Guide to Yoga and Meditation

One amongst the basic 5 yoga principles is Meditation. Meditation is that practice which involves a steady observation of one’s mind. The practice requires one to focus his/her mind at a particular point in order
to still the mind so you can clearly perceive what is known as the ‘self’. It is proven that through practicing Meditation, a person can over a period of time reach greater intellect, strength, will power & increased determination. Furthermore, yoga & meditation can help you attain a clear mind, increase concentration, and help you discover the tranquility & wisdom within you.

Yoga & meditation are completely & totally interrelated. To begin with, Yoga is the ancient traditional approach of life that encompasses thought as well as practice which aims at a person’s wellbeing
& good health– mental, emotional as well as physical – that is supposed to end in what is referred to as nirvana or moksha (i.e. emancipation or liberation). Meditation forms an intricate element of Yoga, and it is almost like one of its 8 limbs. In case you aren’t aware of the 8 yoga limbs, they are mentioned below:

# 1: Yamas (the Restraints or Don’ts)

#2: Niyamas (the Observances or Do’s)

#3: Asanas (the Poses & Exercises)

#4: Pranayamas (the Breathing techniques & exercises)

#5: Pratyahara (the Control over senses)

# 6: Dharana (i.e. Concentration)

#7: Dhyana (i.e. Meditation)

# 8: Samadhi (the state of super-consciousness)

Meditation, therefore, figures as the 7th seventh limb in Yoga – besides being variously called as Raja Yoga, Classical Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga or the Yoga of 8 Limbs. It’s the holistic art & science of living which aims to accomplish optimum mental, emotional and physical equilibrium, finally uniting the Supreme
Self and individual self.

The limb of meditation called Dhyana is an extremely powerful tool that coupled with Pranayamas (i.e. breathing techniques & exercises) helps to cool, pacify & calm a racy mind, thus helping it to see things just the way they are. Yoga meditation centers teach people certain techniques of meditation through which they can reach a state of quiet & calm within themselves. The instantaneous results are obvious in a peaceful & calm mind as well as a healthy body. Certain centers for Yoga meditation restrict themselves only to meditative practice; however there are others that do not. In these centers, the techniques of meditation are trained in combination with some other practices as well that include all the important Asanas (poses & exercises) along with Pranayamas (breathing techniques & exercises).

It’s hard to plunge straight into meditation; tougher is to achieve immediate or great outcomes. Even though there are hordes of institutes worldwide that are teaching meditative practices solely of some kind or another, but strictly speaking, beginners in Yoga are recommended to desist, until they have familiarized themselves with all the fundamentals & basics of Yoga which are needed to learn the art of meditation. Meditation schools teach diverse meditative techniques, like Vipassana Meditation, sound
meditation, odor meditation, breath meditation, color meditation, chakra meditation, etc.

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