Calming Music

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. So-called meditation music therefore is a kind of crutch that hinders our practice rather than helping it. If you’re trying to pay attention one-pointedly to your breathing, then you can’t also listen to music. And if you’re trying to listen to music then you can’t fully concentrate on your breathing. While music can be moving and powerful, and meditation can be the same, these are two things that serve different purposes. That is a training in sound that is invaluable for everyday life.



Which brings me back to your question - meditation isn't listening to music or repeating a mantra or focusing on your breath. Meditation is cultivating awareness, and learning to observe your thoughts without getting caught up in it. There are many qualities that we can experience under the influence of music with no formal training. These include increased focus, empathy, lowered stress levels, pain relief, and prosocial tendencies. These are all also well-documented effects and goals within the various Buddhist meditation systems too.

If it is just by blindly following precepts, the motivation won't take you that far. However, if you realise that sense-restraint is a crucial part of the Dhamma, and was not coincidentally taught by the Buddha, you will realize its importance. The more you restrain yourself from "unskillful mental states", the more success you'll have in your meditation, since by default then your mind will have a lesser degree of hindrances. This being so, the less results you experienced up until now , the less trust you will have in the Buddha. All you need to experiment with binaural beats is a binaural beat audio and a pair of headphones or earbuds.

Mindfulness meditation has two main fields of action into which it makes our lives better. In both situations, this is done by simply paying attention. Every time you come back, you are practicing meditation. Collectively we have experienced dramatic change over the past few weeks. It's okay if you haven't figured out how to be and take care of yourself quite yet.

And finally shortly connect with your breathing. Also notice whatever is going on inside of your emotions and thoughts. Notice if there is anticipation, or dread, or something else. To begin with, I would also avoid up-tempo songs for the same reasons I do not recommend choosing a song you know too well. Listening mindfully to music can be a very intense experience.

Lengthy exposure to sounds at or above 85 decibels can cause hearing loss over time. This is yoga sounds roughly the level of noise produced by heavy traffic. A 2015 study compared the effects of music therapy with a therapist versus music medicine among people with cancer. Even though all music listening showed positive results, 77% of patients preferred music therapy sessions to just listening to music on their own. Alana also says you can also use music to help set the mood for your practice.

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