Meditation is gaining greater recognition for its ability to relieve stress and calm the mind. Meditation focuses your attention; during a meditation session you can either focus on one particular word or your breath or repeat a phrase called a mantra. You can also meditate with listening to music. Music can help you relax and focus more easily, particularly if you are new to meditation.
Choosing Your Music
Meditation music is not meant to be distracting -- it should enhance your ability to focus. Choose soothing music that you like but can easily tune out to more effectively center your thoughts. You can also look for music that contains binaural beats or isochronic tones. These types of rhythms can affect your brain waves, inducing calm and potentially increasing your ability to meditate deeply. A study published in the journal of "Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine" in January 2001 found that use of delta-theta brain wave binaural beats may help reduce mild anxiety.
Relaxation Exercise
Before you begin meditation, perform a brief relaxation exercise with soothing music to dispel racing thoughts and promote calm. Sit comfortably and focus on specific muscles in your body while breathing in and out naturally. Beginning with your head, become aware of the tension in your muscles, picturing it draining slowly down your body. As you focus on your shoulders, imagine the tension is going into your abdomen and downward until it leaves your body via your feet. Bring your awareness up to the center of your chest, visualizing a sea of calm in your heart. Spend a few minutes here before beginning your normal meditation.
Movement Meditation
A natural response to music is movement or dance, so a movement meditation is an excellent way to learn to focus. Clear enough room to move comfortably, and turn on your music. Take several deep breaths to center yourself and come into a relaxed squatting position with your knees slightly bent and your pelvis loose. Feel the your feet touching the floor and visualize your feet connecting to the earth to help ground you. Pay attention to areas in your body that are tight while breathing and moving to loosen your muscles. When the music stops, come to a standing position and center yourself to end your meditation.
Counting Your Breaths
Another effective meditation exercise is counting the breaths. When you first begin this exercise, you may find it difficult to breathe and count in a relaxed manner. Listen to music with a soft, steady beat and match your breathing to the rhythm. For example, inhale for three beats and exhale for three beats. Count the beats as one, two, three then three, two, one. As you relax, your breathing will likely become slower; as you progress, you can increase the number of beats you inhale or exhale.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Meditation
- The Intelligence of Soul: Meditation Music
- "Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine": Use of binaural beat tapes for treatment of anxiety: a pilot study of tape preference and outcomes; RP Le Scouarnec, et al.; January 2001
- Meditation Workshop: Relaxation Exercise
- ABC-of-Yoga.com: Movement Meditation
- Interlude Retreat: Breath Counting Meditation
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