“Beyond the Chords”

The Setup

You’ve probably heard someone say, “Music heals.” It’s true that music can help us feel better, calm down, or reconnect with memories that matter, but what if the healing part isn’t the music itself… what if it’s what happens inside you while the music is playing?

That’s what this exercise explores.

The Idea

From an ACT-in-Context view, what matters most isn’t what we do, but what it does for us in a given moment. Music is one way—just one—of changing how we relate to our thoughts, feelings, and memories. It works because it engages processes like:

• Contacting emotion instead of avoiding it.
• Shifting focus from what’s wrong to what’s meaningful.
• Connecting with others and with values that matter.

So this isn’t about having a good playlist or perfect taste in music.
It’s about noticing what music activates in you.

Try This On

1. Pick a piece of music that stirs something—anything—in you.
   It could be joyful, sad, powerful, gentle. No rules here.
2. Sit or lie down, press play, and simply listen.
   Notice the body’s response: tapping, tension, warmth, a breath that slows.
3. Stay with it.
   Let the sound be the backdrop as you let that experience move through.
   You don’t have to fix or analyze it.
   Just notice what happens when you allow the music to carry it, even for a few seconds.
4. As the song ends, ask yourself:
   • What did this open up for me?
   • What value or memory came alive?
   • Is there an action this moment points me toward?

When a thought or feeling shows up—anything from “This reminds me of…” to “I don’t like this”—
pause and name it.

“Ah, there’s sadness.”
“There’s a memory.”
“There’s resistance.”

What’s Happening Here

When you do this, you’re not being “cured” by a melody. You’re changing the relationship between you and your inner world.

In ACT terms, you’re increasing psychological flexibility—making space for whatever shows up, staying present, and choosing what matters next.

That’s the real music.

A Simple Reflection

Take a minute after you finish. Write one sentence starting with:

“When I listen deeply, I notice …”

Then—if you like—choose one small action that moves in the same direction as that sentence. That’s how we turn sound into movement.

That’s how we make healing workable.