A typical quote from those who love music goes like, music is food for the soul. The saying rings true for the many that have discovered music therapy. Music for sound healing is the point to look at with evidence from ancient China pointing to its therapeutic effects.
By plugging in your earphones and tuning to your best genre, you have the opportunity to relax your mind. It comes in handy when you want a peaceful mental state or even for meditation. The sense of relaxation makes music a to-go form of therapy for various sources of discomfort from physical, emotional, and also mental.
History Of Music therapy
Music has been part of us for a long time and is as old as humankind. It was initially for entertainment purposes, a role it still plays to this day. Scientists have come across fossils of musical instruments that date back to over 40000 years back, and their design points to their use in music therapy.
In China, a country many scholars look up to when it comes to alternative medicine; music was part of treatment to ease various forms of pain. In Chinese medicine, there were five musical notes, each corresponding to a particular element of the universe. The elements were earth, water, metal, air, and fire. There were various musical instruments which, when played, resulted in one or a combination of the notes. Among the instruments were the flute, drum, gong, zither, and many more.
Even works by ancient philosophers such as Plato talk about the power of healing with music and sound energy. In the military, especially during the World War, there were reports that music played in the army wards and helped the injured personnel deal with their pain.
How Does Music Help Reduce Pain?
Music and sound in the healing arts deal with pain among their many benefits. You may have the question of how it manages such a feat. There are several ways through which it presents its analgesic properties.
One of the ways is through vibrations, which make their way into our bodies’ energy stream. Here, you channel the healing energy from music through synchronicity. The synchronicity aspect most probably comes courtesy of our different preferences to different music compositions, where you love one genre more than the other.
Once you have the right frequency in terms of the sound flow, your body goes one on one with the flow. The flow goes down to the system, and there is a tingling feeling that many people notice when their favorite joint is playing. The sentiment is evidence of music and sounds vibration incorporating in your system.
Another way is through the sense of distraction it offers. When you listen to music most of the time, the sweet tunes carry you away as you enjoy the word of the artist and also the accompanying beat. When in immense pain, the soothing element of music comes through as a form of therapy to distract you from the stimuli.
Can Sound Vibrations Heal?
Sound vibrations are the energy bits that come from sound and music. Sound and music can heal your soul, especially if you bump into the right frequency. It is the principle behind the calming effect of binaural beats, which is an advanced form of sound therapy.
When looking at the various ways that music heals, all that remains is to appreciate its presence as a form of therapy. Let us look at some of the ways to use music to answer the question, how does music heal.
● Listening to music
The standard way of using music for therapeutic purposes is through listening to it. As earlier hinted, there are various genres of music that you may like and mostly depends on your personality and your mood. From your character, if you are the reserved type, then calm music will be your cup of tea. Here, you will go for genres such as blues, folk songs, jazz, soul, and many others that have a calm and slow-moving beat.
If you are more of the outgoing type, it will also reflect on your music taste. Here you are more likely to go for the vibrant genres such as metal or pop. Do not forget that your mood also comes to play when selecting a particular tune. When working or during strenuous activities, you need a song that corresponds to the situation, conversely when in a relaxed state, there is a particular genre that will fit the bill.
● Playing An Instrument
Another way to get the best out of sound healing benefits is through playing an instrument. When you play an instrument, you are not only transferring the healing power to yourself, instead also to those around you who are listening to the tunes.
With playing a musical instrument, talent is a must for you to come up with the best compositions. With your skills, you are in a position to radiate the energy from your inner essence to the instrument. You form a connection with your instrument. That is why you see some musicians who prefer their instrument or the ones that they have had contact with. The link helps them come up with the best compositions, translating to sounds that both you and the audience will feel at a deeper level.
Playing the instrument also offers a moment of distraction, which is essential for your mental wellness, especially when stressed. Some artists go into a trance-like state or deep meditation when playing music; such a situation shows the synchronicity the musical sounds achieve and their significance in therapy.
● Singing Along
Singing along is another way to unlock music and sound therapy benefits. Just like playing an instrument, by singing, you have the ability to heal yourself and also those around you. When you sing along, you portray your expertise in this aspect, and it also requires a touch of talent to pull it through.
In the same vein as playing an instrument, you radiate your vibrations, and the energy flow moves from your soul to your audience and yourself. It is also a way to distract you from stressors that may be affecting you and provides you and is an excellent form of music therapy.
When you sing to your favorite tune, you also release tension from your soul, and it is one way of releasing stress and helps you be calm. While it may need you to have some talent to pull it through effectively, you still can do it for therapeutic purposes regardless of your skills. The healing energy from the music comes through your vocals and helps you get rid of negative vibrations when you are in a state of depression.
If you have the ability to test out your vocals, do not hesitate to bring them to play when seeking a sense of music therapy.
● Dancing To The Songs
Another way to channel the energy from musical compositions to help you heal or get a better outlook of your situation is by dancing along to the tunes. Various joints help you shake a leg and channel your vibrations into getting you into an elegant mood.
There are several joints to bank on to dance, with many of them coming to use in aerobics or working out. When you engage in such activities, you have the opportunity to explore music and sound therapy benefits as you get the best motivation to push you to get through the exercises.
In yoga, an alternative medical practice, having some music, helps in making the session exciting and, in a way, plays a role in helping you get rid of muscular tension.
Listening To Binaural Beats
A fantastic firm of sound therapy comes in the form of binaural beats. At the time, they get the tag of E-drugs due to their role in helping in various conditions such as sleep deprivation and depression. You need to have a pair of headsets to listen to the beats with each earpiece registering a different frequency. The different frequencies bring on a relaxed state to the mind and help you cool down.
There are different types created, and each serves its purpose in sorting out the situation at hand. They are available for download from various sites, and you may get the one you want from the internet.
Enjoy the Music Art and Heal
Music is one of the most powerful art forms, and its healing properties garner it the much-needed appreciation. For a long time, music therapy has been a way to heal the soul and mind, more so for those depressed. It has analgesic properties where it effectively fights pain by providing an element of distraction and also through the channeling of healing energy courtesy of its vibrations.
There are many ways to get sound healing benefits, the common one being listening to your favorite tunes. Dancing or exercising to your carefully chosen beats also helps in unraveling the healing energy from music.
Binaural beats have also come our way due to the technological influence and come in to offer mental exercise to help in sleep and even in fighting stress. They are among the top considerations when it comes to music and healing research.
