The Importance of Meditation in Yoga and Our Lives

Yoga Meditation: The Key to Reducing Stress, Relaxation and Self-realization

Odds, are you already know about the calming and relaxing effects of meditation, but there’s so much more to yoga meditation than just sitting in silence. Meditation or Dhyana is one of The 8 Steps/Limbs of Yoga. In fact most of the other steps including Asanas (Yoga postures and exercises), Pranayama (breath control), Pratyahara (withdrawal of senses) and Dharana (concentration) assist in strengthening and preparing the body & mind for meditation which in turn brings harmony to the mind, the body and the spirit leading to Samadhi or Enlightenment. The true practice of Yoga as a path to enlightenment puts a lot of importance to Meditation.

What Is Meditation?
The mention of meditation even in this modern day and age conjures up images of white bearded men, sitting upon a rock high up in the mountains, humming “om”/ “aum”. This misconception of meditation is only for spiritual folk is what has kept us from reaping it’s umpteen benefits.

Meditation is anything that brings us to the present and keeps us there. It is a deep connection with time and a heightened awareness of yourself in conjunction with everything around you. In the rush of things it’s easy to get overloaded and miss out on the most important part of life – the joy it can bring. We need to slow down and dig deep to find those sweet moments of inner calm and clarity. Meditation is just that. Through slowing down and controlling the mind, Meditation increases consciousness of not just our surroundings and what’s happening around us but more importantly it creates an awareness of our inner selves.

‘You do not need to leave your room.
Remain sitting at your table and listen.
Do not even listen, simply wait.
Do not even wait, be quiet, still and solitary.
The world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked.
It has no choice, it will roll in ecstasy at your feet.’
~ Franz Kafka

The Principles of Meditation

• Focus – In order to focus on the present, it’s important to learn how to concentrate. This can be achieved by focusing on an object or a word or even your breathing.
• Quieting the mind- Remaining focused on a single object or thought can be hard.  The mind will wonder and you’ll be distracted from your object of concentration with other thoughts. Meditation however, teaches you  not to suppress these but let them pass returning your attention to the object of focus. With time and practice the mind learns to tune out these distractions and the sole focus remains on the object.
• Control- In meditation you can tap into the flow of Prana (life force) through breathing to increase, decrease or focus your energy.
• Senses- Meditation involves control of all your senses of sight, sound, smell and feel to bring you to  the NOW.

While simple practice of meditation may not be the answer to all life’s questions, it is efficient and effective technique that helps us control our mind and relax our bodies. It provides the simplicity like stopping to smell and appreciate the flowers in an otherwise crowded and busy place called life. If practiced regularly and adopted as a lifestyle meditation can lead to deeper self-knowledge, heightened consciousness of people and creatures around us and Spiritual fulfillment.

*Photo credits: Photos by h.koppdelaney, Gurumustuk Singh, myyogaonline, richardmasoner on flickr