alternative Health

Get Healthy without Nasty Side Effects

The body is full of rhythms, when healthy. The heartbeat, the breath, and circulation all provide pulsing rhythms. Like Morse code these rhythms convey meaning. For example the heart beat gets erratic when someone is frightened.

Researcher Michael Thaut, Ph.D., who heads the Center for Biomedical research at Colorado State University, has been using musical therapy to aid stroke victims. He says, "The brain's motor system has a strong capacity to use rhythm as a time keeper to guide and organize physical functions. Those who listen to 30 minutes of music during rehab showed improvements in their ability to walk faster and steadier."  The rhythms of music entrain the rhythms of the body!

In 2001 the Cleveland Clinic found that music lowered stress levels and in young cancer patients built up their immune systems. A client's comment cements this idea: "I really got into it. The sound entered my mind and soul, so that every part of me was filled with energy. I visualized the cancer disappearing. At the same time I used visual imagery to rid myself of the stress in my body, to find peace and harmony, and to find a way to love myself. Then it was like a cleansing that came over me."

According to a study by the Journey of Advanced Nursing people who listened to music an hour a day reduced their chronic pain by 20 percent. It is not surprising that patients notice the impact of healing music and sounds. 

Experimental studies are confirming the effectiveness of music and sound: "Several major physiological systems responded to the simple act of giving the mind a focus (such as sound or music): the metabolism decreased, the heart rate slowed, respiratory rate decreased, and there were distinctive brain waves." ~ Cardiologist Herbert Benson, M.D. Head of the Behavioral Medicine Department and Mind/Body Medical Institute.