Yoga practice is typically seen as an aerobic exercise, but there is a large component of doing yoga that is focused on meditation. People have been finding yoga to produce great results associated with meditation, and much research has been done to support these findings. A range of different health benefits come to those who consistently practice meditation, as it can produce life changing effects.
Yoga meditation has shown to be very helpful in achieving better sleep patterns. The deep breathing that comes with meditation results in lowering the heart rate during the period the individual is meditating, but over time this regulating of the body’s blood flow will stay in effect even when the person is not meditating. This helps people get to sleep faster, which is great news for insomniacs, and provides them with a deeper and more restful sleep. Yoga works to free the mind from a lot of stress, which in turn relaxes the body.
Tests have also been done on prisoners participating in yoga meditation. What was found was that these individuals had less anxiety about their situation, and showed a marked decrease in aggressiveness towards others. As their behavior became far more socially acceptable, the effects of mental illness were also reduced, and long term effects such as an increase in the desire to participate in more positive activities, such as sports and educational pursuits, began to occur. Providing yoga information to prisoners could be a good way to encourage rehabilitation.
Doing yoga practice on a regular basis can also help people in the work environment. The benefits of yoga in the workplace usually focus on the reduction of stress. Meditation lowers the heart rate, resulting in people who are more relaxed, yet are able to respond to stressful situations more quickly and efficiently. The body’s motor skills tend to improve, and memory recall becomes stronger as well, all of which are valuable resources to have in the workplace.
If you spend thirty to forty minutes a day doing meditation through yoga practice, you could be producing positive results that go well beyond this small daily investment. While yoga beginners may need time to focus and truly enter a meditative state, most people are able to do enough to reach a level of relaxation that will carry them throughout the day, and help them enjoy a restful sleep at night. The effects of meditation have been well documented and it is well worth your time to investigate this aspect of yoga to see if you can benefit from this practice like so many others.
Kristine writes about a variety of health and fitness issues. Visit her mini trampoline site where you’ll find reviews and information on everything from a fitness mini trampoline to kids bouncers.