Meditation and Yoga:
An Antidote for Stress

chillibreeze writer — Priyanka Vikram

Working hard and earning enough money is no doubt essential, but all this must blend with a healthy lifestyle. And a healthy lifestyle means physical and mental well being, which can clear away stress. So how does one achieve this balance?

Seeking help from spiritual organizations and gurus is quite common. Everyone is trying to overcome stress through meditation, yoga, prayers or exercises.

Among various stress relieving methods, meditation is said to be the most simple and safe way to balance your physical, emotional, and mental states.

It is said to be quite effective in refreshing a tired mind and pump in positive energy. It is also suggested to lower blood pressure; help people with asthma and relieve everyday stress.

Meditation originated in Vedic Hinduism many centuries ago and is also called dhyana, samadhi, or pranayama. Eminent people like Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison were known to have practiced various forms of meditation.

Let us try to understand what meditation can do to your mind.

Closing your eyes in a serene place, while your mind is cluttered with planning for the future or thinking about pending work or an unfulfilled wish isn’t meditation. That's just continuing to stress yourself out, but with your eyes closed!

According to the Bhagavad-Gita, you cannot do yoga if you don't drop your desires. It is important to let the mind settle down. Spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar says, "You may sit with your eyes closed, but if your desires keep arising, you fool yourself that you are meditating. You are daydreaming. Meditation is like a flight to outer space where there is no sunset, no sunrise, nothing but void".

You can meditate anytime and anywhere, even while traveling. You could spend some time walking through a boulevard or stand by the rocks or simply watch the sunset or the twinkling stars to calm the mind.

Sitting with your legs folded and your hands resting on your lap or knees has been considered the classic posture. However, you can find a way that is comfortable for you. Some people chant a mantra (Om) or hum while breathing in and out. It is said that the chanting helps induce a meditative state and also charge energy levels.

Many techniques have been evolved over the years. For instance, in some traditions, the person meditating sits on a chair while Theravada Buddhism suggests walking.

It is generally recommended to meditate for 20 minutes daily. All said and done, what matters is not how long you meditate, but whether the exercise helps in reaching a certain state of mind where you can connect with your heart.

When the mind is settled, there is complete rest. "Calmness is the ideal state in which we should receive all life's experiences," writes Paramahansa Yogananda in his book Inner Peace.

So, release all tensions and worries. Feel the joy, calm your body and mind, enjoy the present moment, breathe in and out and let that stress and nervousness melt away. Get recharged!

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—About our writer: Priyanka writes for chillibreeze.

 

 

 

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