Yoga, Health, and Wellness Articles + Recipes

Quick check in: does your mind feel laser-focused and steady? Ready to handle any challenges in a reasonable, calm manner? If your answer, like ours, was to throw your head back and roar with laughter because you’ve got countless distractions bouncing around your brain, we’re here to help. This week, we’ve got four meditation classes to help you feel clearer and more grounded. If you are new to meditation or it has been a while since you meditated, read on for some insight into why it can have such a profound impact on your life. Meditation is the practice of learning to quiet the monkey mind or as Patanjali delineated in Yoga Sutra 1.2: citta vritti nirodhah: Yoga is learning to direct the attention of your mind where you wish it to go. Meditation encourages you to quiet the distractions in order to create space for clarity. It is the art of letting go and bringing the mind to the present moment. Meditation is a practice that takes time and effort, but it is worth every minute.

Meditation is a practice that’s open to anyone, and there are huge health benefits to be had from a simple and daily meditation practice - both physically and mentally. There are so many studies out there that have proven that mindfulness and meditation can have a positive impact to your mental and physical health. For example, meditation can reduce stress to the extent that it can help to reprogram your brain to increase your capacity to manage stress, and also reduce the stress hormone cortisol in your body and even strengthen your immune system. Meditation can also help to improve your concentration and focus. This is because meditation creates a mindful awareness in the brain, allowing it to be calm and in harmony with itself. Regular practitioners of meditation have shown a heightened attention and concentration span.