A healthy body is a prerequisite for meditation and other spiritual practices for the attainment of siddhi. Without a healthy body and mind we cannot attain these goals. Hence, at the outset, it is very essential to know about our body, its organs and their functions.
The whole world is alight with knowledge and man is at the centre of all scientific achievements.
5000 years ago our learned rishis studied the human body and its finest details without the aid of any electronic equipment. Today the scientists and doctors are just verifying those details. Our body is made of more than 600 billion cells. Just like a building comes up brick by brick similarly all the cells arrange themselves into a human body.
Every part, however small, contains lakhs of cell invisible to our eyes. The outer layer of the skin has pores and fine hair in them. Beneath the innermost layers are the bones; thick and thin, big and small. A net like structure made up of bones houses our brain. It is known to generate its own power.
Brain functions automatically and without any restrictions. One of its functions is to think about and analyse every aspect of life. Our daily activities are controlled and processed by brain.
Every organ of our body is of great importance. Brain, face, neck and the spinal cord attached to it (sushumna), wind pipe, food pipe, shoulder, chest, heart, lungs, abdomen, kidneys, gall bladder, urinary bladder, ovary and the limbs etc., all performs their deputed functions with clockwork precision. A 300 gram bag like lump, called heart, is present in chest cavity. This organ is extremely important because only till it beats is the body conscious and alive.
Lungs in the body play the unprecedented role of purifying blood and sending it to the heart, which in turn pumps it through the entire body. Even the largest machine or pump set cannot run non¬stop. It requires a break too, but not heart. Heart functions at a correct pace; non-stop lifelong.
Every inch of our body has millions of tiny cells functioning smoothly. Their functioning provides the gross body with a consciousness. This consciousness keeps body alive and kicking. Practice of asana and pranayam is thus very essential to keep the conscious body healthy.