[SoFlaVeg] Music is a Must for Good Health & Your Brain

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Misty L. Trepke

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New Study Confirms It:

Music is a Must for Your Good Health … and Your Brain

by www.SixWise.com

 

http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/05/10/12/music.htm

 

No matter what goal you're seeking--calm, energy, arousal--music is a

must-have.

 

A new study in the journal Heart has good news for music lovers:

whether you are seeking arousal and vivaciousness or calm and

relaxation, music is a must. What's more, the researchers found that

such reactions are good for your heart.

 

Participants in the study listened to raga (Indian classical music),

Beethoven's ninth symphony (classical), rap (the Red Hot Chili

Peppers), Vivaldi (fast classical), techno and Anton Webern (slow

" dodecaphonic music " ).

 

When listening to fast music with complex rhythms (classical, techno,

etc.), participants' breathing and circulation sped up--the faster

the music, the greater the degree of physiological arousal.

Meanwhile, slower music (raga, etc.) created a fall in heart rate and

induced calm. The reactions occurred regardless of the individuals'

musical preference.

 

During two-minute pauses in the musical sequences, all indicators of

arousal fell below levels recorded before listening to any music. The

researchers say these reactions could be helpful in heart disease and

stroke.

 

Great Music for any Mood:

Calm, Relaxation, Arousal

" A Morning Raga/An Evening Raga " by Ravi Shankar: Ideal

listening for a soothing night of relaxation, calm and meditation.

" Ode to Freedom: Bernstein Conducts Beethoven's Ninth

Symphony in Berlin: " Perfect for a soothing Sunday at home.

" One Hot Minute " by Red Hot Chili Peppers: Pop this in for an

energy boost any time of day.

" Vivaldi: The Four Seasons: " Great music to get you going on

your way to work.

" Techno Party, Volume 1 " by The Happy Boys: This will wake

you up for a night on the town.

" Webern: Passacaglia, Symphony, etc: " This is what you need

while sitting in rush-hour traffic: instant calm.

 

Music for Stress Reduction and Job Burnout

 

Music is, of course, also an excellent tool for stress relief, as

anyone who's ever zoned out to their favorite CD after a hard day can

attest to. A sense of calm can be achieved not only from listening to

music, but also from making it.

 

A landmark study published in Advances in Mind-Body Medicine found

that a Recreational Music-Making (RMM) program, in which employees

use percussion instruments together to create a sense of camaraderie,

drastically reduced employee burnout and mood disturbances among

long-term care workers. Long-term care is one of the most

stress-prone industries, and it suffers from a high rate of employee

turnover, burnout and dissatisfaction.

 

So researchers were pleased to find that RMM reduced total mood

disturbance by 46 percent among this group. Plus, during the program

many experienced " a refreshing sense of group nurturing and support,

coupled with heightened interpersonal awareness and respect, which

prompted ongoing meaningful dialogues. "

 

Like Sleep? Try Music

 

A study published in the February 2005 edition of The Journal of

Advanced Nursing found that older adults with sleep problems who

listened to soft music at bedtime reported a 35 percent improvement

in their sleep. The participants slept longer and better, and had

less daytime dysfunction, after listening to 45 minutes of music

before bed.

 

" The difference between the music group and the control group was

clinically significant, " said Hui-Ling Lai, lead author of the study.

" The music group reported a 26 percent overall improvement in the

first week and this figure continued to rise as they mastered the

technique of relaxing to the sedative music. "

 

Music Therapy on the Rise

 

Music therapy, the clinical and evidence-based use of music

interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic

relationship, is a growing field. According to the American Music

Therapy Association, music therapy can be used to help:

 

* Children, adolescents, adults and the elderly with mental

health needs, developmental and learning disabilities

 

* Alzheimer's disease and other age-related conditions

 

* Substance abuse problems

 

* Brain injuries

 

* Physical disabilities

 

* Acute and chronic pain, including mothers in labor

 

As certified music therapists continue to pop up in psychiatric

hospitals, rehabilitative facilities, medical hospitals, outpatient

clinics, day care treatment centers and more all over the country,

it's clear just how much impact music can have on our well-being.

 

You can find out what effects music has on you right from your own

home--just pop in your favorite CD, sit back and listen.

 

Fidyl

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