Music during rest period?

[SongAndWind]

Hi all,

I don't have a car, and as such I take the train to work quite a bit.  Sometimes when I work in the mornings I do my sitting practice on the train with headphones in, but not playing music of course.  I always make sure to incorporate a period of rest before I reach my destination.

My question is; does playing music during the rest period after meditation interfere with the winding-down process?  I have experimented resting with and without music, but I would like to know what you more experienced practitioners have to say on the subject.

Thanks!

[Wafu]

Hi SongAndWind,

Listening to music intentionally is not something I've ever done during any part of my practice routine, including during the rest period. During the practices of meditation, spinal breathing etc it's a bit of a no brainer that music would distract our attention from the focus of the practice, either the mantra or the breath/visualisation, and shouldn't be used. However I can see that during the rest period it's a slightly different matter.

Personally I do feel that a rest period should also be free from as much external sensory stimulation as possible. For me it is a pleasant thing to dwell in the deep stillness that the practices generate, and my senses are generally not asking to be stimulated. Do you feel the desire to listen to music during the rest period? If you do, I would not have thought there would be much harm in doing so. You may find that as inner silence rises, the desire for sensory stimulation falls away to some degree, and you are more content to simply lie or sit in silence.

Hope this was informative, I'd be interested to hear any more thoughts you may have

[Holy]

In a train everything is already shaking and vibrating physically and lots of sounds already stimulate the nervous system. Music may feel ok and good, but when the practices begin to deepen even the intent to move will not be there, so starting the music player will be a lot of effort and more unpleasant than just resting.

If you hear music the rest of the day time then giving the system a break to deepen into silence would be more beneficial for listening to music aswell. The more you can deepen into silence, the better the music will sound when coming out of silence too.

Try out both variations for a time and go with whats fine. As long as you keep practicing, details will fit over time.

[Etherfish]

I think it is best to not listen to music during the rest period. Music wakes up part of your brain and doesn't let it rest. Even music that would normally put you to sleep, is followed by part of your brain. So just as it is not good to be fully awake without resting, I would guess you are cheating the rest period with music.

The reason you like certain music is built into your everyday personality, so I would guess that you engage that part of your mind with music. Even music you have never heard, or you don't like, would be followed by your brain, trying to make sense of it.