Some people say that listening to music while meditating is not a good idea, because you might get dependent on the music and you won’t learn how to calm the mind without it. Personally I think there is no right or wrong and everything has its own benefits. Sometimes I choose total silence, and other times I prefer background music.
There are definitely great benefits in listening to music during meditation. Here are 5 of them listed for you.
1. Provoke Feelings
Whether you want to feel more joyful, creative or relaxed, music can be created for a certain intention. Somedays you might want to do a meditation that helps you fall asleep, while other days you might decide to meditate because you lack creativity for your work. Picking the right type of music can help you with your intention for that specific moment. Of course you can get similar benefits by meditation alone, but music can be helpful to enhance a particular mood or spirit.
2. Sleep Quality
Music has a solid evidence base for improving the quality of sleep in young adults, older adults and children. Not only that, it can also help with insomnia. Even though these studies are not combined with meditation, it’s presumable that a combination of both relaxing music and meditation can support a good night’s rest.
3. Reduce Stress
It’s not a surprise that music can reduce stress. Many people listen to relaxing music when they’re stressed to feel more calm. A study shows that listening to music for 30 minutes each day, decreases stress level and emotional exhaustion. Another study shows that listening to music reduces cortisol in the body, which is the stress hormone.
4. Insights
Have you ever experienced when you were listening to music, out of the blue a song takes your breath away and hidden feelings come to the surface? You get sad, happy, scared or nostalgic even when you didn’t realise you had these emotions inside of you at that moment. You don’t know why or how this happens, but that is the power of music. It can help with self-discovery and it can give you insights about your current state of mind and emotions.
5. Practicing Meditation
Meditation can feel difficult, specially when you are just beginning your practices. Going from a busy day with all kinds of sounds and thoughts to just sitting quietly in a room by yourself can be overwhelming and make you want to give up. Therefor music can help you to get used to meditation without too much resistance. Some days you might feel you want to meditate in silence and that is great, and other days you might find the motivation you need with the support of music. Keep in mind that everyone is different and some people might find music distracting instead of helpful.
Your experience
Do you meditate with or without music? What do you feel is best and why? Leave a comment below to share your thoughts about this subject.
Thanks.
You’re welcome, thank you for reading