Examiner: So you've always had this interest in athletics?

Sri Chinmoy: Yes. It helps us. If we are physically fit, then early in the morning we will be able to get up and meditate. But if we constantly suffer from headache, stomach upset and other physical ailments, then we will not be inclined to get up early in the morning to pray and meditate. We will tend to be lazy and lethargic. Spiritual progress requires dynamism, so physical fitness helps us considerably in our spiritual life.