The mind is a story-telling machine – it loves to overthink, plan, judge, critique, and organize itself in unhelpful ways. Put simply, the mind is often its own greatest threat. Fortunately, we have the ability to train the mind, and we can learn how to feel more at ease and calmer through practicing mindfulness whilst listening to music.
“What is mindfulness?” You may be asking. Mindfulness is a liberating practice that allows us to be completely engaged in the present moment. It has been practiced for thousands of years and it’s about bringing attention, awareness, and curiosity to all of the senses that are present in the here and now.
The way we are able to train mindfulness as a skill is to intentionally bring our focus to the present moment and to everything we experience. Mindfulness is a wonderful tool for everyone. In this article, I will be sharing how we can listen to music with a mindful approach – using sound as an object of focus for the mind.
Both music and mindfulness offer incredible therapeutic potential, and the two individual practices are able to complement one another. Practicing mindful listening is proven to boost our overall wellbeing and reduce stress. In fact, the health benefits of mindfulness are truly nothing short of extraordinary.
How To Practice Mindful Listening
When practicing mindful listening, I invite you to pay extra special attention to all the different sounds you can hear and all of the sensations you feel. Pay close attention to the contact of your body on the chair, and your feet on the floor, and notice what the breath feels like inside your lungs as you inhale and exhale.
Choose any piece of music to listen to. It can be a familiar song you enjoy or something entirely new. Take some deep breaths and feel yourself grounded in the chair or wherever you are sat.
Once you are ready, press play and simply absorb all the sounds through your headphones or speakers. Close your eyes and focus on all of the different aspects of the music as it unfolds.
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