WHAT IS MEDITATION?

Meditation is a time-honed practice, a mental process that many today indulge in subconsciously. Meditation is often used interchangeably with yoga, with one taken to mean the other. Many have argued that while the two practices are similar, with one drawing inspiration from the other, there are a handful of distinct specifics.

Meditation can be referred to as a mental process involving the stirring of the inner mind, the subconscious, or the volition; to vibrations of a purer sort. It implies aspirations to a higher state of being for the purpose of spiritual perception or enlightenment. 

The act of meditation is not natural to humans, i.e it is not an everyday activity. Adherents and scholars generally agree that constant meditation, as well as its practice is a phase that only a few ever reach in life; for instance in individuals who have figuratively reached the end of the road, having been confronted by some herculean difficulty, or having lost an item, or person of great value. 

WHY MEDITATE?

The practice of meditation has its roots in the precepts and teachings of old-world religions such as Buddhism. Nonetheless, meditation as an art, and a science, focuses more on spiritual connectivity and awakening of the inner self. It is also about achieving true, lasting happiness away from the stress and punishing exertions of everyday life.

It offers hope and sanity to tormented souls and persons who have suffered greatly. It provides spiritual fulfilment for those who long for it after growing disillusioned with the luxuries of life. It provides a focus for those who seek to find peace from within and is a form of channeling seemingly stagnant energy to generate regenerative power.

Even for people not spiritually inclined, the practice of meditation remains of great benefit.

Meditation can take different forms, depending on the personality and temperament of the individual. For example, some people require listening to certain music. In contrast, it requires more mental focus (often involving solitude and a lot of quiet) or physical movement of some sort. Still, others need a change of scenery to achieve this state, often for long periods.

WHAT IS YOGA?

Yoga can be said to be a form of meditation. While the basic concepts are similar, yoga is a more active form of meditation, requiring the mastery of a fixed set of mental and physical exercises that benefit both mind and body.

The word itself comes from Old Sanskrit, as it is translated as union. Therefore, the exercises are geared toward achieving spiritual union, that is, the conjoining on the individual to the forces of the universe.

TECHNIQUES

Yoga exercises come in a variety of techniques. However, they must be simple enough to ensure that the person practicing it finds it easy to understand. Quiet meditation is encouraged, especially in the mornings, for anywhere between five and fifteen minutes.

Perhaps the most popular technique is the cross-legged pose in which the individual sits cross-legged either in a soft chair, or on the ground propped up against soft pillows to protect the buttocks and the lower back. 

There are three kinds of breathing systems. The first involves longer spells of inhalation to carry extra oxygen into the bloodstream, providing total relaxation. The second requires shorter stretches between breaths, first steadily and then more slowly as the brain reaches the optimum mental relaxation point.

WHY PRACTICE YOGA?

It is impossible to separate yoga from spirituality, as the very practice demands acknowledging higher, insubstantial powers that man should aspire to for his spiritual fulfillment.

The yoga practice originates from India, where Sanskrit priests trained to prepare their bodies and minds for strenuous psychic concentration. 

Outside of mental exercises and meditation, yoga often involves physical activities such as saluting the sun, complicated arm balancing, and the relaxation of the body into a still, calm pose. These unique sets of exercises are incredibly beneficial to vital body organs, as they help trigger good impulses within the nervous system, stimulating specific centers of neural consciousness. 

Other poses include relaxing and activation postures, with the latter in particular helping to stimulate the sympathetic nervous system.

There are any number of yoga and meditation centers in California, with each offering you a unique ability, as well as a getaway, from all of life’s stress. It is a way to reconnect, rejuvenate or reinvigorate, as well as to revive. 

Yoga, continues to be regarded today as one of the most advanced forms of meditation, of connectingto a source of power higher than humanity.