Breathing- It’s a vital function of life and it supports so much of our day. The breath reflex is an unconscious process that our brain stem keeps going. While it is an automatic function, breathing can also be a purposeful tool that is wonderfully beneficial for our nervous systems. Science has a lot to say about why- let's look into the research.
Read MoreYou can still experience the reassurance of fire as its logs crackle and pop, the beauty of snow sparkling in the sun, and the filling warmth of hot chocolate on cold nights. The world is cold, the winter is dark, but you are not without joy. You are not without peace.
Read MoreIn designing our practice today I sought to create an experience that is simple that you can do everyday, multiple times a day, whenever and wherever you are. We are going to combine breath and affirmations in this experience together. To start I will guide you through a brief breath exercise to ground your body and mind and then lead you in 3 affirmations. We will repeat the affirmations 7 times because research supports the idea that to remember something we must repeat it at least 7 times. I’ll say the affirmations out loud and you are invited to repeat them with me outloud or in your mind. Let’s get started……..
Read MoreHello and welcome back to Music Therapy and Beyond. I’m Elizabeth and today we are going to be talking about wellness. You haven’t heard from me in a while. Last time I was talking to all the grown-ups who listen to our podcast, but today I’m talking to the kids. I want to share one of my favorite things to do when I’m feeling a little overwhelmed after a long, long day. Before we begin, let me tell you a little about our exercise……
Read MoreSo, what do I mean exactly by work/life balance? In an article titled “Work-Life Factors and Job Satisfaction among Music Therapy Educators: A National Survey” in Music Therapy Perspectives 2018 Volume 36, they state, “work-life factors are individual, organizational, and societal factors that influence work-life success and balance. Job characteristics such as wages, hours, and working conditions are considered work-life factors, as are personal characteristics like work ethic or sense of competence.
Read MoreChronic sleep deprivation (both short sleep and disturbed sleep) is a common factor in 20% of serious car accidents, and in every common cause of death including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, hypertension, alzheimer’s and immune dysfunction. Chronic sleep deprivation increases your risk by up to 45% for these common diseases. It is also a better predictor of developing type 2 diabetes than lack of physical activity. Inadequate sleep impairs brain functioning (memory, attention, decision-making, hand-eye coordination, calculation accuracy, logical reasoning and creativity.
Read MoreFor today let’s go back to the idea of oscillating between connection and autonomy...in the same pattern we need to oscillate between work and rest. We will dig into the research behind rest and the profoundly unfortunate things that happen we we don’t rest in another podcast, but for now….it is important. It is the first thing many of us forget and it is the most important aspect of preventing burnout and living quite honestly a healthy and fullfilling life. Our bodies are meant to rest…..we NEED to rest. If we don’t rest, our bodies will take it….so let’s be kind to ourselves and rest. The recommended amount is estimated 8 hours/day. Some days it might be closer to 7 where others are closer to 9, but an average of 8 hours/day is ideal!
Read More"As music therapists, our bodies are our main tool for work. We depend on our voices, and our hands and often the line is blurred between “used” and “abused” to put it bluntly. It is so important to be mindful of how we may be causing harm to our voices, hands, backs, and every area of our body in the ways that we use them. I’m going to share 5 ways to tend to your body everyday and I strongly urge you to prioritize these wellness practices as an essential part of your music therapy practice. Just as you maintain your instruments, you must maintain yourself."
Read MoreWelcome back to the conversation today. We are talking about wellness. I think a good place to start is by sharing our background with wellness. How did it look? Did our families talk about wellness and did we even know what it was or what it meant?
Read MoreToday, we are going to talk about wellness. Some of the questions that came up when preparing this episode were: What is the difference between wellness, well-being and self-care? Do all of these terms fit together in some holistic package? Or are they all bringing something different to the table? Today, I am going to dive into what Wellness is, what these terms really mean, and how it all fits together in Music Therapy.
Read More
