Yoga and meditation have gained tremendous popularity these days, with many people incorporating these practices into their daily routines. However, although both practices share similarities in techniques, the purposes they serve are different.
Further in the article, we’ll take you through the differences between yoga and meditation and provide insights on which practice may be better suited to your goals. Sit back and keep reading.
What Is Yoga?
Yoga is a holistic practice that originated in ancient India and has been practiced for thousands of years. To be more precise, it appeared as early as 2700 BC, which puts it on par with some of the most ancient forms of physical activities such as wrestling, hunting, and martial arts.
Yoga practice involves a combination of physical postures, breathing techniques, and meditation designed to promote physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Generally, it’s not viewed as a sport, although those who practice yoga regularly tend to improve their physical appearance and build endurance, strength, and flexibility by mastering demanding poses.
Unlike regular exercise at the gym, yoga has been shown to affect both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Physically challenging as it can be, it initially activates the fight-flight response. However, as the body becomes more accustomed to a pose, the parasympathetic nervous system is triggered, promoting relaxation and a sense of inner peace.
The health benefits of yoga are numerous, some of which include:
- Increased energy levels;
- Lowered blood pressure;
- Improved strength and flexibility.
In addition to the physical benefits, it’s known to have a positive impact on mental health by promoting relaxation and reducing stress levels. In fact, yoga practitioners can achieve a kind of state where they can not only calm their mind, but actually penetrate into its depths, understand the nature of their thoughts and emotions, and take them under control.
Different Types of Yoga
Essentially, there are three main types of yoga limbs, which are:
- Asanas;
- Pranayama;
- Dhyana.
Asanas are the physical postures. They can be practiced individually or as part of a following sequence and are known to promote strength and flexibility in the muscles.
When it comes to pranayama, this term refers to the breathing techniques that are used in conjunction with physical postures. By practicing these techniques, yogis can relax, reduce their levels of stress, and bring awareness to the present moment.
Finally, dhyana is an aspect of yoga that focuses on meditation. Through meditation, people can enhance their concentration and focus, as well as connect with a deeper sense of self-awareness and better understand themselves.
In addition to the mentioned strands, yoga can branch into the following styles:
- Hatha;
- Vinyasa;
- Chakra;
- Kundalini;
- Iyengar;
- Restorative;
- Power;
- Yin, and more.
Those who are after the practice that is gentle and slow-paced most often choose to stick to Hatha yoga, which emphasizes physical postures and breathing techniques. Vinyasa style is a bit more dynamic while still being very much focused on the breath.
Chakra yoga is often chosen by those who seek to explore its spiritual side. The techniques it incorporates are designed to activate the chakra energies that flow along the channels of our spines, resulting in increased vitality, balance, and harmony within the mind and body.
Kundalini is a form of yoga introduced to the West by Yogi Bhajan in the late 1960s. This style combines dynamic and powerful movements (kriyas), designed to stimulate the energy centers of the body, and various breathing techniques. In addition, it often involves chanting and meditation, with mantras and other sacred sounds used to help focus the mind on the inner self.
Iyengar is mainly focused on the structural integrity of postures, with practitioners concentrating on their movements. When it comes to restorative yoga, it is all about passive stretching to release muscle tension, which is done using props to support the body.
Power yoga is a relatively new practice developed in the US in the 1990s. As the name suggests, it involves a lot of dynamic and vigorous movements, with an emphasis on physical intensity and athleticism. Yin is the complete opposite. It’s a slow and relaxing practice that helps build strength and promote relaxation through holding poses for an extended period of time.
What Is Meditation?
Meditation is a mental practice first and foremost. It doesn’t involve any physical activity and is focused on training the mind to achieve a state of calmness and relaxation. People have been practicing it for thousands of years in various cultures and religions, using it as a tool for reducing stress and anxiety and enhancing their psychological well-being.
In contrast to yoga, during meditation, people typically sit or lie down rather than twisting themselves in asanas, and focus their attention on a specific object or sound, which can be breath, a mantra, or a candle flame. Once thoughts arise, they simply observe them without making any judgments and return their focus to the chosen object.
Meditation can be of many different types, including (but not limited to):
- Mindfulness;
- Loving-kindness;
- Transcendental.
While all of them have a different focus and technique, the main goal of each of them is to bring a practitioner to a state of inner peace and calmness.
Similar to yoga, meditation offers plenty of health benefits. According to numerous studies, regular meditation practice can lead to lower cortisol levels, improved sleep quality, increased cognitive function, and enhanced overall well-being.
How Do Yoga and Meditation Differ?
Although yoga and meditation are often used together, they are not the same thing. To know which one of them is best suited to your individual needs, it’s important to understand the differences between them. Here are some of them:
- Meditation doesn’t involve any physical activity. You could do sports, of course, on top of meditating, if you like, but the practice itself doesn’t imply it and is mainly focused on the internal processes of the brain;
- The next difference comes from the first. While yoga is designed to train practitioners to stay focused on poses and breathing, meditation helps focus on the present, calm disturbing thoughts, and maintain laser-like attention;
- People with certain physical limitations may find it quite challenging to fully engage in the practice of yoga and execute physically demanding postures, while meditation is suitable for people of all abilities.
Are There Any Similarities Between Yoga and Meditation?
Even though, as we’ve stated, yoga and meditation are different practices, there are a few things that they share in common. What are they? Let’s have a closer look.
- Both practices, despite using different techniques, are designed to improve concentration and help take your thoughts and emotions under control;
- What is also common for both yoga and meditation is that they can help clear disturbing thoughts and lower stress levels;
- In addition, yoga and meditation share a common goal: to promote greater mindfulness and awareness of thoughts and physical actions. By engaging in either practice, people can learn to cultivate a deeper sense of presence and focus in their daily life.
Combining Yoga and Meditation
Now that we’ve covered what yoga and meditation are, how they differ, and what similarities they have in common, you may be wondering if it’d be possible to combine the two to gain even more benefits. The short answer to this question would be “yes”. At the end of the day, dhyana is a core component of yoga that is included in yogis’ daily routines.
The long answer is, it depends on the goals you want to achieve. Unlike meditation, yoga is a much more complex practice that is focused on spirituality. This means that in order to become a guru, you’ll need to apply the yogis’ principle of non-violence to all spheres of your life, starting from eating habits to interpersonal relationships.
What is also important is that you do it not simply because it’s what yoga requires but because you genuinely understand the deeper meaning behind it. If that sounds exactly like the kind of goal you perceive, then combining the two can help you on your path to achieving a greater sense of inner harmony, purpose, and fulfillment.
In general, it’s good to practice each of them separately first, rather than trying to combine the two from the get-go. This will help you better understand the concept of each and make changes in your life more consciously.
Yoga Isn’t a Replacement for Meditation
Finally, we’ve made it to the most intriguing question – can yoga replace meditation, given that it is part of it?
While it’s true that meditation is included in yoga as one of its key components, it’s nonetheless a standalone practice, meaning that it cannot be replaced. Here are a few reasons why:
- For novice practitioners, doing asanas can be quite distracting and take attention away from the present. Meditation, on the other hand, is purely for honing concentration skills;
- Meditation can be practiced anywhere and anytime without the need for any special clothing, space, or equipment, which is often not the same when it comes to yoga;
- In contrast to yoga, which is typically practiced following a set sequence of postures, meditation is much easier to adapt to individual needs, goals, or even preferences;
- It’s also worth noting that meditation can be practiced at various levels of depth, including advanced techniques such as Vipassana and Transcendental, which may not be achievable through yoga alone.
As you can see, these practices are quite distinct, despite sharing certain similarities, and replacing meditation with yoga is impossible. At the same time, as we’ve mentioned earlier, they could complement each other and work together to enhance your mindfulness and quality of life.
Final Thoughts
To wrap it up, the question of whether yoga or meditation is better ultimately comes down to your preferences and goals. Both practices offer a wealth of benefits for physical and mental health, but they differ in their approach and focus.
While yoga provides a physical workout that incorporates meditation and mindfulness, meditation focuses on calming the mind and reducing stress. Ultimately, the best practice for you depends on what resonates with you personally.
The good news is, whether you incorporate yoga or meditation (or a combination of both), you are sure to experience a range of benefits for both your mind and body and bring balance to your life.