Relaxation Music

Choose The Right Time - Make sure that you won't be disturbed. Wait until the house is not too busy and let your family know that you need a bit of time to yourself.

Choose The Right Place - Find a quiet spot and make sure that it's warm and draught free. Sit in a comfy chair, or if you've got time get cosy in bed. If you need to, use headphones to cut out any outside noise.

Choose The Right Music - Find something that works for you. Some people like nature sounds others like soothing electronic music, it's really up to you. Just make sure that the tempo of the music is around 60bpm (beats per minute) as this is the rate of a beating heart and this will provide ultmate relaxation.

Choosing the right relaxation music is really a matter of personal choice. What works for you someone else might find really irritating. However it's not completely down to taste, some music is more likely to relax everybody who listens to it. Studies have proved that the best music for relaxation has a tempo of around 60 beats per minute. This is the rate of an average resting heart, and it causes your breathing to slow down to match this rate. Music of this tempo is also more likely to encourage alpha brainwaves.

Normally our brains produce brainwaves of around 14 - 30 hertz (cycles per second) but when we listen to relaxation music our brainwaves can be lulled to around 8 - 14 hertz - the alpha state - which induces a feeling of calm and peacefulness. To get into this state even quicker you could choose relaxation music that has a binaural beat added to it.

Some people like electronic relaxation music, often referred to as new age or ambient, others prefer more natural sounds. Some choose to listen to eastern music which often uses the sitar, others like light jazz. Find what works for you, but always try to ensure that it has a tempo of 60bpm for the ultimate relaxation experience.

Relaxation music has the power to make you happier and healthier. Here are some ways to get the most out of your music:

Listen In The Bath - Turn bath time into a mini spa experience. Pour some scented oil into a warm bath, turn off the bright lights and light a few candles, put some relaxing music on and let your body and mind totally relax.

Listen With Your Family - If the kids are being noisy and everyone is a bit frazzled, try putting on a relaxation CD and see what a difference it makes to everyone's mood.

Listen Whilst Meditating - Relaxation music can enhance your meditation experience and make it much easier to get into "the zone". It encourages your brainwaves into the alpha state. If you use affirmations you will find that if you listen to relaxation music whilst repeating them they will be more effective.

Listen Often - Like any new skill, learning to relax takes practice, and the more often you listen to relaxation music the quicker you will find it works. Half an hour every day is the ideal amount, but there's no upper limit - try to incorporate relaxation music into your every day life.