Music is a significant mood-changer and reliever of stress, working on many levels at once. Though everyone has different tastes in music, listening to the music make you feel comfortable, sounds can soothe you, fire your imagination, bring you to the heights of ecstasy or bring you down to the depths of your soul.
Many experts suggest that it is the rhythm of the music or the beat that has the calming effect on us although we may not be very conscious about it. They point out that when we were a baby in our mother's womb, we probably were influenced by the heartbeat of our mother. We respond to the soothing music at later stages in life, perhaps associating it with the safe, relaxing, protective environment provided by our mother.
If your boss, friend, neighbor, or family member is causing you emotional distress, do some research and figure out new ways to deal with people. Otherwise listening to music does wonder to alleviate stress. Playing music in the background while we are working, seemingly unaware of the music itself, has been found to reduce the stress. Music was found to reduce the pain during dental procedures.
Take walks with your favorite music playing on the walkman. Inhale and exhale in tune with the music. Let the music takes you. This is a great stress reliever by combining exercise (brisk walk), imagery and music. Listening to the sounds of nature, such as ocean waves or the calm of a deep forest, can reduce stress. Try taking a 15- to 20-minute walk if you're near the seashore or a quiet patch of woods. If not, you can buy tapes of these sounds in many music stores.
A group of London based physicians has scientifically experimented on different aspects of music therapy. In their views, the shastric ragas could induce healing of all kinds of ailments. music therapy based on classical ragas is being used or advised these days for the treatment of insomnia, migraine, hypertension, chronic headache, anxiety, etc. and empowers the immune system as well as the auto-regulatory healing mechanism of the body.
The empirical studies on therapeutic evaluation of the classical ragas have shown interesting results.
Singing or engrossed listening of Raga Bhairavi has been found to uproot the diseases of kapha dosha e.g. asthma, chronic cold, cough, tuberculosis, some of the sinus and chest related problems etc. Bol radha bol sangam hoga ke nahin – Sangam; Ramiya vasta vaiya - Shri 420; Bhor bhaye panghatpe - Satyam Shivam Sundaram
Raga Asavari is effective in eliminating the impurities of blood and related diseases. Mujhe galese lagalo bahut udas hun main - Aaj aur Kaal; Chale jana nahin naina milake - Badi Bahen
Raga Malhar pacifies anger, excessive mental excitements and mental instability. Ghata ghana ghora ghora – Tansen; Dukhabhare din bite re bhaiya - Mother India
Raga Saurat and raga Jaijaivanti have also been found effective in curing mental disorders and calming the mind. Yeh dilki lagi kam kya hogi - Mugal e Azam; Manmohana bade jhuthe - Seema
Raga Hindola helps sharpening the memory and focussing mental concentration. It has been proved effective in curing liver ailmendts.
Ragas such as Ahirbhairav and Todi are prescribed for those who suffer from hypertension. Tori Jai Jai Kartaar - Baiju Bawra; Mai to ek khvab hun - Himalaya Ki God Me; Khuda e baratara teri jaminpar - Taj Mahal
To control anger and bring down violence within oneself, Carnatic ragas like Punnagavarali, Sahana and so on, come handy.
Stomach-related disorders are said to be cured with some Hindustani ragas such as Deepak (acidity) and Jaunpuri (constipation) and Malkauns or Hindolam (intestinal gas and fever). Simple iterative musical rhythms with low pitched swaras, as in bhajans are capable of relaxation, as observed with the alpha-levels of the brain waves. They may also lead to favourable hormonal changes in the system.
