A myriad of books, podcasts and articles exist discussing meditation from the various types in existence, tutorials on how to bring meditation into your life, and why it is beneficial. We begin and end our yoga classes with opening and closing meditation so what is it and why is it so important?

One of the eight limbs of yoga is meditation or Dhyana. The practice of following the moral restraints of yoga, our physical practice, breathwork and sense withdraw all are listed before meditation because these tools help us to prepare for seated meditation at the end of our practice. Here is an excellent article discussing the various types of meditation and how to incorporate this study and practice into your life or yoga practice. A meditation practice increases overall concentration and reduces stress on your body and brain. This practice has been scientifically proven to boost your immune system and improve cardiovascular health. Furthermore, it increases our overall level of happiness through self awareness, clarity, and taking time to decompress. Often times pairing mindfulness exercises with pranayama or breathing techniques supports the benefits for the physical, spiritual and subtle body.

A great way to support a meditation practice is to play calming, relaxing music during meditation. The greatest aspect of meditating to music is choosing music that creates the bhav or vibe that makes you feel the most relaxed and open. Here is a link to some staff picks for our favorite meditation songs.

Recommendations for Meditation Music from fellow yoga instructors include…

• Tibetan Singing bowls
• Classical Music
• Didgeridoo
• African drums
• Shamanic dreams
• Ambient drones

The most important aspect of meditation…. just do it! Have fun with meditation, take it seriously when you need to and do your best to make this practice a habit in your life 🙂