DJ Hesta Prynn's Music is Therapy

This episode is for anyone who has ever said “I can’t meditate.”
Maybe you tried it once. Maybe you felt like you were doing it wrong.
You’re not.
In this episode of Music Is Therapy, DJ Hesta Prynn sits down with meditation teacher Emily Fletcher, founder of Ziva, to talk about what meditation actually is, what it does to your nervous system, and why 60,000 people have learned it from her, including some of the world's highest performers and people who were convinced they couldn’t.
The conversation goes much deeper than meditation.
We talk about coherence in the nervous system, music as emotional technology, why many manifestation teachings skip the rage and grief step, and what it actually takes to change your internal state.
There’s also a moment where Emily turns the mic around and reflects something back to Hesta that lands hard.
Hesta cries.
She left it in.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re failing at stillness or at life, this episode is for you.

In This Episode, We Discuss• Why meditation can give the body rest deeper than sleep
• The difference between ritual and ceremony
• What coherence vs. dissonance means in the nervous system
• The “stress prison” and why humans default to fight-or-flight
• Why authenticity vibrates higher than “love and light”
• Why many manifestation teachings skip the rage and grief step
• The role of pleasure and life force energy in manifestation
• What Taylor Swift concerts might teach us about ceremony at scale
• Why AI may function as amplified intelligence depending on human consciousness
• The vulnerable moment where Emily reflects something powerful back to HestaOne Tool From the EpisodeThe Three-Song Dance Party
(from Emily Fletcher’s Ziva Magic manifestation formula)Emily teaches a practice for moving emotional energy through the body using music. A rage or grief song — feel the block
A release song — move the energy
A pleasure or hype song — embody the dreamMusic moves emotions through the body much faster than thinking about them.Featured Song: Where You Are - John Summit
Pretty Good Year - Tori Amos
Music Connection Therapy: Birthday Class - March 21st 1pm est FREE | Zoom
It's Hesta's birthday month, to celebrate, Music Connection Therapy is open to everyone. One time. Free.
Saturday, March 21st. About an hour. Half writing, half dance party. Let's identify a dream for one area of your life and put it to music.
It's free. It's on Zoom. It's limited to the first 30 people.
https://hestaprynn.mykajabi.com/bday-training
Monthly Playlist
10 Songs That Made Me
These aren't Hesta's favorite songs or the songs she DJs. These are songs that built her.
Now she wants yours. Make your list — ten (or so) songs that made you you. Email it to [email protected]. Tell her if she can share it. She wants to know who's out there.
Connect with Emily Fletcher
Website: zivameditation.com use code BLISS15 for 15% off all Ziva offerings
Instagram: @zivameditation
Podcast: Why Isn't Everyone Doing This? — available everywhere
Book: Stress Less, Accomplish More
Connect With the Show
Instagram: @hestaprynnmusic
Substack: hestaprynn.substack.com
Course: Music Connection Therapy
Email: [email protected] - questions, thoughts, someone you want on the show, or your 10 songs playlist
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Music Is Therapy, DJ Hesta Prynn sits down with Dan Savage — sex and relationship advice columnist, creator of the Savage Lovecast, and one of the most honest voices in love and relationships alive today — to talk about why "the one" is a myth, and what to do instead.
Hesta opens with the story of losing her entire CD collection on a plane. Every album. Gone. And instead of trying to rebuild what she had, she bought discount CDs, explored genres she'd never considered, and accidentally became a DJ.
The lesson? You don't find your taste. You build it. And relationships work exactly the same way.
But first, love.
In this episode, we dive into:
There Is No "The One": Why the search for a perfect partner is the thing that's actually keeping you from a great relationship — and what Dan means by "rounding up" instead
How to Revise Your Relationship Story Without Blowing It Up: The difference between editing a narrative and burning the whole thing down
What Dan Got Wrong: About straight guys. About bisexuality. About asexuality. About the location of the clitoris. (He's honest. It's a lot.)
A Good Long-Term Relationship Is a Myth Two People Create Together: Not something you stumble into — something you write, revise, and recommit to, daily
Practical Advice for Online Dating: What actually works, what's a waste of time, and why most people are doing it wrong
From Monogamous to Open to Poly: Dan's own relationship evolution — and what it taught him about what people actually need versus what they think they want
How to Keep Monogamy Interesting: The honest conversation about long-term desire, and why "staying together" is not the same as thriving together
The It Gets Better Project: What it's like to be Dan Savage — the weight of it, the reach of it, and what he's learned from two decades of being a lifeline
His Love of Musicals: Yes, the man who hates the electric guitar is deeply, unironically obsessed with musical theater. Hesta has thoughts.
The Electric Guitar Controversy: Dan hates it. Hesta will never forgive him. This is not resolved by the end of the episode.
This Episode Is For You If:
You've ever lain awake wondering if you're with the right person
You've felt that nagging fear that someone better is out there
You keep leaving relationships right before they could become something real
You've been waiting to feel certain before you fully commit
Monthly Playlist The Love and Happiness Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/07iyBQcQJtSw3PXw7i6S7t?si=a40a5a28e15c42ff
Featured Song:
I Want Your Sex Pts 1 & 2 - George Michael
https://open.spotify.com/track/6QnFHieoch6U9J8zfv6hml?si=f3ad4f44d2f04630
Connect with Dan Savage
Instagram: @dansavage
Podcast: Savage Lovecast
Connect with Hesta
Instagram: @HestaPrynnMusic
Substack: hestaprynn.substack.com
Music Connection Therapy Course: mct.hestaprynn.com
Have a question you want DJ Hesta Prynn to answer? [email protected]
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if your phone is having an affair with you?
In this episode of Music Is Therapy, DJ Hesta Prynn sits down with Mark Groves — human connection specialist, founder of Create The Love, and host of the top-ranked Mark Groves Podcast (19M+ downloads) — to talk about why we’re all feeling so far apart, even when we’re physically together.
Fresh off sobbing through Hadestown — where Orpheus writes a song so beautiful it melts walls and reminds people they’re capable of love — Hesta asks:
Where is that song in 2026?
Why does everyone — including her — feel emotionally distant from the people they love?
Mark doesn’t sugarcoat it.
He breaks down exactly how social media mirrors abusive relationship dynamics, why healing can’t happen in isolation, and why the best thing you can do on a date might be leaving your phone at home.
This conversation is about presence. Choice. Attention. And what it actually means to show up — not once, but daily.

In this episode, we dive into:
Social Media as Abusive Partner: How Instagram mirrors unhealthy relationship dynamics — nothing is ever enough, the algorithm is mysterious, and intermittent rewards keep you hooked
The Phone as the Third Person: Why Mark leaves his phone at home on dates and takes one day a week using a Light Phone
Instagram Sabbatical: Mark’s six-month break after asking, “I’m not an anxious person — so why do I have anxiety?”
“Everything Must Be Healed in Relationship”: Why you can’t fix yourself alone and then bring perfection into partnership
Insert Choice Where You Think There Is None: Mark’s challenging reframe on feeling stuck, resentful, or disconnected
The Manipulation of Hooks: Why both of us refuse to build platforms on “Here are 5 things you NEED to know” urgency
The Return to Analog: Vinyl, dumb phones, tactile experiences — and what they say about our craving for real presence
Music as State-Shifter: From China by Tori Amos* to You've Got the Love by Florence and the Machine*, how the right song pulls you back into being human

This Episode Is For You If:
You’ve checked your phone instead of looking at your partner
You feel like you’re living parallel lives with someone you love
You’ve asked, “When did we stop being present?”
You suspect your anxiety might not be your personality

Monthly Playlist
The Love and Happiness Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/07iyBQcQJtSw3PXw7i6S7t?si=a40a5a28e15c42ff
Featured Songs:
"You've Got the Love" – Florence + The Machine: The song Hesta plays coming out of the subway to remember she's alive: https://open.spotify.com/track/6u9RqxALwkjJ1ukB1y8vuP?si=f419c15c78264f8e
"China" – Tori Amos: The teenage anthem about distance that still resonates 30 years later: https://open.spotify.com/track/08OXkYqqvhE7vjTzA9fVKk?si=705963cd1fac4a9b
"Hope" - NF: https://open.spotify.com/track/12cZWGf5ZgLcKubEW9mx5q?si=61e2a1eb2c944973

Connect with Mark Groves
Instagram: @itsmarkgroves
Podcast: Mark Groves Podcast
Website: MarkGroves.com
Book: Liberated Love (co-authored with Kylie McBeath)
Connect with Hesta
Instagram: @HestaPrynnMusic
Substack: hestaprynn.substack.com
Music Connection Therapy Course: mct.hestaprynn.com
Have a question you want DJ Hesta Prynn to answer? 📩 [email protected]

Got the song that melts walls in 2026? Send it to Hesta — maybe we can build it together.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shift your state first. Then go find the person.
This episode is for anyone who’s swiping, spiraling, or wondering why dating feels so fucking hard right now.
Dating is usually discussed in terms of apps, algorithms, and luck. But we rarely talk about the state you’re in before you even start swiping—and how that state determines everything that comes next.

In this episode of Music Is Therapy, DJ Hesta Prynn sits down with dating expert Damona Hoffman to explore why dating has actually gotten worse (it’s not just you), and what to do about it. From pre-date playlists to the "three must-haves and one deal breaker" rule, Damona breaks down the strategies that actually work—including the one thing most people get wrong: looking for someone else to fix their mood instead of fixing it themselves first.
This conversation is practical, honest, and full of actual tools you can use today. It’s a reminder that dating isn't fate—it’s strategy, intention, and showing up in the right state.
If you’ve ever opened Hinge while feeling like shit and wondered why nothing worked out, this episode is for you.
In this episode, we dive into:
The State Before the Swipe: Why swiping for a confidence hit is like grocery shopping while starving—you’re going to make bad choices.
Pre-Date Playlists: Why you need a "hype track" and why Olivia Rodrigo is officially banned from your pre-game.
The "Thank You" vs. "Dazed and Confused" Test: Are you looking for the soulmate or are you just stuck in the cycle?
Three Must-Haves + One Deal Breaker: How to get clear on what you actually want (not what your mom or your friends want).
Your Dates Are Too Long: Why 60–90 minutes is the sweet spot. No dinners, no marathons.
Stop the Endless Texting: How to actually get from the app to IRL without losing the spark.
Damona's Song: "Have It All" by Jason Mraz—and why healthy love sounds like wanting your partner to have everything.
The Real Work: Why "F the Fairy Tale" means taking accountability for your own playlist.
This episode is sponsored by you not wasting another six months on someone who violates your deal breaker.

Monthly Playlist
The Love and Happiness Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/07iyBQcQJtSw3PXw7i6S7t?si=5323d4367303405e
Featured Song: "Thank You" – Led Zeppelin Howard Stern called it the most romantic song of all time. "If the sun refused to shine, I would still be loving you." The kind of love we’re all looking for.
Connect with Damona
Website: damonahoffman.com
Instagram: @damonahoffman
Podcast: Dates & Mates (available everywhere)
Book: F the Fairy Tale: Rewrite the Dating Myths and Live Your Own Love Story
Connect with Hesta
Instagram: @hestaprynnmusic
Substack: hestaprynn.substack.com
Course: Music Connection Therapy
Have a question for the show? [email protected]
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I interviewed my husband about our relationship.
Am I insane? Probably. But we’ve been married twelve years, and I had questions.
This episode is for anyone who’s ever loved someone and thought, Why is this still so hard?

Marriage is usually discussed in terms of compatibility, communication, and compromise. But we rarely talk about what happens when two people who love each other realize they have no idea what they’re actually building together.

In this episode of Music Is Therapy, DJ Hesta Prynn does something unprecedented: she interviews her own husband, filmmaker Randy Scott Slavin, for raw couples therapy on tape.

What starts as a sweet story about how they met through music turns into something deeper — and more uncomfortable. They fight all the time. She doesn’t know why. And when she finally asks the hard questions — Why do we fight so much? What are we building? Do you still want to choose this? — the answers crack something open.

This conversation is messy, vulnerable, and uncomfortably real. It’s a reminder that loving someone and knowing how to build a life with them are two different things — and that sometimes you have to admit you forgot to dream together.

If you’ve ever had a fight in the car on the way to a rave, this episode is for you.
In this episode, we dive into:
The Magic Man Shift: How one song helps Hesta choose consciousness over autopilot in her marriage
How They Met Through Music: A breakup song, 13,000 stop-motion photos, and “Pictures of You” as their wedding song
Why They Fight: The tension between artistic life (Fred again.. weekends) and regular life (Monday responsibilities)
The Big Reveal: Two people married for 12 years realizing they have no shared vision for their relationship
When the Therapist Is Lost Too: What happens when the expert doesn’t have the answers at home
Want vs. Need: Why looking for someone to fill the hole destroys love
The Hard Question: Asking “do you even love me?” — and sitting with the answer
What They Each Need: Space to create vs. presence when spiraling
The Commitment: Learning how to dream together when you forgot how

Monthly Playlist
The February Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/07iyBQcQJtSw3PXw7i6S7t?si=f460e6034e6f4769
Featured Song: “Magic Man” – Heart The song that shifts Hesta’s state and brings her back to why she chose him.
Connect with Randy
Randy’s Website: https://www.randyscottslavin.com
NYC Drone Film Festival: https://www.instagram.com/nycdroneff
Can We Go Wrong Music Video: https://youtu.be/XreeB1Ljeew?si=929Ou8XZu7WNgz8v
Connect with Hesta
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hestaprynnmusic
Substack: https://hestaprynn.substack.com/
Music Connection Therapy Course: https://mct.hestaprynn.com/

Have a question you want DJ Hesta Prynn to answer? [email protected]
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.