You have to be strong to face things. Going into seclusion, or into a protected environment, helps you make yourself strong. You don’t need to be afraid of this always. Once you build up physical and mental stamina you don’t have to be afraid of anything. Nothing can influence you, including your influenza.
We say, “Our American flu is not bad. But, oh, beware of the Hong Kong flu!” And if you go to Hong Kong, “Oh, it’s the London flu.” How easily we put the burden on somebody else. We don’t want to take the responsibility. Gain self-mastery over your own mind and body. It is just for these reasons, we give certain recommendations. Take some Hatha Yoga practices to eliminate all the toxins that you had put in. Do a lot of breathing practice. Take deep breaths. Practicing pranayama, you can put more vitality into your system. You can literally charge your batteries. With cosmic electricity, with your prana, you can feel lively all over the body. There is no sluggishness anywhere. You literally oxygenate your body with pranayama.
And then keep control of the mind. Control it one by one, sense by sense: control your tongue; control your eyes; control your smell. Have certain limitations. Don’t become a slave of those your senses. Then, focus your mind so that could become strong and that’s what you call concentration—dharana. Select the proper thing—a mantra or an uplifting idea to utilize to focus the mind continuously. This practice will help you to acquire the qualities of that which you are focusing upon. And that’s is called dhyana, or meditation. Meditation is Yoga.
