Music Therapy Can Literally Heal Your Brain

Music Therapy Can Literally Heal Your Brain
Benjamin Tourtelot (center)

Damon Orion – In March 2006, U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Benjamin Tourtelot was leading an Australian rappel training exercise in Hawaii. Due to an equipment malfunction, he fell headfirst from a helicopter to the landing zone 110 feet below.

As well as sustaining a shattered skull, two broken arms, and a severed optic nerve, he lost his pituitary gland and a significant portion of the right frontal lobe of his brain. Continue reading

Ways To Improve Memory And Live Longer With Music

“Singing, dancing, listening to music, and playing music can all add years to your life and life to your years.” – D Alban

We intuitively know what scientists are now proving – that music helps you remember, get smarter, and live longer.

Let’s take a look at how music helps us remember, how music is being used to rehabilitate the brain, and how it can lead to a longer, happier life. Plus, we’ve got two fun videos that will have you dancing in the aisles!

Music Is in Our Genes

All cultures have music. The oldest known musical instrument is a 40,000 year old flute carved from a bone.

Music has been universally used to help people remember language and stories significant to that culture. A remnant of that is teaching our children nursery rhymes.

It appears we are genetically programmed to respond to music. Babies in the womb react differently to music they like and don’t like.

Young brains that are exposed to music build more neural pathways, possibly leading to higher intelligence. One popular study found listening to Mozart led to higher scores on intelligence tests.

Findings like this led to a theory called the “Mozart effect”. Playing Mozart to babies before and after birth was believed to make them smarter. While this concept has fallen out of favor with the scientific community, many people are still convinced of its worth.

How Music Effects the Brain

Albert Einstein attributed his great intelligence to playing the violin and would turn to music when he needed help solving a problem.
Albert Einstein attributed his great intelligence to playing the violin and would turn to music when he needed help solving a problem.

Listening to music is complicated. It’s said to be one of the few activities that requires using both sides of the brain simultaneously.

The creative right side of the brain resonates with the melody, harmony, and pitch, while the left side analyzes changes in frequency, rhythm, and intensity.

We play music and then the music plays us, bringing our emotions to the surface.

Listening to music can lead to improved focus, memory and attention, language skills, and physical coordination. Continue reading

Elements In The Voice

JillsWingsOfLight  December 18 2013

soundWave

Another variation of consciously using our voice to create positive change is demonstrated in the next exercise. In this case we are going to incorporate sounds of the following fundamental elements into our voice:

* Metal
* Air
* Water
* Wood
* Fire
* Earth

The elements can be detected in our voices as follows:

* Metal – has the feel of clarity and resonance. Some good teachers have metallic voices that keep the class awake and command attention. In an unbalanced state people with this voice can be over meticulous or overwhelming in crowded places.

* Air – has the feel of uplifting energy, taking one away from the earthly plane. This voice does not feel grounded or weighted down.  Continue reading

Subconscious Messages

JillsWingsOfLight  September 25 2013

What does our voice tell other about how we want to be treated? The invisible truth is – the way people treat us is affected by subconscious vibes that we send out. Unconsciously they are affected by our unconscious messages. A good portion of relationships occurs below our conscious minds.

People react to the subtle energy we send out…that we are not aware of. However, we can increase our consciousness, by focusing on our thinking and feelings as we interact with people. Focus on tiny feelings that you may not even be able to put into words. What you think and feel will carry on your words.

Our voice is a bridge to others. We subconsciously and habitually tell people how we want to be treated as quickly as we introduce ourselves. What voice do we use, when we say our name? Let say our name several times and feel how it sounds. These questions will help analyze our subtle messages to others:

  • Do we love our name as it comes out of our mouth? Do you even like your name? Can you say your name as if it is the most special sound in the world?
  • What are we feeling? Proud? Insecure? Suspicious? These feelings are part of our messages. They are not hidden.
  • What is the speed volume, pitch, EQ of our name? Try saying your name and changing each one of these items. Which ones sound the best?
  • What is our posture, which affects our voice?
  • Where does our name vibrate in our body? Our head? Our gut? Our nose? Try saying your name and think of a different area of your body and watch your voice change?
  • Do we change the pitch at the end of our name? Does it go up or down?
  • Do we say our name like a question, expressing uncertainty about who we are and what we want?
  • Do we swallow our breath? Do we say our name in the front or the back of our mouth? Do we want to reach out to them or hope they come chasing after us?

Continue reading