Music my Medicine

The electronic sounds beat in her ear. The “rhythmical energy” charges her up, lifts her heart and her feet. Her mind is whisked away to a place of focus and resolution. Without the hypnotic trance and banging beats her goal would never be achieved.
The tunes are her motivation, her strength and her escape. The beating pulse allows her feet to pound the pavement. The fast tempo pushes her up the hills as her calf muscles strengthen and stretch.
She places those buds in her ears and she feels as if she could run forever.

A particular tune triggers a memory. A memory of being lost on the dance floor, arms in the air, sweaty bodies moving to the wicked beat. The DJ is god and the people are free. They dance until dawn, the warming sun beginning to rise behind them. They leave without a fight, their race has been won.

A steep hill rises before her, she begins to feel defeated. Her lungs struggle to keep up the pace of her feet. She pushes on, she listens, she feels, she knows she must breathe through it, that the feeling of achievement will be worth it.

A bead of sweat trickles down her spine, her chest heaves, the beat escalates to a peak as she reaches the crest of the hill. She wants to lie down, her lack of fitness makes her want to vomit. However her feet just keep going. The music changes and a new tune begins. Some Hip Hop helps to return the fire in her belly. The voices in her ear sing of poverty and illegal immigrants.

She loves how they can create such profound messages using the worlds only universal language.

I would never have dreamed of running. Running has never been my thing.
I hate running, I do not run for anything. I know there will always be another bus on its way. However when you have a reason to run, the strength can be found within. When you are lugging around a heart of lead and a head of jumbled words and feelings. Running becomes therapy.
That said, it is the music that becomes my fuel. The type of music I rarely get a chance to listen to these days, but it is this type of music that I need to motivate me up those hills and through those long stretches. In such a short time I have grown to love my 40 minutes as I run along with the company of a friend who is on the other side of the world. A good friend I will be forever grateful to. We motivate each other to run most days. We send pictures of the scenes whizzing past us. I send her hot sun and blue skies, she sends me green and gold snippets of home, it is a win win.

Music is my carriage through this battle with Post-Natal Depression.

Post-Natal Depression is my reason to run.

Disclaimer: Exercise is only part of my treatment for mild to moderate post-natal depression.
If you suspect you are suffering from Post-Natal Depression please seek professional help to decide on the best course of treatment for your individual needs.

Linking with sunshine Zanni in My Little Sunshine House this weeks prompt was music.