How to Master Meditation & Yoga

Practicing meditation and yoga is an effective way to improve your mental health and physical fitness. These activities help relieve stress and allow you to embrace a feeling of peacefulness, which results in a positive outlook on life. Mastering meditation and yoga is an ongoing process. If you start slowly and practice regularly, it can become an essential part of your daily life.

Instructions

1. Experiment with the amount of time you are comfortable meditating. Sit quietly and clear your mind, focus on your breathing and repeat a mantra if you would like. Assess how long you can do this without becoming distracted or uncomfortable.

2. Gradually add time to your meditation session. You may start at only five minutes, but if you continue to add a few minutes to your sessions each week, soon you will be able to comfortably meditate for 30 minutes a day.

3. Use instructional CDs to guide your meditation. This will ensure you are using effective methods to meditate correctly as well as help you to improve your ability for longer sessions. One good CD for this purpose is "How to Meditate" by Pema Chödrön.

4. Choose a beginner yoga class at a local fitness center or yoga studio to get started. This type of class will gently introduce you to yoga techniques and poses. As you become more familiar with the practice, you can progress to more advanced classes.

5. Seek the help of a yoga instructor when you start. You can use DVDs such as Gaiam A.M. Yoga for your Week with Rodney Yee at home, but attend at least one or two classes with a certified instructor at first so you know how to safely perform each move. This personal instruction will improve your ability to master yoga.

6. Practice meditation and yoga consistently. If you only do these activities every now and then, it is not likely you will master the techniques. Make them a habit and you will get better at doing them.

Tips & Warnings

• Practice your meditation and yoga first thing in the morning to give you a positive, peaceful outlook on the rest of your day. Also, doing it before your day gets busy and hectic may make you more likely to fit it in.

• Progress gradually when doing yoga. Effectively mastering yoga requires great improvements in flexibility and balance. Doing too much too fast could result in injury.

Resources

• Zen Habits: Meditation for Beginners
• AOL Health: Yoga for Beginners