In the West, yoga became physical exercise and meditation became a phone app. In the original tradition, they are parts of the same path.
The Original Relationship
In Patanjali's Yoga Sūtras, meditation (dhyāna) is the seventh of the eight limbs of yoga:
- Yama -- social ethics
- Niyama -- personal discipline
- Āsana -- posture
- Prāṇāyāma -- breathing
- Pratyāhāra -- withdrawal of the senses
- Dhāraṇā -- concentration
- Dhyāna -- meditation
- Samādhi -- absorption
Āsana (posture) comes before dhyāna (meditation) for a reason: a prepared body sustains meditation for longer.
In Practice
An integrated sequence: 1. Āsanas -- 20-30 minutes of postures to prepare the body 2. Prāṇāyāma -- 5-10 minutes of conscious breathing 3. Meditation -- 15-20 minutes of directed attention
In this order, each practice prepares the next. The body relaxes so the breath deepens. The breath calms so meditation can happen.
The Error of Separation
Doing yoga without meditating is exercise. Meditating without body preparation is difficult (the body complains). The tradition integrates both because it understands that body and mind are inseparable.
Beyond Both
In Vedānta, both yoga and meditation are preparations. They prepare body and mind for what truly liberates: [self-knowledge](/blog/what-is-vedanta). They are means, not ends.
Start with [basic meditation](/blog/how-to-meditate) and, if possible, integrate with āsana practice.
Want to study Vedanta in depth?
Join a Study Group →