With the practice of physical asana, we can become fit and lively, it provides the energy source of a good living. Each movements demands that we hone some aspect of our consciousness and use ourselves in a new way. The vast diversity of asana is no accident, for through exploring both familiar and unfamiliar postures we are also expanding our consciousness, so that regardless of the situation or form we find ourselves in, we can remain calm and steady inside.
Meditation solves so many problems at once: it builds discipline and willpower, it eliminates stress and negative thinking, it makes you present and happy without external stimulation, it cures loneliness, it improves work performance, and it can lead to enlightenment.
The best tool to understand oneself is self observation. It is a form of prayer without words. It is meditation in action. Unless and until we come to know ourselves, we are driven by habits which we do not see and over which we have no control. we must observe ourselves, our behaviour, our inner and outer responses, objectively.