Experience embodied delight through music. Sounds are vibrations hitting your eardrums, but the rest of your body is resonating too. Imagine yourself as a guitar or piano – music vibrates through you. Bass and percussion instruments create the most noticeable pulsing sensations, but all sounds are movement. Hum a note now and notice the reverberation in your body. How does the vibration change when you hum higher or lower notes? Orient to feeling your music.

Allow joyful sounds to move you – tap your toes, sway to the rhythm or get up to dance. Amplify your listening experience by singing along. The zany music video below is my current favorite smile generator, showing the universal pleasure of moving to upbeat music – across all dance styles, ages and cultures:

What are your favorite happy tunes? Take the time to create a customized joyful playlist. Collect energizing songs that you can reach for instead of that next cup of coffee. Make a set of calming melodies for times when you want to relax.

Music can also soothe you during times of emotional distress. A song that brings you to tears can leave you feeling comforted. Vigorous music can release agitated energy if you’re feeling tense or angry. Sometimes it helps to lean into a strong emotion using music, letting the feeling peak and then dissipate. Other times, you can redirect your emotional experience using positive music to move away from distress.

When you feel anxious, hum your favorite happy songs. The vibration of humming has a biologically relaxing effect. Especially if you are going into a difficult conversation or giving a stressful presentation, humming loosens up your vocal cords and prepares you for success. Humming also makes this powerful resiliency resource completely portable. Music can be a go-to stress management strategy anytime, anywhere.

Create a joyful soundtrack for your life!