THE MAgic Of Music and connection
My heart beats to every part of tune as if it is part of the sound. My body moves with each beat, I look around at the ecstatic faces, the almost tribal experience of people from all walks of life united by the DJ. At this point the DJ has us all in the palm of their hand, they can take us wherever they want while we connect universally to the magic that is the music. I scream, I cry, I feel joy that can’t be explained. Yes, I sometimes look crazy as I lose myself in the journey yet I am on it with so many others. THIS is when I feel truly embodied. I sometimes stop to look around, take a breath and FEEL the collective energy. This is what life is about!
I cannot even explain how happy I am that we can all dance together again. That DJ’s can do what they live for, venues can again host these events that quite literally feel like a religious experience, the club is our church. (fair enough, I am not religious but boy do I believe in the higher powers we can tap into when we reach higher collective frequencies).
I love all music from classical, to blues, Drum and Bass to Frank Sinatra. Electronic Dance Music (EDM) sets my soul on fire and is becoming increasingly popular in the mental health and wellbeing space.
The festival season has been back in full swing and I was so happy to teach a breathwork practice at Soul Circus festival for the Breath Hub app. Although I have run my own events combining music and yoga for the Ministry, there was something that felt extremely aligned at this event. I realised just how much I can bring my passion for music into my work.
Beatport recently released “Music Connects Us” report which is a comprehensive study on the correlation between Electronic Dance Music and mental health. Scholarly articles have also provided evidence for the positive impact of EDM on well-being. Cannon and Greasely ( 2021) showed that EDM event participation indicated an improvement on psychological and social well-being measures. ( I sure can offer some strong anecdotal support on this!)
Dr Aida Vazin, as part of the Beatport ReConnect stream hosted a session and outlined five ways in which music can support emotional intelligence.
It can help facilitate the release repressed emotions.
It may serve as a facilitator for mood transitions and regulation.
Music is the sound of our emotions and can be used as a coping mechanism.
Music can facilitate mindfulness by redirecting our thoughts on the tune.
Music is easily accessible and can be used as a mood enhancing tool.
(Source: 2021 Music Connects Us report)
MUSIC…… it connects us, it lifts us, it helps us to reminisce, it ignites part of us that we sometimes forget, it facilitates the movement of our bodies, it shifts energy states and can connect us to the entire spectrum of our emotions.
EDM is becoming increasingly popular in Meditation and Breathwork. I, myself use electronic music as part my breathwork sessions and find it to be a beautiful way to lead powerful journeys.
