Can you comment on how the use of New Age music can or does fit into meditation and which type of meditation it might be best suited with? I use New Age music to help eliminate outside distractions, but sometimes it can become a distraction in and of itself. Any tips for overcoming that?
Thanks for your question. I will give you my take, and be sure to also check out the BellaOnline meditation site (linked to in my article.) I assume when you say 'New Age music' you probably mean some of the many meditation music CDs available now on the market. In general, Buddhists don't use music for meditation, although some schools use chanting, bells and/or special gongs, and a lot of the meditation CDs I have experimented with incorporate these. I do like music as a background sometimes, but personally I think it's important not to become dependent on it, and to try meditating without it too. So if you are finding it distracting, you might want to just go without for awhile.
On the other hand, I think some meditation music CDs are well-suited for stress management purposes - relaxing music can have a soothing effect on our nerves, and help settle us down. So another option would be to start with some music to slow yourself down, and then try sitting in silence for awhile. I don't think one meditation technique is better suited to music than any other, so see what works for you.
Hope that helps!
