This Playlist Serves Up Sounds From the Most Relaxing Locations in the World
Since going on a relaxing getaway to a far-flung locale is out of the realm of possibility for the foreseeable future, it’s understandable if you’re itching for anything that resembles a change of scenery from your own couch or kitchen table. One website created the next best thing to a week on the beach in Bora Bora or a wander through Shanghai’s peaceful Yuyuan Gardens: a relaxing sounds playlist featuring sounds from 50 of the most relaxing destinations from around the world. Listen to the playlist to get you into any mood.
Unify Cosmos, a personal development and spiritual growth website that helps users find ways to relax and find inner peace, compiled a soundtrack that will instantly calm and soothe your soul, allowing you to “virtually experience sounds across the globe from the comfort of your home.” They used search volume data to dig up the relaxing spots most searched for on Google, and created a soundboard from the top 50 for a truly serene stationary getaway.
You can scroll through to find the location and ambient noise that best matches your mood, from birds chirping at Yosemite National Park to a barber shop in Boston. Prefer to virtually travel internationally? Enjoy the zen sounds of Ueno Park in Tokyo or a peaceful journey through rose petal farms in Grasse, France.
Obviously, ASMR has exploded in popularity in recent years, with certain sounds being a science-backed way to ease tension and relieve stress, and given the challenges this year keeps serving, it’s perhaps more important now than ever to take a moment and pretend you’re somewhere else for a little while.
In a statement, Unify Cosmos owner David Foley said, “Take a second to close your eyes, pause, breathe in these sounds of nature, and dream a little, regardless of where you are—because listening to crashing waves, or birds in the trees can bring many other things to your life.” Each option includes a brief blurb about the place you’re visiting and stunning imagery to truly help you settle in, and you can listen for as long as you’d like. Explore the playlist in full here.