Q. Swamiji, can you speak about the health benefits of meditation?
A. First of all, we must be clear about what we mean by the word 'health'. Usually when people enter into meditation for health reasons, all they expect is a way to cope with some disease, some little healing - and maybe some peace of mind. That's all!
You don't know, meditation has the power to completely transform you physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually!
Only when you are healthy in mind, body and spirit can you be really called healthy.
Physical health is essentially the ability to digest your food well and having that food become part of your body.
Mental health is the clarity to digest and work with all the ideas and problems that you encounter and arrive at the most effective solution. It means living a conflict-free life, with yourself and others. When you add meditation to your life, you will experience a flood of transformation, especially at the mental and emotional levels!
Spiritual health is the maturity to receive all the great Truths and the energy of enlightenment, digest them and live a liberated life. Having all three is total health.
Each individual experiences meditation in a unique way, but these are some of the changes that meditation can bring about in you:
A REALLY HEALTHY BODY
If your digestive system is working perfectly, that is physical health.
I tell you, you don't need anything else. If your digestive system is absolutely perfect, you don't even need food! Your physiology will be so intelligent that it can take in energy directly from the ether.
You may have heard of saints who live for years without food. It is not a miracle! If your digestive system works efficiently, you will need very little or no food. Not only food, meditation is a complement to medication also.
Through meditation, you can regulate your blood pressure and blood sugar, you can increase your body's resistance to disease. You can heal even chronic problems like skin allergies, asthma and arthritis.
No disease can escape the power of meditation.