Music is a universal language that can overcome different cultures, beliefs, and languages. It has a transcendent ability to touch the human soul. The cells in our bodies respond to it, and even those who can’t hear it can feel it.
The organic power of music is inescapable.
When individuals find themselves facing physical or emotional distress, they commonly turn to traditional medicine to find relief. But medicine tends to treat symptoms; it doesn’t address the root cause of the imbalance.
Music is a holistic therapeutic alternative that can be a viable medical treatment—and there is a growing body of research that supports this unsung hero of healing.
Music’s Effect on Physical Health
Doctors and researchers are increasingly recognizing the physiological impact of music on the body’s natural rhythms.A Wilkes University study suggests that certain types of music may improve immune functioning. To reach this conclusion, researchers measured undergraduate students’ IgA antibody levels before and after 30 minutes of exposure to one of four conditions: a tone click, a radio broadcast, a tape of soothing music, or silence. Amazingly, the study found that students exposed to the music had significantly greater increases in IgA than in any of the other conditions. IgA is critical to our immune system’s front-line defense against disease.
Music can also help us help ourselves. Researchers in the United Kingdom found that listening to motivational music increased the length of time study participants could walk on a treadmill before reaching exhaustion. By improving our endurance and boosting our exercise performance, music can definitely contribute to an overall healthier lifestyle.
This is just the beginning of a long list of potential perks, as additional research indicates benefits along the lines of lower blood pressure, reduced pain, relieved headaches, enhanced learning retention, reduced muscle tension, improved focus, smoother digestion, better sleep, increased blood flow, and more.
Be warned, however, that not all music is created equal and some music can reduce reading comprehension and memorization. Seek something soothing and possibly instrumental.
A Time-Tested, Natural Remedy
For thousands of years, we’ve used music and chanting as a way to naturally treat and ward off disease. The Chinese character for medicine is even based on the Chinese character for music.Music is a completely natural, organic modality of healing with zero side effects, and it’s painlessly simple and inexpensive to administer. There are several ways to introduce music into your daily regimen and vastly improve your physical and mental health almost instantly. Here are three of them:
1. Use Sound to Sleep Soundly
Music is known to influence and regulate your heart rate. At rest, a healthy human heart beats at approximately 60 to 80 beats per minute, so if you listen to a piece of music that has a similar (or slower) tempo, your heartbeat will sync with the music, and you will begin to relax. Create a long playlist of slow songs, and play them as you go to sleep—you'll quickly be singing along with your own chorus of Zs. A full night of rest is one of the most important investments you can make for your health; happiness and clarity will be the resulting dividends.2. Tune In at Work to Tune Out Distractions
Studies show that listening to music—especially the songs we love—while we work boosts brain activity and productivity. In 1972, Applied Ergonomics conducted a series of experiments on factory workers and discovered that there is a strong correlation between background music and workplace efficiency. Listening to music releases a powerful neurotransmitter called dopamine—a key emotion and mood driver that’s also released when we eat delicious food and meditate. Who isn’t more productive when they’re in a great mood?3. Create Harmony in Your Home
There is music specifically written to calm and encourage us. There are even frequencies in music that can be used to soothe mental and physical ailments. Experiment with different music and see which ones seem to bring a tangible sense of peace to your home. Your children and pets will be noticeably calmer, and you will get more accomplished throughout the day.Beyond a sense of calm, music is increasingly being recognized for its potency in the realm of healing. It may be that music can do more than we imagined, and the medical world is certainly beginning to take notice.
This article was originally published on NaturallySavvy.com
