Meditation is a proven method of relaxing the mind and has been around for roughly 5000 years. The first documented instance of mediation was in a piece of wall art, which depicted a group of people sitting with their legs crossed, hands on their knees, and eyes shut tight. Since then, the practice has been used by almost all religions in some shape or form. Meditation helps to release stress, reduce anxiety, and gives control to the meditator. Although meditation is suggested to be carried out in a quiet place, music can help you to get lost and remain in the present. If you’ve never tried music mediation before, here is your complete guide.
Why Meditate with Music?
Life can be stressful and escaping the hustle and bustle is a proven way of relieving stress. The beauty of music mediation is that it can be done anywhere, as long as you have a quiet place and a set of headphones. If you’ve got important meetings coming up, squeezing in a music mediation session is a great way to clear your mind and refocus. Musicians use music meditation before they go on stage or enter the music studio because it can be a nerve-racking and stressful experience. The next time you visit the music studio, try and set aside some time to get lost in peaceful music.
Choosing the Right Music
When meditating with music, you can’t just choose your favorite rock tunes and hope to have a relaxing experience. Instead, you need to choose the right music that will help you to connect with yourself deeply. Despite there being certain restrictions, there are countless pieces of music you can use to accompany your meditation, and choosing the perfect track depends on what your goals for the session are. For example, if you want to completely relax, you need to choose music that you can breathe in time. Alternatively, if you simply want to let go of a couple of worries, you should look for music that encourages awareness.
When you’re choosing meditation music, you should avoid songs with lyrics because they will distract you from your thoughts. Some people struggle to separate each element of the music, so it’s best to avoid lyrics altogether. The best place to find the perfect mediation music is online; the internet is a fantastic resource packed with a wealth of music to experiment with. Classical music is a great choice for meditation, as are select Low-Fi tracks.
How to Meditate with Music
- Choose the meditation music that works for you. Don’t be afraid to try different tracks. Try and keep your selected tracks slow and pick a genre that you like; there’s no point choosing classical music if it’ll put you on edge.
- Find a comfy position. Just because the first iterations of mediations had people sitting with their legs crossed, this doesn’t mean you need to. Find a position that works for you, as long as it’s comfortable. You should avoid laying down because you may fall asleep midway through, which means you wouldn’t reap the full reward.
- Stay focused. Part of music meditation is bringing yourself into the here and now, so keep your thoughts in the present. If you find yourself lost in thought about what you’re doing at the weekend, or even thinking about the musical message, you need to bring it back round to the now.
- Set a timer. The chances are you’re having a music meditation session in the middle of a busy day, so make sure you set yourself a timer. You can choose a couple of songs and make your session end when they do. The purpose of music meditation is to bring your thoughts into the present – if you stay focused and just exist, you will do this in no time.
Tips for Music Meditation
- Put your meditation songs into one playlist and keep it short – you don’t need to worry about running over this way.
- Rome wasn’t built in a day, so start by just using one or two songs – you can increase your playlist when you get used to the process.
- Staying in the present is difficult, so if your thoughts start trailing off, try not to be hard on yourself. Give yourself some praise for starting the journey – the more you practice music meditation the easier you will find it.
- Music can be emotive. If your chosen tracks trigger memories and internal monologues, consider using alternative music. There are countless instrumentals raging from new age, classical, Low-Fi, jazz, and much more.
Life can be stressful, and the mind can get filled with unnecessary clutter. Music meditation is designed to clear the mind and bring your focus to the present. When you first start, you will likely find it difficult – don’t let these initial obstacles get in your way of trying again.