Illustration for Bhagavad Gita chapter 15 verse 14
Chapter 15 · Purushottama Yoga

The Sacred in the Body · Appreciating Quiet Processes

अहं वैश्वानरो भूत्वा प्राणिनां देहमाश्रितः । प्राणापानसमायुक्तः पचाम्यन्नं चतुर्विधम् ॥

ahaṁ vaiśvānaro bhūtvā prāṇināṁ deham āśritaḥ prāṇāpāna-samāyuktaḥ pacāmy annaṁ catur-vidham

Meaning

"Becoming the fire of digestion in the bodies of living beings, and united with the incoming and outgoing breath, I digest the four kinds of food."

Explanation

Even the most basic, unglamorous processes of the body — simple digestion, breathing — are described here as sacred and divinely sustained. Your body's quiet, constant work deserves a little more appreciation than we usually give it.

Today's Life Lesson

Take a moment today to appreciate your own body's quiet, constant work — even something as simple as digestion is sacred.

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