What is mediation and yoga? Many people’s minds would go straight to someone sitting with legs crossed with their palms facing out. Now this is true, but meditation and yoga are more than physical position. Meditation and yoga can not only benefit physical health, but have also proven to benefit mental health.

Mediation is the practice of an individual training their attention in order to achieve a clean and open mind.

The state of calmness that comes with meditation comes from focusing on taking deep breaths. Some may also repeat a statement or a mantra in order to focus. 

While meditation improves mental stability, yoga focuses on both mental aspects and physical benefits. Yoga is an Indian practice that aims to unite the spiritual, mental and physical being.

Yoga benefits flexibility, balance and posture. Yoga practices include various poses and exercising breathing techniques.

Yoga has proven to increase mental mood and clarity, much like meditation. Yoga has also shown improvements in sleeping and reduced body pain. Some popular yoga poses include the mountain pose, tree pose, triangle pose, cobra pose and downward-facing dog.

Junior Chloe Cruz enjoys doing yoga in the mornings, for it prepares her day in a calm, relaxing way. “My body feels more open and loose, and it opens my mind to begin my day on a positive note,” Cruz said.

So, if you or someone you know has had a long and stressful day, suggest a few minutes of yoga or meditation.