Importance of meditation and yoga in a student’s life

The education system is becoming increasingly adaptive in providing yoga and meditation classes to students. This is because meditating significantly contributes to good health by reducing mental pressure. It is beneficial for students for not only resolving issues in their academic lives but also their social lives. If you are seeking to accomplish your school or college tasks perfectly, then read this article to find out how doing meditation and yoga can help you with that.

Why is meditation and yoga necessary for students?

Yoga requires students to have a strong commitment towards achieving their goals and giving maximum effort. Students who take up yoga and meditation as their daily routine can have a better quality of life than those who refrain themselves from incorporating them. It relieves stress among students that can allow them to overcome obstacles in their academic lives in a better way. As meditation techniques requires strong attention, it aids students in enhancing the ability to concentrate in hyperactive situations such as:

• Meeting deadlines;
• Preparing for tests;
• Competing for getting good grades;
• Daily assignments.

The “feel-good” chemical (endorphin) released by an individual’s body during yoga, can help them gain clarity of mind and feel fresh to tackle academic challenges. Furthermore, this will help students maintain their spirits as well as motivate others. This will enable them to make friends, interact with new people and be the person that people want to hang around with.

Yoga and meditation are often considered as a good source of relaxation as they aid in lowering blood pressure as well as hormone regulation. Additionally, by doing yoga on a daily basis, students can obtain a better immune system thus a healthier body. They can also give students a sharper clarity that is required to think with a different perspective and make rational decisions. This further enables students to keep their emotions in control and analyse the outcome of their reaction with every aspect of their lives.

Benefits of meditation and yoga

• Boosts student performance and overall academic improvement;
• Improves memory, attention span and body posture in students (both adults and children);
• Helps students gain the determination to achieve their goals thereby transforming them into better students;
• Aids students in maintaining their health and getting back their ideal body shape;
• Alleviates psychological pressure in students that are capable of triggering various symptoms of depression;
• Enhances communication skills in students that can enable them to build communities with like-minded people;
• Calms down frustration among students who suffer from instability of their emotional well-being;
• Helps students abstain from unhealthy or dangerous habits such as addiction to drugs, smoking or alcohol;
• Improves the quality of sleep;
• Increases self-confidence and quality of relationships that you make with other people;
• Instils compassion and perseverance among students.

How to practice yoga and meditation

Step 1: Begin yoga with a humble and open mind, considering all the pros and cons before incorporating it into your practice;

Step 2: Ask questions to your yoga teacher about the procedure or let your teacher know about any concerns pertaining to your mental or physical health;

Step 3: Go beyond the physical by bringing you mind, body and spirit to unity that can lead to self-realization;

Step 4: Gain knowledge about the indigenous roots (including symbols and iconography) and wisdom of practising yoga;

Step 5: Try to possess a sense of devotion towards the path of yoga and be committed to your studentship.

Meditation techniques for students

Step 1: Position yourself comfortably by sitting on a chair or lying with your back on a cushion;

Step 2: Close your eyes slowly (you can use eye masks or pillows for your comfort)

Step 3: Breath naturally, with almost having no control over your breathing movements;

Step 4: Pay attention to each breath and how your body moves with every inhalation and exhalation;

Step 5: Observe the motion of your chest, shoulders, rib cage and belly, focusing on each breath without controlling its pace or intensity;

Step 6: To begin with, maintain your meditative pose for 2-3 minutes (increasing the span each day).

Note: If you are just starting out and having difficulty in keeping your focus, just remember to bring your attention back to your breath every time your mind wanders.

Social and family pressures have long been the cause of anxiety, abuse and bullying among students, unfortunately leading to high-stress levels. The benefits of yoga and meditation are found to be compelling not only by students but also by their teachers and parents. Toronto School of Management (TSoM) blog page holds more advisory articles for students to help them build a strong academic career.