In honor of Elena Brower’s Spa Week Daily Challenge and National Relaxation Day, we asked our Twitter and Facebook friends, “What’s your favorite song for relaxing/breathing deeply?” Without further ado, here is the “Just Breathe” playlist. Even Elena joined in the fun, tweeting, “@ElenaBrower: @SPAWEEK – check out this playlist on @yogitunes – http://ow.ly/63TkZ – the last few songs are VERY chill. And the first few: flow/amazing.” We added as many as we could find and came up with this soothing, worry-erasing playlist. We hope you listen take a few moments for yourself and get inspired to Breathe Consioucly for 5 minutes a day. Enjoy!

Here the songs our Facebook and Twitter friends suggested:

Jacqueline E. Pachelbel “New Age”
Estella N. and Janice C. Enya
Mari H. Pearl Jam “Just Breathe”
Nicole G. and Deborah N. “Amazing Grace”
Jackie T. Adele
Lydia P. Barbra Streisand “Memory”
Noreen Y. David Young “Bliss” and George Skaroulis “Sanctuary”
Patricia E. Any soundscapes music!
@AgingBackwards: @SPAWEEK Call me #oldschool, but I still LUV @SteveWinwood sigh…(bats eyelashes) lol #relaxation
@ISpaDoYou: @SPAWEEK #relaxation song ideas: We recommend anything from @soundstruebit.ly/pk2TNE
@pengonly: @SPAWEEK try @2Cellos they do wonders with @muse
@Bittertwitr22: @SPAWEEK etta james
@BeautyUnbiased: Glen Hansard ‘once’ album “@SPAWEEK: Happy National #RelaxationDay! TELL US: What’s your favorite song for relaxing/breathing deeply?”
@LiljenSpa: @SPAWEEK Yiruma is a fab piano Player.. Meditation Spa Collection is also relaxing music.. :-)
@nailkid2: @SPAWEEK Kool & The Gang ” Summer Madness”

After her concert in Atlanta on June 8,  Katy Perry flicked her magic wand and fluttered her Fairy Spa Mother wings and made the bill disappear for all 21 of her dancers and crew members at the gorgeous Remede Spa at the St. Regis Hotel. So jealous! We can do the Macarena and The Running Man… Can we be your dancers too, Katy?

According to US WEEKLY, the group, who “took over the entire spa, indulged in customized facials, which cost $255 for 90 minutes, and include everything from cleansing, exfoliation, and extractions to warm paraffin foot wraps, foot and scalp rubs, and eye and lip treatments. Also on the agenda: Relaxing aromatherapy massages at $240 a pop for 90 minutes.”

Too bad she didn’t wait until Fall Spa Week (that’s when the prices practically disappear on their own, like magic!); she could have saved a candy-colored boat load.

Katy is pretty tied to the spa lifestyle these days; especially after she signed on to promote OPI’s line of Shatter nail polish. You know, the polish that crackles. Read all about shatter and DIY mani-pedis here . Plus tap into the mind of Michelle and learn all about other polish alternatives, like Shellac. And seriously, Katy… If you need back-up dancers, we’re just a DM away @SPAWEEK.

What is worse than a chest wax? …A bikini wax. What’s worse than a bikini wax? A bikini wax with no music to keep keep you calm and fully sidetracked. We asked our Twitter Followers and Facebook Friends, “What songs calm your nerves?” and we got some serious soothing suggestions. We think our friend, Kim M. hit the hair on the head with her comment:

“Normally anything by Enigma but for a bikini wax play some Metallica or Rammstein to drown out my screaming.”

Don’t worry Kim, along with some relaxing slow jams, we peppered in some heavy metal at the end including Linkin Park’s “Numb” (haha) for all you screamers out there!

Here’s what our friends suggested:
Seamone C: Mary J. Blige “Good Woman Down”
Mari H: IZ “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”
Nancy C: Andre Boccelli
Mishka J: Secret Garden “Nocturne”
Kelly R: The Beatles “Because”
Elina A: Sai “I Go to Sleep”
Tina J: Kenny G.
Maria S: Yanni
Lori S: Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan “Bethe Bethe Kese Kese”
Em G: Norah Jones “Come Away With Me”
Carrie D: Ssigur Rós or Jónsi
Chanté M: Marvin Sapp “Perfect Peace”
LaToya C: Carl Thomas “Summer Rain”
Lynne V. and Noelle E: Sade “Smooth Operator
Kelly V: Enya “Sail Away”
Melissa R: Corinne Bailey Rae “Breathless”
Stephanie C: Dave Matthews Band “Crash”, Maxwell “Pretty Wings”, Dispatch “Flying Horses”

This is Stephanie on the train. (In honor of the 76th birthday of children's author Roger Hargreaves)

Last week, something awful happened to me when I was on the train. I was minding my own business, checking my Facebook news feed, when I heard the one noise no one wants to hear at 8:30am: the “traditional ringer” of an iPhone on loud. A passenger about three rows ahead of me was now rummaging through his jacket pocket trying to answer his cell phone. I cringed with each ring. I was hardly awake; my eardrums were not ready for that type of abuse.

After he found the devil’s device, something even more horrible happened: he answered it. He started shouting about some sort of deal or contracts something or other. All I could think was, “Is this guy serious?” I could see the passengers around me rolling their eyes and glaring at this guy over their morning papers.  No one had had enough coffee to deal with this torture. How rude! It was at this point I turned to my iPod for some relief. While my variety of music drowned out Mr. Cell Phone’s boisterous conversation, the high volume made me feel even more anxious. I was so irritated not even some feel good Earth Wind and Fire could make me cool down.

This is Stephanie after listening to Spa Radio.

I wish I had known then what I know now. The popular music app and internet radio website, Slacker Radio announced the addition of new stations to their platform last Thursday, including a station called “Spa Radio.” Slacker describes the station as, “healing, contemplative music – the soundtrack to a day at the spa, yoga, meditation, aromatherapy or just relaxing at home.” They should have added, “Perfect for annoying situations while riding public transportation.”  I now have the app on my phone and listen to soothing harmonies on the train. It helps me feel relaxed and calm as I ride to work and picture myself getting a soothing Swedish massage or a reflexology treatment. The best part: I can drown out everyone on the train while still feeling centered and completely Zen.

Dear Slacker Radio,

Thank you for helping me stay sane.

Sincerely,

Stephanie.

Click here to listen to the Spa station on Slacker Radio.

Sunday marks another year of honoring our mothers for all the hard work they put in day in and day out. Whether it’s providing filling dinners when we don’t have the time to cook ourselves, staying up for late night bedside venting sessions, being the brutally honest shopping partner we need and all around best friend — MOMS, we appreciate you! As you shop for the perfect gift this year keep in mind her interests and give her a gift she will love. In honor of those interests we reached out to our Facebook fans and Team Spa Week for their mother’s favorite songs. Consensus? Our moms are rocking to songs from The Rolling Stones and The O’jays to James Taylor and Boyz II Men. We love you mom. 

1. Shower the People, James Taylor ( Stephanie’s Mom’s Favorite Song)
2. Stacy’s Mom, Fountains of Wayne (Kaitlin’s Mom’s Favorite Song)
3. A Case of You, Joni Mitchell (Michelle’s Mom’s Favorite Song)
4. Sherry, Franki Valli & The Four Seasons (Rebecca’s Mom’s Favorite Song )
5. A Song for Mama, Boyz II Men (Melissa’s Mom’s Favorite Song)
6. Maggie May, Rod Stewart (Erin’s Mom’s Favorite Song)
7. Cry Together, OJay’s (Candace’s Mom’s Favorite Song)
8. Don’t You Forget About Me, Simple Minds (Dawn M.’s Mom’s Favorite Song)
9. Is This Love, Bob Marley & The Wailers (Marlene J.’s Mom’s Favorite Song)
10. Sitting On The Dock By The Bay, Otis Redding (Heather L.’s Mom’s Favorite Song)
11. Kashmir, Led Zepplin (Jennifer W.’s Mom’s Favorite Song)
12. Ave Maria, Celine Dion (Yvette D. and Mary Jo B.’s Mom’s Favorite Song)
13. I’d Give Anything, Beres Hammond (Rose T.’s Mom’s Favorite Song)
14. You Were Always On My Mind, Willie Nelson (Melissa R.’s Mom’s Favorite Song )
15. Gimme Shelter, The Rolling Stones (Breanna’s Mom’s Favorite Song )
16. Oh What a Night, The Four Seasons (Kelly’s Mom’s Favorite Song)
17. My Funny Valentine, Miles Davis (Carol R.’s Mom’s Favorite Song)
18. The Way You Make Me Feel, Michael Jackson (Mazelle J.’ Mom’s Favorite Song)

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