There would be little point in practicing meditation if it had no benefits, but from my own limited experience, the benefits of meditation are numerous. I can only imagine what benefits will be obtained by those who have practiced meditation more regularly, and with more expertise, over a longer number of years, than I have.

Before listing some of my own personal benefits, those that have been clear to me through experience, let us just consider meditation itself. Meditation is a powerful spiritual practice, and the regular act of meditation can help a great deal in one’s spiritual development. Through the practice of meditation, the person meditating is able to focus on each part of his or her body, something I learnt in my first yoga lesson. Simply by doing this, a great level of relaxation can be achieved, which has the potential in providing many health benefits.

Meditation has been used since ancient times, especially in Eastern cultures, which tend to be more spiritually aware than the rest of us. Holy men and mystics, psychics and occultists, spiritualists and alternative therapists, have long understood the amazing powers of meditation. Since the 1960′s and the Beatles’ indulgence in Transcendental Meditation in India, more and more people have come to appreciate the powers that meditation can bring to our lives, whether spiritually, physically, or psychologically.

Benefits of Meditation I Have Experienced

My first “formal” experience of meditation was in yoga lessons, which I started at a time shortly after some major emotional upheavals in my life. It is not something you can really imagine fully without experiencing, which may be why many people dismiss meditation as some weird practice of Eastern mystics. In fact, meditation could not be more natural.

Interestingly, the yoga class I was in a few years back was sponsored by the British National Health Service, and was for people with some physical limitation which prevented them from practicing full yoga exercises. Being limited to some extent by spine and hip degradation, caused by Ankylosing Spondylitis in my youth, I could not do the full range of yoga exercises. I was therefore delighted to find this class existed in my own little town. I was the only one under 50 years of age in the class, and, unsurprisingly, the healthiest looking and feeling. To most people I seemed “normal”; it was only when it came to bending my spine and at the hips that any problem would be seen.

I can still, some 7 years later, recall leaving that first lesson, after a final 30-45 minute relaxation/meditation session. I felt a totally different person, in tune with every part of my body and totally relaxed in every way. It was as if I had been transported to a different land, when in fact all I had been doing was communicating with my inner self and each part of my body, to achieve the desired state.

I felt the health benefits after every session, and ever since then I have used yoga style relaxation techniques and meditation to:

1. Bring down my blood pressure from its “high normal” level.

2. Bring more calmness into my life.

3. Increase self awareness.

4. In conjunction with setting personal objectives, help me achieve goals.

5. Help me feel in control of my own existence.

I know that meditation, even with my limited training and ability to perform it, will always be in my health and personal achievement armoury. Sometimes, too, I think back to those mostly elderly people who attended the same yoga class. Aged 60-80 plus, they were all suffering from some chronic disease. One I remember had Parkinson’s Disease, and as long as she was strong enough to get to the lesson, she would be there every week, and claimed it helped her considerably.

So, my personal experience of the benefits of yoga, and what was guided meditation, go beyond my own direct experience, and into the experience of a class of chronically ill. Everyone in that class felt benefits; none attended for any social need, as there was no time for idle chat.

Finally, a few years back my son went on a 6 month trek around India, and throughout that time assured me not to worry about his blood sugar level, because of his lack of control over his diet there. He told me that, even with the imperfect diet, he had no trouble controlling his blood sugar level, as he could now do so through meditation. Even without my own direct experience that would have been enough to convince me that meditation could play an important role in health, and that it was indeed possible to use meditation to communicate with every part of the body.

This meditation and yoga [http://www.routes-to-self-improvement.com/Meditation.htm] article was written by Roy Thomsitt, owner and part author of the Routes To Self Improvement web site, where you will find other articles on topics such as Transcendental Meditation [http://www.routes-to-self-improvement.com/Transcendental_Meditation.htm] and yoga obstacles.

Yoga and meditation can be practiced separately or together, although in order to fully get the benefits of a yoga practice, you’d technically be meditating while you’re centered on your yoga breathing.

Benefiting the Mind and Body

The mind and body are often seen as separate entities, but they’re definitely intertwined. It’s impossible to separate the functions of one from the other.

For example, if you’ve ever been anxious or nervous, you know how that feels in your mind. Your thoughts race and you might even be irrational. At the same time, the nervousness has a profound effect on your body. Your heart pumps blood faster and your muscles tighten.

Yoga and meditation allow you to get centered on your breath so you can breathe deeply and relax, helping both body and mind. Both practices require some “work” in order to reap the benefits. However, when you stick with it and make the practices a part of your everyday routine, you’ll enjoy the serenity of a balanced mind and body.

More About Yoga

Yoga is an ancient practice where you assume certain postures while you concentrate and relax. Yoga helps you gain flexibility as well as clarity in your thinking. When you practice yoga consistently, you may even find that you bounce back after illness and injuries because your mind and body are in such a healthy state.

If you’ve never tried yoga before, you may want to attend a local beginner’s class or get a yoga DVD. For best results, start slow and ease your way into a practice. Remember that yoga is mostly about your breathing and state of mind. With concentration, the yoga postures will be easier for you to get into and then maintain.

More About Meditation

Meditation doesn’t focus as much on the body, but it’s still important to maintain good posture whether you’re practicing sitting or walking meditation. Your main focus with meditation is again on the breath, but more specifically on the present moment.

When starting a meditative practice, you’ll first want to find a time and place where you know you won’t be distracted. The time period immediately upon waking or before you go to bed usually works well.

It’s best to start by sitting in an upright posture with your shoulders back. This will ensure that your chest is out and in a good position for deep breathing. Focus on your breath and brush away stray thoughts that cloud your thinking. This relaxation can prepare your body for deeper meditation as well.

Tips To Deepen Your Practice

Once you’ve begun yoga and meditation practices, you can continue to deepen them by practicing every day. Persistence pays off, especially in the beginning while you’re still forming this healthy habit.

When you practice yoga and meditation consistently, you’ll feel the harmony forming between your mind and body. You’ll also look forward to your daily relaxation session that makes you feel so good! In the end, you’ll wonder how you could have ever waited so long to give them a try.

1. Sit comfortably. There are many “correct” ways to sit during a yoga practice. The key is to find the seated posture that fits your body best. Sitting cross-legged on the floor is the position most closely associated with yoga classes.

• You may wish to use a folded blanket or pillow to raise yourself off the floor, thereby allowing your knees to feel less stress. Your hands may rest on your knees with your palms facing upward.

• It’s important for your head, neck, and spine to be in as near perfect alignment as is comfortable for you. Yoga shouldn’t hurt. Ensure you’re in the most comfortable seated position for your own body.

2. Become aware of your breath. Most of us breathe throughout the day without any conscious thought about the breathing process. Yoga can change all that! Now that you’ve found your comfortable sitting position, you’re ready to concentrate on your breathing.

• Free your mind of all thoughts. If you feel comfortable, close your eyes. Concentration without any outside stimuli will enable you to focus more clearly on your breathing.

3. Begin yoga breathing. Inhale deeply, filling the lungs to capacity. Feel your chest rise with the breath. Feel a slight pause as you begin to exhale. Think only about your breathing. Count the seconds it takes to complete one full inhale and one full exhale. Gradually increase the amount of time for each inhale and exhale.

• Ideally, the timing of your inhale and exhale should be the same. Resist the urge to inhale slowly and then exhale quickly. If you can, spend at least five seconds on each inhale and five seconds on each exhale.

4. Calm the mind. Notice how you feel after spending a few minutes practicing the yoga breathing. A sense of peace and calmness begins to overtake your body and mind. You can feel your muscles begin to relax.

• Yoga breathing has many benefits beyond the physical. Your body will appreciate the intake of oxygen-rich air and your mind will appreciate the retreat from the stresses of the day!

5. Add movement to yoga breathing. Simple movements added to yoga breathing can relax the body or warm it up for additional yoga postures. While seated, put your chin on your chest and slowly rotate your head from your right shoulder to your back, then to your left shoulder and finally to your chest again. After a minute or two, reverse direction.

• You should be concentrating on your yoga breathing (slowly inhaling and exhaling fully) as you move your head.

• Here’s another simple movement you can add to your yoga breathing: While seated, stretch your hands out from the sides of your body. As you inhale, slowly raise your hands overhead allowing your palms to touch. Pause for a second, and as you exhale slowly, bring your hands back down to the floor.

• Continue with this movement, ensuring that your breathing matches the movement. Inhale, hands rise to touch. Exhale, lower hands to floor.

Basic yoga breathing can be done anytime, anywhere. Don’t wait for yoga class to receive the benefits of this wonderful, calming technique!

Do you need to relax? Most of people are having a busy life and do not have time to relax. In their busy life, people are on the run moment they get up from bed to the time they retire for the day. How can you be relax when whole day is spent in meeting the deadlines, pushing schedules, getting to office, getting back to home and not having enough time for having proper meals? In addition, there can be different types of stress due to financial problems, health problems in family, lack of emotional support or work pressures. End result is we are feeling stressed mentally and physically for most part of the day. You need relaxation urgently if you are becoming easily irritable, feeling loss of energy, not enjoying your work and have a feeling of hopelessness. Even if you are perfectly fine and healthy, proper relaxation can make a wonderful change to your life and reduce your stress levels.

A person who does not do any work need not be necessarily relaxed. Similarly, lying in your bed does not ensure relaxation if your mind is busy elsewhere.

Is this Relaxation? Following activities are not true relaxation :

• Collapsing into a sofa and watching your favourite channels. Sex, violence and tear jerking emotions can further add to your emotional baggage.
• Reading a newspaper or a magazine can make you feel better but it is not true relaxation.
• Eating, drinking or partying.
• Gossiping or spreading rumours about colleagues.
• Use of drugs or any other intoxicant.

Is Relaxation possible? Yes, relaxation is possible for everybody but it requires positive action. You can master the master the art of relaxation with persistent efforts. Relaxation is not a one time affair, you have to practice it regularly. Make relaxation techniques a part of your life. Do a self analysis to identify any major causes of stress that can be resolved easily and try to remove them. For true relaxation, there has to be a paradigm shift in the way you think. You have to let go of things. Do not think that you are doing everything. Remember, you are not indispensable, world does not rest on your shoulders alone. Here are some tips for relaxation.

Yoga for relaxation. Yoga breathing and yoga asanas are real stress busters and improves your feel good factor. It removes negative feelings/ emotions from your mind. Yoga helps in harmonising your mind and body, provides you more energy to carry out your work.

• About 15 minutes of yoga practice in the morning can help. Practice shava asana and rhythmic deep breathing initially.
• Also, during the day, you can practice rhythmic breathing any time you have minimum three to five minutes of spare time. Concentrate on your breath during the day and become aware of the rhythm of breathing.
• In general, consciously try to take deep breaths whenever you have time. After some days your breathing will automatically become deep and you can feel the difference in your spirits and resulting mental peace.
• At least once or twice a week practice yoga nidra for complete relaxation.

Relaxation and mind control. Relaxation is an art which starts with a positive state of mind. If you resolve in your mind that you are happy and relaxed, you will feel relaxed. With continuous auto suggestions, mind can be trained over a period of time.

Concentration and meditation Spend some time in solitude in a day, preferably early morning. Choose a room with no light or any sound. Try to concentrate your mind. Observe the thoughts going through your mind as an independent observer. After some days practice,

gradually try to have a control on your thoughts. You should not allow negative thoughts to enter your mind. It is possible but requires practice. Develop an attitude of self confidence.

Actions for Relaxation. Forward your clock by 5 minutes and you can avoid most of the troubles. Be available for all your appointments well in time. For example, before going to office, get ready 5 minutes early, relax and think about days task.

• Close your eyes and take 5 to 10 deep breaths, this gives you a momentary break to reorganise your thoughts.
• At times, leave our place of work for few minutes and take a walk to coffee machine.
• Take to stairs and climb to next floor.
• A good night’s sleep is essential for better relaxation and helps to avoid effects of sleep deprivation.
• Sometimes have a change in your daily routine. For example, sometimes go on a long walk in a nearby park. Spend some time in the lap of nature.
• Develop a hobby such as practicing yoga, meditating, cycling, swimming or gardening.

Emotions for Relaxation.

• You do not need other people’s approval for all your actions, so be relaxed and do not bother what other people say about you.
• You can relax while doing your work, provided you like your work and work with full concentration.
• Do not worry about past or future, take care of your present.
• Spend some time with your family every day. Your family can provide you much needed emotional support.
• You can also find pleasant memories within you to help you create relaxation.
• Indeed having a happy married life and harmonious environment at home is essential for peace of mind.

Control your breathing and heart rate by using rhythmic breathing so that you stay composed and calm under all circumstances. Relaxation essentially involves identifying and prioritising your most important jobs and utterly disregard unimportant issues. Practicing these relaxation tips/ techniques will enable you to focus on relevant issues, improve your productivity at work and lead a healthy life.

Daljit Kaur is a yoga enthusiast, and editor of http://www.yoga-for-beginners-a-practical-guide.com a portal dedicated to provide valuable information on yoga to beginners. For more information on yoga, visit http://www.yoga-for-beginners-a-practical-guide.com Subscribe to her e-zine for free at http://www.yoga-for-beginners-a-practical-guide.com/yoga-for-health.html for more information. Copyright: You may freely reprint this article provided the whole text, the author name, all links and this notice remain intact.

1. Stand with your feet slightly apart, palms together, thumbs against your chest.

2. Inhale deeply while slowly raising your hands over your head, and bend back as far as possible, while tightening your buttocks. Hold for three seconds.

3. Slowly exhale and bend forward, keeping your knees straight, until your fingers touch the floor outside your feet. (If you can’t touch the floor, go as close as you can.) Bring your head in toward your knees.

4. Slowly inhale, bend your knees, and if your fingertips aren’t outside your feet on the floor, place them there. Slide your right foot back as far as you can go, with the right knee an inch or so off the floor, (a lunge position). Now look up as high as possible, arching your back.

5. Before exhaling again, slide your left foot back until it is beside the right one, and with your weight supported on your palms and toes, straighten both legs so that your body forms a flat plane. Make sure your stomach is pulled in.

6. Slowly exhale, bend both knees to the floor, bend with your hips in the air, lower your chest and forehead to the floor.

7. Now inhale slowly and look up, bending your head back, then raising it, followed by your upper chest, then lower chest. Your lower body – from the navel down – should be on the floor, and your elbows should be slightly bent. Hold for three to five seconds.

8. Exhale slowly and raise your hips until your feet and palms are flat on the floor and your arms and legs are straight in an inverted V position.

9. Inhale slowly and bring your right foot forward as in position 4. The foot should be flat on the floor between your fingertips. The left leg should be almost straight behind you, with its knee slightly off the floor. Raise your head, look up, and arch your back.

10. Slowly exhale and bring your left foot forward next to your right one. Straighten your legs and stand, trying to keep your fingertips on the floor, and try to touch your head to your knees as in position 3.

11. Slowly inhale, raise your arms up and stretch back as in position 2. Don’t forget to tighten your buttocks. Hold for three seconds.

12. Slowly exhale, lowering your arms to your sides. Relax. Repeat the series.

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Yoga is rapidly becoming the most popular relaxation and fitness pursuit in the western world. People who value the worth of good health are learning that yoga gives an excellent outlet for reducing stress, as well as improving mental and physical health.

Yoga is best carried out in a stress-free setting. We all know how trying it can be to escape stress in our modern world. Everyday tensions such as work, family, worries about money etc can make it almost impossible to find harmony in our lives.

Attending your regular yoga class gives you relief from the world for only a short hour or so. As soon as you leave, you’re back to the strain of the 21st century.

If this sounds just like your life, then think about taking a yoga retreat.

A yoga retreat offers a casual atmosphere far away from your regular fast-paced life. Yoga retreats are held in the most tranquil corners of the planet – places where you can re-connect with nature and with yourself. Imagine yourself standing silently on a beach as the sun begins to peep over the rim of the earth. An hour of yoga practice and you are feeling great. And now it’s just a short wander up the beach to a healthy, nutritious breakfast with a view over the sea, followed by some gentle meditation and maybe a quick swim in the pool. Many yoga retreats will include two guided yoga sessions per day, possibly some meditation and discussion of philosophy and then the day is yours – explore the beauty of the world, and find yourself.

If all you would like is a stress-free vacation away from work, a yoga retreat can give you an idea about how to relax and wind down like you never have before. If you want to take a yoga retreat to improve your yoga practice, a yoga retreat gives you with a tranquil atmosphere where you can concentrate on the art of yoga.

At a yoga retreat you will come across others who are dedicated to the art of yoga – yoga devotees from all over the world. It is not unusual to leave a yoga retreat with a whole new collection of lifetime friendships. The retreat will become a place of community where people can get pleasure from yoga in a social atmosphere. You will find yourself in conversation with people ready to share their passion for yoga and its positive effects. The yoga teachers who lead the retreat will be ready to give special guidance to all participants, whether you are a beginner or a more practiced yogi.

A yoga retreat gives you a rare chance to find peace without having to be troubled about the concerns of work and home.

About Author:
A perfect location for a yoga holiday is the islands of Fiji. A Fiji yoga holiday will be the most tranquil vacation of your life.

A range of yoga retreats in Fiji is held at Daku Resort in Savusavu in Fiji. Daku Resort is a beautiful little resort right on the water on Vanua Levu.

Read more about yoga in Fiji at http://www.yogainfiji.com.

For most of us, yoga is a form of exercise, a way of releasing the tension that our body accumulates after long hours of sitting in chairs, hunched over our desks. Whilst there is nothing wrong with using yoga as a means of releasing physical tension and adding healthy exercise to our daily routine, it can be much more than that. Yoga is a way of life, a style of living, a way of connecting with your true self and of bringing the mind to a space of stillness and joy. Yoga, if studied and practiced regularly and with love and dedication, becomes a journey of self discovery, a way of acquiring harmony and peace in our lives.

If you are new to yoga, here is a quick guide to the most popular forms of yoga.

Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga is often used by athletes and those who want a challenging workout which builds power and strength.The focus is more on building strength, stamina and internal health rather than a meditative experience. Ashtanga yoga includes a set series of postures which, with the use of ujjayi (victory) breath and bandas (seals), are used to create internal heat and detoxify the body.

Hatha Yoga is one of the most common types of yoga, combining postures (asanas) with synchronised breathing. Combined with breath work, (pranayama), meditation and relaxation, this well-rounded approach works to still the mind and rejuvenate the body.

Jivamukti Yoga is an integrative style of yoga, combining the physical postures of Hatha Yoga with a spiritual practice. A transformative blend of postures, chanting and breathing techniques and meditation are combined to control the mind and bring serenity and calmness.

Kundalini Yoga is known as the Yoga of Awareness because it awakens the dormant energy in us. In the language of Sanskrit, ‘kundalini’ means ‘that which is coiled’, sometimes understood as a serpent, but also as the dormant energy located at the base of our spine. It is both a physical and a meditative discipline, which harnesses the mind, the body and the spirit together as one. Asanas (poses), pranyama (breath work), mantra (chanting) and meditation exercises are combine to bring about deep relaxation.

An excellent way to begin or expand your yoga life is to take a yoga retreat. Spend a week in a beautiful location and allow the peacefulness of your surroundings enhance your yoga and sooth and calm your spirit.

A range of yoga retreats is held at Daku Resort in Savusavu in Fiji. Daku Resort is a beautiful little resort right on the water on Vanua Levu. They run 13 courses throughout the year in each of the main styles of yoga.

Read more about yoga in Fiji at http://www.yogainfiji.com