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Musical Moments at Home – How to Use Music to Connect

December 12, 2021 - 07:59 PM Music is culturally universal; we all have versions of songs that we use to connect, communicate, and bond. They vary by style, but the one commonality is that they exist for the same purpose. Now, let’s be clear, you do not have to be a talented musician or even own an instrument to benefit from the tips in this article! Bringing music into your home can exist at any level, and we’ll talk about how to incorporate it in whatever way is accessible and fun for you and your loved ones. So let’s help you have some fun musical moments at home. Why Do Music Activities at Home? These days our lives seem to be more faster-paced than ever. We habitually run from......

Songs, Stories, and Healing

December 03, 2021 - 09:20 AM Research has shown that music alleviates symptoms of anxiety and depression. As music therapists – we see this every day. These days – my first encounters with clients often bear the marks of anxiety, depression, and loneliness. Their faces are drawn, shoulders slumped, and body language closed and tight. They report that they are “okay” or “getting by” – and as we enter into the music together – it never takes long for a shift to occur. The muscles around the mouth and eyes begin to relax, shoulders draw down the back and the body begins to express a sense of openness. There are smiles, even laughter. “I listened to this song a lot......

Maury Regional Cancer Center Receives Headphone Donation

November 02, 2021 - 09:38 PM COLUMBIA, Tenn. — Patients at the Maury Regional Cancer Center will now have the option of listening to calming instrumental music while undergoing treatments thanks to a donation of wireless headphones from The River of Calm – Music to Soothe Your SoulTM online radio station through the Maury Regional Health Care Foundation. The River of Calm Healing Headphones are wireless rechargeable headphones that are pre-loaded with a selection of calming instrumental pieces carefully curated to ease discomfort and provide a peaceful environment for patients. Cathy Oakes, a Columbia-based composer and concert pianist associated with The River of Calm, and Ed......

Alternative Cancer Treatments

September 24, 2021 - 01:45 PM When someone is diagnosed with cancer, the emotional and physical consequences can be devastating. Part of any successful treatment is taking care of our mental and emotional well-being. However, due to the unpleasant side effects of invasive treatments, this is easier said than done. For some patients, it can be beneficial to pair conventional treatments (such as radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery) with alternative cancer treatments. Complementary treatments can be used to manage the side effects of traditional medicine, including nausea, fatigue, and a loss of appetite. This article will focus on ways that you can strengthen your body and your mind. Here are a few alternative......

How New Skills Can Transform Your Life

August 13, 2021 - 03:41 PM Over the past 15 months, the coronavirus pandemic has wreaked havoc with all our lives. While many frontline workers are stressed as never before, others are stuck at home in a kind of hibernation. (Pssst - The River of Calm provides music to soothe anxious and weary souls, so make sure to visit the site for comfort.) For now, if you are ready to move forward and restart your career as life is returning to normal, it might be a good time to give your career a boost with the help of online learning. Here is how to start. Online Education Type the words ‘online learning’ into any search engine, and you are inundated with choices. Although not necessarily a bad thing, this......

How to Make Gratitude a Daily Habit

July 08, 2021 - 06:05 AM It’s easy to focus on what we want rather than what we have. But when we shift our awareness to the present moment, we begin finding moments of gratitude in everyday life. We tend to talk about gratitude as a way of expressing thanks—thanks for a meal, an event, or an act of kindness. Following the lead of researchers in the field of positive psychology, the definition of gratitude is a little more broad. We define gratitude as the conscious appreciation of any aspect of our life experience. Sonja Lyubomirsky, on the other hand, offers a more poetic description: “It is wonder; it is appreciation; it is looking at the bright side of a setback; it......

Top 5 Benefits of Listening to Positive Music

July 01, 2021 - 06:05 AM Can you imagine living a day without music? I can’t, and I’m not alone. Americans listen to 4 hours of music every day. There’s no other activity that we do that takes up as much of our time as listening to music, besides work and sleep that is. Despite music taking up such a significant part of our lives, we rarely stop to think about the quality of the music. We care deeply about the other things we consume like food and TV. You likely avoid specific restaurants for being unhealthy, and change the channel as soon as certain TV shows come on. Yet, we rarely stop to think about the positive and negative influence of the music we listen to. “Music can change the......

10 Benefits of Listening to Relaxing Music

June 29, 2021 - 06:05 AM Maybe you have your own playlist of relaxing music. You turn it on when you need to calm your mind. Music can make us feel so wonderfully peaceful. It produces serotonin to relieve our stress and relieve physical pain. It’s always there for us. And it’s not a coincidence. Music has a huge impact on our brain, and relaxing music does actually make us feel better. For example, there is a well-known theory — though it’s not yet empirically proven — about the good that a frequency of 528 Hz can do to our body. It’s called the Solfeggio frequency, originally used in Gregorian chants. Whether it’s healing or not, what we do know......

Music Therapy as an Alternative Cancer Treatment

June 24, 2021 - 06:05 AM What do we know about music therapy for cancer patients? We know that music has a large effect on us in general. It can make us smile when we're feeling stressed. It can take us out of a robotic "do" mode and put us in touch with our "feeling side." But what about people living with cancer? Do studies tell us what our hearts do—that music can make a difference? Research hasn't disappointed and seems to say that the sound of music really does help people climb the mountains we call cancer treatment. It can even cause our hearts to beat—not like a bird—but in healthier ways. There are now 30 National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers that offer music......

Music Therapy

June 21, 2021 - 06:05 AM What Is It Cross-cultural beliefs have long held that music has a healing effect on mind and body. Music can promote relaxation and distract from pain associated with many illnesses. It can also relieve anxiety and distress. Music therapy emerged as a formal discipline in the US in the 1940s, as methods of increased effectiveness became clearer. Currently, there are close to 8,000 trained therapists in the US alone, with thousands more worldwide. Passive forms of therapy may be used to reduce stress before procedures or ease transition from sedation. More active forms are used for rehabilitation, enrichment, and simple enjoyment. Patients may listen to, play, and even write their own......

News

Musical Moments at Home – How to Use Music to Connect

Songs, Stories, and Healing

Maury Regional Cancer Center Receives Headphone Donation

Alternative Cancer Treatments

How New Skills Can Transform Your Life

How to Make Gratitude a Daily Habit

Top 5 Benefits of Listening to Positive Music

10 Benefits of Listening to Relaxing Music

Music Therapy as an Alternative Cancer Treatment

Music Therapy

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