Should I use headphones for meditation?

Headphones can make a guided meditation easier in a noisy home. They are a convenience, and a few simple checks keep them safe and comfortable.

If you would rather not wear anything in your ears, there are quiet alternatives below.

When do headphones actually help?

They help when you follow a guided recording and the room is noisy, or when you share a bedroom with someone who is asleep. They also help if you want the voice to feel closer.

They add little to a silent session. If you are sitting with only a timer, you can leave them off.

What should I check before pressing play?

Run through this list:

• Can I still hear a knock, a child’s voice or an alarm at this volume?
• Am I sitting somewhere safe, with nothing on the stove or the road ahead?
• Are the earphones comfortable, with no pinching or heat?
• Is my phone on silent, so a notification will not jump into the recording?
• Do I know how to pause at once if I want to stop?

If any answer is no, fix it first or skip the headphones today.

What about travelling?

Treat commuting differently from sitting at home. On the LRT (Light Rail Transit), bus or in a taxi, you need to stay aware of your stop and the people around you.

Keep your eyes open and your volume low if you listen on the move. Better still, save the session for a quiet pocket at home or in the car park at lunch. Never listen to a meditation recording while driving, riding a motorbike or crossing the road.

Try this: a quiet test run

1. Sit down in your chosen spot and put on the earphones.
2. Play the recording at a very low volume and raise it only until you can follow the voice.
3. Check that you could still hear someone say your name.
4. Press play on the session, or start your timer if you are going without audio.
5. When it ends, take the earphones off slowly and notice the room’s sounds.

What are the options without headphones?

You could place the phone at a low volume across the room. You could wait until the household is quiet, or choose an unguided session with a timer. Our meditation timer works in your browser.

Another option is one earbud in, with the other ear open to the room. Another is a small speaker on a shelf. Try the one you can forget about.

Adapting it to your life

Shift workers, who sleep in the day, can use headphones to keep their practice from waking others. Students in a shared hostel room can use them to reduce the pull of corridor noise. Caregivers should keep one ear free, so they can hear the person they look after.

If a practice brings up distress, dizziness or painful memories, it is fine to stop. A doctor or counsellor can help, and our support page shows where to start.

Where next?

Compare styles in guided and unguided meditation. Find a safe moment in when and where to meditate. If you are thinking about an app, see what to expect when trying a meditation app for the first time.

The meditation for beginners hub gathers the rest.