Traditionally, listening to music while meditating was not encouraged. Traditional Eastern meditation in particular, aims to transcend the five senses and using the sense of hearing during meditation would be counterproductive. Not having any external stimulus encourages us to reach deeper inside to connect to our own Source. The deepest states of communion with the Soul are experienced in deep silence.
Silence underlies the universe, and our own presence has been described as the ‘silent witness’. In Sanskrit this is called ‘sakshi’ – the observer, supreme being, atma (soul), or pure consciousness.
Silence underlies the universe, and our own presence has been described as the ‘silent witness’. In Sanskrit this is called ‘sakshi’ – the observer, supreme being, atma (soul), or pure consciousness.
The emergence of ‘relaxation music’ is a modern phenomenon and comes from the recognition that music can have a profound healing effect on us. Music can also produce pleasant feelings. But beyond all this, we recognise that music, just like our very selves, is simply vibration. By being exposed to uplifting vibrations through sound, we can lift our own vibration. A great example is the Tibetan singing bowl. One US study found that being exposed to Tibetan singing bowl sounds had a positive and measurable effect on mood, anxiety and even physical pain. Traditionally, the Tibetan singing bowls are considered to emulate the sound of the ‘great void’ – in Vedic terms this equates to the sound ‘Om’.
Singing Om is a practice that goes back thousands of years and in modern science both the benefits of singing (considered ‘neuroprotective’) and the vibrations of ‘Om’ have been studied. Chanting Om at the beginning of a meditation practice can help to not only slow down your breathing, but it helps you to come into awareness, connect to the sound coming from within and stay in the present moment. Just as paying attention to your breathing trains your brain to stay in the present moment, paying attention to the music or sound can help to be more aware of the present.
Traditionally, Om is chanted 21 times, particularly early in the morning. There’s a reason for the 21:
- Five Oms are chanted for the organs of action: vocal cords, hands, feet, elimination organs and reproductive organs.
- Five Oms are then chanted for the organs of perception: eye, ear, nose, tongue, and skin, which correspond to sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.
- Five Oms are for the five vital airs of the body. Collectively these comprise our vital energy. There is no English terminology for these. In Sanskrit they are: prana (located in lungs), apana (downward energy, eliminative), vyana (regulates throughout the whole body), samana (assimilating energy; essential to digestion), and udana (arises through throat to head).
- Five Oms are for the five sheaths or koshas which are levels of consciousness surrounding the Soul (physical body, pranic body, mental body, intellect or knowledge body and bliss body)
- The last Om is for the your-self and for your self-realisation
Listening deeply to music can be a meditative practice in itself. In this practice, music is treated as a meditation object – just as a candle flame or beautiful scenery can be meditated upon.
All of these practices simply prepare us for meditation, they are not meditation itself. They help us to prepare by giving us a focus, by calming mental activity, by promoting good feelings, by slowing our breathing. These are extremely worthwhile practices and worthy of exploration.
