What is the difference between relaxation and meditation? This question is answered by Frank Jude Boccio – Yoga teacher, Ayurvedic, hypnotherapist.

We often think that when we watch TV, or sit in a soft comfortable chair, sipping a cocktail or reading an interesting book – we relax. However, this is not true. True relaxation and relaxation can not come spontaneously, as they need to be constantly practiced and cultivated. Some forms of relaxation can go into meditation. Many meditators find that relaxation technique gives access to the inner silence, thus being useful for meditation. But at the same time, relaxation is a secondary effect of some meditation. However, some forms of meditation – it is only rest and relaxation and nothing more. Ultimately, it all comes down to the intents and purposes of meditation techniques.

All conscious relaxation techniques offer practitioners a method of slow relaxation of the major muscle groups of the body, in order to achieve ease of deep even breathing and other physiological changes that help the practitioner to relax. Autogenic training methods include, the use of words to achieve in gravity and heat extremities, progressive muscle relaxation. Systematically drawing attention to the various parts of the body, scanning these body consciously relaxes, it brings a sense of softness and lightness, the gradual expansion of the exhalations.

Meditation is usually presented in three broad categories: the concentration, mindfulness, and contemplation – is a form of mind training, working on the fundamental premise that consciousness determines the quality of your life. Meditation helps to make friends with yourself, free yourself from irritable reactions taught to perceive things as they are. Liberating aspect of meditation is conceptualized in different ways: from a purely psychological to the spiritual and deeply religious.

As a supplement, you can try to translate the words of meditation and relaxation from English into Russian, and we find that ” meditation – it’s a thought, meditation ,” and ” relaxation – it is rest and relaxation .”

Translation Journal article http://www.yogajournal.com