The Sunday morning sky is masked with thick gray clouds and the haunting sound of silence. Certainly not ideal conditions to brighten a spirit that is already compromised, but I know there is a remedy that can instantly elevate this present mood.
I slip on my flip flops, grab my keys and iPhone and head outside to play some of my favorite music. No one is around me, so I feel more than comfortable, cranking up the volume of Christopher Cross’s song, “The Light is On”. This is my feel good song of the moment, and almost like magic, I become happy.
Listening to music is known to release endorphins in our brains. Endorphins give us heightened feelings of excitement while quelling anxiety and stabilizing our immune systems. I know this firsthand, because now my feet and hips are starting to move in tandem with the beat. By the time the chorus has revealed itself, I have time traveled to a happier place. I can now connect to that specific memory when I would hold Barney in my arms and twirl him around as we danced from room to room.
When we are able to pair music and movement together, we can affect our minds in the most positive of ways. We can feel a sense of satisfaction. Any depression or anxiety that I started to feel earlier, had now evaporated into thin air.
The next time you start feeling darkness trying to invade your sacred space, remember to follow this tried and true technique. Listen to your favorite genre of music with “Barney sized ears” and just dance!