Yoga pranayama and meditation helps in a great way to uplift your mood, anxiety, and reduce stress. When you connect with your mind and body and breathe with your movement your mind becomes calm and beautiful. There are many many benefits of Meditation and Yoga practice which transforms our life and broadens the horizon in a way you cannot imagine. And its never too late to start practicing and good luck and enjoy life to the most being healthy and staying fit. So let’s compare both the ancient techniques and see which one would suit you better

Meditation

Meditation is not about becoming a different person, a new person, or even a better person. It’s about training your mind and getting a healthy sense of perspectives. You’re not trying to turn off your thoughts or feelings rather learning them to observe them without judgment. Life is sometimes difficult and cannot control what’s happening. Life is so busier that we are overloaded with information and digitally connected 24/7 and more and more people are looking for peace of mind. However, we are challenged by circumstances or technically connected Meditation can reset our mind in both awareness and compassion.

Benefits of Meditation

The benefit of Meditation is life changing and it feels different for each person who practices it. It improves the psychological emotional and physical quality of life. People who practice meditation regularly have a higher level of happiness patience acceptance and compassion. They never have stress depression pain or frustration. People have better sleep and better relationships while meditating regularly.

Meditation is practiced all over the world for thousands of years. Nearly every religion including Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Muslims Islams does Meditation. Meditation is also a consciousness-changing technique which can benefit the psychological well being.

Types of Meditation

There are different forms of Meditation but two most important form is concentrative meditation and mindfulness meditation:

Concentrative Meditation: You focus on a specific object whether it’s a specific word or your breath or chanting a mantra the goal is to focus on it.

Mindfulness Meditation: Mindfulness involves the state of being aware and involved in the present moment.

Place and Time

Find a suitable place to practice Meditation were there is minimal interruptions turn off your television and silent your mobile or phone. The amount of time you spend to meditate depends on experience and circumstances. Instead of one longer session time, you can do two smaller sessions which will boost day time mindfulness and nighttime relaxation and sleep. Even a 3min session during lunch time will also benefit.

Posture to Meditate

To focus on meditation posture is very important. Keep your back straight, rest your feet flat on the floor, and your hands resting on your lap or knees relaxing and comfortable. Your neck and shoulder should be relaxed and defocus your eyes. You can start meditation practice from a podcast or there are multiple apps which we can download and practice from it.

Technique for Meditation

Breathe deeply through the nose and out through the mouth. Focus on the sensation of the breathe and breathe naturally and close your eyes gently. Scan your body from head to toe and observe any tension or discomfort. Focus on the quality of each breath whether deep or shallow long or short fast or slow. Silently count your breath for inhaling and exhale and continue.

Its worth knowing meditation is not a skill that can be mastered, it takes patience and consistency to feel the benefit. Meditation is about knowing the mind as it is and not how we want it to be. Meditation is not a quick fix its a journey of life. The more you practice the more you will benefit from.

YOGA

Yoga comes from a Sanskrit word YOKE means Union. Yoga is a form of discipline – a physical, mental and spiritual practices. It is also a controlled mind and body. It is said that yoga is been practiced from 5000 years back from our ancient times called the INDUS civilization. Yoga is not about bending and twisting the body and holding the breath but a mechanism to experience the whole universe as a part of yourself and this is the Union that Yoga creates.

Health benefits

A cell is the basic structure of any living being. The human body is made up of trillions of cells and it gets generated regularly. Various yoga postures make the body flexible providing uniform blood supply throughout the body. When the blood is good the cell also multiples and nourished. According to experts when the body contracts and expands the energy flows naturally and prevent cure disease naturally. Yoga is based on this physiology.

• Yoga helps in improving the flexibility of the spine and cure back pain and neck pain.
• Controls blood pressure and blood sugar and helps healthy heart function.
• Yoga helps improve our ability to focus and concentrate.
• Helps the immune system.
• Yoga exercises improve thyroid and improve metabolism.
• Improves blood supply to the pancreas and helps produce insulin and control diabetes.
• Reduces belly fat.

Overall, Yoga is a light intensity workout. Yoga must always be combined with aerobics and a balanced diet. Diet is effective on only on the body but on mind too. And good sleep too is a must.  Early to bed and early to rise should be followed. A rich diet helps in purifying blood and reconstruct our cells.