Music For Maternity

Premature infants — who, if in utero, could be legally aborted — are the recipients of a new music therapy designed to engage their sense of hearing at a time when they are so fragile that they often cannot even be held or caressed by their parents. A recent report from the Associated Press suggests that, like all other humans, preemies can be soothed by gentle music, especially when they are serenaded live in their hospital rooms. Read more here…

Meditation In Action: Learning How To Give Generously. Giving is easy, but doing so with sensitivity and care is an art. When we give, it’s important to be generous in our giving. At first, this sounds pretty obvious — we may even think of the two words as being synonymous with each other. Read more here…

In this meditation you’re actually trying to increase feelings of caring about people. So first you practice with somebody you really love – somebody it’s easy to feel compassion for. You imagine a time when they were in pain or suffering and then you go through a phase of wishing that their suffering is relieved and you repeat the phrases, “May you be free from suffering,” ‘May you have joy and ease,” but it’s not just repeating the words, you’re really trying to change the way you’re feeling. Read more here…

“What music therapy can uniquely provide is that passive listening experience that just encourages relaxation for the patient, encourages participation by the family,” Klinger said after a recent session in Augustin’s hospital room. Read more here…

Music helps us survive the anxiety, anticipation, and fear that in-between times hold. In Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book, young Nobody Owens finds sanctuary in an abandoned graveyard/nature reserve, where he comes to learn that his guardian, Silas, is a member of the Honour Guard, those who guard the borders of things. Read more here…

Sarah Rose Black, a music therapy intern at Princess Margaret Hospital, believes her sessions have given Reid a venue to express herself through music, whether playing a guitar or singing. Read more here…

s: Parents Turn To Mindfulness Practices To Help Children Stay Calm. As more adults turn to mindfulness practices like yoga and meditation to combat mounting stress in their own lives (91 percent of Americans experienced stress in the month of March, according to a Huffington Post survey), they’re also experimenting with alternative practices to teach their kids to relax. Read more here…

By turning everyday activities into meditation moments, you can bring more mindfulness, clarity, and peace into your day while energizing yourself and reducing stress. Read more here…

New research suggests that for some patients, using headphones to listen to their favorite types of music could lower anxiety and reduce their need for sedatives. Read more here…

Though the practices of yoga and meditation have their roots in ancient cultures, they’ve both become modern day movements. More than 20 million Americans meditate regularly, according to the 2007 National Health Interview Survey. More than 13 million do yoga. Read more here…