How Calming Ocean Sounds Can Aid Relaxation And Sooth Stress

By Linda Ruiz


In today's frenetic world, increasing numbers of people are looking for ways to add greater peace and tranquillity to their lives. One of the easiest ways they can do this is by listening to the sounds of nature on CD or mp3. Calming ocean sounds and other natural ambiance have a tremendously relaxing effect on the psyche and are ideal for those who are stressed and overloaded.

One way in which they can be of benefit is as an adjunct to activities like yoga, pilates and meditation. Huge numbers of people are now turning to these practices and are discovering a new-found balance and peace of mind. Many are also recognizing how much more they can get out of these practices when listening to the sounds of mother nature.

For example, with meditation the aim is to slow conscious thought processes and reduce the amount of 'chatter' that so disrupts the mind. Many people find this to be immensely challenging since emotional turbulence agitates the mind. Nature's sounds help meditators to relax, thus calming the emotions and the mind, making the whole process easier and more enjoyable.

With yoga too, emotional turmoil disrupts focus which can inhibit one's ability to perform the poses well. In a relaxed state however, one can execute each pose with more depth and awareness and have a richer experience. One can get more out of this ancient practise and begin to benefit from it in ways that perhaps would have been impossible before.

These effects are no surprise since numerous scientific studies have shown that natural sounds like birdsong can help people recover from stress. Science aside, common sense tells us that since we are a product of the natural world, we will find it's sounds calming and restorative. There is something very primal about our response to nature's music, and something quite subtle yet profound about the effect it has on our psyche.

This can be seen in the often remarkable effects nature's sounds have on children. They seem to connect with babies and toddlers at a very basic level. Upset babies often respond well to calming natural sounds when other attempts to calm them have failed. Likewise, a child that is reluctant to sleep will often drift off easily when given calming nature sounds to sleep to.

Adults too use these recordings as an aid to sleep. Many find that they fall asleep faster and experience sounder sleep when they have relaxing nature sounds playing in their environment. Even when it isn't bedtime, many people use these sounds to create a more relaxing ambiance. A recording of a meadow in springtime for example can create a comforting background that blots out the modern world and restores tranquillity.

A relaxing atmosphere can also be of great benefit to students when they are studying. They tend to enjoy their study time more, plus they gain an important advantage. As their bodies (and brains) become more relaxed, they become better able to learn. Studies have shown that relaxed students are also more likely retain more of what they learn compared to those who study in a less tranquil environment.




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