Yoga can do many things for a person. Not only can it heal your body from many common illnesses but it can also help you to lose weight, make better food choices, and reshape your entire being. But beyond the physical and mental benefits of a good yoga routine there is something else that yoga can do, something that can change your entire life from the inside out.
When you combine yoga with meditation you are able to go deeper into yourself, you are able to see yourself in ways that you have never seen yourself before and you are able to tap into your subconscious like never before.
So How do You Use Yoga with Meditation?
What many yoga practitioners will do is start with a good yoga practice. This practice should be sequenced to open up the body, stretch the muscles, and get your energy flowing. The yoga class could be anything from gentle yoga to a more focused vinyasa flow yoga, but either way it doesn’t matter. The goal of a yoga class is simply to open up the body, get the energy flowing and start using your breath to guide you into deeper poses.
After the yoga portion of the class is done, you will then lay on your back (usually in corpse pose), close your eyes, and breathe for a few minutes in a silent meditation. This is where everything will come together. You will have the relaxed energy that comes with your yoga practice and the deep sense of peace and serenity that comes with meditating. During these moments you will try to keep your mind clear as you focus on nothing but your breath.
You might be surprised to discover that even though you are not thinking about anything during your meditation, certain things will just come to you. You might suddenly be able to make a decision you are struggling with, you might get an idea that you have never had before, you may even think of a person you haven’t thought of in years.
Whatever it is just let it happen. When you are meditating, you are connecting with your inner self and you are tapping into your sub conscious in a way that allows you to go deeply into your innermost thoughts. But the best thing about combining yoga and meditation is that you will go through the rest of your day with a deep sense of relaxation and an amazing amount of productivity.
But Be Warned, Not All Yoga Practitioners Use Yoga with Meditation
While most people who teach yoga understand the importance of teaching their students to connect the body with the soul when they do a good yoga practice, not all yoga teachers do. Even though yoga teachers aren’t required to show their students the benefits of a good yoga meditation, you will never get the full benefits without it. But if you keep practicing yoga with meditation you will find that you will reach a point in your yoga practices when you are able to meditate through your yoga practice. You will go through the practice as normal but instead of feeling the tension of those tougher poses you will be able to simply focus on one point and breath through the pose with ease.
