Does daily meditation with classical music reduce PMS symptoms?

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a very common condition, occurring in women of reproductive age. This is an important source of stress for women, significantly affecting their regular functioning. Previous studies have shown that alternative forms of therapy like meditation have an effect on the symptoms associated with PMS. However, the direct link between the two has not been focused on by the larger group of researchers. In this study, the researcher intended to study the effects of classical music based chakra meditation on the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. The sample of the study comprised of 40 college students who were screened for premenstrual syndrome based on the Shortened Premenstrual Assessment Form (SPAF) and Calendar of Premenstrual Experiences(COPE) which they were expected to fill in for one menstrual cycle. The participants who qualified for the study were allotted to the intervention group and control group. The intervention group was expected to practice a 15 minute music based chakra meditation, everyday, for one menstrual cycle, during which they also filled in the COPE. The control group was expected to fill the COPE for one menstrual cycle. Both the groups filled in the SPAF after the completion of the menstrual cycle. The results on the SPAF and COPE showed that there was significant reduction in all the post-test symptom clusters of the experimental group, compared with the pre-test symptoms. Thus, this study demonstrates that music based chakra meditation can have significant healing effects on the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome.

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