.

The photo shoot for this playlist’s cover took place on Monday, March 20, 2023, at 10:00 AM EST, at SteadyReserve, a vintage and consignment store in Toronto's STACKT Market, which Tlisa once co-owned.

The shoot was successful, capturing the essence of inner stillness amidst external chaos, and we shot some outtakes around STACKT Market, which are featured here. And for those who are unfamiliar, STACKT is an award-winning, ever evolving shipping container marketplace where customers, businesses, arts, and hospitality thrive as one (in Toronto’s downtown core).

Featuring local models who are also meditation and mindfulness practitioners and instructors is my way of engaging in creativity outside my client work while collaborating with Toronto-based models.

Mindfulness meditation is about grounding oneself in the present moment, observing thoughts and emotions without judgment.

To use this playlist effectively, wear high-quality headphones, find a quiet space, close your eyes, and focus on your breath as the binaural beats guide you into relaxation.

If thoughts arise, acknowledge them without attachment and gently return to your breath.

Meditating to 4 Hz binaural beats can promote deep relaxation, emotional clarity, and the transcendence of internal conflict.

While meditation will not eliminate external conflicts, it allows us to engage with them from a place of clarity and composure, rather than reactivity and exhaustion.

As the world continues its chaotic rhythm, may this playlist serve as a sonic sanctuary, leading to peace, balance, and an inner sense of conflict resolution.