Music is Great Medicine
Music is such good medicine.
When was the last time you REALLY LISTENED? I mean you put down the phone, settled into stillness and listened so deeply to a song you could hear the singer breathe? Or perhaps the noticed the detail of a single instrument that makes its appearance only one short time during a song?
This practice of REALLY LISTENING requires being present. It means you’ve moved past the personality/ego that has natural likes and dislikes and a history. It means you are feeling the sounds in your body before the mind interprets and organizes the sound. There is a space there, where time feels like it stands still and the delicious sensations of the sounds vibrate into different areas of the body, stimulating emotion, the nervous system to speed up or slow down, and different areas of the brain that can invite in greater concentration, positive thoughts, imagination, and more. Music has this power ….and so often like so many of life’s sacred treasures, it gets pushed aside or not paid attention too. Ecstatic Dances for me are a journey into this place and an honoring and respect for the great musicians and artists that create the music we get to move with.
Heres a few tips that have helped me dive deeper into sound and into choosing music and practice listening.
Set up a time and make it exactly for this practice. “I am going to listen to a song”.
Sit down with an upright spine and nothing behind you ( not leaning back).
Center in your breath and focus on your intention. Then empty. Clear distraction.
If you are needing energy, pick a song thats upbeat, has a rhythm, and something you haven’t heard before. If you are feeling stressed pick a song that has soothing lyrics or softer tones. For a challenge, pick songs with less lyrics and more instrumental qualities. Consider songs from other cultures and even ones you’d never listen to normally.
As you listen track YOUR ATTENTION. Keep honing the ability to be present to the song for its entirety and in depth. Soften your body and feel the music as well as opening to recieve the sound in your ears. Repeat with the same song 3 times and note different responses, different sounds you heard, and any changes in the quality of your attention, mood, and energy.
Often times our preferences in music help us to move in familiar patterns in our body. The sounds resonate in a comfortable familiar way…however its healthier to challenge this comfort and reach for a more expanded appreciation of music as it will stimulate and move energy in more dynamic ways if you allow it.
As with anything we are learning to improve or gain skill with it takes repetition and time. Durning this pandemic its a perfect time to not just “let go” of old patterns and ways of being but to consider what NEW SKILLS are you learning to employ??? The art of and medicine of listening and music can overflow into how you listen in general….to your body, to your higher self, to your loved ones and on …….Its a gift to yourself and everyone around you as you become more present and able to receive them with less inner dialog and more openness. Enjoy! love, Kelly