TCM and Music
There was an article in the Wall Street Journal recently of a a chicken farmer in Hong Kong who plays music to his chickens so that they will lay eggs with a bigger yolk. At Chung Hing Musical Farm the chickens listen to age appropriate music which can be classical, pop, rock, jazz or rap. According to Fong Chi-Hung his chickens are less stressed and produce higher quality eggs when they can hear a constant and rhythmic melody drowning out other noise. He says that his chickens are happier and the mortality rate has dropped by half since he introduced the music in 2003.
Although there may be no scientific studies on the effects of music on animals, for humans the link between music and health has now been widely accepted by the western medical profession, especially for treating stress and mental health problems, and also for pain reduction after surgery. The use of music for healing has, however, been used in Oriental medicine and Indian medicine for thousands of years. The ancient vedic mantras of India are recited to promote healing of various regions of the body. In the same way the different ragas, or melodies, of Indian classical music are associated with specific times of the day, season or even with an emotion, and are played to help return mind and body to a state of natural harmony. Everything in the animate and inanimate world is said to have its own vibration. When raga music is played it brings harmony to the listener and his surroundings to allow an uninterrupted flow of energy.
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| Photo by Michael Maggs, Wikimedia Commons |
Healing through music also has its origins in TCM. In Qigong there are the Six Healing Sounds and the Eight Healing Sounds, which are made by the individual to directly affect an organ or system of the body by combining the breath with the vibration of the sound. In The Five Element Theory there is a tone that relates to each element and one of the five organs. The five tones are: gong, shang, jiao, zhi, yu. These roughly match do, re me, la, so.
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Gong relates to the earth element and the spleen. It helps to calm someone who has had a fright or shock.
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Shang relates to the metal element and the lungs. It is used in cases of anxiety.
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Jiao relates to the wood element and the liver. It can help reduce anger.
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Zhi relates to the fire element and the heart. It relieves depression.
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Yu relates to the water element and the kidneys. It can treat sorrow or excessive joy.
The TCM or Ayurveda practitioner can advise which music and tones would aid in the healing process and those to be avoided if they do not resonate with the patient’s condition or underlying constitution.
Music provides a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without ~~ Confucius
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