Yoga is a holistic ancient tradition. Through a series of gentle exercises, known as asanas, deep breathing techniques and meditative practices it delivers the promise of living a healthy life.
Yoga benefits go much beyond simply the physical strength. Yoga and meditation teach the body the physical and mental discipline it needs to experience and lead a productive and happy life. While the physical aspect of yoga is easy to learn, meditation requires a lot practice and a ton of patience to master.
Meditation is one of the most significant yogic concepts for living healthy life. The mind is a chaotic and noisy place. At any given point of time is it cluttered and crowded with thoughts and noise. Over time the increasing levels of mind noise lowers the mind’s ability to focus and stay in control of a situation.
Meditation teaches you how to focus the mind’s attention on a single point of reference. It teaches you how to hold your mind to that one focal point without wavering. Meditation teaches you how to block out distraction and stay true to the task at hand. Meditation instills a sense of relaxation in the mind which then seeps through to the entire body. It leaves you feeling rejuvenated and flushed with energy.
One of the health benefits of yoga and meditation is that it is very effective in combating stress and anxiety disorders. It is a highly therapy for depression. When you are faced with a stressful situation the body panics. It floods the body with stress hormones and hampers regular breathing. The result is more stress and inability to react in a cool and calm way. By learning how to meditate, you learn how to detach from the stressful situation and handle it with inner poise. On the physical side, meditation incorporated deep breathing exercises. These maintain proper oxygen flow to the brain even during a crisis enabling you to think and act rationally.
Regular practice of yoga and meditation cuts down on stress and anxiety; this in turn reduces the rise of high blood pressure and heart trouble. Meditation thus addresses the root problem to an illness, not just its symptoms, allowing you to heal completely. Meditation also helps individuals suffering from chronic illnesses. For patients undergoing cancer therapy for example, yoga and meditation can provide a little bit of calm and confidence. It can take your mind off the pain and maintain positivity in the face of pain.
Learning how to meditate isn’t easy. It takes dedication to master the practice. However once you do, even a small fifteen minutes of daily meditation will significantly improve quality of life.
Some References: Hawaii Natural Drug Rehabilitation Retreat - Mind Your Body & Mend Your Mind, on the Big Island, offers drug & alcohol detox & rehabilitation, using psychotherapy, meditation, raw foods nutrition & alternative holistic medicine.
