, 98–100, 102; facts about,
101; kashaya (astringent), 99, 102; katu (bitter), 98, 101; lavana (salty),
98, 101; madhura (sweet), 98, 101; tikta (pungent), 98, 101–2
rasayana  (healing food), 31–32, 114rice, 116; basmati, 116, 129–30 ; cumin, 136–37 ; kapha dosha and, 116;
khichari,  123; pre-cooked or instant, 116; saffron, pudding ( kheer ), 138–
39
Rig-V eda, xvii, 193–94
rose: -petal conserve, 118; water, 118
Rose, Bob, 183
S
sadhaka pitta, 72; missing breakfast and disruption of, 88; satisfying, 170–
71
saffron rice pudding ( kheer ), 138–39
salad, 114–15 ; chickpea, 128–29
samana vata, 71
Sanchaya,  26
Sanskrit: poem, 209; proverbs, 210–1 1
sat chit ananda  (purity of soul, total bliss), 159
sattva, 157, 158; increasing, 158–59 ; tiger, jackal, and elephant illustration,
199–200
scents, 203–4
Schiapirelli, Elsa, 125
seasons: dosha chart, 67; healing things to do in spring, 69–70 ; how to
soothe pitta in summer, 67–68 ; kapha, 67; life, 70; pitta, 67; vata, 67; wise
ways to balance vata in winter, 68–69
serenity, 199–200
Sharma, V aidya Divakar, xii, xiii, xvi, 11; prescription from, xiv–xv, 2
shrotas (channels), 17–19 ; blockage and illness, 19, 22
skin: care products, 149–50 ; cleansing masks, 150–51 ; diet and, 152; dosha
and type of, 148–49 ; dry, morning vata, and self-massage, 86–87 ; food for
disorders, 97; pitta-related problems, 67; routine, 69; stress, ef fect of, 165sleep, 79; arise with the sun, 84–85 ; bedtime, 91; position for, 91; rest-
friendly aids, 172–73 ; stress and, 171
sleshaka kapha, 74, 165
snacks, 90–91, 116–17 ; de-stressing, 167
spices: ajwain, 137–38 ; asafetida, 94, 116; cardamom, 104, 118, 141;
cinnamon, 104; cooling properties, 68, 104, 118; coriander, 118; cumin
seeds, 116, 136; fennel, 118, 141–42 ; garam masala, 142–43 ; ginger,
fresh, 116; heating ef fect, 68–69, 104; legumes and, 116; pepper, black,
116; pepper, cayenne, 138; recipes with, 136–43 ; sachet, 206; saffron,
138–39 ; soups and, 143; spiced fruit dessert, 143; turmeric, 139; water
(recipes), 119–20
sthanasamsarya,  26
stress, role of, 5–7, 163–79 ; ama (toxin) assault and, 24–25, 164–65 ;
breathing and, 173–74 ; coping with overwhelming tasks, 6; de-stressing
in three steps, 166–67 ; emotions and, 169–71 ; herbal help, 174–75 ; listing
causes of, 166; mental, 167–69 ; panchakarma treatment, 175–79 ; prana
vata, balancing, 169; sadhaka pitta, satisfying, 170–71 ; signs of, 39; sleep
and, 171–73 ; sleshaka kapha, ef fect on, 165; tarpaka kapha, ef fect on,
165; vyana vata, ef fect on, 165
Susruta, Sage, xviii
swastha  (healthy), 16–17
T
Tagore, Rabindranath, 13
tarpaka kapha, 73, 165
tea, herbal, 118, 206–7
teeth cleaning, 89
tikiya with tangy chutney, 140
time: dosha imbalance and, 66; kapha, 66; pitta, 66; vata, 65–66
tongue: checking condition of, 22–23 ; cleaning, 86, 89; stress, ef fect of, 165toxins ( ama), 17–20 ; bitter foods and detoxification, 99; catching ama early,
24–26 ; checking for ama buildup, 21–22 ; coated, furry tongue and, 22–
23; daily collection of, 19–20 ; digestion and, 21; detoxifying kapha-
balancing water, 120; detoxifying massage, 153; exercise and eliminating,
25, 156; how toxins become disease (six steps), 26; mental- ama
assessment test, 23–24 ; mental and emotional ama,  23–24 ; physical ama,
21–23, 25; spring detoxification, 69–70 ; water to flush, 25, 118–19
turka (fried garnish), 142
turmeric, 139
Twain, Mark, 39
U
udana vata, 71
V
vaidyas, xii, 27; diagnosis, 34–38 ; dosha assessment, 77; fields of study
(list), 28; holistic approach of, 14, 28, 38–40 ; inherited knowledge, 29;
patient’ s duty and, 32; relationship with patient, 30; reverence for, 30;
sleep disturbance, help, 173; stress relief from, 164; training of, 28–29 ;
treatment, 38–40 ; when to see, 33–34
Vastu (home-architecture therapy), 38
vata (ether and air), xv, 47; appetite and, 106; balanced characteristics, 53;
balancing in winter, 68; bathing or shower for, 69; calmers, 54–55 ; causes
of imbalance, 54; depression and, 76; disease and, 75; dominant dosha
characteristics, 49–50 ; exercise for, 156; foods, pleasing to, 68; foods,
pungent, bitter, astringent and, 99–100 ; foods, warm, salty, sweet, sour to
soothe, 100; imbalance symptoms, 53–54 ; job choice and, 64; movement
governed by, 75; nuts and, 122; relaxation preference, 64; scents, 203;
season of the year, 67, 118; skin, 148; spices for, 68; stress and, 168;
subdoshas, 71–72 ; time of day, 65–66 ; typical complaints, 54; water,hydrating vata-balancing, 119; water ingestion, 69, 166. See also specific
subdoshas
vegetables, 115; baked, 140–41 ; bitter, 104; cooking, preferred method,
112; cooling, 67; cottage cheese and, 141; sweet, 104
vikriti (distortions of dosha), 63–64 ; appetite, food capacity, and, 106
vyakti, 26
vyana vata, 72
W
water: amount daily, 118–19 ; cooling herbs steeped in, 118; cooling pitta-
balancing, 119; de-stressing with, 166; detoxification and, 119;
detoxifying kapha-balancing, 120; drinking adequate, 25; late-nights,
extra and, 85; hydrating vata-balancing, 119; morning, for bowels and
kidneys, 86; spiced (recipes), 119–20 ; temperature, 117, 119; rose, 118,
119
Y
Yahyr-Veda, xvii
yoga, 181–93 ; balance and, 181–83 ; child’ s pose, 190–91 ; corpse pose,
191–93 ; detoxification and, 184; five ways A yurveda supports, 184–86 ;
general tips, 193; kinds of, 194; resources for 194;


 01950
OceanofPDF.comOceanofPDF.com<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        As Ko
Hung said, ‘if we can be so confounded by common plants,
how can we expect to comprehend arcane, recondite
prescriptions. ’ This complaint was echoed centuries later
in Europe by the French metallurgist Buﬀon, who said that
in spite of reading and studying all the books on alchemy
they had oﬀered him ‘nothing but obscurities and
unintelligible processes. ’
The disadvan tage of esoteric knowledge and of keeping
it secret is that it can be lost with the passing of the adept
or custodian of that lore and the greater the knowledge or
powers of the adept, the less likely it is that these will be
handed down intact, it being unlikely that there would be a
disciple of his own stature to fall heir to it. When the esoteric is ignored or misunderstood,
exotericism takes over completely and proliferates in
outward form s; rituals and rites become meaning less and
are performed mechanically for their own sake, providing
spurious and superstitiou s conditions, which, having lost
their value, merely make the performer feel safe in the
protection of the congregation or crowd. The symbol then
becomes a sign, having lost its inner signiﬁcance. So, too,
do science and techno logy now concentrate on the
outward: machines, space travel, endless gadgets, instead
of the inner study of mankind which, if developed, wouldreveal inner powers capable of achieving the same eﬀects
without the disadvantage s of outward fragmenta tion and
the consequent breakdown of human relat ionships. Humanity displays a genius for technical knowledge and
mechanical invention, the exoteric, combined with an
almost complete failure of adjustment and develop ment in
the character and understanding of the inner, the esoteric,
world. The result is total frustration; conﬂict and war in
national life, and in the personal sphere nervous illness,
tension, imba lance and disharmony. The yin, esote ric, and
the yang, exoteric, here as everywhere, require each other
and must work together with Nature, not against  her; co-
operating, not ‘conquering. ’
OceanofPDF. com– 16 –
THE TWO GREAT POWERS
The primar y theme in creation mythology is the
emergence from the One of the Two, the creation of the
primordial pair and the beginning of duality. This male-
female symbolism is basic to alchemy, since the male
sulphur and the female quicksilver must work on and with
each other in balanced relationship. They are diﬀerent but
complementary, seeking out each other to bring about the
restoration of original wholeness. They must continually
stimulate each other. In alchemy everything is growing
and divided into sexes; the whole universe is a living being
working towards perfection. The eternal reactions of
humanity and Nature upon each other, the alternating yin
and yang  in growth and decline, the fusion of the objective
and subjective, all give rise to the cyclic powers of change
and produce the rhythms of the cosmos. Duality is the very essence of life in the manifest world;
the light and dark following earth's turning away from the
sun and returning to the new dawn. Its opposite is present
in every thing: little is harder or more solid than the ﬂint
that gives birth to the spark of ﬁre, the most unstable and
volatile of elements. In man and woman the two powers
manifest themselves in duality not only in sex, but in each
sex. Woman,  the yin, is negative externally and positive
internally; man, the yang, is positive externally and
negative internally: each incorporate both powers. De
Groot says: ‘The hard and soft match and contain one
another, yang  gives and yin receives. The male and female
need one another. It is this need that brings about
creation-procreation, so that the essential ch'i may haveits proper play. ’ He calls the two powers ‘the Great
Regulators of the cosmos which cause the phenomena of
creation, evolution and destruction. ’ They are also called
the Contraries, the Contending Dragons, the Great
Extremes. The breath, vital essence, or ch'i of the yin and
yang  is necessary  for creation of any form. The Ts'an T'ung
Ch'i says that ‘creation is dependent on the fusion of the
breath of yin and yang. if a thing does not contain yin
and yang  it repudiates its origin. Baby chicks do not come
from infertile eggs. ’
In alchemy yin is coagulation and yang  is solution; in
metals yin is quicksilver and silver  and yang  is Sulphur
and gold; yin the moon and earth, yang  the sun and
heavens, while in the work yin represents the esoteric and
yang  the exoteric. The processes of heating and cooling
are also related to yang  the sun and yin, the moon; they
bring about change by balancing each other with their
hardness and softness. In the Ts'an T'ung Ch'i the sun and
moon are said to reach out for one another; they are ‘the
two great luminaries which arose from the Great Ultimate,
the T'ai Chi. The yang  evolved as air and formed the
heavens, the yin coagulated to form the earth; particles
from the yang  formed the sun and yin particles the moon;
between them they begat the stars. Thus the yang  and yin
are also known as T'ien  and Ti, Heaven and Earth. ’
All metals were regarded  as the result of the union of
the two powers, male and female, sulphur and quicksilver,
spirit and soul; their union produced perfection: cinnabar. There is, however, a dual nature in quicksilver or mercury,
which is consonant with the two natures of the feminine
power, at once the nourisher of the embryo within the
womb, the hermetic vessel, the vase, etc., and the death-
dealing disso lvent, so that it brings life or death according
to its particu lar situation. This lunar material is also the
‘water of life,’ which nourishes in the womb, and thedestructive humid dissolution of death; but that which
decomposes is also the medium for generation. As
Synesius said: ‘It is indeed that which decomposes and
that which makes to generate. ’
Metals were divided into the two sexes in smelting
processes and young men and maidens took part in the
rituals in which the ‘marr iage of the metals’ was involved. In a memorial ode, on Ch'u Yuan, by Chia I, c. 170 BC, we
read: ‘Heaven and Earth are like a smelting furnace, the
forces of natural change are the workmen, the yin and the
yang  are the fuel, and the Ten Thousand Things are the
metal. ’ Fire for the furnace was also produced by the
male-female interaction in the two ‘rubbing sticks’ which
brought forth  the vital spark; the ﬁre was latent in the yin
wood but was ignited by yang  action. In Shama nism, when working magic and
transformations the shaman has his ‘celestial wife’ who
acts as an instructor and protects and helps him. He is
also assisted  by a woman in the ‘ascent to heaven,’ or
some symbolically feminine object can take her place. It is
the female inﬂuence which not only helps him on his
journey but enables him to emerge victorious. Also, apart
from the wu and hsi female and male magici ans, Chinese
legend is full of magical and alchemical arts being taught
by a female spirit or goddess. Here, again, we are
reminded of the Yellow Emperor and his Three Immortal
Maids and the daughters of the Emperor Yao, who taught
the Emperor Shou (2258-2208) the magical art of ‘ﬂying
like a bird. ’  In the West the alchemist had his female
assistant, his soror mystica, to help him in his work. Pictures of the two working together appear frequently in
alchemical texts and the ores on which they worked were
produced by the union of the two powers of sulphur and
mercury. The Emerald Tablet states: ‘Sulphur, solar power,Mercury, lunar power, are the “father and mother” of the
alchemical embryo. ’
In western alchemy, in the imperfect state, the two
powers work  against each other, just as the contraries in
life can be in conﬂict and produce dire results until they
work together in unity. As Burckhardt says: ‘Here we have
the analogy of the love contest between man and woman;
it is the feminine fascination which dissolves the
“solidiﬁcation” of the virile nature and wakens its power. It
is suﬀicient to remark that it is this fascination, spiritually
canalized,


 choose for
me. My path is blessed and my success guaranteed. Dear God,
I stand in awe befor e Y our majesty
And in gratitude that Y ou have chosen me
Thr ough which to expr ess Y our glory. May my mind be lifted
T o higher heights
Wher ein Y our power lies,
That I too might be magnificent. Amen.DA Y 208
T o d a y  I  b l e s s  t h o s e  I  a m  t e m p t e d  t o  j u d g e. I n denyin g love to anyone, I deny myself a miracle. In with holding
for giveness from anyone, I withhold it from myself. T oday I think of someone I am tempted to judge, to blame, to
criticize, and I remember he or she is a child of God. If any of us are
beloved by God, then all of us a re beloved by God. May I see all beings
through the eyes of God, that I might know their innocence and mine. Dear God,
Whom I am tempted to judge,
Y ou do not judge. May I see them as Y ou do,
That I might judge no mor e.
May I see beyond the veil of guilt,
Focusing no mor e on the mistakes of others. May I see instead the light of innocence
That is the truth of who they ar e.
Amen.DA Y 209
I  t a k e  r e s p o n s i b i l i t y  f o r  t h e  p o w e r  o f  m y  m i n d
t o d a y. T he powe r of God is within us. W e can misuse this power, b ut we
cannot o bliterate it. Whether our hearts are open or our hearts ar e closed,
with eac h though t we express th e creative power of the mind. Whether to
heal or harm, we attest to the power within us. May all my power be
used for good today. W ith ev ery thought, I manifest form on some level. W ith every
thought, I bring forth either love or fear. May I be ever conscious of my
power today, in how I think and how I behave. Dear God,
May Y our spirit overshadow my mind today
And purify each thought of the ravages of fear. May the thinking of the world not tempt me away
Fr om the thought of love that is who Y ou ar e.
Amen.DA Y 210
FOR REFLECTION
O n  M e e t i n g  L i m i t s  w i t h  U n l i m i t e d  T h o u g h t
O ur power lies in meeting limited circumstances with unlimited
thought. It is not what happens to us, but what we choose to think about
what happens to us, that determines what will happen next. If ou r ci rcumstances tempt us to think thoughts such as, “I’m s uch a
loser,” “ I will never have another chance,” “It will take forever for this
situation to right itself,” or “I h ate whoever is to blame for this,” then
miracles, though  they are programmed into the nature of the universe,
cannot m ake their way into our awareness. They’re in the computer, but
we’re no t choosing to download them. W ith every thought we think, we
either summon or block a miracle. It is  not our circumstances, the n, but rather our thoughts abou t our
circumstances, that determine our power to transform them. W e choose
in life whether to live in victi mization or in victory. W e hav e power
either w ay—power to use against ourselves, or power to use to free
ourselves. The point is that we always have the choice, and it’ s not
always as simple as it appears.DA Y 21 1
I  a m  f u l l y  p r e s e n t  f o r  m y  l i f e  t o d a y. E very moment carries within i t the seeds of new beginnin gs, of
miracles, of infinite possibility. Only my own lack of presence and
awareness can keep those realities from my door. T oday I will show up for life. I will be the best that I can be. I
dedicate my life to the good, the  holy, and the beautiful. I will not waste
my life today. May I not be h eld back today by illusions of lack, obsession s
about m eaningless things, or thoughts of fear. May the love that
is in my heart blaze forth, cr eating miracles for myself an d
everyone. May I be fully pr esent for my life today, that m y
pr esence might bless the world.DA Y 212
M y  p o w e r  i n  t h e  w o r l d  w i l l  e m e r g e  f r o m  t h e  p o w e r
i n  m y  h e a r t. M y p ower  doesn’ t lie in my résumé or connections. My power do esn’ t
lie i n what I’ve done or even in what I’m doing. My power li es in my
clarity a bout why I’m on the earth. My desire to serve God w ill create
the means for me to do so. God can use the flimsiest résu mé. He can use the smallest gifts. Whatever my gift to God, however humble it may seem, He ca n turn it
into a mighty work on His behalf. My greatest gift to Him  is my
devotion. From that point, all doors will open. Whatever I do t oday, whatever effort lar ge or small that I exe rt
on b ehalf of hea ling the world, c an be turned into a mighty work. I dedicate my efforts—my work both personal and pr ofessional—
to be used by God. I will be amazed by what He then brings forth.DA Y 213
I  k n o w  t h a t  s a l v a t i o n  i s  o n l y  f o u n d  i n  t h e  p r e s e n t. T he only point where God’ s time, or eternity, intersects with linear time
is in the present moment. As I live fully in the present, I transcend all
neurotic thoughts about past or future. Past and future are only in my
mind, and they are purified as I release them into the hands of God. T oday I am saved from obsessi ons about past or future, the re grets
over what was or what might have been, and the grasping for a  future I
cannot c ontrol. My salvation lies in relaxing into the arms of Go d in each
and every moment, safe and secure in the realization that this moment is
all that is real. Dear God,
Please save me
Fr om the endless torment
Of attachment to past or futur e.
Send Y our spirit
T o heal my mind
Of the temptation to enter the nothingness of time. Keep me firmly in the pr esent,
Wher e I know I am blessed. Amen.DA Y 214
I  w i l l  n o t  s h i r k  m y  r e s p o n s i b i l i t y  t o  l o o k  d e e p l y
i n t o  m y s e l f. E go woul d prefer  that I not look directly into my deeper self, for there I
would le arn things bound to free me from its bondage. I would  learn of
the endl ess beau ty that lies bey ond the writhing of my person al self. I
would learn that beyond my torment lies the glory of my soul. T oday, I choose a conscious life. I will ask myself when something
has not turned out well, “What did I do or not do that helped cause this to
happen?” Only then will it be revealed to me the source of m y pain. I
will be healed as I am willing to look honestly at myself. Dear God,
Send angels to accompany me
On my path to self-awar eness. May embarrassment not deter me
Fr om looking at the truth of how I behave,
For only when I see my patterns
W ill I be able to change them. Please take fr om me the shadows that would hide Y our light in me. Amen.DA Y 215
FOR REFLECTION
O n  C h o o s i n g  F a i t h
F aith is power. It changes your life by changing you. It places you on a
dif ferent ground of being within yourself. It gives you a co nfidence
based on something that’ s in you but not of you, that can do for you what
you can ’ t do for yourself. It  keeps you from sinking into victim
consciousness—a stance that at tracts more victimization—and lifts you
to p ositivity, which attracts mor e positive outcomes. Where we put our
faith literally and directly influences what happens next. I c an have faith in the power o f the world, or faith


Nobel Peace Prize, his face would appear on the cover of every maga-zine in the country, they'd build monuments in his honor. they'd name cities after him. Right. Evidently not. There is a man who discovered the key to health – a way to correct
the cause of these disease and maintain a high level of health free from such aliments. But there are no cities named after him. Instead he was. thrown into pris on - not once but several times. He
was called “quack,” ridiculed, and harassed. But despite the accusations, despite the legal tribulations, despite
the condemnation of the established authoritative sciences, he was NEVER BEEN PROVEN WRONG. With the determination of one bur dened by the truth he fought his
antagonists and is slowly gaining acceptance among his one-time op-pressors. Who is he. Carey A. Reams. Remember his name; you’ll be hearing a lot more of it. He’s already fired a national controversy and his book is going to
rock the world of health science like it’s never been rocked before. Here in his book are the nuts and bolts of the Carey A. Reams sto-
ry without the one-sided assessments. The hows and whys of his lifetime work. Read it. Then you decide. for yourself. Section summary:

    * Quotes various famous phrases/verses (Kippling &amp;
      William Ernst Hemery) emphasizing resilience,
     perseverance, courage
* Discusses spiritual values:
       + Emphasizes importance or living according

to biblical teachings. + Criticisms drugs/drugs addiction saying using less possible/
using Word Of Gods As Much Possible. Key Points taken away:

1. Ream has some inspiring quotes which includes verses
from Rudolph Rilke poem

(anti-Kenpo)
This quote inspires us. That makes sense what Mr. Reem said here. \r\n"\\

The provided passage discusses inspirational messages shared through quotations attributed mainly to poet Rudolf Kipling ("If") and another unknown author whose full names aren’t mentioned properly within given context ('In Memoriam Nisi'). These passages convey themes related to overcoming adversity while maintaining personal dignity during difficult situations. Summary:

Key points include:

• Inspiring speeches delivered via poetry forms discussing courageousness

Final words written directly under each citation source provide clarification regarding spirituality appreciation where individuals must adhere strictly towards divine instructions presented inside Holy Scripture. What does this mean. It seems incorrect since summaries should ideally summarize main ideas rather focusing exclusively upon citations along references used throughout sections discussed above). Therefore let's attempt rewriting based off actual content:

**Original Summary:**

This article explores motivational tales told primarily through Christian principles,
quotes,
as conveyed <br>Carey Al-Reems emphasizes sharing kindness toward differently-oriented folks stating that numerous exceptional beings got labeled idiots. </ Strong emphasis exists around adherent devotion,

involving relinquishing materialistic belongings,'selfless dedication',&hell;i;p;>

A renowned figure known for promoting wellness techniques amid controversies concerning addictive substances consumption mentioning religious texts frequently cites Jesus Christ. )

For instance," Perfect Love Cast Out All Fear"<\/FONT>.

Carey believes that staying committed requires giving oneself fully unto divinity alongside humility
; understanding sacred writings appropriately:The Bible>. He urges followers stay grounded amidst harsh circumstances by embracing patient persistence.

Few important highlights extracted:

[https://www. blogger. com](http:///)

Please find below concise version summarizing overall essence:

Core Message: Adhere closely to Christianity guidelines; embrace surrenderance/selflessness/humility/fear-free life while demonstrating empathy/courtesy compassionately treating.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>
Q: What is one of Carey A. Reams' favorite sayings?,
A: "Perfect love casteth out all fear."
Q: What is Carey A. Reams' nickname among the students of his seminars?,
A: "Moses"
Q: What is the title of the book mentioned in the passage?,
A: Not mentioned in the passage
Q: According to the passage, what is one of the three things necessary to share God's love and His glory?,
A: Give yourself and put your possessions at His feet
Q: What is the topic of the book mentioned in the passage?,
A: The story of Carey A. Reams' lifetime work and the discovery of the key to health<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Kalindi Press
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HOHM PRESS
Prescott, ArizonaKalindi Press
Prescott, Arizona© 2004, David R. Card
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner
without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of quotes
used in critical articles and reviews.Cover design: Kim Johansen
Layout and design: Tori Bushert
Kalindi Press
PO Box 4410Chino Valley, AZ 86323800-381-2700www.kalindipress.com
This book was printed in China on recycled paper using soy ink. Disclaimer: The material in this book is intended for educational purposes
only, and as such is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical
intervention or used to treat or diagnose diseases. In any use of cell salts or
other approaches discussed in this book, please apply common sense and
consult a qualiﬁed, licensed health care professional.Dedication
This book is dedicated to the patience of my family, my clients,
and my mentor, Dr. Robin Murphy. Many thanks to Monique Ordonez for the cell salt allegory
illustration, and to Linda Foulton for her organization and typing. Thanks go to the memory of Dr. George Carey. His work has
been simplified, reformatted, and adapted here for the twenty-first-century reader.Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1 Using Cell Salts — 1
An introduction to cell salts, including dosages
and instructions for their use, and an overviewregarding facial deficiency diagnosis
Chapter 2 Introduction and History —
An introduction to and history of cell salt usageby Dr. Carey; charts comparing cell salt attributes
Chapter 3 CALC FLUOR —
Introduction, materia medica, photographs and
descriptions of facial deficiencies, Schuessler’s recommended uses, astrological correspondences
Chapter 4 CALC PHOS —
Introduction, materia medica, photographs and
descriptions of facial deficiencies, Schuessler’s recommended uses, astrological correspondences
Chapter 5 CALC SULPH —
Introduction, materia medica, photographs and
descriptions of facial deficiencies, Schuessler’srecommended uses, astrological


 nature
is ultimately uniﬁed. A rishi is like a sadhu in that his life is
devoted to silence and the inner life, but rishis lived much
further in the past—they were responsible for writing the
most ancient texts of Veda, or revealed truth, such as Rig
Veda, which may predate the Egyptian pyramids by several
thousand years. If you ask a modern India n what the Veda is, he will point
to the books that contai n the rishis’ words, but in truth
Veda is the content of the rishis’ consciousness,  which is
alive. A rishi has seen deep enough into the nature of
things that even God sits at his feet to learn—th e lesson
can be found in the Yoga Vasishtha, in which the youngLord Rama, a divine incarnation, begs the sage Vasishtha
for instruction. I am not emphasizing the spiritual value of the rishi and
his knowledge here. Until very recently in human history,
all cultures freely blende d religion, psychology, philosophy,
and art into one homogeneous whole. But individual
strands can be pulled out; in this case, I am interested in
what the rishis had to say about the fundamental nature of
reality (in the Yoga Vasishtha, God also showed a lively
interest in this subject). The rishis were just as capable as
we are of dividing nature up into space, time, matter, and
energy, but they turned their backs on such an approach,
which so totally dominates our way of seeing and thinking
about the world. They chose instead to solve the problem in the most
practical way imaginable. They decided to cross the gap
and actually enter the. zone, where thinking cannot go. They used a simple twist in their awareness, but one that
has profound consequences—it was like turning the
objective world inside out. To do that, the rishis had to
analyze nature in an unexpected way, which can be
represented by another diagram:
This diagram is just as valid as the one on page 206, but
it looks on the world from a purely subjective viewpoint. Rather than seeing time, space, matter, and energy “outthere,” the rishis observed that reality begins “in here,”
with our conscious awareness. At any particular time, they
reasoned, a person must be in one of three states of
subjective awareness—waking, sleeping, or dreaming. What he perceives in these states constitutes his reality. The ancients assumed that reality was thus diﬀerent in
diﬀerent states of consciousness—a tiger in the dream state
is not a tiger in the waking state. It obeys entirely diﬀerent
laws, and similarly, the laws of the sleep state, although not
known to the conscious mind, must be distinct from those
of the waking and dreaming states. The rishis looked closer and detected between each of
these states a gap that acts like a pivot as one reality turns
into another. For example, just before falling asleep, the
mind gradually leaves the waking state, withdra wing the
senses, shutting out the waking world, but at the junction
point before the mind actually falls asleep, a brief gap is
opened, identical to the one that ﬂashes by between each
thought: it is like a little window into the ﬁeld that is
beyond either wakefulness or sleep. This realization opened
the possibility for leaving behind the usual boundaries of
the ﬁve senses by diving through the gap. Considering that the West is supposed to be practi cal and
the East mystical, it is fascinating to ﬁnd that the rishis
were much more avid for direct experience than any
quantum physicist. Their subjective approach was called
Yoga, the Sanskrit word for “union. ” (The various exercises
taught in yoga classes belong to just one of its branches,
called Hatha Yoga; we will be looking at Yoga’s most
powerful approach, which is mental. ) Because both are
looking for an underlying  layer of unity in nature, one can
immediately see the resemblance between Yoga and
Einstein’s quest for a uniﬁed ﬁeld theory. The major
diﬀerence between the two is that the rishis, not being
theoretical, declared that the uniﬁed ﬁeld exists in the realworld—it is an experience and not merely a mental
construct. From the rishis’ subjective viewpoint, the only thing that
the uniﬁed ﬁeld could be is another state of consc iousness. They called it simply turiya,  or the fourth, to denote that it
was not part of the three states of waking, sleeping, and
dreaming. They also referred to it as para,  or beyond,
meaning that it transcended ordinary experience. But how
could a fourth state even  exist. The answer was twofold. First, the seers said that the fourth state exists everywhere
but is hidden by the other three states as if by a screen. (Some ancient texts declare that the fourth state has been
mixed into the other three like milk into water, and ﬁnding
it is as diﬀicult as separating milk from water. ) Second,
they said that the fourth state can be directly experienced
only after the mind has transcended its normal activity,
which requires the special technique of meditation. The word rishi itself stands for a person who has learned
to enter the fourth state at will and observe what  is there. This ability is not “thinkin g” as we use the term—t he whole
phenomenon is an immediate experience, like recognizing
the fragrance  of lilacs or the sound of a friend’s voice. It is
immediate, nonverbal, and, unlike a ﬂower’s fragrance,
totally transforming. As they sat in meditation, deeply
absorbed in their own subjective awareness, the rishis
explored turiya the way we would look at the Grand
Canyon. As individuals, these seers have names, but going
into the transcendent blurred the edges of what we
consider personal identity. Vasishtha, for example, is not
just the name of one of the greatest of the ancient  rishis; it
stands for an integra l part of Veda—transc endental
knowledge—which the man Vasishtha ﬁrst cognized; to
truly know that part of Veda, one would have to be in
“Vasishtha consciousness. ” In short, these sages observed
existence in its purest form. —
For all intents and purposes, there was no way for the West
to systematically test the existence of the fourth state. Lacking the right techniq ue, the scientiﬁc comm unity has
ignored turiya. In fact, many scientists would consider it
irrelevant or threatening. The very notion of “union” brings
undesirable images to mind: dissolving into a state of
nothingness, or losing one’s identity like a drop of water
disappearing into the ocean. Despite occasional bursts of
enthusiasm for Eastern ideas, the progress of knowledge in
the West has overwhe lmingly depended on outward
observation, not inner. But if there is a state that transcends the usua l three,
then it seems likely that it would show up from time to
time, if only by accident. For example, Charles Lindbergh
reported one experience that took place in 1927, during the
most critical  moments of his life. When he was into the
second day of his histor ic solo ﬂight across the Atlantic,
Lindbergh found that he had passed the limits of physical
exhaustion. Fearing that he would lose control of his craft,
he skirted disaster by ﬁtfully dozing oﬀ and hoping that he
remained on course. Then, as Lindbergh recounts in his
autobiography, a remarkable change of awareness took
place:
Over and over again on the second day of my
ﬂight, I would return to mental alertness
suﬀiciently to realize that I had been ﬂying while I
was neither asleep nor awake. My eyes had been
open. I had responded to my instruments’
indications and held generally to compass course,
but I had lost sense of circumstance and time. During imme asurable periods, I seemed to extend
outside my plane and body, independent ofworldly values, appreciative of beauty, form, and
color without depending upon my eyes. As a child, Lindbergh had lain in the cornﬁelds on his
father’s farm  and felt a similar sense of being “beyond
mortality” as he gazed into the sky. But the episode over
the North Atlantic went further. What Lindbergh concluded
about it was this: “It was an experience in which  both the
intellect and senses were replaced by what might be
termed a matterless awareness…. I recognized that vision
and reality interchange, like energy and matter. ”
Doctors to whom I mention meditation generally assure
me, whether they “believ e” in it or not, that meditation is
for relaxation. It is only in the light of Veda that one can
understand why this view is so shortsighted. —
Veda represents an immense expansion of the human mind. The best way to describe it is that Veda is the total content
of the cosmic


 body’ s rejuvenating chemicals to work in
partnership with them.Each morning when you take your nutrients, spend a few moments
acknowledging the rejuvenating, strengthening, and life-enhancing
influence they are having on you. Envision the subtle yet potent
nourishment the se vital nutrients are providing every cell, tissue, and or gan
in y our body. Make the process  of taking your nutritional com plements adaily health-promoting ritual. Repeat the af firmations that reinforce your
Biostat while taking your nutr ients. Use your attention and intention to
augment their age-reversing p ower. As you are taking your nutritional
complements, repeat:
Every day in every way, I am incr easing my mental and physical capacity. My Biostat is set at a healthy ____ years of age. I look and feel a healthy ____ years old. I am r eversing my biological age:
By changing my per ception of my body, its aging and time;
Thr ough two kinds of deep r est—r estful awar eness and  r estful sleep;
By nurturing my body thr ough healthy foods; and
By using nutritional complements wisely. 6
Y ou Can Reverse Y our
Biological Age by Enhancing
Mind/Body Integration

ACTION STEP # 5
I am r eversing my biological age by enhancing mind/body integration. I put this into practice by:
Performing br eathing techniques (Pranayama) five to ten  minutes daily. Performing ten to fifteen minutes of yoga, tai chi, or qigong each day. Practicing body awar eness and learning to follow the  healthy signals
fr om my body when ther e ar e conflicting  messages fr om my mind. The body and mind ar e one. When the intimate r elationship
between mind and body is disrupted,
aging and entr opy accelerate. Restoring mind/body integration
brings about r enewal.Thr ough conscious br eathing
and movement techniques,
you can r enew the body/mind
and r everse the aging pr ocess. Y ou can reverse your biological age by enhancing the integration between
your mi nd and body. Mind an d body are intimately interconnected. Y our
body is composed of physiolog ical systems, or gans, and tissues, but at its
basis is a colle ction of molecules. Y our mind is composed of ideas and
beliefs, memori es and desires, but is essentially a collection of thoughts. Y our body is a molecular field; your mind is a thought field. Giving rise to
both your field o f molecules and your field of thoughts is an und erlying field
of consciousness, which is the source of both your mind and body. Every
time you  have a thought you pr ecipitate a molecule in your ner vous system
that influences the other molecules throughout your body. Stagnation in the
mind/body conn ection results in aging and illness. Enlivening the mind/body
connection leads to healing and the reversal of aging. Enhancing the integration betwe en mind and body requires listen ing to the
signals from inside as attentively as you listen to informati on from the
outside. Mind/b ody integration  means establishing a healthy dialogue
between your thoughts and molecules. It means listening to your body andresponding with love and reverence. A body listened to answers back with
ener gy, strength, and flexibility— the qualities of a body growing younger. There are many established practices devoted to enhancing mind/body
integration. Y oga, tai chi, qigong, akaido, and other disciplines use conscious
breathing and physical movements to bring your attention into t he body and
into the present moment. These approaches enable you to listen to the
signals y our body is sending and to enliven ener gy in the body through your
attention and intention. There is  an expression in the B hagavad Gita, the ancient V edic epic, that
in S anskrit goes “Y ogastah kuru  karmani.” This can be translated into
English as “Established in yoga, perform action.” Y oga here m eans union. The Eng lish wo rd yoke, as in  “uniting two oxen,” is related to this Sanskrit
root. Est ablished in yoga, then, m eans established in a state of unity in which
body, mind, and spirit are ex perienced as one continuum. Once your
consciousness is on this level, y ou perform your daily actions w ithout losing
your connection to wholeness. This is the goal of all mind/body integration
techniques. Br eathing Integration
Conscious breath work is at the center of mind/body integration. The breath
integrates mind and body. Thou ght is the movement of breath. Breath is the
movement of thought. When your mind is agitated, your breathing is
disturbed. When your mind is serene, your breathing is calm. Y ou can use
mental techniques to calm your breath, as in meditation. Likew ise, you can
use breathing techniques to cal m your mind. In yoga and A yurveda, these
breathing techniques are called Pranayama. The word means “expanding
Prana,” or “expansion of the life force.”
There a re Pranayama practices  to ener gize you, soothe your body, and
quiet your mind. Depending on  the technique and your intent ion, you can
use Pranayama to enliven you in the morning, calm you when you are upset,or settle  your mind when you a re trying to go to sleep. Let’ s review three
basic conscious breathing exercises to enhance your mind/body integration
and reverse aging. ENERGIZING BREA TH
Y ou can  invigor ate your body an d mind with the breathing technique known
as bhastrika or “bellows breath.” This exercise cleanses your lungs while
increasing the oxygen flow to your cells and tissues. Sit c omfortably with your spine upright and close your eyes. Exhale all
the air from you r lungs. Then begin deep in-and-out breathing through your
nose silently using the mantra s “So” on the inflow and “Hum” on the
outflow. For the first twenty  breaths take two-second slow forceful
inhalations and two-second slow  forceful exhalations. It is ea siest to keep
track of the number of breaths by counting on your fingers. The next twenty breaths are performed faster with approximately one-
second inhalations and one-second exhalations. These are also performed
through the nose while thinking “So” on the in-breath and “Hum” on the
out-breath. Finally, perform twenty rapid bhastrika breaths, with approximately half-
second inhalations and half-second exhalations. After the twenty rapid
breaths, perform one more slow deep breath and then sim ply feel the
sensations in your body. Y ou will notice that your mind is clear and quiet
while your body is ener gized. Do not hyperve ntilate to the point where you are feeling light-headed or
dizzy. The breath movement is almost entirely abdominal, using your
diaphragm to move air. Y our head and shoulders should be relaxed and
mostly still. Use bhastrika when you are feeling a little sluggish and need a
quick re plenishment of ener gy. It is also beneficial prior to your afternoon
meditation to clear away drowsiness before you start your practice.SOOTHING BREA TH
The soothing breath technique known as Ujayi can be used to settle your
mind and body when you are feeling frustrated or irritated. Whe n performed
correctly it creates a cooling ef fect at the back of the throat and has a
stabilizing influence on the cardiorespiratory system. T o p erform Ujayi breath, take a slightly deeper than normal inha lation. On
the exha lation, s lightly constric t your throat muscles so it sounds as if you
are snor ing. Y our out-breath is through your nose with your mouth closed. Another way to get the hang of this practice is to first exhale, “Haaah,” with
your mo uth open. Now make a similar motion with your mouth  closed. This
will resu lt in the desired breathy, snoring sound. Once you have mastered it
on th e outflow, p erform the same procedure on inflow. The result is that you
sound a little like Darth V ader from Star W ars. When you find yourself becoming aggravated or upset, shift into Ujayi
breath and you will notice a prompt soothing influence. Y ou can also use this
when performin g yoga postures and while exercising at a mo derate level. Practicing this soothing breath technique will reduce wear and tear on your
physiology and slow aging. RELAXING BREA TH
Y ou can  calm your mind with  the breathing technique known as Nadi
Shodhana. In English this m eans, “clearing the channels.” Nadi Shodhana is
very ben eficial when you are ha ving a lot of anxious thoughts, and when you
are trying to quiet your mind. It requires the use of your right hand to
alternately close your right, then left nostril. Hold your hand so your thumb,
index finger, and remaining fingers are separated. Y ou use your thumb to
close your right nostril and your third and fourth


 challenged existing perceptions and
fundamentally changed the way people view the world. By proving that matter and
energy are one, Einstein brought forth a new field for studying the laws of the
universe, quantum physics, in which human beings are regarded as networks ofcomplex energy systems that interact with physical and cellular systems. We human beings are not Newtonian in nature, but rather Einsteinian. Humans are
matter, but we are also multidimensional energy systems, and our thoughts, beliefs
and attitudes create energy fields that influence our biochemistry and affect our
health. Yet our physicians continue to use the mechanical Newtonian model. No Ground to Stand On
We are brought up to think of medicine as scientific and that the techniques and
procedures used by our physicians are the result of extensive scientific study. Not so. Several studies, including a 1978 report by the U.S. Office of Technology
Assessment, have estimated that no scientific basis exists for 80 to 90 percent of all
procedures used in medical practice. In fact, traditional or allopathic medicine has no general theory of the organism,
health or disease—no unifying framework to tie it all together. Without a theory and
a framework, there is no understanding of what the problems are, how they
developed or how to solve them, and everything becomes an ad hoc experience. The
mechanistic manner in which medicine is practiced today has never been proven by
scientific method. As Lynne McTaggart, author of the 1996 book,
What Doctors
Don’t Tell You,
wrote: “For all the attempts to cloak medicine in the weighty mantle
of science—a good deal of what we regard as standard medical practice today
amounts to little more than 20th-century voodoo.”
Doctors usually have little idea what is wrong with their patients or how to make
them well. And how can one blame them? They spent many years in medical school,
learning technicalities, procedures and protocols, and were taught that “cures” must
come from outside the body. That is why physicians have no faith or instruction
about the natural capacity of the human body to heal itself. In fact, many argue that
almost all conditions presented to physicians are self-limiting and spontaneously
resolve by the natural healing process, regardless of what the physician happens to
prescribe. This natural healing process must become our focus, because the magnitude of
sickness in this country is astonishing. More than three out of four Americans now
suffer from a diagnosable chronic disease, a dilemma that the modern medical
establishment not only fails to solve, but actually contributes to. Things must
change. In March 2001, The Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of
Sciences issued a report titled,
Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System
for the 21st Century. According to this report: “... between the health care we now
have and the health care we could have lies not just a gap, but a chasm.” The report
also said: “Health care harms patients too frequently and routinely fails to deliver its
potential benefits.”The United States has the most expensive, yet one of the most inadequate health
care systems in the world. Our infant mortality rate is worse than Cuba’s. According
to the World Health Organization, our overall health is worse than that of almost
every European country, as well as Australia, Canada, and Israel. According to the
above Institute of Medicine report, “... a fundamental, sweeping redesign of the
entire health care system is required.” The report cited that “... the nation’s health
care delivery system has fallen short in its ability to translate knowledge into
practice and to apply new technology safely and appropriately.” It went on to say, “... if the system cannot consistently deliver today’s science and technology, it is even
less prepared to respond to the extraordinary advances that surely will emerge
during the coming decades.”
We’ve spent hundreds of billions of medical research dollars on outmoded
science, which explains why we have not found the cause or the cure for a single
chronic disease. Decades after President Richard Nixon declared “war on cancer”
and after countless billions of dollars spent, malignancy survival rates are not
noticeably improved. We have yet to produce a truly effective cancer treatment;
every minute another American dies of cancer. The situation is similar with heart
disease. We can implant a new artificial heart surgically, but we cannot prevent or
cure heart disease. Why? Because so few resources are devoted to study of the
body’s healing systems or to help patients understand and support their own health
at the cellular level. Reallocating resources with these priorities in mind is the
direction medicine must take if it is ever to be effective in reversing our epidemic of
chronic disease. Everyone Is Unique
Interested only in identifying symptoms, physicians do not listen to their patients. Patients are regarded as machines, similar to every other machine; doctors need not
learn anything unique about individual people. A study reported in the December
1993 issue of
Internal Medicine News
found that 70 percent of patients were
interrupted by their doctor within eighteen seconds after the patient began to
describe their symptoms. As soon as the doctor has matched symptoms to a disease,
treatments follow established protocols. Everyone with the same “disease” receives
the same treatment. Such procedures completely ignore one of the greatest scientific discoveries of the
twentieth century: biochemical individuality. Two people with the same so-called
disease may need different treatments because no two people’s cells are
malfunctioning for exactly the same reasons. Modern medicine does not teach
physicians how to recognize or work with each patient’s unique biochemistry. Even when presented with scientific evidence that an alternative system works
best, most physicians resist change and fail to apply these findings. Their disease-based focus interferes with the essence of what health care should be: the
optimization of health at the cellular level based on a person’s unique biochemistry
and life circumstances. Resistant to Change
Adopting a more rational system of medicine would result in an enormous
reduction in health-care costs by eliminating hundreds of thousands of physicians
and closing thousands of hospitals (not to mention the potential financial ruin of
drug companies). Obviously, the economic incentive to maintain the status quo and
not change is enormous. Currently, cancer is a billion-dollar-a-day “industry” in the
United States, and more people are employed in the AIDS industry than there are
sufferers of AIDS. Modern medicine’s efforts to protect money and jobs were vividly described and
documented in the 2000 book by former New York State Legislator, Daniel Haley,
Politics in Healing: The Suppression and Manipulation of American Medicine. Haley points out that in the twentieth century several inexpensive and highly
effective cures for cancer were introduced in American medicine. The developers of
these cures, well-meaning people, were naive and believed that the world would
welcome a cancer cure. What these people—among others, Harry Hoxey, William
Frederick Koch, Royal Raymond Rife and Dr. Andrew Ivy—all failed to understand
is that someone who threatens the survival of a prospering and growing industry
with an inexpensive cure will not be welcomed. Proven and effective cancer cures
were repudiated and suppressed by the American Medical Association (AMA) and
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Discoverers of these cures were
isolated, harassed, persecuted, prosecuted, financially ruined and destroyed, and
their treatments essentially have been lost. Some events described in Haley’s book
are bizarre and are hard to believe, yet they are documented by evidence presented at
jury trials and recorded in court records. The FDA, AMA, the National Cancer
Institute, and the American Cancer Society still continue to suppress cancer cures,
such as that developed by Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski; his office has been raided by
FDA agents and U.S. Marshals, he has been persecuted relentlessly, and his medical
license is on a ten-year probation during which time he is not allowed to see new
patients. These actions prevent public access to treatments and intimidate other
unorthodox physicians. Physicians who have worked all their lives within the existing system often feel
threatened by change. The majority of physicians support efforts by state medical
boards and government regulatory boards to suppress alternative approaches. A less
expensive, more effective way of practicing medicine threatens their economic well-
being, as well as philosophically questions the validity of their lifetime work.Physicians who have dared to introduce alternative treatments have had their
licenses revoked, been financially ruined, and ostracized because they were willing
to help patients with treatments that were not the “accepted standard of care.”
A chilling example of how nonconforming doctors are kept in line is the case of
Jonathan Wright, M.D. On May 6, 1992, a small army of FDA agents plus ten police
officers, with drawn guns and flak jackets, attacked Dr. Wright’s office. Rather than
simply opening the office door and walking in, they broke it down, terrifying his
staff and patients in the waiting room. Why? Was Wright on the FBI’s list of known
terrorists? No. Wright was merely an outspoken critic of modern medicine and the
FDA, and he regularly used vitamins and natural substances in his practice. This
approach to healing made him a target. During the fourteen-hour raid, all of Wright’s records, equipment, manuals,
vitamins, minerals and herbs were confiscated. They even took his postage stamps. None of Wright’s patients ever had complained about him. Wright was never
charged with anything, nor ever prosecuted for anything.


:—Indian Head Massage  26
Udwarthanam:—Dry Massage with
Herbal Powder  27
Sirodhara:—Oiling the Third Eye  28
Vasthi: The Medicated Enema  32
Unani: An Holistic Graeco-Arab Medical
System  36
Siddha: Tamil Herbal Healing  38
Soba Rig-pa: Traditional Tibetan
Medicine  42
Panchakarma: Ayurvedic Revitalization
46
Mud Therapy  50
Ksheera Dhooma: Medicated Milk
Steam  52Netra Tarpanam: Vasthi Therapy for the
Eyes  53
Kizhi Therapy:—The Hot Herbal Pouch
54
beauty      5 8
Ayurvedic Facial Care  60
Hand Care  68
Foot Care  70
Hair Care  72
The Art of Mehndi  76
Body Wraps  78
Body Scrubs and Polishes  82
Water Therapies  86
Rasashastra:—Healing with Gems,
Crystals, Metals and Minerals  94
balance     9 8
Yoga  100
Amulya Uphar:—Lazy Man’s Yoga  1 12
Pranayama:—Therapeutic Breathing
Exercises  1 14
Meditation  1 18
Chakra Therapy  126
appendix       1 3 0
Nattu Vaidya:—The Barefoot Doctor  132
Healing Plants  136
Ayurvedic Preparations  142Listings  144ancient wisdoms,
today’ s practices
At n o time in the history of the planet have India’ s stress-bust ing,
all-encompassing therapies had more importance. While we st rive
to i mprove material gains, w e often neglect the spiritual, the
physical and the mental. However, with stressful lifestyles taking
their toll, taking  time out to concentrate on ourselves is no longer a
treat —  it’ s a necessity. This is where India’ s age-old traditional
practices come in. Whether you travel to India to visit a spa, to try to “find
yourself”, to experience some  medical care, or to spend some
relaxing time with friends or fam ily, you are almost certain to come
across s ome of these ancient pr actices. Even though the country is
modernizing at a rapid rate, everyone — on some level or ano ther
— is tied to its deep-rooted traditions. Ancient Healing
Many of  these age-old tradition s are explored in this book. W e get
to the core of the country’ s medical systems — A yurveda, Unani
and Sidd ha — and explore its history of herbal healing and anc ient
beauty procedures. The mind, body, spirit practices of yoga,
meditation and  pranayama  are s howcased in depth, while related
cultural phenomena such as temple and household habits and
gemology are also considered. S ome of these ideas will be familiar
to readers, others will be totally new. W e’ll take you through the
myriad o f wonders that has emer ged from this extraordinary, ex otic
subcontinent, all the while explaining how past wisdom has
relevance in today’ s world.A yurveda and yoga are probab ly the most well known of the
ancient modalit ies outside India — and both seek to encompass
much m ore than physical wellbeing. They are covered in depth in
the anc ient tex ts or V edas and there are countless wri tten
instructions for  both. Even t hough they weren’ t traditionally
practiced toget her, today they are finding syner gy. “Wh at’ s
interesting about India’ s sys tems,” explains one A yurv edic
physician, “is that they often incorporate more than one reg ime. Methods of healing like A yurved a include a lifestyle regimen, y oga,
aroma, m editation, gems, amule ts, herbs, diet,  jyotishi  (astrology),
color and more.” It is this holistic approach that is so exciting. Utilizing the purifyin g properties of mud is an ancient practice that continues in
India to this day. Taking the earth element from the  panchamahabhut  or “five greatelements”, it cleanses skin and boosts metabolism. History of Ayurveda
T ranslated from  Sanskrit as the  “Science of Life”, A yurveda was
first mentioned in the verses of the  Rig V eda, t he first of the V edas
or Hindu sacred texts. Here there is reference to  panchamahabhut
(the fiv e basic elements of th e entire creation), and the t hree
doshas  or primary forces of  prana  or  vata  (air),  agni  or  pitta
(fire) and  soma  or  kapha  (water and earth) as comprising the basic
principles of A yurveda. Howev er, there is much more detail in an
upaveda  (subsection) of the  Atharva, the fourth V eda, written
some time during 3,000 to 2,000  BC. Here, A yurveda is documented
more sp ecifically: it is described as knowledge of self-healing or
holistic healing, with the idea th at everything is interrelated, yet still
unique. The texts stated that if A yurveda was applied on an
individual basis in people’ s ever yday lives using diet, massage, oils,
herbs and exercise, practitioners could be healthy and disease-free. Wellness treatment being administered at the luxury spa at Amanbagh.Taking the pulse is one of the first indicators in A yurvedic diagnosis. Around the turn of the first mille nnium  BC  the treatise known as
the  Charaka Samhita, the  mo st referred A yurvedic tex t on internal
medicine, appeared. Believed to have been written by the g reat
sage-physician Charaka, it explained the logic and philosophy of
A yurvedic medi cine. W ritten in the form of a symposium wherein
groups of A yurvedic scholars  take up a series of topics for
discussion, it is written in ver se in keeping with the V edic oral
tradition of conserving knowledge. It therefore seems likely that
A yurveda had been in existence for many hundreds, if not
thousands, of years beforehand.A spiritual ascetic or  sadhu  attends to a supplicant. Yoga is recommended along with A yurveda for total wellbeing.A traditional Indian welcome. Around the same time, the  Sushruta Samhita  appeared. It
comprised knowledge about prosthetic sur gery to replace limbs,
cosmetic sur gery, caesarian operations and even brain sur gery. Sushruta is famous for his inno vation of cosmetic sur gery on the
nose kn own as rhinoplasty, an interesting fact as he lived two
centuries before Hippocrates, the Greek father of W estern medicine. Around 500  AD, V agbhata compiled the third  major treatise on
A yurveda,  Astanga Hridaya. It con tained k nowledge from both
previous books,  but also new information on diseases and cure s. It
is th e text of choice for many practicing A yurvedic physic ians
because it is a precise condensation of the two earlier texts. There were, of c ourse, many other useful reference texts, and it
is documented that A yurveda became entrenched in Indian life
between 1,000  BC  and 800  AD. Both Hindus and Buddhists
maintained the academic progress of A yurveda, and also ensured
that the  science was made as publicly available as poss ible. Medicinal herbs  were planted, hospitals were formed, and the a rt of
nursing (as described by Charak a) was widely systematized. But it
wasn’ t until the Buddhist period  (323  BC  to 642  AD ) that A yurveda
began to be ex ported outside India’ s shores. During this time
Buddhist missionaries and monks took knowledge of A yurv eda,
along w ith other aspects of Ind ian culture, to Europe (Rome and
Greece), the Middle East (Baghdad) and China. Closer to home, theneighboring countries of Sri Lanka, T ibet, Thailand, Burma and
Indonesia all accepted its teachin gs. In fact, its influence can still be
seen in many of  their healing systems: Acupressure, for example, is
a direct descendent of  marma  massage. In India,  A yurveda’ s heyday was probably from the 6th century
to th e 10th century  AD : During this time, many universities and
teaching hospita ls were founded to cater to students from all over
the w orld, and there are numero us references to the ef ficacy of  the
Indian system of medicine. Bu t by the 12th century, A


 it little more than a chaos of error,  a tissue of deceit unworthy  132
 of admission  among the useful arts and liberal  pursuits of man. " (Dr. Blane. ) And yet if all this  can be said against Allopathy  and  allopathical
practices,  and  not by "cranks" and outsiders  but by members  of the
Medical Profession  themselves,  it seems a queer thing, to say the least,
that medical Orthodoxy,  i. e., Allopathy,  is the one school  recognised  by
the State,  whilst such schools  as Osteopathy,  Herbalism,  Homoeopathy,
Naturopathy,  and  the Biochemic  System of Medicine  are regarded as
unworthy  of official recognition,  and  are even labelled as quackery. Both osteopaths,  biochemic  practitioners,  and  homoeopaths  (see Ellis
Barker Miracles of Healing)' have seemingly  cured in this country alone,
hundreds  of patients who had  in vain sought  for relief at the hands of
the allopaths. At the end of the last  century,  Dr. Routh, an allopath,
who on that account  could not be suspected  of bias  in favour of
homoeopathy,  published  some figures in which  he showed that the
number  of deaths  in hospitals under hoinoeopathic  treatment
amounted  to far less than the number under  allopathic  treatment. Later  on, figures published  in 1910, showed that the average death‐rate
under  allopathic  treatment  was 9. 89 per cent., whereas under
homoeopathic  treatment  it was only 5. 01 per cent. Moreover,  if we
take some of the diseases separately,  we find that during a period of
thirty‐two years, the death‐ rate under  allopathic  treatment  for
pneumonia  was, 29. 5  per cent., whilst  under homoeopathic  treatment
it was only 3. 9 per cent. As for diphtheria,  treated with antitoxin,  the
death‐ rate was 16. 1  per cent., as against 4. 5 per cent treated
homoeopathically  without  antitoxin. With regard to cholera, during a
hundred years, under  allopahic treatment,  the death  rate was 49. 57  per 133
 cent., whilst  under homnoepathic  treatment  it was only 16. 33 per cent. (See  Homoeopathy  in Practice by Dr. Voorhoeve. ) Apropos  of cholera,
the late Dr. McCloughlin,  medical inspector  (and not a homoeopath)
wrote  that after the number of cures of true Asiatic cholera he had
witnessed ‐cases that would have sunk  under allopathic  treatment ‐if he
himself  should be attacked by cholera, he would far sooner be in the
hands  of a homoeopath  than an allopathic  doctor. When last century
there  was  a great outburst of cholera on the continent,  a homoeopath
named Dr. Rubini, of Naples, treated no less than 285 cases and did not
have a single death  among them all. (Quoted  in Health Practitioners
Journal, March, 1944. ) I have drawn  attention  to these facts and  figures, dating some years
back, because it was after and  not before homoeopathy  had  been
shown to be more  efficacious  (or at any rate less harmful) than
allopathy,  that an attempt was made in England  to suppress it
altogether. Fortunately,  however,  for the homoeopaths  and  their
patients, the Bill did not go through. Yet the attempt in itself  was highly
significant,  and, whether one believes in homoeopathy  per se or not,
must  give all intelligent  members  of the public food for serious
reflection. For the questions  arise: If homoeopathy  can prevent more
deaths  than allopathy,  then why is it not the State School  of Medicine,
just as the Church of England is the State Religion. Various  suggestions
have been put forward. One is that homoeopathic  medicines  are very
inexpensive. Also a homoeopath  does not require  the services, except
very rarely, of all or any of the assistants  towards diagnosis  to whom
the allopath nowadays  resorts. All t his means that less money  is spent
by the patient under  homoeopathic  treatment  than under  allopathic  134
 treatment. Nor do homoeopaths  advocate large  scale "preventive"
iAeasures. They  do nct say: "As any one might  possibly catch small pox,
diphtheria,  typhoid, tetanus, scarlet fever, or what not, he or she must
take homoeopathic  prophylactics  against one or all of these diseases,"
for hotmoeopaths  know  that the best  preventative  against all such
diseases is a heai'hy body. Moreover,  it is 'time enough to talk  about
prophylactics  when people have actually been in close  contact  with
smallpox or whatever  it may  be. Thus, if homoeopathy  became  the
State Medical Creed,  serum  manufacturers  would no longer be able to
buy an old horse for eighteen pounds and  make thousands  of pounds
profit  out of the unfortunate  animal. And where will it all end. It began with smallpox vaccines, and  then
vaccines for other diseases were also boosted, and so on it may go until
"preventatives"  are advocated  for almost every imaginable  type of
ailment. But what state the human  blood  will be in after it has been
inoculated  with all these poisons does not bear thinking about. Sir
Almroth  Wright, a pillar of the orthodox Medical Profession,  stated that
the entire "


 not physical. You can be standing next to someone
who is experiencing joy or sadness, and they don’t necessarily show it.Emotions are not something you see; they are something you feel. In fact,
the words “emotions” and “feelings” are interchangeable. Just like you
experience your thoughts inside, you experience your feelings inside. Nonetheless, your emotions are completely dif ferent from your thoughts. Let’s examine this difference. As we previously explored, your mind
creates thoughts and presents them to you in two different ways. One is
verbally via that voice inside your head, and the other is visually in your
mind’ s eye. Your heart communicates quite differently. Your emotions do
not talk to you verbally. They are not simply a voice inside your head
saying, “I feel so jealous.” The voice says that because you feel jealous. There is a feeling, a sensation— that is what an emotion is. That’ s why we
use the word “feelings” when we talk about our emotions, as in “He hurt my
feelings.” Sayin g this means the interaction with the person created an
emotion inside of you that was uncomfortable. Thus, you have verbal or
visual thoughts inside your mind, and you also have these totally different
things called emotions emanating from your heart. They are actually
vibrations. They  don’t form specific objects like thoughts do. They’re more
etheric. Emotions are more like clouds instead of defined objects. They
come up and can be like waves flowing over you. They flush what we call
your aura or energy body. Emotions are simply the sensation of
experiencing a change in your energy. Like Obi-W an in Star Wars put it, “I
felt a great disturbance in the Force.”
You are always having inner feelings, but you don’t notice them until
they change. Notice that you only talk about emotions when they go to the
extremes. “It hurt me tremendously. I can’t believe how you hurt me.” Or, “I
felt so much love. It was the most beautiful feeling I ever had.” These are
examples of extremes in your emotions, and they catch your attention. You
probably don’t notice it, but you have a normal state of emoti onal energy
flowing through your heart all day. When it drops out, you notice the change
and say, “My heart fell out from  under me. I lost my strength.” Your heart
can fall out from under you when fear takes over. Something happens and
the energy just drops. In contras t, you can say, “My heart has wings.” All of
a sudden the emotional energy in your heart rises up and inspires you. These
are chan ges from the steady state of emotional energy that normally flows
through your heart. As you get more and more in tune with your emotions,
you will notice that, like thoughts, emotions are almost always there.Just as with thoughts, the questions become: Who is it that feels these
emotional shifts? How do you know you feel anger? How do you know you
feel love? You know because you are in there, and you are aware of what is
going on in there. That clarity is very deep, spiritually. You have been so
concerned about the emotions, themselves, you didn’ t realize you are the
one in there experiencing them. The goal of this journey we are taking
together is not to change your thoughts or emotions, it is for you to stay
seated in the seat of Self while accepting these dif ferent shifts that are taking
place. From this vantage point, the emotions can change, you can notice
them changing, but you don’t go anywhere. You remain the one who notices
the emotions, hears the thoughts, and looks out through the eyes. Who is
this one? This is what our journey is about. There is no spirituality
anywhere excep t in the seat of Self. Spirituality is about spirit, and the seat
of Self is spirit. When you sit back in the seat of witness consciousness, it does not
require a willful process of watc hing your emotions. Instead, it’s the simple
awareness of what is going on in there. It doesn’ t take will or effort to do
this. You are simply aware that you hear or see your thoughts and that you
feel your emotio ns. If you pay attention, you will notice emotions can be
like the sensatio n of wind flowi ng over you. Wind can be very comfortable,
like a gentle breeze. Or wind can be frightening, like a one hundred mile per
hour hurricane blowing in your face. Surely you have noticed that emotions
can be like this. It doesn’ t take effort to notice them, but it can take effort to
handle what you notice. Emotions are very sensitive vibrations emanating
from the heart, and as such they can shift very easily. The heart is much
more sensitive than the mind, and we have much less control over it. Without question, when your heart emanates a particular vibration of
energy, your mind will start talking accordingly. It’s very much like a
freshwater sprin g. If you dive down to the source of the spring, there’ s
going to be water bubbling up from the opening. When that water hits the
surface, it creates ripples and all kinds of patterns. The activity on the
surface is very different from what emanates at the source. So it is with your
heart. Your heart is releasing energy of a given vibration rate, and that
vibration rises into your mind automatically. You don’t have to first notice
that you feel jealous and then decide you had better think about it. What’ s
going on in the heart ends up in the mind as thoughts. The samskaras you
stored are trying to release their energy from the heart, and that is causingthe mind to get active. The roots of the samskaras are stored in your heart. That is where the patterns you shoved out of your mind went. They did not
dissipate. They went down further into the source of your energy flow,
which is in your heart. Very few people understand their heart. Many intellectuals just want to
keep it suppresse d because it is much too sensitive and reactive. They would
rather live in the mind because  they have more control there. Somebody
hurts you, you feel an uncomfor table emotion, and you go right to the mind
and rationalize it away: “He didn’t mean it, it’s okay. Don’ t take it so
personally.” That’s if you’re being positive. Otherwise, the negative mind
starts in, “I’m not going to put up with this. Nobody is going to talk to me
that way. Who do they think they are?” Either way, your mind is telling your
heart, “It’ s okay, I’ll take care of it.” Y ou’re simply directing your awareness
to your mind, so you don’t have to feel the difficult emotion s emanating
from your heart. Notice that consciousness can focus fully on the heart, fully on the
mind, or it can divide its aware ness between the two. When emotions are
extremely pleasant, you may have the tendency to behave irrationally
because you don’t want to shift awareness from the beauty in your heart to
the rational mind. On the other hand, when the emotions are unpleasant, you
may try to change the inner experience by letting your thoughts distract you
from what’s happening in the heart. The mind becom es a place the soul goes
to hide from the heart. To transcend this tendency to hide in either your
heart or your mind, simply realize that it is always the same conscious
awareness experiencing what is going on inside.Chapter 22. Why the Heart Opens and Closes
If you want to know your heart, first and foremo st understand that you are
not your heart—you are the experiencer of your heart. You are the
consciousness that is aware when emotions are taking place. When love
shoots up inside  of you, and you say you’re in love, what you really mean is
that you feel love coming up from your heart and bathing you. You’re
floating in the ocean of love, but you’re not the love you feel—you are the
experiencer of the love you feel. Note that so far we haven’ t considered the
role of another  person in this love experience. This is because what’ s
actually happeni ng when you begin to feel love is your heart is opening and
emanating a beautiful flow of energy. This should drive you to say, “I love
love,” but instead you say, “I love you.” That is your first clue into the role
of another person in your exper ience of love. As long as the other person’ s
presence helps your heart open, you feel love for them. If their presence
stops opening your heart, you start looking elsewhere. This is why human
relationships are so difficult. We project the source of love outside, instead
of realizing it is always inside. The actual flow of love has to do with you and your heart. It has
nothing to do with anybody else. It is an energy flow coming through your
heart that you experience inside. Undoubtedly, certain people or
circumstances can cause your heart to open or close. But the action of
opening and closing is somethin g your heart is doing, not the other person. By the time we’re done with this discussion, you will understand why this
happens. For now, let’s look


 set goals for myself and
then I pursue them with everything I’ve got. For a long time thisworked well for me. My achievements were pleasing to myparents, who gave me a lot of approval and made me want toachieve even more. My father was very successful financially ata young age and placed a lot of value on worldly status andpossessions. So did my mother, and, of course, so did I. By my mid-20s I was making a lot of money working in the
hospitality business in Las Vegas. I had a responsible job atCaesar’s Palace and I gave it everything I had, so much so thatI was losing my balance. I worked so much that I stopped doing
123very much of anything else. Las Vegas is a 24-hour-a-day, 365-
days-a-year place, a city that never sleeps, and demands aremade on you constantly to keep the machinery running. I wouldalways go the extra mile to troubleshoot an emergency, accommo-date unexpected guests … whatever came up. Somehow, amidst all this work I did manage to meet a
woman I wanted to spend my life with. Stephanie and Imarried when I was 30 and she got pregnant soon afterwards.This added even more responsibility, and although I didn’tunderstand it then I began showing signs of nervous exhaustion. I began to lose my appetite. I’m a wonderful cook—I went
to school to become a chef early in my life—and every day afterwork I’d come home and cook a healthy meal for my wife whileshe was pregnant, but I found I couldn’t eat. After the baby wasborn—he’s a boy—I cooked for each of them the kinds of nutri-tious meals I felt they should have, but again I couldn’t eat thefood I cooked. I’d have a piece of toast or something. Forsomeone going at breakneck speed the way I was, this wasn’tgood. I wasn’t taking care of myself. You see, I had this Superman complex where I felt I had to
take care of everyone and everything. I never told my wife howscared I was of failing because that wouldn’t be taking care ofher. I hid my insecurities and just pushed myself. Often I’d go back to work after dinner. If my wife protested,
I’d make up a story about some emergency that had come up. Thetruth was I felt I had to do more just to keep up. It’s a mindset. Ifelt things would fall apart if I didn’t hurry up and do more. At a certain point this became an issue for me and
Stephanie, and we saw a counselor who suggested I work in a lessstressful environment. I found a job at the Las Vegas Conventionand Visitors’ Authority, thinking it would allow me more timefor a normal life. But just the opposite happened. I became evenmore stressed and worked even longer hours.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        Back in the 1960s, Robert Wilson, M. D., a gynecologist in
New York City, published a book called
Feminine Forever, in
which he said that when women go through menopause, “theyenter a ‘vapid cow-like state’ and became very unpleasantcompanions for their husbands. ” He evidently felt womenshould be treated for their husband’s benefit, not for their own. 80 THE MIRACLE OF BIO-IDENTICAL HORMONES  He received tremendous financial backing from the makers of
Premarin, who helped publish his book and sent him on anation-wide tour so he could promote Premarin to otherphysicians around the country. THE CONTROVERSY OVER PREMARIN
Let me say a few words about Premarin. The name of this
manufactured estrogen compound actually delineates itssource: pregnant mares’ urine. There are about 100 moleculesof estrogen in this preparation, but only one of them is similarto a human estrogen. Although it is considered a “natural”hormone since it is derived from a natural substance, clearly itis natural only for horses. Premarin became the largest-selling drug in the world. However, eventually a darker side to hormone replacementtherapy emerged. It is estimated that in the first ten years afterthe manufacturer started the Premarin market campaign,somewhere between 200,000 and 2,000,000 women developedcancer of the uterus. However, instead of removing Premarinfrom the market, the drug company added Provera to it. Although this synthetic progesterone reduced the risk ofuterine cancer, it quadrupled a woman’s chances of gettingbreast cancer from the estrogen. Along the way, the drug company started ascribing certain
benefits to estrogen replacement therapy without the means toback up their claims. They claimed that estrogen was beneficial for women with
osteoporosis, and yet no study has shown estrogen to reverse thiscondition. We know that estrogen can help delay the onset ofosteoporosis, but only temporarily. In 1999, the FDA finally elim-inated osteoporosis as an indication for using estrogen. 81 MENOP AUSE AND PERIMENOPAUSE  They also claimed that estrogen is good for the heart. However, every long-term study of estrogen has indicated thatit causes an increase in the incidence of heart attacks andstrokes. It is contra-indicated in coronary artery disease andcerebrovascular disease, so I fail to see the claimed benefit ofestrogen in these conditions. In order to determine once and for all the benefits of
long-term treatment with estrogen, the largest study ever ofhormone replacement therapy was conducted, beginning in1997. Called the Women’s Health Initiative, it involved track-ing the health of about 162,000 women. It was proposed asan eight-year study to monitor women on Premarin/Proveratherapy. There was a side study of Premarin by itself amongwomen who did not have a uterus. T wo years into the study they started getting some alarming
statistics, but they continued with the research. However, after5
½years it was decided to stop the study for ethical reasons. The data was showing a significantly higher number of aggres-sive-type breast cancers along with a higher incidence ofcardiovascular complications in those women on thePremarin/Provera combination. When the Premarin/Provera arm of the study was halted in
the summer of 2002, it was front page news in every paper inAmerica; it was the cover story of all the news magazines andbecame fodder for TV news programs and talk shows. For thefirst time in history, women were made aware of a truth thathad been known in some circles for 30 years: that estrogenreplacement therapy might not be safe. The consistent recommendation put forth in the media
was: go talk to your health care practitioner. However, ifdoctors had been aware of the similar results found by priorstudies done in the 1990s, they might not have started theirpatients on these drugs in the first place or continued them. 82 THE MIRACLE OF BIO-IDENTICAL HORMONES  Their responses to their patients’ concerns about the study’s
findings ran along the lines of: “Don’t worry about it” or “Thebenefits outweigh the risks” (they don’t) or “It’s your decision. ”
The other arm of the study, Premarin by itself, was stopped
in March of 2004 because, once again, the risks proved tooutweigh the potential benefits. SUZANNE SOMERS—THE PROS AND CONS
Into this morass of contradictory information about hormones
walked celebrity/author Suzanne Somers. With her book
The Sexy Years, published in 2004, and a follow-up book
called Ageless, published in 2006, Ms. Somers propelled
herself into position as the new advocate for hormonereplacement therapy. Her books demonstrated some amazingly positive attrib-
utes. For the first time in history, women at large were madeaware of bio-identical hormones—natural hormones that areidentical to their own hormones and can be obtained fromcompounding pharmacies. No longer did they have to subjectthemselves to synthetic drugs that mimic hormones, nor didthey have to take hormones appropriate for horses ratherthan humans. Another tremendous benefit of Ms. Somers’ books was
their insistence that women have to become pro-active abouttheir health; they cannot rely on the traditional medical systemto keep them healthy. However, Ms. Somers makes some points in her books that
I feel require clarification. First off, just because a hormone is bio-identical does not
necessarily mean that it is safe. Hormones are extremely potentsubstances and must be used judiciously. Some of the doctorswho Ms. Somers interviewed are very strong proponents of83 MENOP AUSE AND PERIMENOPAUSE  estrogen. She quotes one doctor as stating that the only time a
woman is healthy is when she is having her periods. T o achievethis aim, this doctor provides her post-menopausal patientswith exceptionally high levels of estrogen in order to have themre-start menstruation. She has patients in their 80s and 90sbleeding every month and bent over with menstrual cramps. These women, needless to say, are intentionally put into thedangerous condition of estrogen dominance. /Wswashomen never stop making estrogen. /Wswashomen do stop making progesterone. In my own practice, the sickest women I have ever seen are
those who had been estrogen dominant, or were estrogendominant when I first met them. Let me remind you that anytime you utilize either a
hormone or a drug


 been successful
with a nematode, a transparent roundworm the size of a comma. Something disturbing lies bene ath the surface of the wild predictions
made by geneticists with regard to aging. Americans like to imagine that
technical ingenuity will solve any problem. Like IBM engineers tweaking
computers to make them faster  and more efficient, gerontologists aim to
improve the human machine. The theory is that given a little biochemical
retooling, our bodies can be made more efficient, less prone to breakdowns,
and slow er to wear out. If any field was dedicated to the proposi tion that the
body is mindless and inherently defective, genetics is it. Like other reduc tionist models, the genetic view of aging ignore s life as a
whole. Unlike the Pacific salmo n, humans are not the pawns of biological
destiny. Populat ions exist right now that have largely overcome high blood
pressure, artery disease, and childhood infections, with low rates of major
cancers, and so on. The problem is that no single culture combines all of
these favorable traits. As we try to reach a longevity that satisfies thedesires of the whole person, we will find that DNA can change to suit our
higher expectations. Adapting to new conditions is what the body’ s
intelligence is all about. If you were a research biologist in the Stone Age,
and you had a perfect map of human DNA, could you have used it to
predict the rise of civilization. Would you have foreseen Mozart, Einstein,
the Parthenon, the New Testame nt. Could you have known that by the year
2000, improved living conditions would add six decades to early man’ s life
expectancy. The wonder of DNA is not that it runs my life but that it can unfold
previously unknown possibilities as they arise in my heart and mind. In
other words, DNA serves my purposes, not the other way around. There are
societies where longevity is highly valued, and it is there, in real-life
settings, that we have found our best laboratory. Instead of relying on
isolated individ uals who achieve extreme longevity, we can examine a
whole population who were instilled with that ambition from childhood on. The results have been remarkable, despite the absence of scientific
involvement. OceanofPDF. comSecrets of the “Long-Living”
Abkhasia, a remote mountain region of southern Russia, is a land of almost
mythical old age. It is the only place I have ever heard of where there is a
separate word for great-great-great-grandparents, which is applied only to
the living. The legendary longevity of the region excited world attention in
the late 1960s when Western visitors were invited to meet the
“supercentenarians” of Russia. These were rural villagers, almost all of
them illiterate field workers, who were reputed to have reache d incredible
ages of 120, 130, and upward of 170. Outside the Soviet Union, such claims hardly seemed credible. It was
widely accepted  by gerontologists that the upper limit of human life span
was betw een 115 and 120. Even that was a theoretical limit, since at that
time no one with a reliable birth certificate had ever lived beyond 113. But
in Russia the oldest of the supercentenarians, a man named Shirali
Mislimov, was reputed to have been born in 1805, seven years before
Napoleon march ed on Moscow. Mislimov lived in a remote village in the
state of Azerbaijan west of the Caspian Sea, where he died in 1973 at the
incredible age of 168. Toward the end, he had been secluded from visitors
due to ill health. If they could not visit the oldest man who had ever lived,
Westerners could interview the oldest woman of all time. She was Khfaf Lazuria, a native of Abkhasia who claimed to be
approximately 140. With a mixture of fascination and skepticism, foreign
visitors, including doctors and news correspondents, began to trickle in. From the first moment, Abkhasia was an enchanting place to anyone who
came there from the crowded, polluted cities of the United  States and
Europe. The countryside was green and idyllic. Most Abkhasians lived at
altitudes between seven hundred and a thousand feet above sea level, in
neat two-story homes, often built out of walnut, with wide verandas and
airy rooms. The climate in the hills just inland from the Black Sea was temperate
year-round, somewhat on the brisk side at a mean temperature of 50 to 55
degrees. But the rugged Abkhasians relished this slightly chilled air,
claiming that it contributed to their long life. Except for the kitchen stove,
their houses generally had no heat. Although the region had suffered from malaria and typhus epidemics
until the lowland swamps were drained by Soviet engineers in the 1930s,
Abkhasia boasted five times more centenarians than any other part of the
world, and 80 percent of the “long-living”—the word old was never appli ed
to them —were active and vigorous. It was common for both men and
women to work in the local tea fields for decades past the official Soviet
retirement age of 60—champion tea pickers were given certif icates when
they reached 100. In his book The Methuselah Factors,  Dan Geor gakas describes his
meeting with Abkhasian centenarian Vanacha Temur: “Wearing a snappy
leather hat, the venerable, alway s referred to only by his first name, walked
smartly across the garden and took up the responsibilities of a host. Spotting
an infan t among  his guests, Vanacha insisted that a cow be milked so the
baby could have some wholesom e country refreshment. For the other guests
baskets of apples from his best tree and a round of drinks were brought out. Only when these essentials were accomplished was he prepared to speak…. “Unlike most of the other centenarians, [Vanacha] had a baptismal
certificate. Acco rding to the dates of this document, he was 106, but he
explained that his baptism had been delayed until he was in his fourth year
because his parents lacked funds to pay the priests. Although this was an
echo of an excuse [the visitors] had frequently encountered, Vanacha’ s
vigor, even at 106, was incredib le. A man of about five feet with twinkling
blue eyes and an elegant white mustache, he was the personification of a
kindly and playful grandfather. He credited his slim, wiry body to light
eating, horseback riding, farmi ng, and walking in the mountains. These
days he slept more than he used to, but he felt fine and was looking forward
to the sixty-first anniversary of the Revolution. ”
Although Vanacha Temur was considered one of the healthiest of the
long-living (an American docto r measured his blood pressure at a youthful
120/84), he was not atypical. In Geor gakas’ s analysis of a survey of allAbkhasians over age 90, 85 percent were judged to be mentally and socially
active, only 10 percent had difficulty hearing, and only 4 percent had
eyesight found to be poor. Both men and women in the culture shared a
passion for racing horses, and it was a point of pride for centenarians to
appear on horseback in village parades. In America the concept of remaining extremely active into old age was
just beginning to gain medical credence, but for centuries in Abkhasia
sedentary retirement was unknown except in cases of disability. Typically,
older workers shortened their hours in the fields as they approached 80 and
90; inste ad of laboring for ten to fifteen hours, they might quit after three to
five hours. Yet, this toil was not forced on them. Love of hard work was
deeply ingrained among the Abkhasians, and records showed that a woman
of 109 was paid for forty-nine full workdays in the tea fields one summer. The entire Caucasus mountain range had been famed for centuries as a
“longevity belt. ”  Bordered by the Black Sea on the west and the Caspian
Sea on the east, three separate Russian states laid claim to
supercentenarians: Geor gia (which contains the state of Abkhasia),
Azerbaijan, and Armenia. A mixture of races lives throughout this whole
area, which is only sparsely industrialized; the religion shifts from Moslem
to Christian depending on where  you go, and the climate varies widely from
high alpine (the Caucasus is the tallest range in Europe, cresting at eighteen
thousand feet) to subtropical. These details were important to
gerontologists, because with such a wide diversity of culture, race, and
climate, there was no isolated gene pool to account for the longevity of the
region, nor was there one favored geographical locale—a Shangri-la in
Russia—responsible. In the late 1960 s and early 1970s, the heart-attack epidemic following
World War II reached its peak, and cancer rates had not significantly
changed since the 1930s (the same holds true today, after another three
decades of lavishly funded research). The long-living had avoided