“Happiness is a state of inner fulfillment,
not the gratification of inexhaustible desires for outward things.”
- Matthieu Ricard
Yoga is like music in our lives. It brings our body in rhythm, melodies our mind, and harmonizes our soul to create the symphony of life.
Meditation is a way that may help us lighten up our lives by trusting the underlying kindness inside ourselves. It also helps us understand who we are.
Meditation gives us the realization that any wisdom that exists - exists in what we have. As a result, we may live our lives and become more mindful to understand ourselves better. Thus, meditation is a way to awakening, to become more alert, curious, and interested in oneself.
Yoga Day is celebrated on 21st June worldwide due to the observed undoubted benefits of Yoga practices. Furthermore, controlled research has proven the physiological and neuropsychological aspects of various yoga and meditation techniques. Therefore, studies including yoga and meditation therapy have become a vital part of the global research agenda.
"SAMYAMA" is a Sanskrit word that justifies the state in which the mind and body unify in the center of attention at the present moment. Samyama stands for “Stress, Anxiety, and Mindfulness, a Yoga and Meditation Assessment.”
Stress is the root cause of many fatal diseases such as heart attack, cancer, and other neurological disorders. Meditation has proven to be a very effective and outstanding solution for stress management. In addition, research conducted worldwide at different levels has shown that stress is responsible for many anxiety disorders.
Researchers from Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Institute for Management and Technology in the US have put forth vital pieces of evidence of the immense benefits of meditation on stress management.
Meditation provides a way of learning how to let go. As we sit, the self we've been trying to construct and make into an excellent, neat package continues to unravel." – John Welwood.
Neurotransmitters are essential for controlling and influencing behavior and anxiety. Anxiety and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) activity have been found in research to be adversely correlated. Meditation may assist in reducing stress by raising GABA levels. Yoga practice relieves depression by increasing serotonin levels while decreasing monoamine oxidase, which breaks down neurotransmitters and cortisol.
Using positron emission tomography, the regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) of eight Tibetan Buddhist meditators was compared (PET). The meditators had significantly greater rCBF in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) than the controls while doing challenging cognitive activities. The PFC is a part of the brain in charge of executive activities, including decision-making and problem-solving. When the prefrontal cortex is stimulated, the thalamus reticular nucleus (RE), GABA, is activated.
Meditators also have higher concentration and alertness thresholds, both of which are cognitive functions controlled by the PFC.
In addition, a robust neurotransmitter called serotonin is involved in mood control.
According to a study, serotonin shortage is linked to depression, and serotonin knockout mice with the loss of a serotonin receptor, IA, exhibited increased dread. In various investigations conducted on individuals after completing their meditation sessions, a spike in serotonin breakdown products in the urine was discovered, which was a remarkable discovery. The urine samples of Transcendental Meditation practitioners were examined for serotonin in one such study, and the meditators had a more significant amount before meditation than the controls and a significantly higher level after reflection.
“Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self.” The Bhagavad Gita
One of the main goals of yoga is to acquire mental peace and develop feelings of well-being, relaxation, enhanced self-confidence, efficiency, increased concentration, decreased irritation, and a positive view of life. In addition, yoga provides balanced energy, which is essential for the immune system's function.
Stressful conditions, tiredness from long hours and little sleep, hypersensitivity, and anxiety disorders are all part of modern life
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