in the muscles begin in the brain — each muscle contraction and
relaxation is a unique and healthy brain stimulation.
In addition, one of the best brain therapies is to follow your pas-
sion. If that’s painting, pottery, climbing a mountain or whatever —
pursue it and do it! Included in this is a simple motto: Do the things
you’re good at doing; avoid things you don’t do well (or if you love
them, learn to do them well).
And don’t forget music — just listening is a powerful way to
stimulate the brain. Watching music videos, playing music and writ-
ing it are also great workouts for the brain. Music can stimulate more
areas of the brain at one time than almost anything else.
Music Matters
Do you want to know a secret? Like food, nutrition and exer-
cise, music can play an eloquent role in improving your quali-
ty of life. There’s nothing like listening to Mozart, the Beatles or
Cat Stevens to reduce stress or meditatively ponder life. There’s
a place for Chopin, and Dylan. Match the music and your
mood, and you’re on your way.
Music may not always be a magical mystery tour, but it sure
can do something unique. Scientists have shown beneficial
effects of music on controlling stress, reducing pain, and
improving immune and brain function. Music around mealtime
can help digestion, too. After a hard day’s night, or if you’ve
been working eight days a week, relaxing and listening to some
good music can help. Everything seems to come together, emo-
tionally, in a healthy, therapeutic way.
Music as therapy is thousands of years old. Perhaps the first
written therapeutic use came from Chinese medicine about
5,000 years ago. About 2500 BC, followers of Pythagoras
developed a science of musical psychotherapy. Today, the long
and winding road of music includes treatment for many types
of patients, including those with depression, autism, learning
disabilities, Alzheimer’s and others. But almost anyone can
enjoy the music as well as its health benefits.256 • IN FITNESS AND IN HEALTH