{"id":1925,"date":"2018-01-25T09:48:12","date_gmt":"2018-01-25T09:48:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/goodnights.rest\/?page_id=1925"},"modified":"2018-08-13T21:21:32","modified_gmt":"2018-08-13T21:21:32","slug":"what-is-yoga-meditation","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/goodnights.rest\/meditation-for-better-sleep\/what-is-yoga-meditation\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Yoga Meditation?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you ever watched someone do a firefly pose<\/a> and thought, Ouch?<\/em><\/p>\n

At first glance, yoga and sleep might not seem like natural partners. Sure, yoga has become one of the more popular and accessible exercises around, and there’s evidence that exercise helps us sleep<\/a>. But many of yoga’s twisting poses look more strenuous than relaxing—and what about those of us who aren’t exactly athletic or flexible?<\/p>\n

Luckily, a perfect king pigeon pose<\/a> isn’t required to reap yoga’s sleep-related benefits. Poses might be yoga’s most recognizable component, but these physical routines are just one part of a rejuvenating practice. Meditation has always been a vital component of yoga, and while complex poses like the firefly are best left to seasoned practitioners, yoga’s rich, 5000-year-old meditation traditions are accessible to everyone.<\/p>\n

\"Yoga<\/p>\n

Meditation: the Inner Practice of Yoga<\/h2>\n

Did you know that the physical components of yoga, including the poses or asanas<\/em>, began as a supplement <\/em>to meditation? In fact, the name yoga <\/em>itself points to the importance of an internal practice: it comes from the Sanskrit root yug, <\/em>\u201cto yoke or join\u201d and \u201cto use purposefully,\u201d and over time, the concept of yoga <\/em>has come to mean spiritual discipline.<\/em><\/p>\n

Traditionally, meditation is vital to cultivating that discipline. In the 2000-year-old Yoga Sutra, <\/em>one of the essential works of yogic philosophy, the Indian sage Patanjali lists meditation as an essential stage in a yogi\u2019s journey to enlightenment. Other steps, such as the asanas, <\/em>trained the body for the equanimity that concentration and meditation then consolidated. Together, the eight stages or \u201climbs\u201d of the yogi\u2019s practice—including the asanas <\/em>and meditation—created a deep, expanded consciousness that allowed a practitioner to reach samadhi, <\/em>or a state of self-actualization.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve probably heard of the different physical yoga styles, like Bikram, Hatha, Ashtanga, Iyengar, and so on. Similarly, there are a lot of techniques for yoga meditation. Central to all those methods, however, are the idea of prana <\/em>and the importance of the breath.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s take a detour into the spiritual side of yoga meditation for a second. In yogic philosophy, prana <\/em>refers to the life force that flows through all living beings in the universe. For humans, prana <\/em>is entwined with the breath—after all, we die when we stop breathing! That\u2019s why there\u2019s a strong emphasis on breath in yoga: since the breath is tied to our energy and life force, then it followed that we could better harness and improve the flow of that life force by controlling the breath.<\/p>\n

Pranayama, <\/em>or controlled breathing, is another of the \u201ceight limbs\u201d of yoga, and it\u2019s fundamental to yoga meditation. When you focus and regulate the breath, you establish a close link between your body and your state of mind. That then places you in an ideal position to contemplate your thoughts, your feelings, and your surroundings with an expanded, deliberate awareness.<\/p>\n

\"Yoga<\/p>\n

Wait, Do I Need to Convert to Yoga or Something?<\/h2>\n

The practice of yoga has deep, sprawling spiritual roots. From the Rig Vedas and the sutras, and then on to influences on and from different strains of Hinduism, Buddhism, and more, there\u2019s a lot of philosophical, spiritual, and even mystic elements that have now become folded into the concept of yoga. While an understanding of these dimensions of yoga can certainly enrich your own personal practice, there\u2019s the crux of it: your practice is personal, <\/em>and how you choose to go about it is your decision.<\/p>\n

Nobody\u2019s going to force you to convert to anything (because yoga, first off, isn\u2019t a religion), nor will anybody revoke your \u201cyoga practitioner\u201d card if you\u2019re not interested in, say, learning more about Patanjali, Hinduism or Buddhism, or other related principles.<\/p>\n

What Are the Benefits of Yoga Meditation?<\/h2>\n

We\u2019re no strangers to longtime practitioners talking nonstop about how yoga has changed their lives, and we bet you can relate. Pop into any yoga studio and chances are, you\u2019ll find a flood of anecdotal evidence about how yoga calms the mind, boosts willpower, and so on. But you don\u2019t have to your local yoga moms\u2019 word for it. Tons of scientific studies have also been conducted to examine yoga\u2019s—and yoga meditation\u2019s—various effects on our bodies, mental and emotional health, and overall well-being.<\/p>\n

Even if we limit our survey to studies related to sleep problems and sleep quality, there\u2019s still a mountain of evidence pointing to yoga meditation as a beneficial practice. Mental health, for example, is closely linked to sleep<\/a>, and studies show that yoga can help soothe illnesses like anxiety and depression<\/a>, as well as reduce pain<\/a>. Even physiological responses to stress, which often disrupt your sleep, can be soothed by yoga meditation: studies show that yoga can reduce blood pressure, lower heart rate, and—here\u2019s that pranayama <\/em>at work—ease respiration<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Yoga and yoga meditation have also been shown to support long-term changes that can lead to better sleep. A 2012 scientific survey, for example, reported that yoga motivates people to exercise more and eat healthier—and as we\u2019ve seen, both exercise and diet<\/a> can have tremendous effects on how well we sleep. Even practitioners who are otherwise sedentary have been shown to enjoy greater fitness, mood, and overall quality of life<\/a> following the adoption of a regular practice.<\/p>\n

\"Yoga<\/p>\n

How Do You Start Yoga Meditation?<\/h2>\n

As we said above, there are a variety of yoga meditation methods. The good news is that most are easy to try, at home or otherwise. You won\u2019t need special equipment, prior training, or expert instruction—just a few minutes to yourself, a quiet place, and a readiness to start.<\/p>\n

We’ve gathered some great resources<\/a> to help you get started, and here are some methods you can explore:<\/p>\n

Breath-focused Meditation<\/h3>\n

This is one of the most common techniques, and it\u2019s the closest to many traditional pranayama <\/em>practices. You focus your attention on your breath—observing its flow and cadence, noting the sensations it produces. If you\u2019re struggling to maintain focus, you can also count your breaths, nudging your mind to stay engaged with each inhalation and exhalation. The keyword here is observation.\u00a0You\u2019re not setting out to forcefully slow your breathing or judge its effects; over time, as you settle into your body\u2019s rhythms, the calming of your breath–and of the rest of your mind and body—will follow.<\/p>\n

If breath observation works for you, consider looking into mindfulness meditation<\/a> as well. (We\u2019ve got a list of great resources here<\/a>.) Observing the breath is central to the related practice known as vipassana, <\/em>a kind of mindfulness meditation, and learning more about this tradition might be a great way to develop your personal meditation practice.<\/p>\n

Gazing or Open-eyed Focus<\/h3>\n

This method involves choosing an object or an image that you can use as a drishti <\/em>or focus. If you practice certain styles of yoga like Ashtanga, you might be familiar with the term: many styles emphasize fixing your gaze on a specific point as you go through a series of poses. Employing a drishti <\/em>in yoga meditation is similar: you pool your attention on your preferred focus—candles are a common choice—and use it to anchor you as you meditate. Some techniques will prescribe positions for your eyes, but most of the time, you can simply maintain an even gaze.<\/p>\n

Mantra Meditation<\/h3>\n

If you can\u2019t stand absolute quiet, this might be the method for you. Rather than a visual focus, you use a sound instead. This is where you get the famous \u201cOm,\u201d though you can pick a different sound. You can even pick a phrase or affirmation—something like, \u201cI am present\u201d or \u201cI am thankful\u201d—that suits your purposes. As you meditate, you simply repeat or chant your chosen sound. Like the drishti <\/em>in gazing meditation, the sound serves as a constant that anchors and grounds you.<\/p>\n

Active Meditation<\/h3>\n

If you balk at the thought of inactivity, or if you just don\u2019t get much opportunity to sit still for significant periods of time, this technique might be a great fit for you. Active meditations like walking—or a physical yoga session, if you\u2019re so inclined—can be a great way to develop your mind and body as a single unit. The goal (and challenge) here is to use each action as your focal point.\u00a0Through deliberate movement and constant awareness of your sensations, your body can serve as a focus in the same way that the breath or a mantra can do the same for other techniques.<\/p>\n

Additional Resources<\/h3>\n

While you\u2019re free to dive right into a new yoga meditation practice by yourself, some guidance<\/a> can be a good thing. We can\u2019t send you on an all-expense-paid trip to an ashram in India, but we can <\/em>give you a list of informative, accessible, and free resources<\/a> to help you get started. Check out our favorite yoga meditation blogs here<\/a>!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Have you ever watched someone do a firefly pose and thought, Ouch? At first glance, yoga and sleep might not seem like natural partners. Sure, yoga has become one of the more popular and accessible exercises around, and there’s evidence that exercise helps us sleep. But many of yoga’s twisting poses look more strenuous than […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1926,"parent":2230,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"article-template.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/goodnights.rest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1925"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/goodnights.rest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/goodnights.rest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goodnights.rest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goodnights.rest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1925"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/goodnights.rest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1925\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3354,"href":"https:\/\/goodnights.rest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1925\/revisions\/3354"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goodnights.rest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2230"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/goodnights.rest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1926"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/goodnights.rest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1925"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}