music is life

“Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”  -Berthold Auerbach

Any living being needs food to survive. Food gives our bodies the energy it requires to function on a daily basis and this energy is used up and hence food is required on a regular basis to draw energy regularly too. Music is energy too. It is a mix of vibrations and sounds which come together to create rhythm and hence an eclectic mix of energy. Just like our bodies need food and energy to thrive in this world, music acts as food for the soul rejuvenating it, filling it with energy and vitality.

Music is fun, relaxing, motivating and energizing. It has a profound impact on our mind and bodies. Here’s why music can be considered as Food for the Soul.

Music precedes language. How often have you heard a piece of music in another language and been mesmerised by the sound you hear? This is because music is universal. Irrespective of language, a good piece of music will uplift your mood even if you don’t understand the meaning of the lyrics. Similarly instrumental pieces are often considered to be more inspiring. Our brains are said to be wired in such a way that we understand music irrespective of age, language or culture.

Music connects with your subconscious.When you find yourself tapping your feet and bobbing your head with the beat of the music playing without even realizing you are doing so is where the subconscious comes into play. Music is embedded into one’s personality and very few people can claim to not like music. This is also a major reason why music is often used as part of guided meditations as our bodies respond to music automatically via its subconscious mind.

Music helps you sleep better. A lot of people suffer from irregular sleeping patterns these days and also from insomnia. Increased stress in diverse and hectic lifestyles has been known to cause fitful sleep not good for one’s health at all. Listening to music before sleeping especially classical, soft music is said to help one sleep better.

Children love music. From time immemorial we have seen infants falling fast asleep upon hearing a lullaby. Even though they barely understand the words or sound, the soothing tone of the lullaby calms them down and they fall asleep. Children learn faster with the help of rhymes and poems set with catchy tunes. Even the alphabet is taught with the help of the famous Alphabet Song. Children learn better through music, art and dance. If a child is so profoundly affected music, one can safely say that music acts as food for the soul affecting us all deeply.

Music affects us emotionally. Music is not only associated with love, joy, happiness but also with sadness and loss. A fast hip hop number has us spinning with joy and dancing away to glory whereas a peaceful jazz number can trigger us into a state of melancholy. We often associate our moods with a particular song or a particular genre of music. A dance music number can fill you with energy and a slow number can put us in a relaxed state of mind. Certain pieces of music make one feel a certain type of way as music affects our emotions directly.

Music connects people.  Music binds people together. The energy at a concert is palpable and it unites people across cultures. It is a social activity since the olden days when there were no other forms of entertainment like televisions, computers or video games. Music was a not only an activity which offered people a break from their routine life but it also helped people bond with each other improving social relationships. No wonder they lived happier and longer than the current generations!

Music makes everybody happy. You will barely find anyone who claims to not like music. Not only is it a good way to connect and socialize with people, music motivates people by putting them in a positive state of mind making them happy. It is a universal phenomena and music is always associated with merry moments. It has been scientifically proven that when you listen to music, the brain releases dopamine which makes one feel happy, excited and joyful. It is said listening to your favorite music for just fifteen minutes will make you happy!

Music improves your creativity. Music is said to impact brain functioning positively. This directly increases productivity and creativity of a person. If the music is suited to the taste of the person, it is said to relax the person and increase the creativity. A little background music is always good to uplift one’s mood and to work better as well.

Music makes you smarter. One often finds themselves singing along with old songs one hasn’t heard in years. Music connects with the heart and you remember words of songs which you haven’t listened to in a very long time. The impact of music embeds them to your memory. Science says that the part of the brain than processes music is right next to the part that regulates memory, hence the connection between a strong memory and music. Any memory associated with a particular piece of music also comes into foray once one hears it again.

Music improves overall health and life quality. Music has such a deep and profound and deep impact on our minds and bodies. It helps in healing one’s soul and releasing the emotional built up of tension. Listening to music is also said to decrease levels of the stress hormone cortisol in the body naturally leading to lesser stress which leads to lesser physical ailments and hence an improvement in overall life quality.

Music is food for the soul. Not only does it help in reducing stress, it makes one happier. It helps in calming down a person, and makes one more creative. Music transcends all boundaries of language and culture connecting people across the globe. It is available in all forms all around us and we should use it to our benefit and incorporate it into our routines to make our life a better and a happier one.