Comment by gbuk2013

> So my questions is simple: you talk about "thousands of years". Easterners had "thousands of years" and they can... Release tension in the body?

This is a common misconception among those used to modern “western” medicine: while “eastern” medicine does have a range of options to deal with existing medical conditions the emphasis is always on prevention (there’s a famous Chinese medical maxim along the lines of it being better to fight the enemy outside the city walls than inside) whereas Western medicine mostly pays lip service to the idea (for reasons that unfortunately mostly come down to money).

There is no denying that our modern medicine is superior in treating the immediate symptoms (which may well be life threatening) including surgery.

The relaxation exercises being discussed are really there just for the purpose of making sitting meditation effective, essential to stop the body getting in the way of the practice and that is all. In a way the body (and the associated work required to keep it in health) is seen as a necessary evil by those on the spiritual cultivation path.