
A good piece of art can make us relaxed, enabling us to forget about our worries. Activities that involve appreciation of art, like watching a good movie, reading a fine book and viewing a brilliant painting, help us concentrate in the moment fully. In other words, such activities allow us to let go of any thoughts concerning either our past, or our future.
The purpose of meditation, in many ways, is exactly that – to induce calmness in our minds. And so, it is perfectly possible to rely on music, or any other form of art, to achieve a state of meditation.
Using Music for Meditation
The best form of art that has the ability to put us in a state of meditation is, indeed, music. Good music helps us forget about all the chaos and problems going on in our lives. Meditating using music is best achieved by choosing songs that are relaxing. While listening to music is a very intense and relaxing experience in itself, there are ways in which the experience can be made even more intense and relaxing.
For example, we can be mindful of each and every instrument playing in a song to help our mind focus in the ‘now’ better. Another good technique is to use scented candles in a room where music is playing in the background. Dimming the lights while listening to relaxing music can help, too.
Using Other Forms of Art for Meditation
While music certainly has the highest ability to impart a relaxed state to our senses, other forms of art can help us achieve a state of meditation, too. The trick is to fully focus on the art at hand. That is to say that if a painting is used for relaxation, it is best to concentrate as profoundly as possible on it, by analyzing its every color, concentrating on its different elements, and imagining the painter painting it.
How Vital is Art for Meditation?
To perform meditation, reliance on art is not absolutely necessary. That said, art has the ability to make us relax and find peace in a way in which simple meditation never can. Deep breathing sessions or concentration meditation, for instance, can never help us get exposed to the bliss and the joy that we can experience by listening to soothing music, or by enjoying other kinds of art.
Meditating with the help of art can be a uniquely refreshing experience; and if trusted on a regular basis, it can even prove to be more effective than ordinary meditation.