Indulging in Music

"It is just as important that a person become evolved and enlightened in music as it is that someone become improved by thoughts." – Flower A. Newhouse

It is fairly well established that a good piece of music, selected for you by you or a knowledgeable music therapist after analyzing your age, body constitution and problem to be addressed etc., can serve as a therapeutic intervention and such prescription can go in harmony with all or any treatment of medicine, you may already be undergoing.

Music can be an effective complementary medicine, since it can help people coping up with their problems. Though it may or may not be directly intervening as a therapeutic tool, recent researches indicate that it helps in bringing about certain transformation in body and mind which results in rejuvenating the immune mechanism.

BDA (Before, During and After) Exercises with Music

Before the Arrival of Music…

Before switching on the music, ensure your privacy. Please ensure that you have selected a place free from any disturbance. First of all, switch off your cell phone, while switching on music, for you cannot have cake and eat it too!

When you are with music, you have to be with it whole-heartedly: with all your being. So, ensure that you are disassociated with friends and colleagues (only temporarily!) when you are indulging in music.

It is better to have head-phones even if you are in a private room, undisturbed by exterior forces.

As you have to spend at least 40-50 minutes in any therapeutic session where only you and music are there please ensure that you are free from all obligations during this tryst. Have your light food (moderate food is preferable ) or drink (no alcohol can be allowed to come between you and your music!), wear lose-fitting, minimal garments, remove all cosmetic prostheses including contact lenses (remember, your partner ‘Music’is not bothered about your look and it only expects your indulgence and time!) and free yourself from all thoughts and inhibitions.

As you are alone with music, assume the position which relaxes you most (for this good old shavasan comes handy!), climate that comforts you (switch on the air-conditioner to the extent you need) and speak to your mind lovingly that you are going to indulge in music for the next half-an-hour or so and request it to cooperate with you by not bothering you with unnecessary thoughts and futile memories, which are buried in the past.

If you believe in God, you offer your mental salutations. Otherwise, salute the music which is going to be with you – like a loving companion during the session, escorting you to places and niches of your inner universe, unvisited or unfathomed by you so far! Be ready for the musical journey and before switching on, surrender to its logic and construction as you are not going to judge its content, grammar, quality, system, composer and things like that. You are from now on a humble companion, allowing to be wafted into the world of music by the gentle or fiery, low or high, painful or ecstatic, masculine or feminine, ascending or descending, rhythms or resonance of the mighty music that follows.

Close your eyes and become mentally naked before it! Except the feelings of love in your mind towards music, no other thoughts – no other feelings to be allowed to be harboured during the entire session.

As the Music Plays…

Release all your tensions and negative feelings into the flow of music. While doing so, absorb at the same time the beauty, love and harmony, emanating from it. Whenever any block is felt, visualize its opening in the music played. Feel how music pampers you, hugging you, caressing you and loving you as its partner. Feel the love notes and love passages in it. Enjoy its beauty and visualize that your whole being is activated and flushed with its positive flow. Every time a musical passage returns, feel that it brings you re-assured support and faith back to your system – may be lost in your childhood. Feel the presence of love of your loved ones or events in the music through out. Avoid all attempts made by your mind to divert you from your music.

After the tryst …

Once the music is over, keep the same body-mind posture and bring back the sounds to your mind with great joy and praise.

Allow the silence to overtake the sounds. And enjoy the silence as if it is also reassuring the love offered by the sounds of music. Love the silence and be loved by it. With these thoughts – after resting in silence for at least 5 minutes- get back to your mundane affaires with music in your background.

Have a nice day filled with music and musical silence!

Contributed by Shri T.V.Sairam, President NADA center for Music Therapy, Chennai