International Yoga Day is celebrated every year on June 21. It recognises the profound impact of Yoga and meditation on physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. Both forms of exercise can help clear your mind, provide a sense of calmness, and improve concentration and focus. Additionally, feeling peaceful, relaxed, and connected to the universe is the major goal of these practices. And this is achieved by performing pranayama or focusing on your breath.
Practising yoga meditation after a yoga session allows you to enjoy the benefits of both practices simultaneously. The meditation done after you perform all the yoga poses is known as Shavasana which is the Corpse Pose. In this pose, a person lies on his back with face-up on the ground, limbs spread outward, and eyes closed like a corpse.
Benefits of Yoga & Meditation
Improves Flexibility
This is one of the first benefits of yoga. In your first yoga class, you might not be able to touch your feet or do a back bend. But if you practice regularly, you’ll see a difference, and eventually, impossible poses will become easy and possible. You’ll also notice that the body pain starts to disappear. Yoga poses such as Cow Face Pose, Downward Dog Pose, Bhujangasana, Triangle Pose, Malasana, and Bridge Pose allow you to stretch your muscles which further helps you move better and feel less stiff.
Perfect Posture
If you’ve been spending long hours sitting in front of the laptop or experiencing neck pain from spending time on your phone, it’s time to fix your posture. Our everyday activities and body movements affect our posture and put stress on muscles and joints, which can sometimes lead to immense pain. Several yoga poses, such as Mountain Pose, Shoulder Opener, Cat-Cow Stretch, and more, help increase your body awareness and core strength.
Helps Sleep Better
There is no better way to wind down your day than with a few yoga poses. Your breath plays an important role in relaxing your body in these poses. Practice Abdominal Breathing (belly breathing) or Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Sodhana Pranayama) for 3 to 5 minutes before bedtime. Also, these poses will help in reducing stress, stress-related anxiety, depressive symptoms, and inflammation.
Boosts Your Mood
Yoga and meditation are great for improving self-awareness and self-compassion. They can help reduce heavy emotions. Regular practice can increase feel-good hormones like oxytocin and serotonin, also known as the “love” hormones which help to contribute to mental well-being and happiness.
Clears Your Mind
Practicing yoga and meditation regularly clears your mind, promotes calmness, and enhances concentration. While several people prefer evening classes, you can also stretch in the morning for clarity before starting your day. Not only this, it also helps to remove negative thoughts that have been occupying your head.
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