Fundamentals of Yoga Meditation: Physical and Mental Benefits
July 26, 2023 DOI: 10.9734/bpi/rtass/v5/5835e (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Transcendental meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | Argues that yoga is a psycho-somatic-spiritual discipline for union of individual with universal consciousness, and that Transcendental Meditation, using a teacher-given mantra repeated effortlessly, is believed to open the gates to the absolute. The author contends that mantra sound generates calmness and peace, relaxes muscles, tones the nervous system, lowers blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing rate, and creates brain waves that deal with stress. |
Abstract
Yoga is a psycho-somatic-spiritual discipline for achieving union and harmony between our mind, body, and soul and the ultimate union of our individual consciousness with the universal consciousness. There are certain elements of meditation which should be achieved before sitting for meditation and are described. Transcendental meditation (TM) is one of the techniques of meditation, which involves allowing the mind to dwell on a series of words (called a mantra) given by the meditation teacher, with no effort. If the attention wanders it is allowed to wander till it returns to the mantra. A mantra is a sacred word or phrase that is chanted repeatedly in order to alter one's state of mind and have miraculous religious and spiritual effects on the mind. When mantras are recited during meditation, people enter a higher state of consciousness. It is believed that chanting mantras opens the gates to the absolute. The sound of mantras is associated with a state of tranquil meditation which generates calmness, quietness, and peace in the mind and relaxes the muscles and tones the nervous system and becomes the cause for lowering blood pressure, heart rate, and rate of breath. This creates brain waves which deal with stress and its consequences. The opinion of several yoga masters and distinguished medical experts who worked on meditation for decades is expressed.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mechanisms of mindfulness | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective | 2011 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness | 2012 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |