Elevation through sound meditation.
Sound + Meditation: The Perfect Pair
You probably already know that meditation has been clinically shown to help relieve anxiety, aid sleep, increase concentration, reduce depression and provide numerous therapeutic benefits. The wealth of independent clinical research on the effects of meditation, not to mention the amount of attention it gets in media and from wellness gurus like Gwyneth Paltrow and Amanda Chantal Bacon, make a pretty convincing argument for why it will probably help with issues you’re dealing with (and improve your overall quality of life).
Don’t Be Scared
Even knowing all this, meditating can seem as intimidating as levitating if you don’t know where to start. Chances are, if you’re dealing with the stress of juggling work, a social life, and a million other worries, you don’t have the time to sit cross-legged in silence while you try to figure it out. If you’re a chronic multi-tasker with a diagnosis of A.D.D., like me, the idea of sitting still for that long is anxiety-inducing in itself. If bingeing on Netflix with a bottle of Pinot isn’t giving you the relief you need in the moment, or the long-term balance you seek, it’s probably worth investigating your alternatives.
The Sounds of Silence
Before I started meditating, I resented hearing it discussed in pop culture as a panacea for everything – it’s not that I didn’t believe it would help me, it just seemed remote and inaccessible. What I didn’t know was that I didn’t have to drastically change my lifestyle and have a formal meditation practice to experience the short- and long-term benefits of meditation. All I had to do was listen.
Hearing is Believing
My introduction to meditation was through sound. I had agreed to try a few mindfulness exercises with my therapist, though I was skeptical that it would take. I started with trying to hear and distinguish all of the layers of sound I could hear at any given moment – while walking, in waiting rooms, wherever. I’m no scientist – I can’t explain to you how or why this technique was so effective in familiarizing and making me comfortable with the basics of meditation; all I can tell you is that I, too, have joined the ranks of those annoying people who tout meditation as a cure-all. I got into Hemi-Sync® because sound has always worked as an anchor for me, and now I feel like it is fully integrated into my routine. I can put on a pair of headphones while doing dishes or opening emails, listen to binaural beats, and experience a feeling of serenity and balance that I once doubted was possible.
