Meditation develops concentration, clarity of thoughts, helps you be more self-aware and stay emotionally positive. To deepen this practice, many professional practitioners use music and sounds. Nevertheless, there is no general opinion whether music helps you to meditate or not.

Traditionally, music is not used in meditations; it is replaced by silence or an ambient background. Such an atmosphere helps you stay more focused on your body and shift deeper in your mind, while music can be distractive and can interrupt your concentration.

Sound meditation is considered to be more a modern phenomenon. However, for thousands of years, ancient cultures used music to ease anxiety and get inner peace. It’s also known as a tool to put people in a trance state and broad their consciousness.

Sound has a frequency, which your brain can adapt to. With the help of the rhythm and certain frequency, you can shift from your normal state to a relaxed consciousness and even reach deep sleep and meditative states.

Combined with music, meditation may have great healing effects for those suffering from sleep disorders, anxiety, and depression. The sound itself increases the endorphin level in your body and reduces the tension in muscles.

Before you start meditating, you should understand the goal you’d like to reach. It may be lower stress level, better sleep, harmony in a relationship or better understanding of your emotions. Depending on your individual goal, you can choose the music to support your meditation practice and enjoy better results. For example, the sounds of nature, such as rain or singing birds, can calm you down, while upbeat music can help you tune into a great mood and get inspired. With the “Choosing music” tip you can get a better understanding of different types of sounds. Music in meditation may be the way of getting to the source of your inner peace - give it a try and see if it works for you.