From ‘A Goddess Among Us. The Divine life of Anandamayi Ma’ by Swami Mangalananda

In later years, Ma would advise that if spiritual practice was applied and continued, everything that was needed would manifest at the proper time. She would also say that any divine name that appeals to a person should be repeated regularly and, if the practice was sincere and steady, God, when necessary would send anything else that was needed. Ma… began her practice of repeating the name of Shiva. She described how this practice brought deep divine states, how the name became linked with the breath, and the various changes it produced in her consciousness. The asanas and kriyas that were needed to support this practice, spontaneously manifested in her mind and body at the required time.

There were several instances when Ma showed that the life of her body had no connection with the food she ate, or any other external factors. She often said that within all elements of nature there is an infinite supply of energy, and it is possible to be sustained even by light and air itself. She demonstrated this by going for long periods without any food at all, without exhibiting any diminutions of energy or strength.

….when asked why she didn’t seem to grieve over the loss of her husband, she replied, “How can I grieve? I can see clearly where the soul is and where it has gone!”

Close devotees, who tried unsuccessfully to manage the influx of people and allow Ma to rest for some time, asked her if the constant push of the crowd bothered her. She replied, “Are you annoyed if your own hand touches your leg or another part of your body? To me, there is only the One, and all are His manifestations. You and I are one, and the space between us is also myself.”

“Listen! Do not let your time pass idly. Either keep a rosary with you and do japa; or if this does not suit you, at least go on repeating the name of the Lord regularly and without interruption like the ticking of a clock. ….Invoke Him by the name that appeals to you most, for as much time as you can – the longer the better. Even if you get tired or lose interest, administer the name to yourself like a medicine that has to be taken. In this way you will at some auspicious moment discover the rosary of the mind, and then you will continually bear within yourself the praises of the great Master, the Lord of Creation….”

“The Self, or God, is unknowable to the ordinary intelligence, but He is not unknown to us as the life-breath. If one uses the rhythm of one’s breathing as a support in meditation, this increases one’s power. Therefore, one should daily sit in a meditative pose in a solitary place and turn the mind inward, and repeat the mantra in rhythm with one’s breathing, without straining, in a natural way. When through prolonged practice, the name becomes inextricably linked with the breath, the body quite still, one will come to realize that the individual is part of the One Great Life that pervades the Universe.”