How music can relieve the body of stress
Music is a universal ‘language’ that affects listeners emotionally and physically. It’s scientifically proven that the tempo of music can impact how one feels when they listen to it. For example, fast music can make a listener more alert and excited, whereas slow music quiets the mind and relaxes the muscles, making you feel less stressed. Overall, music is an effective stress management and healing tool.
The healthcare field of music therapy is growing steadily. It focuses on using music for healing with the management of cancer, ADD, depression, pain management, stress reduction and more. It’s a sign of how beneficial music can be as a remedy for stress and other ailments.
The healing power of music
It increases dopamine production
A 2011 study by Salimpoor shows that music increases dopamine production in the brain. The study used an MRI to observe how the brain functions when music is played and it found that the pleasure center of the brain that’s stimulated when food and other cravings are satisfied was stimulated.
It affects your state of mind
By increasing ‘the happy hormone’ (dopamine), music helps with adopting a more positive state of mind. This makes it effective with preventing stress, anxiety and depression.
It has positive effects on the body
As previously stated, music’s effect on the mind impacts the body positively. This is because the thoughts you think directly impact your cortisol levels (the stress hormone) and your heart rate. If you’re in a calm state of mind, your cortisol levels and your heart rate will be lower, which boosts health and can increase your lifespan.
Music therapy in ancient African societies
Researchers say it’s difficult to pinpoint when music therapy started in Africa due to the lack of historic documents as African societies passed down knowledge orally. Despite this, McClellan states that many African legends attribute music to a supernatural or divine source.
Music was therefore used to connect to a higher power and to remove illness from the body, with an example being shamans in ancient Nigerian who used drums made of the hide of Indian pythons to heal people emotionally and spiritually.
Ancient Egyptians used music for spiritual and aesthetic purposes. They believed that music had the ability to heal physical ailments and instruments like the flute played a significant role in healing people. Many African societies also believe that music can revive a dying person or animal, a belief that is still widely held to this day.
Try these music vibes for starters
Fela Kuti - Shakara
This classic song can be listened to any time of the day. It’s a relaxing song by Nigerian legend Fela Kuti that’s bound to put you in a good mood.
Tuko Pamoja Meditation Music
Tuko Pamoja translates to ‘we are together’ in Swahili. This meditation piece is an hour long and is perfect for incorporating into your yoga sessions, meditation, and morning and night routines.
Music is a great tool to relieve mental and physical stress and it can be used as a medium to heal.