Music and Meditation

The person who is searching for his own happiness should pull out the dart

he has stuck in himself - the arrowhead of grieving, of desiring, of despair  -

the Sutta -nipata quoted by Deborah Moggach

in 'The best exotic Marigold Hotel'

(for the Elderly and Beautiful)

Music is a language all of its own.It  has the ability to transport us way beyond the cut and thrust of the intellect to a place of inspiration and deep healing. Its lyricism makes it a wonderful companion for meditation, since its phrases and rhythms rise and fall just like waves on the ocean. This bridges the gap between our inner and outer worlds.

The Wow Factor!

Look at the way any wave rises up towards the sky before it tumbles back towards the shore.  Just like waves, music provides us with natural phrases and rhythms, sounds which speak to us and that can help us let go of all our cares and concerns. Have you noticed, at the end of any good performance there's a silence before the audience breaks into rapturous applause?  To me that's the wow factor, 'Wow where did that come from?' - the acknowledgement that we've all been transported into a magical space of inspiration, an inspiration which allows us to come back to our day to day lives feeling as good as new and ready to take on the world!

Last Saturday night, I went along to St. Albans Cathedral to see a performance of Verdi's Requiem, with hubby Bruce and friends Jacky and David. What a magnificent setting! And what a passionate piece of music. I came back truly inspired at how all the various threads of the music; choir, soloist instruments and percussion are brought together to create such a dynamic piece of music. It isn't by pushing and pushing.  This breaks the natural rhythm of creation.  It's by following life's natural ebb and flow.

Singing our Song: becoming the individuals we are supposed to become

We each have a song to sing. But its by letting go and letting our Spirit, not our ego orchestrate the composition that makes all the difference. Each individual byte of our journey deserves to be savoured and given thanks for, whether it be the ebb or whether it be the flow.  It is the following of these rhythms that take us out of the ordinary into the extraordinary.  And it is the following of our own individual rhythms which allows us to become the individual we are supposed to become.

Short meditation

If you have a moment, spend time listening to this piece of music by Litzt.  It really speaks to me. Its just five minutes long, so can fit easily into your day. Trust your intuition.  If this isn't your type of thing, use a piece that's right for you, and then just listen....But listen not just with the head, but with your whole heart as well.  This is what makes all the difference. And so meditation and music really are good compansions.  Music has the ability to transport us out of the orindary into the extraordinary, where magic is part of the natural order of things.

Any comments gratefully received.