There are some differences between yoga and meditation, which have been practiced for centuries but have become popular in recent years due to changing social needs. As a result of these differences, it will become apparent which application to choose for those who want to make a choice between them. In this respect, although the difference between yoga and meditation can not be seen very easily, it becomes clear in some applications.
The origin of yoga means that the two beings come together to be one, literally. Meditation, on the other hand, is a kind of contemplation that is used to calm the mind. Meditation can be called a technique where Yoga is a philosophy. There is meditation in Yoga, but you can do meditation without practicing yoga as well.
Yoga is a practice that is firmly attached to the Hindu tradition. In the Hindu tradition, human consciousness, or Atma, is the common or inferior aspect of higher consciousness, the main aspect of all creation. Human is stuck in his thoughts and feelings, and because of these, he has become a person who does a lot of bad work. In these actions, he is accompanied by the consciousness called Atma. The connection of this witness with high consciousness will be made possible by the full use of brain and body features. Because most people have forgotten their mental and physical capacities, blunted, and fell into their own life concerns. Yoga is required for this togetherness.
In order to understand the difference between yoga and meditation more clearly, it is necessary to answer the question of how yoga is applied. Because yoga differs from meditation in terms of its practices. In order for yoga to be fully effective, it is necessary to pay attention to its stages, called the eight steps:
Yama: It aims to get rid of negative emotions such as jealousy, selfishness, anger, hostility. When these kinds of emotions exist in a person, that person’s mind is distorted and almost unconscious. Such emotions can also cause the person to make wrong movements. It is of great importance to restrain and control these emotions, which are basically caused by a distorted mind and wrong actions.
Niyama: refers to bringing order and discipline for physical and mental actions. Whether in physical or mental actions, being swerved means not being able to get any results. If the person provides his own discipline, he will be able to do what he wants and at the same time be able to get out of many negative situations that appear as unnecessary burdens to him.
Asana: refers to the regularization of the breath. Asana aims to regulate breathing. Because breathing has an extremely important function on the whole body. In order for the right energy to be released on the brain and body system, breath control should be provided regularly. In order to control various parts of the body and perceive the body as a whole, it is of great importance that the breath is regulated. With regular breathing methods, breathing can be regulated.
Pranayama: It is important to make conscious breathing in Pranayama, which is an upper state of Asana. Although we generally breathe unconsciously, if we are aware of the breath we breathe, it will be possible to be in that moment. In other words, the person who controls his breath will clarify under which conditions and where he is located. This step needs to be done very carefully so that the body can regain energy and channel it properly.
Pratyahara: This step, which refers to witnessing the actions performed by the body, refers to getting rid of the unconscious state. It should not be confused with the state of being unconscious. This situation, that is, the state of unconsciousness can occur even when the person considers himself to be the most conscious. Because by creating the illusion that the ego is the best, the ego can show every action it takes in the right, good, and legitimate way. In this case, since it is not possible to see the wrongness or deficiency of the actions, the person basically experiences a conscious state of consciousness. This step aims to get out of this situation and to see the actions taken as an outer eye.
Dharana: Refers to focus attention on something. It is important to focus carefully on the mind and get rid of the “messy” thoughts in the beginning. When this step is interrupted, the entire yoga process can be damaged.
Dhyana: Refers to the focused mind being taken from outside and directed inside. Thus, the person will be able to get the awareness he wants and become free from all patterns.
Samadhi: In this last step, it means reaching from a low-level consciousness to a high-level consciousness, that is, being aware of the whole world and life.
Yoga is evaluated and realized within the scope of these features. Meditation is an application that has easier ways and focuses on the mind rather than physical features.
The main function of meditation is to purify the mind by focusing on thoughts. The mind, which gets dirty over time and loses a clear vision due to this pollution, must be cleaned and cleaned by meditation. It does not have any steps. Its main purpose is to clear the mind of the person the way he wants and control his mind. The expression of controlling the mind is the keyword for meditation. Although we think that we have a say about our own lives, we often interpret the world only with the beliefs that our minds perceive in a distorted state and act accordingly. The mind is such a resourceful wizard that it can often make things that seem absent to us and cause great illusions.
Our interpretation of life stems from our minds and our actions are compatible with this mind. If we want a good life, we should not revise our minds, which are the limits of our world. Although some meditation methods vary in practical applications, the most important issue for a good meditation is to be able to focus properly, and as a result, to remove our minds from thoughts. The important point here is not only from bad thoughts but also from thoughts that we consider good. Because thoughts that we think are good can ultimately lead us to mislead because we have judgments. Thus, meditation stands out as an application that aims to create a special mental awareness, has no special practices, and can be done easily by anyone.
Definitions of Yoga and Meditation
Yoga is derived from the word Yuj in Sanskrit, an ancient language. From an etymological point of view, it means to unite, tie, hold tight, tie harnesses, wear yoke. If we take a look at its usage in daily language, it is the practice of yoga asana in the sentence “I am going to yoga”. These are the yoga classes that we attend to strengthen and stretch the physical body in general. The pranayama we practice in yoga classes is breathing techniques. We meditate to deepen mentally. Of course, all this comes before us in a yoga class. The meaning of combining in the word Yuj is to combine all this. Breath, being one in body and mind, being in balance.
Some see yoga as a kind of cultural physics, often confused with stretching; others think only asanas are yoga. They are not considered unfair. Because asanas have been the most visible side of yoga. Physicians recommend their patients a few basic starting movements of yoga as a kind of support activity in solving some health problems. There are also those who recommend only certain asanas, as it allows muscles, bones, and joints to gain strength and flexibility. The benefits of yoga are emphasized, in many ways, from its positive effects during gymnastics and ballet training; in postoperative recovery periods; to be a means of prevention and treatment against arthritis, from lymphatic system improvements and regulations; up to work of the endocrine glands.
In meditation, it is not directed to any purpose, or rather to the result; it is the journey to the center of your being and the testimony there. This is only possible with an inside view. But the truth to remember is that meditation, which means a more comprehensive and broad state of consciousness, cannot reveal anything that does not really exist in anyone; on the contrary, it provides access to an already existing place and something there. For this reason, as we mentioned above, meditation should never be considered as a means of achieving a specific goal; then, aside from the fact that these efforts will not work, what is already attempted is not really meditation.
Meditation will cause the consciousness to be perceived correctly after the mind and therefore to rediscover the intelligence; Because, thanks to it, perceptions change, and even the size and function of perception changes. Meditation is not a state of mind, or because it cannot be reached with the mind, it is natural for the results to be achieved at that time to differ. That is why it is only possible to be aware of true liberation in this closed state of the mind. One thing we should especially mention is that meditation is not an escape from the world, but rather an understanding of life. Love blooms there. Especially in the advanced stages of yoga, thanks to the mediums to be reached with meditation, the doors of a completely different world will be opened in front of you. The most beautiful thing a person can experience in life is meditation.
The Difference Between Yoga and Meditation
In fact, the word origin of yoga is ‘merging’. What is mentioned in the sense of merging here is the purpose of uniting the body, mind, and spirit with certain poses, meditation, and breath control. This is a suitable definition for Yoga. The logic of Yoga is not only to practice certain poses through exercise and breath control. It is based on experiencing and controlling the energy flowing in your body. Because of these, yoga is also viewed through the eyes of meditation.
Meditation, which is a scientific mind rest technique, is a deep healing method and is the most important and most effective tool used in our century for business, school, and private life to reduce stress, stress management, increase productivity and creativity. Meditation is definitely not a belief system. Meditation is not a practice that should be believed, it is a healing technique that has been proven by the most respected scientific institutions in the world, and the body, mind, and soul benefit simultaneously.
Benefits of Yoga and Meditation
Yoga is not a religion as it is supposed to be, it is an ancient science that helps one to unite the body, mind, and soul; The word yoga also means unity. Yoga is a science with many different branches. The goals of the different types of yoga are almost identical: to help people glorify by saving them from the feelings and thoughts that “captivate”. Yoga is a way of having an unimaginable mind. It is the science of being here and now. Yoga means you are ready to not turn to the future anymore. You are now ready not to hope and to be one step ahead of your existence. Yoga means confronting reality as it is.
Yoga carries the values of Ayurvedic medicine, ayurvedic medicine has perfectly preserved the health of the person and produced precise solutions centuries ago in the possibilities of his natural time. Today, it is seen that it is benefited from Yoga in many medical centers, especially in the west. The yoga health system consists of a very complex and useful work that starts from the skeletal structure and extends to the mind. All muscles in the body structure, pelvis, spine, rib cage, neck, and all layers of the body are stretched during the study. Meanwhile, internal organs are stimulated and strengthened. The renewal and correction effects of yoga practices are felt throughout the body and internal organs. Changes in internal pressures are a matter of special attention. Yoga movements and pressure are applied to many organs and glands. Blood circulation is affected in all of the yoga exercises and deep massage is applied to the internal organs.
Meditation is a very old technique. And it exists in many cultures. Meditation, which was originally a method of the East, has been modernized and been made easy for today’s people. Meditation is simply a way to teach our minds to think things right. It calms the body and mind, allowing us to get in touch with our inner strength. It has been proved many times as a result of experiments that meditation reduces tension, improves the ability to remember and learn, and increases energy and inner calm. If it is done systematically and regularly, you can reach the results in a short time.
To be free from thoughts, to be free of thoughts is Meditation itself. Leaving thoughts on their own stream and watching them, this observation slows down the activity of the mind. The primary purpose of Meditation is to become aware of our inner life and communicate with it. The ultimate goal is to reach the source of life and consciousness. Man is the captive of what he does not know, the master of what he knows, and if we understand whatever is the weakness in us and understand his causes and ways of working, only knowing this means defeating him. When the mind finds calm, we see ourselves as pure witnesses. The purpose of Meditation completely saves man from laziness, restlessness, and immobility. The high consciousness gained through meditation gives man endless happiness and peace, which is the control of the physical body. During meditation, it is necessary to silence all sensory and movement organs and have complete silence in the environment. Meditation is the conversion of physical energy into spiritual energy and the use of spiritual energy in cosmic consciousness. It is to gain its own domination with mental power and to dominate oneself with goodness, to give direction!
Meditation in the Branches of Yoga
Meditation is a field that arouses question marks for beginners in many ways. Today, the confusion arising from the intensity of information can prevent people from thinking or make the subject of thinking complete torture. In fact, if we ask how to develop the right thinking habit, we can learn this through meditation. Meditations can also prevent the corruption of concepts. Today, one of the main reasons for the degeneration of ideologies can be seen as not adequately meditating and concentrating on the ideology required by the current situation and related value-ideas-concepts. Misunderstanding can also cause the ideological systems to stiffen, causing society to fail in systems that fail. The way to prevent this is to concentrate on holistic solutions. Seeking a cure for the troubles is also an important manner in meditations.
An etymological word analysis can also provide a nice conceptual settlement. But examining this form is a tool to reach the dimension of meaning. Meditation in Latin, which means “Middle-Center-Intermediate” in mind, goes to the title of Media, Medium. In meditation, we focus on focusing on a subject. When we do not think about other issues, the object of meditation becomes concentrated and solidified in the mind. In an advanced stage of this, there is a transition from meditation to deep thought and integration, to savagery.
With the effect of meditation studies carried out in life, the focus becomes so intense that the focus is integrated with its focus (Concept, God, Idea, Intent), at this point, the situation called Samadhi-Fenafillah-Nirvana is a permanent and widespread meditation afterlife. This is not just a situation when we sit and meditate, it is permanent and can happen during the day. What paves the way for Nirvana is actually actions after concentration. So there are many who seem to have fallen from the sky seven times with the first Dharana-Focusing Success to the Divine Source or Infinite Creator. Because actions also transfer thoughts from mind to the universe, which carries the karmic responsibilities that come with enlightenment. When we carry the Global Demolitions in the Lemurian-Atlantean Periods by establishing a symbolic parallel connection with today’s perspective; we can also interpret it as drowning in faith and the inability of the mind to find solutions to the problems in the current period. Here, the path to the essence is blocked, and the destruction resulting from these false beliefs seemed to be the destruction of God. In fact, it should be seen here that the failure to withdraw from the truth of God, which we can see as the reason behind life, is what causes societies to be destroyed. In this respect, Yoga-Alchemy-Magic-Tantra-Ancient Wisdom efforts constitute an important positive power in terms of preserving this bond in studies such as Science, Medicine, Healing, Philosophy, Technology, and Art.
There are many disciplines to explain this in Ancient Wisdom Traditions and Modern Teachings to the world; Sufism, Medical Nebi, Kabalah, Maji, Tao, QiQong, Tarot, Ayurveda, Yoga, Tantra, Mystery Cults-Sects-Societies and Teachings, Hermetism, Esoteric Psychology, Theta Healing, Thelema, Shamanism, Vedanta, Ascended Masters and others. Among these teachings, the places where they approve each other as important truth bases can form a sign towards a center. In this way, with the deepening of the Spiritual Understanding that emerged in the religions, a flow from the Source can continue as Information and comprehension.
Yoga Types and Meditation
Ashtanga Yoga begins with Yama and Niyama (Self-Control and Self-criticism) and begins to dominate the mind and body. The powers gained by the mind can be used better with the studies of reason and meditation in the place where the ego is resolved. With Asana, the body is prepared and kept healthy. With Pranayama, breath and spiritual energies are controlled so that subtle body domination is gained. With Pratyahara, the senses are drawn in and internalization is achieved. With Dharana, the focus is moved and fixed on a subject. Information flow-formation or healing-development-evolution related to the subject focused on Dhyana is provided. The focus is ultimately on the Samadhi experience, through integration and merging with the subject. We can place these eight arms in every type of yoga.
The focus on Hatha Yoga is the body, hygiene, and health. With the deepening of focus in Hatha Yoga, this training shows itself in high dimensions. In Jnana Yoga, the focus is on Knowledge of Mind, Wisdom, Concepts, Values, and Truth, and in this area. Focusing in Bhakti Yoga is provided primarily by faith and worship to God, and then, by expressing God (or his attributes) in the World, he opens to the Eternal Life consciousness and becomes wild. In Karma Yoga, topics such as Actions, Willpower, Relationships, Life Purpose, Service, and Torment come to the fore. We can add Yoga Nidra, which targets physical and mental health, high awareness, and Samadhi, through sleep and dreams.
Regardless of its branch, one of the main results in the success of Yoga-Alchemy studies is that the chakras are opened from the potential state to the most suitable or the highest charity, and that resembles the metals turning into gold in the symbolic sense. In such a being, Human has Divine qualities with his actions and existence. This is a multidimensional and holistic process. Meditating these divine qualities and bringing them to life from a conceptual dimension illuminates the subjects of Celebration and Initiation in the Ancient Wisdom disciplines. Dharana, which is the last three branches of Samyama Ashtanga Yoga, which we can think of in terms of ensuring that self-knowledge is obtained from the focus, is the combination of Dhyana and Samadhi. After Dharana is focused on the Essence, Source, and the Absolute God, the Contact is established in the Dhyana phase, and when it is integrated and united into Unity, Samadhi or Nirvana forms.
The Samyama state is multiple and is also opened permanently in various Main Yoga varieties (Karma, Bhakti, Jnana, Laya, Raja, Kundalini) in the continuity of life. Laya Yoga Asana is a Yoga arm for opening the channels in the Energy-Spiritual body and activating Kundalini energy with Pranayama, Mudra, and various meditation exercises. Energy body anatomy, chakras, meridians, Nadis-channels, acupuncture points can be considered within Laya Yoga. One person brings success to Laya Yoga by bringing any chakra to their own at all levels. In addition, the basic basis of Energy Healing is Laya Yoga. Samadhi can do Samadhi in Bhakti Yoga by carrying one or more aspects of God to the Earth with his actions and existence; these two experiences are ultimately linked.
Focusing on the Unity of the Ground and the Sky, he can understand the Sacred Order, knowing the names, causes, powers, qualities, and themselves of the Divine Plan Beings, and ultimately, can make various Samadhis in Ledina as a source of spiritual and divine knowledge. By knowing his own Spiritual Being and knowing his place in the Divine Ordinance, he can serve in harmony with the Divine Plan with his Material and Spiritual power, and thus achieves success in Karma Yoga. In Yoga, living Samadhi in Mantra & Bhakti Yoga is parallel with the fact that the one comes to the level of unity or by opening the Superficial and Deep Truths of Surah, Prayers, and Verses coming from various sources from the Divine Source. From this context, all Yoga and Tantra arms can be placed on the chakras in Kundalini Yoga.
In Kundalini Yoga, the opening of the wish at the heart of life is one of the main points. The truth coming from the essence is permanent and solid, this is the truth that applies in invisible dimensions. Therefore, knowing the Divine Laws with universal validity should also be considered in Kundalini Yoga. As Kundalini is the Life that holds all the universe and the worlds together, it connects with Maji, by knowing and communicating the beings such as jinn, angel, devil, archangel. We can only think of the issue of evolution in every scale from individual to individual, in Kundalini Yoga. With the rise of the kundalini, the legendary, human, and divine veils are lifted, and with the transformation, the entity develops. Spiritual abilities (Siddha) are revealed. Beyond the body, consciousness develops and separation from time-space and domination in it is provided.
It is not just Hatha Yoga, which aims to bring Ordinance and Health to the Physical Body in its yoga form. Every society is responsible for applying this yoga according to its genetics and body structure and making variations about it. Among the important goals of Hatha Yoga is to prepare the Physical body for Spiritual Energy and protect health. In a holistic aspect, the Hatha branch in Yoga concentrates on the root chakra. Pranayama techniques are at the level of breath. In other types of yoga, pranayama can be the control of energy, spiritual power, and knowledge. In this respect, perceiving and expressing Yoga as a discipline consisting only of physical movements and breathing exercises focused on the physical body creates great congestion.
Physical breathing is also a focus of meditation, which can be tracked with spiritual aspects and can bring a lot of enlightenment when considered. Many material and spiritual concepts can be understood through the breath itself, breathing, spread, fullness, depth, the effect, presence and absence of breath, and opinions about life itself can be obtained. Breath is a very important measure of time and it is also one of the foundations of our energetic system. The state of our lives is also reflected in our breath. In this respect, breathing is a subject that can be meditated with a wide range of active-passive-short-long-life varieties in a spiritual and holistic context. You can carry your breathing in your body and mind.
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