Yoga meditation- Cultivate Concentration & Purity in Lives
Yoga Meditation: What it is!!!
An ordinary person may consider meditation as a worship or prayer. But it is not so. Meditation means awareness. Whatever you do with awareness is meditation. "Watching your breath" is meditation; listening to the birds is meditation. As long as these activities are free from any other distraction to the mind, it is effective meditation.
Meditation is not a technique but a way of life. Meditation means 'a cessation of the thought process’. It describes a state of consciousness, when the mind is free of scattered thoughts and various patterns. The observer (one who is doing meditation) realizes that all the activity of the mind is reduced to one.
Traditionally, the classical yoga texts, describe that to attain true states of meditation one must go through several stages. After the necessary preparation of personal and social code, physical position, breath control, and relaxation next are the more advanced stages of concentration, contemplation, and then ultimately absorption. But that does not mean that one must perfect any one stage before moving onto the next. The Integral yoga approach is simultaneous application of a little of all stages together.
Benefits of Meditation
Meditation is good for you. From the historical standpoint of yoga, meditation was practiced for its spiritual, rather than physical, benefits. The apparent attitude was, simplistically, attain enlighten and everything else will fall into place. Today we tend to be (rightly or not) less focused on enlightenment, and more on the physical and mental benefits of meditation. Whatever the objective, meditating can offer benefits, and a sampling of the benefits follows:
- Lowers cholesterol and blood pressure
- Allows the autonomic nervous system to become balanced, so that rest and healing can occur.
- Studies show decreased risk of stroke and heart disease
- Increases melatonin production which improves quality of sleep and decreases cancer risk
- Increases awareness of intuition
- Improves concentration and focus
- Reduces stress, anxiety, tension
- Increased creativity
- Better relationships
- Increased self-awareness and self-acceptance
- Deeper sense of spirituality and meaning
- Clinically shown to enhance health status in individuals with psoriasis, allergies, asthma, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, migraines, chronic pain, diabetes, cancer and panic attacks.
Simple Techniques and Tips for Yoga Meditating
Here are simple tips that helps you to meditate while yoga
- Find a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed or interrupted. For most of us, this can be the most difficult part of meditation. Sometimes this will necessitate creativity to arrange.
- Creating a sacred place and using it consistently will help you to get into the meditation more easily. If consistency is virtually impossible for you, don't let it be an obstacle for-- do what works for you.
- Prepare by having a relatively empty stomach. You may want to precede with some yoga postures (in the evening) or go directly to your practice, especially in the morning when meditation typically precedes the yoga postures.
- Sitting upright is the preferred pose, because it is important to have your head, neck and trunk in a straight line to enhance energy flow and proper breathing. Laying down can only work if you don’t fall asleep, which adds another potential obstacle. If you are sitting, it helps to have a small cushion under the sitting bones as this will help to keep your posture erect.
- You may want to begin with a “resurrection breath” which consists of inhaling, turning your head to the left, and strongly exhaling twice over your left shoulder.
- Bring your attention away from external activities and bring your focus to your breath. Breathe in and out through your nostrils. When thoughts come into your head, gently let them go by and draw your attention back to your breath, which should be quiet and natural.
- As you begin a practice, the most important thing is to be sure that the process is enjoyable so that you will want to return to it again and again. Two to three minutes in the beginning is plenty; anything over fifteen to twenty is likely to be counterproductive, but be your own judge. Meditation is about getting in touch with the wisdom within.
Summary:
Yoga Meditation techniques can enhance you both physically and spiritually. Knowing how to develop both body and mind through Yoga Meditation can provide you with many life-changing benefits.
