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An article written by MARILYNN SEITS
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Simple Health: The Healing Power of Music

Weıve all heard the expression ³Music soothes the savage beast² and many times weıve gone home after a long stressful day, turned on some beautiful music and immediately started to feel refreshed. Why? What is it about music that can trigger all of our emotions from sadness to ecstasy?

Sound, which is vibrational energy, is one of the most basic elements of the universe and it has a tremendous impact upon our daily lives. Some scientists say that the universe began with a single vibration that grew and spread out until the the universe exploded into existence. As human beings, our bodies are filled with vibrational rhythms from our unconscious breathing to our hearts racing with excitement at the sight of a loved one.

Music can be defined as a series of pitches or vibrational frequencies moving in rhythmic patterns & causing pleasing sounds. Our bodies pulsate with vibrational frequencies moving in specific rhythmic patterns, and since each of the organs and chakras has its own musical pitch, arenıt we by definition musical beings? Because music is such an essential element of our existence, I believe that it can and should be used as one of the main tools to restore order and balance to the body.

One of the basic premises of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is that illness is caused by a blockage in our energy channels or meridians. Acupuncture needles & accupressure massage applied to specific points on the body help to open these channels allowing the blocked energy or chi to start flowing again. Music and pitched sounds from such instruments as tuning forks, glass bowls and metal Tibetan bowls and bells can also be used to vibrate the energy system and clear out the blockage.

The seven chakras or energy openings of the body each have a specific musical pitch. The bottom or root chakra pitch is C. The next one is D, then E, F is for the heart chakra, G for the throat, A for the third eye and B for the crown chakra at the top of the head. Composers who understand this can deliberately use certain musical keys and rhythmic patterns to cause healing of the organs and energy systems of the body.

My own compositions are improvisational although I do plan which keys to play in and what chord progressions to use throughout the entire CD. Iım careful about rhythm and tempo and rarely use the same pattern for more than a few minutes at a time. The expression ³marching to a different drummer² literally applies to each of us for we all have our own individual internal rhythm and tempo. For this reason, repetitious musical phrases and heavy beats are distracting and can be in conflict with our own natural rhythm and tempo. The most relaxing music is designed to quiet the mind by eliminating the swirling thoughts and allowing us to focus on our breath so we can find our own internal pace. Continuous patterns and drum beats become their own ³noise² in the mind and are best used for aerobic exercise or moving meditations like Tai Chi or Yoga.

For meditation, relaxation, massage and healing, I prefer music that is not easily predictable and doesnıt interfere with the natural tempo of breathing. If you keep the music in the background and focus on the breath, the healing energy of the music can quiet your mind, heal your body and bring joy to your soul.

Marilynn Seits, West Palm Beach, Florida 2000

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