There are currently more than one hundred (100) benefits recorded with numerous scientific studies to record them from improvements to the nervous system, in sleep, in heart conditions to name but a few.
From the Yogic perspective this is not surprising at all but it is always nice to see western science catching up with the yogic science. From a Yogic perspective and in reference to Patanjali’s 8 limbs of Yoga, the subtler four parts of the yogi’s path are meditative. The asanas part was always meant to prepare the body for the sited posture and to maintain a straight spine. A state of meditation is a catalyst for self realisation to happen. In a peaceful environment, body and mind the human being has the opportunity to experience its true and subtle nature. Any health issues that might arise is largely due to our ignorance of our nature and as this is restored health, inner peace and joy are also naturally restored.
The evidence is overwhelming and below are only some of the positive side effects of meditation and the studies to support them.

You might have noticed that changes often take effort and some changes take a bit more effort than others but once habits are formed then everything is easier. This is because there are parts of us that don’t feel comfortable with change and growth. If it was up to them we would sit in front of a TV, having pizza all day long because the couch is comfortable and pizza is comfort food. But a comfortable life does not equate to a happy or a meaningful life.

As a matter of fact the Bhagavad Gita, one of the most important spiritual texts of the east is an allegory of just that, this struggle within the human being. We talk more about this in the Conscious Yoga Academy courses. We notice these parts in us, we embrace these parts, we understand them, we negotiate with them and we ill raise them to a new vibration. This takes consistent work and some time. Most importantly it takes willpower and the human being does not have infinite will-power. How do we see this in our life?

In our daily life we do so many things that take away from our store house of willpower. We wake up in the morning. If we feel rested then we have a lot of willpower and we can use to get through the tasks of the day. If we don’t feel rested then we have less willpower and we don’t get as much done. Then there are people who have exercised their muscle of willpower and others that haven’t and so this is why some tasks look very big, nearly impossible for some but not for others. Towards the end of the day when most of the willpower is spent it is easier to make choices that are not aligned with the kind of discipline we would like for example have another scoop of ice-cream or a slice of pizza. It is much harder to exercise you will-power successfully in an environment that tempts you consistently. However when we have habits formed then it is much easier to follow along with these patters.

So how are you using your willpower? How much of it goes towards noble and meaningful causes?
How is your environment affecting you? Inspiring you to reach higher or tempting you to go lower?
What kind of habits are you building? The building of habits is a continuous process and it is often more effective to work internally for changes to manifest externally rather than the other way around.

In Yogic science suffering is the result of ignorance. The human being is not in touch with reality. Reality is veiled by the senses, habitual patterns, energy blockages, belief systems that no longer work for the being. As a result human beings acting from a place of ignorance make mistakes thus creating karma and suffering happens.
More specifically in our times many yogis argue that the whole planet is undergoing massive changes by leaving Kali Yuga and entering Dwapara Yuga, a dark era to enter in a more enlightened area. This creates polarisations inside and outside of us. In the same way that the systems outside of us such as global and local economies, banks, society structures are being stressed, tested and transformed it is in the same way that this happens inside of us. We also need to leave behind the old, the heavy and the least useful and bring about more of our qualities. It is more important than ever for more of us to undergo trainings and prepare for these changes in the least painful way.
Another perspective helps us to rationalise suffering as the mechanism of life to help the human being make adjustments and align itself with a higher more accurate reality.