Group Yoga & Meditation classes

The difference between yoga and meditation

While the words ‘yoga’ and ‘meditation’ are often used interchangeably, they are actually very different. Yoga literally translates as “to yoke or unite”. Yoga asana postures, pranayama breathing and yoga nidra relaxation meditation are the stepping stones enabling connection to your inner power. These are all processes towards deeper meditation, which arouses the inner sense of who you are innately and a harmonious feeling of wholeness.

Yoga is a series of physical movements and stretches to assist you maintain physical and psychological fitness. It also includes a series of breathing techniques called pranayama, hand gestures called mudra and muscle contractions known as bandha. When practised regularly, yoga gives you all-round fitness, improves your posture, strengthens your immunity and energy, may assist in weight loss and most importantly when practised regularly it allows a more balanced reaction to stress, activating the healing response.

Meditation involves no physical exercise or movements. Rather, you sit or lie down for a period of time and focus on guided instructions until you are able to practise yourself. It is considered an important part of yoga, and is often performed after the asana postures and pranayama breathing.

Yoga and meditation are related

Regularly practising different asana postures and pranayama breathing is the perfect way to prepare your body and mind for the stillness of meditation.

The practice of yoga has undergone changes in the West in recent times and is often only presented as a physical practice of asana postures primarily for the body.

Meditation and yoga and interlinked working together to unite the intelligence of your physical body with your innate self. One can’t exist without the other and yoga increases your awareness of both bringing them into alignment.

Easy to do yoga practices are the most beneficial. Here at Mukti Freedom Yoga you will be learning practices to gain flexibility and strengthen the body systems at your own capacity. Classes are open to young and old, men and women. It is a slow gentle style of yoga and not at all athletic.

The shared benefits of yoga and meditation include:

Combining yoga and meditation classes

Yoga becomes meditation – meditation is an aspect of yoga that deals with mental relaxation and focus, they are part and parcel of each other and bring additional benefits when practised together.

According to Patanjali, who codified yoga 2nd century BCE, transcendence known as samadhi was the ultimate state of yoga. First you establish your asana and settle your breath through pranayama breathing, from this ensues gradual awareness of the impact of the senses on the mind. You then learn to detach from sensory input, mental impressions and egoic reactions, gradually leading to states of mental focus culminating in transcendence.

Though today transcendence may not be your intention for attending a class, it does intimate you too can learn to transcend your personal physical, mental and emotional limitations.

Yoga classes here at Mukti Freedom Yoga can assist you free yourself of physical and mental tension, make your body and mind stronger and improve your endurance.

Yoga & Meditation are for the mind and body

Mediation and yoga are used to relieve physical, mental and emotional stress and to help you be better able to manage the stressors. The stresses of life will always exist, how you cope with these is your choice. Yoga and meditation open your awareness to other choices you may not have yet perceived.