What’s more relaxing: a walk, a cup of tea or music? Well, if you’re listening to “Weightless” by the Manchester band Marconi Union – deemed ‘the most relaxing song ever’ in a recent study — it’s not only more relaxing than the former two de-stressors, but it even beats out a massage.

The Daily Mail has more:

The eight-minute track is so effective at inducing sleep, motorists have now been warned they should not listen to it whilst driving.

The band worked with sound therapists to get advice on how to make the most effective use of harmonies, rhythms and bass lines. The result on listeners is a slowing of the heart rate, reduced blood pressure and lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

Study: Most Relaxing Song in the World

(Photo: Daily Mail)

The Daily Mail goes on to report that a study of 40 women, conducted by a Radox Spa, challenged women with timed puzzles and measured their stress level when listening to different songs. “Weightless” weighed in at 11 percent more relaxing than its competition:

It induced a 65 percent reduction in overall anxiety and brought them to a level 35 percent lower than their usual resting rates.

Watch the song’s creator’s explain the project:

The world’s most relaxing song didn’t happen by accident though, the creators worked with professionals to perfect and find the most relaxing sounds. Daily Mail reports Lyz Cooper, founder of the British Academy of Sound Therapy, as saying the song has a consistent rhythm at 60 beats per minute that slows to 50 as the song goes on, causing your heart rate and blood pressure to do the same. The song lasts for 8 minutes, because as Cooper said, it takes longer than 5 minutes for the heart to adjust. And, it contains no repetition to prevent your brain from “trying to predict what is coming next.”

Listen to the song here.

[H/T Gizmodo]