Mood:  bright

by Joe Battaglia

400 published scientific papers have proven the old adage that “music is medicine.” Neurochemical benefits of music can improve the body’s immune system, reduce anxiety levels and help regulate mood in ways that drugs have difficulty competing.

“We’ve found compelling evidence that musical interventions can play a health care role in settings ranging from operating rooms to family clinics,” says Prof. Levitin of McGill University’s Psychology Department. “But even more importantly, we were able to document the neurochemical mechanisms by which music has an effect in four domains: management of mood, stress, immunity and as an aid to social bonding.”

The review appearing in in Trends in Cognitive Science, was prompted by the growing number of studies addressing evidence-based music interventions (as opposed to music therapy, which is something else). Prior to this review, no one had really taken the time to look at what all the new evidence was suggesting.

Indeed, music is frequently used for self-medicating purposes; many of us listen to music as a way to calm ourselves or give us a boost. And we do it as frequently — if not more so — than with coffee or alcohol.

Opoids are also responsible for music’s myriad effects on mood, pain and well-being, giving clues to how we can harness its benefits even how it affects our aging.

Like other pleasurable experiences, there are two components to enjoying music: anticipation of hearing your favourite song, and then actually hearing it. The brain signalling chemical dopamine, which is linked to reward, is involved in both phases. But neuroscientists have wondered for decades whether there was more to it — what gives music its power to induce euphoria?

The brain’s natural opioids could be key. Professor Levitin’s team showed that blocking opioid signals in the brain by giving people a drug called naltrexone reduces the amount of pleasure they report getting from their favourite song. They still enjoy the anticipation of hearing the song just as much, suggesting that, although dopamine is involved, it’s when the opioids kick in that music really starts to affect our minds.

A flood of opioids would also explain music’s effect on our body. Listening to music is known to raise people’s pain thresholds, so much so that in some cases, it can be used to reduce the need for morphine-like painkillers.

In their analysis, Levitin’s team surveyed over 400 papers, looking for patterns in the scientific evidence supporting the claim that music can affect brain chemistry in a positive way.

Read more at: http://www.the-open-mind.com/music-more-effective-than-drugs-in-relieving-pain-and-anxiety/#sthash.OClSKS6D.dpuf

Posted by Neil Bartlett DHyp M.A.E.P.H at 15:27 MEST

Updated: Wednesday, 23 September 2015 15:38 MEST

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Mood:  bright

Most of us know we feel a bit better after time in the wilderness but is it all just in our heads? Nope! Researchers from Stanford show that we can measure how a walk in nature does a body good. They showed quantifiable results that it reduces the risk of depression.

According to the researchers, people living in cities have a 20 percent higher risk for anxiety disorders, a 40 percent higher risk of mood disorders and even have a higher risk of developing schizophrenia. Retreats to natural spaces can mitigate this.

Stanford News reports, "The study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, found that people who walked for 90 minutes in a natural area, as opposed to participants who walked in a high-traffic urban setting, showed decreased activity in a region of the brain associated with a key factor in depression... The researchers found little difference in physiological conditions, but marked changes in the brain. Neural activity in the subgenual prefrontal cortex, a brain region active during rumination – repetitive thought focused on negative emotions – decreased among participants who walked in nature versus those who walked in an urban environment."

In other words, the National Park System should be considered a public health service! Creating and maintaining parks, open space preserves, state and national parks and even small green spaces within the urban landscape where nature is accessible are vital to a happy country.

Read more: http://www.mnn.com/health/blogs/stanford-study-measures-health-benefits-nature-walks#ixzz3fgaOyQYg

Posted by Neil Bartlett DHyp M.A.E.P.H at 00:01 MEST

Updated: Wednesday, 19 August 2015 15:30 MEST

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Mood:  lucky

What would it take for you to be truly happy?

Forget money, health and success. According to one group of scientists, what you really need is a four-step, 10-week program that changes your mindset.

Created by the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, the program uses a series of exercises that they say helps train people's minds into choosing happiness.

Dr Amit Sood, who led the research, says 40 to 50 per cent of your happiness depends on the choices you make and where you place your focus each day.

'You can choose to live focusing on what is right and beautiful in your life,' said Dr Sood who is the author of a new book, 'The Mayo Clinic Handbook for Happiness: A Four-Step Plan for Resilient Living.

'Happiness is a habit,' he added. 'Some of us are born with it; others have to choose it.'

Previous research has shown that our minds are hard-wired to focus on negative experiences.

For our ancestors, this helped keep them stay alive, providing an evolutionary advantage in the face of danger.

But simply shifting perspective away from the negative and embracing the positive will make you far happier than you might realise, says Dr Sood.

That's easier said that done, he admits.

'There are simply techniques that you need to repeat. For instance, just think, will this matter five years from now? If not then it's not worth your time.'

The book makes readers focus on a different positive emotion each day, such as gratitude, forgiveness and kindness.

The first part of his programme is to train your mind so you can have more power over your thoughts.

Practices include doing something known as the 5-3-2 technique.

This involves making your first thought in the morning about five people that you're grateful to have in your life.

For the first three minutes you meet your family, meet them like a long lost friend, Dr Sood advises.

And he says, for the first two seconds when you see another person, send a silent 'I wish you well'.

The second step in the book's plan is building emotional resilience through gratitude, compassion, acceptance and forgiveness.

'When things go wrong,' he says, 'try to focus on what went right within what went wrong.'

The third stage of the program is to strengthen the connection between your mind and body.

Sood encourages a range of activities designed to relax the mind including reading, exercise, music, art, prayer, meditation and yoga.

Finally, he says people should pick healthy habits, such as exercising more and eating well, and lighten up.

Read more

Posted by Neil Bartlett DHyp M.A.E.P.H at 00:01 MEST

Updated: Thursday, 9 July 2015 10:57 MEST

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Mood:  bright

Gazing at the stars or staring out across a vast ocean could make you a nicer person, a study suggests.

Feeling a sense of awe promotes altruistic, helpful and positive social behaviour, researchers found.

By making us ‘feeling diminished in the presence of something greater than oneself’ – so prompting us to realise how small and insignificant we really are in the universe – awe shifts our focus away from our own individual needs and towards the greater good, the researchers from the University of California-Irvine said.

We commonly experience awe in nature, but also in response to religion, art, and even music, they added.

‘Our investigation indicates that awe, although often fleeting and hard to describe, serves a vital social function,’ said lead researcher, Dr Paul Piff.

‘When experiencing awe, you may not, egocentrically speaking, feel like you’re at the centre of the world anymore.

‘By diminishing the emphasis on the individual self, awe may encourage people to forgo strict self-interest to improve the welfare of others.’

For the study, which was published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, the scientists carried out five different experiments involving more than 2,000 people.

In one of the experiments, 1,500 people answered survey questions about how predisposed they were to feeling awe. Then they played a game where they were given ten raffle tickets and had to decide how many to share. Those who were more likely to feel awe acted more generously.

In the other four experiments, the researchers asked groups of people to watch a video or gaze at something in their environment designed to elicit awe or another emotion, such as pride, or simply a neutral state.

Afterwards, the groups were asked to play games that showed how pro-socially (positive, helpful, aimed at promoting social acceptance and friendship) they behaved.

Those who were awe-inspired acted more in the interests of others,

Read more: dailymail.co.uk

Posted by Neil Bartlett DHyp M.A.E.P.H at 00:01 MEST

Updated: Saturday, 6 June 2015 20:07 MEST

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Mood:  cheeky

By Jenn Savedge

Health experts have known for some time that exposure to light helps to regulate the body's internal clock. That's why humans get sleepy when it's dark outside and start to wake when it's light out. But new research has found that it may be more than light affecting our circadian rhythms; it may be the color of that light that really makes a difference.
 
For the study, researchers from the University of California, Santa Cruz took a look at how mice were affected by the color of the light they were exposed to. Specially, researchers wanted to know if the color of light affected the suprachiasmatic nucleus — the part of the brain that helps vertebrates regulate time using electrical and chemical signals.
 
To test this, researchers exposed mice to various colors and intensities of light while measuring nerve signals in the suprachiasmatic. Using an artificial sky, the mice were tested at various intensities of light, from bright light to complete darkness. And they were also tested when they were exposed to colors of light, such as the pinks and oranges that one might see during sunrise and sunset.
 
Researchers found that when the mice were exposed to light, as well as the various colors of light, they behaved perfectly normally. But when they were exposed to light that went from bright to dark without the color cues, their suprachiasmatic nerve signals lagged behind by about 30 minutes. Other physiological changes — such as a drop in body temperature — that might indicate the mice were ready to sleep also lagged behind by 30 minutes without exposure to colors.

Read more: http://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-well-being/blogs/its-the-color-of-light-that-matters-for-sleep#ixzz3YQW8xAQB

Posted by Neil Bartlett DHyp M.A.E.P.H at 00:01 MEST

Updated: Friday, 22 May 2015 16:01 MEST

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Mood:  bright

Can mindfulness practice (meditation) help vanquish mental disorders? According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), 7.7 million Americans suffer from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder – approximately 3.3% of the US population when combined. Of these, approximately 40% of the individuals with schizophrenia and 51% of those with bipolar are untreated in any given year, but with the new studies being presented by Juan Santoyo and his peers, there could be strong scientific proof that meditation could help even the most debilitating psychological disorders.

Juan Santoyo is studying neuro and contemplative sciences, and he isn’t doing it ‘just to tickle his fancy,’ but to solve the real problem of mental disorders in our society. He presented his findings at the 12th Annual International Scientific Conference of the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

He noticed when his family emigrated from Columbia that many homeless people suffered from psychological orders that often went untreated. Instead of pumping them full of pharmaceutical meds, he sees another plausible solution based on the preliminary results of a study published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.

The paper describes how meditation affects a subject’s ability to change brain activity in the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC). Given the chance to observe real-time feedback on their PCC activity, some meditators were even able to control the levels of activity there.

“You can observe both of these phenomena together and discover how they are co-determining one another,” Santoyo said. “Within 10 one-minute sessions they [participants in a meditation study] were able to develop certain strategies to evoke a certain experience and use it to drive the signal.”

Mindful Meditation

Of course this is far from the first study to show how meditation can trigger mental and even genetic alterations, but for some scientists, the revelation that meditating can actually trigger molecular changes is groundbreaking. While science certainly isn’t needed to experience or even prove the benefits of this ancient practice, these studies are likely heavily contributing to doctors prescribing things like meditation to patients instead of medications.

This has profound implications for those who suffer from psychiatric conditions, since it is known that certain mental challenges can be mapped to certain areas of the mind.

In the study Santoyo was involved with, he found that carefully coded data on experience — “grounded theory methodology” — supports the formulation and testing of hypotheses and a scientific investigation of mindfulness. . . specifically to aid those who have mental health issues. In a study he published on ‘effortless awareness,’ a phenomenon that often accompanies meditation, he noticed that specific memories or thoughts that caused distress could be changed with feedback after a meditation session.

While studying at Brown University, Santoyo has also noted that “these practices [meditation] have allowed him to feel more engaged with what he is studying, to become more adept at handling difficult situations, and to perform better academically.”

From better grades, to handling life’s challenges with greater élan, to helping the homeless, the further study of meditation and mindfulness has a lot to offer. If Santoyo and others studying this phenomenon are correct, more than 7 million Americans could benefit.

About the Author

Christina Sarich is a musician, yogi, humanitarian and freelance writer who channels many hours of studying Lao Tzu, Paramahansa Yogananda, Rob Brezny,  Miles Davis, and Tom Robbins into interesting tidbits to help you Wake up Your Sleepy Little Head, and See the Big Picture. Her blog is Yoga for the New World. Her latest book is Pharma Sutra: Healing the Body And Mind Through the Art of Yoga.

Source - http://wakingtimes.com

Posted by Neil Bartlett DHyp M.A.E.P.H at 00:01 MEST

Updated: Sunday, 10 May 2015 18:42 MEST

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Mood:  bright

A mindfulness-based therapy could offer a "new choice for millions of people" with recurrent depression, a Lancet report suggests.

Scientists tested it against anti-depressant pills for people at risk of relapse and found it worked just as well.

The therapy trains people to focus their minds and understand that negative thoughts may come and go.

In England and Wales doctors are already encouraged to offer it.

Patients who have had recurrent clinical depression are often prescribed long-term anti-depressant drugs to help prevent further episodes.

And experts stress that drug therapy is still essential for many.

In this study, UK scientists enrolled 212 people who were at risk of further depression on a course of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) while carefully reducing their medication.

Patients took part in group sessions where they learned guided meditation and mindfulness skills.

The therapy aimed to help people focus on the present, recognise any early warning signs of depression and respond to them in ways that did not trigger further reoccurrences.

Researchers compared these results to 212 people who continued to take a full course of medication over two years.

By the end of the study, a similar proportion of people had relapsed in both groups. And many in the MBCT group had been tapered off their medication.

Scientists say these findings suggest MBCT could provide a much-needed alternative for people who cannot or do not wish to take long-term drugs.

In their report, they conclude it "may be a new choice for millions of people with recurrent depression on repeat prescriptions."

Nigel Reed, who took part in the study, added: "Mindfulness gives me a set of skills which I use to keep well in the long term.

"Rather than relying on the continuing use of anti-depressants, mindfulness puts me in charge, allowing me to take control of my own future, to spot when I am at risk and to make the changes I need to stay well."

Full Story from BBC

Posted by Neil Bartlett DHyp M.A.E.P.H at 00:01 MEST

Updated: Sunday, 26 April 2015 14:15 MEST

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Mood:  happy

We are human so stress is an inevitable part of our existence however, stress can cause problems to your both physical and emotional health. High levels of stress can cause a decline in life satisfaction, create problems with concentration, and even cause depression and anxiety.

Even though stress cannot be avoided, there are ways in which it can be reduced, if not completely alleviated. Sound therapy is an effective treatment for the relief of stress and anxiety when life's demands become overwhelming.  Sound therapy is not difficult to do.  It consists of listening to relaxing, therapeutic sounds or music for several hours per day.

This can happen by listening to soothing sounds, such as the sounds of a gentle creek flowing, are used.  Often times, sound therapy consists of music therapy.  Music therapy is the listening of soft, relaxing music in a session, promoting relaxation.

There are different ways in which sound therapy is used as a technique for relieving stress and anxiety.

1) By repeatedly listening can have a long-term calming effect two to three hours per day can help with stress management.  But may need to be more or less depending on the situation Music therapy helps increase concentration and memory as well as reduces stress.

2) Sound therapy can be combined with exercise, such as walking, to help elevate mood as well as physical health.

3) Yoga is commonly used while practicing sound therapy. Slow, controlled movements and stretching of the muscles while listening to soothing sounds creates a relaxing experience.

4) Listening to the right music or sounds can enhance the benefits of meditation. Clearing the mind can reduce stress and worry.

5) Sound therapies can be combined with specific visualizations to help create calmer thoughts.

Music that is rhythmic stimulates brain waves. With the right brainwave entertainment, even physical healing can take place during sound therapy.

A slow, steady rhythm can soothe the mind. When the mind is calm, the body and spirit will naturally align positively, healing itself.

However, remembering to create the right environment for sound therapy is important for relaxation.  There is nothing more powerful than the human mind. Sound therapy can help keep the mind healthy, therefore keeping the rest of the body healthy as well.

Posted by Neil Bartlett DHyp M.A.E.P.H at 00:01 MEST

Updated: Sunday, 19 April 2015 18:22 MEST

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Mood:  quizzical

Exercise shown to help reduce inflammation

Yoga can re-energise women who have battled breast cancer.

Just three months of practising postures, breathing and meditation cut fatigue in cancer survivors by more than half.

Inflammation, which is linked to health problems from heart disease to frailty, and increases the odds of cancer coming back, was also eased.

The large, U.S. based study suggests that something as cheap and gentle as yoga could be of huge benefit to breast cancer patients.

Breast cancer is Britain’s most common cancer with almost 50,000 cases a year.

Survival rates are improving but the gruelling treatments can leave women feeling worn out for months – or even years – after they have stopped.

The Ohio State University researchers recruited 200 women who had survived cancer of varying degrees of severity.

Half were asked to attend 90-minute yoga classes twice a week and practise at home, if they could.

The other women were told to go about life as normal but promised yoga classes after the study was finished.

The women, who had undergone surgery and powerful treatments such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy, were also quizzed about their energy levels and subjected to blood tests.

None had done any yoga before the start of the study.

Three months after the yoga classes had ended, fatigue was an average of 57 per cent lower in attendees, the Journal of Clinical Oncology reports.

This is important as persistent tiredness can make people more frail by reducing the amount of exercise they are able to do. As a result, even day-to-day activities become more challenging.

The study also showed that the more yoga a woman did, the greater the boost in energy levels.

Blood tests showed a reduction in levels of compounds linked to the inflammation.

The psychological benefits of yoga have been much studied but this research is some of the first to pin down some of the underlying biology.

Read more: dailymail.co.uk

Posted by Neil Bartlett DHyp M.A.E.P.H at 00:01 CET

Updated: Tuesday, 17 February 2015 13:27 CET

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Mood:  happy

We have all heard the phrase “You are the Master of your own Destiny”. What this means in Law of Attraction terms is that you create your reality and attract into your life circumstances that align to your current state of thinking. We all want to have the most amazing life possible (at least on a soul level – even if the subconscious is in conflict) – but do you have the ability to take the helm and steer your own life?

The Universe responds well to clear and strong manifestation requests coming from a place of confidence, empowerment and self belief. When you are strong and clear in yourself – the Universe can hear you and you are more likely to get what you want. But at the same time you have to make it happen for yourself and be able to take action steps that will get you there. It is the action that is the stumbling block for many. There is a desire, a wish, a dream – and then there is the end result out their in the ethers – as yet unmanifested – but in between is a gaping chasm that can only be bridged through the path of action which requires a degree of self mastery.

Self mastery is the ability to create for yourself what you want in your life from a place of clarity, whilst having the focus and determination not to yield to external distractions that will take you away from where you want to be. When you know what you want and you believe you can have what you want and you can do the action steps –  you will receive or experience it.

So how can one become the Master of one’s Destiny and harness the Law of Attraction to its fullest?

Here are 5 basic steps that can greatly improve your ability to create your own life.

1. Recognize you have the power to choose. If you are not where you want to be – you have to narrow the gap through the power of conscious and clear choices. Your life is a product of your choosing and if you want to manifest well you have to be able to become aware of what you are choosing! If your subconscious is doing it for you – then you are at the mercy of the unknown. Make it a point to know yourself better.

Your whole life is the product of your choices.

Positively affirming choices take you closer to your ideal – negative choices take you further away. You can compound the power of positive choices to build a powerful field of intent that will attract positive circumstances into your life. If you believe you cannot choose – you are a victim and must then just hope for the best. Being a victim to outer circumstance is a power drain and not fun. Look to see where you give your power away externally. For as long as you do this – others will choose for you – every time – on their terms!

2. Make sure your life is on your terms. Your life has to work for you if you are going to create anything. Working on all levels. Work in work that works for you. Making the money that gives you the life that you want. Manifesting the clients that suit you.

Do a reality check and see who’s terms are running your life?

If they are not yours – you are not a Sovereign Being and you will be living the life stories of others.

Once your life is on your own terms – other people’s stories will not trouble you or sway you from your path. A LOT of obstacles on the path to creating your ideal life will have root causes in living on other’s peoples terms. To have the power to live your own life – take it back from those who you gave it to in the first place. Other people – if you let them – will put rocks in your path – when you least expect it.

Wow! Where did those rocks come from !?

Know what you want and make sure that you are in control of your own life – at all times.

3. Be Yourself. As you have the potential to become your own Master – the way to realize this is to be authentic to yourself. Do not be concerned about what others may think, what people want you to wear, what people want you to be like or worry about getting permission from the outside to be who you want to be. Just be yourself. If you are concerned about other peoples thoughts and opinions – there is some self-love work to do so that you can develop a stronger sense of self determination.

The Universe does not care for ‘hoop jumping’ or ‘people pleasing’. Please yourself and you will please those who respect and appreciate you. If people do not respect and appreciate you – the chances are you do not want them around anyway.

4. Be aware of dream-stealers. Make sure you do not share your manifestation wishes with those who believe you should not have it. If people would never consent to what you want – ask yourself what are you doing in their lives? There is a power in keeping one’s mouth shut in such cases.

Blabbing to the whole world about what you want will dilute your energy and prevent you getting what you want. What you will then get is a mixture of your dreams mixed in with a dose of everyone else’s dreams – whether agreeable or not!

Intent and focus is magnified when you strengthen up your energy field and cease being the loose cannon. Many of us like to post our wishes and dreams in Facebook groups so that we can get support in manifesting them – but it does not work like that. There are big Facebook Support Groups out there for Manifestors but the truth is that the words Manifestation and Support Group are a contradiction in terms. Only you can create your own life. You are responsible for it. No-one else can do it for you. If you are weak willed and ask others to help – you will attract into your life those who do not have your best interests at heart.

If you need support, hire a therapist first to sort out the emotional problems so that you can stand on your own two feet. Then think about using the Law of Attraction after.

5. Do not take crap or crappy behaviour from people. A big one but an important one. People like trying to crap over successful people because they hate their own life and feel envious, jealous or downright hateful. Learn how to deal with it and develop a thick skin. Be loving and soft on the inside and know when to share that – but make sure you have some protection in the world. Learn how to give karma back that is not yours and learn how to not attract crap in the first place.

Many philosophies talk about love and forgiveness but the real forgiveness is in releasing your emotional attachment to the story so that it no longer affects your life. Period.

The more you love and respect yourself – the less you will be presented with other people’s emotional crap. Once you have the above 5 in place – you are well on the way to manifesting your amazing and abundant life.

About the Author

Free Spirit is a Spiritual Master and a Teacher of Ascension after spending his whole life in pursuit of spiritual understanding. He is also the author of Keys to Immortality (his third book) and has some public discourses on You Tube. He also builds Merkabah structures to enhance dreaming as well as teaching dreaming workshops and providing personal and in depth spiritual mentoring to VIP clients.

His website is at www.keystoimmortality.com and his You Tube Channel is here https://www.youtube.com/user/FREENANDAY

Source - http://wakingtimes.com

Posted by Neil Bartlett DHyp M.A.E.P.H at 00:01 CET

Updated: Monday, 5 January 2015 19:46 CET

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