Some meditators become bored and just sit to sit without actually trying to meditate. But the rewarding challenge of meditation is to use every technique at our disposal to continue focusing. Do you have trouble falling asleep on most nights? Say no more—this calming podcast will have you drifting to dreamland without a hitch.
Elegant ballet music full of uplifting and relaxing tunes taking you out of this world into the next realm. Manos Hadjidakis and Mikis Theodorakis are the greatest Greek music composers. They moved the earthiest strains of Greek folk and popular song into respected art forms. A unique journey of the very best themes and scores in cinema music, allowing for relaxation and lucid dreaming.
The Calmer You Podcast features Chloe Brotheridge, author of The Anxiety Solution and Brave New Girl. Most Western practitioners find that a combination of meditation and psychology is the most effective way to liberate ourselves from trauma, bad habits, and negative feelings. While meditation provides insight into the nature of thoughts and emotions, psychotherapy engages with their substance. If you’re interested in meditating for mental health, talk to a medical professional. It’s not bad at all—in fact, it’s perfectly natural.
In no Buddhist lineage that I know of is there any kind of musical accompaniment to sitting meditation. Your meditation practice is to immerse yourself into your regular, everyday, natural life in this moment. You can listen to music for relaxation, enjoyment, or diversion, but that's listening to music, not meditation. This form of meditation may allow your body to settle into a state of profound rest and relaxation and your mind to achieve a state of inner peace, without needing to use concentration or effort. This type of meditation is based on being mindful, or having an increased awareness and acceptance of living in the present moment.
Fall asleep each night listening to whispered readings that include soothing meditations, interesting stories, and tranquil poems designed to help you relax, find calm, and calming music enjoy a peaceful night of sleep. Finding peace and calm in the chaos of life can be a real challenge. So-called meditation music is meant to be relaxing, and of course meditation does help you to relax too. But meditation goes beyond relaxation and helps us to be more alert and focused. It also helps us to do things like cultivate kindly or to deeply question the nature of our experience.
Though meditating on your own is an essential part of a complete practice, the steady guidance of an experienced teacher can be invaluable, especially as you’re getting started. Our minds wander so easily, and the clear instructions of a teacher can help bring us back to the present moment. Mindfulness meditation isn’t about letting your thoughts wander. But it isn’t about trying to empty your mind, either.
Instead, the practice involves paying close attention to the present moment — especially our own thoughts, emotions and sensations — whatever it is that’s happening. Setting aside time for formal meditation is an important way to establish a routine and get comfortable with the practice. Even just a few minutes a day can make a big difference.
Since 2001, On Being has been asking the big questions and talking about them with really, really smart people. The podcast/radio show doesn’t necessarily answer those questions — but it doesn’t really need to. The questions are often so big that there really isn’t one, single answer to any of them. Recent topics include “tending joy and practicing delight,†grace, and whether we can — or even really should — bring “our whole selves†to work. Each episode’s music is brand new , so you’ll never hear the same thing twice.
With wisdom and guidance to help improve your physical wellbeing as well as your emotional health, you’ll feel inspired to expand your meditation journey. 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. While 20 minutes is a good minimum time for music medication, even one song can help reduce stress and restore energy. Music has many wonderful benefits for stress management and overall health. It can help you calm your physiology without making a conscious effort, and that can alleviate stress from your mind.