All human cultures seem to practice music. My favorite practice is the water music from the women of Vanuatu as it reminds me that music is primordial and it changed my outlook on Water Music (which I previously associated more to Handel). The women perform in the water and slap it with their hands while the men accompany them onshore with drums. It is, to me, very beautiful and I really enjoy it.

Music is uplifting.  At a physical level music affects the amplitude and frequency of brain-waves. The power of certain types of music such as music from the baroque period has been proven to relax us and also stimulate the learning centre of the brain. Einstein said that the reason he figured out complex formula was thanks to his skill on the violin which his parents had given him at the suggestion of his school after expelling him for not being intelligent enough to learn and considered an unnecessary drain on the educational resources at the time. Oops! I am sure they rephrased that one later. Judge not and ye shall not be judged springs to mind.

So how do we incorporate music into our spiritual expression? What can music do to help deepen our connection to self?

M – meditate using your favorite classical piece or try something from the Music page here such as singing bowls.

U – undulate your body (move in wave like fashion reflecting sound) consciously to a piece of inspirational music

S – study various spiritual thoughts using different sounds (for example Chinese classical music for reading the I-Ching)

I – integrate music into your spiritual practice

C – consciously celebrate your spirituality by pickin one or two favorite music pieces that represent your spiritual expression

All of the above are designed to further pull us physically into the experience of the music. When we are consciously aware of our bodies and minds as one then it is often easier for us to create a spiritual peace. And being at peace is definitely a cornerstone for living the life you love.