Healing Music Enterprises Blog

 Have you ever rocked an infant?  If so, you may have noticed that that infant nuzzled into your neck or chest and went to sleep or calmed down quickly.  It is so predictable that nearly all home nurseries, hospital nurseries and daycare centers have multiple rockers in their newborn/infant spaces.

Recently, I had a grandson born in Washington, DC in a hospital that bills itself “baby friendly.”  Part of this includes having a great rocking chair in every room.   But even without a rocking chair, most women instinctively and intuitively begin a rocking motion when an infant is handed to them.  I’ve always wondered about this and here is what I’ve decided.

First of all, that baby is gently rocked “in utero” for nine months and everytime the mother moves, the amniotic fluid keeps the infant protected from anything too harsh or rough, and baby gets used to gentle motion.  Add to that the comforting sound of the mother’s voice and the steady, rhythmic heartbeat that he hears, and it all combines to mean “safety,” “security”  “love.”

Obviously, when baby is born, there is a whole new world with light, lots of noise, and constant feeling that you might just be about to fall.  You’ve seen the “startle” reflex, I’m sure.  I’ve always thought that many newborn cries are saying “I want to go back to that nice, warm, cozy, quiet place, where it’s just me and Mommy!!”

This is what what swaddling and rocking achieve for the newborn!  For the period they’re being rocked, it’s the closest they can come to feeling that fabulous “still inside the womb cocoon”!

And then there’s the entrainment factor.  When Mama is rocking baby, their hearts begin to beat together and their breathing synchronizes.  If Mama is gently humming a lullaby or singing one, that is the ultimate!  Rocking, swaddling and lulling your baby, in between feedings, is the most wonderful thing you can give your child!

Have you ever heard a song or piece of music that just made you want to get up and dance?  This is the power of rhythm and the more regular and predictable it is, the more effective for hooking you in!  Just think of something like a Sousa March or a rock song like “We are the Champions”  and “We will Rock You.”   It’s really hard not to be hooked in to the strong rhythm or not to respond at all to this.

When your body is healthy and functioning well, the heart rate is strong and rhythmic and so is your breathing.  Chances are that the hormones, and neurotransmitters in your brain are also firing rhythmically.  We live in a rhythmic universe, the sun rises and sets predictably.  The tides come in and go out in a rhythmic and predictable fashion.  We know when each eclipse will happen and how long it will last.  We know so much about our world and we know more than ever before about our bodies.

When the rhythms of the environment go awry, we have  earthquakes, tornados, floods, tsunamis and all kinds of chaos.  When rhythms go awry in the body, people have heart attacks, panic attacks, tumors forming and health problems of all kinds.  Now I am NOT suggesting that rhythm alone can cure of prevent any of these negative events.

What I am suggesting is that rhythm and rhythmic motion contributes to a state of health and typically makes people feel better.  Part of this is the element of predictability, which allows people to relax and heal or enjoy their life.  When rhythm is a daily part of your life, chances are you’ll just feel better.  Is there a drum circle in your area?  More and more beach cities have one at sunset on the weekends, but I’m sure there are towns of all kinds that invite people to drum together.  There’s also the choir, the community orchestra or band, or even rhythmic walking while listening to your iPod or our Healthy Headphones!

Keep the rhythms pulsing in your life and notice the difference in your energy level and your happiness quotient!