Meditation Basics

Meditation or dhyana, is the practice of seeking "total awareness," a state of mind in which the yoga student focuses on one thing and blocks out all other mental or physical distractions. Yoga uses meditation primary as a way to help students clear the mind to focus on breathing and yoga posture technique.

Benefits

Meditation has many benefits beyond a heightened state of awareness. These include:

- Reduced blood pressure and heart rate
- An overall sense of serenity and relaxation
- A clear, "clean-slate" state of mind

When starting to meditate you should try to practice twice a day, preferably 15-20 minutes each time. As you continue to meditate you will find yourself becoming more focused during the practice. As you mind becomes less restless with continual practice, try increasing the time of meditation to enhance the results.