Unlock Better Health with 4 M’s: Music, Mindfulness, Meditation, and Mindset
“Let’s start at the very beginning; a very fine place to start.”
In a world where things seem to be getting increasingly complicated and overstimulating, I propose it’s time to get back to the basics of health. We can unlock better mental and physical health through what I call “The 4 M’s:” Music, Mindfulness, Meditation, and Mindset.
My suggestion is rooted in science (specifically, neuroscience), but it’s also rooted in my own lived experiences with chronic pain, chronic stress, anxiety, and—perhaps most importantly—healing. I was able to get my life back on track, and I want to help you too.
Hi, I’m Elisha: Board-Certified Music Therapist with a Master’s degree in music therapy and a decade of experience helping anxious and overwhelmed folks feel grounded, safe, and more present.
I’m assuming if you’ve landed here, it’s because you’re searching for something.
Perhaps you’re searching for a way to feel better than you currently do.
Maybe you’re searching for a way to use one (or all) of the aforementioned four M’s to support your health.
It may be that you’re searching for a holistic therapist or coach who can partner with and support you as you find ways to heal.
Whatever you’re searching for, I’m glad you’re here.
The 4 M’s are the backbone of my creative and holistic approach to therapy and coaching, which centers one important variable above all else: you. I see you as the expert in your own life, and I believe you hold the keys to your own healing. I see myself as your partner and guide. I also see you as already whole, not a collection of parts that needs to be “fixed.” Both psychology and neuroscience tell us that physical and mental health are deeply connected, so part of healing is learning to listen to our own body’s wisdom. That can be really hard in a culture that often tells us not to trust our own body (especially if you happen to be a woman.) Let’s unravel that.
When I was 27, I experienced very real and very scary symptoms that led to multiple complex diagnoses, chronic pain, and surgery that involved a pretty major organ (spoiler: it was my brain) and extended disability leave from work. However, I still had problems even after surgery. I perceived every single sensation in my body as a potential threat. I became hyper-vigilant, constantly scanning my environment and my own body for any “problems” that could land me back in the neurosurgeon’s office. My nervous system was fired up—even things like any unexpected sound became intolerable. (This was a problem, because I worked as a music therapist in a prison at the time. Double whammy.)
I endured invasive test after invasive test and visited so many specialists that I started to feel like a professional collector of diagnoses. It was a stressful and exhausting period of my life, and it lasted for years. Then, after working the front lines in a hospital during the COVID pandemic and experiencing debilitating chronic pain and severe burnout, I finally decided enough was enough. I walked away from a very stressful work environment and dedicated myself full-time to healing (I recognize the privilege in that sentence. This decision involved a lot of luck, planning, and it didn’t happen overnight.) It was during that time, my personal “sabbatical,” I discovered that mindfulness, meditation, mindset shifts, and music were vital to my own healing. Imagine that: a music therapist needing to hit rock bottom before realizing that she already held the keys to her own healing. I worked closely with a Somatics-based therapist as well as a physical therapist who utilized elements of Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT), which helped me understand how I’d gotten caught in this cycle of chronic pain, stress, and anxiety, and how to get out of it.
So what are the 4 M’s, and how can they help unlock better health? Let’s take a look at each one. First up…
Music Therapy
Are you wondering, “But seriously, what IS music therapy?”
Good. I’m glad you’re here. You’re exactly the person I envisioned reading an article like this.
Music Therapy is a well-established form of clinical treatment that uses music within the therapeutic relationship to help you accomplish your health and wellness goals.
Music Therapy is provided by a Board-Certified Music Therapist who has earned the MT-BC credential, achieved through completing a degree in Music Therapy, completion of an accredited Music Therapy internship, passing a National Board Certification Exam, and obtaining a license in applicable states. Clients do not need any prior music experience to participate in or benefit from Music Therapy.
In music therapy, we use music as the primary tool in sessions. That means, in addition to more traditional talk-based techniques, we are using music to help you explore and process emotions and experiences, retrieve and/or reflect upon memories, and help you step into full self-expression. We’re also teaching you how to use music to support your health every single day!
A short list of benefits include:
Decreases both acute & chronic pain.
Decreases anxiety, depression, and stress.
Improves emotional expression and regulation.
But what does Music Therapy look like?
Good question, and I’ve got some answers. It can look like:
Using your favorite music to express how you feel. (That’s right—your favorite music. Not my favorite music (though there may be some fun overlaps.) Not a random playlist someone else created that helps them relax and focus. Your favorite music. And if you aren’t sure what that looks like for you, I will help you explore this, too!)
Taking a deep dive into a specific song’s lyrics to help you understand what you’re feeling (instead of avoiding your emotions.)
Choosing and sharing songs that help tell me who you are, what brings you pain, and what lights you up.
Singing familiar songs together to reap the many physiological and emotional benefits of using and/or reclaiming your own voice.
Writing a song together to help you explore and regulate your emotions, rather than suppress them.
Using musical instruments to “play” different feelings or “talk” about hard things without using words.
Listening to music that helps you feel what you need to feel in a way that feels safe for your nervous system.
Learning to play a musical instrument to help you cope better with anxiety, depression, or stress (yes, it’s time to bring out that old guitar that’s been collecting dust in your attic for years.)
Learning how to use music and other holistic techniques—like mindfulness and meditation—to manage symptoms of mental and physical health conditions.
Creating a music playlist to use for specific purposes (e.g. to improve sleep, to increase energy, to relax)
Did I mention that you don’t need to have a background to participate in or benefit from Music Therapy? (Now, if you hate music, this may not be the right form of therapy for you, but if you don’t hate music, it could be!)
Mindfulness
The American Psychological Association defines mindfulness as “awareness of one’s internal states and surroundings. Mindfulness can help people avoid destructive or automatic habits and responses by learning to observe their thoughts, emotions, and other present-moment experiences without judging or reacting to them.” Mindfulness is particularly helpful for people who are anxious, stressed, or have chronic pain. Simply, mindfulness is the art of being present in the here and now. Research shows that mindfulness can decrease anxiety, depression, rumination, and emotional reactivity. It can increase well-being, improve quality of sleep, improve concentration and focus, improve emotional regulation, and support immune system functioning. And guess what? You can learn to become more mindful in every aspect of your life!
Meditation
What do you picture when I say the word “meditation?” Do you see the image of someone sitting perfectly cross legged in a beautiful landscape looking totally Zen? If so, would you believe me if I assured you that meditation does not have to look like that in order to help support your health? The Mayo Clinic describes meditation as a “simple, fast way to reduce stress.” Meditation can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be. You can do it in a Zen garden or on the bus on your commute to work. You can do it wearing bright colored yoga pants that say “Namaste at home” or you can do it wearing your birthday suit in the shower because that’s the only time your kids will leave you alone for 2 minutes. The bottom line: meditation can and should be tailored to your life. I see so many people give up on meditation before they even try because they are trying to apply the image of meditation to their life, and it doesn’t work.
When I first started meditating, I started with a couple minutes a day of Guided Meditation with Music. It’s okay to be skeptical. It’s okay to try it and be consumed by your thoughts at first. All of that is okay. One of my favorite parts of working 1:1 with people just like you is helping them find ways to infuse creativity and practicality into meditation so they can stick with it and reap the benefits. So what are the benefits? Research suggests that meditation can benefit your overall health and well-being, reduce stress, improve sleep, increase patience and tolerance, help you gain new perspectives on stressful situations, focus on the present moment, increase creativity, lower your resting heart rate and blood pressure, and help you manage pain.
Mindset
Our mindset is a set of beliefs that help us make sense of our experiences and the world. It influences how we think, how we feel, and how we react/respond to situations in our lives. After my health scare, my mindset was stuck in “oh my gosh the world is out to get me” mode. Looking back, I see now that my brain thought it was trying to protect me, but in reality it was creating unnecessary problems. I was stuck in what’s called a “fixed mindset.” For me, an example of a fixed/false belief (also known as a cognitive distortion) was this: “Either my body is 100% free from unpleasant sensations or I am doomed to feel like s**t for the rest of eternity.” Through working closely with my own therapist, I started to shift my perspective and mindset. I am not talking about “toxic positivity.” As I just said to a client the other day: toxic positivity is out; grounded optimism is in. Over time, my fixed mindset shifted to a growth mindset. Now, you’ll catch me saying things like this: “What if these sensations in my body are just sensations? What if everything is okay and I’m safe in my body? What if setbacks are opportunities for growth? What if it turns out better than I had imagined? My body and mind are amazing growth and healing machines. I have survived 100% of my hard days!” (Growth mindset skeptics may roll their eyes when you start talking like this, but the joke is always on them my friend, because at the end of the day you are the one feeling and living better than you previously had been. Also, neuroscience has your back on this. Thanks to neuroplasticity, cognitive re-framing and self-affirmations work.)
The 4 M’s: Helping you feel better in a tough world.
So there you have it: music, mindfulness, meditation, and mindset. I’m happy to tell you that I am living a full and healthy life today. Is life perfect? No. Do I still have stressful or anxious days here and there? Sure. Do I still have pain flares and have to see doctors? More and more rarely, but yes. Is it all so much better than it was? Yes! And now I have dedicated my life to working 1:1 with people just like you who want to use these creative tools to improve their mental and physical health.
After working together and using the 4 M’s, my previous clients have used the following words to describe how they felt: confident, creative, focused, relaxed, happy, motivated, empowered, present, grateful, and my personal favorite: reconnected with my own body, mind, and spirit. It is humbling to walk alongside people as they set out on their own healing journeys. My clients are brave for choosing this path, and if you’re still reading this, I believe you are too.
Are you ready to start feeling better? When you are, I’m ready to help. I’ll teach you everything I know about the 4 M’s, and if we come up with some fun new M’s along the way, even better! (I’m already thinking… Maintenance? Morale? Merrymaking? Let me know what you come up with.)
Click here to book a free 20-minute initial consultation to see if we’d be a good fit for therapy or coaching.
Or as Julie Andrews sang in The Sound of Music, “Let’s start at the very beginning, a very fine place to start.”
