“Music is sustenance,” says singer/songwriter Karen Atkins. She is a long-time natural health expert in nearly 50 alternative modalities, including yoga, qigong and consciousness-based healing systems like BodyTalk. As she says, “Two decades of experience in helping people heal themselves has inspired me to make music with a similar purpose.”
432 Hz and the Harmony of the Heart
What gives her music have a healing quality? In My Room features a concept that is not commonly seen in popular music. Karen uses the A = 432 Hz tuning. Instead of the standard Western tuning of A = 440 Hz, Atkins tuned all of the instruments used in her album to the 432 Hz frequency, which is said to be the universal frequency that has a harmonious effect on the brain and the heart.
Karen Atkins and the Frequency Experiment Tour
To delve into how listeners experience the effect of healing music recorded in 432 Hz, Karen traveled across the US in the summer of 2017 on the “Frequency Experiment Tour.” People’s responses were overwhelmingly positive. Karen shared songs from In My Room through listening booths set up at outdoor fairs and markets, as well as at live shows. Over 200 study participants filled out before and after questionnaires to report their perceived stress and physical discomfort levels. People’s stress levels decreased significantly after listening to the music.
In My Room as Healing Music
Karen’s album is part of a new genre of healing music. It’s not your typical meditation or kirtan album. In My Room has flavors of Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, Earth, Wind and Fire, and the Carpenters. It is catchy and deep all at once.
Some of the most remarkable qualities of this album are its softly simple and clear expression of sounds and poetic lyrics. Upbeat tracks such as “Julian” feel fun and playful. One of my favorite songs, “Tell Daniel,” draws slow deep breaths inside its melodies. The title track of “In My Room” has a personal and universal message that effortlessly carries the weight through the lyrics’ emotion. “Slip Slidin’ Away” was a complete surprise to me. It concludes the album with a country-folk sound.
This album offers music that is designed to make you feel good by simply listening to it. The Frequency Experiment Tour even confirmed this effect with listeners. The words and melodies are both catchy. When you put on In My Room, you’ll probably find yourself singing along too!
Free Music for LA YOGA Readers
Exclusive for LA Yoga readers: Karen selected a few songs to accompany you during your yoga practice! Download for free: karenatkinsmusic.com/LAyoga
Natalie Macam is a Yoga Teacher who teaches locally in Los Angeles: www.nataliemacam.com.