Nervous System MUSIC playlist
10 song playlist to soothe your mind, body and nervous system. Music helps regulate the nervous system because it speaks directly to the body, not the thinking mind. Trauma lives below words. Music meets it there. “Regulate & Rest” – A Trauma-Informed Healing Playlist How to use: - Best with headphones or low-volume speakers - No need to listen closely. Let it play in the background. - If emotions come up, that’s normal. The body is releasing, not breaking. 1. Erik Satie – Gymnopédie No. 1 Opening the door to calm This piece slows the nervous system without asking anything from you. It creates safety first — essential for trauma recovery. 2. Claude Debussy – Clair de Lune Softening the body Breathing naturally deepens here. Shoulders often drop. This is where the body starts to feel less guarded. 3. Arvo Pärt – Spiegel im Spiegel Grounding + emotional containment Minimal, repetitive, and steady. Excellent for anxiety, dissociation, or emotional overwhelm. 4. Johann Sebastian Bach – Goldberg Variations (Aria) Stabilization The predictability of Bach’s structure helps settle racing thoughts and looping trauma memories. 5. Max Richter – Dream 3 (from Sleep) Entering deep rest This is where hypervigilance begins to release. Ideal for evening listening or before sleep. 6. Brian Eno – 1/1 (Music for Airports) Regulation without effort Designed to reduce stress. Let this play while resting, journaling, or lying down. 7. Nils Frahm – Says Gentle emotional release Slow build without shock. Often brings a feeling of “I can breathe again.” 8. Chopin – Nocturne in E-flat Major, Op. 9 No. 2 Comfort + reassurance This piece carries warmth and safety, especially for people who associate calm with gentleness rather than silence. 9. Hildegard of Bingen – O vis aeternitatis Primitive safety Vocal tones activate a deep, ancient sense of containment (especially powerful for attachment trauma.) 10. Max Richter – Path 5 (Delta) Closure + Integration Ends the playlist feeling held, not dropped. Perfect for sleep or meditation.