Both yoga and mediation can provide a huge amount of benefits, both physically and mentally. They can improve athletic abilities, reduce stress, and improve memory and sleep. However, due to this, it’s common to wonder which practice you should do first?
The answer to this question depends on your objectives. For example, many people practice yoga to enhance their meditation sessions’ quality and duration. If this is your goal, you should do yoga before meditation.
Others choose to practice yoga purely for the physical benefits and maybe carry out their yoga workout in the evening.
Finally, some like to meditate at the beginning of the day to calm their mind and prepare themselves for the day. The order in which you do things is solely up to you and your preferences.
Should I Meditate Or Do Yoga In The Morning?
Although yoga and mediation are deeply traditional practices, they have been modified to suit our modern-day lifestyles. One element of this is the recommendation that you practice mediation around your body’s circadian rhythm.
This means for some people, you should practice meditation in the morning, just after waking up. It is popular to meditate in the morning to establish a sense of calm energy for the rest of the day.
For others, this could be in the early afternoon in order to avoid the natural energy decrease.
It is also popular to start your day with yoga practice. This leads to an increase in energy and focus throughout the day. In addition, it allows for mental clarity. Also, starting your day with a workout leads to an increase in heart rate and endorphins for a strong start to the day.
Should You Do Yoga Before Or After Meditating?
There is no correct answer to this as doing yoga before or after mediating both have benefits. Mediation before yoga helps you to focus your breathing and mind in preparation for the physical and mental accuracy required for yoga.
Whilst meditating after yoga helps you to unwind and clear your mind. It also helps to relax the muscles after your workout and lower cortisol (the stress chemical) levels.
Can We Do Yoga and Meditation Together?
Practicing yoga and meditation together allows you to have greater control of your physical and mental fitness levels. In addition, many people believe combining the practices can lead to an optimal result in terms of mindset.
Do I Need To Meditate If I Do Yoga?
If the main reason for your yoga practice is to improve your fitness levels, physical strength, or to lose weight, it is not necessary to meditate.
However, traditional yoga practice contains a large mental and spiritual component. Therefore many people believe that meditation is necessary for a complete yoga practice.
Final Thoughts on Should You Meditate Or Do Yoga First
It doesn’t matter whether you practice meditation before or after doing yoga, as both have their own individual benefits. Which order you decide to practice is dependent entirely on your personal preference. The best rule to follow is to do what is comfortable for you.