Healing Depression with Music

Healing Depression with Music
By Monalisa Hyden

It was aptly said that music is the medicine for broken hearts. No matter how practical and analytical you are, music will touch your heart removing all the obstacles of logic. Have you ever felt how a certain track reminds you of a particular incident, or a special someone? Have you ever asked yourself why Careless Whisper makes you cry? Summer of 69 reminds you of your school days? Yes, music is much more powerful than we can imagine. Music can make us laugh and cry and remind us of our past, can make a moment special with its magical touch, even a certain melody can take us to a flashback tour. There are songs which remain very close to our hearts through out our lives, is not it?

No wonder music will be able to elevate your spirit while you are feeling blue, no matter how bad you feel. You can actually get over stress, depression and anxiety with the help of music. Could you ever imagine that music can heal a number of physical and mental problems? There are specific illnesses and conditions, like stress, chronic pain, insomnia, addictions, smoking, cardiovascular illnesses, post-traumatic-stress syndrome, panic disorder/anxiety, overweight, anorexia, bulimia, depression, low self-esteem, stress, creative or emotional blocks, anger, fear, sadness, hyperactivity, attention deficit disorder, inner child processing (adults), stress and insomnia for the pregnant woman, anxiety and pain during birth, colic and anxiety in the newborn infant, breastfeeding, emotional armor, conflicts, infertility, cancer, anger, AIDS, infection, fear, lack of self-respect, immune system suppression, scleroderma, frustration, individual transformational music, self-reflection, heightened awareness, relaxation, and inspiration. Today let me tell you how you can get over depression with the help of music;

Step 1: You need to select appropriate music for you, depending upon how you are feeling right now. If you are feeling really low, you might think that a peppy music will help you to change your mood. But the notion is wrong; it might make you feel irritated. So you need to choose a song to match your mood. You, at first, need to prepare a proper sequence so that the music can help you. You can create your own music track and save it for future use. When you are depressed, choose the song which will take you to the deepest depression and play it at first. Then the next song should be of mild depression followed by a neutral composition. Then end it with a composition which is really uplifting and motivating. This is the proper sequence of a music therapy to heal depression. You can increase the number of compositions depending on your availability of time and your personal requirement.

Step 2: You should not listen to music with your head phone; rather you should use speakers so that every cell of your body can intake the rhythm and vibration of the music and let the whole atmosphere in the room fill with music.

Step 3: Women, let your hair down, loosen your tight outfit; settle yourself down in a way that most relaxing. Men, loosen your tie knot, lie down and relax, take deep breath while you relax.

Step 4: Now close your eyes and just listen to the music compositions and let your heart, mind and soul go with it. Just release yourself from the logical bindings, set your mind free. If you feel like crying, just do it! There is nothing wrong in it, you cannot imagine how venting-out bitter and harmful emotions like anger, pain, frustration, hopelessness can heal inner wounds. So cry your heart out, I bet you will feel as if a 20 pound weight has been removed from your heart.

Step 5: You need to pre-plan your time so that you do not get interrupted till the end of this session. Make sure that you are not involved in any type of activities during the session to avoid disturbance. This will help you to receive optimum response to the transformation process.

Step 6: While you listen to the music, allow it to reach your inner self just like Enrique sings “All I need is the rhythm divine, lost in the music your heart will be mine…can you feel the rhythm!”…respond freely to it. The way of response can be different to everyone, you may experience the glimpses from the past, or visual images, thoughts, intensified emotions, sleep, physical vibration (you may feel like dancing) etc. Set yourself free and do whatever you feel like, do not restrict any emotion.

Step 7: When the music stops, do not get up and get back to your routine. Sit and enjoy the silence and give yourself time to get back from the world of rhythm.

Step 8: If you can keep a record of your daily report of your mental condition before and after the music session, to measure the improvement. Keeping record is helpful but not very important.

You will sense the difference yourself, I need not tell you how you ate going to feel after passing an hour with music. Let me tell you that a plant’s growth increases if music is played near it, even a dying sapling can be revived my music. Music is the spring of unending positive vibration and power which can comfort any ailing living being, physically or mentally. There is a very strong relationship between body and mind which we can not just deny because science has not been able to analyze it properly till now. Music heal mind and mind heals body, this is the mantra of music. Try the musical tips to heal your depression and let me know how you felt after that!

__________________________________________________________________________

The author, Monalisa Hyden, addresses psychological issues. If you wish to help yourself and your loved ones to fight emotional problems, you can log on to http://www.buy-xanax-online-now.com for more information and advice.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Monalisa_Hyden

Baby Songs Help Heal Sick Babies

Baby Songs Help Heal Sick Babies
By Keith Whiting

"Music hath charms to soothe the savage breast". And baby songs, classical music and other gentle melodies can soothe sick babies and speed healing.

A three-year study by the University of Western Sydney in collaboration with the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne found that playing baby songs including lullabies, light classical, and New Age melodies, to sick babies in intensive care helped calm and sustain their behavior while babies who did not have the therapy deteriorated noticeably, coping less well with their hospitalization.

40 infants were divided into groups: the first group received music therapy while in hospital the second group received no music therapy.

The first group had up to 12 sessions with a therapist singing baby songs to them. Researchers found these infants maintained the same levels of irritability and crying they had at admission.

The second group, who did not have any music therapy, showed an increase in crying and irritability as time went on.

Babies who are less irritable use less energy, which has implications for the rate of healing and weight gain which leads to shorter hospital stays.

Another study at the Yale School of Medicine showed that adult surgery patients who listened to music required much less sedation. And a 1999 study found that listening to music after surgery can reduce post-operative pain.

And everyone has experienced the power of music to create mood and feeling, you hear a sad song that immediately reminds you of a lost love, an up-tempo song from your teenage years plays on the car radio and you start driving faster, a haunting melody brings a lump to your throat, and patriotic songs inspire people to fight for their country.

Many hospitals play baby songs and classical music in their neonatal and pediatric units in order to provide a calming, healing, and soothing environment for the babies. And in Florida, all state funded pre-schools are required to play classical music to the children by law!

In every culture and every country mothers sing to their babies to help calm them and lull them to sleep (hence the word lullaby).

Babies are great listeners and are extremely attentive to their acoustical environment so search out the best baby songs, lullabies and other calming music you can find. If you can find music that you enjoy as well as your baby, it will not only help maintain your baby's health and speed healing if your baby is sick, but it will also help keep your own blood pressure down at the same time.

Keith Whiting, with over 25-years experience as a record producer has worked with some of the biggest names in jazz and pop. He is the founder of DreamsAndLullabies.com a website devoted to Children's Lullabies, Baby songs and Nursery Rhymes. Read other articles and Sign Up for a free monthly newsletter filled with important information and valuable advice on healthcare, sleep problems, nutrition, parenting, etc. at http://www.DreamsAndLullabies.com and as a special bonus receive 2 Free Lullaby mp3s. Email Keith at info@DreamsAndLullabies.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Keith_Whiting

The Benefit of Music Therapy

The Benefit of Music Therapy
By David Z

Music therapy has become immensely popular in modern treatment processes. Music therapy has been implemented on many critically ailing people and it has worked like wonder. It is extensively used as a healing solution to the patients suffering from various diseases.

Music therapy is not only limited to increase personal development, behaviour development, self consciousness of an ailing person, it is even helpful to the intensive care patients. Music therapy can also develop the motor skill, communication skill of a person too.

Music therapy is considered to be a rhythmic entertainment to elderly patients suffering from severe diseases. The use of music as a medication was found in the history Greece in the 16th century. Music and dance was used in treatment of mental diseases at the time. In present days, music therapy is used to reduce the anxiety and stress level. It plays a pivotal role in modern stress management.

Music therapy not only helps stress busted people, but also helps people suffering from chronic illnesses. In this case, patients are allowed to listen to their favourite music for a specific time period. It has been proved that, these music therapy sessions rejuvenate the patients and bring back the lost confidence in their life. Growing positive mindedness is indeed a very good sign for a patient suffering from chronic diseases over a long period of time.

Since music therapy has a tremendous healing and soothing effect on several critical diseases, it is considered to be a secondary treating element for different diseases along with regular treatment process. It can reduce stress, anxiety, pain and controls blood pressure, respiratory rate, hear rate. Apart from that, patients suffering from post surgical problems, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease get positive result using music therapy.

You may have heard about the negative feedback about music therapy. It is often noticed that, excessive sessions of music therapy can cause harm to intensive care patients. But, music therapy is not at all responsible for that. An intensive care patient suffering over a long period of time often weakens the nervous breakdown system. Usage of music therapy leads a sudden change to the surrounding condition of a patient and may result a worse condition of health.

In a session of music therapy, compact disc players, speakers, or headphones, and a wide selection of compact discs are used. A huge diversified collection of crystal players representing cultural and ethnic community is very effective to use for all the intensive care unit patients.

Music therapy should always be conducted by an expert registered therapist to get maximum benefit out of it. It is of no doubt that music therapy is the most expressive amongst all therapies.

Comprehensive Guide to Music Therapy: Theory, Clinical Practice, Research and Training

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Z

Let The Music Heal Your Soul

Let The Music Heal Your Soul
By Marcia Breitenbach

Do you want to live a life of more ease, happiness, balance and prosperity? Of course you do! Why is it so hard for some to move closer to these goals? The answer lies within.

Each one of us carries deep within us subconscious beliefs that contribute to our actions, and thus the actual conditions of our lives. If we believe at this level that we only deserve a certain amount of happiness, or that life is a struggle, or that we are unworthy of very much, then we act accordingly. As a therapist working with others and myself on changing the circumstances in our lives, I have come to the realization that it is imperative to modify our beliefs. And, as a musician, I have found that music can be the tool to heal your soul, change these beliefs, and thus to change your life.

We all know music can be powerful, but can one song really change your life? Absolutely. Here’s the story of one of my most recent songs.

Music has been coming through me ever since I went through some life-changing events 20 years ago. This music was a gift for my healing and then I began to use it in my work as a therapist. I recently went through some more life challenges, including a car accident, the death of my father, and the death of my marriage.

When I wrote the song, “The Magnificent You," I saw that this song had a power that went beyond some of my other songs. It has the ability to heal the wound of unworthiness that sits in our hearts. It has been helping people to change their thinking and their beliefs about themselves so that they can take the steps to reach their goals and dreams. One person said, “It’s my soul’s song. I long to hear it every day.”

A friend who is in the medical profession said she would like to put it on a prescription pad and give it to her patients. It is a song that is to be taken like one of your most life-enhancing supplements, daily and with the intention to move into your magnificence.

Music Creates New Software in Your Brain

Most of you are already on a path to realizing your wholeness and your dreams. You read books, take classes, listen to teleseminars, and you apply these principles to your life. Perhaps you wonder why you aren’t progressing faster. Here’s one reason: You don’t truly believe you can do it and that you deserve it. Those subconscious limiting beliefs are sabotaging you over and over.

Think of your thoughts, statements about yourself, and your beliefs about how the world works as the software that runs your life. Unfortunately, much of this software lies hidden within us and we don’t realize how we continually choose to keep running it and allow it to interfere with all our hard work and the steps we have been taking towards our goals.

Music Bypasses Your “Keep Things the Way They Are” Radar

Music has the ability to get past our intellectual radars, the ones that keep really good information from getting to our core, to that place that makes or breaks us. We all have beliefs and habitual patterns of response built up over the years, making it difficult to make lasting positive changes. No matter how hard we try! It isn’t enough to read about these things and to listen to the experts giving us tools to change our beliefs. We have to get past our cognitive ‘filters’ because they are the gatekeepers to our subconscious.

You Must Be Your Authority

Another problem is that too often we look to others to be our authorities, to help us find our way. It’s ok to go outside ourselves to gather information. Then it us up to each one of us to choose what information we will accept and to give ourselves the message that we are going to be changing, getting rid of what hasn’t worked, and trying some new things. We must put ourselves back in the position of authority so that our subconscious will accept the new beliefs. If we only listen to others telling us we can do something, or singing to us about our magnificence, we are still making others the authority. Each of us is in charge of our own growth. Rather than listen to someone else tell you what to believe, activate your own passkey to your subconscious.

Music can be your passkey. Take this song (you will see at the end of this article a link that will take you to this free song) and sing it (after you’ve heard it a few times) several times a day to yourself. Sing along with the CD in your car, and try to listen and sing early in the morning, or right before bed, when your subconscious mind is more receptive.

Music provides the focus that is often the missing ingredient in people’s path to their goals. It’s easy to let everyday errands, unexpected events and work and family priorities shift focus. It’s not that the intention is no longer there; it’s that we allow other things to ‘take over’ and we can let days, weeks and months slip by without completing the steps that lead us closer to our dreams.

Music Gets “Stuck” in Your Head and Provides a Positive Focus

Music provides the reminder, in a gentle and persuasive way, that our dreams matter, and that we are worthy of having and pursuing our dreams. This particular song stands strong in that very way. If someone likes the song, they are likely to play it often, and they are more likely to stay focused on those steps on their journey to a rich, purposeful and joy-filled life. Also, we all have had the experience of singing a song over and over in our heads—whether we wanted to or not! This feature of music makes it a natural tool for creating new thought patterns that support your desire to change.

Through repetition of this song, you can form a new pathway in your brain that tells you how magnificent you are and that you can step into your power now. The more you sing it, the more you will form a new habitual pathway that tells you what you really want to hear. It has been proven that what we tell ourselves through positive and negative self-talk has a profound impact on our behavior and what we attract to us.

Why Not Just Say Affirmations?

This musical passkey is better than saying affirmations. Why? It is because the vibrations of the actual music bring the message deeper into your being. It’s like a massage to your psyche. The musical vibration allows the place where the beliefs reside to be loosened, allowing space for the old to be uprooted and lifted out of place, and allows the new beliefs a place to take root. The repetition of the song will help to form a strong pathway to this newer, more positive belief.

Also, the subconscious mind absorbs this information better when you are more relaxed and the brain is in an “alpha” rather than “beta” state. The addition of the musical accompaniment to affirming messages helps to induce this receptivity, thereby increasing the likelihood of the positive messages gaining access to the place where the beliefs reside.

You Have the Choice to Change and Be the Best You Possible

Now is the time to own, to really own your personal power. Now is the time to discard feelings and deep-seated beliefs of unworthiness or of feeling you can only have and do so much. You are only as limited as you believe you are. Bring this song into your innermost self and hear, and then sing its power to transform you.

You won’t be disappointed. Do me a favor. Don’t listen to the song once. Listen at least three times when you are not distracted, when you can take a few deep breaths and open your heart and mind to the richness of it. Let yourself imagine its power to transform some area of your life that isn’t moving the way you’d like it to, an area or issue that feels ‘stuck.’

Here’s What People are Saying about This Song of Power:

"Standing ovation, Marcia! That was beautiful. Beautiful message, music and voices. Hope you're creating more."-Dr. Michael Norwood

"Total - head to toe goose bumps! It is beautiful. You've created something extraordinary."-Peggy McColl

Give yourself a gift for the New Year, a song to heal your soul. And, if you like it, tell others about it and write me with your comments.

Marcia Breitenbach is a Licensed Counselor, speaker, author, and musician. She writes inspiring music that replaces negative, limiting thoughts and beliefs with positive, life-affirming ones. Visit her at http://www.themagnificentyou.com to get your free downloadable songs and proven strategies for living a magnificent life.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marcia_Breitenbach

iPod Music Downloads – Free or Cheap Download Is Better? By Davion Wong

iPod Music Downloads – Free or Cheap Download Is Better?
By Davion Wong

iPod music downloads are available to music lovers either for free or at a cost. It can be perplexing to users as to why some sites could offer music downloads for free while some charges a fee. Let’s dwell a little deeper into the world of online iPod music and find out whether it is better to download free music or pay for your iPod music downloads.

When talking about free iPod music downloads, we are referring to downloading music files directly from sources such as Kazaa or LimeWire. These sites are essentially file sharing networks or what we term as peer-to-peer (P2P) networks where the music files are shared.

Now, there are some concerns associated with downloading free music from these networks. One potential problem could be the legality of the iPod music downloads. There could be instances where copyrighted music is uploaded and shared. This is in direct violation of copyright laws. Users could be toeing the line when downloading these copyrighted music files. While this may be true, there are millions of files that are uploaded by amateur musicians and singers who use these sites as a platform to share their music and songs and to launch their careers. These files are completely legal to download. In fact, talent scouting folks do scour these sites in search of the next Big Thing.

There are a host of other shortcomings you may have to deal with if you are considering if you should get some iPod music downloads from these specific sites. The security and protection from attacks of adware, spyware and viruses, or rather the lack of it when downloading the iPod music files is a cause for concern. The downloading speeds could be incredibly slow and the audio quality of the songs and music can be exceptionally poor. Some users have also complained that the songs are incomplete. You wouldn’t want to trade your precious time to download such iPod music that isn’t worth listening to. So it seems that there is some truth in the saying, “There aren’t any Free Lunch in this world.”

On the flipside of the industry is another group of iPod music downloads sites that have recently emerged. These sites offer users memberships to access millions of music and music video download files. It’s not free definitely, but you would be surprised to know that the price of lifetime memberships costs lesser than what you would be paying for a full-length music video DVD at some stores. Word has spread among the online music community that the problems discussed earlier about downloading iPod music files are non-existent at these download sites. It makes sense now why increasing numbers of people are turning to these sites to satisfy their iPod music hunger. Learn more at my blog about which are the iPod music sites that are fast gaining status as top sites for iPod music downloads.

The content of this article is provided for the purpose of education and illustration only and is in no way associated with Apple, iTune, or any company or subsidiary of Apple. This article may be freely reprinted or distributed in its entirety in any ezine, newsletter, blog or website. The author's name, bio and website links must remain intact and be included with every reproduction.

Davion is a successful webmaster and author. Find out how you can access to unlimited ipod music downloads - digital quality music and music videos instantly and easily from home at ipod--music-download.blogspot.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Davion_Wong

Music Therapy Healing For Stress By Michael Russell

Music Therapy Healing For Stress
By Michael Russell

Everyone has stress in their lives. Stress can range from mild to severe. If we let the stress build up without doing anything to relax, our health can be affected. Headaches, diarrhea and gastric problems can be caused by stress. If it is constant and for a long period of time we are putting our health in danger. Serious problems such as heart problems and diabetes could develop.

One way to combat stress is using music therapy. A music therapist views the particular needs of their client. The client and the therapist both are involved in the therapy. Music heightens mental functioning, promotes healing and helps you feel calm and relaxed. It is considered a creative art therapy. Experts propose that it is the rhythm of the music that has a calming effect on us. A therapist encourages the use of different kinds of instruments. One way listening to music can manage the degree of your stress is it relaxes tense muscles. When you feel relaxed, your worries float into the background.

If you listen to music that has affirming lyrics you are feeding your brain positive thoughts. This may make music therapy twice as successful. It will surround you with positive energy instead of negative energy. The positive energy should decrease your stress levels.

Our energetic system is affected by the tone of music. This causes a physical reaction to certain sounds and frequencies. No one likes the same type of music. Whatever you choose to listen to should make you feel comfortable. Listen to your emotions. Make sure your nerves feels soothed. That way you'll know if it is a positive type of music for your individual taste. Fast paced beats can speed up your heart rate and cause difficulty in relaxing your mind. Slow beats or rhythms will slow down your thoughts and you will naturally relax.

There are other ways to listen to music for lessening your stress besides going to a music therapist. Music affects the mood in different situations. If you listen to music when you wake up in the morning, your day might run smoother. When you have a hard day at work, the last thing you probably want to do is to make supper. Put on your favorite music and cooking may seem like a breeze. Taking a walk and listening to music with nature sounds or sounds of the sea can be extremely calming. Slow tones will cause relaxation and is great to hear right before bedtime.

Illness can cause severe stress. Listening to music together with whatever treatment you are receiving can have a strong healing effect on your body. It can also cause your endorphins to raise in your brain. Endorphins are natural painkillers.

Serotonin is a chemical that transmits the nerve signals between nerve cells. If your serotonin levels are to low, you may become depressed. Depression can make the stress in your life seem a lot worse. Music may raise your serotonin levels and lift your depression and stress anxiety.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Stress Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell