Q: Is it good to devote some time to stay healthy?
Annamalai Swami: "It is difficult to do sādhana if the body is not in good condition. Hatha yoga is one way of staying healthy. Bhagavan (Ramana Maharshi) used to say, however, that of all the different āsanās, nidhidhyāsanā is the best. He would then add that nidhidhyāsanā means abidance in the Self.
"Don’t pay too much attention to the body. If you worry about the well-being of your body, you identify with it more and more. Look at it as a useful vehicle: maintain it, fuel it properly and repair if it breaks down, but don’t become attached to it. If you can keep your attention on the Self without being distracted by unpleasant bodily sensations, you are healthy enough to do sādhana. If you do your meditation earnestly and continuously you will begin to find that health problems will not distract you. When your abidance in the Self is firm and strong, you cease to be aware of the body and its pains.
"" "We must take care of the body by giving it food, shelter and clothing. This is necessary because the journey to the Self is only easy when the body is healthy. If a ship is not in need of repair, if it is in good condition, we can easily use it to go on a journey. But we should not forget the purpose for which we have been given this body."
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