The term yoga means to join, which would mean the joining of the mind and body into one. Yoga is not only made up of exercises to make the body stronger and more flexible but also helps bring about changes in a person. It makes a person more active and lively. Moreover, it helps a person recover from certain sicknesses and lower stress levels.
Most people think that yoga’s main structure is exercise but what they don’t know is the fact that meditation and breathing are also important structures of yoga. Meditation and breathing are also a vital part of yoga, just like wearing warm leggings.
Yoga is a kind of exercise; however, instead of exercises such as weight lifting and running, yoga helps strengthen the mind and body as a whole. As a form of exercise, yoga is influenced by the ancient practice of hatha yoga. These exercises are believed to have beneficial mental and physical effects on the human body. Yogasana is usually a combination of holding different postures and movements for beginners, therefore some exercises are used as a work out to prepare for yogasana in order to avoid sore muscles.
The link between yoga and breathing is quite vital. In a yoga class, people are taught to control their breathing and to connect with it on a different level. A yogi will measure the span of life with the number of breaths rather than the number of years. The rate at which a person breathes shows how long he or she will live. For instance, if a person breathes 15 times in a minute they will live up to 80 years but if they breathe 10 times they will live longer, say up to 100 years. Thus, the slower a person breathes, the longer they live.
Breathing consciously is seen as an essence of yoga as it helps the person connect to their inner soul. Breathing helps navigate the different levels of consciousness within a person’s body. The breath is known as prana and is required as it helps inhale oxygen into the body. This is an important part of yoga as yoga requires smooth, relaxed breathing as it helps the mind focus on positive thoughts.
Meditation is another way to get a person’s mind relaxed and focused. It also helps a person focus on positive energy. Even a few minutes of meditation can help a person feel more balanced and in control of themselves. Yoga and meditation are two interlinking structures. Yoga comes from meditational practices of Jain, Buddhists and Hindu practitioners. Yoga instructors teach different yoga postures to prepare a person’s body for meditation.
Meditation and yoga are both part of the “Eight Limbs of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras,” thus they work in unison to bring the person to connect with their higher soul self. People who tend to combine yoga and meditation together, have often agreed that it is a good form of relieving stress and strengthening the mind and body.