Alice Olsen

Healing The Heart With Music

by Alice Olsen

Music can heal your heart. We all know this instinctively but don't always recognize the incredible power of music. It can raise you up or bring you down to earth. It can shake your soul or elevate your spirit. It can open your heart to let out the pain and let in the glory. In an African village the beating of drums literally shakes the hurt and pain out of the body, filling the heart with the healing beat of oneness. In a Gothic cathedral the echoing Alleluias open the gates of the heart to let the spirit soar with the angles, filling the darkness with light. In the peaceful meditative music of a raga the rose petals of the heart expand into full bloom.

We hum and sing to our children when they are fussy or upset. It's natural and instinctive. Yet little do we know that those tones and tunes are actually vibrating inside the child, loosening the discord and setting the child back into balance with the great vibration of life. Singing, toning, drumming, dancing, all help us connect with our souls and in turn open our hearts. When the door to the heart is open the darkness can escape and we can be filled with light. One door to the heart is through the ear. As we listen to music, it's various elements effect our physiology and our psychology. A strong rhythm can create a feeling of safety. A slow beat tells the heart to match it and beat slower. A sweet melody holds us in awe while a lush harmony makes us cry for pain or for joy. A long breath of chant tells our lungs to breath slower, deeper and more fully. A clear musical form helps our mind organize the clutter around us. Lyrics speak to our common experiences and trigger our emotions; joy, fear, loss, excitement, anger or elation. Listen to a favorite song. "That's my story" you think, following the words as you connect to the universal myth they tell.

Music touches us at our deepest levels. As the cells of our body are vibrated through tone and beat they try to align themselves. When those tones are healthful, our cells realign, our emotions emerge and our hearts open to be healed. No one kind of music is "healthful", each person instinctively knows what they need at any given time. Got the blues? What do you choose? Probably not a light cheerful tune. Instead you'll pick something that reflects your feelings and helps you to move them up and on their way.

Bathe yourself in as many kinds of music as you can, being aware of what feels good and when. Today might be the day for some relaxing New Age and tomorrow a little Salsa! Let your inner guide lead you to the music that will open your heart to the healing power of music.