Why Are So Many People Practicing Yoga And Meditation?
In the last decade, yoga and meditation have become mainstream amongst westerners. Over twenty million Americans have practiced some form of yoga. Most people that practice asana or the physical aspect of yoga is more interested in the benefit of a hard body or purchasing the most popular yoga pants and equipment than the spiritual benefits. It is not essential as to why people practice but the fact that they are might be making the world be a better place. Why? Because after an hour of yoga, they have less stress in the body. Less stress improves their moods and helps them adapt to changes in expectations. Thousands of studies reveal the multitude of health benefits associated with these eastern traditions, so health-conscious individuals are jumping on the mat. Check out this article from Yoga Journal. 38 ways yoga keeps you fit
Yoga Prepares the Body for Meditation
Any physical exercise you do daily or even three times a week has proven to be a stress reducer. Hatha Yoga (asana) is a more gentle approach to training and focuses linking the movement and breath. Yoga postures are helpful for proper alignment and strengthing muscles and joints that no other form of exercise can provide. Of course, westerners have morphed the traditional approach which makes the ancient rishis and yogis cringe, with their hot yoga classes and fast-paced vinyasa classes that leave you drowning in a pool of sweat. The truth is these original systems of yoga were designed to prepare your body for meditation, not so you can have the perfect lifted behind or abs of steel.
What if I can’t sit still or Clear my Mind?
Like so many others, I was aware of the health benefits of meditation, so I began my journey in my early 20’s trying every technique out there to clear my mind and find some peace. What I kept discovering was I could not stop my thoughts or sit on the floor in half lotus with my hands in ominous yogic gang signs ( mudras). It was very uncomfortable, and after five minutes I would open my eyes and give up trying to open my chakras. I felt like a failure every time I sat with my eyes closed in meditation. When we feel like we are failing at something it makes us want to quit.
There are Many Different Meditation Techniques
There are many different forms of meditation taught out there. People are often overwhelmed by the choices and do not know how to get started with the right practice for them. Most meditation techniques being taught to the masses are monastic, and the average householder is struggling to incorporate these practices into their daily lives. Vipassana, mindfulness, Kriya are all beneficial practices but are quite advanced and take extreme amounts of discipline.
There is Plenty of Time for Meditation
In twenty-four hours there are seventy-two blocks of twenty minutes. There is plenty of time to incorporate meditation into your daily life and you should. Imagine if you spent less time scrolling through Facebook or Instagram and you used that time to sit quietly with yourself with your eyes closed. Technology is becoming a nuisance and distracting people from self-care. The internet and social media are destroying the human race every day. If people were more conscious of the amount of time, they are spending on the web maybe they might power off on occasion and go outside without there smartphone. If you genuinely want to take care of your mind and body meditation is one of the essential healing modalities that you can learn for yourself. In this day and age meditation Is the need of the time. Exercise and eating healthy are not enough anymore to keep us sane. We need inner peace now more than ever. Read this article from Psychology Today. Attending the undervalued self
Meditation does not have to be difficult
Meditation does not have to be difficult. There are techniques out there designed for everyday people, like Vedic meditation. Vedic meditation is an effortless approach, and you can sit in any comfortable seated position. Practiced twice daily for twenty minutes you learn directly from a teacher, and after the four-day course, you are a self-sufficient meditator with a lifetime of support. This practice is a silent eyes closed meditation that aids in transcendence and has so many health benefits I can’t imagine why everyone does not do it. I have been practicing for over a decade and became a teacher because my life changed in the most amazing ways and am passionate about sharing it with others. Meditation filled the void that I had been trying to find my whole young life, and it replaced my search for happiness.Benefits of Vedic meditation
Spend Less Time on Social Media, and More Time Meditating
Perhaps part of the addiction people have to social media, and the internet is that they are trying to zone out and not think about their worries. The internet is a drug and smartphones are an obsession. If all of us powered off our devices twice a day for twenty minutes to sit in meditation the world would be a better place. My favorite quote from the Dalai Lama, “If every 8-year-old in the world is taught meditation, we will eliminate violence from the world within one generation.” OPTOFF.
If you are interested in learning Vedic meditation in person or on a retreat, you can contact me, Julie Gandolfo