Arika Trimnell shares – The Healing Power of Music
Music has been an essential focus in my life. I spent most of my youth and young adult life in choirs and accepted a vocal scholarship for my undergrad. My music career made evident music’s impact as a healer and a language that transcends all nationalities and walks of life.
Origins of Music’s Healing Power
Some of our most ancient healing tools and medical practices were rooted in music, like sound baths, mantras, chants, which have been around for thousands of years, assisting people in releasing stress and promoting physical healing through alignment of the body and the sound. Music can influence your emotions and your body.
Music is an effective tool for stress management and concentration, helps with a health condition, and increases happiness too! Music is dynamic in its ability to direct our thoughts, and faster music can help you concentrate. Upbeat music can give you a more positive outlook on life, and a softer, slower pace can help you reach meditative states relaxing your muscles and relieving stress. As most of the history in traditional western medicine, it was slow to uptake what most of us already knew to be true about music.
Modern Day Music Healing
Music therapy has been used in a variety of settings from hospitals to schools. Music therapy, as defined by the American Music Therapy Association, as the clinical and evidence-informed use of music interventions or to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship in order to meet physical, emotional, mental, social and cognitive.
Music therapy intervention may involve, making music, writing songs, singing, dancing, listening to music, and discussing music. Music therapy’s benefits range from reducing heart rate, lowering blood pressure and cortisol, easing anxiety improving mood, recovery of motor and cognitive function in patients with cardiovascular disease, reducing pain, and symptoms of depression.
Choose Your Therapy
Which is your music therapy tool of choice? When you are sad, happy, anxious, which tools do you use? Have you tried using something else, and now you’re inspired to use music? I love all forms of music engagement, especially movement. The music therapy I particularly love is dance! Dance which helps you detach from your thinking minds and get fully in tune with your bodies.
Whether you allow the music to guide you or are engulfed in learning a new move, dance meditation gives you the same benefits of other mindfulness activities like improving self-regulation, focus, levels of happiness, well-being, decreasing stress, and emotional reactivity, depression, and anxiety. Dance permits us to focus entirely on the present moment and not on all of the unfinished tasks or upcoming events.
I cannot tell you how many Grey’s Anatomy dance parties I’ve had in the face of adversity to help relieve the stress or anxiety of a life challenge. I am reminded of a quote by Hans Bos:
“While I dance, I cannot judge, I cannot hate, I cannot separate myself from life. I can only be joyful and whole. This is why I dance”.
Music is the fabric of our lives, and it is in everything and is all around you. Yes, even in the quiet moments of life, there is music supporting the stillness. Best of all, music healing can be done everywhere while doing anything. Why not use music to take back control of your life and control the soundtrack too?
Does music change your mood?
I’d love to hear what type or piece leaves you feeling happy – leave me a comment below..
About The Author
Arika Modupe’ Trimnell is a spiritual and mindfulness professional who aims to help others heal from the past, align with the present, and surface profound clarity to build a wonderful, empowering future.
As the founder of Prism Vibes, Arika has an extensive background when it comes to religious teachings, inner activation, and soul realignment and enjoys leveraging that to guide purpose seekers towards living a life filled with purpose and happiness.
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Arika Trimnell, is a spiritual and mindfulness expert .