Whether we are alone or in a crowded room, different factors in our immediate environment can increase or decrease the stress in our bodies. How so? Our environment can increase our stress levels from the sounds we hear to odors in the air. Our brain responds to certain sounds in the environment and in music we hear in a way that we may not always be aware of. Have you ever looked for the perfect song to match a mood you were in or to get you pumped up and motivated? How does your body respond when you hear screeching car brakes or a loud barking dog? How does your body feel when you smell a pie baking in an oven compared to burned popcorn? Our body receives messages instantly when our environment changes, especially if there is a perceived threat and if the environment increases our stress it can prolong our stress if we do little to nothing to change it. See, The 5 Weirdest Ways Music Can Mess With The Human Brain for more fun facts.
There are many fields that are aware of how sounds and smells can effect our brains and bodies including Realtors that make sure a home smells like fresh baked cookies to movie makers creating the perfect soundtrack for their film. This is also true of industries such as the spa industry. There are reasons trends like Dubstep Yoga don't last. When the mind and body need to relax, (and someone is paying good, hard earned money), there needs to be a quiet and sometimes completely silent environment with odors being limited to therapeutic odors such as essential oils. How effective do you think a spa treatment would be if they played club music and it smelled like cigars?
Medical professionals have studied the healing effects of not only the environment but various alternative healing methods and they have found that not only is a healing environment critical for helping someone heal but they have also found that other forms of holistic therapy such as massage, aromatherapy, nutrition, energy, and body work are all effective in increasing someone's ability to not only feel better but heal faster than with Western Medicine alone. One of the reasons this is true is because alternative therapies, (in relaxing and calm environments), boost the body's natural immune system and ability to heal itself physically, psychologically, and spiritually. See the clinical abstract: Creating a healing environment: Rationale and research overview.
To allow your mind and body to unwind, relax, and heal itself it is important to give yourself quiet moments every day and that includes restful sleep, (See Myths and Facts - About Sleep). The relationship we have with ourselves is critical to having successful relationships with others and taking the time to care and nurture ourselves is key to improving that relationship and improving our overall health and well being.
Please feel free to comment or contact me directly with questions or to learn more about healing therapies. Subscribe to stay updated on new articles!
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