Difference between Yoga and Meditation Retreat

difference between yoga and meditation

Difference between Yoga and Meditation Retreat

By: Nimba - July 15, 2021

Natural and holistic means of therapy are very much in vogue right now. In this era of freely available knowledge, people are gradually becoming aware about the long-term harms of western medicine. This makes them more inclined towards ancient ways of healing. As a result, natural methods of healing have undergone a revival and have become fairly popular amongst laymen. And with these wholesome preferences, people are choosing to spend their holidays not partying away, but at wellness retreats

These getaways provide people not only with special holistic programs, but with a change of scenery as well. Two of the most common types of retreats people prefer to go to are yoga retreats and meditation retreats. To understand these retreats in depth, let us help you understand the difference between yoga and meditation first. 

Yoga

Yoga is not just a form of exercise, but a lifestyle. You might think that yoga is a complicated set of exercises that require a lot of flexibility but that’s a misconception. While consistently performing yoga improves posture, metabolism and strengthens  internal organs, it is much more than that. Yoga is not all about stretching and performing intense physical exercises.The purest purpose of yoga is to rid oneself of all obstacles and sufferings and achieve the highest form of self-realization. Yoga teaches you a holistic way of living. 

Yoga can be done even with physical restrictions, you just need a good instructor to guide you on what is to be done and how. Hence it is very important for beginners to learn yoga to perform it the right way. For this purpose, people attend yoga retreats, where experts educate and instruct you on your yoga journey. These yoga camps give you the perfect environment to learn yoga as they are usually located in places surrounded by nature. These retreats try to cultivate healthy habits in you so that you can lead a wholesome life and carry on yogic practices on a daily basis. 

Meditation

Where yoga is all about balancing the body and practicing healthful postures, meditation on the other hand is about stillness, be it physical or mental. Practicing meditation consists of no exercises or bodily movements. In meditation, a person tries to focus their mind on emptiness to achieve the ultimate state of mental peace. In todays’ fast-paced world where we are multitasking at all times, it is rare that our minds and bodies are in harmony. This is where meditation helps center the mind and body by healing emotional and psychological stress, while teaching patience like no other. If you are in the habit of meditating every single day, there is a good chance that you won’t need to take any medication for mental health. But emptying your mind while keeping still is surprisingly hard if you have no training. Hence meditation retreats exist where you can learn how to expel the clutter from your mind and achieve the state of perfect harmony. Fresh air, a quiet environment and the sounds of nature aid you in the process. Some retreats offer a very minimalistic approach, keeping living arrangements as simple as possible so you don’t get distracted. Others provide their visitors with all the luxuries they could imagine. It’s completely up to you which setting you choose to go to. 

Now that we have told you a few things about yoga and meditation retreats, you can tell there are some differences involved. A major one being that yoga has some limitations due to the physical aspect of the discipline whereas meditation has no such requirement. While yoga teaches you about being physically fit and leading a disciplined lifestyle, meditation shows you the inner way to reach mental peace. At a yoga retreat, being surrounded by like minded people matters a lot, as they motivate you to follow a yogic lifestyle. But a meditation retreat takes a more isolative approach. Often, retreats follow a protocol dictating that complete silence will be observed during meditation sessions. Thus, yoga and meditation both teach the art of mental focus but adopt different approaches to reach that goal. Yoga does it with the help of bodily exertion, whereby yogic poses compel you to focus on the task at hand but meditation teaches to focus with breathing techniques and mental exercises. 

Although yoga and meditation might be different, they often go hand in hand. If you visit a yoga retreat, you will likely be suggested to meditate, as relaxation of the mind is a vital part of holistic healing.  At Nimba Nature Cure, we focus on healing the self, inside and out. We put a great deal of emphasis on inner growth and wellness in all our offerings. To ensure that our guests have the perfect environment to embark on the journey within, we have designed a separate meditation cave and yoga room. To experience our traditional Yoga and Meditation therapies, visit us or call on 8347313333. Invoke the power of healing present within you in the green environs of Nimba Nature Cure. 

The New Normal- Making Lifestyle Changes With Yoga And Meditation

yoga in nature

The New Normal- Making Lifestyle Changes With Yoga And Meditation

By: - June 12, 2020

The practice of yoga and meditation has been around this country since the 11th century. However, people around the world have adapted yoga and meditation for the betterment of their physical, mental and spiritual well being in the late 90’s. Scientists have also proven that yoga is not only beneficial for our body but also for our mind. People practicing yoga have seen some miraculous transformations in their bodies.

It becomes essential for us to make yoga and meditation a part of our lifestyle and as we are moving out of this lockdown situation. The first thing we require is to boost our immune system, and yoga and meditation has proven to be effective in this situation.

Here are a few asanas which you all can try for your physical and mental wellness. (preferable in the morning on an empty stomach)

Surya Namaskar (1 time):

Surya Namaskar or Salute to the sun is a yogasana which consists of 12 different asanas. This asana is generally performed early in the morning (during sunrise) to show gratitude towards the sun, the source of life on this earth. This asana is performed to channelize the energy of the sun within your body. The benefits of this asana are:

  • Weight loss
  • Glowing skin
  • Better digestive system
  • Ensures regular menstrual cycle
  • Helps your body detox
  • Battles insomnia and anxiety

Pawanmuktasana (30- 40 seconds):

Pawanmuktasana is a powerful yoga asana which helps in releasing all the gaseous toxins out of our body and boosts your metabolism. The other benefits of this asana are:

  • Strengthens the back, arms and leg muscles
  • Improves the circulation of blood in the hip area
  • Relieves back pain
  • Burn fat in the thighs, buttocks, and abdominal area.

Naukasana (30- 40 seconds):

Naukasana or the boat like asana is helpful in burning your belly fat and increasing your metabolism. The other benefits of this asana are:

  • Strengthens your abdomen muscles
  • Improves the health of all digestive organs
  • Regulates the sugar level in the body

Bhastrika Pranayama (1 minute):

We need a better respiratory system to battle with coronavirus. This pranayama technique will not increase your respiratory power but will also give you more energy for your body. The benefits of Bhastrika pranayam are:

  • Removes toxins and impurities from the body
  • Helps in social wellness and social awareness
  • Helps in curing other respiratory problems

Anulom Vilom (2 minutes):

This is not just a breathing exercise but this is a yogic technique to bring balance and harmony in our body. This exercise helps in channelizing the energy throughout your body. The benefits of anulom vilom are:

  • Relieves depression, stress, and anxiety for emotional wellbeing
  • Improves respiratory system
  • Balances the 3 doshas (Vatta, Pitta and Kapha) in our body
  • Increases metabolism of our body

Tratak (5 minutes):

Trataka is a method of meditation which involves staring at a single point such as a small object, black dot or candle flame to concentrate the energy at one point. The benefits of Trataka are:

  • Strengthens the eye muscle which improves the eyesight
  • Improves concentration 
  • Effective in improving psychological well being

Here are a few simple yoga asanas and pranayamas which are apt for beginners and are proven to be beneficial for an individual well being. Do try this at your home for definitive results!

Nimba – The Best Meditation and Yoga Retreat in India

The Best Meditation and Yoga Retreat in India

Nimba – The Best Meditation and Yoga Retreat in India

By: - May 24, 2019

Nimbati Syasthyamdadati’ which means ‘to give good health’. This is what Nimba stands for. Located, in Ahmedabad, Baliyasan, Gujarat, this place has been dominating the meditation and yoga retreats for quite some time now, and, also in 2019, has taken large strides towards the direction of being not only India’s one of the best but, India’s best.

Nimba: The Premium Naturopathy and Wellness Centre

Nimba is all about improving your health by changing your lifestyle. If this statement is twisted a bit, it means, that one way or the other Nimba has amazing health benefits. Metaphorically, if Nimba is a tree, then, it, bestows perfect, complete, and imperishable health to everyone. To ensure this, Nimba follows major steps one of them is meditation and yoga retreats.

We all know the power of Nature is undefined and infinite. This is what Nimba uses to ensure such amazing health benefits to its clients. Physical, psychological, and spiritual health are some of the key aspects at which one looks. This is something you won’t find anywhere else. Our body is capable of healing itself by maintaining the effective balance of the mind, the body, and the soul.

Yoga means addition – the addition of energy, strength, and beauty to body, mind, and soul!

Yoga and Meditation can restore the Natural Equilibrium of the human body and soul. If the natural balance deviates from the normal, the equilibrium is not maintained, and hence a disturbed equilibrium causes health complications and disorders in the human body. Distinctive synergism under modern sciences, with the help of professional guidance, helps you get back to your normal state.

Meditation and yoga retreats are spread all over India. Then what does Nimba do to make it different and the best meditation and yoga retreat in 2024? Let us discuss them in detail.

Before that, let us view Nimba’s outlook on Yoga and Meditation.

Yoga at Nimba – The best Meditation and Yoga Retreats

We all know Yoga means union. Nimba believes that yoga unites an individual with reality. Nimba Nature Cure Village is one of the best yoga and meditation centers in India which offers holistic rejuvenation for the mind, body, and soul.

What makes us the best?

The myriad range of techniques that you will learn at Nimba is one of the reasons that set us apart from other naturopathy centres. Also, these are some of the rare techniques that are taught at Nimba under the guidance of experts that benefit you greatly both in the body and in the soul. Let’s first take a dig at some of the best Yoga and meditation therapy programs at Nimba:

1. Kapalbhati

Kapalbhati Pranayam is an efficient and effective Yogic Practice that helps a person to be oxygenated. It is a type of breathing exercise that helps a person to get over ailments, especially physical, mental, and psychological ones over a period of time.

2. Yogasan

Yogasans are the spiritual, mental, and physical forms of practice. Yogasans benefit you in a lot of terms while reducing calories and strength in muscles tops the list. It is a total mind-body workout.

3. Meditation

One performs the art of meditation for more than one reason. It has plenty of benefits. It reduces your stress level, increases focus, and slows down the aging process. In short, it promotes emotional well-being and reduces anxiety levels. Mindful meditation is very beneficial, and one should practice it for the overall well-being of the mind and soul.

4. Shankhaprakshalana

It is very important to detoxify your body. This is what Shankhaprakshalana does to you. It involves drinking water in such a yogic regime that cleans the digestive tract and hence detoxifies oneself.

5. Therapeutic yoga

We all know Yoga is an ancient form of exercise in India. Even Therapeutic Yoga is a gentle approach that is used to relieve tight muscles and create space between compressed muscles and it also includes restorative poses for relaxation purposes.

6. Yog Nidra

It is also called yogic sleep. It involves consciousness between the sleeping and walking stages with guided meditation. There has been evidence depicting that yog nidra has helped individuals to be relieved from stress.

7. Shatkarmas

If we break the above word into two, Shat means six and Karmas means tasks. So, it means six tasks. This involves individuals performing six different techniques under the same for the benefit of the mind, body, and soul.

8. Basti yoga

We have spoken about the importance of detoxifying the human body. While Shankaprakshalana detoxifies you by cleaning the digestive tract, Basti Yoga intends to detoxify you by cleaning the lower abdomen, especially the colon.

9. Tratak

Tratak is a form of meditation that involves staring at a single point, black dot, or candle flame. It promotes various things. It is believed to empower the third eye and even psychic abilities.

10. Power yoga

Also known as Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, is practiced for the sake of improving physical capabilities like strength and stamina in the body. The style includes energetic, synchronized breathing with movements. It is a modern-day form of Indian classical yoga.

11. Aquatic yoga

Again, this is an adaptation of classical yoga. As the name suggests, this technique involves performing yoga in water. This reduces friction, provides a low-impact workout for your muscles, and also relaxes the mind.

This is why, Nimba proves to be one of the best yoga and meditation retreats, especially in India because not only does it provide a comprehensive system with multiple options, but it also understands the value of time and mental fitness.

Conclusion:

Moreover, in our daily busy lives, prioritizing our health becomes difficult, after work and other responsibilities. The best way is to opt for beautiful yoga and meditation retreats where you get needed time off from your busy lives and focus on your well-being first.