Why Does Music Make Us Happy?

April 8, 2016 / Vakil / Leave a comment

Almost everyone has experienced the beneficial effects of music in one way or another; it can help us to relax and unwind even during stressful times, can improve our levels of motivation and focus, and can uplift our emotions and improve our relationships, helping us to connect more deeply and with more individuals. Michael Vakil Kenton the explores the universal language of music and explains why notes bring happiness in our lives.

Consider ‘the concert’: old as music itself, live performance events draw us together, creating a shared mental and emotional place for appreciation and celebration. Just as our individual relationships with music are enormously varied, so too are the observed effects of different forms of music. Low tempo music with less variation and an emphasis on notes with strong sustain is more effective in assisting the listener to achieve a state of relaxation, while faster music with higher levels of variation and more emphasis on notes with strong attack can improve our energy levels and may increase our motivation in challenging situations, helping us to replace anxiety with excitement.

The extent to which music may improve our mood and promote relaxation or motivation should not be underestimated. Music has a profound capacity to increase happiness, even proving effective in treating depression. Nurses at Massachusetts General Hospital observed that individuals who listened to music while confined to bed had lower heart rates and blood pressure and appeared to show less distress overall than individuals who did not. This appears to result in an overall reduction in cortisol levels; cortisol is responsible for many stress responses and also suppresses the immune system.

Music can also enhance our minds and bodies, helping to improve memory (having proven effective in the treatment of stroke patients, helping them to recover verbal memory) and increasing the results we get from exercise. The second element is a good example of the multiple simultaneous benefits of music; enjoyable music increases our motivation and encourages us to exercise harder, reducing levels of boredom during repetitive tasks such as free-weight exercise or hypnotic tasks such as long-distance running. At the same time, enjoyable music increases our tolerance of pain, helping us to exercise harder and for longer. After exercise, music helps our bodies to recover by increasing the overall availability of oxygen.

Music has a long and rich history of usage in the world’s spiritual traditions. The Mevlevi order of Sufism, for example, uses a music and dance ceremony known as the Sama as a form of remembrance of God (dhikr). Practitioners (Dervishes) whirl counter-clockwise, focusing on God and attempting to transcend their ego. Inayat Khan, the founder of the Sufi Order in the West says of the Dervishes that “They have the power of wonder-working, and the power of insight… They are dreamers, and lovers of God. They worship God in nature, especially in human nature.” Sufi worship is highly physically active and direct by comparison with Western traditions of quiet contemplation and mediated collective prayer. Speaking of this apparent contrast, Inayat Khan says “Whoever among them is moved by spirit may manifest the ecstasy, which is called wajad, in the form of tears, sighs or dance… It is therefore that those who do not understand the meaning of their dance call them “howling dervishes”, or “dancing dervishes”

In Hindu culture, a complex system of mantras are believed to have powerful healing properties. Believed to bring about change through the pineal gland, mantras are used to solemnize ritual, enhance meditation and effect psychological and physical benefits. In general monosyllabic mantras (e.g. Om, the most basic and fundamental mantra) are used to free an individual from restraints and frustrations, while multi-syllabic mantras generally target a specific desired result, for example the cultivation of divine wisdom. The parallel between the traditional understanding of the mechanism through which mantra influences the mind and body and our modern understanding of the pineal gland is interesting: the pineal gland release melatonin, responsible for regulating our sleep patterns. The function of this obscure part of the brain remains somewhat mysterious, and the hypothesis that the pineal gland’s functions can be consciously regulated is rare in science and philosophy. Hindu theories on the pineal gland – especially the implicit understanding of the pineal as a hormone-secreting gland in the Hindu principle of a ‘liquid nectar’ being released from the pineal – may represent some of the earliest contributions to a huge and enduring history of thought on the subject.

Chinese theories of musical healing relate specific tones of the C pentatonic scale to specific parts of the body and particular elements of Chi. The purpose of is to improve the functions of organs, improve and strengthen psychological condition and stimulate emotional reactions in order to prevent and cure illnesses (in a manner similar to its modern therapeutic uses). Different types of music are prescribed for different illnesses. It is theorized that the tones of the scale regulate the circulation of Chi in the human body, acting specifically on the liver, heart, spleen, lungs and kidneys in the context of the release of Wood Chi, the rise of Fire Chi, the stability of Earth Chi, the induction of Metal Chi and the descent of Water Chi.

In all of its traditional uses, one of the most powerful benefits of music has been its capacity to promote unity; to bring listeners together in a shared mental and emotional state. Music is more emotionally direct than natural language. Thinkers throughout the ages have dubbed music a universal language, capable of communicating deeply felt emotions which may be difficult or even impossible to convey verbally.

Communication is what makes civilization possible; human societies form around that which we can share. As a group of people (for example a nation) exist together, identifying as members of a collective, they create unique ways of thinking and feeling about certain things which are often intimately tied up with the experience of being part of their group. While the strength and depth of these experiences can bring individuals of the same group together, the way they are sometimes perceived by other groups can create deep divisions.

This often occurs because the emotional foundations of certain principles can be difficult for members of other groups to understand. Principles can become strongly associated with the experience of belonging to a group and viewed as being important independently of their societal impact. When such principles are approached from a viewpoint which makes no real attempt to understand their original context, people can feel as though these principles rather than their place in modern international society is being challenged. This perception of hostility can shut down reasoned interfaith debates before they even get off the ground where strongly defensive reactions refuse the invitation to shared discussion.

Music, with its unique capacity to communicate deep feelings and engage individual’s emotions, may represent a strong way for us to better understand the deeply-held beliefs which are associated with membership of a group. Music gives us an insight into the performer’s identity and when a shared common identity can be definitive of a group, music might represent a strong way for us to understand the way in which individuals consider certain principles to be an important part of their self-identification with a group.

Music, and especially music from spiritual traditions, may help us to commit to more sensitive and reasoned discussions of our cultural and religious differences, creating a place where principles and practices can be discussed in the context of an international community. In this atmosphere of equality, respect and appreciation, groups would be seen as members of the same greater whole as opposed to distinct and divided entities, bypassing the doctrines and dogmas which so often divide us.

Spiritual music, having been underrepresented in modern society, may have a profound contribution to make to the world. The ease of transmission allows almost anyone to experience the beneficial effects of music, and ventures such as internet radio station Sacred Music Radio are making this form readily available across the world: playing music from a wide variety of spiritual traditions and from performers associated with no particular tradition.

In an era when the importance of pursuing interfaith harmony is pressingly urgent, the power of music to break down linguistic barriers and gives insights into the deeply personal experiences of others may provide us a way to focus on the fundamental similarities between our varied cultures, discussing and celebrating our differences in an atmosphere of co-operation and harmony.

Sacred Music Radio’s Top 5 Spiritual Women

April 1, 2016 / Vakil / Leave a comment

This year, the 8th March marks International Women’s day, which celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievement of women. To join in the celebrations, Sacred Music Radio founder, Michael Vakil Kenton, has chosen his top 5 Spiritual Women, who have done inspiring work in the spiritual community.

Noor Inayat Khan

Noor was a musician and I believe she would have enjoyed Sacred Music Radio. She was part of the SOE during the 2nd World War in France. She died for freedom. Her brother Pir Inayat Khan led a meditation course in the French Alps where I was introduced to sacred music. They were very close.

Louise L. Hay

Author, Speaker and Publisher , Louise Hay is a motivational author and the founder of Hay House. She has been dubbed the ‘closest thing to a living saint’ by the Australian media and she is known as the founder of the self-help movement, starting the discussion about mind and body long before it was fashionable. Louise’s teaching has allowed millions to adopt a positive philosophy and have complete wellness in their bodies, minds and spirits.

Karen Armstrong

A former Roman Catholic nun, Armstrong is the author of A History of God, The Great Transformation, and Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life. In 2008, Karen won a TED Prize, and used the award as an opportunity to establish the Charter of Compassion, a document in which religious leaders can work together for peace. The Charter was successfully launched in 2009 and runs numerous talks and events to encourage international compassion.

Marianne Williamson

Marianne Williamson is an internationally acclaimed spiritual author and lecturer. Six of her eleven published books have been New York Times Best Sellers, but her story started in Texas, when in 1989 she founded the Project Angel Food, a meals-on-wheels program that serves the homebound people with AIDS in the Los Angeles area. The company has served over 8 million meals to date. Marianne also co-founded the Peace Alliance, which educates and organises groups to stop violence and conflict.

Caroline Myss

Caroline Myss is an internationally renowned speaker in the fields of spirituality and human consciousness to name a few. Alongside authoring five New York Times bestsellers, Caroline has established her own educational institute- Caroline Myss Education (CMED), which offers students courses that are designed to enrich their spiritual life. She also works alongside Louise Hay, hosting a regular radio show on Hay House Network.

Sacred Music Radio hopes to continue the work these inspiration women have done by spreading the message of harmony and interfaith through sacred music. Its vision has been inspire by Hazrat Inayat Khan, who was given the task of “unite East and West in the harmony of your music”.

Interview with Andras Corban Arthen

March 29, 2016 / Vakil / Leave a comment

Rev. Andras Corban Arthen is the spiritual director of the EarthSpirit Community, a religious and educational organization dedicated to the preservation of Earth-centered spirituality, particularly the indigenous European traditions; he is also president of the European Congress of Ethnic Religions, and serves on the board of advisors of the Ecospirituality Foundation. He has been a presenter at many interfaith events, including the 1993, 2004, and 2009 Parliaments, and the 2007 World Interreligious Encounter.

Sacred Music Radio was fortunate to sit down with him and discuss his work and the importance of music within paganism.

1) Could you give us some background on yourself?

I am originally from Galiza, in the northwest of Spain. I was raised in Spain, as well as in the Caribbean, but I’ve spent most of my life in the United States. I live as part of an intentional community in Glenwood, a small working farm situated in the middle of a forest, in the Berkshire Hills at the western end of the state of Massachusetts. I am the spiritual director of The EarthSpirit Community, an Earth-centred group which I founded back in 1977. I am currently a Vice-Chair of the Parliament of the World’s Religions, one of the oldest and largest interfaith organizations, which hosts events in various parts of the world that bring together anywhere from 7,000-10,000 people from all religions and spiritual paths to explore ways to find mutual respect and understanding so that, together, we can help address some of the world’s greatest problems. And I am president of the European Congress of Ethnic Religions, an organization which was founded in Lithuania in 1998 to promote the preservation and restoration of the pre-Christian indigenous religions of Europe.

2) For our listeners that don’t know as much about Earth centered spirituality, could you give us a bit more information?

Earth-centered spirituality refers to religious or spiritual traditions whose teachings and practices have evolved from a direct communion with the natural world. A lot of these traditions focus more on experiential approaches to the Sacred – including animism and mysticism – instead of emphasizing religious dogma or revealed scriptures. They often are tribal or communitarian in structure. The best and most accessible examples of Earth-centered spirituality can be found among indigenous peoples around the world.

3) What work do you do with EarthSpirit Community?

A big part of my role in EarthSpirit is to do outreach work on behalf of the organization. I travel a good deal, teaching, lecturing, engaging in interreligious dialogue, attending various conferences, giving interviews, developing connections with like-minded communities and organizations, etc. My work with the Parliament of the World’s Religions, and with the European Congress of Ethnic Religions, is a direct extension of the work I do on behalf of EarthSpirit. In addition to this, within EarthSpirit I also help to lead ceremonies, conduct rites of passage, perform legal handfastings (pagan weddings), provide spiritual counseling to members, and help organize our various events.

4) Through your work with MotherTongue, which brings together vocal and instrumental music, you have witnessed first hand the impact music can have. How important do you feel music is in bring together people of different faiths?

I think that it is, in fact, one of the most important and effective ways to bring together people of different religions. Music is a universal language, and because it is so familiar and so accessible, it can easily break down whatever walls of fear and prejudice may exist among people. This was brought home very powerfully to us at the 1993 Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago, where pagans made our first significant appearance before the global interreligious community. The term “pagan,” of course, has long been burdened with negative connotations, the result of prejudices and misconceptions which have existed for centuries. We knew that a lot of people at the Parliament would have misgivings regarding our presence there, and we went prepared with workshops, panel discussions, literature to hand out, and so on; but we still encountered a good bit of resistance and wariness. Then MotherTongue performed a concert of pagan sacred music – some of it traditional, some original – which also included stories, poetry, dance, costumes; in short, all of the elements of a religious ritual, but presented as a performance. The response far surpassed our wildest expectations: people of all faiths joined in the chants, danced in the aisles, and many came up to us afterwards with tears in their eyes, to tell us how much the music had moved them, how it had reached them deep inside and awakened in them a clear understanding of who we were, of what our spiritual traditions were about. In the space of an hour-and-a-half, prejudice was shattered and replaced with joy, with acceptance, with respect; and from that point forward, every single presentation at the Parliament was standing-room only.

5) In 1991, you worked as representation of the indigenous European traditions at the United Nation interfaith conference on Religion and Prejudice- do you feel that has been much improvement or development in this area since?

Without a doubt. The high point of that conference, for me, was when the panelist representing Christianity openly stated that the best thing Christians could do, as their contribution to a dialogue on how religion can help eliminate prejudice, was simply to be silent and to listen. Christianity, he said, was responsible for much of the religious-based prejudice found in the world, so he suggested that Christians should listen, for a change, to some of the victims of that prejudice – particularly indigenous peoples and pagans – in order to understand the extent of the harm that has been done in the name of their religion, and then, to ask forgiveness and seek to make reparations to those who are still being victimized. I have spent forty years spreading the awareness – especially throughout the interreligious movement – that the various traditions which came to be labeled “pagan” actually represented the indigenous cultures and religions of Europe; that they endured atrocities similar to those suffered by indigenous peoples in other lands; and to underscore the fact that some of those traditions have nevertheless managed to survive into the present. In 1993, the first modern Parliament of the World’s Religions was held, and the Parliament, as one of the foundational organizations of the global interfaith community, has helped create an environment where that message could be heard and heeded. As a result, entities such as the European Congress of Ethnic Religions have been formed to preserve and to foster what little has survived of the indigenous European traditions, and to develop bonds of solidarity with other indigenous communities and organizations throughout the world. Just judging from the increasing number of invitations I’ve been receiving to speak and teach about this subject, I’d say that there’s definitely a growing awareness and interest about it.

6) What was the most moving part of the 2015 Parliament of World Religion at Salt Lake City?

There were two things in particular which were extremely meaningful for me. On the one hand, I was deeply moved to see my son and my daughter – who are in their twenties – play a central role in organizing and managing the Parliament’s program for young people. They both attended the first modern Parliament in 1993 when they were very young children, and it has remained an important part of their lives as they have grown up. They have participated in the young people’s program several times, speaking and performing at plenaries, offering workshops, taking part in panels, and so on. To see them this time in positions of leadership, giving back to younger people some of the things they have learned and done over the years, made me feel incredibly proud of them. On the other hand, I was very grateful to be invited, along with my dear friend Inija Trinkuniene – who is the krive (supreme priestess) of the Romuva religion of Lithuania – to speak on behalf of the indigenous religions of Europe as part of the Parliament’s Indigenous Plenary. The spontaneous, wildly enthusiastic response we received from the thousands of people in attendance, as well as the words of welcome and kinship expressed by many of the indigenous speakers, were profoundly rewarding.

7) Does music play an important role in Paganism?

Yes, it does. Among neopagans, for example, the evolution of original sacred chants back in the late seventies and early eighties revolutionized the pagan movement: it created a form of universal pagan “liturgy” that enabled people coming from very different paths to experience common ground with one another. Among traditional European pagans, the sacred songs have, in many places, been the key thing which allowed the traditions to endure, even through centuries of Christian religious colonization and acculturation. In Lithuania, for instance, there are thousands of polyphonic dainos which go back to pre-Christian times, and which have been used to transmit the traditional spiritual teachings from one generation to another until the present time.

8) Many believe that the old religions disappeared after Christianity- how do you explain the continuation of paganism?

Because Christianity has had such a major influence over almost all of Western culture, there is a widespread sense that, once a country officially adopted Christianity, all of its citizens became Christians. Although that has mostly been true, it has not been entirely the case. Pockets of indigenous forms of paganism can still be found throughout Europe, mostly in remote rural places where certain conditions exist which have aided their survival. Some of these factors can include, for example, a deeply-rooted ethnic identity; localized anti-Christian sentiments resulting from a variety of reasons; the preservation of the ancestral ethnic language in counterpoint to the official language of that country; an identification of the pagan religion with a strong sense of nationalism and with physical features of the land; the thorough integration of the spiritual practices into the fabric of everyday life, which can render the religion invisible; wariness and secrecy toward outsiders; and political, social, or economic upheavals which have diverted attention from the surviving religion toward more presssing matters. I have spent four decades looking for some of these survivals, and have found a number of them in places ranging from the Gaelic-speaking parts of the Scottish Highlands, to Brittany, Euskal Herria, Lithuania, Latvia, and several of the Slavic countries of Eastern Europe. I am currently working to finish a book detailing my search for indigenous European pagan survivals.

The Power of Music: healing, relaxation and cultural unity

March 14, 2016 / Vakil / 1 Comment

healers-journal

Music is a significant part of almost everyone’s lives. It can uplift us, help us to relax; it can be appreciated for its aesthetic appeal, its technical accomplishments or simply for the ‘feeling’ it produces on listening. We all listen to different music at different times and for different reasons, but most importantly we all listen. Most music doesn’t come to us from strings and skins, it comes to us through the radio, from our players, from the internet. The ease of transmission allows almost everyone to experience the beneficial effects of music.

And these effects extend far beyond the appreciation of music as art. Music is effective as a tool for healing and self-development, having a long history of use in this way which is increasingly supported by contemporary studies. The enjoyment we get so readily from music can elevate our mood and increase our happiness, even proving effective in the treating of depression. Music – especially fast, high energy music – can also help us to perform better in high pressure situations, giving us a more positive outlook, helping us to focus on strategies and solutions and assisting us in getting excited rather than anxious. Music can even improve memory, especially verbal memory. These effects were observed during the treatment of stroke patients, whose verbal memory recovery was enhanced by the use of music compared to silence or audiobooks.

Fairly well known is the power of music to reduce heart and breathing rates and blood pressure. This is connected to a reduction in the level of cortisol (often termed ‘the stress hormone’) in the body. Noted time and time again, this effect was reported, for example, at the Massachusetts General Hospital, where it was observed that patients confined to bed who listened to music for thirty minutes had lowered stress symptoms and were in less apparent distress than patients who didn’t listen to music. Music (that the listener enjoys) can even ease physical pain.

Music can also enhance our relationships with our bodies, motivating us to exercise harder and for longer and improving muscular and cardiovascular recovery and growth afterwards. This can be explained in part by the fact that listening to music can improve blood flow, increasing the availability of oxygen and glucose and thereby increasing energy levels and promoting muscle fibre regeneration. Music can also protect the immune system by maintaining lower levels of cortisol.

The use of music in therapeutic settings has been extensively explored and its beneficial effects well established. To give a few examples: Ventre’s (1994) case study showed how music built up an environment of love, acceptance and trust for a patient attempting to recover from sexual abuse and suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). McCaffrey (2008) found that music connects individuals with their emotions and self-awareness, creating a healing environment. Perruzza & Kinsella (2010) found that music therapy transformed their patients’ lives: empowering them, giving them a renewed sense of self, a means of expression and a sense of purpose which transformed the illness experience.

But the therapeutic qualities of music are fairly recent rediscoveries in medical science; the practice of musical healing predates Classical history, and has been kept alive in the world’s spiritual traditions. In Sufi culture, for example, music is still used as a tool for personal and spiritual purification and development. The tradition emphasises the use of dance, and Mevlevi practitioners or ‘dervishes’ engage in a repetitive whirling dance, attempting to reach Kemal, the source of all perfection, by listening to the music while attempting to abandon their egos and personal desires and focus on God. Of the Sufi’s, scholar and founder of The Sufi Order in the West Hazrat Inayat Khan says that “They have the power of wonder-working, and the power of insight.” Calling the dervishes “dreamers, and lovers of God.”, Khan points to the way in which “they worship God in nature, especially in human nature.” He suggests that Dervishes are those Sufis who are most receptive to the spirit and the soul: resonating with the music on a spiritual level, ‘feeling’ the music more deeply than the average listener. “Whoever among them is moved by spirit may manifest the ecstasy, which is called wajad, in the form of tears, sighs or dance,” Khan informs; “It is therefore that those who do not understand the meaning of their dance call them “howling dervishes”, or “dancing dervishes”.” Deeply concerned with direct emotional experiences and with the ultimate emotional experience of ecstasy, Sufi worship contrasts sharply with the quiet, reflective, controlled liturgy typical of Western traditions.

Hindu culture emphasises the importance of music in a very different way, focusing on refining and mastering the emotions as opposed experiencing them as directly and intensely as possible. Hindu traditions have produced broad and complex systems of mantras, which are intended to have healing qualities. Lacking any definable melody, these mantras are not songs, nor are they valued for aesthetic purposes. The qualities of the sounds and rhythms of these mantras, however, are highly valuable in Hindu culture for their perceived functional purpose. Generally speaking, single syllable mantras are repeated in order to free an individual from restraints or frustrations, whereas phrased mantras tend to relate to the specific cure of an ailment.

Mantras are believed to function through the pineal gland, highlighted by the widespread usage of bindis (red dots worn on the forehead in many South Asian countries), which symbolizes the importance of the pineal gland or ‘third eye’. The parallel with modern medical science is interesting, given that biology currently understands the pineal gland to release the serotonin-derived hormone melatonin, which is responsible for regulating our sleep patterns. In ancient Hindu practices we see an implicit understanding of some aspects of modern biopsychology.

It might even be the case that the combination of the personal benefits of music and the history of use in spiritual traditions affords spiritual music a particular power which reaches beyond its personal or cultural context and establishes a powerful resource for intercultural dialogue. Music may represent a way for us to explore the distinctions and similarities which have evolved as our cultures have developed. It may help us to better understand the experiences of others, to respect and celebrate our differences and discover the depth of those often unexpressed elements of human life which are of critical importance to all of us, healing divisions in our societies.

The way in which sharp distinctions between cultures are perceived is often viewed as the source of misunderstandings and failures of cooperation; the misleading view of fundamental difference can shut down the possibility for reasoned discussion. Divisive cross-cultural issues can be difficult to fully understand because the principles on which these issues are based are so often deeply held and ancient. This failure of understanding typically results because individuals have no real access to or understanding of the causes of these unfamiliar principles.

Just as listening to music from unfamiliar genres can help us to understand the ‘scene’ associated with that genre, so too can listening to music from spiritual traditions give us a greater understanding of that tradition’s culture. Listening to music from a specific cultural group can give a powerful insight into the direct emotional experiences of belonging which are associated with being part of that group. Experiencing the passion of the performer and appreciating the context of that passion can help us understand important and intimate parts of other people’s personalities and can help us to appreciate that the principles which sometimes divide us as are only cultural insofar as they are also personal; the importance of any given belief is its relationship to every individual who holds it, and its cultural significance is the way in which it brings them together.

Often people are unwilling to discuss important issues cross-culturally. We seem to expect total stubbornness when debating matters of religious importance. Frequently deeply held principles being explored by another group is interpreted as an hostility. There is perhaps a perception of an attack on those principles which define an individual’s relationships with their community.

The connecting effects of music – especially music from spiritual traditions – may help us to see the way forward in these important and often troubled cross-cultural debates. Music may help us to commit to resolution-focus discussions of our most notable cultural and religious differences which aim at framing principles and practices in the context of an international community, in which cultures are seen not as divided but as similar and separate parts of a wider global culture. Music can bypass the doctrines and dogmas which so often divide us, helping us to access a common spiritual awareness and creating an atmosphere of respect and appreciation.

Spiritual music – after decades of relative obscurity – is enjoying strong representation once more. Ventures such as internet radio station Sacred Music Radio are making this form readily available to the world: playing music from a wide variety of spiritual traditions and from performers associated with no particular tradition.

In this atmosphere in which the importance of understanding the legitimacy of other cultural positions is seen as primary, we can avoid the problems of resistance or defensiveness which often result in deadlocks; rather than perceiving e.g. an inquiry as to the ethical viability of a certain practice in our own culture as a challenge to the principles which reside at the core of our cultural identity, we can appreciate that our core cultural values are acknowledged are respected, that the inquiry is legitimate, focused and needn’t be considered differently from any other ethical question. This place of understanding and respect is a ground for resolution and coherence, in which cultures – just like individuals in a society – work together to achieve the common goals of peaceful cooperation and mutual enrichment.

Older Than Calendars: The Spiritual Meaning of Christmas

March 14, 2016 / Vakil / Leave a comment

Something I often hear people worrying about in the weeks leading up to Christmas is the way in which Christmas is losing its meaning, and becoming focused on consumerism. But what is the meaning of this time of year?

The winter festival predates all organized religions by millennia; we celebrate Christmas when we do because it aligns with the cycles of nature and of our lives. At the end of the year, when all seems so dark and lacking in life, the solstice finally passes and the natural world is reborn in light.

The true spiritual meaning of the winter festival has always been vested in the relationships we have. It is the time to come together and reflect on the meaning we have in each other’s lives. With the days starting to lengthen and our focus being drawn towards Christmas preparations, we need to remember to pause, reflect on the year just past, and consider what the year ahead holds for us. In terms of our goals and aspirations, what is our vision for the coming year?

Christmas is meant to be an enjoyable and uplifting time of year, yet a recent study of 3,000 people in the UK has revealed that 65% find Christmas stressful, making it the sixth most stressful life event — up there with divorce! One reason for this might be the speed of modern life. Many of us may feel we don’t have the time to explore our spirituality, don’t have the time to “do Christmas” properly with real meaning.

Just slowing down and thinking about the true meaning of the winter festival can remind us of the importance of community that the festival has always revolved around. Other people give our lives meaning, and so often we don’t take the time to express our feelings in a positive way or even feel insecure about letting people know how much they mean to us. Christmas isn’t just a time for family; it’s a time to meditate on all of our relationships, including the relationship we have with ourselves.

To have a good relationship with others, our relationship with ourselves has to come first: we must first take care of ourselves. If we are not at peace with ourselves how can we be a source of joy to others? By taking the solstice as an opportunity to think about the sort of life we each live, we can gain a sense of self-acceptance and peace that is necessary in order to openly express our feelings to others.

The winter festival is far more than observing tradition; it is a time for new beginnings, a time for looking at how we can enrich our relationships with friends and relations to be aware of others on our planet who are suffering, people we do not even know. Use the next few weeks leading up to the year’s end to look at what changes need to be made in our lives to bring us closer to the people who matter most to us, not just around a pile of presents on 25th December with a fire crackling away in the background, but throughout the year, with each of us bringing warmth to enrich each other’s lives and the life of our global community.

The Passing of the Solstice: The ‘Spiritual’ Meaning of Christmas

March 14, 2016 / Vakil / Leave a comment

When it gets closer to this time of year, many people often say that Christmas has lost it’s meaning, with the focus on consumerism becoming larger every year. But what is ‘the meaning’ of this time of year?

Christmas is celebrated in the winter festival because it aligns with the cycles of nature and our lives, predating organised religions by millennia. I feel this point often gets forgotten about, and it is important to remember that at the end of the year, when the dark nights are getting longer and life is lacking, the solstice is passing and the natural world is being reborn into the light.

The winter festival is often expected to be an enjoyable and uplifting time of year, yet a recent study of 3,000 people in the UK has revealed that 65% find Christmas stressful. It is actually the sixth most stressful life event, up there with divorce! A lot of this can be linked to the speed of modern life, as many often place spirituality at the back of their minds, feeling that they don’t have the time to explore their spirituality, and as a result, don’t have time to ‘do Christmas properly with real meaning’.

The true spiritual meaning of the winter festival is vested in the relationships we have. This time of year is the time to come together and reflect on the meanings we have in each other’s lives. With our focus being drawn towards Christmas preparations, we need to remember to pause, reflect on the year just past and consider what the year ahead holds for us. In terms of our goals and aspirations what is our vision for the coming year?

By simply slowing down, and considering the true meaning of the winter festival, we can be reminded of the importance of community, which lies at the heart of the festival. So often, we do not appreciate the meaning other people give to our lives, and do not take the time to express our feelings in good way. Many feel insecure about letting people know how much they mean to us.

Christmas isn’t just a time for family; it’s a time to meditate on all of our relationships, including the relationship we have with ourselves. Our relationship with ourselves has to come first- we must take care of ourselves. If we are not at peace with ourselves how can we be a source of joy to others? The solstice presents the perfect opportunity for us to think about what sort of life we lead, allowing us to gain a sense of self-acceptance and peace that is necessary in order to effectively express our feelings to others.

The winter festival is far more than observing tradition; it is a time for new beginnings, a time for looking at how we can enrich our relationships with friends and relations to be aware of others on our planet who are suffering, people we do not even know. With Christmas around the corner, try to use the time wisely and look at what changes need to made in your life to bring you closer to the people who matter the most. Look beyond the pile of presents on 25th December with a fire crackling away in the background, to the entire year, as each of us can bring a warmth to enrich each other’s lives and the life of our global community.

The Music You Listen To Can Enhance Your Meditation

March 14, 2016 / Vakil / Leave a comment

Listening to music while practicing yoga is more of a controversial idea than you might expect. For some people, it just seems to work; for others, it’s a distraction. What’s most important is to select music that you enjoy listening to and music which serves the purpose you’re trying to achieve. One of the most beneficial effects of almost all sorts of music is to enhance movement. When practicing, some poses can feel difficult or uncomfortable, especially while a practitioner is in the earlier stages of learning yoga. Listening to music can increase the sense of grace and ease which is sought, easing transitions between postures and improving the physical benefits. Listening to music while practicing yoga can also help us to relax and not strain. Yoga is about doing our best while we relax and not comparing ourselves with others. Becoming more relaxed with music is an ideal way to do this.

‘Meditation music’ has become a surprisingly popular phrase lately. Surprising because traditionally, music is a distraction which has no place in meditation. Certainly methods which focus on mantras and on breathing are only interrupted by music, but the most popular form of meditation in the West (‘mindfulness’) is totally compatible with music.

Meditation and yoga are different practices, but they’re both related and the impact of different musical qualities is similar in both in terms of helping us to relax. Music can be used as a backdrop which adds context to one’s thoughts and feelings, for example by creating a positive mood and helping us to move past emotional obstacles to mindfulness. Just as when we listen to the sound of a gong, we transcend our thoughts to a state of inner peace. Rather like the way in which when we listen to the sound of a gong we transcend our thoughts to a state of inner peace.

Musical variation is the repetition of parts of a piece of music in a different form, with e.g. melody or rhythm altered but the bar or phrase is recognisable as something we’ve already heard. Variation tends to increase the extent to which music is ‘interesting,’ giving us more to think about, more to notice. Variation can be insistent; we expect to hear a certain melody repeated, and the subtle difference draws our attention. This can make highly varied music distracting when we’re trying to achieve a state of peace and relaxation. Sacred music tends to be conservative in its variation; designed more to soothe and exalt and not “jump out” at a listener. With less potential for distraction and more consistency, sacred music can be perfect for both yoga and meditation.

Tempo is also a major factor. A bit more self-explanatory than variation, higher tempo creates a sense of energy, excitement and urgency while lower tempo creates a sense of peace and relaxation. Not all meditation, not all yoga aims at relaxation, but it’s a great place to start and is greatly eased by the introduction of pleasant distractions.

Every spiritual tradition is different on the surface, but most spiritual music is concerned either with clearing the mind of unwanted tendencies and cultivating its positive tendencies, by awakening an awareness of and connection to divinity or of refining one’s emotions. Substitute ‘Self’, as in the higher Self, for divinity and sacred music could almost be purpose-built for yoga and meditation.

Music can be used (by some people) to enhance meditation, but may be more valuable for most people asmeditation. As a background, music provides things like emotional bias which could either be considered good, for its power to create a good mood without a strong positive context, or bad because of the way it distracts you from finding a source of happiness within yourself. As a foreground, music can function more like a mantra; providing a content which the mind can focus on in order to edge out other distractions for the purposes of contemplation and reflection. Music can actively improve our ability to reflect, as it enhances memory.

There are as many types of sacred music as there are spiritual traditions in the world, as music is such a part of being human that every tradition (indeed, almost every human group) has developed their own style. If you’re looking for something new to enhance your yoga or meditation, or even a way to relax prior to meditation and you’ve never considered playing some background music (or sitting with headphones, hearing every note and every instrument dance together in the darkness behind your eyelids), you might be pleasantly surprised by the results… I’ve yet to meet a person who doesn’t enjoy music.

Does music belong in meditation?

March 14, 2016 / Vakil / Leave a comment

Listening to music while practicing yoga is more of a controversial idea than you might expect. For some people, it just seems to work; for others, it’s a distraction.What’s most important is to select music that you enjoy listening to and music which serves the purpose you’re trying to achieve. One of the most beneficial effects of almost all sorts of music is to enhance movement. When practising, some poses can feel difficult or uncomfortable, especially while a practitioner is in the earlier stages of learning yoga. Listening to music can increase the sense of grace and ease which is sought, easing transitions between postures and improving the physical benefits. Listening to music while practicing yoga can also help us to relax and not strain. Yoga is about doing our best while we relax and not comparing ourselves with others.Becoming more relaxed with music is an ideal way to do this.

Meditation and yoga are different practices, but they’re both related and the impact of different musical qualities is similar in both in terms of helping us to relax. Music can be used as a backdrop which adds context to one’s thoughts and feelings, for example by creating a positive mood and helping us to move past emotional obstacles to mindfulness. Just as when we listen to the sound of a gong, we transcend our thoughts to a state of inner peace. Rather like the way in which when we listen to the sound of a gong we transcend our thoughts to a state of inner peace.

Musical variation is the repetition of parts of a piece of music in a different form, with e.g. melody or rhythm altered but the bar or phrase is recognisable as something we’ve already heard. Variation tends to increase the extent to which music is ‘interesting,’ giving us more to think about, more to notice. Variation can be insistent; we expect to hear a certain melody repeated, and the subtle difference draws our attention. This can make highly varied music distracting when we’re trying to achieve a state of peace and relaxation. Sacred music tends to be conservative in its variation; designed more to soothe and exalt and not “jump out” at a listener. With less potential for distraction and more consistency, sacred music can be perfect for both yoga and meditation.

Tempo is also a major factor. A bit more self-explanatory than variation, higher tempo creates a sense of energy, excitement and urgency while lower tempo creates a sense of peace and relaxation.Not all meditation, not all yoga aims at relaxation, but it’s a great place to start and is greatly eased by the introduction of pleasant distractions.

Music can be used (by some people) to enhance meditation, but may be more valuable for most people as meditation. As a background, music provides things like emotional bias which could either be considered good, for its power to create a good mood without a strong positive context, or bad because of the way it distracts you from finding a source of happiness within yourself. As a foreground, music can function more like a mantra; providing a content which the mind can focus on in order to edge out other distractions for the purposes of contemplation and reflection. Music can actively improve our ability to reflect, as it enhances memory.

There are as many types of sacred music as there are spiritual traditions in the world, as music is such a part of being human that every tradition (indeed, almost every human group) has developed their own style. On Sacred Music Radio we play music from all traditions, and from performers with no particular affiliation. If you’re looking for something new to enhance your yoga or meditation, or even a way to relax prior to meditation and you’ve never considered playing some background music (or sitting with headphones, hearing every note and every instrument dance together in the darkness behind your eyelids), you might be pleasantly surprised by the results… I’ve yet to meet a person who doesn’t enjoy music.

Breaking Barriers

March 14, 2016 / Vakil / Leave a comment

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Spiritual Music as a Means of Promoting Interfaith Harmony

Spiritual music may be underrepresented in modern society, but its importance and potential to contribute to global interfaith harmony are great.

By Michael Vakil Kenton

Music is a fundamental part of humanity, significant in almost every human life. Music can uplift us, connect us, help us to relax and focus. Because of its ubiquity in our society, combined with its ease of transmission, almost everyone can experience the beneficial effects of music.

In 1979, I participated in a meditation retreat led by Pir Vilayat Khan, leader of the Sufi Order International at that time. It was located in the beautiful French Alps, and while I was there I meditated several times per day, and attended talks exploring the wisdom of Pir Vilayat and the teachings of this tradition of universal Sufism founded by his father Hazrat Inayat Khan. While at the retreat and in between periods of study and meditation, beautiful sacred music was played in the large tent where we met. This was entirely new to me, as I had never experienced just how beautiful and relaxing sacred music could be.

Rays of Light from the Same Sun

I found it profoundly uplifting. I was also inspired and really moved by the inclusive interfaith principles of Hazrat Inayat Khan’s universalist teachings, which view all religions as rays of light from the same sun. These teachings are based on the message brought by all the great teachers of humanity: the unity of all people and religions. But it was even more than that unifying message. After the retreat, I felt transformed and found that I was much more relaxed and accepting of myself and other people.

Several years later, I trained to perform The Sufi Order’s Universal Worship Service. This service is designed to attune to, acknowledge and appreciate the religions of the world with readings on a particular theme from the sacred texts of the world’s religions. Music is a vital part of the service, as music enables us to attune to each religion and to create an atmosphere of peace and harmony.

Variety of Sacred Music

Aware that comparatively few people can attend these services and experience this sense of unity and harmony, I created “Sacred Music Radio.”It is based in the UK but broadcasts worldwide, all day every day with the intention of enabling many more people on our troubled planet to experience the beauty and benefits of the incredible variety of sacred music from around the world. That explains why our theme is “Peace through Music”. We now have listeners in most countries of the world. The web site of Sacred Music Radio (sacredmusicradio.org) has an interfaith section and a quote from the site illustrates how we aim to promote interfaith understanding:
One of the properties for which music was most valued in its usage in spiritual traditions was its capacity to bring individuals together, creating a shared space in which participants could feel and think in harmony. The usage of music in this way has never faded.

If music can help us explore other cultures and traditions, it may help us to respect and celebrate our differences and discover the depth of those elements of human life which are of critical importance to all of us but are often unexpressed.
The insight that spiritual music gives us can show us how attitudes which are apparently held by communities are more importantly held by individuals in those communities.

Spiritual music may be underrepresented in modern society, but its importance and potential to contribute to global interfaith harmony are great. Ventures such as the Internet radio station Sacred Music Radio are playing music from a wide variety of spiritual traditions and from performers associated with no particular tradition in order to make this form readily available to the world.

Crossing Linguistic and Personal Barriers

Music can bypass the dogmas which divide us, creating an atmosphere of respect and appreciation and increase our common awareness of spirituality as fundamentally personal and free-flowing. An example of how music is successfully used in this way is with the Abrahamic Reunion, a group formed to promote harmony between the religions of Abraham. As part of an interfaith conference at the Tantur Ecumenical Institute in Jerusalem in June 2015, the Abrahamic Reunion provided music performed by Palestinians. This was enjoyed by people of all faiths who attended the conference.

In a time when the need for interfaith dialogue and harmony is so pressing, music and its power to cross linguistic and personal barriers of understanding may help us to better understand the spirituality of others, discovering and focusing on our fundamental similarities rather than our trivial outward differences.

(Michael Kenton is a commentator on interfaith, global peace and harmony and the founder of Sacred Music Radio. For more details or to listen live visit http://www.sacredmusicradio.com)

Using music to motivate

March 14, 2016 / Vakil / Leave a comment

Modern life is fast-paced and can often feel aggressively demanding. With the constant expectation that we should fill every day with activity, we often forget to take time out for ourselves and reset. As today (25 February) is Employee Motivation Day, it is important to recognize that something as simple as listening to music can provide us with that much needed boost to get our work finished and see us through to the end of the day.

Reduces stress and anxiety

For many, the mental and emotional effects of music are the most noticeable. It can directly increase our happiness. At Massachusetts General Hospital, attendants noticed that patients confined to bed who listened to music for thirty minutes had a lower heart rate and blood pressure than those who hadn’t listened to music.

The reason behind is that music reduces our cortisol levels. This is more commonly known as the stress hormone, and is partly responsible for feelings of tension and emotional distress, as well as lowered immune response. Therefore, the calming effects of sound gives you the perfect excuses to sit back and switch off in a world where we are always on the move.

There are various types of music that you can listen to to relax, but many find that classical and sacred music are the most effective. There slow tempo and conservation in variation creates an enveloping experience which allows you to forget the world, in a peaceful space of your own. It can also help us to identify and express our emotions. It can help us to become aware of the feelings associated with our stress and it can help us to master that stress instead of being subdued by it.

It can boost memory and restore focus

Music also has the ability to enhance our minds and bodies, helping us to improve our memory and increasing the results we get from exercise. This has been demonstrated in the well-known Mozart Effect Study, which has suggested that listening to Mozart’s compositions may induce a short-term improvement on the performance of certain mental tasks. The key type of music that keeps your brain engaged is ambient music, which engages your brain at a lower, subconscious level, and can be found in sacred music, waterfall sounds and whale songs.

The second element is a good example of the multiple simultaneous benefits of music. Enjoyable music increases our motivation and encourages us to exercise harder and reduces levels of boredom during repetitive tasks such as free-weight exercise or hypnotic tasks such as long-distance running. At the same time, enjoyable music increases our tolerance of pain, helping us to exercise harder and for longer. After exercise, music helps our bodies to recover by increasing the overall availability of oxygen.

By Michael Vakil Kenton, founder of Sacred Music Radio