Techniques For Mastering Yoga and Meditation

Anyone whose practicing yoga will tell you that mastering it entails a lot of hard work. Indeed, it is a constant and conscious effort on your part because you cannot expect it to simply happen. The key to mastering yoga is to also master the three elements that make up its core: positions or asanas, breathing or pranayama, and meditation or dhyana. If either one of these elements are lacking, then one cannot expect to gain the optimal benefits from yoga. This also serves the gap between doing yoga and truly experiencing this as part of your lifestyle.

The most difficult phase in mastering yoga is usually the start or beginning an established yoga routine that will enable you to master it. Aside from motivation to acquire the skills needed, patience is another valuable quality to have. Here is a step-by-step guide on how you can get started using mastery techniques:

• Always start by mastering yoga poses. This is at the core of every yoga philosophy such that the profound benefits will follow later on.
• For beginners, ease your way in by practicing simple beginners' poses. Aside from being simple enough for you to learn, these poses will serve as foundation for more advanced yoga poses later on.
• Once you have acquired the basic yoga skills, you need to commit yourself to practicing it on a regular basis. That is the only means for you to enhance your skills and boost benefits that can be derived from it.

Since this is the most basic step in learning mastery techniques for yoga, you need to focus the earlier phase of your practice in learning basic to advanced yoga poses. There are literally hundreds of poses in yoga and it is really a tough challenge remembering all of them. Plus, this does not take into account yet the need to combine these poses with proper breathing techniques.

To release yourself off that burden, quit thinking about how you can incorporate the breathing exercises properly. Just focus solely on the proper physical execution of poses. Improper execution of yoga poses does not only deprive you of the benefits it can bring, but it can also cause injuries, something of which you need to avoid. Once you have mastered it enough, only then should you consider incorporating breathing and meditation.

What is Your Purpose?

The performance of yoga is always driven by a purpose. Without it, your execution of yoga loses its power that distinguishes it from all the other physical workout system. Start each yoga routine by defining a goal that you want to achieve. Whether it be physical fitness, improved health, or peace of mind, there are different approaches that you could use that will enable you to reach that end goal.

It will also enable you to gain a deeper understanding in the value of each pose. Others might not be able to decipher the value of a specific pose, but when you put into consideration your goals and the execution of a particular pose as a means to achieving that goal, then you have taken a step deeper into your yoga journey.

After the first two phases that are of highest importance in getting started with your mastery of yoga, here comes the aspect of pranayama or breathing. Once you have defined your goal for performing yoga and identified the yoga poses that you need to perform, it is now time to incorporate breathing exercises into the equation. Breathing exercises play a vital role because without it, you cannot expect to experience yoga. There is nothing there that differentiates it from all other physical exercises.

Here are a few mastery techniques for breathing exercises in yoga:

1. When you perform breathing exercises, pay attention to where the breath is coming from. The specific part of the body where you are drawing your breath from will have its corresponding impact on your system
2. Breathing from your diaphragm will fill your stomach with air.
3. Breathing from your chest will cause your lung muscles to expand as air comes in.
4. Breathing from your collar and shoulder bones will offer a deep sense of relaxation to the body as air enters to your system.
5. But most yoga exercises involve drawing breath from your stomach or chest, since such breathing exercises are known to effectively release tension off the muscles in your body.

Assuming Proper Attitude For Yoga

This is an unorthodox method of teaching yoga, especially among beginners. Most yoga instructors would not tell you about this in class but this is a very effective technique, not just for executing poses precisely but also in gaining its full benefits.

During performance of yoga poses, you are using your body as a medium to communicate the essence of the pose. Each pose represent a certain attitude and you need to be able to assume that. For example, performing the Warrior Pose must exude self-confidence and strength.

Meditation is one of five pillars in a successful yoga practice, with the other consisting of yoga exercises, breathing, relaxation, and proper diet. All of those four pillars lead up to meditation as the final point that will aim to cap off all the benefits of practicing yoga. Without meditation, your practice of yoga remains only in the superficial level without offering any significant or profound benefits to one's health.

The key to succeeding in this difficult practice is regularity. You need to establish a routine in your practice of meditation so your mind and body becomes accustomed to the experience. Choose a specific time of day that is allotted for meditation. And preferably, you must perform this routine on the same place on a regular basis. Experts believe that in the act of meditation, you are leaving your spiritual vibes within that specific room you are practicing in. And that spiritual vibe that is present in the environment will facilitate in the act of meditation, such as there is no need to establish the right mood or sensation within your spiritual being.

More Practical Tips

Practicing meditation might be tough but it is not an impossibility either. Take note of the practical tips below to get started on mastering meditation:

• Your success in mastering meditation lies even before you start practicing it. You need to be able to fully commit yourself to learning the art of meditation because until you do, you will never find the motivation you need to continue practicing it to the point of mastery.
• Define a purpose for meditation. After all, it is an active process unlike what others perceive it to be due to the lack of physical movement involved.
• Start your meditation routine with some breathing exercises. Doing so will enable you to release any form of tension in your body and mind.
• If you have difficulty meditating properly, you can try using different techniques. Test yourself using various techniques to determine which ones you are more comfortable with or have higher success rate.
• Entering the proper meditative state is vital in ensuring you get to experience a successful meditation practice. Therefore, you can use various tools such as yoga meditation music for this one.
• Choose the best time of day wherein your mind is mostly at ease to practice meditation. Yogi experts suggest doing yoga meditation in the morning.