Meditation and Yoga – Part 1

When you attend a yoga class, or even do it at home, you find that your body feels more relaxed and open. The same feeling parallels a meditation session. So it makes sense to combine the two for a wholesome experience.
For example, let’s say you meditated today, and enjoyed a sense of calmness. But it wasn’t as relaxing as you hoped it would be, because your neck was hurting. Now since your focus kept drifting to your neck, mentally you were never able to concentrate on enlightenment. You were distracted by that uncomfortable feeling and the whole point of meditation is to put your body in a relaxed state. Only then can you challenge your mind.

Why meditation and yoga go hand in hand: 

Both yoga and meditation have been practiced in Ancient India.
Even though meditation (which started in 1500 BCE) came before yoga (which started in the Indus-Saraswati Valley civilization – dating back to 2700 BCE),  both of them are spiritual disciplines.
One of the things we notice after starting a meditation practice session is our body. We listen to it. We question its posture, and we form a deeper connection to it. Now this may not have been the case before meditation. We might have usually gone along with the motions of our everyday life, without paying much attention to what the body tells you. Ofcourse, all of this would have changed when you decided to start meditating.
If your mind is filled with thoughts about discomfort, the body has a tendency to pick up on that. You might notice a clenched jaw or a stiff neck getting worse and worse when the mind is fixated on that pain. So, the best thing to do, is to open up your tired muscles and stretch them by doing yoga. Then, you can fully experience meditation and all of its benefits.
Allow the body and mind to harmonize to lead a fuller life.