YOGA FOR BEGINNERSThe Purpose of Meditation
Meditation is meant to calm the mind, but not in the way
that you might think. Many people believe meditation is a
tool to tune out, while in fact it is actually a tool to tune in.
It’s a way to train your mind and, by proxy, your body to tune
in to its needs. It helps you find an inner peace that lets you
operate in this world without all the anxieties and stresses
that come from your daily life. It lets you leave behind fears,
doubts, and the voices in your head that say, “You are doing
this wrong. You are not enough. You can’t do that. You won’t
do this.” Meditation allows you to tune out those voices and
tune in to the one true voice—your own.
Meditation also leads you to the now—that state of being
where you’re not worrying about the future or fretting
about the past. Instead, you’re able to concentrate on the
moment and live without distractions. Meditation quiets
the “me” center of the brain and allows you to be more
present. It is simply the practice of continuously focusing all
your attention on one thing in order to calm the mind and
become inwardly aware.
Benefits of Meditation
Just as yoga has a multitude of benefits, so does meditation.
Numerous medical studies have been done on the effects
of meditation on the brain. The findings range from aug-
menting the amount of gray matter to reducing anxiety to
improving concentration and increasing happiness.