Music is Healing

Music is Healing

I’m one of those people that believes in feeling my feelings. Not that it’s always been easy, however, I think it’s better to feel rather than shut them down. I seem to feel things very deeply and sometimes I am unable to express them for a bit until I get more clear or grounded. I have found music is a healing way to express some of those strong emotions. When I resonate with something it makes me feel more connected – I am not alone as that is the sense I have sometimes if I am struggling with something “big”. When I hear a song and it brings me to tears – I see that as a good thing! I just allowed myself to feel something that perhaps needed to come to the surface.

I have written songs that I couldn’t even sing without crying…..and over time it gets easier ~ those are the most healing. I know some people will purposefully not listen to certain songs because of the strong emotions it brings up. Of course not all music is meant to bring tears of sadness – it could be tears of JOY! 

Think about the elderly – they still remember song lyrics from years before – often bringing happy memories back to them and they have a reprieve from their daily routine. I work with children in an elementary school and when they are exposed to music they light up! Some children that are normally kind of quiet and reserved will become an entirely different child when expressing themselves freely with music. 

 

When I was in a Music Together training they had an infant there. Did you know that infants are able to hear pitch and can mimic what they hear? I think our bodies are signaling to us what we need. Humming can stimulate the Vagus nerve, I’m wondering if chanting “Om” does the same thing. Have you ever done that with a group and noticed how the vibration is magnified in a group setting? It can take us somewhere. I also learned that different keys – or notes resonate with our different chakras. I once heard a woman perform some very sad songs in minor keys and I remember feeling very touched by them and challenged myself to write some of those kinds of songs. There are many types of songs for many different moods we are in. I find that so fascinating! 

Music connects us in a way that knows no barriers. If someone speaks another language than what the singer is using, they can still feel the music and have a connection. The old saying “Music is the Universal Language” rings true. And we are able to access so many different cultures of music. I seem to really like drumming – I love to play a Djembe and be part of a drum circle AND sometimes I have to get up and dance – it’s just in my blood and bones! My body is speaking loud and clear! And I choose to listen!

Music and Healing... so beautifully intertwined!

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