role, in healing rituals around the world, to its recent use as an
integrative Alzheimer's disease treatment. Find out how music to your ears
can add on years.
Music as therapy
For thousands of years, music has been used in medicine. Ancient Greek
philosophers believed that music had healing effects on the body and soul.
Singing and chanting have been a part of Native American healing ceremonies
for millennia. In the Ottoman Empire, mental illnesses were often treated
with music. A more formal approach to music therapy began after World War II
when the positive effect of music on emotionally disturbed veterans was
observed.
To date, there is evidence that music therapy can reduce high blood
pressure, depression, and sleeplessness. In Alzheimer's patients, music
therapy was shown to significantly reduce anxiety and aggression. While
there are no claims that music therapy can directly cure diseases like
cancer, medical professionals do believe that music can reduce certain
symptoms, help with healing, improve physical movement, and enrich a
patient's overall quality of life. Music therapy is often used in
combination with meditation and visualizations. (If you are interested in
relieving stress and increasing vitality with guided meditations, try
Meditations to Live to be 100 and Meditations for Stress Release.)
Live longer with soothing tunes
In the past few decades, research has found that slow, soothing music is
generally beneficial to one's health, whereas fast, jarring music is not.
Listening to calming music enhances cognitive functions such as memory,
concentration, and reasoning skills; even better, it boosts the immune
system, lowers blood pressure, relaxes muscle tension, regulates stress
hormones, elevates mood, and increases endurance.
Classical music and meditation music were found to have the most benefit on
health. On the other hand, irritating sound can cause stress, with all its
negative consequences for your health.
The composers that have been suggested to most effectively improve the
quality of life are Bach, Mozart and Italian composers, such as Vivaldi and
Scarlatti. Not convinced?
Consider this: Classical musicians -- orchestra conductors, in particular --
are among the longest-lived professionals.
Play music to boost your brain
When you learn new things, you give your brain a workout; why not learn a
new instrument? Studies have found that students who take music lessons have
increased IQ levels, even showing improvement in nonmusical abilities. Also,
when you play a wind instrument, such as the saxophone, flute, trumpet,
trombone, clarinet -- even a pennywhistle, you get the added benefit of
improving your lung capacity.
Music is for all ages! There is increasing evidence that regular mental and
physical exercise maximizes overall health and functioning in older adults;
for aging individuals who are prevented by disability from participating in
active physical exercise, music bridges the gap -- providing the significant
benefits of both mental and physical stimulation to even frail older adults.
Whether enjoying the social experience of singing in a choir or reflecting
on a musical recording, music can serve as an effective healing art for
older adults.
Healing sounds bring balance
If your home or office is consistently overrun by disturbing sounds, such as
traffic and construction, consider counteracting the noise with a subtle
sound source. Try an indoor fountain with bubbling water to calm your
nerves. Wind chimes made from natural materials, like bamboo or seashells
also provide peace. For some, even the sound of a grandfather clock brings
serenity. Find your personal tranquilizing sound, and make it the background
to your day.
You can also use music to soothe yourself to sleep. Our bodies run on
biological rhythms and function best with consistent routines; sleep is no
exception, and forming healthy rituals before bedtime can help you fall
asleep and sleep more soundly. Playing tranquil music an hour before sleep
is just one way to induce an automatic sleep response. Some other helpful
techniques include journaling, meditating, and drinking a cup of soothing
herbal tea before bed. A specially blended tea for sleep and calm is
Emotional tranquility tea.
Wishing you all to get healing benefits from music! Make Music your integral
part of your Life and for Longevity.
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