Customer Reviews

Music For Zen Meditation

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

like the first reviewer wrote: this is a medicine, a natural tranquillizer. For like half a year I went to bed while spinning this record and I never got bored with it. I woke up with it as well. In fact, I became to love it more & more.
It gave me companion through hard times. The strange thing is that this recording never bores me, not after a million { which is a lot} times listening to it.
This I can definetly say would be one of the very few CDs
I would have with me on a deserted island.
In meditational music in general I kinda miss harmonics. Not in this case. So, for all you nervous people out there, take it from me: this really relaxes your mind. Nothing is what I want?

First, this is a very short cd: only forty minutes. Second, although the string instrument(koto)sounds pretty much Eheiji-like, the flute, definitely the dominant instrument on this cd, sounds more like New Orleans jazz than zen, which is quite disturbing, to say the least. The first piece ends quite abruptly, which is a disaster if you are meditating.
I was thoroughly disappointed and it was hard to remain calm and centered thinking of the wasted money. It landed in the garbage can after just one try.How other people could write raving comments about this cd is a something of a koan to me.

I recommend Sanctuary by Riley Lee, which is real Japanese and Zen and is 61:19 minutes long!

I usually have this playing in my home office when my husband doesn't want to listen to my favorite rock station. It's pretty soothing and makes for good background music.

Zen meditation could be called a state of heightened awareness (although that's not quite accurate). This music induces here a state of heightened drowsiness. Although not unpleasant to listen to by any means, I do find it rather sleep-inducing and hypnotic -- a bit too serious, and dare I say, almost boring?

If you want to actually do zazen, no music is necessary or particularly helpful... pay attention to the breath and be aware of thoughts arising. Otherwise, this music could be interesting to listen to purely as a sort of relaxation or enjoyment -- from that basis, it's not bad... if you like improvisational stuff (is it 'art'?). A step further in the direction of "interesting" might include Riley Lee, Uttara-Kuru, Kokin Gumi, even Kitaro...

This is a really nice CD, with shakuhachi-style music. A couple of things that may not be apparent from the description:

-- The CD is from Verve, as the artist comes from the jazz tradition. This didn't come up for me explicitly in the music itself, but I thought it was an interesting way to make sense of the performance on the album.

-- Most of the CD is improvisational. This wasn't an 'issue,' but it does emphasize that the music on the album is primarily non-melodic and spontaneous.

Overall, a nice album if you want to foster a calm mind.

In 1976 I taught Hatha Yoga at the YMCA and I used this music for my classes. Everyone loved it and I also used it for meditation. I moved and lost the record and I also had a tape but could not remember the title. This is wonderful for relaxation and deep meditation. I will also repurchase this soon. Wonderful find. Just like Christmas. Christina Sanders

I like this album a lot, but as an experienced zen meditator, the idea
of listening to music while "meditating" makes me smile. So
what's amazing about this CD is that Scott could play a clarinet so
gently and skillfully as to make it sound like a shakahatchi flute.
Make that "four" flutes, as the shakahatchi comes in four
sizes and scale ranges, and Scott's clarinet "covers" them
all! Or nearly so, I can only say, because I am not a musician.

The
tracks (all improvisations!) are mostly clarinet and koto duets, with
a few shakahatchi parts. The tempo is always slow and distended.
Nice 'playing along' by the koto. One track is an amusing clarinet
and shakahatchi duet, in which the game is obviously to figure out
which channel is which instrument.

In search for something calming and otherworldly without the cheesiness of guided meditation and the overwhelming busyness of many meditation albums, I stumbled upon this unusual recording and was convinced that I was in for a treat after checking out the samples and perusing listeners' comments.

Indeed, the effect _is_ what I hoped it would be. There's no need to adhere to structured meditation techniques and practices -- simply letting go, while swaingly moving, walking slowly or rocking gently are all sufficient to arrive at a new state of mindful(-less?) consciousness. Gradually the body is tempted to relax limb by limb, muscle by muscle. The mind is tempted to join in.

I do wish that there were a greater flowing tendency to the sounds. At times their perforated quality is awkward and somewhat peace-disturbing. Overall, in my experience the effects of this CD would've been even greater had there been no sirens, car alarms, and subway cacophony in the background. Such are the perils of urban living. This CD, thus, is all the more necessary.

I love this album. First acquired LP in the late 60's and gave it to a favorite niece before commencing much travel - never saw the album again. Travel ended, started collecting material stuff again and my 2nd copy of this album was among first acquisitions. So happy it's on CD - a long awaited blessing. Need a backup copy.

I hesitated to order this, as I do not practice Zen meditation, but did so based on listening to the samples. And I am so glad I did! This music is wonderfully relaxing and works as either background music or the focus of attention. Some of the selections have almost a Native American quality to them, and all of them can transport one to places of spiritual peace or renewed energy. Wonderful meditation tool for anyone!