Yoga and Meditation

Yoga is a set of scientific systems involving physical and mental practices that originated in India more that 6000 years ago. The word ‘Yoga’ is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘yuj’ meaning, to yoke, unite or join. The purpose of Yoga is to unite all aspects of the human being- body, mind and soul, to reach equilibrium in an effort to unite the individual with universal consciousness.

Yoga works on five principles to attain this body-mind-soul equilibrium. These principles include:

• Proper Relaxation
• Proper Exercise (Asanas)
• Proper Breathing (Pranayama)
• Proper Diet
• Positive Thinking & Meditation

As you can see, meditation is one of the five basic principles of Yoga. Yoga meditation is the practice through which there is constant observation of the mind. It requires your mind to focus on any one thing and control its thought process. When the thought process is quiet and all irrelevant thoughts and sensations are gone, you are able to perceive your ‘mind.’ Through this practice, you are able to achieve a number of physical, psychological and spiritual benefits. Meditation involves slowing the brainwave pattern to the alpha level, which is optimum for health and well being.

Let’s look at some of the benefits of yoga meditation:

• It provides deep rest and relaxation to our body. It lowers our heart rate, metabolic rate reduces blood pressure.
• It helps our heart by lowering cholesterol levels.
• The deep breathing involved helps keep our nasal cavities clear.
• It is known to help reduce the damage caused to our body by its use of oxygen, which also helps in slowing the process of ageing
• It provides mental clarity and alertness.
• It reduces anxiety, panic and depression.
• It enhances our creative thinking, helps us be positive and leaves us feeling revitalized.
• It promotes physical, mental and spiritual stability.
• It aids us in the process of self actualization.

Meditation alone can bring us a host of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual benefits. But combining Yoga and Meditation can increase the health benefits exponentially. The other four principles of Yoga and Meditation together add the following health benefits for you:

• Increased physical flexibility and strength.
• Prevention if pain caused by physical activity or inactivity
• Increase in cardiovascular, respiratory and digestive processes
• Improvement of our immune system
• Increase in energy and vitality
• Weight loss
• Increase in attentiveness, memory and concentration
• Efficiency in learning and understanding
• Enhances sense of well being and adjustment
• Improves social adjustment
• Allows acceptance of self
• Allows better understanding of self in relation to society and nature.

People are known to use yoga and meditation separately for a host of individual goals like weight loss, exercise, body detoxification, etc. However, the benefits offered by a combination of yoga and meditation far exceed any individual goal that we set for ourselves. Explore the various possibilities that become available with simultaneous physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well being.

Your senses can help you discover easy ways to meditate and to find the personal freedom from stress you may need. Make sure you can sit in the position you choose for a while, have the items you need handy, and enjoy the process.

Basic relaxing techniques can assist in getting to the right state to meditate. Begin by breathing deeply, and make a conscious effort to relax each part of your body from the bottom up. Close your eyes if it helps you.

Having a night light with a blue light bulb can aid in a tranquil environment. It soothes tension and assists in giving your thoughts time to slow down, the main goal of meditation. Try not to concentrate on the light itself and let the coloured light become part of the meditation atmosphere and just wash over you.

CDs can also be beneficial to meditating. You can listen to a rain shower, Bach, or even static and there are a variety of these you can choose from. Having some sound in your surroundings can help to settle down your thoughts and can have a large influence on the development of your meditation skills.

Fragrances can also be a part of your meditation. Scents like lavender are acknowledged to give a calming effect, and mints can help sharpen the mind. You can get them in an assortment of ways from oils and herb, but you need to get a fragrance that resonates with you.

Make an effort to let your thoughts roam, and not to just dwell on one thing. Many find a mantra, or a repeating phrase, can give your mind something to focus on and allow the meditation to harder and work better for you.

Meditating is a relaxing way to shed the stress of your day, and can take as little, or as much, time as you need to gain the harmony you’re seeking. Even a few short minutes will help to relieve your stresses.

Check out more easy ways to meditate and check out the best meditation program for you.