Listening to music while practicing yoga is more of a controversial idea than you might expect. For some people, it just seems to work; for others, it’s a distraction. What’s most important is to select music that you enjoy listening to and music which serves the purpose you’re trying to achieve. One of the most beneficial effects of almost all types of music is to enhance movement. When practising, some postures can feel difficult or uncomfortable, especially while you’re in the early stages of learning yoga. Listening to music can increase the sense of grace and ease which is sought, easing transitions between postures and improving the physical benefits. Listening to music while practicing yoga can also help us to relax and not strain. This is important. Yoga is about doing our best while we relax and not comparing ourselves with others. Becoming more relaxed with music is an ideal way to do this.

‘Meditation music’ has become surprisingly popular. Surprising because traditionally, music is a distraction which has no place in meditation. Certainly methods which focus on mantras and on breathing are only interrupted by music but the most popular form of meditation in the West (‘mindfulness’) is totally compatible with music. Certainly prior to all forms of meditation it’s good to relax and music is ideal for enabling us to become calm.

Clearly meditation and yoga are different practices but they’re both related and the impact of different musical qualities is similar in terms of helping us to relax. Music can be used as a backdrop which adds context to one’s thoughts and feelings, for example by creating a positive mood and helping us to move past emotional obstacles to mindfulness. Just as when we listen to the sound of a gong, we transcend our thoughts to a state of inner peace.

Musical variation is the repetition of parts of a piece of music in a different form, for example with melody or rhythm altered but the bar or phrase is recognisable as something we’ve already heard. Variation tends to increase the extent to which music is ‘interesting,’ giving us more to think about, more to notice. Variation can be insistent; we expect to hear a certain melody repeated and the subtle difference draws our attention. This can make highly varied music distracting when we’re trying to achieve a state of peace and relaxation. So the selection of sacred music tends to be conservative in its variation; designed more to soothe and exalt and not “jump out” at a listener. With less potential for distraction and more consistency, sacred music can be perfect for both yoga and meditation.

Tempo is also a major factor. A bit more self-explanatory than variation, higher tempo creates a sense of energy, excitement and urgency while lower tempo creates a sense of peace and relaxation. Not all meditation, nor all yoga aims at relaxation but it’s a great place to start and is greatly eased by the introduction of pleasant distractions.

The level of content in a piece of music (the feeling of ‘busyness’) does have an impact, with sparser compositions being more valuable in clearing the mind. It seems fairly intuitive that we’d look for fairly minimal music for meditation to reduce distraction but many people find that very simple or ambient music can be more rather than less distracting, especially if the listener wouldn’t normally choose to listen to it. Picking a balance between interest and subtlety, choosing a piece of music on the basis that it might help you achieve the particular state rather than hoping that it might aid your meditation or yoga in general, is the best way to maximise the benefits.

Every spiritual tradition is different on the surface. But most spiritual music is concerned either with clearing the mind of unwanted tendencies and cultivating its positive tendencies, by awakening an awareness of and connection to divinity or by refining one’s emotions. Substitute ‘Self’, as in the higher Self, for divinity and sacred music could almost be purpose-built for yoga and meditation.

Music can be used (by some people) to enhance meditation but may be more valuable for most people as meditation. As a background, music provides things like emotional bias which could either be considered good, for its power to create a good mood without a strong positive context, or bad because of the way it distracts you from finding a source of happiness within yourself. As a foreground, music can function more like a mantra; providing a content which the mind can focus on in order to edge out other distractions for the purposes of contemplation and reflection. Music can actively improve our ability to reflect, as it enhances memory.

There are as many types of sacred music as there are spiritual traditions in the world. Music is such a part of being human that every tradition (indeed, almost every human group) has developed their own style. On Sacred Music Radio we play music from all traditions and from performers with no particular affiliation. If you’re looking for something new to enhance your yoga or meditation, or even a way to relax prior to meditation and you’ve never considered playing some background music (or sitting with headphones, hearing every note and every instrument dance together in the darkness behind your eyelids), you might be pleasantly surprised by the results… I’ve yet to meet a person who doesn’t enjoy music.

About Michael Vakil Kenton
In 1979 I participated in a meditation retreat led by Pir Vilayat Khan. I was inspired by the inclusive interfaith principles of Pir Vilayat’s universalist teachings. I created Sacred Music Radio with the intention of enabling us all to experience the incredible variety of sacred music from around the world. I have practiced yoga for seventeen years and meditation for forty years.

The Arlington Institute, which markets itself by its tagline and matching logo of World’s Biggest Problems,insists that the most serious threats facing us as Earth-inhabitants are climate change, peak oil, water crisis, species extinction and economic collapse. In other words, we’ve already tipped the scales by producing more people than we can house, feed, or otherwise support. All of these problems, and many others, are caused by there being too many of us, and not enough resources. We can make individual changes, but we know that it counts for very little if nobody else jumps on-board.

Interfaith movements have already achieved a desirable feat: populations which have, at times in the past, been subject to segregation on the grounds of their faiths, have overcome such divisions for a greater good. Communities in which people do not ignore or put out of mind their differences for the sake of friendship, but in fact embrace them, and learn from them, are becoming increasingly concerned with environmental issues. This open-mindedness and move towards a common goal sounds simple in theory, but is so often complicated by differing opinions and approaches. As they say, too many cooks. By not allowing differences to corrupt a more important matter, interfaith communities make considerable progress that many other parties could learn much from. The level platform achieved by such groups is one of mutual respect, and is the essential first step in addressing serious matters. After all, climate change, disease and water shortage do not discriminate; nor should the people trying to solve it all.

Interfaith groups around the world are united in similar missions. A society where there is understanding of the diversity and richness of the faith communities… and where we live and work together with mutual respect and shared commitment to the common good, is how the UK Interfaith Group identifies their vision. Greenfaith sums up its vision as Spirit, Stewardship and Justice in their work towards revitalised community and environment. In recent years, special branches of interfaith groups have been concentrating their positivity on the wellness of the planet, and by doing so, have been working towards remedying two different issues we all face together.

Essentially combining the principles and practices of a house of worship and an environmental organisation, green interfaith organisations bring together the people, places and teachings of all faiths to communicate the common issue of our suffering planet. Offering meetings, conferences, activities and missions for everybody to take part in, they use a variety of ways to explore and act upon the ways in which they can take action, through such events as fundraisers, awareness campaigns, trips and pledges. Greenfaith’s sweet and simple pledge to “make my life a blessing for the Earth” emphasises the purity of the green interfaith movement’s goal.

There are many good reasons to participate in such a group. To make new friends, to dedicate yourself to a cause, to learn about other cultures, or to address local eco-justice issues. But if none of these are enough to interest somebody, the importance of the common goal should be. We are all only human, and we all have only this planet to make our home, so let us come together, as parishioners might do in a small village, to ensure every voice is heard, and every contribution is counted. As Green Interfaith Network Inc. advises, the only entry requirement to such an organisation is “a spiritual connection with the Earth”, and everybody can find theirs if they try.

In practical terms exactly how can we combine religious methods and those of an environmental organisation and increase our spiritual connection with the earth? To quote from His Holiness the Dalai Lama; “Among the many forms in which the human spirit has tried to express its innermost yearnings and perceptions, music is perhaps the most universal. It symbolizes the yearnings for harmony, with oneself and with others, with nature and with the spiritual and sacred within us and around us”. So in practical terms, when we become more at peace with ourselves using music, meditation, or simply a walk in beautiful countryside we are more in harmony with each other and our planet. Our desire to consume is reduced as we become harmonious with ourselves and everything around us. As a result our compassion for each other and our planet is increased.

Listening to music while practising yoga is more of a controversial idea than you might expect. For some people, it just seems to work; for others, it’s a distraction. What’s most important is to select music that you enjoy listening to and music which serves the purpose you’re trying to achieve. One of the most beneficial effects of almost all sorts of music is to enhance movement. When practising, some postures can feel difficult or uncomfortable, especially while one is in the earlier stages of learning yoga. Listening to music can increase the sense of grace and ease which is sought, and easing transitions between postures. Listening to music while practising yoga can also help us to relax and not strain. Yoga is about doing our best while (and not straining) we unwind and not comparing ourselves with others. Becoming more relaxed with music is an ideal way to do this.

‘Meditation music’ has become a surprisingly popular phrase lately. Surprising because traditionally, music is a distraction which has no place in meditation. Certainly methods which focus on mantras and on breathing are only interrupted by music but the most popular form of meditation in the West (‘mindfulness’) is totally compatible with music.

Meditation and yoga are different practices but they’re related to one another and the impact of different musical qualities is similar in both in terms of helping us to loosen up. Music can be used as a backdrop which adds context to one’s thoughts and feelings, for example by creating a positive mood and helping us to move past emotional obstacles to mindfulness. Just as when we listen to the sound of a gong, we transcend our thoughts to a state of inner peace.

Musical variation is the repetition of parts of a piece of music in a different form with, for example, melody or rhythm altered but the bar or phrase is recognisable as something we’ve already heard. Variation tends to increase the extent to which music is ‘interesting,’ giving us more to think about, more to notice. Variation can be insistent; we expect to hear a certain melody repeated, and the subtle difference draws our attention. This can make highly varied music distracting when we’re trying to achieve a state of peace and relaxation. Sacred music tends to be conservative in its variation; designed more to soothe and exalt and not “jump out” at a listener. With less potential for distraction and more consistency, sacred music can be perfect for both yoga and meditation.

Tempo is also a major factor. A bit more self-explanatory than variation, higher tempo creates a sense of energy, excitement and urgency while lower tempo creates a sense of peace and relaxation. Neither all meditation nor all yoga aims at relaxation; however, it’s a good place to start.

Every spiritual tradition is different at least on the surface but most spiritual music is concerned either with clearing the mind of unwanted thoughts and cultivating positive tendencies. This works by awakening an awareness of and connection to divinity or by refining one’s emotions. Substitute ‘Self’, as in the higher Self, for divinity and sacred music could almost be purpose-built for yoga and meditation.

Music can be used to enhance meditation but may be more valuable for most people as a means of preparing for meditation. As a background, music can put one in touch with one’s feelings; as a foreground, music can function more like a mantra, providing a content on which the mind can focus in order to edge out other distractions for the purposes of contemplation and reflection. Music can actively improve our ability to reflect, as it enhances memory and provides more perspective.

There are as many types of sacred music as there are spiritual traditions in the world. Since music is such a profound part of every tradition (indeed, almost every human group) the appropriate music has developed their own style along with the relevant culture. On Sacred Music Radio we play music from all traditions as well as from performers with no particular affiliation. If you’re looking for something new to enhance your yoga or meditation, or even a way to relax prior to meditation and you’ve never considered playing some background music (or sitting with headphones, hearing every note and every instrument dance together in the darkness behind your eyelids), you might be pleasantly surprised by the results… I’ve yet to meet a person who doesn’t enjoy music.

So in practical terms why and how can music help with our yoga and meditation? So many great philosophers, throughout history, have written lamentations on how music is of vital importance to the human spirit. That is attuning the human spirit to the divine. These people range from Schopenhauer and Nietzsche in Western philosophy to Hazrat Inayat Khan in the east to name but a few. Hazrat Inayat Khan, a professor of music at the Gayan Shala Music Academy of Baroda State in India was given the task by his teacher to “unite East and West in the harmony of your music”.  The practical benefit of music is in attuning us to harmony. It is accepted among many health professionals that the disturbance of our equilibrium is a major cause of sickness. Sacred music can restore this harmony. In the same way that yoga and meditation provide us with profound rest enabling us to become restored. The addition of sacred music can act as a catalyst to further enhance the process.

Modern life is fast-paced and can often feel aggressively demanding. With the constant expectation that we should fill every day with activity, we often forget to take time out for ourselves and reset. Something as simple as listening to music can provide us with that much-needed boost to get our work finished and see us through to the end of the day in a calm and dynamic way. Almost everyone has experienced the beneficial effects of music in one way or another; it can help us to relax and unwind even during stressful times, can improve our levels of motivation and focus, and can uplift our emotions and improve our relationships, helping us to connect more deeply and with more individuals.

Reduce Stress and Anxiety

For many, the mental and emotional effects of music are obviously the most noticeable. It can directly increase our happiness in so many ways. At Massachusetts General Hospital, for instance, attendants noticed that patients confined to bed who listened to music for 30 minutes had a lower heart rate and blood pressure than those who hadn’t listened to music. The reason behind this
is that music reduces our cortisol levels. This is more commonly known as the stress hormone and is partly responsible for feelings of tension and emotional distress, as well as lowered immune response. Therefore, the calming
effect of sound gives us the perfect excuse to sit back and switch off in a world where we are always on the move and subject to
external stimulation. There are various various types of music that we can listen to in order to relax, but many find that classical and sacred music are the most effective. Their slow tempo and conservation in variation creates an enveloping experience that allows us to forget the world, in a peaceful space of our own. They can also help us to identify, express, and accept our emotions. Indeed, classical and sacred music can help us to become aware of the feelings associated with our stress and can help us to master that stress instead of being overwhelmed by it.

Boost Memory and Restore Focus

Music also has the ability to enhance our minds and bodies, helping us to improve our memory and increasing the results we get from exercise. This has been demonstrated in the well-known Mozart Effect Study, which has suggested that listening to Mozart’s compositions may induce a short-term improvement on the performance of certain mental tasks. The ideal type of music that keeps our brain engaged is ambient music, which engages the brain at a lower, subconscious level. Examples include sacred music, waterfall sounds, and whale songs. The second element above—improving the results from exercise—is a good example of the multiple simultaneous benefits of music. Enjoyable music increases our motivation, encourages us to exercise harder, and reduces levels of boredom during repetitive tasks such as free-weight exercise or hypnotic tasks such as long-distance running. At the same time, enjoyable music increases our tolerance of pain, helping us to exercise harder and for longer. After exercise, music helps our bodies to recover by increasing the overall availability of oxygen.

Why Sacred Music?

Forget for a moment that we tend to associate sacred music with religion, especially the Christian faith. Enjoy the sound
quality of the music from whichever tradition it originates. In meditation, for example, we use a mantra for its sound quality and the effect that sound quality has on us, not necessarily for the meaning of the mantra. It’s the same with sacred music, which can benefit us irrespective of the religion it comes from. To quote from the website of Sacred Music Radio: Recent research by the Schulich School of Music, University in Montreal, Québec, indicates that people’s response to music “transcends different cultures as it emotionally affects diverse cultures in the same way.”

The Process

Reading about the potential benefits of certain types of music is akin to checking with a map prior to setting out on a journey
to an unfamiliar destination. The next step is listening to music that really appeals to us and helps us relax. Some varieties of classical music work well, and certainly most sacred music meets the requirements.

A Plan of Action

• Find music that you find relaxing by listening to several types of music.
• Decide on a time every day to listen to perhaps 20 minutes of the music without being disturbed.
• Listen to the music while sitting on a comfortable chair with good back support.
  Be aware of your breathing, let it settle.
• Notice you have thoughts; you can hear the music, and just focus on the awareness of the breath.
• Don’t try and push away thoughts; they are part of this relaxation process.
• Relaxation is the key to dealing with stress and regular listening to music can enable us to meet the challenges of our lives with strength and vigor.

Published May 2016 in Transportation Magazine.

An interfaith radio station, playing some of the world’s most beautiful sacred music has just been launched.  Sacred Music Radio which plays 24 hours a day,  features religious and sacred pieces of music from the Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, Zoroastrian and Islamic faiths, as well as music not directly connected with any specific religion.

Michael Vakil Kenton, one of the founders of the station, says: “Music has the ability to cut through cultural dividers, going beyond borders and boundaries, creating an atmosphere that can be subtle and indefinable, or joyous and transcending. The playlists we use at Sacred Music Radio can be all of these things, drawing from different cultures and religions, appreciated by all without having to subscribe to a certain faith. Our vision is that, as a result, by appreciating the music of diverse faiths, people may find themselves realising their common ground.”

The station website is easy to navigate.  For every track played on the station, there are links to Amazon to purchase the track, a voting button to assist audience-driven frequency in schedule, and a short blurb on the artist or composer so that listeners can find out more about artists they like.

Published on Wednesday, December 11, 2013 11:16 pm.
On Independent Catholic news.