Music and Health Preservation

Humans experience seven emotions and six desires, and changes in emotions can have a significant impact on our bodies. According to traditional Chinese medicine classics, "Joy harms the heart, overthinking harms the spleen, worry harms the lungs, anger harms the liver, and fear harms the kidneys."

Music, however, can be a simple yet effective way to help us regulate these excess emotions. It is said that in ancient times, truly skilled Chinese medicine practitioners didn’t rely on acupuncture or herbal medicine but used music instead. One song would be enough to drive away illness and restore peace. The Zuo Zhuan even states that music, like medicine, has a taste and can prevent all diseases, leading to health and longevity.

In ancient aristocratic courts, there were music bureaus equipped with musicians and singers, not only for entertainment but also to calm the mind, soothe the spirit, and nourish the body and soul.

Music has the power to reach deep into the heart. When we listen to it, our mental state, organ functions, balance of yin and yang, and blood flow—all internal conditions—are improved, thereby promoting health and well-being.

Music can also stimulate the circulation of blood and energy, and guide the meridians. Modern physiology suggests that when the vibrations of music match the physiological vibrations within the body (such as heart rate, heartbeat, breathing, blood pressure, pulse, etc.), physiological resonance and harmony occur. This aligns with the "five tones healing diseases" theory from the Huangdi Neijing. When we listen to music, the melody, emotions, and organ functions resonate and interact, helping to stimulate circulation, clear the spirit, and regulate the heart and blood vessels.

So how do we choose the right music to regulate our bodies?

First, you need to analyze yourself and determine your emotional state and symptoms.

The simplest approach is this: when feeling overly excited, listen to calm and melancholic tunes to release the excess excitement; when feeling sad or down, listen to upbeat music to lift your spirits and help release negative emotions.

Music, like herbal medicine, has properties such as meridian association, ascending or descending energy, and warming or cooling effects. Traditional Chinese medicine also mentions the theory of "five organs corresponding to five tones." In the next article, we will discuss how to choose the appropriate music based on different conditions to achieve the effect of nourishing and harmonizing the five organs.