Ambient Music Therapy
January 9, 2010 by marcome
Filed under Ambient Music, Well Being & Self Growth
You hardly need a news report to tell you about the healing power of music. Many studies over the years have confirmed our own personal experiences: music can positively affect our moods. Like purposely turning your mouth into a smile, you can immediately feel happier, more inspired and even relaxed when you listen to your favorite songs.
Any music will do, but doctors and healing professionals often recommend ambient music therapy for therapeutic purposes. Can you just imagine getting this advice? “Listen to these two CDs, and then call me in the morning!”
Ambient Music Therapy - surround yourself with healing music and images (image from laRuth on Flickr)
While there is a group of new age musicians that call themselves “Ambient Music Therapy,” you can also select your own favorite ambient music songs for therapeutic purposes. Visit a site like ambientmusicgarden.com for alternative music tracks, or search for free new age music online.
At YouTube, you’ll find ambient music videos from many new age music artists – myself included! Visit my channel and listen to a range of sounds. Ambient, new age, world music … pick your favorite and chill out!
Where will your music selection take you today? (image from alan2onion on Flickr)
The therapeutic qualities of music have been recognized since time of Plato and Aristotle! According to this article:
“Music therapy, according to the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA), is a well-established health profession similar to occupational therapy and physical therapy, that uses music to therapeutically address physical, psychological, cognitive, behavioral and social functioning.”
Ambient music therapy can be used in many settings. Some people put on the music to help them relax and fall asleep. You might hear it during a massage or at a yoga class. Therapists often recommend listening to new age music artists during meditation and deep breathing exercises. Even fussy babies often fall asleep with ambient music therapy!
Ambient music to aid a relaxed state of mind (image from Vandelizer on Flickr)
Ambient music also has been used by medical doctors as a holistic healing intervention. Studies confirm the positive impact of music in reducing pain, anxiety, and muscle tension levels of patients admitted for an emergent medical condition.
In fact, during WWII, treating doctors and nurses would often play music to help patients suffering from both physical and mental traumas. Because music therapy is non-invasive and non-pharmaceutical, its a safe treatment for patients. There are no risks associated with surgery, and no side effects from drugs.
“The sounds, vibrations, and rhythms of music create a whole-brain, and even a whole-body experience that is effective in treating neurologic disorders as well as physical disorders… music helps stimulate the brain to be more active in sending electrical messages to the muscles and limbs in people with brain injuries and developmental disorders.”
If you are going to self-medicate, then ambient music therapy should be your “drug” of choice!
Body and mind healing through music therapy (image from jamiejohndavies on Flickr)
Why not go and download some ambient music today? Doctors orders!
If you enjoyed this post, be sure to see Marcome: River of Soul to the Seven Seas and Hum a Tune for Happiness.
What a fabulous article. Not enough people really stop to appreciate the healing power of ambient music…and a power it is!
Music has power. Dependent upon the type and lyrics it can take us through a variety of emotions – negative or positive.
I notice that so many places of business turn up the music, which only serves to increase the volume. People then feel compelled to yell in order to be heard. Rather than being helpful, it becomes harmful – to conversation and to our ears.
Music has a place in our head and in our heart. The right music smoothens out our heart rhythms which leads to better emotional, mental and physical health. Smoother heart rhythms equals stress transformation.
Thank you for your gift of music to sooth our souls and smoothen our heart rhythms!
Music and ritual chants have been part of Humanity forever, it surely has some healing power. I personally find joy in the sharing of simply singing folk songs with the family at Xmas. I like to invite people to play shakers or percussion if they’re too shy to sing! I have many friends who are not singers but they do know all the lyrics of those childhood songs we used to love! They bring joy to my heart! Music is the pleasure of sharing & feeling alive! Tks very much for this discovery about the Musical Brain researches. Marcomé xx