Yoga and meditation provide physical, mental, and spiritual benefits for health and well-being. Yoga is an ancient practice that involves breath control, poses, and relaxation to balance the mind and body. It originated in India as a means to unite individual consciousness with universal consciousness. Meditation is also an ancient practice that involves quieting the mind through focusing on breathing, images, or sounds. Both yoga and meditation have mental health benefits like reducing stress, anxiety, and depression. They also have physical benefits like improving flexibility, heart health, and sleep. Proper techniques, diet, exercise, breathing, and positive thinking further enhance the health effects of yoga and meditation.

1. YOGA & MEDITATION FOR HEALTH
AND WELL-BEING

2. YOGA
• The word 'Yoga' is derived from the Sanskrit root 'Yuj',
meaning 'to join' or 'to yoke' or 'to unite'.
• It is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices
or discipline for the body that involves breath control
and helps relax both your mind and body.
• (As per Yogic scriptures)
• The practice of Yoga leads to the union of individual
consciousness with that of the Universal consciousness,
indicating a perfect harmony between the mind and
body, man & nature.

3. Origin of Yoga
There is no exact evidence about the origin of
Yoga. Hence the Yoga has come from times
immemorial.
It was slowly evolved and developed by the
ancient sages not only in India but all over the
world.
Yoga is universal and not a religion
Yoga is a science of living .

4. Research studies regarding Yoga
 Yoga has been studied and found to have positive
effects on physical fitness, mood, anxiety level, and
cognitive functioning (Berger & Owen 1992;
Subramanya & Telles, 2009).
 The slow and gentle movement and static nature of
asanas improve the muscle tone as well as flexibility .
Moorthy, M. “ Effect of selected yogic asanas and
physical exercises on flexibility, ”The Yoga Review.2 :
(1982) 161-166.
 Yoga can improve psychological wellbeing
Schoormans and Nyklicek (2011).

5.  Yoga Nidra is a successful therapy for both recent and
longstanding psychological disturbances of all kinds,
especially high anxiety levels and neurotic behavior
patterns Girodo M (1974) .
Yoga practices can significantly reduce the negative
emotions-affects Hasmukh Adhia, (2010) .
Practice of Surya Namaskar can bring significant
increase in overall flexibility of the synovial joints , and
can reduce resting heart rate, reduce hypertension,
improve body muscle endurance. Kristine M. Fondran
(2008).

6. Principles of Yoga
• Proper Exercises (Asanas)
• Proper Breathing (Pranayama)
• Proper Relaxation
• Proper Diet and Nutrition
• Positive thinking.

7. Proper Exercises (Asanas)
• An asana is a body posture that is performed to benefit
the health and mind. The term has been derived from a
sanskrit term that means “posture” or “pose”.
• Studies prove that asanas can help one in losing weight,
stabilize period cramps, shoots up the health of the
heart and digestion.
• Asanas can even be performed at home without any
instruments.

8. Eka Pada Pranamasana /Vrikshasana Panacea for all diseases
As we age, our balance skills deteriorate. Practice of
balancing asana help to improve and maintain baslance
throughout our lives.
If you cannot stand on one leg less than 10 seconds , it
means that your aging process and degeneration is becoming
fast with high risk for falling.

9. Psychological effect
Sharpens awareness and improves concentration , because
without focused awareness, balance cannot be maintained .
Hyperactive children who have a very short attention span
particularly benefit from this asana.
Sustaining eka pada pranamasana helps develop willpower
and is therefore useful for people with addiction problems or
low self-esteem
In ancient times many Rishis performed penance standing in
this asana
Improves the Visual perception and Auditory perception
Strengthen the Subconscious mind.

11. Proper Breathing (Pranayama)
• Pranayama is an ancient breath technique that originates
from yogic practices in India. It involves controlling your
breath in different styles and lengths. It has more recently
gained popularity in the western world because of the many
health benefits that come from a pranayama practice
(https://www.webmd.com/balance/what-is-pranayama).
A pranayama cycle has three phases:
• Puraka, or inhalation
• Kumbhaka, or retention
• Rechaka, or exhalation

12. Pranayama- Breath is the bridge
between body and mind
 1. To avoid shallow breath due to poor postures.
 2. To encourage diaphramatic breathing
 3. To provide more oxygen to the body
 4. To control emotions.
 5. Cellular respiration
 6. Brain needs more oxygen - A lack of oxygen means
a loss of mental balance, concentration, stress.

13. Types of Pranayama
 Nadi sodhana - Alternate nostril breathing with
retention.
 Ujjayi - Victorious breath / psychic breath
 Sitkari/Shitali - Cooling breath
 Bhramari - Humming bee breath
 Bhastrika - Bellows breath
 Murchha - Swooning or fainting breath
 Plavini - Gulping breath

14. Source- https://www.ojashvi.com/pranayama-an-energetic-practice-of-hatha-yoga-for-enhancing-vitality.html

15. Proper Relaxation
o Lowering blood pressure
o Slowing your heart rate and breathing
o Improving digestion
o Easing muscle pain and soreness
o Reducing chronic pain
o Increasing energy levels
o Improving sleep duration and quality
o Increasing overall feelings of emotional and physical
well-being
Relaxation can positively impact your physical and mental health,
and prime you for busy days ahead. Some of the noted benefits of
consistent relaxation:

16. Savasana (Corpse Pose)
Matsyasana (Fish Pose)
Viparita Karani (Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose
Balasana (Child’s Pose)
Malasana (Garland Pose)
Paschimottanasana
(Seated Forward Bend)
Source- https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/yoga-by-benefit/calm/yoga-poses-for-relaxation/

17. Proper Diet and Nutrition
The Yogic diet has three important characteristics.
 The way one eats
 what one eats
 when one eats

18. Pray the food before you eat
Food is a basic necessity of life, and provides nourishment and energy for us to sustain in
daily life. Hence by praying the food we worship the Life energy .
By praying the food
We worship the Mother Earth who produces food for all living beings
We respect the farmers who cultivate food for us
We respect the persons who cooks food for us

19. Positive thinking
• Positive thinking can be defined by the goal of health
and happiness. It concentrates at positive qualities such
as inner peace, strength, love, joy and happiness.

20. Meditation

21. Meditation
 An exercise of relaxing the body
 Quieting the mind and awakening the spirit.
 Encourages deepening of consciousness or awareness
 Facilitates a deeper understanding of self and others.
Also referred as 'Dhyana'

22. Meditation
Meditation has been
practiced since 1500 BCE
antiquity in numerous
religious traditions, often as
part of the path towards
enlightenment and self-
realization .

23. Meditation and
Types
meditation techniques have been
developed and practiced over the
years. Each has its own specific
techniques and skills that can be
learned.
Types
- Concentrative (common used)
- Receptive
- Reflective
- Generative

24. Concentrative
Type
• Focused with mind.
• Practiced by focusing on the
breadth, image, objective or
sound (mantra).
• Allows the mind to achieve
clarity and awareness.

25. Receptive Type
• Focused with the moment.
• Practiced by attentive to
feelings, sensation,
thoughts, image, smell and
experiences without
becoming involved in
judgement or reaction.
• Helps to gain calmer,
clearer and more non-
reactive state of mind and
being.

26. Reflective Type
• Focused with investigating an
idea in a systematic way.
• Uses disciplined thinking and
analysis to reflect upon a
compelling question, challenge,
idea or project.
• Reflex on a phrase or inspiring
idea.
• Brings wisdom and insight into
all aspects of our lives

27. Generative Type
• Focused with consciously
cultivating and strengthening
specific qualities such as
Patients, Love, Appreciation,
Compassion, Humility,
Gratitude & Courage.
• Invite us to actively nurture
these strengths of character by
thinking, speaking and acting
as though the quality is already
fully present and alive within
us.

28. Meditation and College students.
• Helps in time management
• Assist with addiction
• Helps in mindful eating and body satisfaction
• Athletic performance
• Stress reduction and sleep
• Academic performance
• Enhance immune system
• Developing a deeper sense of compassion and
forgiveness for others.

29. Meditation and Breath
• In meditative practices the breath is very important because
it is connected to both mind and body.
• when relaxed settled or calm our breath tends to be more
slow deeper and regular.
• When Focusing the mind on the continuous rhythm of
inhalation and exhalation provides a natural object of
meditation.
• When focus your awareness on the breath your mind
becomes absorbed in the rhythm of inhalation and
exhalation.
• As a result your breathing will become slow and deeper and
the mind becomes more peaceful and aware.

30. Meditation & Benefits
• Physical, Emotional, Psychological and Spiritual benefits.
• Higher level of energy, Creativity and Spontaneity, Low
blood pressure, Increased exercise tolerance, Better
concentration, Decrease stress- depression- anxiety,
craving for alcohol and cigarettes, Increase job
satisfaction, Better inter-personal relationship.
• There is no research that indicates meditation is harmful
or has negative effect whether used alone or in
conjunction with conventional medicine.

31. THANK YOU