I have learned so much about the power of music from Marlene Peterson at Libraries of Hope: Home of the Well Educated Heart. As a healer, I immediately thought of using music as a modality for healing.  Personally my favorite music was always silence, so learning about music through the Well Educated Heart has been very eye opening for me and I have tried to incorporate it more in my life.  I have naturally navigated to listening to Enya during chaotic and stressful periods of time and now I realize why, it relaxes my mind and body and helps me to press forward through those times. I would like to share with you today ways you can incorporate music as a healing modality in your own life. 

​ "A young woman was dying. Her baby had died at birth a few weeks previously, and since that time the mother had steadily failed.  The doctor had just left her room saying emphatically that there was no hope and to give her anything she wanted.  

She looked up at her agonized husband and said: "Music. I want music. I know that will cure me." The nurse thought it to be a foolhardy and useless errand, but the husband went in search of it.

The first day old familiar tunes and some of the Chopin that she had always loved, were played softly to her.  Her body relaxed under the soothing influence, her nerves became less tense, her breathing deeper and more rhythmical, increasing the circulation. That night she slept.  With the shutting out of the senses to the outside world the harmonic reaction brought about by the music continued its work of healing all through the night.  The next day she was visibly stronger." 

This story paints a picture of how healing music is. I remember one night Little Man was suffering from a migraine. I had done all my usual therapies for him but for some reason this night nothing was working. As I heard him whimpering in pain, I prayed for what else I could do. I had the thought to play some Enya softly in the background. This I did and it relaxed his body and soothed the pain enough for him to fall asleep. 

Here are some other ways music has been used as a healer for both emotional and physical ailments throughout history.

Enslaved Americans - Known as slave songs or negro spirituals, these songs were a way for the enslaved to express their feelings, hopes, desires, sorrow and prayer to the Lord. Some of the songs were messages to help those along the Underground Railroad while some were a calling to escape. Mostly they were a way for these men, women and children to have the strength and courage to endure one more day in their wretched conditions. These were examples of not only listening to music but using the voice to sing out with all the heart.
Civil War - Used to unite and stimulate soldiers and the people. Both sides were singing Battle Cry of Freedom to uplift and rally the men. 
World War I - Music was used on the front lines and in the hospitals as forms of comfort, relaxation from the horrors of war, and as a stimulus to the morale of the men.
Crimean War - Florence Nightingale requested music for her hospitals to soothe and heal soldiers. "The mind blurred by contact with unspeakable horrors was quieted and made normal again."
Word War II - Steinway and Sons produced specially built pianos for the American troops called the Victory Vertical.  They were dropped by parachute onto battlefields complete with tuning instruments to provide a bit of relaxation and stress relief. 
Concentration Camps - Alice Herz-Somer was a Jewish concert pianist in Czechoslovakia when Hitler took over her country. Because of her musical skills she was taken to Theresienstadt, which was a model concentration camp, set up to give the façade that Jews were being treated well.  Because of its status as a model, prisoners were taken there that had gifts and talents and they were allowed to give musical performances, operas and plays. Alice would perform over 100 concerts while there. Her fellow prisoners spoke of this music as not being entertaining as it was therapeutic. Alice said, "Music is our food, when we play, it can't be so terrible...music was our way of remembering our inner selves, our values."  Prisoners in other camps that were not so fortunate to have music to listen to could replay hymns and songs of hope in their minds. It was what kept many survivors going.

Just as the history examples above used music for good purposes, music has also been used by the adversary to shut out thoughts and feelings that good music can bring.  Blaring rock music over loudspeakers for a 24 hour period was used at a war camp because it stopped the soldiers from thinking and feeling…the only way they could stir them up to kill.  I'm sure you've heard of war dances as part of many Native American cultures, the steady, strong beats in their music would prepare them for battle. ​

There have been very interesting studies done on the effects of different kinds of music applied to water and also plants (see pictures below).  Our bodies are 70% water, can you see why music could be used to heal or cause harm to them.  

Each one of us is created so uniquely that what I may listen to for healing may be different than what you will. So seek out and find what resonates with you and your body.  Start by playing different genres of music and be intentional about "listening" to how you feel. Does is calm your nerves and bring peace or does it cause chaos and irritation?  Have you ever heard a song that makes you want to pull your hair out, this is your body wanting to avoid that type of music or song. 

Gravitate towards meditation music, classical, gospel, hymns, piano, instrumental, and even folk and cultural music. In the plant experiment the study showed that plants loved slow paced classical, violin, pipe flute folk music, Indian classical music, Vedic chants and a mixture of nature sounds with Native American flute.  Don't forget the healing affects that singing can have as well. Sing with all your heart in prayer, praise, sorrow, gratitude and any other emotion you are experiencing.  

"Praise the Lord with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings. Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise. For the word of the Lord is right; and all his works are done in truth."
Psalms 32:2-4

Avoid music with a loud steady, repetitive beat without melody, heavy metal, hard rock, rap, or anything with negative or immoral messages.  This list will grow as you explore playing different types of music and comparing it with what you have found is healing for you.  

​Well Educated Heart: Joy is Everywhere - scroll down to the music section
Well Educated Heart: Mother's University, Music

Many times we think of home remedies as healing foods or herbs, but today I want to discuss the healing properties of temperature.  Both heat and cold can be used to heal and soothe many different conditions and everyday issues you may come up against...sometimes it is all you need.  

There are several ways you can use heat as a therapy. The most common way is to soak in a tub of hot water to induce sweating.  Make sure you drink fluids while doing this, you want the body to sweat, but must replace those fluids. Drinking sweat inducing herbal teas (diaphoretics) will add to the effect.  A sauna or hot tub can also be used for sweating, just remember those liquids. Other ways to use heat is through external contact with areas of concern using a heating pad, hot water bottle, compress, or warming herbs in a poultice. 

​Here are few reasons you may want to use heat, along with whatever you feel your body may need. Whenever my hubby comes down with any kind of bug he takes several hot baths a day until he feels better. That is the only thing he does to aid his body in recovery.

• Increase circulation
• Stimulation, used in short intervals
• Vasodilator - opens blood and lymph vessels
• Opens up the channels inside the body for more flow and fluid movement and efficient waste removal (warm herbal tea is the best way to do this).
• Relaxing effect which in turn can alleviate pain
• Burns off toxins and relieves congestion (using the sweating bath method)
• Draws energy/blood to the surface which relieves and heals
• Drives out cold
• Relaxes tissues which relieves pressure on nerve fibers
• Relaxes muscle spasms and sore muscles (don't use if inflammation is a factor).
• Opens pores to absorb nutrients and excrete toxins (use herbal bath or foot bath for this).
• High temperatures will kill off viruses (although it is important to be putting lots of fluids into your body when using this method).
• Fevers (only when incorporating diaphoretic herbs as well).

There are many versions of heat pads available. I grew up with the basic plug in square heat pad with the blue cover. You can now find all kinds of different heating pads available. Search around and see what may work for your family.  You can also make your own heating bags with rice (or any grain) and some material, these you can make in different shapes and sizes.  A quick google search will bring up instructions for all kinds of heating bags.  We've made some with socks that you just tie up the loose end to make it real simple and you can even heat a slightly damp, rolled up towel in the microwave. 

The opposite of heat, cold therapy, includes using cold water, ice and cooling herbs.  You could use this method like the heat, having a cold bath or shower. Ice packs, cold water bottle, compress, chilled herbal poultice and herbal pillow kept in the freezer.  When using cold therapy you generally want to apply cold for 10 minutes on, then 10 minutes off and repeat as often as necessary.  There are also herbs that are cooling that can be used to bring temperature down in the body due to overheating and cooling down hot conditions in the body.  Here are some times you may want to consider using cold therapy.

• Cooling, use for burns and hot skin conditions.
• Astringent to arrest hemorrhaging and bleeding.
• Bloody noses, place an ice cube in the hand until bleeding stops, usually within seconds.
• Contracts arteries and vessels, this forces blood deeper into internal organs and away from the surface.
• Anti-inflammatory, use for any type of inflammation in the muscles, bones and joints. (10 min on 10 min off)
• Anesthetic for temporary pain relief as it numbs. 
• Headache relief due to contracting of vessels, anti-inflammatory action and pain relief.
• General stimulant when exposed for a short period of time (1-3 minutes). 

While studying this year about Lewis and Clark, we came across a story of Clark healing one of his men who couldn't walk and could barely sit, using the "traditional Indian sweatlodge" to treat him. This consisted of ​creating a 'sauna' where the man stayed until he could barely breathe due to the steam and then they immediately plunged him into ice-cold water, then back to the sweat lodge for more sweating.  The next day he was able to walk, completely free of pain. Soon the tribe they were staying with at the time started sending their elders who also had issues with their bones and joints and trouble walking to have the same treatment, which had the same results.  I was excited when I read this because I thought of Dr. Christopher's cold sheet treatment, which is a variation of many versions that have been used for centuries for healing different ailments.

Combined heat and cold does not need to be as complicated as Dr. Christopher's version, you could simply take a hot, steamy bath, then get in a cold shower or sponge the body with a cold cloth after. You can alternate hot pads and cold packs, or hot and cold compresses for 10 minutes each, for a period of time. While I've never done Dr. Christopher's cold sheet treatment, I have gathered all the items needed to do it and printed instructions in my emergency kit.  The Covid-19 pandemic has opened many of our eyes to the realization we need to be medically prepared if hospitals are full and we need to treat our families during pandemic conditions. Dr. Christopher used this treatment to heal pneumonia and other severe lung conditions.

• Restore poor circulation
• Bone and joint complaints
• Aches and pains
• Cold and flu
• Fevers
• Skin eruptions and diseases
• Burn off excess toxins in the body
• Headache, soak feet or body in a hot tub while placing a cold cloth over the back of the neck and forehead.
• Congestion and inflammation relief as the blood vessels contract, sending blood deep into organs (5-8 minutes) then applying heat does the opposite, pulling the blood from the organs to the skin. "Alternate hot and cold applications, continued for thirty minutes, will relieve congestion more quickly than any other remedy"  Jethro Kloss, Back to Eden
• Dr. Christopher used his cold sheet treatment for bones and joints, degenerative and chronic diseases as well as colds, flu and pneumonia.  (Refer to the book Herbal Home Healthcare by Dr. John R. Christopher for more details or The Cold Sheet Treatment Booklet)