I was just thinking about how people go to the gym and something occurred to me. If people want to get strong, why don't they just do hard labor of some kind? Like volunteering or doing hard physical labor jobs for people who can't do them? It seems strange to me that people eat food, which is a resource from the earth, and then take that energy that the earth has given them and just go burn it off in a gym doing meaningless activities for the sake of vanity. Meanwhile, there are real tasks to be done in this world. Isn't this strange?
Hi zap. I think your point is well taken. Why not serve when we exercise? I think a strong case can be made for spiritual exercises though. I remember quite a few times having kundalini experiences while doing yoga postures and being absorbed in peace after the practice. They have an effect of making the body light and your spirit feels free.
I also believe that the exercises created by Amma and Paramahansa Yogananda work with balancing out the energies in the body and prepare you for meditation. They are uniquely designed for this. I also recall Paramahansa Yogananda saying that he recommended getting a half hour a day of vigorous exercise. We are very fortunate to have such spiritual exercises that are physical in nature.
