Yoga & meditation: what’s the link?

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Yoga and meditation share a very close relationship. As an Eastern exercise, yoga stems from the meditative practices of Buddhist, Jain, and Hindu practitioners. Today people all over the world use yoga as a form of holistic exercise. However, those who continue to combine yoga and meditation cite it as an effective stress reliever that builds strength and stability, as well as mental clarity and discipline.

Already in the year 3000 a. C., spiritualists practiced yoga as a way to achieve physical and spiritual strength and health. It derives its name from the Sanskrit word “yuga,” which means to unite or unite. Some people who practice yoga as a spiritual exercise combine yoga and meditation in an effort to unite the individual soul with the universe.

There are several different forms of yoga that can be used as a meditative practice. Hatha yoga is the most common form practiced in the West. As such, it is a very basic practice that integrates physical postures with specific breathing methods. Some practice this form simply for yoga training, while others engage in hatha yoga as part of their spiritual practice.

Yoga and meditation employ breathwork, which refers to a strict mental focus on the breath and how it relates to the body. During breathwork, a person attempts to control their own breathing or create a mindful breathing pattern. A rigorous yoga workout involves concentrated breathwork in conjunction with unique poses, which require a strict level of concentration on the body and mind. When combined in this way, yoga and meditation can become a spiritual discipline.

Those who practice yoga and meditation together do so to increase their mental focus, to calm and even master the mind and body. In part, the goal is to overcome distractions and endure physical positions that may be physically and mentally uncomfortable, but are believed to be good for both body and mind. Doing so can be a stress reliever, as well as a way to increase mental clarity and strength.

When used as more than just a physical exercise, yoga is believed to consist of multiple functions. These functions include discipline, observance, physical exercise, breath control, sensory control, mental concentration, meditation, and the attainment of an enlightened state of consciousness. Yoga and meditation, therefore, are inextricably linked when viewed in this way.

A common misconception about yoga and meditation is that these practices are a religion unto themselves, which they are not. Yoga, like meditation, is often part of a person’s religious life, but neither yoga nor meditation stand alone as a religion. People who practice yoga in conjunction with meditation represent a diverse group of people from multiple religious backgrounds, and some have no ties to religion at all.

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