Article by Bhavana Narayan
What do you do when you are happy? What do you do when you are excited? What do you do when you are not so happy? How do you express your emotions? Emotions are the subtleties of the human mind and psychology. They form the basis for thought and expression. Our emotions and how we express them make us who we are. Okay that’s enough talk about emotions! Back to the question! What are the ways we express our emotions? It is through art, through visual and performing arts. Be it dance or music. Music always has a special place in every person’s heart. It makes you sway, it makes you dance, it moves you and touches your soul! Music is rightly called as ‘food for the soul’. And when we are vocal with music, then it’s even better!
Singing is a natural art form, where you use your vocal chords to express yourself. It’s an inborn, natural musical instrument that every human is gifted with. All you need is a sense of frequencies and rhythms, for it to show up. Many times, aren’t you caught unawares, when you sing something along without realizing it, when you’re in the shower or when you cook etc.? That’s the effect of singing. It’s as if you’re singing a lullaby to yourself! You are happily crooning, without even realizing it! You can sing practically anywhere! While you’re driving, while at school, college, work, in the shower, just about anywhere! Now let’s try and answer another question! Why sing? Because it makes you feel good about yourself. It releases a host of ‘feel good’ endorphins that can make you feel very refreshed. You don’t have to be a professional singer to sing! It’s totally okay to just sing! Go easy on the intricacies! You don’t have to sound good, necessarily, when it is just a hobby. Think of it as a source of recreation, and then things will fall into place. But please do not think of it as a waste of time! That’s totally the wrong idea! The kind of satisfaction and peace that it can give you! Well, you have to experience it yourself! This article talks of ten reasons why singing is good. Actually, I can give you plenty more! Nevertheless, read and discover that an act as simple as singing can do wonders to you!
10. Can help prolong life
Are you aware that healthy and happy singing is the key to a longer life? Once again, you need not be a performing artiste for you to experience this miracle! It does not depend on how well you sing. If you sing everyday, you can have a longer life too! Research proves this right. Singers do have a greater life expectancy than most average adults. If you croon everyday, knowingly or unknowingly, you’re adding more days to your life. You will realize the benefit of this in the long run.
9. Boosts memory
Using music and singing as tools for better memory is not unheard of! This is what our ancestors practiced. You remember the lyrics. You remember the notes. You keep a track of the pitch and the rhythm. All this involves the use of memory, involuntarily. With more of such use, your memory improves. Music helps us remember better, and also more easily. This is especially true with children. Not only that, pronunciation and mnemonics improve too. Studies have found that people with dementia have got cured through singing.
8. Makes you creative
Singing, like any other art form is about being creative. With just seven fundamental harmonic frequencies and eight octaves, music is ad infinitum! There are umpteen possibilities to sing a song differently. In the end you sound different, and this is being creative. You explore a multitude of options to sing. It’s as if your mind and vocals go on a roller coaster ride! Singing is a creative pursuit, where you discover yourself and devise newer methods of expression.
7. Good health and well being
Singing and good health are synonymous. Singing has similar effects on the body and mind, like Yoga. It ensures well being: physical, mental, psychological and social. It improves the posture and breathing. There’s no better breathing exercise, than singing. It increases the capacity of the respiratory system. It improves immunity, so you’ll be less likely to get infected by diseases, when you sing. Basically, singing is an aerobic activity that increases oxygen flow to the body.
6. Healing effects
Apart from time, it is music that heals. The healing effects of music on the mind and the soul are very well known. When you are sad you listen to music. It makes you feel better in no minute! Singing fills the brain with healthy chemicals, so you end up feeling good when you sing. Singing is a mood lifter. It has therapeutic effects. When you sing, you are always in a good mood. It evokes positive emotions. There is no room for gloom!
5. A way to express yourself
Singing is the most natural form of expression. You don’t have to carry any instrument! You can stand or sit right where you are and sing. It is a way to communicate, creatively and effectively. You can show yourself through the way you portray and paint your emotions, through your singing. Singing is a free and uninhibited channel to express yourself. It gives you a feeling of liberation. “Music is what feelings sound like”
4. Connects you to people
When you sing, it is not only you who can feel the emotions, but also the audience who listen to you. They sway to your tunes. It touches their hearts too! Singing brings you closer to more number of people. Through your music, you can reach out to practically anyone in the world, for music transcends everything! Singing is great for a community life. It increases the bonding between people and makes a society healthy, in terms of culture and morals.
3. The greatest stress buster!
Music is the best and the greatest stress buster! Singing can make you ‘be in the moment’, helping you forget all else. You forget all your worries and sorrow. You forget the world, you forget yourself! It can help reduce fear, hopelessness, anxiety, depression and insecurity. All negative emotions that pull you down will be gone in seconds if you sing! It is nature’s way of helping you feel good, and it’s in your own control! It increases confidence and builds self-esteem and hence, you will never feel low! It reduces feelings of isolation. Sing everyday, and keep stress at bay!
2. Makes you a better person
With everything positive, singing ought to make you a better person. No angst, no regret, no feelings grudge, betrayal and anger! Yes, vicious thoughts do affect your mind when you feel let down or when you feel that injustice has prevailed. But unfortunately, we cannot always hope for things to happen how we want them to! We aren’t always lucky. Sometimes, you need to brace yourself for changes. You have to accept things as they come. There are few things we cannot control, and it is best to let go of them.
When you start singing, you stop worrying about all the unnecessary stuff. Your positive side is at its peak. Say goodbye to the devil!
1. Makes you happy- sing for joy!
Nothing can make you happy the way music can! The best reason to sing is that it makes you feel fabulous and fantastic! It adds zest to your life. Singing is for enjoyment. It greatly enhances the quality of your life. Sing for the pure delight of it, for the inexplicable yet mesmerizing joy of it! I think the primary purpose of singing is because it makes you happy. It keeps you free-spirited and light throughout the day.
“ The only thing better than singing, is more singing”
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