Mother and Sri Aurobindo encouraged people to participate in sports and martial arts. In some sports, especially martial arts, there’s a high likelihood of getting injured, sometimes causing long-term damage. Is it worth the pain? Or is it better to do some exercise such as yoga, in which one’s health is not compromised🤔?

There was a time when the Mother encouraged the Ashram students as well as Ashram inmates to participate in the physical education activities to prepare for the supramental consciousness that was preparing to manifest. The Ashram being the centre was the first to bear the tremendous impact. Even now it is the place where the supramental vibrations are at their utmost intensity.  

However they never made any rule about it. In fact there were sadhaks and yogis like Champaklal ji and Baba ji who never joined the physical education activities. Besides they never asked us to do anything indiscriminately. Those engaged in gymnastics etc have been undergoing a methodical and graded training, some since childhood. It comes naturally to them. But others can do something else. Most do regular walking and asanas as part of the physical culture whose purpose is to awaken consciousness in the cells and open the body to the Mother’s Force. Its purpose is not to become a body builder or a top class gymnast. So each can chose his method to keep the body free of tamas and open it to the Mother. 

Affectionately,

Alok Da