Meditation and Yoga practice to release stress and regain inner peace.
MEDITATION AND YOGA PRACTICE TO RELEASE STRESS AND REGAIN INNER PEACE.
Yoga is a timeless, practical science that has developed over millennia and deals with the physical, moral, mental, and spiritual health of man as a whole. Just as the wind blows away the smoke and impurities in the atmosphere, pranayama blows the impurities out of the body and mind.
The whole philosophy of yoga is a path full of hints and clues to a deeper and better knowing of ourselves, what we feel, it is a path to self-improvement, it teaches us how to live in the moment, it is a lesson of patience for Westerners. It is a lifestyle.
The Yoga Sutras of Patañjali contain the path of yoga called kriya-yoga, which consists of eight segments, called by some as the “eight steps to happiness,” because Patanjali firmly believed that it is these eight “directions” that lead to enlightenment of the soul. “These degrees lead man from the lowest to the highest stage of development.” They are: yama, nijama, asana, prana jama, pratjahara, dharana, dhjana and samadhi.
(I’m not going to delve into the history and roots of yoga because that’s not the purpose of this article, but if anyone would like to delve into it then I recommend taking a look at my ebook.)
Let’s focus on asana practice and meditation because these two techniques can be very useful in fighting daily stress.
As evidenced by many researchers, in general the practice of yoga has an anti-stress effect and has far more advantages than disadvantages, although it is worth noting the various stages (meditation, asanas) that make up the practice of yoga and their specific contribution to the relaxation of the human body and mind. We should also pay attention to the harmony with which it works both on the psyche and the body, which through the practice of yoga gradually gets rid of muscle tension and finds “peace of mind”.
Above all, meditation is an exercise of human personality and the practice of asanas, which shapes the figure and helps to reduce stress in modern man.
Power of Meditation
One could say that it is a state of “switching off” from everyday life. Its regular practice helps to achieve a complete state of relaxation, relaxation, and, most importantly, it allows you to free yourself from all emotional tensions and stressors. As Vasant Lad said: “meditation brings expanded awareness, harmony and natural order to human life. It awakens the intelligence needed to make life happy, peaceful, and creative”. The practice of meditation is used in the treatment of human anxiety and depression, as well as relieving pain after an illness.
There are two types of meditation that lead to one goal, which is sandhi, or “enlightenment.”
- saguna is the so-called concrete meditation, i.e. meditation on a concrete object (e.g. focusing on your own breath or the popular candle flame), generally considered to be somewhat easier;
- nirguna, so-called “mindless” abstract meditation, in which the practitioner concentrates his or her thoughts on the self. There is no point of reference as in concrete meditation;
Many Yoga Masters emphasise that for meditation to be enjoyable and effective, several important conditions must be met:
- find a free moment so that no one else disturbs you (e.g., early in the morning)
- find a suitable place, which should be quiet and comfortable (this is a tip for beginners because with practice, the practitioner will find that meditation can be done anywhere);
- perform before practicing asanas, or after a break after performing them;
- comfortable clothing, comfortable posture, and a positive attitude;
In addition to the prerequisites for practicing meditation, here are some techniques for performing it:
- Repetition of thoughts – in this technique, the adept is required to concentrate completely and focus on mental activity. Here we are mainly dealing with mantra practice. We repeat a given word or phrase (OM);
- Repeating physical actions – in this case, concentration is transferred to a specific physical activity. Yoga practice recommends focusing on the breath and observing it. However, jogging can also be a kind of meditation, focusing while running on regular breathing and rhythmic tapping of feet on the ground;
- Contemplating a problem – any attempt to solve a problem, very often paradoxical, e.g. “What is the sound of one hand clapping?
- Visual concentration – the practitioner focuses on an image (candle flame). In the tradition of Eastern peoples, a “mandala” – a geometrical pattern – which is a geometric pattern, showing a square in a circle, symbolizing the connection between man and the universe;
During the practice of meditation, the nervous system relaxes and calms down. Moreover, meditation promotes inner peace, helps to achieve balance and harmony of thoughts. It develops the human personality both mentally and spiritually. More specifically, meditation has a very good effect on the immune system and improves memory and concentration. It is a good method in the fight against insomnia, migraine. It is recommended in all kinds of depression and also in problems with blood pressure (it lowers blood pressure).
If you are a beginner I highly recommend you to go and check Ziva Meditation.
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