Can You Meditate With Music? All You Want To know
I enjoy both music and meditation. I occasionally try to have the best of both worlds by listening to music while I meditate, which made me wonder if this was a good idea or not. I discovered this, so there!
You can meditate with music. Because it has so many advantages, listening to music is a great tool to use while meditating. Music has the power to calm the body and mind and help people let go of negative thoughts. So adding music to your meditation practice is a great idea.
Now that you are aware that music can be used to help you meditate, let’s delve a little deeper and discover what type of music works best.
Continue reading.
Table of Contents
What Music Is Best For Meditating?
The most effective music for meditation is typically described as being calm and relaxing, like classical music or nature sounds. The best course of action is to listen to a genre of music that still enables you to concentrate on your inner self rather than becoming distracted by external sounds.
While I obviously personally won’t recommend listening to some extreme hardstyle beats pumping through your headphones when you’re trying to reach a zen-state-of-mind, it really is a matter of ‘whatever floats your boat’ (my boat floats better on rainforest and soothing ocean sounds though, but maybe that’s just me).
When choosing meditation music, try to find music that flows with your breathing and can actually guide you during your meditation without having to think about it or becoming annoyed by the sounds.
Always listen to music to aid in your meditation rather than to disturb it. Some music and sounds that work best for me during meditation are:
- Sounds Of Nature (Rainforest, Ocean, Waterfalls, Birds)
It is well known that the sounds of nature and green surroundings can help the body relax and calm down.
- Binaural Beats
When you want to improve your focus and attention, binaural beats are a great option. Additionally, they enhance one’s capacity for relaxation and reduce tension.
- Ambient Music
Ambient music is excellent for unwinding and enhancing the quality of sleep. You can potentially feel happier when listening to music that stimulates your senses.
- Instrumental Music
You can focus more clearly and concentrate more effectively with instrumental music. You are less likely to become distracted or be influenced in a particular way by instrumental music because it lacks lyrics.
To know what type of music you will benefit from the most during your meditational practice, it is best advised to try out some different music styles and sense which one serves you best (if at all).
Where one person might truly appreciate the calming notes of an Indian flute, you personally might feel the need to crack the flute in half in order to reach peace of mind.
Rap Music Is It Possible To Meditate?
Rap music can be used for meditation as long as it makes you feel at ease and relaxed because meditation is such a personal experience. While it is best to refrain from listening to aggressive language, choosing rap music that stimulates your senses can definitely be effective.
Can R&b Music Help You Meditate?
R&B music comes in a wide range of styles, and some of it is excellent for meditation. The kind of R&B music that would perfectly complement a calming meditation has been made by artists like Lauren Hill, who is a great example. It’s also advisable to look for chill R&B jams or R&B instrumental music.
Do Pop Songs Help You Meditate?
Pop music is a great choice for meditation because it has a wide range of songs that can be both calming and energizing at the same time. To achieve the best results, pick a pop song that makes you feel content and at ease while listening to it.
Rock Music Is It Possible To Meditate To It?
Rock music is good for meditation. Although it is generally not advised to listen to loud music while meditating, soft rock music can be very calming and relaxing to the body and mind. A meditation might work with classic rock, another subgenre of rock. See more about Can You Meditate Lying Down?
Does Music With Lyrics Help You Meditate?
It all depends on your personal preference, even though the majority of people prefer to listen to meditation music without lyrics or singing. You can definitely meditate to music with lyrics, provided you don’t let them distract you negatively.
Can You Meditate While Wearing Headphones?
You can use headphones to meditate. Utilizing headphones while meditating can help you achieve a zen state of mind more quickly because they generally help you feel more focused and concentrated. When practicing meditation, headphones can help block out distracting noises.
When I’m meditating, I personally enjoy using these noise-canceling headphones. They are fantastic because the noise cancellation feature improves concentration by excluding outside noise.
Do Monks Use Music For Meditation?
While monks aren’t typically known for using music during their meditations, gong sounds are a common tool. Monks also enjoy chanting as a way to unwind the body and mind during meditation in order to generate positive energy. The chant Om Mani Padme Hum being the most popular.
Meditation Music Is Not A Traditional Concept
It’s a widely held belief that you should play music while meditating. But this is probably related to the idea that meditation is merely a way to unwind.
In the past, it would have been impossible to imagine listening to music while meditating. There is no musical accompaniment to sitting meditation in any Buddhist tradition that I am aware of.
The idea of listening to music while meditating is very contemporary and likely originated from the fact that many practitioners of alternative medicine use calming music as background noise while performing their healing arts. This music became known as “meditation music” and the assumption grew up that we should listen to music while meditating.
In the past, meditation was typically accompanied by nothing but silence or background noise.
Meditation Music Stops Us From Going Deeply Into Meditation
It goes without saying that meditation itself aids in relaxation, as does so-called meditation music. However, meditation goes beyond mere relaxation and improves our focus and alertness. Additionally, it encourages us to cultivate kindness or seriously consider the nature of our experiences. Music is probably going to interfere with those activities.
It is impossible to listen to music while trying to focus solely on your breathing. Additionally, it’s difficult to fully focus on your breathing if you’re listening to music.
We listen to music because it makes us feel good. As a result, it is almost always played around us—in stores, elevators, and even on the streets. If those pleasant feelings are being supplied by “meditation music” then we won’t reach deeper into ourselves to find our own sources of happiness. Therefore, so-called meditation music is more of a crutch that interferes with our practice than aids it.
You cannot be at peace with yourself if you find silence uncomfortable or unsettling. Practice being in silence to become accustomed to it. In this manner, we develop self-acceptance. Meditation cannot be done while listening to music. If you are dependent on music, you will never learn to be deeply at peace with yourself.
In fact, as we hone our meditative skills, we completely stop noticing sounds. Yes, of course, our ears still work. They are still producing signals, which are still being transmitted to the brain. However, we simply stop hearing sounds when we are fully immersed in being mindful of our inner experience.
While meditating, music prevents that level of mindfulness from occurring.
Music As Meditation
However, it’s fine to concentrate on music, and I wholeheartedly advise you to try doing that. However, I also advise you to try doing it when you are not meditating.
To take it a step further, I’d say that, when done correctly, listening to music can serve as its own form of meditation, just like going for a walk or doing the dishes can. By putting more thought into them, you can enrich and enhance a variety of activities. As we’ve seen, one such example is music. We’ve included links to some excellent Buddhist music that makes a perfect focus for a “listening meditation.”
It can be extremely beneficial to meditate while listening to music. As I learned more about the experience of the dhyanas (Pali, jhanas), which are intensely focused, tranquil, and blissful states of meditation, I understood that I’d been having these states while listening to western classical music for years. And I’ve discovered that when I use music as a meditation object, I can experience all of the dhyanas.
If you’re going to use music as a form of meditation, you need to treat it like a serious exercise. Avoid engaging in any other activities at the same time. While you’re listening, put down any work, reading, or financial calculations. Turn off your phone. Just listen to the music, and make the room darker. Make sure you’re seated comfortably so that you can pay attention with awareness. Lay back and simply listen to the music as you sit or lie down. You’ll probably discover that you enjoy it more than ever.
Instructions For Music Mediation
Select soothing music for your meditation sessions. Finding music you enjoy listening to is necessary; avoid, for instance, choosing classical music if you don’t. Additionally, you should seek out music with a slower tempo and preferably no lyrics, as these can be distracting and engage the conscious portion of your mind, which is the part we want to slow down.
Get into a comfortable position and relax. The position you should try is the one that feels most comfortable to you. Many people believe that they must sit with their legs crossed in a specific manner or use a meditation cushion. If you’re tired, you can experiment to see what works best for you. Some people avoid lying down because they fall asleep this way. Once you’ve settled in, close your eyes, unwind your muscles, and take a few deep breaths. Relax the muscles in your face, belly, and shoulders. To exhale, inhale deeply through your nose while gently expanding your belly rather than your chest.
Stay focused on the music. If you catch yourself daydreaming or even thinking about the music, gently bring your focus back to the present moment, the music’s sound, and the physical sensations it brings about. Make an effort to truly feel the music.
Till your time is up, keep doing this exercise for several minutes. Whenever thoughts enter your mind, gently let them go and focus instead on the music’s sound, the present moment, and your body’s sensations. This exercise aims to help you turn off your inner voice and simply “be.” In order to feel more at ease, simply “be” with the music and immerse yourself completely.
Tips
- You might want to begin with a small number of songs and work your way up to longer practice sessions.
- Change to a different style of music if you discover that it triggers a lot of thoughts, memories, and internal dialogue. In contrast to other types of music, instrumental music can take many different forms, such as jazz, new age, and classical.
- To ensure that you don’t go over your allotted practice time, you can time it to correspond with the number of songs you select.
- Don’t be hard on yourself if you find yourself “thinking too much” at first; this is common for beginners. Instead, congratulate yourself on becoming aware of the inner dialogue and focusing on the present moment.
Conclusion
If you’re new to the world of meditation or you’re just having some difficulty getting “in the zone,” you may wonder if it’s possible to use music as a meditation aid. Some people believe that adding music would only serve as a distraction because meditation is typically perceived as a quiet practice that requires all of the mind’s attention to be directed inward.
If it enables you to reach your goals, using music as a meditation aid is acceptable. While music can be distracting to some, it can also be calming to others. Music provides an opportunity for practitioners of mindfulness meditation to examine their response to it.
We appreciate you reading.
