CD: LLEWELLYN - The Lost Valley

By Tracy Dunn View Profile
This is a lovely, very uplifting CD that includes some of the most relaxing musical instruments available today. If you practise Yoga or Tai Chi this CD would be perfect for you as there is a lovely gentle movement to it. Perfect inspiration for a morning sun salutation. I enjoy listening to this CD, especially when I've had a particularly hectic or stressful day. It's nice to put on in the background while doing your daily chores in a relaxed and easy going atmosphere. I think that this CD will appeal to a wide circle of people. It is not too new age and it can be utilized for many occasions, and activities. If you have tried visualization then you will enjoy this CD. I found it great for visualising flying over great forests with the birds, it brings a great sense of freedom and stress less energy. With this CD there is are underlying sounds of the forest, birds quietly singing, frogs croaking and the gentle breeze through the trees, which seems to carry on throughout the album, it is very nice and aids the easy continuation of the tracks.

By Zena Greene View Profile
This CD runs for an hour, and six titles are listed, but each track moves gently into the next, although a tiny pause can be heard if there is a particular area that appeals to you. The Lost Valley is aimed at listeners who want music to relax by, but has several uses.

As its title might suggest, The Lost Valley has a Peruvian feeling to it, evoking images of the Andes and mysterious rain forests. It has a fairly upbeat bass line, which I found quite stimulating, rather than relaxing, and I think it might be a good one to start the day with. I think that it would also work well with children, or as a background to artwork, since its imagery is visible and gently active. It could be just background music, but would not (personally) help me to fall asleep.

I have used this CD both as a background to personal meditations, and during a visualised journey, and these worked well, but I think that its particular feeling and imagery might not work well for everyone, or for everyone's mood. I found that it generated thoughts and feelings that were too active to use it as background to healing sessions.

The Lost Valley does inspire a sense of other worldliness, and in the right setting, perhaps a group, where participants will not simply be asked to relax or meditate afterwards, it could well prove to be the perfect introduction. It carries an air of mystery and a gentle invitation to spiritual exploration that really takes it out of the 'relaxation tape' mode.