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If you’re a fan of meditation/relaxation apps like Headspace and Meditation Studio, and ALSO a fan of the dulcet voice of Bob Ross, you’re in luck. The meditation and sleep app Calm is introducing PBS fave Bob Ross’ voice as part of its Sleep Stories, using the audio from his super relaxing painting episodes to lull you into repose.
As early as I can remember, I was falling asleep watching Bob Ross beat the devil out of his brushes and make happy accidents. Even now, so many of us turn to Bob when we need to chill out. It’s one of my earliest ASMR memories too, though I didn’t have that name for it back then. (Click here to learn what that phenomenon is all about!)
If you need a reminder of just how gentle and kind Bob Ross’ words were, check out some of our favorite quotes from his show.
If you’re already using Calm, then check him out in their Sleep Stories. If not, you can snag a free trial here or find it on iTunes. And if you’re not using a meditation app at all, this might be the incentive to start seeing what they’re all about and if they can help you relax, center yourself, or just beat the insomnia blues.
Here’s a little reminder of Bob and his wisdom in case you forgot (but who could forget?!)…
About the Author: Catherine Clark
Catherine Clark loiters at her local library, makes art, watches movies en masse, plays video and tabletop games, poorly cooks healthy things, cuddles with her feline fur babies, and blogs at BijouxandBits.com.
Ahhh yessss… Bob Ross and Mr Rogers are my earliest ASMR memories.
As a child when I was home sick from school and trying to sleep/be comfortable I remember watching the PBS station hoping to get a glimpse of one of these two. Joy of Painting was preferable because it was 30 minutes uninterrupted. Mr Rogers tended to mix in other people which broke the ASMR spell. And then of course there was the dreaded trip to the Neighborhood of Make-Believe. I hated every one of those characters. King Faraday was an officious asshole, Queen Sara was too weak and Lady Elaine Fairchild was a straight up bitch. ( I know, I know – it’s a contradiction that I hated Queen Sara for not standing up to her jerkface husband and also hated Lady Elaine for doing just that. Did I mention I was a child? ) Every other characters weighed in as “stupid”. Finally I figured out that the loss of the ASMR feeling was making it impossible to like anything that followed and quit watching that part of the show.
Wow how did I get from Bob Ross to Lady Elaine?
Anyway, I didn’t have a name back then for what I experienced and it certainly didn’t occur to me that other people felt it too. Now there’s a whole ASMR community on YouTube! Quite frankly, I get a much stronger response from those intentional videos than either Bob Ross or Mr Rogers. If you’re curious about this, I suggest you search YouTube for GentleWhispering, WhispersRed or WhispersUnicorn, three of my favorites.
We subscribe to all the same people! I love that community <3
WhispersRed does a lovely reading of The Velveteen Rabbit on Calm. Both me and my kiddo enjoy it a lot. I’ve been using Calm for both meditation and sleep for nearly two years now, and it’s been a life saver. I particularly enjoy readings by Anna Acton, as she gets more quiet as the story goes on. It really is so so soothing.