The following are general guidelines to maximize the effectiveness of the music.

1.	To wash away stress, try taking a 20-minute "sound bath." Put some relaxing music on your stereo, then lie in a comfortable position on a couch or on the floor near the speakers. For a deeper experience, you can wear headphones to focus your attention and to avoid distraction.
2.	Choose music with a slow rhythm - slower than the natural heart beat which is about 72 beats per minute. Music that has repeating or cyclical pattern is found to be effective in most people.
3.	As the music plays, allow it to wash over you, rinsing off the stress from the day. Focus on your breathing, letting it deepen, slow and become regular. Concentrate on the silence between the notes in the music; this keeps you from analyzing the music and makes relaxation more complete.
4.	If you need a stimulation after a day of work, go for a faster music rather than slow calming music.
5.	When going gets tough, go for a music you are familiar with - such as a childhood favorite or favorite oldies. Familiarity often breeds calmness.
6.	Take walks with your favorite music playing on the walkman. Inhale and exhale in tune with the music. Let the music takes you. This is a great stress reliever by combining exercise (brisk walk), imagery and music.
7.	Listening to the sounds of nature, such as ocean waves or the calm of a deep forest, can reduce stress. Try taking a 15- to 20-minute walk if you're near the seashore or a quiet patch of woods. If not, you can buy tapes of these sounds in many music stores.

MUSIC THERAPY - " For - Brain, Body & Soul "

MUSIC THERAPY - " For - Brain, Body & Soul "

Music has frequently been used as a therapeutic agent from the ancient times. Music is a kind of yoga system through the medium of sonorous sound, which acts upon the human organism and awakens and develops their proper functions to extent of self-realisation. This is the ultimate goal of Hindu Philosophy and religion. Melody is the key-note of Indian Music. The 'Raga' is the basis of melody. Various 'Ragas', have been found to be very effective in curing many diseases .

How Music Helps ?

Music helps in the treatment of actual diseases in the following manners :-

1. One obvious use of music is that of a sedative. It can replace the administration of tranquillizers , or at least reduce the dosage of tranquillizers.

2. Music increases the metabolic activities within the human body. It accelerates the respiration , influence the internal secretion, improves the muscular activities and as such affects the "Central Nervous System " and Circulatory System of the listener and the performer.

When we use term Music Therapy , we think world -wide system of therapy. Literature of Vocal part of Indian Classical Music is not sufficient in that case . I apply the formula of three ' Ps ' -

i] Perfect Time , - It includes duraton , span , interval and time to play the music .

ii] Perfect Direction - It includes posture and cnditions to listen the music.

iii] Perfect Force - It includes Tone , Timber , sound quality and volume of Medicative Music .

iv] remember the three categaries of p atients i.e.

v] Music Learned , ii] Music Lovers , iii] Non-Musical

From

Music Therapist of India
Dr.Bhaskar Khandekar

Music Therapy

WHAT IS MUSIC THERAPY?

Music therapy is the use of music to accomplish therapeutic goals: the restoration, maintenance, and improvement of mental, physical, and spiritual health. It is the scientific application of music, as directed by the therapist in a healthy environment, to bring about positive changes so that the individual can develop to his or her full potential and achieve a more satisfying adjustment to society.

Many experts suggest that it is the rhythm of the music or the beat that has the calming effect on us although we may not be very conscious about it. They point out that when we were a baby in our mother's womb, we probably were influenced by the heart beat of our mother. We respond to the soothing music at later stages in life, perhaps associating it with the safe, relaxing, protective environment provided by our mother.

Music can be one of the most soothing or nerve wracking experiences available. Choosing what will work for any individual is difficult, most will choose something they 'like' instead of what might be beneficial. In doing extensive research on what any given piece of music produces in the physiological response system many unexpected things were found. Many of the so-called Meditation and Relaxation recordings actually produced adverse EEG patterns, just as bad as Hard Rock and Heavy Metal. The surprising thing was many selections of Celtic, Native American as well as various music containing loud drums or flute were extremely soothing. The most profound finding was Any music Performed Live and even at moderately loud volumes even if it was somewhat discordant had very a beneficial response. Whenever the proper sounds were experienced an amazing right/left brain hemisphere synchronization occurred. The normal voltage spiking pattern changed to a smooth sinusoidal waveform and the usual voltage differential equalized. The entire human energetic system is extremely influenced by sounds, the physical body and chakra centers respond specifically to certain tones and frequencies. Special consideration should be given to the positive effects of one actually playing or creating music themselves.

Among the first stress-fighting changes that take place when we hear a tune is an increase in deep breathing. The body's production of serotonin also accelerates.

Music was found to reduce the pain during dental procedures.

Playing music in the background while we are working, seemingly unaware of the music itself, has been found to reduce the stress.

Music was found to reduce heart rates and to promote higher body temperature - an indication of the onset of relaxation. Combining music with relaxation therapy was more effective than doing relaxation therapy alone.

Affirming Lyrics for double Stress Relief

If you listen to music that has affirming lyrics you are feeding your brain positive thoughts. This may make music therapy for stress relief twice as successful. It will surround you with positive energy instead of negative energy. The positive energy should decrease your stress levels.

Our energetic system is affected by the tone of music. This causes a physical reaction to certain sounds and frequencies. No one likes the same type of music. Whatever you choose to listen to should make you feel comfortable. Listen to your emotions. Make sure your nerves feels soothed. That way you'll know if it is a positive type of music for your individual taste. Fast paced beats can speed up your heart rate and cause difficulty in relaxing your mind. Slow beats or rhythms will slow down your thoughts and you will naturally relax.

There are other ways to listen to music for reducing your stress besides going to a music therapist. Music affects the mood in different situations. If you listen to music when you wake up in the morning, your day might run smoother. When you have a hard day at work, the last thing you probably want to do is to make supper. Put on your favorite music and cooking may seem like a breeze. Taking a walk and listening to music with nature sounds or sounds of the sea can be extremely calming. Slow tones will cause relaxation and is great to hear right before bedtime.

Illness can cause severe stress. Listening to music together with whatever treatment you are receiving can have a strong healing effect on your body. It can also cause your endorphins to raise in your brain. Endorphins are natural painkillers.

Serotonin is a chemical that transmits the nerve signals between nerve cells. If your serotonin levels are to low, you may become depressed. Depression can make the stress in your life seem a lot worse. Music may raise your serotonin levels and lift your depression and stress anxiety.

Music Therapy is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program. (American Music Therapy Association definition, 2005)

About Stress

Everyone has stress in their lives. Stress can range from mild to severe. If we let the stress build up without doing anything to relax, our health can be affected. Headaches, diarrhea and gastric problems can be caused by stress. If it is constant and for a long period of time we are putting our health in danger. Serious problems such as heart problems and diabetes could develop.

One way to combat stress is using music therapy. A music therapist views the particular needs of their client. The client and the therapist both are involved in the therapy. Music heightens mental functioning, promotes healing and helps you feel calm and relaxed. It is considered a creative art therapy. Experts propose that it is the rhythm of the music that has a calming effect on us. A therapist encourages the use of different kinds of instruments. One way listening to music can manage the degree of your stress is it relaxes tense muscles. When you feel relaxed, your worries float into the background.

Music to overcome Depression

Depression has become a common terminology being utilized by everyone alike. Unable to comprehend the incidents or events in the right spirit may be one of the reasons for landing in depression. Comprehending the activities of others in the social situation, either in the classroom, in the midst of peers, understanding the concepts toward studies, even it applies while learning to play a new game in the case of children. Every individual should be trained to develop a clear thinking process as habit. Too much negative thinking may also lead to depression.

Depression in the clinical sense is the extreme version of the more ordinary emotion of sadness and low spiritedness. During depression the activities of brain is considerably reduced especially in the frontal areas. On account of this, activities pertaining to the frontal areas of brain may not be able approached or comprehend clearly. The number works and planning will be of substandard level. To come out of this there are many techniques available in the health awareness field. With out much side effects and positive after effects, Classical Music with specific notes enhances activity in the frontal areas of brain.

Learning takes place only with memory. Learning is the process of building up memories for future use. Neural basis for retention is termed as ‘engram’. Memory is the ‘static residue’ of past activity in a neural pathway. Each learning trial involves reactivating the same neural circuit. Eventually, the circuit is in some sense permanently modified, and when it is stimulated only partially later, the entire circuit is reactivated.Music enhances the bio-chemical nature of the memory. The swaras/notes of the selected ragas are played in such a way to activate the potential chemical agent. The individual memory is the prime satisfying aspect in the therapy. Music as a refined sound gets into the neural circuit to take its own specified neural path. There are a number of chemical substances are involved in the “memory molecule”.The selected ragas given in this album are very special with its effects with regard to its notes/ swaras and the way it has been essayed. These ragas helps to activate the neural circuit and enhance the concentration of the individual.

Music to overcome Fear and Anxiety

Patients undergoing surgical procedures often experience anxiety in anticipation of events that will be unfamiliar, uncomfortable, or have undesirable results. Even minor surgical procedures can produce anxiety in patients, which can affect their postoperative recovery and risk for physiological complications. Music is an easily administered, nonthreatening, noninvasive, and inexpensive tool to calm preoperative anxiety.

1. Music helps to achieve a deep state of relaxation.

2. Music relieves insomnia.

3. Music enables patients to recall suppressed memories.

4. Music helps to achieve lower blood pressure.

5. Music normalizes cardiac arrhythmia.

6. Racing heart beat/rate will slow down and synchronize with music’s rhythm.Exposing to classical music regularly facilitate few positive benefits in patients.Music helps to attain comfort from a discomforting condition.Music gives familiarity in a strange environment.Music paves way for distraction from fear, pain and anxiety.