healing ways
Because sound affects us on all levels— emotional, mental and physical—combining musical processes with our meditation practice can be highly effective in easing stress.
Meditative Melodies How Sound Deepens Meditation
by Dudley Evenson W
hen life is stressful, we know we need to relax. Te question is how. Many wonderful ways
involve combining music with a medita- tion practice. Although we can’t always control our surroundings, we can learn to control how we react to and internalize what happens around us. On the value of meditation and
mindfulness, Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care and Society, at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, observes, “When we do studies of this, we find we can change our brains. We can change our relationship to our emotions. We can change our relationship to the actuality of things in ways that are healing. Te im- mune system responds.” Because sound affects us on all
levels—emotional, mental and physical— combining musical processes with our meditation practice can be highly effec- tive in easing stress. Cultures worldwide have long used music to liſt the spirit and enhance meditation and healing.
Choosing Meditation Music Choose recorded music that helps calm mental chatter. Here are some criteria.
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4 Slow rhythms. Tese entrain bodily systems, including the heartbeat, pulse, digestion, respiration and muscle function- ing, to a more natural rhythm.
4 Natural sounds. Tey give a sense of peace.
4 Nurturing tones. Typically, these are clear, warm and gentle.
4 Upliſting, not gloomy. Te music should give rise to a sense of joy and beauty.
4 Absence of hooks and refrains; avoid repetition and familiarity that engage the analytical mind.
4 Flowing. It is soothing and feels akin to nature.
4 Sub-audio frequencies. Te presence of these is an optional way to entrain brain- waves to an alpha or theta state that allows relaxation and healing to occur.
4 Intention. It’s important for both the musician and listener.
Here are several self-generated ways to further enhance meditation.
Controlling Breath We can live without food for weeks and water for days, but breath for only minutes.
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A simple way to begin breath work is by tak- ing a fast, full inhalation, followed by a long, slow exhalation. With practice, both breath control and stress levels will improve.
Vocal Toning Tis uses the human voice to produce elongated vowel tones or humming sounds that can empower meditation. It also slows and lengthens our exhalation by putting a brake on the breath. Begin by taking a deep breath and
then, with the mouth open, make a simple vowel tone such as ahh or ohh. With the exhalation pushing out a sound, the tone follows naturally.
Mantra and Chant Mantras can keep the demons of our mon- key mind from distracting us. Te word means “mind protection” in Sanskrit. A mantra is characterized by a short sound or phrase that carries a vibration and frequen- cy that extends beyond the simple mean- ing of the words. Using mantras can help overcome mental chatter, de-stress and set us up for an expansion of consciousness. Dr. Herbert Benson, founder of the
Mind/Body Medical Institute at Harvard Medical School, in Boston, documented a phenomenon he named “the relaxation response”. His research discovered that those that repeated mantras for even 10 minutes a day experienced physiological changes—a reduced heart rate, slower metabolism and lower stress levels, all of which allow the body to return to a more natural state of wellness.
Singing Affirmations Research led by Carnegie Mellon Universi- ty’s David Creswell found that people using
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