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Yoga as Meditation?

lotusbudslotusbuds Explorer
edited June 2012 in Meditation
Can meditation be incorporated into yoga? I find when I am completing my daily Ashtanga practice, the focus on the breath and concentration on the practice itself is a type of meditation. I find that I may have thoughts running through my head, but then I am led back to my breath. Has anyone experienced this or have any thoughts?

Comments

  • howhow Veteran Veteran
    Meditation is a term that covers a wide range of mental effects but as a Zen student, the only thing that limits my meditation's incorporation into anything, is me.
  • BodhivakaBodhivaka Veteran
    Although I've never considered incorporating meditation into yoga, I have hypothesized that the two may be complimentary to one another; in fact, I've read a number of articles in which Buddhists have expressed favorable results occurring from practicing yoga and meditation together. For example, Bodhipaksa, the relatively well known founder of wildmind.org has compiled a short list of things which he found advantageous about yoga when practiced alongside meditation -- that list can be seen here:

    http://www.wildmind.org/applied/yoga

    I'm fairly new to meditation, and therefore I'm not qualified to speak authoritavely on the matter, but in my opinion, as long as you are able to retain all necessary aspects of meditation, such as comfort, awareness, ease of mind, and so forth, then there should be no problem incorporating it into your yoga practice.
  • lotusbudslotusbuds Explorer
    Thank you :) I guess if it ain't broke, don't be fixin' it...lol
    It works well for me...at least at this point. I myself am new to meditation. Yoga, not so much, unless I've been meditating during my practice all along and never realized it.
  • ZeroGhostZeroGhost
    Anything we do can be meditation. It is the state you are in whilst doing I think. Like the term "Chop wood, Carry water." As in zen, we make each act a perfect one through our attention and quiet mind. Sort of Meditation in Motion. Deeper states however might be better facilitated by the standard sitting posture with spine aligned to the Earth. But meditation will be inner quiet, and turning off the inner dialogue I think.
  • DaltheJigsawDaltheJigsaw Mountain View Veteran
    Yes! I do exactly that!
  • seeker242seeker242 Zen Florida, USA Veteran
    I have always considered yoga to be a type of meditation and that they are one in the same. :)
  • ZeroZero Veteran
    Can meditation be incorporated into yoga?
    They're one and the same - as running and cycling are to cardiovascular exercise
  • DairyLamaDairyLama Veteran Veteran
    Can meditation be incorporated into yoga?
    They're one and the same..
    Meditation is focussing on the mind and yoga is focussing on the body, so I'm not sure I agree.
  • ZeroZero Veteran
    edited July 2012

    yoga is focussing on the body
    At beginners' level (gym class yoga), perhaps.
  • SeaOfTranquilitySeaOfTranquility Veteran
    I think of meditation as the art of resting in silent awareness.

    Paying attention to the body through stretching, the breath, movement or still. Mindfulness is relaxing. With practice one can see the connection between mind and body and this helps. Simply returning attention to the current breath and observing the body. Is there tension? Is there delusional thought? You know what to do - let go and smile.

    Yoga also has the benefit of being popular with many different types of studios available. Good for a little socialization.

  • misecmisc1misecmisc1 I am a Hindu India Veteran
    edited July 2012
    well, i think what Yoga actually stands for in Hinduism is not known to many of us. To know about what Yoga actually means in Hinduism, please look into the below thread:
    http://newbuddhist.com/discussion/15449/subtle-points-in-hinduism-which-have-been-overlooked
  • DaozenDaozen Veteran
    edited July 2012
    Can meditation be incorporated into yoga?
    They're one and the same..
    Meditation is focussing on the mind and yoga is focussing on the body, so I'm not sure I agree.
    Porpoise - then you have a lot to learn about yoga. Like Buddhism, it is an 8-fold path. Like Buddhism, the final steps involve concentration, meditation, and enlightenment.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoga
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism
  • DairyLamaDairyLama Veteran Veteran
    Like Buddhism, the final steps involve concentration, meditation, and enlightenment.
    So why do we need Buddhism then? :p
  • DaozenDaozen Veteran
    edited July 2012
    Like Buddhism, the final steps involve concentration, meditation, and enlightenment.
    So why do we need Buddhism then? :p
    Many people don't. Why you need it (if indeed you do), only you can answer.

  • betaboybetaboy Veteran
    Like Buddhism, the final steps involve concentration, meditation, and enlightenment.
    So why do we need Buddhism then? :p
    Strictly speaking, we don't. Any path will do.

  • DairyLamaDairyLama Veteran Veteran
    Any path will do.

    Not for me.
    :p
  • webster26webster26
    I agree with what both @zero and @porpoise. I use Yoga to relax my body and focus it, which in turn will help me when I meditate. I personally use them both as forms of meditation, and the two are very powerful for you when combined.
  • RebeccaSRebeccaS Veteran
    I heard yoga as we know it (downward dog and all that) is actually pretty new - http://www.cracked.com/article_19283_7-ancient-forms-mysticism-that-are-recent-inventions.html (a comedy website, yes, but their articles are meticulously researched and the facts stand).

    I don't see why you can't do it and meditate, though. I mean, you can wash the dishes and meditate if you want to.

    I think the quality of your meditation could be determined by the kind of yoga you're doing. If you're trying to bend your leg behind your head you might be more concerned with how uncomfortable it is, for example. But I reckon that depending on your level of ability even that doesn't have to get in the way.
  • Telly03Telly03 Veteran
    I attended my first yoga class soon after I started learning about Buddhism, without having any knowledge of their connections... I was laughing to myself, in a good way, as my instructor was telling us to just focus on our breathing... then at the end of the class she had us lay on our backs with our legs resting up against the wall, she turned off the lights and told us to just relax and just focus on our breathing... with did this for like 5-10 min. I was thinking "oh, this sounds so familiar"
  • DairyLamaDairyLama Veteran Veteran
    .. she turned off the lights and told us to just relax and just focus on our breathing... with did this for like 5-10 min. I was thinking "oh, this sounds so familiar"
    I've met a number of Buddhists who first discovered meditation at a yoga class.
  • Invincible_summerInvincible_summer Heavy Metal Dhamma We(s)t coast, Canada Veteran
    Can meditation be incorporated into yoga? I find when I am completing my daily Ashtanga practice, the focus on the breath and concentration on the practice itself is a type of meditation. I find that I may have thoughts running through my head, but then I am led back to my breath. Has anyone experienced this or have any thoughts?
    Well, from what I've heard and from my limited experience, most yoga classes even have a short seated meditation period, no?

    Doing the poses with the breathing is basically a mindfulness practice, a way to connect your mind and body, a way to practice being in the present moment. It's basically a different (Hindu) approach to practicing mindfulness. So basically, I suppose it is a form of meditation.

    But having a separate seated meditation practice wouldn't hurt!

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