When people think about meditation, they can often be confused about what it is, getting meditation and yoga mixed up in their mind. This means that in their mind, they're not sure about the differences, but they're normally attracted to them in order to fix something about their mind and body.
This article will provide a brief overview about the differences between meditation and yoga, which practice provides you with the benefit you're looking for, and what to do in the long run for your overall health and wellness.
Key differences between meditation and yoga
One of the main reasons why people get the two practices mixed up is because Yoga is a practice people also do for the mind. The act of utilizing the body to discipline the mind is a large part of what yoga is.
Also in the west, many yoga practices have an element of "meditation" at the end of each session. However, that type of meditation (more of temporary relaxant to the mind) is very different to the type that we practice here.
On top of this, the original definition of yoga translates to "to unite" or "to join" referencing a union with "the one consciousness".
However, meditation provides these benefits on a much deeper level, where the changes in your mind aren't just experienced temporarily, but become lasting, long term changes. And more profoundly, truly uniting with that one consciousness by becoming one with it - this all happens in the mind.
People also start yoga as a way of trying to help with their anxiety, so it's definitely better to go right to the root cause of why you get anxiety and solve that problem - which happens in your mind!
Why the mind should come first
In yoga, it is about the body first, to discipline the mind.
In meditation, it is about the mind first, for everything to run harmoniously.
You can think of your mind as the "CPU" of your body - what it wants, you follow. When you feel like getting a snack from the fridge (when you're not even hungry!), first the "command" comes from your mind, and then the body moves. It is not the other way around. Same as any kind of movement.
The mind always comes first, and you'll be able to see that for yourself with some basic self reflection.
So wouldn't it make more sense to get your mind right first? Then everything in your life naturally falls into place (and many times, even miraculously when it begins to sync up with the one consciousness, the True Mind).
Once your consciousness is one with the True Mind, you naturally have the discipline you want, because it is the mind of discipline, and you have wisdom to know what to do, and you become a person of action and able to achieve anything you put your mind to.
However, both serve their purpose and you should do both!
Just because you should get your mind right first, doesn't mean to say "don't do yoga!" - in fact doing both for your overall health. Although if you're time poor, start with your mind first, because as you master your mind, you will find you start to miraculously "have more time".
To increase your overall health and longevity there are 4 things to do:
1) Vegetable based diet
2) Regular exercise
3) Yoga
4) Meditation
Don't preference one for the other - do them all for a holistic approach to wellness and your mind and body will begin to glow. They will repair naturally according to how nature intended, especially as you start to do the right things for your mind and body through wisdom.
Conclusion
Ultimately, meditation and yoga have their differences, mainly that one has a focus on the mind and one a focus on the body. But in the end, they feed into each other, and you should try to be doing both practices for the benefit of your overall health for mind and body.
But the mind comes first. With some basic self reflection, you'll also be able to see the logic of that and conclude in order to truly fix your mind and body, you should start with your mind.
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