Question: In one of your recent lectures you mentioned that pranayam is 20 times more beneficial than asanas and meditation is 20 times more beneficial than pranayam. Please illustrate since this sounds so incredible to most.

Swamiji: The Yog Vasishtha describes a conversation between Lord Ram and Maharshi Vasishtha. Once Lord Ram toured his kingdom of Ayodhya, and found that some of his citizens were sick. He was moved to pity. On returning to his palace, he asked Guru Vasishtha, “What is the cause of vyadhi?” Guru Vasishtha replied, “Ram, vyadhi begins in the mind. When we harbor negative thoughts—of hatred, anxiety, fear, envy, desire, etc.—this disturbs the manomaya kosha. When the mental sheath is disturbed, it agitates the pranamaya kosha. When the vital energy sheath is agitated, it manifests in the annamaya kosha (gross body) as disease.” The Vedas explain that our body houses five sheaths, or koshas. These are progressively deeper aspects of our personality. They are annamaya kosha (physical sheath), pranamaya kosha (vital energy sheath), manomaya kosha (mental sheath), vigyanamaya kosha (intellectual sheath), and anandamaya kosha (bliss sheath).

When we engage in meditation, we purify the mental sheath from poisonous thoughts. We thus strike at the source from where diseases sprout. Pranayam helps strengthen the vital energy sheath of the body. When it is healthy, it automatically heals the physical body. Thus, to give us a comparison of their relative importance, the Hatha Yoga Pradeepika states that pranayama is 20 times more important than asanas, and meditation is 20 times more beneficial than pranayama.