Tag Archives: mindfullness

The Importance of Meditation to Yoga Practice

Meditation (known as Dhyana in Sanskrit) was part of ancient yoga and remains one of the most essential features of yoga practice. Meditation is basically the most direct way to connect to supreme or essential “Self” (Atman) through developing deeper consciousness. And in addition to its spiritual significance, meditation and yoga are practiced together to establish and maintain optimal health and wellness.

In these modern times the practice of yoga training has become more estranged from meditation than in the past, with the primary focus often being on asana (poses), but nonetheless meditation still remains crucial to even the most fundamental understanding of the science of yoga. With the widespread attraction to yoga from today’s contemporary students, the question frequently arises as to whether meditation is really necessary to appreciate the full scope of what yoga practice has to offer.

This question will easily be answered once the student realizes that yoga and meditation are bound together as intimately as breathing and air. It is futile to attempt to practice one without the other. The very question of whether meditation is necessary to perform yoga properly indicates a general lack of understanding in regard to both subjects.

Yoga is meditation. It doesn’t really matter whether it’s fast or slow, hot or cold; all forms of yoga practice rely on the basic principles of meditation to occur. Yoga practice is a form of exercise as well, but it is exercise at its most highly evolved level, meaning yogic exercise is, in itself, a form of meditation.

Meditation brings consciousness to every action taken. In order to correctly perform yoga asana the mind needs to be active along with the body. This consciousness in action takes the form of counting breaths, holding poses, correcting alignment and smoothly sequencing from one position to the next. This activity takes place in accordance with a deliberate “mindfulness” that is the true essence of every yogic session.

Meditation recognizes that the mind is supervising this physical activity, but there is much more that the mind can be occupied with. The addition of Mantras, Mudras, introspective thoughts and even visualization will more fully occupy the mind so that the energies expended by the body are all working toward a single constructive purpose, to bring complete mindfulness and total awareness into every action.

Once these concepts are fully grasped it it becomes apparent that for people who chose to practice asana, meditation is absolutely required. Meditation cannot be some abstract idea that is separate from the whole of yogic science; meditation in fact, is the beginning and end of all yogic methods and techniques.

If you are among those who are confused (or even disturbed) by the concept of meditation, it may be helpful to think of it in a more straightforward manner. So consider this; meditation can be looked upon as a means of encouraging and hastening the attainment of the state of enlightenment through mental concentration, clarity of mind and self improvement.

Additionally, meditation is something that returns us to being in the present moment. It is a deep connection, through a heightened awareness of oneself, in relationship with the things and people all around. Meditation and yoga combined are known to be helpful in recovering from breathing problems, boosting the immune system, reducing cholesterol levels and increasing energy and stamina, resulting in an improvement of overall health and an enhanced sense of connection to the Divine Spirit within.

Are You Addicted to Food – Think Again

The silent epidemic of food addiction has become a worldwide problem, and if you answered the title question “yes” and are indeed addicted to food, (as most of us are, or were at one time), the blame does not rest entirely on your shoulders but there is still much you can do about it.

A little research shows that food addiction is similar to drug and alcohol addiction.  Very often for a food addict, processed foods, refined sugars, factory farmed meats and saturated/trans fats become what alcohol is to the alcoholic, or cocaine to the cocaine addict.

When eating food in these groups, the addict sets the phenomenon of “craving” into motion.  Like the drug addict, the food addict experiences withdrawal when attempting to cut down on the foods that trigger cravings.  They can experience both physical and emotional withdrawal such as tremors, cramps, depression, teary periods and even self-hatred.

Food manufacturers have done an exquisite job of recognizing and tapping into our cravings, using persuasive ads and alluring packaging to keep their products tumbling into our shopping carts. These foods contain chemical compounds that stimulate the brain’s secretion of opiate-like, “feel-good” chemicals like dopamine and serotonin, which drive our cravings for them.

One way to end the dependence on these trigger foods is to complete a good Detox Program. Once the addictive substances are out of the body, the physical cravings leave and the struggle isn’t as bad as it once was. These physical cravings do subside and you will have a second chance; and a choice whether to reintroduce the foods that caused the problems in the first place back into your diet. The emotional and mental cravings will still be lurking in the background, but with the establishment of a healthy diet and a lifestyle committed to changing old habits they will eventually be overcome.

Food addiction is hard to break, and in addition to the lack of cooperation from the commercial food industry and our elected officials we have other issues to deal with. For one, food is socially acceptable and people reward themselves for almost every imaginable occasion by indulging. We are encouraged (at least here in the US) to show how much we appreciate a meal by the amount we eat. We are taught to “clean up our plates” at every meal. Fast foods are all too convenient in this busy world, but even if we go to a decent sit down restaurant, we can almost guarantee we will be over served; with the average main course totaling  1000 calories or more; and that does not count drinks, salad, appetizers or desert.

Just watch the movie “Woodstock” or any of the music videos from the early 70’s and it’s amazing, – you can’t find any obese people in the audiences; check out the average concert audience today! This is what is happening to America. Let’s get ourselves right, keep ourselves right and then help others to get a grip!

In conclusion: Habitual eating patterns are hard to break and like almost all addictions they’re based on some sort of association and this is often below the radar of our conscious attention. Food frequently reinforces our comfort zones and makes us feel good, so when we want to relax or break free of stress we often grab a bite to eat.

One of the best practices to break this trend is the Buddhist practice of “Mindfullness” or conscious attention. Bringing “Mindfulness” into play before we put anything in our mouths helps us to learn to attune to our bodies and distinguish between real physical hunger (where your stomach is rumbling and you physically need to eat) and psychological hunger (where cues such as emotions, settings, social occasions and sights and smells of food encourage you to eat). Physical hunger is a useful and appropriate cue to eat – psychological hunger is not.

“Mindfulness” also enables us to eat much slower, actually savoring and thoroughly enjoying each bite of food. Eating in this manner gives our brain time to register the sense of fullness. It is a proven fact that it takes about 20 – 30 minutes for our brains to register this sense of fullness, no matter how much we put in our stomachs during that time. People who eat slowly and mindfully are much less likely to overeat.