When most people think of yoga, they picture shapes—postures, flows, maybe some breath work. But in truth, postures were never the goal. They were simply the preparation. The heart of yoga, the part that carries us beyond the mat and into daily life, has always been meditation. Yet this pillar is the one most often left out in modern classes.

For me, meditation has been life-changing. And I don’t say that lightly.

My turning point

Over ten years ago, I was struggling with stress, poor sleep and the heartbreak of IVF. We were heading into our third round after two failed attempts. I’d read that meditation might help, so I signed up for a simple online course—just 10 minutes a day.

At first, I wasn’t sure it was working. But after a couple of weeks, I was walking the dogs one morning, ranting in my head about something that had upset me. Anger was my go-to stress response. Then suddenly, in the middle of that spiral, I felt myself rise above the whole scene. I saw my thoughts from a distance and thought, Why am I doing this? How silly.

It was such a strange, liberating moment. For the first time, I wasn’t lost in the emotion—I could see it and choose how to respond. That IVF round turned out to be successful and I’ve meditated nearly every day since.

Why meditation matters

Yoga without meditation is like a house without foundations. The movement is wonderful—good for strength, flexibility, and mood—but meditation gives us something deeper:

• Perspective. It creates that tiny pause between thought and reaction.

• Calm. The nervous system learns safety, which supports better sleep and steadier energy.

• Resilience. Stress still comes, but it doesn’t knock us down so hard or for so long.

• Freedom. The more I practise, the more I notice I’m not my racing thoughts—I have the choice to step back.

And unlike some aspects of yoga, meditation is portable. You don’t need a mat, fancy leggings, or even much time. Just attention and a willingness to return to it again and again.

What the science says (and why it matters to me)

• I feel calmer and less anxious. A landmark 2014 review in JAMA Internal Medicine analysed dozens of trials and found that mindfulness and meditation programmes led to clear reductions in anxiety, depression and stress—especially compared with doing nothing. To me, that says meditation is a solid, credible option to have in the toolkit.

• My sleep has improved. Studies focused on people with insomnia show that meditation really can make a difference. One meta-analysis found that mindfulness-based programmes significantly improved sleep quality, both right after the course and at follow-up months later. It might not outshine gold-standard clinical sleep therapies but the improvements were meaningful—and accessible to anyone willing to practise.

• I can see my blood pressure drop (even just a bit). Systematic reviews have reported modest but real reductions in blood pressure—around 5–9 mmHg on average—in people practising structured meditation or mindfulness-based interventions. That might not sound like much, but for cardiovascular health, even small drops matter.

• When I experience pain, meditation helps me meet it differently. Brain imaging studies show meditation changes how the brain processes pain. Long-term meditators show up to 40–50% less pain-related activity in regions like the insula and anterior cingulate cortex. In real life, that doesn’t mean pain vanishes—but it means I can relate to discomfort in a way that feels more spacious, less overwhelming.

What I love about all of this is that the science is catching up with what yogis have always known. Meditation isn’t a miracle cure but it is safe, inexpensive and empowering. And the benefits accumulate in ways that really add up over time.

How to begin

Meditation doesn’t need to be complicated. Here’s a simple 10-minute daily practice you can try:

1. Sit comfortably and let the body find ease.

2. Rest your attention on the breath, perhaps noticing the rise and fall of the chest or belly.

3. When the mind wanders (and it will), gently bring it back without judgement.

4. Finish by pausing, noticing how you feel and carrying that awareness into your day.

Over time, this simple act of returning builds the muscle of attention—and with it, the freedom to meet life more calmly.

Bringing meditation back into yoga

In my own classes and retreats, I’ve made it a priority to put meditation and mindfulness back at the centre. Whether it’s woven through movement, introduced at the beginning of class or given space at the end, I see again and again how people light up when they discover this missing piece.

Yoga gives us strength and balance. Meditation gives us the insight to use them wisely.

✨ If you’d like to explore meditation with me:

• Join the next Inner Peace Beginners Meditation Course either face to face or on demand

• Weekly Saturday Sanctuary online includes guided mindful relaxation as part of the practice

• Our monthly Yin + Sound Bath sessions offer a beautiful way to calm the nervous system and explore Yin poses as postured meditation

References

• Goyal, M., et al. (2014). Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Internal Medicine, 174(3), 357–368. Link

• Rusch, H. L., et al. (2019). The effect of mindfulness meditation on sleep quality: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1445(1), 5–16.

• Chen, Q., et al. (2024). Effect of mindfulness-based interventions on blood pressure in pre-hypertensive and hypertensive patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Cardiovascular Disorders, 24, 82.

• Grant, J. A., et al. (2011). Meditation practitioners show reduced neural response to pain. Pain, 152(1), 150–155.