How to Practice Music Meditation?

Music has numerous beneficial effects on stress management and general wellbeing. It can help you calm your physiology without making a conscious effort, which can relieve mental tension. Music can also improve your mood, calm your respiration, and cause other stress-related changes. 

 Meditation is also one of the most popular stress management treatments for good reason: it provides immediate advantages such as mental and physical peace, and it can increase resilience to stress over time. Combining music with meditation can enhance the benefits of both and provide greater stress alleviation.

As an added bonus, music meditation might feel simpler and more instantaneously soothing than other forms of practice for many people who are new to meditation or perfectionists. It is a stress-relieving technique that anyone can use. This meditation, with consistent practice, can help you better handle stress.

How to Practice Music Meditation?

Practicing music meditation involves using music as a tool to enhance your meditation experience. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to practice music meditation:

Instructions for Music Mediation

1. Choose meditation music that can help you relax. This means finding music that you enjoy listening to—if you don’t enjoy classical music, for example, don’t choose it. You should also look for music that has a slower tempo, and preferably without lyrics, which can be distracting and can engage your conscious mind—the part of your mind that we hope to slow down.
2. Get into a comfortable position and relax. Many people think they need to sit with their legs crossed a certain way or use a meditation cushion, but really, whatever position you feel is comfortable is the position you should try. Some people avoid lying down because they fall asleep this way if they're tired; you can experiment and decide what's right for you. Once you've found your position, close your eyes, relax your muscles, and breathe through your diaphragm. Let your shoulders, your belly, and even the muscles in your face relax. Breathe in deeply through your nose, gently expanding your belly rather than your chest, then exhale through your mouth. 

1. Stay focused on the music. If you find yourself thinking about other things (or even thinking thoughts about the music), gently redirect your attention to the present moment, the sound of the music, and the feelings in your body that the music evokes. Try to really feel the music.
2. Continue this practice for several minutes, until your time runs out. As thoughts come into your head, gently let them go and redirect your attention to the sound of the music, the present moment, and the physical sensations you feel. The goal of this practice is to quiet your inner voice and just ‘be’. So just ‘be’ with the music, and fully immerse yourself, and you’ll feel more relaxed fairly quickly.

Also read: How Devotional Song Helpful in doing Meditation?

Tips

1. You may want to start out with just a few songs and work your way up to longer practice.​
2. If you find the music brings lots of thoughts, memories, and internal dialogue, switch to a different type of music. Instrumental music can come in many forms, including classical, jazz, new age, and more, and it can be less distracting than other types of music.
3. You can time your practice with the number of songs you choose so you don’t have to worry if you are taking more time than you have.
4. 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.