MEDITATION VS YOGA
WHICH ONE IS BETTER?
The answer to that question is, “it depends”.
If you are looking to calm your mind and be able to better handle your emotions, meditation is your best bet at achieving your goals.
If you are looking to tone your body while feeling more relaxed, try yoga out.
The suggestion is, you can maybe try them both at the beginning to know which one fit you best. But be sure that, you will feel fantastic after practicing them.
WHY DOING YOGA, WHAT ARE ITS BENEFITS…
Yoga is a spiritual, mental and physical practice that has been around since ages. With time, people have discovered a number of health benefits associated with yoga. Yoga does more than burning calories and strengthening muscles, it is a workout which involves both body and mind.
For those who have never stepped foot on a mat, yoga can seem like a lot to take in – contorting into eye-boggling poses, maintaining steady control of your breathing and even enduring up to 34 degrees Celsius of heat.
Anyone who practices regularly, however, will tell you that yoga can be life changing, regardless of your fitness levels, previous injuries and flexibility.
Here are just some of the many surprising benefits of rolling out the yoga mat…
Improves posture:
Working for long hours on a desk could not only hurt your spine but also make you feel tired at the end of the day. Practising certain yoga asanas could help you in improving your posture and also prevent pain in your neck and lower back.
Increases flexibility:
When was the last time you wished you could easily touch your toes which bending forward? Well, practising yoga could help you in that. Yoga can not only help you in increasing your flexibility but also let you perform complex asanas.
Builds muscle strength:
Yoga could help in strengthening weak muscles of the body. It helps in toning which prevents frequent straining of the muscles.
Boosts metabolism:
Yoga helps in retaining the vitality in your body along with keeping it fit. It motivates you towards healthy eating and improves the metabolic system of the body.
Helps in lowering blood sugar:
Yoga not only helps in lowering blood sugar but also lowers bad cholesterol and boosts good cholesterol. It encourages weight loss and improves the body’s sensitivity to insulin.
Increases blood flow:
The relaxation exercises in yoga regulates blood to all parts of your body. Exercises such as handstand, helps venous blood from the lower part of the body to flow back to your heart, where it can be pumped back to the lungs to be oxygenated.
Keep diseases at bay:
Yoga exercises have a beneficial effect on the immune system. It not only helps in destroying various viruses we catch during season change, but also boosts our immunity to fight off diseases.
Increases self-esteem:
Practicing yoga would help you explore a different side of yourself. It would make you feel good about yourself and helps you take a positive approach in life.
Improves lung function:
A lot of breathing exercises are said to improve lung function. Doing such exercises in a long run could cure respiratory problems. It also increases the capacity of your lungs.
Better all-round fitness:
When thinking of improving your fitness, most of us think of huffing and puffing away at the gym. But weights are not the only way to work out. Yoga gives you all that a gym can, but in a peaceful, safe and more holistic way. It combines aspects of cardio, functional and strength training all in one.
Improve concentration and think clearer:
By reducing mental stress and physical tension, you are able to recall easier and have more organized thoughts. Improved cognitive function happens when you are able to clear your minds and refresh. From a place of peace and calm, you are able to use your mental facilities more efficiently. Overall, by reducing mental stress and physical tension through yoga, you’ll be able to think sharper and have more organized thoughts.
Helps you sleep better:
Yoga helps in reducing stress and creates a routine which in turn makes a regular sleeping pattern. A relaxed body gets a deeper and more peaceful sleep.
Why Meditate?
The popularity of meditation is increasing as more people discover its benefits. It is a habitual process of training your mind to focus and redirect your thoughts.
You can use it to increase awareness of yourself and your surroundings. Many people think of it as a way to reduce stress and develop concentration. People also use the practice to develop other beneficial habits and feelings, such as a positive mood and outlook, self-discipline, healthy sleep patterns and even increased pain tolerance.
What are its benefits?
- Better management of stress, anxiety, and depression:
Mindfulness meditation can benefit those who struggle with stress, anxiety and depression issues. Meditation is a useful tool that helps relieve symptoms of anxiety and depression. And not only do meditators feel less stressed, their levels of the “stress hormone” cortisol decrease measurably.
Chogyal Rinpoche, a spiritual leader and meditation expert, explains how meditation gradually calms the mind and prevents strong emotions from erupting uncontrollably. So rather than allowing themselves to be overcome by depression and stress, meditators learn to calm their minds and achieve balance. - Increased immunity:
Regular mindfulness-based muscle relaxation exercises boost people’ lymphocytes, those natural killer cells that improve the immune system. Consequently, people demonstrate better resistance to viruses and tumors. - Lowered blood pressure:
Another benefit for people who practice meditation for health reasons is that mindfulness meditation has been shown to help control blood pressure. Patients who practiced meditation-based exercises had considerably lower blood pressure than those in the control group. Meditation reduces the body’s responsiveness to cortisol and other stress hormones, which is similar to how blood pressure reducing medications work. It’s one of meditation’s great health blessings. - Better sleep:
Meditation practice helps the body learn to relax, a benefit that continues when it’s time to hit the hay. It also trains the mind to settle the attention on an object such as the breath and allow other thoughts and emotions to float by like clouds on a pleasant day. There are also guided meditations that are designed to promote sleep. - Relieving symptoms of IBS:
Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or IBS, is a common bowel disorder characterized by bloating, abdominal pain, cramps and altered bowel behavior. Daily relaxing meditation has been found to relieve symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. - Improving happiness and general wellbeing:
Mindfulness may be linked to self-regulation throughout the day, and that this may be an important way that mindfulness contributes to better emotional and physical well-being.
“Meditation helps us connect with our true qualities. Once we’ve accepted who we are and learn to work with our thoughts directly, we reveal a loving capacity that has always been present within us. It’s no wonder that mindfulness increases happiness, enhances clarity and gives peace of mind.”
Looking forward to discover the many health benefits of meditation for yourself? Now is the best time to start. Join our meditation class to get the full benefits of your Journey to mindfulness. Feel free to call, text, e-mail us to know the day of the next class…