Listening (really listening) to a piece of music can be a great way to meditate. It only takes a few minutes and doing so has a surprisingly calming effect on both mind and body. As something to focus on, music holds our attention well and when we lose focus and become distracted (as inevitably happens!) music is an obvious thing to come back to and re-focus on.
Few of us, however, are used to listening to music carefully or deliberately. Many people use music as background noise or have a tendency to listen in a haphazard way allowing their attention to drift along aimlessly. While listening to music in this way is still enjoyable, making the effort to listen to music well is all the more rewarding and is deeply relaxing for both mind and body.
When you listen well you enjoy the music all the more. Time seems to slow down and the music comes alive as you take in more detail. Your mind will still wander but repeatedly coming back to the music will greatly enhance your experience of it.
How to listen well:
1. Select a piece of music. It doesn’t matter what it is but ideally it will be a piece of music you know you will enjoy listening to.
2. Before turning the music on settle into your position. You could be seated upright on a chair or lying down. Make sure you are comfortable and take three long, slow deep breaths feeling yourself beginning to relax. Now allow your breath to resume its natural rhythm.
3. When you are ready turn the music on and close your eyes. Simply listen to the music without trying too hard. See if you can allow the music to wash over you.
4. As you continue listening, occasionally ask yourself ‘am I still with the music?’. If you find that your attention is drifting away from the music and you are distracted by thoughts, just notice and gently bring your attention back to the music. You may need to bring your attention back to the music over and over again. This is perfectly normal. This is meditation!
5. Once the music has finished remain seated or lying down for a few moments longer. Tune into your mind and your body. How do you feel?
Not only is this a great exercise to enjoy at home, I highly recommend trying it next time you are listening to live music. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to listen in this way for the entire time. Listening in this way, even for a few minutes at a time, will greatly enhance your experience and appreciation of the music and it will relax you deeply at the same time!
