Big appreciation to my guest blogger today, Sharon Carne! Enjoy
There are so many
common sense ways to use music and sound to reduce stress, create more focus,
enhance creativity and make your days easier.
The human body is a natural resonator for sound. We are
deeply and intimately wired for sound – physically, mentally, emotionally and
spiritually.
Let’s take a closer look at a few examples of our wiring for
sound:
1. Sound moves through the more
fluid parts of your body four and a half times faster than it moves through the
air. And twelve times faster through your bones.
2. Rhythm changes your heartbeat,
breathing and brainwaves. This is called entrainment. The music playing in the
grocery store changes your heartbeat. And you can’t turn off this response.
3. Hearing is the first sense that
develops in the fetus. Sound stimulates the growth of the nervous system.
4. Hormones are released whenever
we play music or sing together – feel good hormones, hormones that bond us
together into communities and hormones that help keep us healthy.
Let’s take a closer look at stress and what it is.
The quote below is from an article called “Stress Symptoms,
Signs and Causes.” If you want to learn more about the symptoms of stress, I
recommend you check out the whole article: http://www.helpguide.org/mental/stress_signs.htm
“When
you perceive a threat, your nervous system responds by releasing a flood of
stress hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones rouse the
body for emergency action. Your
heart pounds faster, muscles tighten, blood pressure rises, breath quickens,
and your senses become sharper. These physical changes increase your strength
and stamina, speed your reaction time, and enhance your focus – preparing you
to either fight or flee from the danger at hand.”
Now,
this physical response can be handy in the short term if you are giving a
presentation at work, need to focus when you are driving, in a sports
competition, etc.
The
key here is short term. In the long term, a constant stream of stress hormones
in your body is extremely damaging, not only to your health, but to every part
of your life.
To
put this in perspective – up to 90% of visits to the doctor in Canada are because
of stress related conditions. That’s a big number.
There
are many ways to reduce stress.
Because
of our intimate wiring for sound – at all levels – physical, emotional, mental
and spiritual – most of us intuitively reach for sound or music to reduce
stress.
It’s
our common sense response – because it works.
Have
you ever put on your favorite piece of music after a tough day?
Do
you listen to music while driving to or from work?
A
good friend of my husband’s listens to hard rock on the way home from work. He
intuitively found that the low bass and heavy beat helped him discharge after
work.
But
it really bugged him when he started his car in the morning and this hard rock
blasted from the radio. He really likes light classical music in the morning to
help him focus for the day.
Check out #2 above. Music changes your heartbeat. Stress
causes an elevated heartbeat – and blood pressure.
Music with low sounds and slow rhythms creates relaxation.
Because it slows down your heartbeat, brain and breathing.
We all know that. And we all use it. It’s common sense and
intuitive.
However - KNOWING exactly what music to choose - that works
for you (we are all different in our response to music) - takes common sense
and intuition to a whole new level of EFFECTIVENESS in managing stress.
Here’s another example.
We all sigh when we are upset. It’s an automatic response
every one of us has.
What a really good sigh ACTUALLY does is stimulate the brain
to release endorphins that help your body reduce stress, heal or manage pain.
You can MAXIMIZE the EFFECTIVENESS of a sigh by using your
voice consciously.
Your own voice is the most powerful healing tool you have. Your voice carries every
frequency of your body. Your voice resonates every cell of your body with every
sound that you make.You have it with you all the time and it costs you nothing
to use.And the best part - it creates an instant response in the body, mind
and emotions and spiritual connection.
Try this.....
Put your hands on your upper chest. Feel the bones of your sternum and ribs under your palms. Take a deep breath. Feel the air in the bottom of your lungs. Now release the air with a long ahhhh. Like a waterfall. The way you would say ahhhh when you say, “Ahhhh, what a cute puppy!”
When you add a SINGING tone to the ahhhh, the sound vibrations in your body and the resulting health benefits are focused and amplified.
Common sense stress reduction.
And it only takes a few seconds.
Sharon Carne, BMus, M.F.A. is an author, speaker,
musician, recording artist, sound healer, Reiki master and consultant. Sharon is the founder of Sound
Wellness, whose programs are at the forefront of education in how sound
and music can be easily applied to your everyday life - to reduce stress, help
you concentrate, energize you, inspire you, support your health and so much
more. www.soundwellness.com
