The Power of Music

I was out for a run today with my trusty side-kick Mr. iPod, when I started to lose my energy. You know that feeling you get when your body wants you to stop, find a couch, and park it?

Well I was about to cave into those feelings when a new upbeat song came on. All of a sudden I got this burst of energy to keep going. For those 3 minutes and 45 seconds I thought that I was unstoppable. Is it because I'm a super fit? No, it was because music is a powerful thing.

I love music. No matter what I'm doing, I have to have music on. At night time I like to listen to soft relaxing music. When I'm getting ready in the morning I like to listen to fun music that I can sing too. When I'm sad I like to listen to music that makes me cry. I even find that music helps me remember those special moments in my life. Haven’t you ever heard a song that felt like it was was written for you because the words really captured what you were feeling? Basically music has always been a constant in my routine but I don't think I have ever truly acknowledged its importance in life. I think we take it for granted.

For years people have been conducting studies that have resulted in hard facts about the power of music. Quite simply, music is good for you physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Particular sounds, tones, and rhythms have been proven to strengthen the mind, unlock the creative spirit and miraculously even heal the body. A perfect example of this is the phenomenon called The Mozart Effect. It offers dramatic accounts of how doctors and health care professionals use music to deal with everything from anxiety to cancer, high blood pressure, even mental illness. Students who sing or play an instrument score higher on standardized test than the national average. During strenuous exercise the upbeat music can lessen fatigue and release endorphins, the body's natural painkillers, like what happened to me. It is even documented that half an hour of classical music produces the same effect as ten milligrams of Valium. That is crazy people!!!

So the next time you want to sit down and watch the television, try turning on the radio instead. Who knows, maybe in twenty years they will realize that listening to a Lionel Richie song at least three times a week will reduce your chances of getting cancer. A girl can always dream!!