Do you visit to a spa regularly? Just visualize yourself getting a relaxing head massage in its serene ambience, among the dimmed lights, the aroma of the scented candles, the soft instrumental music being played, with the peace and calm trickling down your soul, the relaxation engulfing your senses along with the ultimate bliss.

Stop!

Now imagine getting that same head massage on a sunny day on the side of a busy, noisy road, seated on a hard wooden chair in a dusty place, which is completely devoid of all the peace and serenity. How does it feel?

What if I tell you that you are being given the head massage by that same professional from the spa using the same high quality products, even then you wouldn’t prefer taking the road side head massage option, would you?

I know the reason. It is all about the aura of a place, the ambience of the spa that seeps into your mind and body to give you a quiet you wouldn’t want to part with. This proves that it is not just about the physical treatment you get there, but more about the mental tranquility being offered, that attracts you and makes you visit the spa more often.

Similar is the case with practising Yoga. While practising yoga, many people take care of the physical aspect like the poses, but leave out the meditational aspect of it. By this I mean that they take very good care while performing a particular asana, but totally forget their mental state while doing so.

Inner (mental) state, here, can be taken care of by meditating after the physical practice is over.

Going by the initial example I cited, I would also like to throw light on the kind of people who go to the spa to enjoy the atmosphere but never take any treatments or relaxing therapies there. They are the ones who practice only mental relaxation (meditation) and completely ignore the physical aspects of yoga. They believe that Yoga is only about the mind and has nothing much to do with the body.

This imbalance in practicing either Yoga or Meditation keeps us from experiencing the whole benefits of the practice and creates an imbalance in life.

Let me tell you that Yoga is as much about the mind as it is about the body. It teaches us effective ways and methods to discipline, not only our body but also our mind, in turn, disciplining our lives.

Why practice Meditation with Yoga

• Practicing meditation along with Yoga, completes the practice and fetches maximum benefits.
• It integrates the mind, body and spirit, thus giving more energy and power to the practice and the person.
• Meditation relaxes the mind as much as Yoga relaxes the body. At the same time, meditation gives energy to the mind as much as yoga energizes the body. So they both work together to regulate the energies of the body.
• Meditation helps one heal oneself while boosting your creativity. Also, it can positively and effectively help in pain relief.
• Since times immemorial, meditation has been known to center the mind, lower anxiety and slow down fast paced thoughts.
• All the poses of Yoga demand full concentration and attention of the practitioner. Practicing meditation along with Yoga, doubles up the benefits by sharpening focus and stabilizing breath.
• Just like health is not just about physical well-being but also about emotional well-being, yoga is not just about the physical workout, but also about working out the mind – which is achieved properly through meditation.

To sum up, all I can say is- to have an ultimate relaxing experience at the spa you don’t just need good professionals, high-quality products or expertise in that field. You also need a relaxing atmosphere, a quiet and a calm place with the mood built up and some peace of mind to make the most of that therapy.

Meditation along with Yoga is the perfect recipe to give you that ultimate blissful experience. They both go hand in glove and are absolutely incomplete and ineffective without each other.

So make it a point to practice meditation along with your yoga practice in your daily routine. Observe the difference in your everyday life and mood. I will wait for your comments.

Namaste!