Meditation is often viewed as the essence of yoga, but many practitioners are unaware that meditation can be a powerful meditative practice in its own right. It is a moving meditation, a dynamic meditation, one that is proactive and dynamic. Like any movement, it requires an awareness of the present moment and an application of the present moment. A key component of this practice is the ability to bring a meditative mind to any form of movement, whether it is movement within our bodies, movement with our bodies, or movement with our minds.
Yoga is a natural way to improve your health and well-being and a daily practice can keep you fit, healthy, and stress free. In fact, a lot of people practice yoga not only to get fit but to help them get their stress under control. While there are many yoga styles out there, Vinyasa Flow, as the name suggests, is the most commonly practiced form of yoga. It has also been proven to increase flexibility, strength, and balance.
There are many misconceptions about yoga. One is that it’s just a form of exercise that you do while sitting in an asana. While this is true for the vast majority of yoga poses, when you learn to “connect” with your posture, and use breathing and meditation to help you achieve a state of stillness, you can also use it as a form of meditation. This video shows you how to do a simple meditation for connecting with your yoga, and then how to use that connection to cultivate a more sustainable practice.. Read more about yoga as a moving meditation and let us know what you think.
Asana, also known as postural yoga, is an excellent method to warm up the body in preparation for mindfulness activities like sitting meditation. However, you may develop the discipline of meditation with your physical yoga practice.
This technique may be very gratifying, as it allows you to enjoy both physical and mental advantages.
Here are my top four recommendations for incorporating meditation and yoga into your practice and getting the most out of it.
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Keep in mind the concept of stillness.
Whenever I teach or visit a yoga class in a city, I am surprised by how little emphasis some students put on Savasana, the last relaxation pose.
You may be thinking, “Wow, that’s the greatest part!” And I wholeheartedly agree with you. Others, on the other hand, view it as an optional element of the class or an opportunity to avoid the changing room line.
The quiet of Savasana at the conclusion of class offers a number of advantages:
- It assists your body in regaining its equilibrium.
- Strengthens your bond with your rest and digest mode
- Allows the body to absorb all of the class’s advantages.
Savasana also helps us to get used to the intentional act of being still with oneself. Getting used to silence in a world where everything is constantly moving is difficult yet gratifying.
You may connect your mind and body by remembering stillness during the lesson itself. We may forget to be present in the stillness of the pose when we practice techniques like Vinyasa Flow, which puts a lot of emphasis on transitions between postures.
Try not to glance around or anticipate what will happen next as you get into a position. Perhaps the following suggestion will allow you to remain a bit longer where you are…
Morwenna Truscott/Flickr
Concentrate On Your Breath
What a fantastic item!
To live is to breathe. In the past or the future, we are unable to breathe. Right now, all we can do is breathe. One of the reasons it works so well in so many different kinds of practices is because of this. We continue to breathe right now, even if our minds have wandered to a distant memory or an imagined future.
We draw our attention to the present moment when we focus on breathing.
Pranayama, often known as yoga breathing exercises, is the fourth limb of the Ashtanga Yoga System. These are usually done in a sitting posture, but we may include the principles of mindful breathing into our asana practice as well.
When we breathe in sync with our body’s motions, we benefit both physically and emotionally. When going through or maintaining postures, a skilled instructor will be able to educate you on the optimum breathing pattern.
Modern science has now begun to investigate the assertions that yogis have made about the power of breath and breath control for hundreds of years. Conscious breathing has been shown in many studies to successfully reduce worry and stress, as well as other conditions such as high blood pressure. (By the way, a significant portion of these yoga advantages is attributed to aware and attentive breathing.)
So, when you’re in a particularly difficult pose, pay attention to your instructor and remember to breathe!
Luisa Schindict is the author of this piece.
Introspection is a journey of self-discovery.
The emphasis has been put on the exterior elements of yoga due to our highly visual nature and the means we are currently utilizing to disseminate information (think social media). As a result, the focus of the discipline has disproportionately been put on how it seems.
To develop a more contemplative yoga practice, we must reverse this focus!
Rather of focusing on how a position seems, one should consider how it feels.
We’re starting to realize that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to alignment. Each and every one of us is unique. The best thing to do is to concentrate on the posture or flow feelings. We are not only shifting into a more introspective state, but we are also doing our physical body a favor.
Luisa Schindicht/Flickr
Cultivate a Listening Practice
This idea is intertwined with the one before it.
We can’t begin to listen until we turn our attention inside. Listening to what arises – emotionally, physically, intellectually, or even spiritually – is what I mean.
Many of us don’t have a deep connection to our bodies and live our lives from the collarbones up. We may learn a lot about ourselves when we start living a more embodied existence. Our bodies have the ability to educate us about our habits, emotions, pleasure, and trauma.
We begin to disentangle ourselves and live more honestly as we begin to listen in our practice.
One is not suddenly expected to become fully embodied, linked, and present, just as one is not expected to become completely embodied, connected, and present in a conventional sitting meditation mode! Rather, we are urged to pay attention and move on.
When we are unable to attain the posture we want or when a posture causes us to feel a particular way, attempt to become aware of this feeling. It may naturally alter as a result of this.
Perhaps a certain set of postures, such as backbends or twists, elicit specific feelings. Listening to oneself allows you to become more aware of yourself. We have greater control when we are more conscious. We have more options when we have greater power.
The practice and technique of meditation may mean various things to different individuals, much as yoga is an umbrella word for numerous disciplines. Something that is effective for you may not be effective for your neighbor.
Play, explore, and be inquisitive! Find out what makes you uncomfortable, what works and what doesn’t, and integrate it into your routine. Every mind is unique, just like everyone else. The importance of curiosity and consistency cannot be overstated.
Morwenna is a 500-hour E-RYT yoga instructor and the co-founder of Wild Warrior Yoga, which she operates with her dog Yogi in Andalusia, Spain. She may be seen cooking or gardening when she isn’t practicing yoga.
Morwenna may be found on Instagram, where you can follow her.
The production of the film “Yoga as a Path to Wholeness” has been completed. The film is available online at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKQ1QBYC-fA In the film there are 3 segments: 1. The Yoga of Jnaneshwar 2. The Yoga of Bhagwan Swaminarayan 3. The Yoga of Paramhansa Yogananda. I have photographs of the film locations but I will post them soon.. Read more about how to meditate with yoga and let us know what you think.
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