Singing for My Mother, part 2

Every time I visit The Memory Center and sing, I am struck by how much music helps people who are memory impaired come alive. Their eyes light up. They smile. They bob their heads with the beat. As we sing together, we become a connected community. The present moment is sweet and healing for all of us.
This connection happens at a physical level that is both tangible and energetic. Everything in the universe is composed of vibrating parts, from each cell in our bodies to the stars in the furthest galaxy. Sound is audible vibration. When we sing or listen to music, all of our body’s vibrations realign harmonically with the external musical rhythms.
There is a growing body of evidence from the fields of sound healing and music therapy that confirm what we know from experience. Singing anchors us to the present moment. It oxygenates all our cells. When singing, we breathe deeper and slower, which relieves stress. Because there is more oxygen in the blood, the heart doesn’t have to work as hard. Blood pressure goes down. Endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers, are released, which also make us happy. Music can be used for physical and emotional healing, pain management, easing life’s transitions including death, and building community.
Alzheimer’s is a heart-breaking disease, but when we sing together, there are smiles, laughter, swaying, tapping, dancing and rocking in wheel chairs. For that period of time, we are comforted, energized, connected and happy, a community of singing souls. When I visit my mother, I bring her songs.