Yoga is more than a way to stay physically and mentally fit. It is a sacred art that brings to uniting your mind, body, and spirit. Owing to its numerous benefits, yoga has transitioned from being an ancient tradition going back centuries to a global phenomenon. You start developing an inner sense of calm and harmony to get through tough situations in life without much hassle. You should look for a registered yoga school to learn more about this sacred art.
Before you decide to jump right into this spiritual practice, remember, meditation is about raising your consciousness instead of following a particular faith. With a hectic schedule and unhealthy diet, meditation offers you a way out of all the stress by helping you relax.
However, meditation like yoga has several facets to itself. These facets help you relax your body and mind. Read further to know more.
Although there are different types of meditation techniques, it is essential you choose one that suits your needs and complements your personality.
Given below are nine types of meditation techniques you can learn at a yoga school.
Mindfulness meditation originates from Buddhist teachings. It is a popular meditation technique practiced by yogis in western countries. Mindfulness meditation requires you to pay full attention to your thoughts as they pass through your mind.
However, you do not judge these thoughts or engage with them. All you do in mindfulness meditation is observe and note down the pattern. This meditation technique combines your awareness with concentration. You can focus on an object or your breathing while concentrating on your bodily sensations and thoughts.
As the name suggests, Focused meditation includes the practice of concentrating using any of your five senses. You can keep your focus on your breathing or any external factor like counting counting rosary beads or stare at a candle flame.
The practice of focused meditation might be a bit hard if you are a beginner. However, it is an effective technique to improve your focus.
Found mostly in Hindu and Buddhist traditions, Mantra meditation uses repetitive sound to clear your mind of all clutter. The mantra can be a single word, phrase, or sound.
You might repeat the mantra loudly or silently. Practicing this meditation technique under the guidance of an experienced yoga instructor helps you get in tune with your environment. In other words, it helps you experience a deeper state of awareness.
This meditation technique helps you develop compassion, acceptance of self and others, and kindness. Loving-Kindness meditation opens you up for receiving love from others and sending well-wishes for all your friends, loved ones, and acquaintances. It is the best meditation technique for you to practice if anger trouble you in daily life.
Spiritual meditation forms a major part of Eastern religions like Hinduism and Daoism. This meditation technique is similar to a prayer in which you reflect on the silence around you. It helps you develop a close bond with the divine being. Enrolling in a registered yoga school helps you have a heightened spiritual experience with this meditation.
Movement meditation is something you can practice every day. Whether you are walking in the park or working on your lawn this is an active form of meditation. This form of meditation is apt for people who find solace in actions.
Transcendental meditation is quite a popular form of meditation and also the subject of numerous medical and scientific studies. If you want to seriously take up meditation consider doing transcendental meditation. You should look for a Yoga Alliance certification teacher training to know more about this form of meditation.
Known as Body Scan meditation, progressive relaxation is a technique that reduces the tension in your body and promotes relaxation. This form of meditation includes tightening and relaxing a particular muscle group in your body at a time.
Visualization meditation technique provides you with peace and calm by visualizing positive images. You use all the five senses to add as many details as you can to an imagined scenario.
The most common form of visualization meditation is imagining yourself succeeding at a particular task. This improves your focus and concentration levels.
However, it is equally important for you to follow the right tips to reap maximum benefits from a meditation session.
Do you know you can form a deeper connection with the divine with meditation? The first question you would ask is – how to meditate. Read further to find the answer below.
Meditation offers you a relaxing environment to form a stronger mind-body connection. You should do this practice as per convenience. Always choose a time when you would not be disturbed and can relax. Enrolling in yoga teacher training requires you to start this practice at early dawn or sunset.
Similar to finding the right time for your meditation practice it is important you also find a quiet and peaceful place where there would not be any distraction. As a beginner, this will help you develop a habit of sitting in complete silence.
Whether you are doing meditation in the office or at home, yoga experts recommend you do it on an empty stomach. The reason being you might feel a bit dizzy or sleepy when practicing mediation on a full stomach.
Breathing is an important part of meditation. Learning to meditate at a registered yoga school also helps you understand Pranayama techniques to dive deeper into this spiritual practice. You should know that steady and rhythmic breathing is key to achieving a peaceful mental state.
A non-negotiable part of meditation practice is a gentle smile. Just having a relaxed and gentle smile enhances your meditation experience.
Your body posture makes a world of difference when you are trying to meditate. Sit in a relaxed and comfortable position. Keep your spine straight, shoulders and neck relaxed, and eyes closed during the process. Earning the Yoga Alliance certification would help you learn the right way to meditate and face the day with a calm mind.
You should do a proper warm-up session before diving into the meditation practice. It improves blood circulation, removes inertia, and tension from your body. A proper warm-up helps your body remain seated for a longer time.
As you come closer to your meditation session, do not open your eyes in a hurry or get out from the meditative position right away. Take some time and open your eyes slowly to reconnect with your surroundings.
Learning the ancient technique of meditation at a registered yoga school does offer some impressive health benefits for your body and mind. Read below to know how meditation helps improve your physical health.
Regular meditation practice offers your body some great benefits like;
Apart from the physical benefits, daily meditation practice offers you mental health benefits like;
Meditation brings your brainwave pattern to the alpha state to promote healing. It refreshes your mind and keeps it calm during a stressful situation.
Given below are the major benefits of meditation for your mental health.
You can enroll in a registered yoga school to learn everything about different meditation techniques. However, another important aspect of the yogic lifestyle is proper breathing. Read below to know about the different types of yogic breathing.
Yoga practice has an entire branch devoted breathing technique also known as Pranayama. You should understand that the right breathing technique both off and on the yoga mat improves your yoga practice. Breathing connects your mind and body. Yogic breathing techniques like Pranayama help your mind enter a peaceful state.
With that said, let us check out the different yoga breathing techniques to reap maximum benefits from this ancient art.
Kapalbhati Pranayama is a yogic breathing technique you learn under the guidance of a yoga instructor at a yoga school. This breathing technique improves your intellect and overall well-being. Daily practice of Kapalbhati minimizes stress and depression, improves blood circulation, kidney and liver functions, and metabolism.
The best yoga breathing technique to cool down your mind and body is Sheetali Pranayama. You can practice Sheetali during the summers. This yogic breathing removes bad breath, improves blood pressure, improves your mood, and cools down your body temperature.
Most commonly used Pranayama technique you will learn at a registered yoga school is Ujjayi Pranayama. It calms down your mind and nervous system both in and out of the yoga class. This breathing technique provides you deeper relaxation and improves emotional health.
During yoga practice, you can practice Simha Pranayama. This breathing technique cools your body, relieves stress, and stimulates your muscles.
Dirga is the complete yoga breathing technique that calms down your soul, increases oxygen flow, improves your focus, reduces stress and anxiety, and improves your focus. You should look for a highly experienced yoga instructor to master this yogic breathing.
If you want to get rid of the unnecessary mental clutter and relax your body try the Nadi Shodhana Pranayama technique. It purifies your nervous system that helps you enjoy a good night’s sleep.
The best yogic breathing technique to improve your mood and relieve you of stress is Bhramari Pranayama. Daily practice of this yogic breathing improves your metabolism, helps reduce weight, and improves oxygen flow in your body. Enrolling in a registered yoga school would provide you complete knowledge about numerous other yogic breathing techniques.
This yogic breathing technique stimulates your abdominal muscles. It helps detoxify your body and removes all toxins.
Needless to say, the daily practice of Pranayama offers you some major health benefits. Let us find out what these are.
Given below are 10 major benefits of inculcating regular yogic breathing practice into your daily schedule.
Numerous studies have shown that regular practice of yogic breathing reduces stress in adults. Pranayama calms down your nervous system and that keeps you calm in a stressful situation. The intake of oxygen during this yogic technique rejuvenates your mind and body.
For a vast majority of individuals, breathing is something they do without giving much thought. However, learning Pranayama at a registered yoga school makes you aware of how to it feels to breathe consciously.
You learn to focus on the present moment and stop worrying about the past or uncertain future. This is known as mindfulness. Improved mindfulness helps you take control of emotional responses to a situation. Pranayama offers your mind the much-needed calm that helps you make mindful decisions.
Although a slow yet powerful breathing technique Pranayama strengthens your lungs. Recent studies have shown how an hour of Pranayama practice leaves a positive impact on your lung’s functioning.
Moreover, Pranayama is a beneficial yogic technique if you suffer from asthma, are recovering from pneumonia, or have allergic bronchitis.
There is enough evidence to show that practicing Pranayama under a skilled yoga instructor helps you fight cravings. A simple practice of 10 minutes of this yogic breathing helps you fight smoking addiction.
Being a yogic technique, Pranayama also helps you enjoy a deep sleep after a tiring day at the office. For example, just 5 minutes of practice of Brahmari Pranayama slows down your breathing and heart rate that puts your body to sleep.
High blood pressure, also known as Hypertension is a result of your blood pressure reaching an unhealthy level. It poses an increased risk for many heart problems like heart disease and stroke. Regular Pranayama minimizes your stress as it is a major factor leading to high blood pressure.
Yoga experts recommend Pranayama for improving your brain’s executive functioning. This function includes your working memory, reasoning skills, and cognitive flexibility. Learning Pranayama in the yoga teacher training also improves your reaction time.
Breathing and emotions share a direct relation. In other words, the more exhausted and angry you are the faster will be your breathing. Learning to control your breathing with Pranayama gives you the tools to control your negative emotions. In short, deep and controlled breathing helps you drive your emotions in the right direction.
Did you ever wonder how breathing can improve your physical health? Daily Pranayama under a skilled yoga instructor makes your body lean and strong. Pranayama balances your digestive system and appetite. The daily practice of Pranayama has been shown to improve your overall well-being.
Did you know the rate of breathing is directly linked to your longevity? The daily practice of Pranayama helps you breathe at a systematic pace thereby increasing your lifespan.
However, that is not all. There are some impressive spiritual benefits to this yogic breathing technique.
Your determination and sincerity to continue the Pranayama technique provides you with some impressive spiritual benefits like;
Yoga is a natural way for you to get rid of not just physical ailments it also improves your mental health by keeping you safe against stress and anxiety. You should search for a registered yoga school to learn this sacred art beyond its physical aspect.