Monday, September 29, 2008

Using Music for Meditation

In meditation we are trying to quieten the mind. If we can stop the usual thoughts of the mind we can go from our ordinary, mundane consciousness to a more peaceful state. Meditation music can play an important role in helping to calm the mind and enable us to go to a quieter space. Most beginners to meditation feel that it is almost impossible to stop our own thoughts. (Not for nothing has our mind been likened to a mad monkey!) However it is possible through practise, right preparation and various different techniques that will help us.

A particularly useful exercise is to harmonise our breathing; by focusing on our own breathing it enables us to quieten the mind. However there are times when our mind is still very restless; perhaps because of a busy day or a weight of problems. This is where music can be very helpful to our meditation.

Firstly meditative music can help to drown out any extraneous noises that can easily disturb us. We should not feel we have to go to a Himalayan cave to meditate, we can meditate even in the midst of a busy city, yet unfortunately modern life can be noisy. This is beyond our control but meditative music is one thing we can use to overcome this potential problem.

Secondly music can have a big effect on our emotions and state of mind. Obviously for meditation we need to choose music which is composed and performed in a meditative fashion. Rock music is good for energising ourselves, but hopeless for meditation. However the right meditation music will raise our aspirations from the mundane and make ourselves more receptive to the inner poise and peace within. Sri Chinmoy says:

“Each time we hear soulful music, we get inspiration and delight. In the twinkling of an eye, music can elevate our consciousness.”

When meditating to music there are two approaches we can take. The first is to concentrate intensely on the music listening to each note. This is effective because it takes us out of ourselves and gives us something to focus on. However we should make sure we are concentrating with our heart and not the mind. What we mean by this is that we do not listen to music with our intellectual mind to examine and listen for wrong notes. We are merely focusing our a aware and allow ourselves to be absorbed in the meditative flow.The second way of meditating music is to not pay any attention specifically to the music but just feel it as inspiring background music.

There will come a time in our meditation when we wish to meditate in absolute silence and we will not have any need for music. However especially when we are beginners music can be a very useful tool that helps us in our meditation.

It is interesting that many of the great music composers often had experiences that could be described as similar to meditation, even though they did not consciously aim for it. For example when Handel composed the Hallelujah Chorus he stated that.

"Whether I was in my body or out of my body as I wrote it, I know not. God knows."

Tejvan is an economics teacher in Oxford and is a member of the Sri Chinmoy Centre. Richard is a keen cyclist competing in races across the UK he also edits a site about the music of Sri Chinmoy

Thursday, September 25, 2008

How to Enjoy, Relax, Listen - Hypnosis

With today's lifestyle people do not take the time to relax and unwind. Staying tense and stressed out is the price that people pay to live the life that they do. Work, family, bills, transportation can all weigh heavily on a persons mind as he or she tries to get through the day avoiding any confrontations or stress. Unfortunately stress cannot be avoided and we all need to learn of different ways to embrace it. Throughout the years people have learned to deal with stress in many different ways; smoking, drinking, gambling, blasting music, driving, sports, and more. Everyone is different and not everything will work for everybody. Habits can be very unhealthy and if you are ready to break your habit you may feel like you need a little help. That is where you can benefit from relax listen hypnosis.

Relax listen hypnosis is a great way to help yourself through breaking the habit. It points you in the right direction and makes it easier to get through living without the habit without spending tons of money on programs that simply do not work. Relax listen hypnosis can be done at home listening to a CD, DVD, or MP3. Once you purchase the program it is either downloaded onto your computer or it is sent to you in a CD or DVD so you can enjoy it anytime you need to.

In order to make relax, listen hypnosis work you may want to use a separate room in your home away from everyone where you can shut the door and be alone. You can also listen to your CD or Mp3 at work during your lunch hour or break. You may become so relaxed that you also reduce the stress that is usually brought on by things at work. If you are not one that relaxes very much it may be time to consider relaxation techniques to help you.

There are several different types of relax listen hypnosis techniques available today; phobias, addictions, weight loss, weight gain, nail biting, and more. Each one will help heal the body, break the habit and reduce the stress. Some may have a hard time understanding how relax listen hypnosis works. It basically provides the words and suggestions to help you relax but you need to provide the atmosphere to make it possible. There are certain times when you are not going to be able to relax but for those moments you can then you need a relax listen hypnosis tape.

The self help guide coaches you through relaxation techniques to help you relax and unwind. It also takes on the power of suggestion which will work only if you are relaxed enough to receive the suggestions. If you are skeptical of hypnosis to begin with you may find it hard to relax and benefit from the relax listen hypnosis program until you do accept it. In order to see if it is right for you, ask a professional, friends, family or anyone who has tried it. It will only work if you are willing to relax completely.

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Monday, September 15, 2008

Music For Meditation

First, why do we need to meditate? Meditation is a process of deeply relaxing the mind by focusing on only one thought. Focusing means repeating a word or several words to divert you from any distractions and attaining calmness of the mind.

Meditation sounds as easy. You may even feel like you have done this during those glum days when everything doesn’t seem right. Like the time you failed algebra class and you sit down on the table, with a cup of coffee in hand, pretending to be engrossed in the latest news, but are actually seeing and hearing nothing. Well not quite…you may look as calm and peaceful as someone meditating but your mind is a definite clutter.

A lot of people who are just beginning to get acquainted with meditation find it hard to stay focus. Some are not used to staying “thoughtless” even for just a few minutes. That is where guided meditations come in. Some of these use tools like meditation music and meditation scripts to help to motivate these people to concentrate.
What types of Meditation Music are there?

Meditation music can be you choice of soothing music. It doesn’t necessarily have to be some Indian chants or a Mozart piece. It can be just any music that you feel will clear your mind off any thought. Some professional guides who conduct private sessions use meditation music with cues. These cues are like scripts that they read to those meditating so that they can attain a state of deep relaxation easier and faster.

Websites for Meditation Music CD’S

A lot of websites provide free meditation rooms which include calming images too look at for exercises. These sites also have several tracks of meditation music. Highly recommended meditation music cd’s can also be found with reviews from people who have tried using them in their meditation.

Most meditation music have been said to have helped people attain the blissful state after only a few minutes of listening. Some meditation music contains operatic music samples, music from choirs, and even just natural sounds. Visiting www.bliss-music.com will let you hear samples of different kinds of meditation music and will provide you with free samples of scripts that you can use as guide to your meditation practice.

Use of Meditation Music

The use of meditation music as a means for people to focus more does not explain the theory of music but makes it possible for these people to be involved with music. There are thousands of tracks of meditation music that you one can choose from. It doesn’t matter if it sounds like a séance or someone just learning to play the piano. The important thing is it works for you.


by: Alien Sheng