What if I told you that we all have the power to heal and transform the trauma that manifests in our bodies? Additionally, music, art, and creative expression are portals through which we can activate our power to heal. . According to Dr. Sarah King, neuroscientist, medical anthropologist, and founder of medicine, mind heart consulting– “We are actually imbued with superpowers that enable us to heal.” Her opening comments at a session titled “Art, Music, and Science as Catalysts of Healing and Transformation.”,”, she expressed an interest in exploring how our bodies are designed to support our healing abilities.
This session was part of a virtual summit on healing-centered education led by Angel Acosta of the Acosta Institute that was attended by hundreds of participants from around the world in October 2022. The session was facilitated by three panelists who guided and shared meditation practices with the audience. Their perspective on the healing power of art and creative expression. Panelists included Dr. Sarah King and two scholar performers, Adam Faulkner and Francia. Dr. King explains while presenting her research:
We have superpowers that are part of how we tap into our embodied consciousness. The fact that we can be aware of our own consciousness is a meta-superpower. We can always pay attention to our breathing and harness the power of consciousness to connect with our ability to live. We can use our powers of concentration to focus and harness how we move through the world. These things matter how we transport our bodies through time and space.
The embodied consciousness Dr. King speaks of is a state of feeling fully present and alive. It’s a way to connect to the present moment by using sensory experiences like breathing to ground yourself. Embodied consciousness also allows us to understand our interconnectedness and the energy we bring to our relationships. During the panel discussion, Dr. King will further explain the concept of embodied consciousness and its usefulness as a tool to facilitate healing.
What are we intentional about in terms of the kind of energy we bring to our relationships? What are we bringing to the space we’re in? Are we aware of our intentions and energies?
How we carry our bodies across time and space is an entity that provides a state of belonging to those around us, or an energy of rejection and othering. We are always communicating what we are doing.
Embodied consciousness is most easily tapped into when we engage in practices such as yoga, meditation, creating or creating art, or listening to music.
Art and music are some of the most accessible expressions of creativity we have to heal ourselves.
We have superpowers that are part of how we tap into our embodied consciousness.
In this session, Dr. King, along with Mr. Faulkner and Mr. Francia, will lead us through a multisensory experience filled with meditation, music, visual art, poetry, storytelling, and reflection. These activities were designed specifically to help participants intuit the power of music, art, and poetry as catalysts for healing. Each panelist will share a story about how engaging in creative expression has led to personal change, and we hope that participants will deepen their mindfulness practices through these techniques. .
Panelist Francia practiced as a lawyer until 2020, when another passion led him on an artistic journey. Francia shared with the audience that her return from her vacation in South Africa was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. As a result, he immersed himself in the practice and art of Kemetic yoga. Francia, now a full-time artist, wellness expert and healer, performed her latest songs during the session to the enthusiastic delight of attendees., It encourages us all to realize our dreams and co-create a new world. Artist, researcher, and race and equity strategist Adam Faulkner spoke about the importance of creative work as a tool for embracing all of one’s identities, including being gay. After delighting the audience with a song that repeats the phrase “I’m grateful for the soul that is mine,” Adam shares how creativity and play encourage us to have the courage to experiment and expand our own potential. He shared that his current research is exploring ways to enable people to live their lives to the fullest. About who we are and our talents.
“My career as a neuroscientist was fundamentally and fundamentally changed by the presence of the art world,” Dr. King said before inviting the audience to participate in a guided meditation practice. She further explains:
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As a scientist, I have been told that it is very radical to position myself as someone who believes deeply in the divine. And when I use the word Spirit, I realize that it has so many different meanings and connotations for so many people, but for me, connecting with Spirit is about a deep sense of interdependence. is.
It is this sense of connection that means there is some living energy that is animating me within my body, much larger than this personal self, much more expansive.
As an interdisciplinary scholar, I would like to be part of a world that actively incorporates qualitative aspects of dreams, consciousness, and imagination, along with psychophysiological measurements of heart rate and brain waves in the presence of art and music. Masu.
The science of the healing power of art
Dr. King spoke about a 2011 study that found more than 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain, saying, “We live in an epidemic of stress and chronic pain.” Ta. Dr. King emphasizes that for the one-third of Americans who suffer from such pain, their condition is directly related to their experience of perceived discrimination. “When you’re in a body that feels alienated and oppressed and feels the pressure of systemic and institutionalized racism and oppression, that actually causes physical pain. I am.”
The research she is referring to is outlined in a report prepared by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) after Congress commissioned an IOM committee to study the prevalence of chronic pain. The committee said that effectively treating this pain requires a concerted national effort to foster a “cultural shift” that changes the way the public, policy makers and health care providers view chronic pain and its impact. It was concluded that Recommendations for effective treatment outlined in the report include new pain medications and reducing barriers to health care providers. While these factors are important, Dr. King, Dr. Faulkner, and Dr. Francia suggest a different treatment. It is a cultural shift that makes the healing power of art available to all.
Many studies, including Dr. King’s, have demonstrated the physiological benefits of mindfulness and art therapy. Several studies have demonstrated that art-based therapy can improve mood, reduce stress levels, and reduce pain perception. Learn more about the efforts Dr. King has developed in collaboration with partners such as the Museum of Modern Art, the United Nations (UN), and the World Health Organization (WHO) to develop public programs to make these discoveries and the healing power of art accessible. explained. . For example, she collaborated with MOMA to collaborate with MOMA educator Jackie Armstrong and composer Orlando Villaraga to create a 90-minute series about “individual and collective consciousness and the capacity for transformation and healing that we all have.” We have developed a work that immersively explores the relationship between ” She also developed a guided meditation based on artist Betty Searle’s work, her 1969 piece entitled “Black Girl’s Window.” This meditation can be accessed from her MOMA website.
“How can I get better?” was the question repeated throughout the session. Several meditative practices centered around music and art were incorporated as gateways to activating the essential process of healing.
“This session warmed my soul” were the reflective words of one participant, a sentiment shared by many, including myself. We invite you to watch a session and explore how art can be a catalyst for your healing and transformation.