This week, an article from the University of Exeter - Medical School, revealed the results of a research trial into snoring. The research found that a 3 month program of daily singing exercises reduced the frequency and the severity of snoring and contributed to improved quality of sleep. This is because singers use daily vocal exercises to strengthen the throat muscles and it's believed that weak muscles in the soft palate and upper throat contribute to snoring. {The full article is available here:}
http://medicine.exeter.ac.uk/news/title_314452_en.html
Medical research from around the world increasingly shows that singing and music have a significant role to play in physical and mental health. It also has a powerful influence on humans emotional health as well.
Frequently I hear from chorus members or students that they just FEEL better when they sing. And of course, the physical reason is often that the body releases the 'feel good' chemicals when we sing .... but science doesn't always have ALL the answers. Sometimes a song revives memories - joyful, sad, playful, hurtful - of times or of people that have passed through our lives. And science can't explain why sharing a song with someone is like a hug. Or why singing out loud with our eyes closed can give us a sense of spiritual awareness.
If you haven't discovered it yourself yet, you don't know what you're missing. Find a group and start singing!
Here's a clip from my Wednesday morning group "Heart of Erin" ....they're a very small group of lovely ladies who sing Celtic music. This one is a song called "Pilgrim" by Enya. I hope it gives your heart a lift.
