It was many years back….. I was driving to Apollo hospital with my two little boys, 8 and 5 to be with their father who underwent a back surgery. The three of us were lost in our silent thoughts. We had reasons to feel that way. His left leg was already paralyzed as a result of a disc prolapse and fragmentation. The spine surgery meant a no or go situation. Either he would return to good health, or he would remain that way. His choice was to go for the surgery, since he had nothing to lose. Turning into Greams Road, Shakira's 'Hips don't Lie' began to stream through the speakers. As if by magic the three of us were possessed by the upbeat music.
By the time I found a parking space we were singing along loudly, and our bodies had freed themselves from the mental strain and found their own rhythm and movements. We let the music play till the end, collected our goodie bags and got out of the car feeling revitalized. Walking into the recovery room quietly the three of us were brimming with hope, greeting the supine precious man of our lives not knowing if he will walk again or not.
We kept our optimism high. I was constantly listening to chants and reading the Bible and Gita for support. Four days later he took his first steps and rehabilitation took just a few days. Music remained our constant companion and comfort during the hospital stay and the convalescing period back home. Just two weeks later, after the doctor's review appointment he drove the car back home. A month later he was back in the tennis court swinging powerful backhands.
It went unnoticed then. But looking back, music of different kinds, chants and prayers kept our hopes and spirits high during the tough times. It helped keep my heart soft and hopeful. Music continues to uplift my spirits, often nudging me to break into a dance, especially Latinos.
Listening to upbeat music and dancing to it, is a fantastic and fun way to move energy. When our energy is at its zenith, those around us are pulled into it too. I have many playlists of different kinds of music as well as karaoke. From meditative and classical, to rock and roll and rap, there is enough music in this world to lift our mood. Depending on our moods and needs, music can bring out hidden emotions and eventually take us to higher states of happiness and awareness.
Technology has made it easier to have world music at our fingertips. Dance whenever possible and let your body follow its own impulses. Perhaps you can sing a few songs everyday, even if you are not a singer. Singing regularly over these years as a practice has been an amazing de-stressor for me. The bonus is that my voice is better, and I can call myself a singer. This has boosted my overall confidence and emotionally balanced. Echoing ABBAs words, we are dancers long before we learn to walk and singers long before we learn to talk. Indeed, a wonderful addition to our daily lives that helps to move stagnant energies, relax our minds and uplift our spirits.
And did you know? Listening to soulful music and singing everyday can also raise our kundalini energy. Kundalini is the natural god-force energy that is already present within us. The natural flow of Kundalini is an upward and inspirational movement that is often blocked by our resistance. As we sing regularly, we are using our breath to streamline the energy movement. While singing we take deep breaths and have a modulated exhalation. This naturally releases any stress and toxins thereby giving us a refreshing feeling. The more you enjoy singing and the more consistent you are, energies naturally rise and stabilize. You would be in a more receptive environment.
Closer home we have traditional styles of Carnatic and Hindustani music that offer us a variety of ragas. Ragas produce distinct sound vibrations that affect specific parts of the body. Our cells too are vibrational in nature with specific frequencies that resonate with the ragas. So, while Sahana raga has a calming effect on the mind, Bhairavi raga can bring relief to sinusitis and toothache. When played and listened to in an ideal environment, it has been seen that Hindustani and Carnatic music have visible healing effects on psychosomatic illnesses.
Music therapy by itself can heal or provide a strong support along with conventional treatments. Insomnia, chronic headaches, migraines, depression, anxiety, panic attacks and autoimmune diseases can be healed completely with a consistent and conscious musical treat. Emotions like fear, sadness and anger can also be alleviated by a steady dose of carefully chosen ragas.
Finally, Om. The mystic mantra has the power to evoke our soul expression. Every syllable within Om - aa, oo, mm and the silence that follows, leads the chanter to the stillness and silence within. It's a connection to one's own roots that inspire us to absorb our cosmic heritage in this human experience. You can listen to a rendition of Om or chant it yourself for a few repetitions and then observe the silence within.
To sum up, everything is vibration. Life is energy and consciousness vibrating in different frequencies. Our body is energy and consciousness at low vibrations. Optimistic and wise thoughts have higher vibrations while negative thoughts are low vibrations. This is beautifully reflected by our emotions. Our actions too have a rhythm to it. If you listen to your breathing, you will find your own rhythm. When you walk, your legs move in a rhythm. The rhythm of day and night, the changing seasons, the ebb and flow of the waves of the ocean are all directing us to tune into our true resonance.
So, when you are low on emotions, put on your favorite music, sing along and watch your body follow the beat. As you sing and dance your blues away, a new you emerge! In truth, we are invincible creators that deliberately lowered our energy so that we could experience the joy of discovering our invincibility bit by bit. Let music lead the way!
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