There is nothing more soothing than music. If you’re stressed, tired or unable to sleep, listening to music can make you feel better almost immediately. This effect is a type of Music Therapy.
The concept of music therapy is not new, especially in India. Music has long been an integral part of Ayurveda, the holistic science promoting a happy and healthy lifestyle. The Vedas, particularly the Samveda, are rich in music mantras and ragas.
Great composers of Indian classical music have practiced music therapy for centuries. It is even said that the classical music maestro Thyagaraja brought a dead person back to life with his composition.
How does it work?
Music stimulates the pituitary gland, which in turn affects the nervous system and the blood flow. Healing with music is believed to work by vibrating the cells of the body, which can effectively change a person’s consciousness and promote health.
Personally, I love music and have always considered it my medicine. Whether I am stressed or confused, music always gives me the right direction. Having experienced a lot of positivity through Music, I wanted to share how music can be a positive healer.
The Power of Music Therapy
Music therapy uses music and sounds to:
- Help express emotions
- Cope with symptoms of a disease and its treatment
- Improve emotional and physical well being
- Develop self-confidence and self-esteem
- Re-kindle a sense of creativity
- Help relax and feel comfortable
You don’t need to have musical expertise to benefit from music therapy. The technique consists of various interventions and planned programs that vary depending on the situation. The type of music is important—soothing music, ragas, relaxing music, and motivational music all have different effects.
Types of Interventions:
A typical music therapy session may include different interventions, which can be grouped into four types:
- Performing/Playing: This can include singing or playing an instrument
- Composing: This includes any group or individual songwriting process, which can be simple or complex as needed
- Improvising: Creating music on the spot or in the moment
- Receiving/Listening: This can include a music and relaxation experience, a lyric analysis intervention, or a “moving to music” experience, such as gait training
A “typical” music therapy session may incorporate multiple interventions or just one long, in-depth one. The key is that each intervention is designed to target a specific therapeutic goal and objective.
Benefits of Music Therapy :
The right kind of music helps one relax and refresh. Even while working, light music can improve efficiency. It helps control negative aspects of our personalities like worry, bias, and anger, and can help cure headaches, abdominal pain, and tension. Music therapy is one of the most effective ways of controlling emotions, blood pressure, and restoring liver function. It can also reduce insomnia, schizophrenia, and epilepsy.
Here are some additional benefits:
- Coping with work-related stress
- Enhancing social skills in children with autism
- Symptom management in cancer care
- Treatment of tension headaches
- Promoting health and wellness
- Helping people undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy
- Providing physical and psychological support for people with cancer
- Assisting people at the end of life
- Alleviating cancer pain
- Supporting children and young people
- Reducing stress
- Improving parent-child interactions
- Encouraging conversation among people with middle to late-stage Alzheimer’s disease
Music therapy is a powerful tool for healing and improving well-being. Whether you are dealing with stress, health issues, or just need a way to relax, music can be a wonderful companion and healer.
I would like to end this blog with a quote:
“If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph:
THE ONLY PROOF HE NEEDED
FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD
WAS MUSIC”
― Kurt Vonnegut
We hope this article has enlightened you on the incredible healing power of music therapy. If you have any personal experiences with music therapy or have questions, please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.
#BeTheForce
It was really nice how you said that music helps a person in various ways like induce relaxation and refreshment as well as improve work efficiency and control the negative aspects of the personality, like anger. If that really is the case, then I guess there’s no harm in trying music therapy out. I have been stressed out lately, and I want to do something about it as it is slowly affecting my work in a negative way. Thank you for sharing this!