Music is a relatively new entrant to Yoga meditation but, nonetheless, a very valuable feature of the practice. It all depends, of course, upon the type and quality of music. So choose carefully. Nowadays, you get music CDs specifically intended to enhance your meditation practice. There are many institutions, ashrams and Yoga centers, worldwide that have come up with a wide range of, what they call, Yoga music, especially designed to enhance meditation practice. This music has been composed by experts and is, mostly, based on ancient classical music, an astute blend of Eastern and Western, Oriental and Occidental, with roots in spirituality.

Music Meditation And Yoga

First of all, let’s see how music enhances the effect of Yoga during meditation. We have 5 organs of action and 5 organs of sense (called Karmendriyas and Jnanendriyas, respectively). These organs serve two-fold purposes, both as receptors and transmitters. A simple example is the hand, with which we both give and take. Likewise, the eyes both receive images as well as express feelings and emotions, so also the ears. Our ears are major sources of intake as well as output, strange though it may sound. For instance, what we hear, we take in; but the act of consciously listening – giving ear to – in Yogic parlance, constitutes a deliberate, external act. Everything we do, with the use of our sensory organs, affects us – positively or negatively. This way, positive sounds enhance the effect of Yoga and meditation.

Nowadays, not just in meditation sessions, a lot of Yoga centers, ashrams and institutions insist on playing Yoga music all throughout, during the asana (poses) sessions, pranayama (breathing exercises) sessions and meditation sessions. In fact, Yoga music is even played in many hospitals, hospices and healing centers across the world, simply on account of its positive effects and how it has proven to accelerate the healing process. Even scientific studies validate the positive benefits of calm, soothing music on the mind and body.

An added feature of how music Yoga enhances meditation lies in the fact that the moment we shut our eyes, we start to think so much more. And, admittedly, most of our thoughts are negative or in the nature of futile day dreaming. Yoga meditation on the other hand, seeks to calm the volatile, capricious mind that is continuously dashing and scurrying every which way. Many meditation instructors use verbal instructions to help their students remain mentally present in the practice. But left to its own devices, the mind starts to wander, worry and lapse into the usual quagmire of anxieties, fears and apprehensions. This is where Yoga music really helps in Yoga meditation. But the best effects can only be known and derived through prolonged practice