I am sure the physical practices I have been doing along with meditation played a big role in the benefits gained in mind and body.

I practiced a set of Yoga based loosening exercises for about two years to make my rigid muscles flexible. As a result, my muscles and joints have radically improved in flexibility.

Recently I started practicing some Yoga postures. As particular postures become easier and stop hurting I am switching over to different and more demanding ones. I am actually looking for painful postures and movements and working on them till they become pain free.

I do Nadi Shodhan Prnayama (alternate nostril breathing) and another type of Yoga based breathing. When I do these physicals, the feeling of heaviness in body and head almost disappears and I feel as though I am fully charged to be active from morning to late night. There is practically no fatigue even at the end of the day. If I do not do these physicals on any day, I feel sluggish and lack energy.

Some people feel that physical practices make the body flexible. My experience is that the physicals are effective only when the body is loose and flexible. This happens to me only after I complete my full meditation period. Before that, my body is stiff and any exercise activity causes pain and feels like a punishment. After meditation, it is a pleasure to do the various physicals.