Moodshifting

Yesterday I watched a You Tube video which discussed how to shift our mood when we feel down or blue. (What do you do when you get depressed as an INFJ by Bo Miller, https://ispeakpeople.com/depressed.) The speaker suggested eleven things we can try when we are in that frame of mind. One suggestion was to listen to music. I mulled that over yesterday and realized how true it is that the right kind of music can almost instantly improve my frame of mind.

I love listening to a CD I have of a choir of women singing chants written by Hildegard of Bingen. As I sit with eyes closed and breathing deeply, I am transported in time to an ancient monastery. I feel instantly calm, serene, content and comforted as I listen to the singing.

Another favourite CD for me is Bone on Bone, by Bruce Cockburn. When I feel restless and out of sorts, I listen to the song The States I’m In. I can’t help but dance in response, and that causes me to feel invigorated and alive again.

I also love to dance while listening to Whitney Houston singing her song Exhale. It’s hard to describe how I feel while I am dancing to this song, but I come away feeling uplifted and ready to engage with life again.

Yes, it is totally true! The right music and the time and place to sit and breathe deeply, or to move to it, can provide instant relief. I bet as you think about it, you will know there is music which has the same effect on you. I invite you to put on a favourite piece of your music today, and enjoy its powerful, healing effects on you too!