Techniques of Music Therapy
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The apt techniques of music therapy further take music therapy to the next level of an alternative treatment option.
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 Music has a healing effect on mind and body. Music is the stress reliever. It is seen that soothing music has many beneficiary effects. Music has a sedative effect also, it reduces the doses of tranquilizers in patients. There are many different techniques of music therapy. It should always be done under the observation of an expert. Many music have bad effects like hard metal, rock etc. One should like the music, which is played during the treatment, and the physician should be concerned about it as taste of music varies from person to person. It is found that if one listens to music forcefully against his/ her will, it will create adverse effect.
If one wants stimulation after a day's tiring work, he/she must select faster music than a slow calm music.
To relieve stress, one has to take a 20-minute 'sound bath'. First one should start some relaxing music in the sound system and then lie down on a couch or floor in the comfortable position. For a deeper experience one can wear headphones for more concentration and to avoid distraction.
Music of slow rhythm, even slower than natural heartbeat and music with repeating cyclical pattern is found to be most effective in most of the people.
One must concentrate on his/her breathing letting it deepen, slower and regular and focus on the silence between the notes of the music. This makes music to rinse over one's body and the relaxation is more complete.
When concentrating seems to be tough, one must select music that he/she familiar with like childhood favorite or favorite oldies.Familiarity often introduces calmness.
Taking a walk with the favorite music in the Walkman is also very useful. Inhalation and exhalation with the tunes of music relieves the stress and produce a combined effect of exercise and meditation.
The other effective way is to listening to the sounds of nature like ocean waves or the calmness of a deep forest can reduce stress. One can take walk for 15-20 minutes near the seashore or a quite patch of wood or otherwise can buy tapes of these natural sounds.
Music therapy is utilized in hospitals, nursing homes, psychiatric health centers and in schools. In hospitals music is played to relieve pain along with anesthesia or pain edication, elevate patient's mood and fight depression, promote movement for physical rehabilitation, calm or sedate a patient, to induce sleep, counteract apprehension or fear, lesson muscle tension for relaxation and reduce tension of autonomic nervous system. Music is also used to treat elderly people by increasing and maintaining of their social, physical, mental or emotional functioning. The sensory and intellectual stimulation of mind through music can enhance a person's quality of life. Music therapy is very useful for the persons with mental sickness as it helps in positive change of mood and emotional states, resolving emotional conflict. Thereby music helps to get control over one's life leading to stronger family value. Music therapists are often hired in schools to provide their services listed on the Individualized Education Plan for mainstream learners. Musical therapy strengthens nonmusical areas like communication skills and physical co-ordination skills, which are important for the daily life.
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