In recent news, we’ve seen waves of black and brown people finally give light to their personal hurdles and experiences with mental health and illness. Furthermore, with music artists like Jhene Aiko taking the lead in incorporating sound healing into her music – it won’t be long until the black youth embrace traditional and alternative therapy as well.
So, what is sound healing all about anyway?
Sound healing is an interpersonal process during which therapists or individuals use music and all of its facets, including physical, emotional, mental, social, aesthetic, and spiritual – to help improve or maintain their health. It is also used to improve learning, build self-esteem, reduce stress, support physical exercise, and facilitate a host of other health-related activities.
Where Did It Start?
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According to a study, music has been recognized for its therapeutic value since ancient times. Greek physicians used flutes, lyres, and zithers to heal their patients. They even used the vibration to aid in digestion, treat mental disturbance, and induce sleep.
Music is actually a part of the cycle of natural life, it is rooted in rhythm and harmony. If you think about it, human life is based on rhythm. Day and night, seasonal changes, and all physiological and biological functions are considered rhythmic. We inhale and exhale, our hearts beat in rhythm through contraction, expansion, and relaxation. Sleeping, eating, menstrual cycles, walking, talking, and other (if not all) functions of life are rhythmic according to studies.
What Are The Benefits?
Heart disease, diabetes, addiction, and mental health issues have all been linked to stress and tension. Meditation, including systems such as mindfulness-based meditations such as sound therapy, has shown promise in inducing the relaxation response and helping alleviate anxiety and improve well-being. The relaxation response is the body’s physiological response in relaxation, including lowered blood pressure to counter the fight-or-flight response and activation of the parasympathetic nervous system.
A recent study examined the effects of sound meditation, specifically with Tibetan singing bowls, on mood, anxiety, pain, and spiritual well-being amongst sixty-two men and women. The results found that the sound meditation participants reported significantly less tension, anger, fatigue, and depressed mood. Additionally, participants who were previously naïve to this type of meditation experienced a significantly greater reduction in tension compared with those who’ve experienced this type of meditation before.
Feeling like you’re in need of some soul healing? Sound healing may be a feasible low-cost and natural intervention for reducing feelings of tension, anxiety, and depression while increasing your spiritual well-being.
Tia Muhammad, BS, is an award-winning freelance content & media creative, copywriter, blogger, digital designer, and marketing consultant. She owns the boutique content and digital media company, jackieGLDN|studio.
Three Natural Herbs To Keep A Healthy System In The Winter
Winter is one of the most amazing, coldest, and sickening times of the year. Sounds pretty negative but it's true. Men, women, and children wrap themselves in hats, scarves, gloves, coats, long johns, leg warmers and use enough tissue to last a lifetime.
Ok! Enough with the dramatic description. Although each season presents its own pros and cons I've found winter to be one that stands out the most. It is very easy to come in contact with a virus, bacteria, cold or sickness based on human interaction, and contact which can cause a bit of a deficiency in one’s immune system.
One of the first thoughts that come to mind when a person gets a cold is to go to the doctor and receive prescribed medication. In some cases, one may buy cough medicine or orally take a physical pill. Although prescription medicine and vitamins are available to help individuals help their system when a sickness approaches there are far more options and resources. For example, natural resources.
For years, natural resources have cured, healed, and helped people of all backgrounds due to their natural healing agents.
Here are three natural herbs to help get you through the winter!
The first is ginger.
Ginger has always been used in several dishes but it also has other great benefits. Studies have shown ginger to be a great source to treat inflammation, pain, digestion, muscle pain, heart, menstrual pain, brain function, arthritis, and many other issues in the body.
This natural healing agent is proven to maintain tons of antioxidants and is beneficial to the body. Ginger not only improved day to day bodily physical activity, but it's also available in many different forms. Such as ginger oil, ginger root, ginger capsules, ginger chews, and ginger tea.
The second is garlic.
Garlic is another ingredient that has been largely spread in many dishes all around the world (both raw and cooked). Its benefits include Vitamin B1, B2, B3, B6, sodium, potassium, zinc, manganese, iron, and phosphorus. More benefits include flushing the system of bad toxins, skin and hair improvement, heart disease prevention, cold and flu prevention, and many others. The healing power of garlic starts from the inside out and the results are endless.
The third is mint.
Mint provides a great source of antioxidants, Vitamin A, fiber, iron, manganese, and folate. This herb also improves digestion, brain function, breastfeeding, colds, bowel syndrome, pain, asthma, and many other physical issues in the body. More benefits include dandruff and lice treatment, colic, skincare, weight loss and much more. Mint contains the highest level of antioxidants than any other herb.
Herbs effects on the body have always helped to improve the internal and external functions. Adding these to our daily diet improves and balances our system. The fragrance of these herbs alone can change our mood. Some ways to use these include boiling or cold water, roasting, chopping, deserts, and other methods. It's amazing natural herbs often are the simplest healing agents available to us every day.
