Yoga meditation is an important part of the yoga process, regardless of which style of yoga you prefer. Yoga benefits your body in a variety of physical ways, meditation benefits your body in a number of psychological ways, and the combined benefits of yoga meditation create one of the strongest health practices you can do for your body.

Yoga benefits are most related to flexibility, as yoga involves a physical discipline that is unparalleled by other physical activities in its scope and includes the widest range of physical benefits of any recreational activity. Increased flexibility and toning of the muscles leads to natural lubrication of the joints and ligaments. Because yoga benefits the entire body, it is unique in that it massages every organ of the body on some level, even organs deep within our internal frames that rarely get exercised, lubricated or massaged. This leads to a complete detoxification, a process that is especially true in Bikram (hot) yoga.

Meditation benefits are so impressive that yoga meditation is the number one natural cure suggested for all psychological conditions and disorders. Meditation involves a strict discipline of the mind that varies in process depending on which style of yoga and meditation you prefer. All meditation benefits the mind in the sense that it involves “turning off” or extreme focusing of thoughts, essentially providing a relaxation of the mind. Clinical studies show that yoga meditation increases willpower, energy and overall satisfaction with life. It is also a powerful de-stressing mechanism and meditation decreases aggression, increases productivity, and encourages the neural synapses to connect at a faster rate. Other meditation benefits include greater emotional stability, improved memory and brain function, lower risk of Alzheimer’s, greater development of intuition, slower aging process within the mind, less restlessness, improved ability to make judgements, and a stronger sense of self.

The combined power of yoga meditation benefits the mind and body in a way that no other physical activity can. Benefits of yoga meditation include lower blood pressure, reduced anxiety, reduced oxygen consumption, greater physical relaxation, decreased respiratory and heart rate, lower cholesterol, relief from asthma and pulmonary conditions, and overall lower use of energy in day-to-day processes. When used on a regular basis, yoga meditation has the long-term benefits of reducing free radicals (toxins within the body), raising levels of DHEAs, speeding the body’s ability to heal, improving air flow into the lungs, lowering risk of depression, anxiety, migraines, headaches, upset stomach and cancer, lowering risk of infertility, normalizing weight, and improving skin’s resistance to stretch. Yoga is rarely considered to be a “hard” physical or mental discipline and it is ideal for people who want to improve their health but are wary of their athletic abilities. It’s also ideal for people who are physically unfit for most sports because it has been clinically proven to reduce chronic pain, improving healing and improve your body’s ability to lose weight.