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Practice of hatha yoga or the martial arts can energize the body and get rid of its tendencies of laziness, inertia and indolence. Even aerobics, swimming , jogging and walking can do the same.
Practicing meditation after this enables more effective meditation. Without some physical work, meditation can lead one to sleep or carelessly thinking about this or that without focus.
Bodhidharma introduced the martial arts in the Shaolin temple, when he found the monks to be prone to indolence through inactivity and not meditating properly.
Meditation is meant to end compulsive thinking and emoting, and bring about thoughtless awareness . The reduction in mental chatter and increase in peace and joy within shows progress in meditation.
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When even one virtue becomes our nature, the mind becomes clean and tranquil. Then there is no need to practice meditation; we will automatically be meditating always. ~ Swami Satchidananda
Wholesome virtuous behavior progressively leads to the foremost.~ Buddha AN 10.1
If you do right, irrespective of what the other does, it will slow down the (turbulent) mind. ~ Rajini Menon
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