Question: How do you combat illness when trying to meditate?

Sri Chinmoy: The best thing is to cure the illness before you meditate. But if it is impossible, then while you are meditating, please totally forget about the illness. For a few minutes while you are meditating, just consciously forget; keep the negative force away from your mind. At that time, the meditative power, the power of your meditation, will enter into the illness and it will be overcome. When the positive force comes from your meditation, then illness, or the negative force, can be conquered.