prayer is physical

OK, so it's in the news today that "a top Malaysian university has discovered that the postures used during the Muslim prayer, or solat, have significant physical benefits. Initial results from a research project by Universiti Malaya’s biomedical engineering department show the Muslim style of praying benefits the heart and spine, while increasing the capacity for memory and attention."

I also found mention elsewhere that "approximately 200 calories are burned during tarawih prayer. However, even more beneficial than the actual physical exercise is the therapeutic exercise of the five prayer positions. Many curative therapies (e.g., Feldenkrais, Yoga, and Tai Chi) use positioning of the body to elicit a physical, mental, and spiritual balance. Muslim prayer positions are no different than these common medical approaches to physical therapy. In fact, according to modern medical research, each prayer position relates to a different organ system. These organs are activated when assuming the prayer positions by stimulating the nerve ganglia that branch forth from the spinal column. As each bodily part is stimulated, healing energies increase in that area for a period of 5-30 minutes."

Awesome, eh? And that's just the physical benefit...

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