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Heal yourself with the magic of “MUSIC THERAPY”

musik

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:

  1. Performing/Playing: This can include singing or playing an instrument
  2. Composing: This includes any group or individual songwriting process, which can be simple or complex as needed
  3. Improvising: Creating music on the spot or in the moment
  4. 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:

  1. Coping with work-related stress
  2. Enhancing social skills in children with autism
  3. Symptom management in cancer care
  4. Treatment of tension headaches
  5. Promoting health and wellness
  6. Helping people undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy
  7. Providing physical and psychological support for people with cancer
  8. Assisting people at the end of life
  9. Alleviating cancer pain
  10. Supporting children and young people
  11. Reducing stress
  12. Improving parent-child interactions
  13. 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

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Managing Atopic Dermatitis (AD) Through Climate Changes

Atopic Dermatitis (AD) is a chronic and complex disease that requires consistent treatment and lifestyle adjustments. Regular moisturizing is essential, but it’s equally important to adapt skincare routines to surrounding climatic changes.

The outer skin barrier in individuals with AD becomes delicate and sensitized, making it highly susceptible to environmental changes. You might wonder, is a hot or cold climate better for AD? The answer is neither. Equal care and measures must be taken in both extremes to protect the skin barrier and retain moisture.

In summer, the weather is hot and often humid, causing people to perspire throughout the day. For someone with AD, dryness may not be a major issue, but constant perspiration can be problematic. The salts in sweat can irritate the skin and trigger flare-ups. Moreover, the heat and humidity can further sensitize the skin, making it redder and more prone to flares. Heat rash and secondary infections on sensitized skin are not uncommon during this season.

In winter, the scenario changes completely. The weather is dry and cold, leading to extreme dryness. The dry air dehydrates the skin further, making regular and repeated moisturizing crucial. Failing to do so can trigger a flare-up. For individuals working or sleeping in a cold environment, such as an air-conditioned room, using a humidifier next to the bed or desk can help prevent moisture loss and keep the skin hydrated.

Each climatic variation comes with its own challenges, requiring extreme care for individuals with AD. Regardless of the season, consistent and tailored skincare routines are necessary to manage symptoms and protect the skin barrier.

We hope this article helps you. For further information or guidance, reach out to your GOQii Skin Coach.

#BeTheForce

References –

Chen Z, Li M, Lan T, Wang Y, Zhou X, Dong W, Cheng G, Li W, Cheng L. Effects of ambient temperature on atopic dermatitis and attributable health burden: a 6-year time-series study in Chengdu, China. PeerJ. 2023 Apr 24;11:e15209. doi: 10.7717/peerj.15209. PMID: 37123004; PMCID: PMC10135404.

Luschkova D, Zeiser K, Ludwig A, Traidl-Hoffmann C. Atopic eczema is an environmental disease. Allergol Select. 2021 Aug 23;5:244-250. doi: 10.5414/ALX02258E. PMID: 34476334; PMCID: PMC8383845.

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Cashew Nuts & it’s benefits

cashew-nuts

Cashew nuts are a favourite among all. These nuts are easily available and versatile, fitting perfectly into various occasions. They can be carried in your pocket and enjoyed on the go, as their fat content keeps you full for a longer time and helps you avoid snacking on unhealthy refined foods.

Originally native to Brazil, cashew nuts were brought to India by Portuguese explorers and now are widely grown in the coastal areas.

Despite being a healthy food, cashews are often avoided because they are perceived as high in fats and thus deemed unsuitable for frequent consumption, especially by those with heart conditions. However, these concerns are based on myths. Cashew are safe and healthy to consume. They contain monounsaturated fatty acid, Oleic acid which helps  lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and increase good cholesterol (HDL).

Cashew nuts also contain several B-complex vitamins like Pyridoxine, Pantothenic Acid, Riboflavin & Niacin. These vitamins play a major role in the metabolism of Carbohydrates, Proteins & Fats. Each has specific health benefits: Pyridoxine helps protect the heart by inhibiting cholesterol deposits, Niacin combats Dermatitis (a skin infection), Pantothenic acid relieves stress and promotes good skin & hair, and Riboflavin prevents acne and supports healthy eyes.

Given the numerous benefits of cashew nuts, there’s no reason to avoid them. While they are high in calories, moderation and proper timing can allow you to reap their benefits, including a healthy heart, good skin, healthy eyes, and anti-stress properties.

Cashews are best enjoyed as a snack. Roast them and have about a fistful between meals, pre- or post-workout, during or after a trek or game.

If you found this article on the benefits of cashew nuts helpful and would like to share your thoughts or have more questions, please feel free to leave a comment below. For further insights and tips on maintaining a nutritious diet, checkout Healthy Reads or speak to a certified expert by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.

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How To Control And Fight Hunger Cravings

hunger cravingsFor many of us, our lifestyle has become sedentary, leading to increased mental and emotional stress which often results in binge eating. When we are stressed, we find outlets to overcome it, and the first thing that comes to mind is eating! A sedentary lifestyle coupled with irregular sleep leads to hunger cravings which ultimately results in gorging on unhealthy food such as junk food, chocolates, refined foods, bakery products, juices, soft drinks, pizza, etc., leading to weight gain. Let’s take a deeper look. 

How Much Time Does It Take Food To Get Digested? 

  • After having a meal, our GI tract slowly empties by pushing food through the stomach. From there, it goes to the small intestine where it gets absorbed and then it reaches the large intestine. It takes approximately 2 hours for this entire process.
  • Hunger cravings occur 2 hours after having a meal when the food gets digested. So, our brain picks up messages from the stomach and tells us that it’s time for our next meal.
  • This entire system is regulated by two hormones in our body known as hunger hormones – Ghrelin and Leptin.
  • Ghrelin stimulates appetite and is produced in the stomach when it’s empty, promoting fat storage.
  • Leptin controls appetite and signals the brain to stop eating.
  • If we eat after every 2 hours, ghrelin will not be released, and there won’t be any overeating.

Tip To Control Hunger Cravings 

  1. Eat before you feel hungry at an interval of 2 hours.
  2. Have 6 meals in a day: 3 main meals and 3 mid-meals. Eat slowly and have a fruit as a mid-meal, avoiding fruits with the main meals.
  3. Snack on nuts like foxnuts, almonds, walnuts, peanuts, and a mixture of various seeds to help you stay full.
  4. Add spices and chillies to your food as they increase satiety.
  5. Avoid fasting: Skipping meals can cause your body to go into a fat-storing starvation mode, making it harder to burn calories.
  6. Have jaggery, jaggery powder, stevia leaves and honey to curb sugar cravings. 
  7. Include proteins in all your meals. Proteins are the building blocks of our body. They take longer to digest than carbohydrates and are considered to be more satiating than carbs and fats. They keep your energy levels up and appetite down.
  8. Eat fiber-rich foods since they help regulate bowel movements and make you feel fuller for a longer duration. They don’t add calories to your diet and cannot be converted to glucose. Include leafy green vegetables, fruits with the peel like apple, pear, plum and even berries, sweet potatoes with skin, potatoes, oatmeal, fenugreek seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, cinnamon powder, drumstick, garden cress seeds, sesame seeds, peanuts, figs, raisins and prunes.
  9. Quench your thirst to control your appetite by drinking plenty of water. Drink 12-15 glasses of water throughout the day. Have 1 glass of water before and 1 after a meal, as water is a no calorie quencher. You’ll be able to decrease your hunger before you start eating so you aren’t starving at the table. In case you don’t like the taste of plain water, have green tea, cinnamon tea, buttermilk, coconut water, lemon water or detox water.
  10. Exercise for 30 mins every day: It lowers the level of ghrelin. It increases the feeling of fullness, boosts your metabolism, and helps in burning more calories. Indulge in yoga, pilates, cardio, stretching, skipping, dancing, etc. 
  11. Maintain a regular wake up and sleep schedule: To avoid midnight hunger pangs, don’t stay awake for a long time post-dinner. Have soups, salads and protein-rich meals for dinner to avoid eating junk food. Make a habit of having 1 tsp flax seeds post-dinner since they have fibers that will make you feel satiated.

We hope this article helps you understand your hunger cravings and how to curb them. For more tips on controlling hunger cravings, check out Healthy Reads or ask a GOQii Coach by subscribing for Personalised Health Coaching here.

#BeTheForce 

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