Cosmic Creativity: Alex Grey

Next up, another talk about cosmic creativity.

How does art evolve our consciousness?....

The Art of Creativity | Taika Waititi | TEDxDoha

Hey! Last week was all about music and how it helps us sleep. I hope you found some of it useful!

This week we are taking a step back and looking at the creative arts, and how they benefit us every single day.

I really hope you enjoy this next post, a TED TALK all about The Art of Creativity :-)

Meditation Music - Be Calm Within

Fun fact! Sleep deprivation will kill you more quickly than food deprivation...sorry, not so fun after all...lets just agree to both eat and sleep, and we will be fine!

Meditation is not easily definable: depending upon the context, there can be many different types of meditation and thus many different definitions. Let us compare two definitions from authorities we can rely upon. The first definition is from that great tome, 'The Encyclopedia Britannica'. It defines meditation as 'private devotion or mental exercise consisting in any of innumerable techniques of concentration, contemplation, and abstraction, regarded as conducive to heightened spiritual awareness or somatic calm.'

The other definition is taken from the Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia which says that meditation is a 'religious discipline in which the mind is focused on a single point of reference. It may be a means of invoking divine grace, as in the contemplation by Christian mystics of a spiritual theme, question, or problem; or it may be a means of attaining conscious union with the divine, e.g., through visualization of a deity or inward repetition of a prayer or mantra (sacred sound).' The common point between these two and all other definitions is the same; meditation is the act of consciously directing your attention to alter your state of consciousness.

Even though it is an ancient technique of relaxation, meditation is continually becoming more and more popular among people all over the world. When we speak of meditation the most common image that our mind conjures up is that of a Hindu saint sitting cross legged and chanting mantras. The description is quite accurate but from having seriously religious connotations at one time, meditation became the in thing by the efforts of one Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, an Indian who espoused the concept of 'Transcendental Meditation', which took the technique out of its religious settings and made it more popular among people of all faith. Today, 50 years since the birth of Transcendental Meditation, it still remains popular among western societies.

Music has always played a major role in the relaxation of the human mind and body. It also is a great accompaniment to meditation and yoga. The correct type of soothing music will make sure that you have a complete meditation experience and will also guide you through the steps of meditation. Inner Splendor Media, a New York based company specialises in providing meditation music, sleep music and more.

Original Source

Your Brain on Music

We have spoken about music affecting a child's brain, but what about our own brains today?

Does Music Change a Child's Brain?

I love this Ted Talk about music affecting children's brains.

Music is a very powerful thing.

Happiness Frequency: Serotonin Release Boosts Happiness, Well-Being

8 Benefits of Listening to Music

Based on many research studies, we can say that the health benefits of music have been proven. For instance, music can help improve your IQ score in addition to make your mind sharper as you get older. Given below are 8 proven benefits of listening to your favorite music. Read on to find out more.

1) Listen to music to be happy

When you listen to your favorite music, your brain releases dopamine. And this is the chemical that makes you happier when released. Staying happy is important for your physical as well as mental health.

2) Better running performance

If you are a runner, you can improve your running performance by listening to music before the competition. It's better to choose motivational music for this purpose.

3) Reduced stress

If you listen to music, it can reduce the degree of cortisone, which is a stress hormone. According to a study, people experienced better immunity after they took part in singing and instrument playing.

On a stressful day, you can listen to radio to calm yourself and enjoy the healing benefits of music.

4) Improved sleep

Another study found that those who listened to music for at least 30 minutes before hitting their bed experienced better sleep than those who did nothing before their bedtime. We know that sleep is of paramount importance for all of us, especially those who study or have office work to do. Sleep deprivation can cause a lot of other health issues as well.

5) Reduced depression

According to statistics, more than 350 million individuals deal with depression and 9 out of 10 suffer from insomnia. Research studies have found that listening to music can help you reduce your symptoms of depression to stay calm and peaceful.

6) Better mood

While driving, music can help you improve your focus and mood. According to studies, music can have a positive impact on your mood, which is important for a safe driving experience. Without good mood, it's not possible to achieve anything. Plus, driving in bad mood can cause an accident.

7) Better learning and memory

Many research studies have concluded that listening to music can improve your memory and learning. The volunteers who took part in the study performed better after listening to music. On the other hand, other participants showed slowed learning and weaker memory.

8) Improved verbal intelligence

According to a study, 9 out of 10 kids experienced better understanding of different words and the number of meanings they had. Another study found that the participants performed much better after they listened to music.

The ages of these kids were 4 and 10. Therefore, we can say that music can help improve verbal intelligence of kids.

Long story short, you can see that listening to music offers a lot of benefits. In fact, music is an effective international language, which is provided based on a lot of research studies. Therefore, if you are a student or learner in any field, you can benefit from listening to your favorite music tracks.

https://ezinearticles.com/?8-Benefits-of-Listening-to-Music&id=10285735