Meditation: Yoga And Yoga

When you hear the word meditation, you probably think Yoga. That's because for a very long time, or at least over the past few decades, meditation has primarily been performed as a part of Yoga. But meditation, doesn't really have anything to do with Yoga. It is in fact an act in itself. Meditation is generally performed after doing Yoga asanas/postures, because yoga pushes you into a state of calm, which is perfect for meditation.

Meditation is far too deep a concept to discuss over a single article, but I will try to explain the fundamental points of meditation and why it should be practiced.

Understanding Meditation

• The practice of training one's mind to focus or going into a deep level of consciousness of oneself, gaining an understanding

It is not a derivation from any of them. All these practises get some form of benefit from meditation.

Meditation in Religion

Various religions use meditation as a part of the religious practice, since it has many positive effects on the people who practise it.

Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Christianity are some of the major faiths in the world, that propagate the importance of meditation. Especially in case of Buddhism, where Gautama Buddha found enlightenment through meditation. Meditating to the Om chant in Hinduism (Dhyana), is a well-known practice during ceremonies. Similarly, in Islam, Dhikr is a meditative practice among mystics in Sufism. The Whirling Dervishes of the Mevlevi Order, are also considered to be in a deep trance, a form of deep meditation.

Meditation in Spirituality

• In religion, meditation is practiced as a method of focusing on the ritual and on the Almighty. In spirituality, meditation is done in order to find inner peace, state of oneness and alignment of the mind, body and soul.

• In spiritual practices, the mediation practiced, is what we are most familiar with. It is the one we practice after doing Yoga. It is not done with religious intention, but purely to bring

We're all familiar with yoga and meditation. Meditation has the ability to calm down the entire body and bring all the processes under control. The focus being entirely on relaxing the body, works wonders.

Even a mere 5 minutes of focused meditation, can help heal a lot of emotional issues, disorders like anxiety and depression are also controlled through it.

Benefits of Meditation

• Increases attention span and ability to focus

• Facilitates mental wellbeing and releases stress

• Increases positivity and brings a sense of calm

• Helps relax the body and mind

• Lowers risk of hypertension and other stress disorders

• Creates harmony of mind and body

Let us now discuss some of the most common myths related to meditation.

Myths about meditation

• Meditation is concentration

Meditation is not concentration, but de-concentration. It is the practice of emptying one's mind of all unnecessary information. The idea is to focus on forgetting the external factors.

• Meditation is a religious practise

Meditation is not at all a religious practise. It is used in rituals. Meditation has nothing to do with religion or beliefs of any particular religion. There is no such