| "Prayer is when you talk to God; meditation is when | | | | 6. When different thoughts cross your mind, just let |
| you listen to God." -Diana Robinson | | | | them be and pass away. Focus on the music. Let the |
| I will offer you a guide on how to meditate with | | | | sounds be your mantra. If you find yourself directing |
| music, summarized in 10 easy steps to make the | | | | your thoughts or attention to the past or the future, |
| most of this kind of meditation. | | | | return to the here and now. Be present in the |
| 1. Choose a good piece of meditation music or | | | | moment. |
| meditative, inspirational, instrumental music. Why | | | | 7. As you focus on your inspirational music, allow its |
| instrumental music? Because instrumental music | | | | vibrations to passively stimulate your positive |
| stimulates your right brain's activity (the intuitive side | | | | energies. Give yourself up to the music. Allow it to |
| of your brain). Music with lyrics involves your left | | | | naturally work upon your emotions, mind and soul. |
| brain's activity (the rational side of your brain), | | | | Feel it surrounding you, embracing you, filling you. |
| because linguistically spoken words makes you think. | | | | Absorb its vibrations with each breath. When you |
| When you meditate, what you want is to quiet and | | | | begin to resonate with the music, you will notice that |
| transcend your rational mind, which is usually | | | | your breath and your heartbeat gradually synchronize |
| overtaxed by hectic modern life styles. So choose an | | | | to the "pulse" of the music. This is called entrainment. |
| instrumental song when you want to meditate with | | | | Your mood is matching the mood of the music and |
| music. Songs with choirs are fine as long as the | | | | moving already into the desired direction. |
| voices do not utter linguistically spoken words. A | | | | 8. Once you have reached the entrainment point, |
| notable exception to this might be the so called | | | | enjoy it. Stay there as long as it feels good to you. |
| sacred sounds coined in ancient languages, which are | | | | If the music stimulates your imagination at this stage, |
| used as mantras along with the music, as in the case | | | | enjoy it. That signals the release of stress. If you fall |
| of Tibetan music. | | | | asleep, do not worry. That is also a sign of the |
| 2. Go to a quiet, peaceful place. Take the phone off | | | | release of stress. You can end your meditation with |
| the hook. Make sure you will not be disturbed or | | | | music at this point. You would be refreshed |
| interrupted. Find a comfortable, relaxed position to sit | | | | afterwards and in a better position to go back to |
| or lie for a half hour. The more relaxed you are, the | | | | your daily life. |
| more beneficial your meditation with music will be | | | | 9. While at the entrainment point, some people may |
| because you will grasp better the music vibrations. | | | | wish to go further and incorporate visualization tools |
| This is due to the fact that, as you relax, you | | | | to your meditation with music. This entails visualizing |
| become more sound sensitive. So before you listen | | | | yourself comfortably succeeding at a specific goal of |
| to your piece of meditation or inspirational music, you | | | | yours. Do not do this before you reach the |
| may wish to spend some moments focusing your | | | | entrainment point, since it could transform your |
| quiet attention on each part of your body, starting | | | | meditation with music into a mere exercise of will |
| with the feet and moving up to the top of your | | | | power in the arena of your rational mind. Do it only |
| head, while you breath deeply but slowly. | | | | after you reach the entrainment point and you are in |
| 3. Next, listen to your meditative music with | | | | a relaxed state. At this point you can incorporate |
| headphones, at a comfortable volume. You can use a | | | | visualization tools. |
| cassette deck, a CD player or an iPod to meditate | | | | When doing so, vividly imagine the experiences you |
| with music, but the use of a pair of good quality | | | | want to have. I say to visual people: visualize your |
| headphones is necessary to better receive the | | | | dreams; to auditory people: hear them; to kinesthetic |
| musical vibrations. It does make a difference. If you | | | | people: feel them; to smellers: scent them; to tasters: |
| use an iPod, make sure that your selected music has | | | | relish them. |
| been converted by your iPod system to the highest | | | | A word of caution: do not waste your time visualizing |
| possible bitrate (ideally to WAV or AIFF music files) | | | | or wishing things that may invade the sphere of |
| to ensure maximum sound quality (you can edit your | | | | other people, since this will take you out of the |
| preferences in the advanced/importing menu; then | | | | positive energy creative field, wasting your |
| right click on the song and choose "convert to"). | | | | meditation energy and making it work in reverse, |
| 4. While you listen, use a natural (not forced) | | | | against you. Your desires must be honest and aligned |
| diaphragmatic breathing to meditate with music. This | | | | with the highest good of all, pursuant to the law of |
| is the so called "belly breathing". On inhaling through | | | | unity. |
| your nostrils, direct your breath into your abdomen | | | | 10. Once your meditation with music ends, do not |
| and feel it rise. On exhaling through your nostrils, feel | | | | rush back into your daily life. You have to ground and |
| your abdomen fall. If you want to center even | | | | assimilate the energy. Remain still for several minutes. |
| further, lightly press your tongue against the roof of | | | | If you meditated with your eyes closed, gently open |
| your mouth while you inhale deeply (but slowly) | | | | them and let them adjust to the light. Slowly stretch |
| through your nostrils and exhale not through your | | | | each major part of your body. Sit or lie quietly for |
| nostrils but through your slightly parted lips. | | | | about five minutes. Notice and enjoy how relaxed, |
| 5. Relax. Do not worry about what you should be | | | | refreshed and strengthen you feel. Finally, express |
| thinking, visualizing or doing while you meditate with | | | | gratitude for the benefits of your meditation with |
| music. This is not about "doing""but about "being". | | | | music. |