Prayer the source of strength

The ability of music to affect moods and emotions has been recognized for a long time. Lullabies are used all over the world to calm children, and wailing at funerals is an obvious way to express grief. But music has also been used as a formal therapy - including as an adjunct to

psychotherapy - since the 1940s. People who have psychological problems, or a disability that prevents them from communicating well with others, can benefit from music therapy because it can help them express themselves without having to speak. And improving self-expression can improve socialization.

Music may also have an effect on the physical body. Music is sound, and sound isa collection of vibrations. Different tones and pitches create different vibrations, which can affect parts of the body in many ways. Studies have shown that music can affect the rhythm of the heartbeat and of breathing, and possibly of the blood pressure as well. Music may also promote the release of endorphins, the body's natural pain reliever, which would explain why it is so good at relieving everyday stress.

You can create your own form of music "therapy" in several different ways. If you would like to make positive changes to your moods, you can make your own recordings, starting with music that matches the mood you would like to change and progressing to music that matches the mood you would like to evoke. Then when you notice an undesirable mood, you can listen to your recordings, preferably while trying to relax, to bring yourself back to where you would like to be.

"Prayer is more than meditation. In meditation, the source of strength is one’s self. When one prays, he goes to a source of strength greater than his own." Madam Chiang Kai Shek