Article by Kim Archer
Most Eastern cultures use yoga meditation in order to connect their body, mind and spirit. While yoga is a form of physical exercise, it also involves stretching and of course meditation. Yoga basics will give you the background that you need in order to focus upon all aspects of the yoga session. The meditation, positions and stretching are separate from each other, yet when they are combined together the benefits are greatly improved. Learning to put all the parts together takes time, but it can become such a wonderful experience that it is totally worth the effort. Meditation greatly helps the mind to slow down and with our fast paced world, it is even more needed.
When first starting to meditate, the best thing to do is to focus on meditating for short periods of time. It is surprising how long one minute can be when you are really aware of not doing any specific activity, and as a result your attention can easily wander. Most yoga information will recommend starting with five minutes of meditation and then working your way up to about twenty minutes, as an average time limit for a beginner.
There are different ways of meditating, and some people find different things easier to focus on than others. How yoga works for you will depend on your own unique personality, but generally people focus on an object, a sensation or a type of movement. This can be something that you are focusing on in the room you are in; for example, an ornament on a shelf, or it can be the memory of an object that you hold in your mind and concentrate on.
While learning the techniques of yoga in a class may take time, it is well worth it to make yoga meditation a regular routine within your day. A weekly class will teach you the yoga basics, but unless you spend time at home practicing these skills, your improvement will be extremely slow. Making a commitment to yourself to meditate at least twice a day, in the morning and the evening will not only help your ability to meditate, but also help you emotionally. During regular meditation sessions, your blood pressure drops, your heart rate drops, and with the breathing exercises, your mind will relax and you will feel more refreshed and calm, and yet have the energy to do your daily activities.
People who take the time to learn yoga meditation are aiding in their own well-being. It may take time to learn how to shut down your mind from useless, repetitive thoughts, and instead focus upon an object, a sensation or even a single word, and also follow a regular routine, yet meditating will help you to reap the yoga benefits. Most Americans set aside time to watch television, and yet it has been shown in studies that people who routinely do yoga during their days are more productive and have a greater sense of self and purpose.
About the Author
Need more yoga information? Visit our site to get the essential facts, whether it’s prenatal, power yoga or bikram yoga information you’re looking for.