As one of the most stressful years in modern history comes to an end, we could all use a reset. Many of us have spent a lot of time this year in fight or flight mode, just trying to survive. How do you cope with pressure and pressure? Walking in nature, chatting with friends, reading, journaling, and listening to music are all healthy coping mechanisms that can also calm your tired soul. If yoga and meditation aren’t already part of your arsenal, they’re also excellent resources that can help bring healing and comfort during challenging times.
many people think of Yoga As a great exercise or a good stretch, but it’s so much more than that. Yoga can lower our heart rate and stabilize blood pressure, restore and balance our nervous system, release blockages in our body’s energy centers, and make us refreshed and focused.In fact, according to ancient yoga texts, the ultimate goal of yoga is to calm the mind Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.
Combining yoga with meditation can further enhance the results. Like yoga, the ultimate goal of meditation is to calm the mind. Meditators typically sit quietly for a period of time. Of course, it is normal and expected that the mind will wander to other thoughts. When it happens, gently bring yourself back to the present moment, catch your breath, and allow your mind to calm down. Meditation practitioners sometimes set a timer based on how long they want to meditate. It can be short to start, five minutes is a good length of time to start a meditation practice. If you wish, you can add another five minutes at a time.
There are many types of meditation, including walking meditation. For walking meditation, you typically walk calmly and quietly in a tranquil natural environment, both to restore your breathing and to take in the scenery around you as you walk.
Yoga itself can be a form of meditation. When we practice yoga, the breath is truly the bridge that connects the body, mind, and spirit. When you begin your yoga practice, take a moment, a minute or minutes, to calm your breathing and focus. Then use your breath as an anchor to guide you throughout the practice. Whenever you feel unsettled, gently return to your breathing. If we pay full attention and don’t let our mind wander, we get more out of each yoga pose. The mind will wander a little, but when it does, gently bring it back to your practice and breath. At the end of your yoga practice, meditate for five, ten, fifteen or more minutes.
We live in turbulent times, but we can cope and get through it by using our breath to anchor us in the calmness of the present moment. As we continue our yoga and meditation practices, we find ourselves taking what we learn on the yoga mat into all aspects of our lives. Yoga and meditation can be our trusty ship as we navigate the storms of life.
May the new year bring peace and health to us all. Wish you all the best!
