One of the most natural and effective methods for de-stressing and clearing your mind of your daily worries and anxieties is meditation. Once you have reached a state where your mind and body are relaxed you can really start to focus on your inner tension and worries.

It's important to know that we all meditate naturally at some point whether we mean to or not! Like when we let our minds wander and end up day-dreaming totally lost in our own thoughts.

Music is also known to have an impact on someones state of awareness. We are listening to music on a regular basis and for many on a daily basis. Everyone listens to different types of music and finds it relaxing which in-itself is a form of meditation.

It makes sense if you enjoy listening to music, to listen to it more often right?

Of course it does!

Invest in a portable music device such as an mp3 player and start building a collection of digital copies of your tracks on your computer. Assuming your computer has the functionality to rip CD's you can get copy all your CD's onto your computer.

The great thing about mp'3s and similar portable audio devices is they are ultra light-weight. No bulky CD's to carry around, just a small device the size of your finger with a set of headphones plugged into it.

Assuming you're trying to unwind at home you could just play your favorite tracks through your CD player without the need of a mobile device. There really is no excuse not to listen to music frequently, it's one of the most natural ways to relax the mind and body and unwind.

Music is also a great means of unwinding prior to meditation. It can be hard sometimes to just sit down and start meditating effectively. If you're still carrying baggage from the days events these tend to circle around in your mind. Music can really help to shut out any tension and worry and whisk your mind away from the daily stresses of life.

What music is best suited for meditation?

The most important thing is that it's music you enjoy and that relaxes you. There are no rules as to what you should play or when you should play it. Experiment with different tracks and try to identify which seem to be most effective at helping you unwind.

Are there special types of music for the purpose of meditation?

Yes. Most commonly binaural beats are used for meditation purposes. This really is a topic unto itself but in a nutshell binaural beats are specially produced sound recordings that produce two different sound frequencies through each channel (left channel and right channel).

Using binaural beats for meditation is a practice that has long been used although isn't overly publicized. It works by altering a persons state of awareness (brainwave frequencies). The brainwave frequency induced would depend on the frequency of the binaural beat which is measured by the difference between the two frequencies being perceived.