Stressed by the 'always on' culture of the internet age, many people these days are searching for ways to restore balance and harmony to their lives. One of the simplest ways of achieving this is by listening to the beautiful sounds of the natural environment. Calming ocean sounds and similar 'music' from nature have a superbly soothing effect on those who are frazzled and overwhelmed, and provide an easy way to tune out the chaos of modern life.
A great way they can be put to use is as a relaxing background to activities like pilates, yoga and meditation. There has been an explosion of interest in these activities recently as people look for ways to restore some balance to their lives. Many enthusiasts are realizing that they can enhance their practice by listening to natural sounds.
For example, with meditation the aim is to slow conscious thought processes and reduce the amount of 'chatter' that so disrupts the mind. Many people find this to be immensely challenging since emotional turbulence agitates the mind. Nature's sounds help meditators to relax, thus calming the emotions and the mind, making the whole process easier and more enjoyable.
Similarly with yoga, stress and mental anguish can get in the way of the focus needed to perform it well. Relaxation helps practitioners perform each pose with greater depth and calmness of mind, thus enriching their experience. They are able to get more out of each session and reap the benefits of this ancient practise that much more quickly and easily.
These effects are no surprise since numerous scientific studies have shown that natural sounds like birdsong can help people recover from stress. Science aside, common sense tells us that since we are a product of the natural world, we will find it's sounds calming and restorative. There is something very primal about our response to nature's music, and something quite subtle yet profound about the effect it has on our psyche.
This is perhaps seen most markedly in its effects on small children. There's something about the sounds of the natural world that connects with children at a very deep level. Babies can often be calmed beautifully by natural sounds when everything else has failed. A child put to bed in a room with birdsong or similar playing softly in the background will often drift off to sleep quickly and easily.
Adults too use these recordings as an aid to sleep. Many find that they fall asleep faster and experience sounder sleep when they have relaxing nature sounds playing in their environment. Even when it isn't bedtime, many people use these sounds to create a more relaxing ambiance. A recording of a meadow in springtime for example can create a comforting background that blots out the modern world and restores tranquillity.
A relaxing atmosphere can also be of great benefit to students when they are studying. They tend to enjoy their study time more, plus they gain an important advantage. As their bodies (and brains) become more relaxed, they become better able to learn. Studies have shown that relaxed students are also more likely retain more of what they learn compared to those who study in a less tranquil environment.
A great way they can be put to use is as a relaxing background to activities like pilates, yoga and meditation. There has been an explosion of interest in these activities recently as people look for ways to restore some balance to their lives. Many enthusiasts are realizing that they can enhance their practice by listening to natural sounds.
For example, with meditation the aim is to slow conscious thought processes and reduce the amount of 'chatter' that so disrupts the mind. Many people find this to be immensely challenging since emotional turbulence agitates the mind. Nature's sounds help meditators to relax, thus calming the emotions and the mind, making the whole process easier and more enjoyable.
Similarly with yoga, stress and mental anguish can get in the way of the focus needed to perform it well. Relaxation helps practitioners perform each pose with greater depth and calmness of mind, thus enriching their experience. They are able to get more out of each session and reap the benefits of this ancient practise that much more quickly and easily.
These effects are no surprise since numerous scientific studies have shown that natural sounds like birdsong can help people recover from stress. Science aside, common sense tells us that since we are a product of the natural world, we will find it's sounds calming and restorative. There is something very primal about our response to nature's music, and something quite subtle yet profound about the effect it has on our psyche.
This is perhaps seen most markedly in its effects on small children. There's something about the sounds of the natural world that connects with children at a very deep level. Babies can often be calmed beautifully by natural sounds when everything else has failed. A child put to bed in a room with birdsong or similar playing softly in the background will often drift off to sleep quickly and easily.
Adults too use these recordings as an aid to sleep. Many find that they fall asleep faster and experience sounder sleep when they have relaxing nature sounds playing in their environment. Even when it isn't bedtime, many people use these sounds to create a more relaxing ambiance. A recording of a meadow in springtime for example can create a comforting background that blots out the modern world and restores tranquillity.
A relaxing atmosphere can also be of great benefit to students when they are studying. They tend to enjoy their study time more, plus they gain an important advantage. As their bodies (and brains) become more relaxed, they become better able to learn. Studies have shown that relaxed students are also more likely retain more of what they learn compared to those who study in a less tranquil environment.
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