2 Aug. Binaural beats.

Yesterday, I listened to binaural beats on Insight Timer. I have never tried that method before. I felt very relaxed. Quickly. More importantly – I felt much calmer during the rest of the day. Coincidence?

When I was going through my previous blogs’ entries I came across a quote from “The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying” by Sogyal Rinpoche (why, Sogyal, why!?) about combining multiple meditation methods during one siting.

Each of these three methods forms a complete meditation practice on its own. However, after many years of teaching, I have found that what can be particularly effective is to combine them into one practice, in the order given here. First, resting our mind on an object can transform our outer environment and acts on the level of form and the body. Second, reciting or chanting a mantra can purify our inner world of sound, emotion, and energy. Third, watching the breath can pacify the innermost dimension of the mind, as well as the prana, “the vehicle of the mind.”

I really enjoyed my TM (Transcendental Meditation) sessions and it looks that I will also enjoy BB (Binaural Beats). Both methods allowed me to access states of peace and relaxation quickly and easily. Something my normal practice – anapanasati – very rarely deliver. On the other hand – I value Buddhism very much and don’t want to loose the connection with its practices and wisdom.

So I was thinking… Couldn’t I incorporate TM or BB into my meditation practice? For example – start my sittings with a few minutes of BB or TM, just enough to relax, and then proceed to mindfulness of breathing? Or use mindfulness in the morning and TM/BB in the evening?

The question is rhetorical, because this is exactly what I will do.