In recent years we have had to deal with a series of dramatic events that have put a strain on our psychological well-being. The pandemic and the ensuing lockdown period, as well as the recent war in Ukraine, has drawn attention to the problem of our mental health. We also find ourselves in an over-stressed society, with frenetic work rhythms, from which it is difficult to get out. But how can you feel better? How can we alleviate this problem, typical of modern society? One possible solution lies in yoga meditation. But what are the advantages and benefits of this practice?
Yoga meditation: what is it?
Yoga meditation is a set of techniques useful for relaxing mind and body, improving awareness of oneself and of the world around us. These techniques allow us to improve our mood and calm ourselves, while also improving concentration.
Yoga meditation techniques have to do with some comfortable positions in which you place yourself, then clearing your mind from everyday thoughts and focusing on the moment in which you are. Meditation focuses on individual parts of the body (the beating heart, hands, feet, toes, and so on) that one thinks of during meditation. Then you listen to your breath , pay attention to the surrounding environment and the energy that is around you.
Usually this practice is accompanied by a narrating voice, which guides us in this meditative path or by a background made of soft sounds, perhaps inherent to nature, which relax us to the point of making us almost immerse ourselves in another universe. To this meditation is then added the recitation of specific mantras, able to have the right effects, on a psychological and mental level.
But what are the main benefits of yoga meditation? Let’s see them in the following lines!
Meditation yoga benefits: body and mind united towards psycho-physical well-being
Yoga meditation has a number of physical and mental benefits. In fact, a series of studies have shown the effectiveness of yoga practice in treating certain pathologies, both related to the body and mind. Specifically, yoga meditation has the following benefits.
Physical benefits:
- Lower your blood pressure
- Strengthens the immune system
- It reduces the pain that is generated as a result of accumulated tensions such as headaches, muscle and joint pains;
- Increases the production of serotonin, a hormone that induces a good mood;
- Short-term memory improvement;
On a psychological level, on the other hand, the main benefits of yoga are:
- Decreased anxiety and depression;
- Increased concentration;
- Increase in self-awareness and self-esteem;
- Improvement of emotional stability;
- Tranquility and happiness;
Following these practices even produces positive effects even in some serious pathologies, such as counteracting the deterioration of one’s memory abilities , linked to aging and senile dementia. So it keeps your body and mind younger.
