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The Health Benefits of Yoga and Meditation
By Lauren Tabacchini
Since COVID came to be in 2020, many individuals have struggled with mental health issues. Humans are social creatures that need stimulation, and COVID took that away from many people. This situation created mental well-being and health as major topics of discussion. But because gyms were closed and people could not do the things that they normally would to ensure a healthy mind and body, self-work through at-home practices became very popular. Practices such as yoga and meditation are two activities that not only do not require one to leave the house but are immensely beneficial for the overall health of the body and mind.
Meditation is a very ancient practice, it is commonly associated with the Buddhist people as a way of enlightenment. One does have to be of any particular religion to practice meditation, but it is important to become familiar with the origin to gain an appreciation for the practice. Similar to meditation, yoga has been around for thousands of years and it originated in northern India. Many practices of yoga involve meditation and the two are very intertwined. For the purpose of this article, yoga and meditation will be discussed along with the health benefits they provide.
The practice of meditation is essentially the practice of mindfulness. When one practices meditation it is common to sit crisscross with good posture and simply focus on the sound of one’s breath. Although it may seem simple, some get overwhelmed at the thought of having to sit still and keep out intrusive thoughts. A common misconception with meditation is that if you have any thoughts that are not centered around your breathing that you are doing it wrong, this is simply not the case. In practicing meditation, you want to observe your thoughts and watch them pass like clouds in the sky. The goal is to become aware of this process of mindfulness.
An additional way to practice meditation that is more beginner-friendly is through guided meditations. There are many of them on YouTube as well as on music streaming apps such as Apple Music and Spotify, there are even apps created that are strictly for guided meditations. Simple Habit is an app I would recommend. Every day it gives you an easy five to ten-minute meditation practice to complete. I recommend doing it in the morning to set the pace for your day.
Moving on we will now be discussing the practice of Yoga. According to Dr. Ishwar V. Basavaraddi in an article published by the government of India’s Ministry of External Affairs yoga is, “…essentially a spiritual discipline based on an extremely subtle science, which focuses on bringing harmony between mind and body. It is an art and science of healthy living.” When one commonly thinks of yoga they think of doing poses that require immense amounts of flexibility, although this can be true, yoga may be practiced in many ways and styles all ranging from beginner to advanced. Similar to meditation, for people who want to try out yoga before committing to a studio there are many YouTube videos taught by instructors online.
Regarding the health and wellness benefits of yoga and meditation, they are incredibly similar. Both practices offer a decrease in stress, blood pressure and inflammation. As well as supporting better circulation, more mental clarity, an increase of strength, and overall improved emotional health. In an interview with Ellena Boudouvas, a certified yoga instructor, she stated “As a practitioner of yoga I can personally say the more and more I practiced I did notice some of the benefits of yoga such as diminished fatigue, a decrease of anxiety, and an overall increase in mood and mental well being”.
Yoga and meditation are timeless practices, and both can drastically improve one's quality of life both mentally and physically. Especially in today's day and age, practices like this are necessary to ensure one’s physical and mental health. To begin, try putting down your phone for 30 minutes a day to meditate for half the time and do yoga for the other half and notice your life begin to change for the better.
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