In a typical Yoga session, you may practice meditation at the beginning of class, at the end of class, or both. There are many methods of meditation, but Yoga practitioners usually learn breath awareness, visualization, or focusing on an object.
All forms of meditation lead to a tranquil and trained mind, so to claim that one particular style of meditation is superior to all of the rest, would not be correct. Some methods may be more "user friendly," than others. This could lead to opinions about one style of meditation being better than another, but opinions are only a matter of preference.
If there is one solid benefit that we can observe from a meditation session, it is a state of concentration during meditation, and a state of relaxation after the session has ended. How can this be useful to a person and the community at large?
A mind that is trained by meditation will tend to concentrate on finishing tasks during the course of an average day. With all of our technology, attention deficit disorders flourish. Diet and lifestyle also play a role, but gadgets put everyone "on call."
Meditation and Yoga classes make it possible to unplug from all of the technical hardware and software we encounter on a daily basis. Yet, there is one very important and powerful way in which Yoga lessons and meditation can help all of us.
What is the number one cause of a poor quality lifestyle? In a word, it is "stress." High levels of stress can cause long-term health problems and premature death. With that said - the combination of Yoga and meditation, work toward creating a tranquil mindset within each of us.
We know that emotional problems can cause illnesses. Clarity of thought allows one to make rational decisions during stressful times. Let's face it, you cannot have a life without stress, but with meditation, you can learn to solve problems, which are stress-related.
Once a person learns to meditate, there is much less reason to consume intoxicants, which are often used to cope with high stress levels. If you talk to any addict, he or she will often admit to abusing alcohol, tranquilizers, and illegal drugs, as a result of overwhelming levels of stress.
This may not seem to be a rational solution, but look at the number of customers, who go to a liquor store in the course of a day. Compare that number to how many students attend a Yoga class in the same day. Keep in mind: This will only track alcohol consumption. There are many more ways to numb the senses.
The bottom line: Yoga and meditation offer rational solutions with no negative side-effects, but the community at large has to be educated to see the value.
© Copyright 2008 - Paul Jerard / Aura Publications
Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, has written many books on the subject of Yoga. He is a co-owner and the Director of Yoga Teacher Training at: Aura Wellness Center, in Attleboro, MA. aurawellnesscenter.com aurawellnesscenter.com He has been a certified Master Yoga Teacher since 1995. To receive Free Yoga videos, Podcasts, e-Books, reports, and articles about Yoga, please visit: yoga-teacher-training.org/member-offer.html yoga-teacher-training.org/member-offer.html
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