Meditative Concentration Benefits the Physical Body

Question: When contemplating that the body is neither me nor mine, during meditation the body becomes very soft, and it feels as if even the bones have turned soft. Does this affect the body's physical strength?

Answer: All states of meditative concentration (samādhi) benefit the physical body; one need only look at the physical bodies of heavenly beings to know this. Especially the physical bodies of the devas of the form realm are incomparably wondrous and beautiful, and even the physical bodies of the devas of the desire realm are far superior to the human body. The reason lies in the differences in meditative concentration and merit. With regular meditation, when the qi meridians of the manas become unobstructed, the body will feel light, at ease, and comfortable, with the whole body soft and supple. However, physical strength is not necessarily reduced; when the qi meridians open up well, strength may even increase, and the body becomes healthy, strong, and vigorous.