MUSIC IS MEDICINE FOR THE HEART
Gary Malkin
“Music isthe sound of life, celebrating itself.”
John Ortiz, the Tao of Music
Music takes us on a journey. Likestories, it can transport us to places deep within our imagination, to innerlandscapes and places that can touch us only through the magic of sound. The warm vibration of string, thetender whisper of wind, the gentle pulse of skin and wood, the incomparable intimacy of the humanvoice – these aural textures can take us to new vistas within ourselves. When we visit these lands and trulylisten, allowing the music to touch our hearts, we can feel refreshed andrenewed. When music is created with the intent to emotionally touch us, it hasthe astonishing power to transport us. It infuses us with a sense of peace andwholeness that feels like home. Musicis a miraculous mystery that can soothe us, inspire us, and awaken us into thepresent moment, enhancing our lives in significant and inexplicable ways.
Music is everywhere. We take it forgranted. We listen while we’re driving, when we’re cooking and engaging in theaffairs of daily life. We know how busy our lives can be. Most of us are coming and going ata dizzying pace. It has become the norm to rush through our days,simultaneously doing many things at once and inadvertently compromising oursense of well-being.
Without realizing the ramifications,we allow ourselves to be endlessly available to ever-intruding digitalcommunication devices. Integrating thesenew gadgets into our lives forces us to significantly alter our lifestyles.Especially when we become parents, the random intrusions can be severe,threatening to undermine our core abilities for focused attention. Imagine howour little ones must feel when we allow ourselves to be chronically distracted.When we deprive ourselves of the rest and quiet we need to function optimally,we cannot give our children the love we feel for them. The cultural epidemicof doing too much and moving too fast continues to adversely affect us all, burrowingits way deep within our nervous systems. It becomes a challenge to remember andprotect our ancient, nurturing instincts. These instincts are essential to helping our babies becomeemotionally and spiritually healthy human beings, ensuring a healthy future forus all.
Thankfullysome things never change. Even at a time in which everything seems to bespinning out of control we can appreciate the simple miracles of life. From thefirst moment of joy when we learn we are going to have a baby, inherent giftsbegin emerging from within and around us. The courage that arises during thebirthing process; The wonder of that first moment with your baby; The sensationof nuzzling next to the softest skin in the universe; The realization thatyou’d risk everything to keep your baby happy, healthy and safe. How can we remember and continue to tapinto these simple gifts of life? How can we awaken and maintain our ancientinstincts with our profound love intact?
Music has a remarkable power. It canprovide a sanctuary in times of challenge and it can serve as a catalyst toalign our deepest selves. It is a tool that engages and integrates our hearts,minds, bodies, and souls. Music offers the sublime result of this integration,a state of being that poets refer to as “sudden grace.”
Music has the uncanny ability to awakenemotions that change the way we experience life. It creates opportunities todeepen our connection with our loved ones during significant life passages. Itcan open our hearts so that we can feel things we weren’t aware of, causing usto share thoughts and feelings that are often left unsaid. Music anchors ouremotions so that we can remember and affirm all that we love.
We knowlistening is the first sense to develop in the womb and the very last sense toleave when we die. We live in aworld of sound. Science has shown that everything in the universe is made up ofvibrations and frequencies, from the smallest sub-atomic particles to the greatestspheres in the cosmos. When we engage in the experience of sound and music, weare participating in the symphony of life, of which we all are a part.
Listeningto music in an intentional way is an effective strategy to deepen andstrengthen our connection to our hearts. It is in this spirit that we created Safe in the Arms of Love. We preparedevery melody, every lyric, and every page to provide a sacred sanctuary for you and your baby.
We’ve justbegun to scratch the surface in understanding the role that music, andespecially singing, has played in human cultures. Regardless of where you originate from, all cultures affirm thepower of music to move, comfort, and heal our hearts and souls. Recent findingshave revealed that the first humans might have been singing long before theyactually spoke. Culturalanthropologist Angeles Arrien has often said that the indigenous peoples of theearth couldn’t imagine a day without singing the way we cannot imagine a daywithout speaking! Singing has been apart of the human experience for as long as we have been on this planet.
Now thata baby has entered your life, take a breath and recognize the great mysterythat you are a part of. Let Safe in theArms of Love provide nourishment during this precious time. Soak in thesemelodies, lyrics, and tender sounds, as you nurse, comfort, talk and sing to yourbaby. Find your singing voice, no matter what your inner critic might think,and sing as if no one is listening. Open to the experience of gratitude, unconditionallove, and appreciation for the miracle of life. When this is how you spend timewith your child, I can assure you that a bond will develop that will lastforever.
“The magic of “Musical Medicine”will come into its own. The application of such healing potencies will not belimited just to man’s body and mind. It will be an agency for building andhealing his soul as well.”?
Corrinne Heline
