Some folks—like me—swear by yoga on and off the mat. It’s a total reset button for everything that’s weighing on me (conscious and unconscious). It pushes and peels me out of those layers of old, cringe-worthy skin. And makes me feel like I’ve got a shot at life-ing again. 

Like, I’m not as cringe as I thought I was. 

And sometimes, it’s a reset. Most times, it’s a check-in with my mental health. But it almost always brings me to the present moment. And if you do go down the rabbit hole, it’s just a way of life. 

Then there’s meditation. I swear by those ancient practices, too. Especially when life’s been kicking my ass (and let’s be honest, sometimes I’m the one doing the kicking). 

Meditation is how I find myself again, in whatever way I need to.

It’s how I check in with my energy levels and call my energy back home, reeling it in from the chaos I’ve sent it out into. It replaces the mental junk with mental clarity and makes space for whatever’s next to land.

So, which is better? A yoga practice or meditation practice?

Well—both. Both are better.

Here’s how I see it—and how I live it: Yoga moves what’s stuck. Meditation helps you hold what comes next. 

The main difference: one clears the way, the other locks it in. 

Together, they build the kind of quiet strength that opens perspectives you didn’t even know were closed—because when you’re steady like that, you’re already lined up for whatever’s meant to find you.

And if you’re already overthinking, trying to figure out which one’s better for you—don’t. You don’t have to pick a side. That’s not what this is about. 

I just want you to feel how these two practices in regular practice work together—how moving through the physical practice of yoga and sitting with different meditations clears the way for whatever’s next to get to you.

Because when you mix the flow of movement with the softness of stillness, you’re not just pushing through what’s holding you back—you’re making room for something new to find you.

And when that new thing shows up? You’ll be ready for it.

Yoga lives in two worlds: the mundane and ceremonial

Yoga lives in two worlds—the mundane and the ceremonial—and both matter if you wanna stay whole.

It’s in the everyday stretch as it is in and the sacred intention when your heart’s heavy. Yoga isn’t always reserved for a candlelit yoga room or a picture-perfect flow—it’s also in the moments when you roll out your mat on a dirty floor (I know), breathing into whatever’s been brewing inside you, and moving through it, even when it feels like too much.

That’s the part of yoga I love. Here’s how your yoga practice can show up for you, both in the mundane and the ceremonial, on and off the mat:

• Breathing with your morning tea — Before the day starts, take a minute with that warm cup in your hands. Let each sip remind you to slow down, ground yourself, and breathe before the chaos of the day commences. 
• Floor sweeps with intention — Stare at the mess and sweep like you’re clearing your headspace, sweeping away negative emotions, not just the floor.
• Create a yoga altar — Toss a few things together to create a low-effort but meaningful ceremonial yoga space. Whether it’s a candle or a few meaningful things. Set up a little space that helps you feel centered before you hop into any yoga postures.
• Practicing with nature — Take it outside. The trees, the grass, the sky (sacred)—they’ve got their own way of making you feel whole. It’s yoga but with a primal vibe. 

Some things you can’t just think your way out of—you’ve gotta move through them. 

And that’s what an asana practice like yoga does.

It shakes loose what’s been stuck physically and mentally by guiding your body into beautiful shapes and poses.

In classical yoga, like Ashtanga yoga, movement isn’t exclusively about flexibility—it’s about release, too. The flow, rhythm, and your breath all work together to clear out the tension sitting deep in your bones. And the mental clutter you didn’t realize was weighing you down.

But yoga is equal parts physical movement and sacred practice. It’s a simple way to honor the ordinary and the spiritual benefits of moving intentionally. All the stretching, breathing, pausing—it’s all about creating space. Space to grow into something new.

And when you move like that, something shifts. 

You start breaking through the invisible barriers of the modern world. I’m talking about the unconscious barriers keeping you stuck in old habits and outdated stories about who you are.

Because your body remembers everything.

Every heartbreak. Those stressful situations. Every moment you said, “I’m fine,” when you weren’t. Each time you held it together when you wanted to fall apart.

And yoga’s just a way to remember what you already know—but keep forgetting. Pick your poison:

• Ashtanga Yoga: Remember you’re stronger than the chaos. Fast, fiery—burns through the monkey mind and leaves you raw, but without burnout in 75 poses.
• Antaranga Yoga: Remember what’s underneath it all. Breath, mind, spirit—it’s pulls your scattered energy back like a magnet using pranayama (breath), pratyahara (sense withdrawal), and dhyana (meditation).
• Vinyasa Yoga: Remember how to keep moving. Smooth, breathy—when life pushes, you learn to flow (instead of fight) through at least 60 poses.
• Hatha Yoga: Remember how to slow down. No rush, no hype—just you, your breath, and the stillness you keep running from for 60 seconds (each pose).
• Restorative Yoga: Remember how to rest without feeling weak or falling apart. It’s where you let the weight drop and stop pretending you’re ‘fine’ in 10 poses or less.

No matter how you yoga, it’s all just a way to find your way back to you—again and again.

Your body holds onto the good stuff, too, Every time you move with the truth. Every “I love you” that came from a whole heart. Every moment you choose yourself when it would’ve been easier not to. 

Yoga reminds you of those parts—and reconnects you to the wholeness that’s already yours, even when life feels messy (I know, easier said than done).

And when you live with that kind of awareness, you don’t just feel lighter—you tap into freedom.

But here’s a little secret I learned from my teachers in my yoga teacher training: The yoga doesn’t stop when you step off the mat. 

No yoga poses required.

Yoga is in the everyday moments, too: how you soften when life gets hard, ground yourself when the world moves too fast, and hold space for yourself and others to grow.

Because yoga is a living practice—it’s a way of moving through life.

And the ceremonial yoga? It’s already happening.

Meditation is the Pause That Lets Change Settle In

Meditation isn’t the romanticized stillness they tell you about.

It’s not the zen thing where you do nothing. It’s the kind of stillness that lets what you’ve cleared through breath sink deeper. 

Meditation is all about focus—choosing where your attention lands and letting the breath carry you there. It’s equal parts composure and movement—taking whatever’s spinning in your head and guiding it to land somewhere again and again.

 It’s like the air softens the BS, giving it space to land and make sense. (Here’s a peek into my daily meditation practice):

• Smash it Out Meditation: If you really want peace of mind, put on the loudest, angriest song and let it roll over you. Don’t try to fight it. Breathe into the noise, let it cut through you until something shifts.
• Release Meditation: Take something bugging you—anger, fear, whatever—and let your breath feel it leave, piece by piece.
• Yoga Nidra: feels like floating between awake and dreaming—deep rest without the pressure, just sinking, softening, and letting go. And you’ll have better sleep.

Meditation’s not about escaping (though, sometimes you need that). 

It’s about sitting with the shit that comes up, letting those thoughts and feelings move through you without giving them a name or rushing to push them away. Meditation is the space where you just watch it all—no judgment.

Some days it’s “fuck it, fuck that”—other days, “I fucks with it.” But you learn to hold it all without pushing it away, without pretending it’s not there, without hiding behind a mask.

If you wanna get deeper, guided meditation is your doorway.

It’s like stepping into your own mental chaos, where deep breaths and quiet find you when you finally let go and let it be.

When you’ve moved through the shift, and you’re standing at the edge of something new, meditation anchors you. It’s the ground beneath you when everything else feels unstable, when you’re ready to rush but need to pause.

It teaches you that trust isn’t some big leap. It’s a quiet, steady thing that’s always been there, waiting for you to notice: “I’m ready for what’s next.”

Each Practice is an Invitation to Something Greater

So here’s my invitation: Yoga doesn’t care if you nail that perfect pose. And mindfulness meditation isn’t some calm, picture-perfect moment where everything magically falls into place.

It’s all a meditative practice. Rolling out your mat, breath control, moving through the world, or simply breathing in the stillness—it all counts. 

The world doesn’t stop spinning just because you’re trying to find inner peace.

Yoga and meditation aren’t separate—they’re just two sides of the same thing. The push and the pull. The strength and the surrender. Both are necessary.

You don’t have to pick one. You just have to show up.

So, what’s opening for you right now? What’s shifting, even when you don’t have it all figured out? How will you step through that door?

What if, at this moment, you stopped waiting for everything to be perfect? 

Yoga? Meditation?

Inhale, exhale.