You’ll probably find that you enjoy it like never before. This music became known as “meditation music†and the assumption grew up that we should listen to music while meditating. If you’ve ever found yourself saying, “I can’t meditate,†it might be time to revisit the practice with a deeper understanding of what meditation is really about.
With mindfulness, you’re not looking to achieve any particular state . Instead, you’re working meditatively with whatever comes up. So, if you're listening to music as your practice, you're discovering what’s happening inside you while you listen to that music. You’re exploring your relationship to the music, as a path of self discovery. Ultimately, insight is what turns any ordinary experience, like relaxation, into a profoundly satisfying experience.
The Calmer You Podcast features Chloe Brotheridge, author of The Anxiety Solution and Brave New Girl. Most Western practitioners find that a combination of meditation and psychology is the most effective way to liberate ourselves from trauma, bad habits, and negative feelings. While meditation provides insight into the nature of thoughts and emotions, psychotherapy engages with their substance. If you’re interested in meditating for mental health, talk to a medical professional. It’s not bad at all—in fact, it’s perfectly natural.
That’s why the guided meditations from Meditation Minis Podcast are so popular. In 10 minutes or less, host Cher Hamilton will help you find new ways to calm your anxiety, overcome negative thinking, reduce stress, and feel calmer. Not only that, the Ten Percent Happier app has teachers that will walk you through the basics, one breath at a time. Promising to help you enjoy your life more, this guided meditation podcast aims to increase your capacity for joy, gratitude, and love—no magical thinking required. You can practice mindfulness meditation on your own anytime and anywhere. But listening to basic guided meditations can also be helpful, especially when getting started.
Movement meditation is good for people who find peace in action and prefer to let their minds wander. As the name suggests, this practice is ideal for anyone who requires additional focus in their life. Spiritual meditation can be practiced at home or in a place of worship.
Some feelings might be neutral — tingling or itching. In the midst of classic rock’s golden days in the early ’70s, Henry Wolff and Nancy Hennings decided to hole up in the Island Records studio and make a record with just Tibetan bells and singing bowls. Using little more than struck metal from the Far East and capturing those subtle vibrations on tape, the duo found themselves at the fore of New Age music. Sometimes you may find that what you’re hearing is distressing, or you’ll disagree, or you’ll really want to speak your piece. There will always be opportunities for you to share your thoughts—later.
Instead, the practice involves paying close attention to the present moment — especially our own thoughts, emotions and sensations — whatever it is that’s happening. Setting aside time for formal meditation is an important way to establish a routine and get comfortable with the practice. Even just a few minutes a day can make a big difference.
Since 2001, On Being has been asking the big questions and talking about them with really, really smart people. The podcast/radio show doesn’t necessarily waterfall sounds answer those questions — but it doesn’t really need to. The questions are often so big that there really isn’t one, single answer to any of them. Recent topics include “tending joy and practicing delight,†grace, and whether we can — or even really should — bring “our whole selves†to work. Each episode’s music is brand new , so you’ll never hear the same thing twice.
With wisdom and guidance to help improve your physical wellbeing as well as your emotional health, you’ll feel inspired to expand your meditation journey. If you find yourself ‘thinking too much’, don’t beat yourself up over it; this is natural for those beginning meditation practice. Instead, congratulate yourself on noticing the internal dialogue, and redirecting your attention to the present moment. While 20 minutes is a good minimum time for music medication, even one song can help reduce stress and restore energy. Music has many wonderful benefits for stress management and overall health. It can help you calm your physiology without making a conscious effort, and that can alleviate stress from your mind.