10 Amazing Benefits Of Listening To Music During Meditation

You will be surprised by the way music complements meditation and enhances its effectiveness.

Reviewed by Garima Singh, MSc, DNHE, DDHN
Written by Shirin Mehdi, BA
Edited by Ravi Teja Tadimalla, BSc, Professional Certificate in Food, Nutrition and Health
Fact-checked by Himanshi Mahajan, BSc (Life Sciences), Certified Health & Nutrition Life Coach  • 

There are many benefits of listening to music during meditation. If you haven’t tried it yet, you should! It is not only supremely relaxing but also beneficial for your mental health.

Meditation is a wonderful practice that can help you live a life free of tension and anxiety. It calms your emotions and helps you feel revitalized from the inside out. Music can help you concentrate while meditating.

You will become a mentally healthier person if you meditate with lovely music playing in your ears. It can help you deal with depression and grief, and you will also be at ease with yourself at all times. Soothing meditation music helps create a tranquil setting, which aids in the mediation process. Keep reading to learn more!

What Is Meditation?

Woman meditating on the floor
Image: Shutterstock

Despite its immense popularity, very few of us are aware of what meditation actually is all about. Meditation is a simple method to get clarity in our thoughts. It helps us find inner peace and satisfaction. It improves mindfulness and helps us develop our cognitive abilities. The best part about meditation is that it is very easy to practice. All you need is a quiet place and a few minutes daily to sit in tranquility. You will be amazed by knowing the benefits that come with meditation.

A study conducted on 1497 Americans found that meditation was liked by 53% of the participants. Out of the 53%, 52% of women and 53% of men liked meditation. Furthermore, it was popular among 61% of millennials, 50% of Gen X, and 47% of baby boomers.

protip_icon Trivia
India is believed to possess the oldest recorded images of meditation from 5000 to 3500 BCE.

A Few Misconceptions:

Meditation isn't only about concentration
Image: Shutterstock

There are a few misconceptions about meditation, which should be cleared before we go further. This will help you understand meditation in a much better way. Here they are!

1. Concentration:

Meditation is NOT concentration. Concentration is when you put your undivided focus on an object and stay that way for quite some time. The methods and techniques, which are often used in visualization, are the other different kinds of concentration, like observing the breathing process, or focussing on a particular body part one by one for quick relaxation.

2. Exercise:

Meditation has nothing to do with working out. It doesn’t consist of postures and breathing techniques as such. Neither does it consist of rigorous movement or profuse sweating. Meditation is all about finding your inner soul and making peace with it.

3. To Lose Control:

Meditation doesn’t consist of sounds, voices, or any involuntary movement. These are the symptoms that reflect the loss of awareness and are not associated with meditation of any kind.

According to experts, listening to music while meditating is good for both your body and soul. It refreshes you from within and rejuvenates your mind. There are different kinds of music you could listen to while meditating.

Different Kinds Of Music For Meditation:

Music has healing power while meditating
Image: Shutterstock

1. Indian Classical Music:

Just like the name suggests, Indian Classical Music was born in the cultural and colorful land of India. Ever since it came into existence, it grabbed the attention of millions. And today, the whole world knows about it. Even people from Western and European countries listen to Indian classical music while meditating.

Meditating with Indian classical music playing in the background can be a life-changing experience.

If you would like to learn more about Indian classical music, it is our suggestion that you search online. There are several well-known classical musicians you are going to love!

2. Gregorian Chanting And Primordial Sounds:

When we speak of Gregorian chanting, we are referring to a kind of baritone singing. This kind of music has been used for centuries and continues to be popular even today. ‘Primordial Sounds’, on the other hand, is another branch of music that is similar to chanting. It is used to help a person achieve a good mindset. A very popular primordial sound is Om. It is widely used in countries such as India.

3. Sounds Of Nature:

The sounds from nature can also give you great music while meditating. Be it the fluttering of the leaves or the chirping of the birds; nature’s hums are always enlivening. The best way to go about this is to get CDs. You can find CDs that contain recordings from nature. These will have a calming effect on you and make meditation much easier and more relaxing. You can also purchase music online and create your playlists.

4. Instrumental Music:

If there is any kind of music today that you shouldn’t miss out on, it is instrumental music. This type consists of classical guitars, violins, chimes, table, guitar, harp, etc. The tunes are always melodious and beautiful. There is a wide range of choices you could pick from when it comes to instrumental music. Simply visit a CD shop or purchase online.

5. Christian Music:

If you are someone who practices Christianity diligently, you could use Christian music while meditating. Even if you are not a Christian, the music will surely touch your soul.

Here you will find the beautiful combination of traditional and modern Christian music. It will inspire you from within and help you meditate better. This kind of music is used in Churches pretty often. It could be used at home while praying too.

No matter what kind of music you use, always remember that it should be soft to your ears. Music for meditation should never be harsh.

protip_icon Quick Tip

Binaural beats and ambient music are ideal for meditation as they help you experience sound frequencies.

Benefits Of Listening To Music During Meditation:

Woman listening to music while meditating
Image: Shutterstock

The benefits of music while meditation are life-changing. They are so incredible that you might at first find it hard to believe. You will be amazed knowing what meditation can do for you. Here are some of the benefits:

1. Reduces Stress:

One benefit of listening to music while meditating is a reduction in the levels of stress and anxiety. Stress is one of the most common issues in today’s world. If your workload is very demanding, it is very natural for you to feel stressed-out often. When you listen to pleasant and soft music during meditation, you will feel calmer and eliminate stress from your life.

2. Deep Meditation:

If you like to go deeper into meditation, then you should include some lovely and soft music in the background. This will improve your cognitive abilities and help you meditate better. It is also said that those who meditate while listening to music can find inner peace and happiness within themselves.

3. Heals Your Body:

Did you know that meditation can also heal? Incorporate gentle and beautiful music in the background. It will allow your body to heal naturally. There are a number of studies that show a whole lot of benefits among those listening to music while meditating after a surgery. If you could do so, I am sure you will benefit immensely.

Meditation not only heals mental wounds, but physical wounds as well. That’s the power of your mind. You only have to channelize it, and it will take care of the rest and bring mental clarity.

4. Helps You Eat Better:

Now, many of you might be surprised to know this, but meditation while listening to music can help you control your eating habits. If you are someone who tends to put on weight really quickly, you can start meditation to begin with. And listen to some soft music at the same time.

I can assure you that you will see changes at the dining table when you are about to eat. This will help you maintain your weight and eventually lose extra pounds if you want to.

5. Balances Your Emotions:

Maintaining an emotional balance is very important. You don’t know which problem would strike you on your face and when. A balanced mind doesn’t dread changing situations. It rather embraces them.

Listening to music while meditating can help you balance your emotions. It has often been said that people who meditate while listening to music on a regular basis can balance all areas of their lives. They are better at dealing with emotions. In fact, they can improve their relationships and heal wounds quicker than those who don’t indulge in this beautiful practice.

Nya Hawkins, a psychologist and blogger, documents her personal experience of listening to music during meditation in one of her blog posts: “As I meditated more often, I paid more attention to the lyrics in the music. Now I choose peaceful relaxing music more often. I noticed that a lot of the music I listened to previously was about violence and substance abuse (i).”

6. Improved Concentration:

Woman concentrating on work
Image: Shutterstock

You will also be able to improve your concentration levels with some music while meditating. If you are a college student, you will be able to study better. And if you have a busy life at the workplace, you will be able to concentrate on new and difficult projects better. All your presentations will be done with ease. That is how amazing this practice is.

7. Improves Intimacy:

I know there are plenty of us women who are yearning to bring back that long-lost connection we once shared with our spouses. It might be a little difficult if you have been married for many years. But believe me, it is never impossible. The combination of music and meditation is all you need to improve your sex life. This will spark that long-forgotten intimacy between the two of you, especially if you practice meditation together. Not only that, it will improve your bedroom skills too. Now, how cool is that!

8. Stay Calm While Traveling:

There are a number of people who freak out when they are traveling. Climbing on a plane for the first time would be one example. Of course, it is a normal thing and can happen to anybody. With medication, you could calm yourself naturally while traveling. You don’t even have to be seated in a lotus pose at all times to practice meditation. You can do that while you are relaxing in your chair. Some soft and soothing music along with it will help even further.

9. Inspires You:

When you listen to music while meditating, you feel inspired. This brings about a good feeling from within, and you can relax and enjoy yourself. You also will feel great about yourself as the wave of positivity engulfs you. This is a great source of inspiration for someone who has lost hope in life. You could also recommend it to someone who is struggling with hopelessness and depression.

10. Helps You Sleep Better:

Sleep is very important for a healthy and balanced life. Adequate and quality sleep also enables you to perform at your best at your workplace. Many times, due to the stress and monotony of our lives, we can’t get a good night’s sleep. Meditation is what comes to the rescue here. Meditation is what that comes to the rescue here. Meditating while listening to some lovely music can help you reduce your stress levels. You will become a much calmer person and will sleep better. A good night’s sleep will ensure that you give your best during the day. Your boss will be happy for sure!

Wonderful, wasn’t it? The journey through music and meditation is something we should all try. Your body, mind, and soul will connect with each other. Not only that, your quality of life will improve too. Right from the moment you start meditating with the help of music, you will notice changes. You won’t panic anymore. You will be able to make decisions more easily and with more clarity. Tackling problems becomes a simple job for you.

Music heals and when it is combined with meditation, your relations will dramatically improve. If there is a rough patch between you and your spouse, it will heal. This is because rough patches are mostly caused due to an unbalanced mind, and meditation makes your mind much more balanced and calm. You will be happier than ever before and you will find peace with your inner self.

You will feel less stressed and tensed. Anxiety and frustration become alien words to you. Laughter and joy will become the way of your life. You will rarely get angry with things or people around you.

And ultimately, you will love yourself and your life. Your dreams and ambitions will become clear. Now that’s something amazing, isn’t it?

Infographic: Top 5 Benefits Of Listening To Music During Meditation

Meditation is a powerful tool for improving anxiety, stress, and concentration, while music is the food for the soul. Combining these two practices can drastically improve your mental health and quality of life. Go through the infographic below to find out about the top benefits of listening to music during meditation.

top 5 benefits of listening to music during meditation (infographic)

Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team

Get the high-quality PDF version of this infographic.

Download Infographic in PDF version

Music increases your concentration during a meditative session and helps you focus deeply on your breathing. From helping improve mental health to relaxing your mind, the benefits of listening to music during meditation are immense.

The music-mediation combo may also help reduce stress, heal the body, manage emotions better, stay calm and composed, get a good night’s sleep, and eat better.

If you want to try out this combination, go for Indian classical music, Gregorian chanting and primordial sounds, or sounds of nature to enjoy your meditative session better.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it okay to meditate with headphones?

Yes, it is okay to meditate with headphones. It may be more effective, especially if you are doing sound meditation.

Do you have to meditate with your eyes closed?

It depends on the individual’s choice. While some may concentrate better with their eyes shut, some may like to keep their eyes open.

Should you meditate in the dark?

If you can focus better in the dark, you may. Just make sure that there are no distractions while you are meditating.

Key Takeaways

  • Listening to music during meditation can help increase its effectiveness and relieve stress.
  • Meditating with serene music in the background can aid in calming the mind and balance emotions.
  • Meditation can help improve concentration and performance efficiency in all the tasks.
  • Meditation along with soothing music can help in getting sound and peaceful sleep.
Benefits Of Listening Music During Meditation

Image: Stable Diffusion/StyleCraze Design Team

Meditation with music can help you relax and promote overall well-being! Watch this video to learn how to use music to enhance your meditation practice and find inner peace.

Personal Experience: Source

Was this article helpful?
thumbsupthumbsdown
The following two tabs change content below.

Latest Articles