What is the relationship between yoga, meditation, and self hypnosis?
Though no one knows the exact origin of yoga, meditation or self hypnosis, one thing is certain, that each of them is more than thousands of years old.
Eminent scholars are of the opinion that the origins and practice of yoga and meditation can be traced to the Indus Valley civilization.
In spite of the fact that these practices give the practitioner a sense of well being and peace it was not in vogue until recently.
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The Origins of meditation
Though yoga and meditation are often linked together they are also different. Meditation is thought to have been practiced all over the world for a very long time.
Self-hypnosis is also thought to have existed in the world for a long time.
These alternate methods of healing and self-healing have existed for hundreds of year’s in spite of efforts to discourage them by various vested interests for example fundamentalists and dogmatists.
Doesn’t it make you wonder why some people would want to discourage something as wonderful as self hypnosis, meditation and yoga? Well the answer is simple.
Most people who against these methods were people in control try to control of other people.
Can These Ancient Practices Be Used to Control Others?
And they were under no circumstances willing to relinquish the control they had over the masses, because these methodologies thought one how to have control over one’s well being( physical, mental & spiritual).
In many societies of the world these practices were forbidden.
People in countries under dictatorship, communism were forbidden to practice yoga meditation, and self-hypnosis. Why? Because communism didn’t allow people to question and receive answers about any thing other than what they wanted the people to know.
They wanted people who were not in touch with their spirituality, whose consciousness was not awakened.
They wanted their masses to be like robots and just obey commands. And we all know that yoga takes us to a higher plane and a higher level of consciousness.
So people who practice yoga cannot be manipulated according to the whims and fancies of certain people. Because of this kind of oppression many people in the former Soviet union practiced Yoga in secret.
As a person who has lived in a free country all his life I find this difficult to comprehend, as will all of you who live in a free society. All we can conclude is that if people were willing to risk their lives for the well being offered by yoga there must be something to it.
Think of all the sages who realized self and more through yoga.
Modern Day Meditations
In the present day of gadgets, where we have some gadget or other to do almost any thing we want, we still have no time for ourselves, no time to take real good care of our well being, our spirituality, of self awakening [except for gadgets designed for personal growth such as Binaural Beats & Centerpointe’s Holosync].
However, who is holding you back from yoga? No one But you yourself.
Take a few moments to yourself, put your feet up and relax. Think of all the benefits that you will gain by practicing yoga or meditation or self-hypnosis.
Think of the well being that is the fruits of practicing these self improvement methods. Don’t you want to feel good about your self, be relaxed and calm and be able to deal with the vagaries of life confidently and calmly.
Love and good wishes.
About The Author:
Pradeep Aggarwal is a renowned Hypnosis & NLP guru with career spanning two and half decades He is also a much sought after speaker and peak performance consultant for Sport Teams and organizations. Visit hypnosis global for free 6 part mini course to learn Self Hypnosis and Personal Transformation.
Meditation Through Yoga
“Stop and smell the flowers”. This old adage holds great truth and advice especially for the over-worked, over-stressed citizens of the modern world.
We fill our days with fast paced activities and chores that lead to frustration, increased weight, and depression.
Trying to cram too many activities in each day can have disastrous effects.
Many ask how they can ward off the ill effects of stress. Besides reducing your activities you can look to the beneficial effects of meditation.
The Power of Meditation
There are many ways to meditate from Centerpointe’s holosync & binaural beats technology to calming exercise such as yoga.
Yoga has become a popular choice for many celebrities. Celebrities have stress upon their life on a grand scale.
They not only have the unyielding demands of work, but also the critical and watchful eye of the critics, fans, and paparazzi.
You may not have cameramen taking snapshots of you going to the grocery store, but you can have comparable levels of stress.
Therefore, why not follow the celebrity craze in yoga and see if it works for you.
Yoga
Yoga comes in many forms and difficulty levels. You can practice yoga at a health club or by watching yoga videos.
It is recommended that beginning yogis take classes at a gym or health club. It is crucial to perform the postures correctly.
A certified yoga instructor will help you to properly align your body and point out any areas for improvement.
This feedback is essential so that you can receive the maximum benefits of yoga. An instructor can also talk you through meditation helping you to clear your mind and thus reduce your stress.
The basics of yoga cover four steps: breathing, meditation, posture, and relaxation.
Let’s focus on the meditation aspect of yoga.
Meditative Yoga Practices
The purpose of meditation is to free your mind of worries. You literally want to wipe your mind slate clean. This can prove to be difficult as thoughts about the dry cleaning you need to pick up or the work report you need to finish race around your mind. A yoga instructor or audio tape can lead you through the steps to achieving deep meditation.
They will lead you through focusing on the present.
When you focus on the present you automatically release any tensions that come from activities you need to do or things you are worried about from the past. Meditation allows you to look into yourself.
Your mind becomes clear as stress and tension are swept away. This is sometimes referred to as “centering” the body.
Try to listen to your body. Feel how the air moves from your belly through your nose as you inhale and exhale.
You are getting back to the basics of life and the building blocks of your existence.
Yoga Postures
Classic yoga meditation involves sitting cross-legged on the floor with your spine straight.
Rest your hands, palm face up, on your legs.
Close your eyes and breathe deeply. Try to breathe from the center of your body up and out through your nose.
Make sure to relax your muscles, especially your jaw.
In times of stress we tend to tighten our face causing jaw muscles to become sore.
Take heed of the present moment. Remove the past and future from your mind.
When you become comfortable with yoga meditation breathing techniques you can move on to daily affirmations.
Sit in your meditation pose and breathe deeply to allow your mind and body to relax.
Affirmations
Next quietly say affirmations that are broad as well as personalized to your situation. For example, you can say “I will center my thoughts on the present.”
Follow this by saying “I will listen to myself breathe.”
It is important to find daily affirmations that will center you as well as revolve around the positive aspects of life.
Finish each daily affirmation session by being grateful for all the joyous aspects of your life. If you have time, try to meditate five to ten minutes daily.
Your yoga postures will improve with meditation practice. Strive to engage in the deep breathing and affirmation techniques daily from the comfort of your own home.
Don’t Stop There
Supplement these meditation techniques with an actual yoga class.
Not only will you gain valuable instruction from the yoga teacher, but you will also gain support and camaraderie of fellow yogis.
This support group can help to alleviate stress and keep you interested in improving your yoga skills.
Ideally, you should attend a yoga class two to three times per week.
However, this may not work with your schedule. Check to see if your local gym or health club has a diverse yoga schedule. Many health clubs offer yoga classes for varying difficulty levels in the morning, afternoon, and evenings.
The combination of daily meditation and yoga classes will bring you closer to a stress free life.
Your mind and body will flourish from the healthy benefits of meditation and yoga. Now take a deep breathe and get started on your journey to stress free life.