Yoga and Meditation
The term “Yoga” has been derived from ye Sanskrit word, “Yuji” which means union. Through this exercise, a union of the mind and body with a sense of harmony and consciousness is achieved. Yoga is also universal. Yoga is used by many to help with health issues, and an overall feeling of wellness. Even known to help with some cancers. Yoga is not used just for religious purposes. Yoga has been said to have originated in India, before the coming of Christ.
Yoga and Meditation are used in religious cultures today, as it is also used in non-religious cultures. I believe this gives the mind a more openness to pray (meditate). When Jesus was in the desert fasting for 40 days, could he have been meditating? Jesus preached a message of love for everyone, as did the Buddha. So, whether you call it prayer or meditation, as long as you do it with love. According to Buddha, the spiritual aspect is, total control of the mind, inner energy, and breathing. Breathing in meditation and yoga is a technique that is very important. It is called pranayama, the regulation of breath, that consists of inhaling from one side of the nose and exhale it from the other.
The famous Yogi, Swami Ramdev, claims that a regular practice of pranayama can prevent and cure disease and health issues. Yoga is a methodical effort to attain perfection through the control of the different elements of human nature, physical and spiritually.
Today, yoga is being practiced more as an
Yoga is a practice for union. When yoga is being practiced the participant becomes relaxed and tries to achieve a higher state of mind.(Fisher 80) There are different types of yoga that help achieve different states of mind. Raja yoga is the path to mental concentration and is used by meditative people. Jnana yoga is the path to rational inquiry which is done by rational people, and for naturally active people there is karma yoga which is the path of right action. “Yoga is known as the disconnection of the connection with suffering.” –The Bhagavad Gita (hinduwisdom.info) Hinduism also has a series of gods and goddess who Hindu’s pray to and worship. Durga whom is called the Ideal Warrior, Sita, who is the
First thoughts that come into my head when I think about yoga are body flexibility, body movements and relaxation. Though yoga is more than that, it has deeper connections to the mind-body. Connecting with the mind-body is a great communication to have because knowing what our bodies feel helps us figure out if we are tired, hungry, or hurting. Finding the connection between the mind and body is one of the best breathtaking moments. This being said, there are plenty of benefits that yoga has to offer. For example, yoga helps us with balancing a healthy lifestyle, because we become aware of the outcomes from practicing yoga.
Yoga is a comprehensive system of mind/body techniques that is thousands of years old. Its techniques are designed to improve physical and mental health and well being, and include such practices as physical postures and stretching, breathing exercises (pranayama), focused concentration, meditation, visualization, and chanting (mantra) (Desikachar, 1999; van der Kolk, 2014).
Yoga is an ancient Hindu spiritual meditation practice that some believe dates back to 3300 BCE, during the Indus Valley Civilization. Modern wellness practices use yoga as part of a cardio routine and as a therapy to alleviate health disorders such as
According to the Osteopathic.org website, yoga is proven to provide physical benefits of the human body, including increased flexibility, increased muscle strength and tone, improved respiration, energy and vitality, maintaining a balanced metabolism, weight reduction, cardio and circulatory health, improved athletic performance, and protection from injury. Not only are there physical benefits to yoga, but also mental benefits such as improving a person’s mental health and is proven to increase coping skills. Furthermore, the American Osteopathic Association states, “Regular yoga practice creates mental clarity and calmness; increases body awareness; relieves chronic stress pattern; relaxes the mind; centers
Meditation has a long history that stretches back thousands of years. Nobody knows exactly where and when meditation began but scientists have evidence to believe that it began somwehere around 5,000 years ago. This was a time far before religious figures such as Jesus and Buddha are said to have existed. 5,000 years ago, much of the civilized world was nothing like it is today. It was mostly hunter gatherers with few villages in the open landscapes. Meditation is said by scientists to have most likely began with hunter gatherers who would pass on their enthusiasm for such an introspective practice to their children.
According to a Hindu, yoga is the path or discipline through which salvation is reached. By using certain breathing techniques and exercises, control of the mind
From personal experience, mindfulness meditation gives me a feeling of obtaining a healthy mind and body from the attention and peace I obtained. Such feelings resulting from proper practice of mindfulness meditation is not limited to my own testimony though. According to the Satipatthana Sutra, those who practice such in-and-out breathing become “ardent, aware, and mindful” (“Satipatthana Sutra,” Accessed on 2010). However, it is unclear whether such reported experience is genuine or has effect, or if such mindfulness meditation is similar to a placebo effect.
Nowadays life of people has become quite stressful. To reduce stress people are getting addicted to things like alcohol, tobacco and drugs. People are searching numerous ways to reduce stress. The best way to reduce stress is through meditation and yoga. Meditation and yoga is the complete package through which you can make your life fit, healthy and stress-free. Yoga and meditation when practiced together strengthen the body and mind connection, improving overall fitness and well-being. Both yoga and meditation, when done regularly, has proven to be highly beneficial. Though the practices of yoga and meditation have their roots in ancient cultures, both have become modern day movements.
Yoga is a discipline both involving physical and mental control that originated in India. The word Yoga is derived from the Sanskrit word, "yug", meaning union and it means the joining of the individual spirit with the universal spirit. The type of yoga known as Hatha Yoga, ("Ha"- sun, "tha"-moon) is what is most commonly practiced and this yoga involves the path of the mind and body and is the most physical. There are eight limbs or steps of Hatha Yoga, the first step being the five Yamas. There are five yamas and these concern your behavior to the world.
The practice of yoga makes the body strong and flexible; it also improves the functioning of the respiratory, circulatory, digestive, and hormonal systems. Yoga brings about emotional stability and clarity of mind.
The benefits of Yoga are endless. It effects the human mind and body in a variety of ways. Roughly 15 million Americans practice yoga, annually there is an expected increase of twenty percent in participants in the United States ("Yoga Statistics"). While Yoga is often thought of as a practice that involves circus like poses and seemingly impossible flexibility; it not. Even bedridden patients can gain benefit from imagining themselves going through the poses and practicing breathing techniques that are appropriate to them (Dickenson 24-25). Yoga is not something that you do at the studio and leave behind. It becomes a way of life; leading to healthier habits, improving psychological health, and encouraging spiritual growth. An article on
Yoga exercises helps in relieving stress, improving our metabolism and in weight loss. Let us learn more about this program.
In today’s environment, many people are suffering with the stress and anxiety of day to day living and are finding themselves unable to cope with life’s little emergencies. Prescription drugs are on the rise due to the increasing need for people to deal with their stress and anxiety. However, many people are searching for ways to be less stressed and live a happy and healthy life without drugs. If stress and anxiety are getting the best of you, then think about grabbing a mat and giving yoga and meditation a spin. With that in mind, this paper will take a look at the benefits of yoga and meditation to create a more peaceful and healthy lifestyle.
My yoga journey started more than ten years ago with an intense and dedicated interest in learning yoga postures from Ashtanga, Hatha, Jivamukti, etc. In the beginning I practised most days of the week and imagined that I would never tire, in spite of long trips to the studio in the early hours of the morning. A pleasant reward was that my blood pressure dropped back to normal and I could stop taking medicines. So, from the start, I knew that yoga could provide health benefits as well as an enormous feeling of wellbeing. No matter how tired and fed-up one felt at the beginning of a session, the mental lift afterwards was deeply satisfying. Meditation, Savasana, or corpse posture, wound up every session so it also became clear that postures or asanas were only part of the remedy. Meditation and yoga practise from the very beginning fired my interest in searching for an inner consciousness. This is an easily misunderstood word and means many different things to many different people. Some will associate it with awareness, or mindfulness