bāhye antara ihāra dui to sādhana;
bāhya – sādhaka dehe kore śravaṇa kīrtana
mane – nija siddha deha koriyā bhāvana;
rātri-dina kore vraje kṛṣṇera sevana
(C.C.)

“There are two kinds of sādhana (devotional practice) – external and internal.
Externally, within the sādhaka deha (gross physical body), one practices hearing and chanting the glories of Kṛṣṇa and internally, meaning mentally, one meditates on one’s own siddha deha (spiritual body) in which one serves Kṛṣṇa in Vraja day and night.” 

In the rāgānugā- practice of the most intimate feelings of the mañjarī, there are two flawless ways of attaining the loving service of Śrī-Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa.

One is external, which means that in one’s material body of a devotional practitioner one hears, chants, worships the deity and offers prayers and so, in a way that is not unfavorable to one’s own devotional feelings.
The other type of practice is internal – one establishes one’s self-esteem in the spiritual body which is revealed to the practitioner by Śrī Guru and contemplating on that body, one  meditates on its loving service in the time-framework of Śrī-Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s eternal eight-fold transcendental daily pastimes.

The main internal practice of the practitioner is, according to his qualification, to mentally serve Śrī-Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava with Their girlfriends and to remember Their forms, attributes and pastimes alongside.
While the practitioner remembers the forms, attributes and pastimes of Śrī-Śrī Rādhā-Mādhava and thus relishes Their sweetness within this internal practice of recollection, he should take special care that this does not become a mechanical, duty-bound practice – he should take care that there is a gradual increase of eagerness for the attainment of the direct service of the Lord upon Whom he meditates. 

A practitioner who has attained the stage of rati will spontaneously perceive his spiritual body within himself, while the practitioner who did not attain rati yet will intently perform mental service within his mentally conceived spiritual body.

As the dirt of lusty, material desire is removed from the practitioner’s heart through this external practice of hearing, chanting etc., accordingly he perceives his spiritual body either indistinctly, somewhat clearly or very clearly and accomplishes the beauty of his mental service. The careful practitioner gives up his identification with his mortal mundane body and its belongings and relationships and endeavors to firmly identify himself with his spiritual form. Such encouragements can be found also in the scriptures that were composed by the ancient seers –

ātmānaṁ cintayet tatra tāsāṁ madhye manoramāṁ
rūpa yauvana sampannāṁ kiśorīṁ pramadākṛtiṁ
sakhīnāṁ saṅginī rūpām ātmānaṁ vāsanāmayīm
ājñā sevāparāṁ tadvat ratnālaṅkāra bhūṣitām
(Sanat Kumāra Saṁhitā)

    “An aspirant should think himself to be amongst them (the other gopīs), as an enchanting beautiful young adolescent female. As a female associate of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa’s girlfriends like Lalitā and Viśākhā, she is dedicated to the services that are ordered to her and she is decorated with jewelled ornaments (that are given to her by Śrī Rādhā as remnants).”

The purport of the word cintayet here is, that one should see oneself with the form and the feelings of an eternally perfect girlfriend and really experience that.

In other words, one should nourish a firm esteem of “this body with this shape and this feeling – that is me.”

This is the endeavor of the practitioner, but actually the spiritual body awakens spontaneously within the heart of such a practitioner who has a service attitude, by the grace of the Lord.

yad yad dhiyā ta urugāya vibhāvayanti tat tad vapuḥ praṇayase sad anugrahāya
(Bhag. 3.9.11)

Lord Brahmā told the Supreme Lord: “O Lord! You are very kind upon the devotees who are eager to serve You. Whatever body they meditate upon, which is favorable for their service and which they desire, He bestows upon them, so that He can accept their eternal service.”

When the practice reaches perfection, the practitioner, with the aid of Yogamāyā (the divine illusion that assists the Lord in His pastimes), is blessed with attaining his desired loving service of the Divine Youthful Pair Themselves in his spiritual body within the realm of Their pastimes.

– Radhakund Mahanta Sri Srimat Ananta das Babaji