How Strong is Music?

The world is familiar with music, but you and I had never given it a thought that there’s a healing power embedded in MUSIC. It deals with tones: the rhythmicity of tones or sound which is pleasing to the ears and the mind. The sounds bring about unity and continuity. The influence of music on an individual is profound. The relief music offers safes you from social, mental, physical, and cognitive tasks. Just like you find air everywhere, such is the case with music. It is always everywhere you go: school, mall, restaurant and so on. Talking about the history of music from the time of early men. Right from time, it has been in use in many tribes for different purposes. In Australia, it is used to navigate long distances. The shamans used it in reviving an altered state of consciousness. In medicine, music is used as part of the healing process for a wounded soldier at war.

Music affects your physiological and psychological results. The several elements of music: rhythm, harmony, melody, and tempo, give great affection to your mood and results. The moment you listen to music, your body comes into line with the tempo of the music, which influences your body’s rhythm. The word “entrainment” is the harmonization of the vibration of one object with the vibration of another. This process causes both objects to oscillate at the same measure, thereby bringing about unison. It also initiates the release of endorphins from the neurohormonal system, influencing the limbic system to trigger both pleasant and unpleasant memories.

The healing business of music is a mental health recovery to an individual. From the little you’ve experienced in music, you should know that it has the ability to stir up various emotions in you. It opens your heart and gets you connected to others. Human beings (you, everybody, and I) has been wired to give appreciation to music right from birth. Funnily, I would tell you this blood and hormones runs in my body, so therefore I am directly proportional to music.

The mind and music is a very tangible but mysterious aspect in art. As you also know, art is humanity. Music is a significant feeling for every individual right from time. Music is an expression of humanity. Music triggers an emotional response in mind. It comes with a memory of what has happened or a moment—for example, the first step on your anniversary day or the day of your proposal.

Health Benefits of Music Therapy

Music therapy is a somatic reliever, i.e., a body reliever. It calms the body and the mind. This music therapy is classified into two different types: active music therapy and receptive music therapy.

Active music therapy: this type of therapy engages both the therapist and the patient. They both make a sound either with voices or instruments. This is an effective form for the patient. It gives no room for distraction.

Receptive music therapy: this therapy only needs the patient body and mind. Music is made by the therapist.

In view of this let, let’s bring to spotlight the potential music health benefits and the conditions that might warrant it:

Stress Reliever

We are all victims of stress from our daily activities. In the course of our search for a solution, music was stumbled upon as a good effective stress reliever. From various studies and observations, it was made known that anytime you listen to your favorite music, it makes you feel better.

One of the amazing revelations from music is from an infant. Infant remains calm when they listen to music, the repetitive pattern of the music reduce distress. This psychology mechanism promotes an occurrence known as ‘entrainment’: it is the ability of the body’s internal rhythm to synchronize with the rhythms from the external. The hormone released in response to stress is cortisol; music lessens the hormone. Its rate and effectiveness to reduce stress is dependent on the type of music listened to.

There are varieties of songs that either increase or decrease your cardiovascular measure. It is regulated by the tempo: fast music tends to stimulate your heart rate, blood pressure while slow music does vice versa to you.

Music and Memory

A lot of things connect us to memories, either good or bad. So, music has the ability to bring around memories of the event in your lives. For an adult, memory call is possible with music for an adult on the verge of dementia.

From my experience as a student, sentences memorized with rhythms and sounds get to stick more easily than those memorized normally. Let me share a burden with you. I think due to the efficacy of music, that has made it a mode of teaching in all crèche and kindergarten classes. Music excites the brain. For individuals with cognitive disorder, also memory recall.

Recovery from Brain Injury and Seizure

Music mostly deals with the nervous system. It helps to recover from brain injuries. From research of stroke patients subjected to music therapy, they had a good verbal memory and attention. An exciting area, isn’t it?

Apart from stroke, epilepsy is also included: a disorder in the brain associated with a seizure. Part of the cause of a seizure is an abnormal synchronization of the internal and external factors. So, with music, the body of the patient synchronizes with the rhythm of the music without a seizure. Stress is also a causal factor.

Reduction of Anxiety and Pain

When music hits you, you feel no pain. Isn’t it? Listen to calm and self-relaxing music to reduce your pain and promote your functional mobility. Music exhibit the release of opioid in the brain, this hormone is a body natural pain reliever. If possible, music could be prescribed for people after undergoing surgery. To be careful about your exposure to music, make it your favorite music.

Increase in the Awareness of Self and Environment

Your environment is not limited to trees or fields around you. It extends to biologicals factors, both living and non-living things around you. They are all factors that induce your stimulus. Due to intelligence, Yoga was founded to regulate our consciousness to our environment, reaching the minute factor. Yoga is accompanied by a piece of slow music that synchronizes your heart rate, blood pressure, and brain activities.

Enhanced Interpersonal Relationships

From what I said earlier on, music is a nature of art. Art is towards humanity. Humanity involves the good service rendered to people around you, so that makes music service to humanity. Dancing is a body exercise that makes music more exciting. Dancing with people unites them and increases relationships. Good memory last forever.

What about ‘YOGA’?

I’m sure this question must have been lingering in your heart. There is a provision of both physical and mental health benefits for you. Mostly all the benefits of Yoga also go in line with those of music. It is an ancient practice from India. With the way it is done, it will control your movement, breathing, meditation techniques. Literally, Yoga is an ancient practice that involves physical poses, concentration, and deep breathing. It focuses on exercise, strength, agility, and breathing.

Types of Yoga:

• Ashtanga yoga
• Bikram yoga
• Hatha yoga
• Kripalu yoga
• Iyengar yoga
• Kundalini yoga
• Power yoga
• Sivananda
• Viniyoga
• Yin yoga
• Prenatal Yoga
• Restorative Yoga

Here’s a list of what Yoga does:

• It reduces stress and contributes to a healthier heart.
• Yoga helps you to sleep by getting you back to your right mindset and prepare your body to fall asleep.
• Stress To management.
• It improves the quality of life during illness—illnesses like prostate cancer, stroke, ulcerative colitis, and rheumatoid arthritis.
• Yoga class can help group healing, thereby easing loneliness. It connects you with a supportive community.
• It boosts enthusiasm and alertness. Saying to bad energy and feelings. It manages depression.
• It also helps in joint and muscle pain relief. Stretching ease pain and improve mobility in individuals with lower back pain. The symptoms mostly get erased by Yoga. It eases swollen joints.

Risks and Complications in Yoga

Yoga is an interesting exercise that involves the whole body. Its safety is well guaranteed in the presence of a well-trained instructor. Injuries are very rare during Yoga, but the common injuries are sprain and strain. Some conditions might actually prevent you from Yoga. A pregnant woman must consider her doctor first before considering it. Yoga class beginners should avoid some advanced poses like headstand and lotus poses to avoid serious injuries.

Music is very cheap medicine. Do well to listen to music per day in your leisure time. Stay safe.