Meditation vs Yoga: Which practice suits you the best?

Ever found yourself in a yoga class, holding a pose, focusing on your breath, and thought to yourself, 'Isn't this similar to meditation?' Or maybe you've been in a meditation session, sitting in a lotus position, and realized it feels a lot like a yoga posture. It's a common occurrence, the lines between yoga and meditation often blur, causing a mix-up. Yes, they share similarities, but they are distinct practices with their unique benefits.

Let's expand on meditation vs yoga and understand different realms to find out which practice aligns best with your needs. In this journey of meditation vs yoga, we’ll explore whether it's yoga or meditation for anxiety, understanding the difference between yoga and pranayam, or figuring out if you should meditate before or after yoga.

Oh by the way, are you a beginner at yoga? Here’s a weekly yoga series for you on Level Supermind to get started with your journey.

What is yoga?

Yoga is a physical practice that involves a series of postures (asanas), breath work (pranayama), and meditation (dhyana). Originating in ancient India, yoga aims to create a balance between the body, mind, and spirit, promoting overall health and well-being. It is a holistic practice that ,as a form of exercise, strengthens your core,makes you more flexible, and uses breathwork in order to improve not only your physical well-being but also your mental health.

Also read: International yoga day 2023: When and why it is celebrated

What is meditation?

Dhyana or meditation involves focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity to train your attention and work on your self awareness, achieving a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state. There are various forms of meditation, including mindfulness meditation, transcendental meditation, loving-kindness meditation, and more. Each type serves a unique purpose and the benefits of dhyana are manifold- from boosting focus, increasing creativity, promoting self-awareness, reducing stress, enhancing long term memory to fostering compassion.

The Difference Between Meditation and Concentration

While both meditation and concentration involve focusing the mind, they are not the same. Concentration involves focusing the mind on a single point, such as the breath or a mantra. Meditation, however, involves a broader focus. It involves observing the mind and its thoughts without judgement or attachment.

Also read: What is the right type of meditation for you?

Similarities Between Yoga and Meditation

Yoga and meditation share several similarities. This is why the majority of people use the words yoga and meditation interchangeably. Both these practices aim to cultivate mindfulness, promote relaxation, and improve mental and physical health. They both require concentration and focus, which allows one to experience present moment awareness. Furthermore, both yoga and meditation can contribute towards alleviating symptoms of anxiety and lower heart and breath rate.

Yoga and Meditation for Anxiety

When it comes to easing your anxiety, both yoga and meditation play a huge part. Yoga, with its focus on physical postures and controlled breathing, can help reduce the physical symptoms of anxiety. It promotes relaxation and helps to quiet the mind, thereby reducing stress and anxiety levels.

Meditation, on the other hand, helps control anxiety by focusing the mind, reducing the flurry of thoughts that can fuel anxiety by bringing yourself to the present moment. Regular meditation practice can increase your focus and attention, control anxiety, and even help fight addictions.

Also read: How to do meditation for overthinkers

Yoga vs Meditation: A Comparative Analysis

While yoga and meditation share common goals of promoting peace and balance, their approach and focus are different. Yoga often involves physical movement and postures, promoting strength, flexibility, and balance. It also incorporates breathwork and meditation as part of the practice.

Meditation, however, is primarily a mental practice. It involves quieting the mind, focusing on the breath, and cultivating a heightened state of awareness. It can be done in a seated or lying position and does not necessarily involve physical movement.

Also read: Meditation vs sleep: Can meditation replace sleep in 2023?

The Difference Between Yoga and Pranayam

Pranayam, or breath control, is a key component of yoga. It involves various techniques to control the breath, such as deep breathing, rapid breathing, and alternate nostril breathing. While yoga involves a combination of postures, breath work, and meditation, pranayam focuses only on the breath. It is believed to help cleanse the body and mind, promoting physical and mental health.

Yoga, Meditation, and Exercise: A Comparative Analysis

While yoga and meditation are forms of mind-body practices, exercise typically refers to physical activities that improve health and fitness. Yoga involves physical postures that can make you strong and flexible similar to exercise. However, it also incorporates breathwork and meditation, which can enhance mental health.

Exercise, on the other hand, primarily focuses on improving physical health, including strength, and flexibility. While it can also have mental health benefits, such as reducing stress and improving mood, it does not typically involve the practice of being mindful as found in yoga and meditation.

Also read: How to meditate for beginners?

Meditate Before or After Yoga

The question of whether to meditate before or after yoga might have crossed your mind at least once. Well, the answer to this is that it depends largely on personal preference. Some people find that yoga helps prepare the body and mind for meditation, making it easier to sit still and focus. Others prefer to meditate first to calm the mind and set a mindful tone for their yoga practice. Both approaches have their benefits, and the best choice depends on what works best for you.

What Should You Choose: Yoga or Meditation?

There’s no one size fits all when it comes to deciding to choose between yoga and meditation. It depends on your personal goals and preferences. If you're looking for a practice that combines physical activity with mindfulness, yoga might be the right choice for you. It can help improve flexibility, strength, and balance, and also has mental health benefits. On the other hand, if your primary goal is to cultivate mindfulness in order to improve mental clarity, focus, memory, and emotional health as a whole, you might prefer meditation.

Why Yoga and Meditation Belong Together

While yoga and meditation can be practiced separately, they also complement each other well. Yoga prepares the body for meditation by promoting flexibility and comfort in seated positions. It also helps calm the mind, making it easier to enter a meditative state. Conversely, meditation can enhance a yoga practice by helping to cultivate mindfulness and focus, which can improve the quality of the yoga practice.

Yoga and Meditation in Professional Ethics

In the professional world, yoga and meditation can play a significant role in maintaining ethics. They promote mindfulness, self-awareness, and empathy, which are crucial for ethical decision-making. Regular practice can help professionals stay calm under pressure, make more thoughtful decisions, and foster a more respectful and positive workplace environment.

Also read: Role of balanced chakras in cultivating leadership

Meditation, on the other hand, is a practice that cultivates mindfulness and self-awareness. By training the mind to stay present and focused, meditation can help professionals understand their thoughts and emotions better. This increased self-awareness can lead to more ethical behaviour, as individuals are more likely to recognize and address their biases and make decisions that align with their values.

What’s the most common thing in the professional world? Stress, right? Both yoga and meditation can help manage that. High stress levels can impair judgement and lead to unethical decisions. Both the practices can help you understand your emotions and handle stressful situations in a better manner.

Start your meditation and yoga with Level Supermind

The Level Supermind app has an entire collection of meditations (guided and unguided) in 7+ languages and workouts (Yoga, HIIT, Strength training) whether you belong to the beginner, intermediate or advanced level.

Beginners series: Try out the Beginners series in your preferred language to start your meditation journey. You don’t have to spend hours on a daily basis, just 10 minutes is enough. So start meditating daily, taking one step at a time.

Yoga series- Beginners: Get a headstart to your Yoga journey by trying out the 7 day Yog series to improve your balance and flexibility including relaxing stretches and suryanamaskar.

Final thoughts

In conclusion, both yoga and meditation offer a myriad of benefits and are powerful tools be it for physical or mental health. While they differ in their approach and focus, they share a common goal of promoting balance, peace, and well-being. Whether you choose yoga, meditation, or a combination of both will depend on your personal goals and preferences.