Can I Listen to Music While Meditating? A Mindful Approach for Beginners

If you’re just beginning a meditation practice, you might be wondering:
“Can I listen to music while meditating?”
The short answer is: yes—you can. But whether you should depends on your intention, your chosen meditation style, and your level of experience.

In this article, we’ll explore the pros and cons of listening to music while meditating, how it aligns (or doesn’t) with traditional practices like Zazen, and how to use music mindfully to support your meditation journey.

The Role of Music in Meditation

Music can:

• Set a calm atmosphere

• Help quiet a restless mind

• Provide rhythm or structure

• Create emotional openness

For beginners especially, soft music can make meditation feel more accessible and less intimidating. However, it’s important to understand how different meditation styles relate to sound.

Zazen and Silent Meditation

In Zazen, the seated meditation at the heart of Zen practice, silence is essential. Practitioners sit quietly, eyes open or half-closed, facing a wall or space. The goal is to be fully present with each breath, without distraction or external stimulation.

“Zazen is not about feeling good. It’s about being fully awake.” — Zen Teaching

From a Zen perspective, music can become a distraction—even a subtle form of escape or mood control. Instead, Zazen asks us to face the present moment just as it is, without altering it.

When Music Can Be Helpful

While traditional practices emphasize silence, music can be a useful support in certain situations, especially for beginners or in specific types of meditation such as:

• Guided meditation (often includes background music to soothe or support visualization)

• Body scan or yoga nidra

• Loving-kindness (Metta) meditation

• Walking or movement meditation

If you choose to meditate with music, aim for:

• Slow, instrumental, or ambient tracks

• Natural sounds (rain, ocean, wind)

• No lyrics or distracting melodies

The key is to use music that enhances—not dominates—your awareness.

Tips for Using Music Mindfully While Meditating

1. Set an Intention: Are you using music to support focus—or to avoid discomfort?

2. Choose Mindful Tracks: Use calming sounds that invite stillness, not stimulation.

3. Use Consistent Music: Familiar tracks reduce novelty and allow you to go deeper.

4. Wean Off Gradually: As your practice deepens, try short sessions in silence.

What Experienced Practitioners Say

Many experienced meditators eventually transition away from music as their comfort with silence grows. Silence is not empty—it’s full of subtle awareness. With time, the breath, body, and mind become enough.

That said, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. What matters most is that your practice is sincere and supportive of your growth.

Final Thought: Let Music Be a Bridge, Not a Crutch

So, can you listen to music while meditating?
Yes—especially if it helps you get started or feel more at ease. But over time, you may find that the richest experiences arise in the stillness of silence.

Start where you are. Sit how you can.
And whether you meditate with music or without, keep returning—gently and consistently—to the present moment.

Because that’s where mindfulness truly begins.