Move to Meditate
Yoga is often described as a moving meditation. It calms the mind and creates awareness through body movements.
Meditation is the practice of quieting the mind and focusing on the present moment.
Yoga combined with meditation is a popular form of practice. The two practices go well together, and yoga is considered to be a moving meditation by itself. A great way to practise meditation is to hold the poses for a while.
The meditation part of yoga is generally known as Shavasana, which is known in the west as corpse pose. It is done at the end of the practice, after the poses, and is a chance to rest from the class as well the beginnings of meditation.
Whilst yoga demands more purposeful physical movements of the body including stretching and holding poses. This strengthens core muscles and improves balance. There may be times in a yoga class that we don’t feel like engaging in physical motion. It is good therefore to stick to a regular practice which develops discipline and perseverance.
Yoga incorporates more effort such as physical poses and control of the breath.
A regular meditation practice can involve taking some time out of our busy lives to sit still and be quiet.
A physical yoga practice will eventually pay off in multiple ways:-
Increased self-awareness.
Acquiring new stress management skills.
Increased mindfulness.
Enhanced ability to experience the present moment.
Reduced negativity.
Increased creativity.
Practising more patience and tolerance with others.
Improved sleep quality
I often mention in class that the traditional yoga text contained just 7 poses, these poses were all seated and a way to prepare the body to meditate.
Our practice this month, will include longer holds in poses and a moving meditation practice.
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