9 Benefits Of Listening To Relaxing Music During Meditation

1. It Can Invoke Positive Emotions

People meditate for a variety of reasons, but regardless of what they are, you can enhance the good effects by also listening to relaxing music.

One of the impacts of soothing music during meditation is it brings out positive emotions, according to a 2018 Scientific Reports study.

The research further said these types of emotions became much stronger when the participants associated the sound with their personal memories. The emotions remained positive, even if the music was already unpleasant and melancholic.

This is important in meditation because, at the end of the day, you want to feel good about yourself and the entire experience.

2. Calm, Relaxing Music Can Enhance the Quality of Sleep

If you suffer from sleeping disorders or problems such as insomnia, know you have many options for help.

Meditation is one such option, especially if you combine it with relaxing sleep music. A 2019 survey among students showed it can help improve the quality of sleep.

So far, no study can clearly explain how meditation music for sleep works, but a potential reason is it helps to slow down your breathing and heart rate.

3. Relaxing Meditation Music May Decrease Pain Perception

Meditation can be beneficial for people who are experiencing pain whether acutely or chronically. The process can help them detach from the source of the pain, as well as reduce the feelings of anxiety, stress, and depression.

When you meditate and listen to relaxing music, it may also decrease your perception of pain. 2019 European research even suggested it can be a low-cost pain management therapy after surgery for both adults and children.

That may explain why you can deal with emotional pain, including heartbreak, better when you listen to music.

4. Music for Meditation Can Improve Brain Function

Meditation is one of the best ways to enhance the brain as it boosts focus and concentration. A healthy brain, meanwhile, makes meditation easier.

The question is, how does relaxing music improve your brain? A 2011 study said listening to music can actually light up many regions of the brain such as those related to creativity, emotion, pleasure, and even movement.

Like the rest of the body, the brain needs exercise, and the way to do that is to engage its many parts as often as you can.

5. Relaxing Music Can Reduce the Levels of Stress

You can never underestimate the impact of stress on your health. Not only can it weaken your immune system, but it may even boost your risk of developing an autoimmune disease.

Stress is also a major risk factor for many chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, and obesity. It may lead to changes in your gut and metabolism.

Meditation can slow down the heart rate and ease body tension. Relaxing music for stress relief can also complement these effects.

A 2013 experiment showed listening to relaxing piano music can help you recover from the stressors faster. It also impacts your endocrine system by reducing the production and release of cortisol, a stress hormone.

6. Music Can Help You Focus

Contrary to popular belief, meditation doesn’t mean the absence of distractions. The unnecessary noises and thoughts, though, may make the process more difficult.

To maximize the effects of meditation, you can listen to yoga meditation music or Gregorian chants. These types of relaxing meditation music can draw you in so you become less receptive to other forms of distractions.

7. Relaxing Classical Music Can Take Care of the Heart

Meditating over the long term can have profound benefits to your heart. You can significantly reduce disease markers such as cortisol, blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing.

Classical music can do the same thing as well. In a 2016 experiment, those who listened to the sounds of Mozart and Strauss experienced lower blood pressure and heart rate.

The works of geniuses like Puccini, however, are not the only relaxing music. Even the upbeat songs of ABBA have benefits such as controlling cortisol levels.

8. It May Decrease the Risk of Cognitive Impairment

Changes in the brain such as mild cognitive impairment or dementia can affect your ability to meditate. While the mechanism of the disease is still subject to studies, music seems to be a possible preventive option.

Studies such as the one published in Psychology of Music in 2013 showed music can improve cognition as it demands memory, technical ability, learning, and data processing.

9. Relaxing Music Can Be a Therapy for Depression

While meditation can reduce the symptoms of depression, the condition can make you less likely to practice it. To help, try listening to relaxing music.

In a 2017 review, 26 out of 28 studies that related music and depression showed a significant reduction in symptom levels. These effects occurred even when they were passive participants —that is, they only listened to music.

Final Thoughts

Playing some relaxing music while doing your meditation may take getting used to, and it may not work if you choose the wrong tracks. That’s why you have to be patient and learn what sounds work best for you.

Either way, music can boost the benefits you get out of meditation, and you can come out of every session feeling more satisfied, happier, and more mentally and emotionally balanced.

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