fbpx

5 Ways Meditation Promotes Good Health

Daily meditation practice doesn’t have to be complicated—even a short 2-5 minute meditation performed each day has many benefits that compound over time.

There is no prescribed way to meditate. There are many different methods of meditation to accommodate individual preferences. For beginners, it’s best to start by focusing on the breath and breathing into all parts of the body to create space and calm. 

Meditation is a state of mind, not an activity. Meditation may be performed sitting, laying down, walking, reading, writing, or performing other tasks that help calm the body and mind. Meditation doesn’t necessarily mean sitting on your yoga mat; we can meditate while washing the dishes, picking our kids up from school, waiting in line at the grocer, or taking out the garbage. 

How long you meditate each day depends on your level and the style of meditation you choose. Ultimately, it depends upon the practitioner. If you’re tight on time, 10-minutes of meditation is better than skipping it altogether. If you’re new to meditating, start with 5-10 minutes and add a minute or two each day. 

If you’re not convinced that meditation is something you should include in your daily routine, read on to see the mental, physical, and emotional support meditation provides.

5 Reasons to Cultivate a Meditation Practice

1.

Meditation works with the vagal tone, which is the activity of the vagus nerve.
The vagus nerve connects to the body’s principal organs, including the stomach, liver, heart, lungs, and brain, and controls the heart rate. We influence the vagus nerve by breathing deeply and slowing down the heart rate. A slower heart rate slows down the body’s vital processes, including the busyness of the mind.

2.

Theta waves, the brainwaves associated with healing and the subconscious’s powers, are released during meditation, dreaming, and deep sleep.
When theta waves are more active during meditation, it’s possible that the mind and body experience rejuvenation and growth. Theta waves help prevent burnout and healing from mental and physical stressors and are the source of our more creative and intuitive processes. 

3.

The release of feel-good hormones serotonin and dopamine during meditation may help manage anxiety and intense emotions. The lessening of the stress hormone cortisol reduces tension and angst.

4.

Meditation boosts the immune system by decreasing the stressors on the body.
When we hit the burnt-out zone, our immune system takes the hit and causes the body to become inflamed as a means to protect itself. Stress causes the body to stay in fight or flight mode, which affects the mind and body. Meditation shifts the body from fight or flight, the sympathetic nervous system, into rest and digest, a function of the parasympathetic nervous system. It’s in rest and digest mode to recover and restore to a more balanced state. 

5.

The muscles relax when we meditate. Where yoga actively stretches to release the muscles, meditation creates space for muscles to soften and relax. Deeper breathing and stillness slow the body’s processes down, so we might passively release any tension we’re holding in the body or mind.

4 Meditations for Embodied Awareness

Take one of the new meditation classes on Practice with Clara to embody awareness and encourage a state of calm in your body and mind.

These meditations are 15-25 minutes long and offer visualization, mantra, affirmation, and self-reflection practices.

Benefits of daily meditation practice:
  1. Reduce Stress.
  2. Enhance self-awareness.
  3. Improve sleep.
  4. Better overall health and quality of life.
New Beginnings (15-mins) Meditation

We chant to Ganesha to make space and clear the path as we embark on a new journey. This class includes a mantra and a brief meditation. 

 
Ether Embodiment (14-mins) Meditation
 

Ether is one of five elements and the most subtle as it is everywhere and in all things, though we cannot see it. This meditation asks that you embody ether through breath and body. 

 
Agni Vitality (25-mins) Meditation

This class features a mantra, heating pranayama, and meditation to stimulate your Agni and the resilience of Manipura chakra at the solar plexus where our Agni lives. 

 
Body is the Prayer (15-mins) Meditation

A short meditation that focuses on the breath as a prayer and an offering to the greater consciousness. This class opens with an excerpt from The Bhagavad Gita, translated by Stephen Mitchell. 

 

Share:

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
LinkedIn

Join Practice with Clara

New members get
7-days FREE!

Sign up for a recurring subscription and get access to hundreds of different yoga classes and join the weekly LIVE yoga class.

Social Media

Most Popular

Get The Latest Updates

Subscribe To Our Weekly Newsletter

No spam, notifications only about new products, updates.
On Key

Related Posts

Can Restrictions Set You Free?

  Springtime is here and it’s a great time to clear away the lethargy of winter.  I started a cleanse today. It’s a 3-day kitchari

Lose Yourself In the Act

  “Once you’ve decided as best as you can [on what you’re going to do], you act, keeping in mind that you are not the

Owning My Space & Place

We’re coming up to one of my favorite “holidays” of the year, March 8th, International Women’s Day. My father taught me that, March 8th is

Eat & Think. Think & Eat.

Friday night.I’ve been sitting off and on since 6:45am this morning.What have I been doing?This and that.That and those.Drink water.Stand up.Start one task – which

The Subtle Body
Workshop Series

2-hour worshops on pranayama, meditation, and mantra.

Fall 2023

Join Clara for Meditation Monday

Mondays at 8-8:20pm PST 

Live on Zoom – Free for everyone!

 

 

Join a FREE Yoga Series

7-Day Yoga Series for Beginners
7-Day Yoga Series for Vinyasa Lovers

Join me for an experiential practice!

My favourite thing about yoga is getting to watch people have a connection with themselves.

 

Yoga at Home

Reaffirm your commitment to a home yoga practice!

Read our post on how to set up a home yoga studio and the benefits of joining the Class of the Day.

Join the Community

Our community boasts yogis from countries all over the world who gather and co-create the spaces we share on the Practice with Clara platform.

Join a community of over 1.3k yogis from around the world in the Practice with Clara Facebook Group

· Share your feedback

· Seek help and motivation from the community

· Discuss and receive input on yoga challenges and injuries

· Cultivate a global community

· Exclusive access to content and upcoming events

· Bring your ideas and questions to the Practice with Clara Ambassadors 

Take a LIVE yoga class with Clara each week and join hundreds of yogis worldwide. 

· Ask Clara questions in the live Q&A after class

· Participate in a class with Clara and the community

· Put in your request for a specific class

· Build to a peak pose in a vinyasa-style sequence

· Learn modifications for injuries

· Receive how-to guides to advance your practice

See the History of Our 30-Day Yoga Challenges 

Take a look at the past 30-day yoga challenges. 

Read the history of the 30-day challenges with the past partnerships, themes, interviews with professionals, and more. 

Join an Upcoming 30-Day Yoga Challenge

See when the next 30-day yoga challenge is hosted to join the LIVE yoga & meditation classes.

Check out the events page to learn more. 

Are you looking for more opportunities to practice yoga, for free? 

Check out our Free Yoga page to see the latest offerings. 

Choose from three unique, free, offerings: 

30-day challenge
7-day series for beginners
7-day series for advanced vinyasa yogis 

Explore Yoga Teacher Training Options 

Learn to teach LILA FLOW YOGA with our free eBook!

The key to advancing your vinyasa practice and teaching style.

This workbook provides five written class sequences for you to experience a version of Wave Theory as designed by Clara Roberts-Oss, founder of the Practice with Clara Program.

✧ Community Feedback ✧

vinyasa yoga
vinyasa yoga
vinyasa yoga
vinyasa yoga
vinyasa yoga
vinyasa yoga

✧ Frequently Asked Questions ✧

1. What is the Practice with Clara Membership & App?

Practice with Clara is an online platform and Apps that allow you to take your yoga with you anywhere, anytime! With hundreds of classes in various styles, including Hatha, Vinyasa, Restorative, Yin, Prenatal, and Meditation, there’s something for everyone at any level of the practice. The Practice with Clara Membership provides a monthly or yearly subscription package with the first 7-days free for you to experience the courses. 

2. How is the Membership Different from the YouTube Playlists?

A membership to the Practice with Clara Apps provides:

  • Access to the members-only library of yoga classes
  • Weekly LIVE classes with Clara
  • Unique events and workshops
  • Downloadable assets including:
    • Monthly Calendars
    • Journaling Booklets
    • Spotify Playlists
  • Access to a community of yogis worldwide 
  • Q&A sessions with Clara
  • & much more!

Clara’s YouTube Channel provides carefully curated playlists to introduce you to the free programs and yoga challenges for you to get a taste of what’s offered and commit to your wellness!

3. What Do I Get When I Join the 7-Day Program?

The 7-day programs include: 

  • 7-Days of Vinyasa Yoga Intensive
  • 7-Days of Yoga for Beginners

These programs provide a weeks-worth of yoga classes to ignite your yoga practice and cultivate a new, healthy habit. 

When you sign-up for one of these programs, you’ll receive:

  • A welcome email to the program from Clara
  • A class each day for 1-week
  • Curated Spotify playlists to accompany each course
  • A calendar to track your progress
  • Access to the private Practice with Clara Facebook Group

These programs are free with no hidden costs or fees; PLUS, you’ll still receive the 7-day free trial on the Practice with Clara Apps once you complete the series!

4. What Do I Get When I Join the 30-Day Yoga Challenge?

We host quarterly 30-day yoga challenges that are always free for all members of Practice with Clara. Each yoga challenge is themed based on the season. We’ve provided our inaugural challenge, Reconnect | A 30-Day Yoga Challenge, as an email series for you to try to test your physical and mental discipline and endurance!

What you receive in Reconnect | 30-Day Challenge

  • A welcome email to the program from Clara
  • A class each day for 30-days
  • Curated Spotify playlists to accompany each course
  • A calendar to track your progress
  • A journaling booklet to incite self-reflection 
  • Access to the private Practice with Clara Facebook Group

This program is free, anytime, with no hidden costs or fees, PLUS you’ll still receive the 7-day free trial on the Practice with Clara Apps once you complete the series!

 5.  I Want to Try the App, What’s Next? 

Great, we’re so happy to have you join our community!

To set up the Practice with Clara App, here are your next steps:

6. I’m Injured, Pregnant, or New to the Practice—Can I Join?

YES, no matter where you are at in your practice, there are classes for you on Practice with Clara. 

We’ve created playlists for beginners and those who are new to the practice.

we also have the Prenatal Collections with classes from the 1st – 4th trimesters that I created when I was pregnant with my daughter. 

Finally, I offer PLENTY of modifications and suggestions based on injury in all the platform classes. 

The biggest thing is to always listen to your body; your body is the greatest teacher.

Join Practice with Clara

New members get 7-days FREE!

Sign up for a recurring subscription and get access to hundreds of different yoga classes and join the weekly LIVE yoga class.