Finding Your Song: Making Recovery A Joyful Experience
My band played a fundraiser last week for Homes For The Brave, a shelter for homeless veterans in Bridgeport, Connecticut. I play keyboards in the band, but they let me come out from behind the keyboard and play guitar on Lou Reed’s classic “Rock And Roll.”
It turned out to be quite a crowd pleaser—so much so that we actually got a standing ovation at the end of the song. It was a very fun moment. However, my purpose here isn’t to brag about how awesome my band is. Rather, I’m going use this as an opportunity to discuss what was going on in that moment on a… shamanic level.
But before I do, take a quick look at this short clip from the performance:
Playing this song has always been very special for me, as it seems to transport me into a place I refer to as “being in my song.”
Let me explain.
The concept of “finding your song” is rooted in ancient shamanic traditions, but can be easily learned and used as a powerful tool for enhancing your experience of the world around you on a daily basis. I’ve been using this with addiction treatment clients for years; once you master this, it’s like you’ve got a secret weapon for enjoying life.
The concept is simple.
Think of the one thing that brings you the absolute most joy in your life.
Bring yourself into that joy. In other words, focus on that feeling of joy from every level of your being: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.
Learn how to bring yourself into that space without actual engaging in the activity you use as a model for experiencing that joy.
That’s finding your song.
Finding My Song… In A Beatles Cover Band
I was learning about “finding your song” during the time I played in a popular Beatles cover band in Dallas, Texas. It was onstage during those Beatles shows that I really stepped into this medicine and learned how to incorporate this transformative practice into my life.
Here’s how it worked for me.
Every time we played a particular song—from side 2 of Abbey Road, “You Never Give Me Your Money, there’s a particular moment in that song where I would literally go into my song. It comes right when Paul sings:
“But oh that magic feeling, nowhere to go.”
He repeats “nowhere to go”, and then BAM—the rest of the boys come in with “Aaaah, aaaah, aaaah!
Finding my song in a Beatles cover band
That was the moment for me: I would bang out the C major chord that began a walkdown to the A major chord, and belt out that glorious “aaaah!”
Every time we played that, I would transcend the mundane and enter into a realm of total joy. I was in my song.
From there it simply became a matter of learning how to go into that space on an energetic level—without the aid of my Beatles cover band to get me there.
I learned how to do that. And so can you. Today when I’m smack dab in the middle of the mundane, I can go into my song and have that same Beatles “aaaah” feeling. Once you get the hang of it, you can start living your entire life from the space of being in your song. You’ll be amazed at what happens for you when you live life in your song.
Rock And Roll
Which brings us back my little Lou Reed moment at the VFW Club in Westport the other night. This video of the full song captures a glimpse of me being in my song. When one is in their song, the energy changes, and everything around you is affected. It’s sort of how magic works…
Take another look, considering it from the perspective of me being in my song:
In the moment. In the music. In my song
Recovery
Addiction is about loss of soul. Loss of joy. The embodiment of mundane.
Very much in line with the concept of finding your song, recovery represents the same type of transcendent shift from the mundane to absolute joy. Many people in recovery can relate to this experience. There’s actually a line in the AA Big Book that talks about being “rocketed into the fourth dimension.” I don’t know about you, but that sounds pretty transcendent to me.
My point here is that adding this new awareness of how experience joy—in relation to recovery—can bring take your sobriety journey to an entire new level.
Find your song, be in your song, and create a beautiful space for yourself as you experience the world in a new way!
Let’s Talk
I would really love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Perhaps more than most discussion sections, I think this one has the potential to create some positive energy and ultimately help others.
What are the things that bring you absolute joy?
How does it feel to think about being able to go into that space without actually being engaged in the activity that brings that joy? Do you have experience in doing this?
What experience do you have that you might share with others along the lines of stepping into living life in a joyful space?
🇺🇸 Support The Cause
If you'd like to support the veterans shelter that hosted this benefit event, please consider donating to Homes for the Brave: 🙏 https://homesforthebrave.networkforgood.com/projects/246443-2025-gold-dust-summer-tour
Hey Rachel! Thanks for restacking! Recognize anyone in one of the pictures in this post?? 😀