Harp Concerts For Groups of Seniors

Harp Therapy For The Dying Process

Helping Harps

Who Can Benefit From Helping Harps?

          Helping Harps is a small business dedicated to serving others through therapeutic harp music and voice by providing harp concerts, programs, and other services at different facilities around San Diego. Helping Harps offers Harp Concerts for groups of seniors, specialized programs for dementia patients, and therapeutic music for the dying process. These services may include interactive benefits that promote memory function, relief of stress, and feelings of joy. It is the mission of helping harps to relieve suffering and pain by helping others to experience loving & compassionate interaction, happiness, and peace of mind.

My Special Holiday Conerts for Seniors

Aside from group Harp Concerts, Harp Practitioners are also educated in the dying process and are trained with  the ability to play specific "element" music for those in their last stages of life. I play the harp medicinally at bedside in private or semi-private rooms to musically soothe their transition process. Because the sense of hearing is the last sense to cease functioning during the death process, patients can experience the tranquil qualities of the harp long after their other senses have left.

The five elements, earth, water, fire, air, and space, all have specific functions within the body. In Tibetan medicine, each element corresponds to particular characteristics and visible symptoms.  It is said that each element begins to dissolve during the dying process. Various symptoms appear with the dissolution of each element. As Harp Practitioners, we are trained to recognize these traits and respond with music that is appropriate for each element by matching the patient's condition--thereby providing melodious assistance for each stage of the dying process.

          During the Earth Element phase, this element begins to dissolve into the water element. The Earth Element governs the dense physical reality like our bones and flesh. Symptoms of its dissolution include extreme physical weakness, inability to lift one's head, difficulty sitting up, feelings of sinking, and dullness of the senses. This occurs because the spirit is detaching from the body in a gradual process.

          During the Water Element phase, this element begins to dissolve into the fire element. The Water Element governs the fluids in our body. Symptoms of its dissolution include inability to control urine, dehydration, darkness of urine, intense thirst; dryness of lips, mouth, eyes, nose; diminished responsiveness to own emotions and physicality, and general drying up of all bodily fluids.

          With the dissolution of the Water Element is the Fire Element. The Fire Element governs all that is electric and warm in the body. Symptoms of its dissolution include coolness of body, excessive feelings of being cold even though there are blankets covering the body, inability to digest food as the digestive juices slow, lessened sense of hunger, the sense of smell diminishes, and there may be mental confusion or disinterest in surroundings.

          After the Fire element, the Air Element begins to dissolve. The Air Element governs the breath in the body. During its dissolution we experience shallow in-breaths followed by elongated and deepened out-breaths. We may also experience Cheyne-Stokes, an abnormal breathing pattern characterized by progressively deepened breaths followed by intervals of apnea, a temporary stop in breath. At this time we may also experience visions. Many reportings of these events include visions of deceased relatives, visions of one's life events, and visions of angels or loved ones.

          Next, the Air Element dissolves into the Space Element. At that time the breath stops and the spirit is released from the body into the bliss of the Divine.

During each of these elemental phases I play therapeutic harp music to provide relaxation, comfort, safety, and peace through this transitional process. Each element requires specific music that matches its condition. I consider it a great honor to musically serve people in those times and stand by proper ethical conduct and full confidentiality of any experiences of disclosed information. If he or she is to pass on while I am in the room, I will then (with permission) play therapeutic harp for the family members, caregivers, and staff while holding space for continued peacefulness, love, and comfort.