Yoga and Meditation

Before yoga was a popular physical exercise, it was, for thousands of years, mainly a meditation practice.

Mindfulness with Yoga

In a yoga class, as you learn to do yoga poses, you will be instructed to notice your breath and the way your body moves during the exercises. The is the foundation of a mind-body connection.A well-balanced series of yoga exercises gives you the opportunity to scan your entire body, noting how you feel as you move through the poses. You may begin to realize, for example, that one side of your body feels different than the other during a stretch, or that it’s easier to balance on your right leg, or that certain poses helps ease tension in your neck.

This is how yoga turns physical exercises into tools to help students become more mindful and even learn to meditate.Stephen Cope, who teaches yoga and mindfulness at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Massachusetts has written that learning to focus in this way can help us outside of yoga class, too. “As we train our attention, we’ll begin to notice our postures throughout the day, not just on the yoga mat,” Mr.Cope writes in his book “Yoga and the Quest for the True Self.”Learning to be aware of your posture at your desk or when you walk, for example, can be the first step to making improvements that will make you move more easily and feel better all the time.

Related Guide

How to Meditate

Learning how to meditate is straightforward, and the benefits can come quickly. Here, we offer basic tips to get you started on a path toward greater acceptance and joy.

The Breath

Breathing techniques are an essential part of yoga — not only do they help you to stay focused while practicing yoga, they can also help reduce stress and relax the nervous system and calm the mind. 

Yoga breathing techniques also offer a “ way into meditation,” says Elena Brower, a yoga and meditation teacher and the author of “Art of Attention.” Ms. Brower says that more people who have in recent years focused on the physical aspects of yoga are moving toward meditation, as they find “they have an increasing need to have time to reflect, release and recalibrate.”Here are a few types of breathing techniques that may be included in a yoga class:

Abdominal Breathing: Also called diaphragmatic or belly breathing, this is the most common breathing technique you’ll find in basic yoga. It helps foster healthy, efficient breathing in general.

Try it:

1. Inflate your abdomen as you inhale.
2. Exhale, trying to empty your abdomen of as much air as you can.

Ujjayi or “victorious” breath: This type of deep breathing allows you to slow and smooth the flow of breath. It is often used in flow classes to help students regulate their breathing as they move through the poses.
Try it:

1. Constrict the muscles in the back of your throat and breathe in and out with your mouth closed.
2. Some say this breathing technique sounds like Darth Vader; others say it sounds like the ocean. In any case, the sound should be audible to you only; your neighbor doesn’t necessarily need to hear it.

Interval or interrupted breathing: In this type of breathing, the student is instructed to pauses and hold the breath during the inhalation or exhalation, or both. It is a good way to begin to learn to control the breath, especially if you are looking to try more advance yoga breathing techniques.
Try it:

1. Inhale fully.
2. Release one-third of the breath.
3. Pause.
4. Release another third of the breath.
5. Pause.
6. Exhale the rest of the breath.
7. Repeat.
8. If you like, you can then do a couple rounds of interrupted breathing during exhalation.
   
   
9. Alternate nostril breathing: This technique is said to be effective in balancing the nervous system and is a good idea to try before meditation
   Try it:
   1. Hold one nostril closed and inhale through the open nostril.
   2. Exhale through the open nostril.
   3. Switch your hands and block the open nostril, releasing the closed nostril.
   4. Inhale through the open nostril and exhale.
   5. Repeat several times.