An important component of yoga that I have not yet discussed in my blog is meditation and mindfulness. Meditation is essentially a practice that helps individuals “quiet” the mind and it involves training the mind to achieve a state of awareness and relaxation. Mindfulness is cultivated through meditation and is a mental state that can be characterized by focused attention on the present moment, without judgment or distraction. It is an awareness that emerges through paying attention to the present moment and non-judgmentally to the unfolding of experiences. The practice of mindfulness is not something that you achieve but rather is an ongoing process and journey, as it involves being present and aware of your thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and the surrounding environment. Meditation and yoga go hand in hand as yoga aims to create harmony between the mind and body. When I was studying yoga in India, we were guided through a meditation practice every morning for one hour, and our instructor taught us different breathing techniques, such as pranayama breathing, and I remember feeling very relaxed and calm after every session.

While I have taken my yoga practice very seriously, I can’t say that I have done the same with my meditation practice. So, I decided that I would make an effort to practice mediating as it is an integral part of yoga, and it will only strengthen my practice and my mind for the better. To help me with my journey and to get back into the groove of meditating, I decided it would be a great idea to use a meditation app. After careful research, I landed on the app called Insight Timer, and the reason I chose this app is because it is free and it includes thousands of guided meditations, sleep music tracks and talks led by the top meditation and mindfulness experts. I played around with the app for a bit, and I like how you have the choice to either set a timer and meditate on your own or choose from an array of guided meditations. I used the app consecutively for five days in a row and I love how the app keeps track of your progress and you are awarded accomplishment streaks. I love the gamification aspect of this app as I find myself wanting to practice meditating to continue my streak. As well, I really enjoy how the app is super customizable as users have the choice to pick what kind of bell or sound they want to start and end their practice with, if they are using the timer. I also found the guided meditations to be very helpful at nighttime when I am trying to fall asleep as they help me to clear my mind and enter a relaxful state before bed. Overall, I highly recommend this app and strongly believe it is a useful tool that everyone can benefit from, no matter their experience with meditation.

Photo by: Colton Sturgeon