Good music is indeed therapeutic, and all ragas, in their own way, soothe the mind. One raga that is proven to reduce high blood-pressure levels, promote mental stability and cure depression is Anandabhairavi. A typically classical raga that thrives on melodic oscillations and majestic glides, Anandabhairavi spreads the feeling of joy and fulfillment.
This raga's progression takes place on a zig-zag path, like a roller-coaster ride in musical notes. It features sadja, sadharana gandhara, chatusruti rishabha, suddha madhyama, pancama, and chatusruti dhaivata in ascent and also accomodates the kaisiki nishada in the descent. This is a raga that, in addition to the above-mentioned notes, features exotic foreign notes including the antara gandhara, suddha dhaivata, and kakali nishada. The net result is that sheer magic is created when this raga is handled - very many hues, many many moods, and wildly mystical musical spaces. The silence between musical phrases sometimes conveys much more to us than the phrases themselves and this aspect in music can be illustrated admirably through Anandabhairavi delineations which evoke Bhakthi, Karuna and Sringara rasas.
Thyagaraja's compositions in this raga include “Neeke Theliyaka ” and “Ksheera Sagara Vihara”. Dikshitar has composed a “Kamalamba” Navavarana in this raga, in addition to the well-known “Thyagaraja Yoga Vaibhavam ”. Shyama Sastri's compositions include “Marivere” and “O Jagadamba”.