Beyond Dreams - Pathways to Deep Relaxation is the latest release from Hennie Bekker, an artist/composer/musician who has created a widely-varied body of work that encompasses more than sixty albums. Born and raised in a southern African copper-mining region, Bekker has lived in a variety of places and cultures, and currently resides in Toronto (Canada). He is best-known for his work on Dan Gibson’s Solitudes - Exploring Nature With Music series as well as his own Kaleidoscopes, African Tapestries, and Hennie Bekker’s Tranquility album series. Bekker started playing music at a very early age, and is a self-taught pianist. He has become a master of musical technology and uses the full resources of his state-of-the-art studio to create the sounds and music that have captivated his fans from all over the world.

Beyond Dreams - Pathways to Deep Relaxation is beautiful music, but this is music with a purpose - relaxation, self-exploration, and sleep. It is a fascinating merging of art and science to create sounds that will enhance your body and brain response. From the liner notes written by Dr. Lee Bartel, Founding Director of the Music and Health Research Collaboratory at the University of Toronto: “As music is rhythmic, it can subtly synchronize and regulate body rhythms. In this album, carefully designed sound supports the regularity of the brain-heart connection, serves to slow the heart rate to transcend stress, and nudges brainwaves into a state of deep relaxation, meditation, or even sleep. In this album, musical elements of melodic motion entrain brainwave response at theta and delta frequencies to allow a deep relaxed state.” The six tracks are continuous, providing sixty minutes of blissful music. There are very deep sounds throughout the album that contribute to feelings of deep space and darkness, but strong pulsations in the 30-40Hz range have been recently shown to be responsible for brain connectivity to support inner circuits responsible for emotion, movement, consciousness and cognition, and memory. I can fully attest to the relaxing, soothing qualities of this music. I’m sitting here in a bit of a fog, but am feeling no stress of any kind. I don’t think I’d recommend this for driving and definitely not for your wake-up music!

I find it fascinating that scientists are confirming what musicians have always known - music is healthy and beneficial for the body and soul! There are plenty of relaxing and soothing albums out there, but Hennie Bekker is truly a master of this kind of music. It is both profoundly beautiful and scientifically-based to put you in a calm and peaceful state to allow healing and to welcome sleep.

Beyond Dreams - Pathways to Deep Relaxation is likely to become a classic in the ambient and healing music genres. It is available from www.HennieBekker.com, Amazon, iTunes, and CD Baby. Very highly recommended!