 a prelude to finding its antidote. COPING WITH STRESS
It’s often said that stress is one of the most destructive elements in
people’ s daily lives, but that’ s only a half truth. The way we react to stress
appears to be more important than the stress itself. This was borne out in the
experience of Hans Selye, the scientist who developed the entire concept of
stress and its ef fects on the body. At age sixty-five, Selye developed reticulum cell sarcoma, a type of
cancer whose cure rate is extremely low. This is perhaps the ultimate stress,
but in an interview Selye discussed how he reacted to it in an exceptional
way:

“I was sure I was going to die, so I said to myself, ‘All right now, this is
about the very worst thing that could happen to you, but there are two ways
you can handle this; either you can go around feeling like a miserable
candidate on death row and whimper away a year, or else you can try to
squeeze as much from life now as you can. ’  I chose the latter because I’m a
fighter, and cancer provided me with the biggest fight of my life. I took it as
a natural experiment that pushed me to the ultimate test whether I was right
or wrong. Then a strange thing happened. A year went by, then two, then
three, and look what happened. It turned out that I was that fortunate
exception…. ”
“Afterward I made a particular ef fort to cut down my stress level. I have
to be very careful what I say here because I am a scientist, and no statistics
now exist to say whether stress is related to cancer. Apart from the genetic
and environmental causes of cancer, I can only say that the relationship
between stress and cancer is rather complicated. In just the same way that
electricity can both cause and prevent heat, depending on how things are
balanced, stress can both initiate and prevent illness. ”
[The interviewer asked,] “Some people have described cancer as a
disease that is somewhat like the body’ s way of rejecting itself. Now to
carry that premise one step further, could it be that when people drastically
reject their basic needs they are possibly more apt to develop cancer. In
other words, if a person rejects his own needs, can his body rebel and reject
itself. ”
[Selye said,] “I don’ t say yes and I don’ t say no. I’m a scientist, not a
philosopher. All I can say as a scientist is that the great majority of physical
illnesses have in part some psychosomatic origin. ”

The evidence gathered since Dr. Selye wrote these words suggests he
was overly cautious. In particular, the onset and course of disease are
strongly linked to a person’ s ability and willingness to cope with stress. Stresses that we choose  evoke a response totally dif ferent from those we’dlike to avoid but cannot. Helplessness is worse than the stress itself. This is
probably why the rate of cancer is higher for blacks in America than for
whites, and why cancer is associated with grief and depression. Those most
likely to die of heart attacks are not the hard-driving Type A executives but
rather those who are driven, the underlings and factory workers who have
no autonomy and whose shortened lives give new meaning to the phrase
“deadly boredom. ”
The interpretation of stress is always tricky for an outsider, for the same
circumstances can be detrimental to one and neutral or even beneficial to
another. Johns Hopkins University psychiatrist Jerome Frank, citing a 1961
study by L. E. Hinkle, notes that “stress comes mainly from the patient’ s
interpretation of events. ” In Hinkle’ s long-term study of the subject, life
experiences that seemed benign to an objective observer were often felt as
stressful by the patients and associated with illness. Conversely, stresses
that appeared horrendous to the observer—such as poverty, bereavement,
alcoholism in the family—usually were not associated with illnesses if the
patients did not report them as stressful. This is especially true in the case of children. Adults often assume that
children are happy when they are actually being traumatized by events,
even though they often don’ t show it. Children have been known to commit
suicide over receiving a B instead of an A on a report card, because they
internalized their parents’  expectations, or reacted to a comment that made
them feel unloved. But the scientific mind is seldom convinced by psychological studies on
humans. There are just too many variables for a researcher to control them
all. Tests on animals have yielded conclusive evidence, however. In the
mid-1970s the late Vernon Riley, at Seattle’ s Pacific Northwest Research
Foundation, completed a thorough series of experiments with a strain of
mice bred to be susceptible to breast cancer. By raising some in sheltered,
stress-free environments and others in stressful surroundings, he was able to
vary the rate of cancer from 7 to 92 percent. A 1981 experiment by a team of three psychologists proved the point
with an even better simulation of the human experience. Madelon
Visintainer and two co-workers injected three groups of rats with live tumor
cells. One day later they subjected two of the groups to electric shock. The
stress was administered so that one group could not evade it, while the other
rats were warned by a signal so they could escape by jumping over abarrier. Of the helpless rats, 73 percent came down with the cancer, while
only 37 percent of the other group developed it. They did slightly better
than the control group, which received no shocks at all. The level of stress is determined partly by society. Cultures that place
the highest value on a combination of individualism and competition are the
most stressful. Those that seem to produce the least stress and have the
lowest rates of cancer are close-knit communities in which supportive,
loving relationships are the norm, and the elderly retain an active role. Religious faith and a fairly open, accepting attitude toward sexuality are
two other common characteristics of low-cancer societies. These are some of the same circumstances that favor longevity. Soviet
Geor gia, the Hunza valley, Mormon communities in America, and the
villages of the Abujmarhia tribe of central India are excellent examples. The
Abujmarhia enjoy a pollution-free environment, a wholesome natural diet,
abundantly loving sexual relationships beginning premaritally in early
adolescence, relaxed but occasionally strenuous work in the fields by day,
dancing and storytelling by evening, and plenty of rest. Cancer is absolutely
unknown among them. It must be noted that these societies don’ t invest time and ef fort to help
malformed infants survive, so physical factors determined by natural
selection also influence disease rates. Still, externals are not the whole
story. Environmental purity and death from genetic defects still prevail in
other undeveloped areas, but cancer is more common among tribes who
regularly engage in warfare than among those who live at peace. The security of routine also seems to help limit serious disease. Closed
structured societies in which all members know what is expected of them,
even when deviation from the norm is not tolerated—Mormons, Seventh
Day Adventists, and Mennonites in the United States, for example—have
lower rates of disease than the surrounding, more open society. When
individuals leave the cluster for a life with more unknowns, their incidence
of disease reaches that in the culture they enter. In a society like ours, the response to stress is left to the individual, who
must learn to disconnect psychologically from external pressures. Dr. Herbert Benson of Harvard Medical School has shown that the ability to
maintain a healthy cholesterol level is directly related to the ability to
handle stress through relaxation. With meditation and exercise, we can
teach hard-driving, success-oriented (T ype A) persons to avoid heart attackswhile keeping their Type A behavior. Studies of people who meditate
regularly have shown that their physiological age is much lower than their
chronological age. These techniques do people no good without the
motivation to use them. The first requirement is to get people to love
themselves enough to care for their bodies and minds. Stress can be measured. One of the yardsticks for it, developed by Drs. Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe, uses a list of forty-three stressful
changes to assess a person’ s likelihood of becoming ill. The evaluation
begins with a history of the persons’ s recent emotional life, then assigns a
certain number of “points” to each life crisis, such as changing or losing a
job, children leaving for college, marriage or divorce, moving to a new
house, and so on. The highest value, 100 points, is attached to the most grievous loss, the
death of one’ s spouse. This most traumatic of events is often followed by
cancer or other catastrophic illness in one or two years. Recent studies have
confirmed that grieving spouses have depressed immune systems for over a
year. Additional work has shown that within one day  any uncontrollable
stress lowers the ef ficiency of the body’ s disease-fighting killer cells. New evidence suggests that divorce may be even more devastating to
many people, since it’ s harder to accept that the relationship is really over. Indeed, divorced people have higher rates of cancer, heart disease,
pneumonia, high blood pressure, and accidental death than married, single,
or widowed persons.


 is known to Indians since 2,500 years. Ayurvedic classical
literature refers use of Atasi in the form of vegetable as well as the oil. Its botanical name is – Linum usitatissimum. It is high in protein and help in strengthening the nerves and building the
muscles. It is also found to be good for the proper functioning of the heart,
brain, skin, and reproductive system. e scientic studies have shown that the Atasi is useful to reduce pain,
swelling, cough, weak digestion, urination diﬃculties, high cholesterol, blood
sugar, constipation and fat. It is a very good anti oxidant and helps to expel out phlegm. e axseed is considered to be a condent drug in the treatment of several
diseases like Atherosclerosis, Backache, Constipation, Piles, Fistula, Cough,
Pleurisy, Pneumonia, Gonorrhoea, Gout, Rheumatism, High Cholesterol,
Obesity etc. Some of the important home remedies and its health benets are referred
here below –1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.Atasi Seed Soaked in Water in Urinary Disorders
1–2 teaspoons of Atasi seeds are soaked in a cup of water for overnight. Next day it is macerated well and ltered. is is consumed before
food for the treatment of burning urination. Linseed Oil Added to Warm Water in Obesity and Hyper
Cholesterol
Early in the morning 2–3 ml linseed oil is added to a cup of warm
water and taken in empty stomach. is helps to reduce the total
cholesterol, and to reduce the mass in case of obesity. Linseed, Cumin Seeds and Fenugreek Mixture for Increasing the
Breast Milk
Equal amount of seeds of Linseed, cumin seeds and fenugreek are
taken and ne powder is made. is is mixed thoroughly and taken
twice a day in the dose of 5 grams along with milk. is improves
lactation. Linseed Leaf Juice in Wasp Sting
Fresh, mature ax leaves are crushed to obtain fresh juice. In case of
emergency, as a rst aid this is applied over the wasp sting area. is
quickly relieves burning sensation and pain. Flower Paste of Linseed in roat Pain
2–3 fresh owers are collected and added with a pinch of salt it is made
into ne paste. is is applied around the throat. is pacies throat
pain in signicant way. Linseed Soaked in Butter Milk (Paste) in case of Arthritis
One stful of seeds are soaked in sour buttermilk. On proper
moistening this is made into ne paste and applied over the joints. isrelieves joint pain by one or two weeks. 108. 6 Shatavari Home
Remedies: Aphrodisiac
Urine Infection, Fatigue
By Dr. M.S. Krishnamurthy MD (Ayu), Ph.D.
Y
Shatavari is a very useful, safe and much researched Ayurvedic herb. It is a
coolant, tonic, aphrodisiac and also improves lactation. Common name – wild asparagus, Indian Asparagus
Botanical name – Asparagus racemosus. Shatavari is used in Ayurveda to balance pitta and vata dosha. So excess intake
may provoke Kapha dosha. It can be found in the tropical areas of Asia, India, Australia, and African
countries. e tender leaves and owers are so beautiful that many plant this
herb in their garden without being aware that it has tremendous health
benets! e steroidal saponins of the plant are commonly known as shatavarins. Flavonoids such as quercetin and rutin are also resent in Shatavari fruits and
owers. It is a known Adaptogenic eﬀect and an excellent anti oxidant. Eﬀective Shatavari Remedies1. 2. 3. 4. 5.Shatavari Medicated Milk in Breast Feeding Mothers
1 or 2 fresh or dry roots of asparagus is added to a cup of milk and it is
cooked for 5–10 minutes. Filtered. It is given to the new mothers, early
in the morning to improve breast milk production. Even in cattle, this practice is found where the veterinary doctors
advice to administer raw Shatavari to the cattle. Shatavari Root Powder Remedy for Fatigue, Lethargy, Loss of
Libido
3–5 Grams of root powder of Shatavari is administered along with
powdered sugar candy, twice a day. is relieves work exhaustion,
numbness, neuritis, fatigue, lethargy, loss of libido etc. Root Powder with Honey in Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections
5 Grams of the powder of Shatavari if consumed regularly during night
time recurrent UTI, spermaturia, haematuria and backache are cured
successfully. Asparagus Cold Infusion in Burning Urination and Bleeding from
Urethra
Fresh asparagus is cut into small pieces and soaked in water or else the
5–10 grams powder is added to 300 ml water and kept for a while. is is macerated and ltered. is is given to the individuals, suﬀering from burning urination
and bleeding from urethra. Good health benets are assured in such
conditions. Shatavari – Ashwagandha Remedy to Improve Sperm Count
Fine powder of equal quantity of Shatavari, Ashwagandha and
Kapikacchu are taken and mixed together. is is taken in the dose of6.3–5 grams of else this is cooked with a cup of milk for 5 minutes,
ltered and consumed. is promotes sexual libido and increases the sperm count too. Shatavari and Pippali Powder to Improve Weight
is is a simple and eﬀective practice of North Karnataka. Equal
quantity of Shatavari and Pippali powder is taken and mixed well. is
is taken in a dose of 3–5 grams during night or early in the morning
along with Banana juice/Banana milkshake. Good weight gain is
observed if this is carried for 30–40 days.1. 2.109. 6 Soapnut (Reetha)
Remedies for Menstrual
Pain, Eczema
By Dr. M.S. Krishnamurthy MD (Ayu), Ph.D.
Y
Soapnut (Sapindus latifolia) is an age old seed which was used as a substitute to
soap. e alkaline nature of this fruit made them to take benet as a detergent. It is known as Arishtaka in Sanskrit which means that is capable of removing
the blemishes or dirt. ough oral Ayurvedic containing reetha (soapnut) are very rare, it is used as
single herb remedy in many diseases. It is used as an emetic agent in several
diseased conditions in animals. In veterinary practice it is used abundantly as
external and internal remedy. Here are few such simple remedies of my practice –
Seed Marrow in Abdominal Pain and Menstrual Pain
e seed of soap nut has a small white or greenish yellow marrow. is
is slightly bitter and is a very good anti atulent. 3–4 seeds are crushed
and made into ne paste. is is administered along with 1–2 t easpoon
of sesame oil in case of abdominal pain and menstrual pain. Soapnut Water in Food Poisoning
4–5 seeds are crushed and soaked in 1–2 litres of water. is water is
given to drink in the individuals who are poisoned (internally). is3. 4. 5. 6.induces vomiting and hence the poisonous eﬀects are reduced. After
complete emesis ash gourd juice is given so as to counter act the
irritation of the soap nut juice. It is useful in treating food poisoning as
well. Soapnut Seed with Jaggery in Gaseous Dissention of Abdomen
Soapnut seed marrow is mixed with jaggery and administered in the
dose of 500–600 mg, once or twice a day. is can be used by making
it into tablet also. is pacies recurrent cases of abdominal distension. Soapnut Tree Bark in Wound Washing
1–2 small pieces of fresh bark (a palm size each) is taken and crushed
well. is is made into decoction. is decoction is used to wash the
wounds. (decoction = 1 tablespoon of powder is boiled with 2 cups of
water, reduced to half a cup, ltered). e same decoction is


p time: About 3 min • Blending time: 1 min • Yield: 2 servings
Ingr edients
1/2 cup pineapple juice1/4 cup coconut cream or coconut milk
3/4 cup frozen pineapple chunks
1/4 cup crushed ice
Dir ections
1 Combine the pineapple juice, coconut cream or milk, and
pineapple chunks in the blender container. 2 Secure the lid on the container. 3 Starting on a low speed and gradually easing toward high, blend
the ingredients for 30 seconds. Add ice and pulse for 20 seconds
or until ice is evenly mixed in. 4 Pour the smoothie into 2 glasses, and enjoy! Per serving: Calories 135 (From Fat 62); Fat 7g (Saturated 6g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 20mg;
Carbohydrate 19g (Dietary Fiber 2g); Protein 1g. Tip: Coconut cream is a thick, pastelike liquid that is pressed from
the coconut ﬂesh, so it’s similar to and yet thicker than coconut
milk. You can make your own coconut cream by blending fresh
coconut ﬂesh with a small amount of water. P e a c h  M i x e r
Prep time: About 3 min • Blending time: 1 min • Yield: 2 servings
Ingr edients
1/2 cup peach or apricot nectar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 ounces rum, gin, or vodka
3/4 cup frozen peach slices
1/4 cup crushed iceDir ections
1 Combine the nectar, lemon juice, alcohol, and peaches in the
blender container. 2 Secure the lid on the container. 3 Starting on a low speed and gradually easing toward high, blend
the ingredients for 30 seconds. Add ice and pulse for 20 seconds
or until ice is evenly mixed in. 4 Pour the smoothie into 2 glasses, and enjoy! Per serving: Calories 130 (From Fat 0); Fat 0g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 5mg;
Carbohydrate 17g (Dietary Fiber 2g); Protein 1g. Vary It! You can use pineapple or apple juice in place of the
nectar. Peaches, nectarines, plums, and apricots may be sliced,
frozen, and substituted in this recipe. Preparing fruit
If you really want to get everything ready  for a smoothie in advance,  try
these tips:
 Buy organic ingredients so that you don’ t have to peel  them. Wash fruit and vegetables the night before, but leave them  whole
unless they take a long time to cut up. Store peeled and cut produce in an airtight bag in the refrigerator
and use within 24 hours. Wash, core, peel (if not organic), and cut fruit and veget ables into
pieces. Flash-freeze by layering the fruit or veget ables in one layer on a
baking sheet in the coldest part of the freeze r for an hour  or until solid. Then store them in an airtight bag in the freeze r for up to three months. Use as needed. B e r r y  M i x e r
Prep time: About 3 min • Blending time: 1 min • Yield: 2 servings
Ingr edients
1/2 cup cranberry or pomegranate juice
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons honey
2 ounces rum, gin, or vodka
3/4 cup frozen berries (see Tip)
1/4 cup crushed ice
Dir ections
1 Combine the cranberry or pomegranate juice, lime juice, honey,
alcohol, and berries in the blender container. 2 Secure the lid on the container. 3 Starting on a low speed and gradually easing toward high, blend
the ingredients for 30 seconds. Add ice and pulse for 20 seconds
or until ice is evenly mixed in. 4 Pour the smoothie into 2 glasses, and enjoy! Per serving: Calories 193 (From Fat 3); Fat 0g (Saturated 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 3mg;
Carbohydrate 33g (Dietary Fiber 3g); Protein 1g.Tip: This drink may be tart tasting, so you can use honey or agave
nectar or brown rice syrup to sweeten it to taste. Vary It! Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, acai
berries, and even cherries work well in this mixer. Don’t speed
The key to preserving your blender and making great smoothies is to start
at a low speed in order to get the blades  moving, and then turn up the
speed to medium and watch as the larger chunk s of ingredients begi n to
break up. When the pieces of fruits and veget ables are liquidizing and
being forced up and around the sides of the cont ainer, ease the dial up
toward High. If you increase the speed too quickly, a large air bubbl e will
form, and the blades will just spin around inside it.Chapter 16
Vegetable Smoothies
In This Chapter
 Drinking your veggies throughout the day
 Getting the party started with savory smoothies
Recipes in This Chapter
 Green Energy Breakfast
 Vita-E
 Tomato Energizer
 Red Vitality
 Beans and Carrots
 Spiced Parsnip
 Berry Broccoli
 Coconut Green
 Lentil Soup
▶ Vegetable Soup
▶ Bean Soup
 Cabbage Slaw
 Minted Carrot Mocktail
 Spicy Tomato Mocktail
 Carrot Mock Mimosa
 No-jito
 Red Velvet
 Grape Cocktail Crème de Cocao
 Cucumber Gin
Let’s face it: We just don’t eat enough vegetables. A 2007 study
from Johns Hopkins University showed that among U.S. adults,
fruit consumption is holding steady, but vegetable consumption
is headed down. So, how many do you need? Some experts say ﬁve fruits and
vegetables a day. If you’re not eating ﬁve fruits and vegetables
every day, this is an excellent goal to set to start. However, the
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) actually recommends
two to four servings of fruit and three to ﬁve servings of
vegetables every day. For optimum health and disease
prevention, aim for as many as ten or more servings of fruits
and vegetables per day. What can you do if you’re part of that group of people who
aren’t eating enough veggies? You can start drinking them! Because they include the carbohydrate and ﬁber along with the
nutrients, smoothies give you a feeling of fullness that stays
with you longer than juices. The average vegetable smoothie
will supply two to three servings of vegetables (or fruit and
vegetables), so you get a double or triple hit of these valuable
foods with every drink. Br eakfast and Snack Smoothies
Vegetables at breakfast? Why not? Although the traditional
breakfast drink is orange juice, a raw vegetable or green
smoothie provides antioxidants and phytonutrients in a
convenient and much more digestible form, because the
blender has done all the work of breaking down the plant
cellulose. You wake up in the morning dehydrated, with your blood
slightly acidic, so raw vegetable smoothies not only feed
and nourish your cells, but also rehydrate and help to
balance your pH levels. For morning vegetable smoothies, leafy greens such as spinach,
kale, Swiss chard, and fresh herbs are a good choice to blend
with carrots, zucchini, or tomatoes and one fruit, such as
pineapple, mango, kiwi, banana, berries, or cherries. Yogurt or cottage cheese is a good addition at breakfast,
because the protein takes longer to digest. Combining yogurt or
cottage cheese with non-starchy vegetables is usually tolerable
for people with very sensitive digestive systems, too — so even
if you can’t tolerate fruit and protein together in the same meal
or drink, you may be able to consume vegetables like summer
squash, cucumber, tomatoes, broccoli, green beans, and sweet
peppers along with yogurt or cottage cheese in a cool vegetable
smoothie. Foods to avoid if you’re prone to yeast or
viral infections
If you have a yeast infection, you’ve recent ly taken antibiotics, or if you’ve
recently suffered a viral infection (like a cold), avoid the following foods
— they feed yeast, bacteria, and viruses:
 All sweet foods: Sugar, candy, syrups, toppings, ice cream,
sweetened desserts, and sweetened breakfast cereals
 All reﬁned grains: White bread, cakes, cookies, tarts, pies, and
baked goods
 Pasta: Wheat and gluten-free noodles, rice, lasagna,  and spaghet ti Fruits: All fruits except sour fruits, such as pomegranate, acai
berries, cranberries, and lemon
 Root vegetables: Beets, carrots, parsnips, and potatoes
G r e e n  E n e r g y  B r e a k f a s t
Prep time: About 3 min • Blending time: 1 min • Yield: 2 servings
Ingr edients
1 cucumber
2 cups fresh or 1 cup frozen spinach
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
2/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1


 technique
to the pituitary  area
on the thumb. If needed,
also pinch the inner ear
reflex area (see pp30-31).1 Thumb-walk through the
liver  reflex area technique. Make multiple passes.2 Make multiple thumb-
walking passes through the
pancreas  reflex area.3 Thumb-walk up the side of
the big toe, the brain stem
reflex area. Make several passes.256 health concernsEnvironmental sensitivity
The symptoms are allergic reaction or malaise. Cortisol from the adrenal glands reduces
inﬂammation, while the liver rids the body
of toxins, and the pancreas aids digestion. Eye disorders
For eyestrain, you can simply
work the eye reflex areas
until your eyes feel more
comfortable. If you have
conjunctivitis or another eye
problem, work the eye reflex
areas three to four times a
day for several minutes.1Work the adrenal gland  and pancreas
reﬂex areas by rolling a golf ball throughout the
palm of the hand below the thumb.2To help rid the body of toxins, position the
golf ball in the center of the palm and roll it
throughout the liver  reﬂex area. Use the thumb-walking
technique to work the eye reflex
area at the base of the toes.Pinch the eye reflex area, which
is located in between the ring and
middle fingers. selF-helP common health concerns 257Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition with symptoms
including undue fatigue as well as pain, stiffness, and
tenderness of muscles, tendons, and joints. The lower
back, shoulder, and neck are commonly affected. Insomnia
Repeated epsiodes of insomnia can leave the sufferer feeling
exhausted. Reflexology applied shortly before bedtime can
bring relaxation and promote restful sleep.1Position your thumb at the
lower back  reﬂex area. Thumb-walk through the area
several times.2Thumb-walk through the
adrenal gland reﬂex
area, making multiple passes to
help with inflammation. 1Position your thumb on the
kidney  reﬂex area. Use the
thumb-walking technique to make
several passes. 2Thumb-walk across the
thyroid  reﬂex area. Make
several passes, both high and low,
on the stem of the toe. 1Make several light thumb-
walking passes over the
solar plexus  area on both feet.2Thumb-walk over the head
and brain  reflex areas. In
addition, make several passes over
the brain stem  area.Psoriasis
To treat this disorder, target
the endocrine glands,
particularly the thyroid and
adrenal glands, which
contribute to production of
skin cells. Waste products are
eliminated by the skin and
kidneys, so stimulating the
latter will help bring relief.258 health concernsShingles
Shingles is an acute skin infection that is
caused by the virus herpes zoster. Tension and
stress can frequently be an aggravating
contributor. The outbreak of rash occurs
along a segment of skin related to a nerve,
or nerves, that branches off the spine. It is
important to find the reflex area that reflects
this portion of the spine. Apply the thumb-walking  technique to the spinal
reflex area that is associated with the skin segment. Experiment in order to find the appropriate segment. selF-helP
Roll a golf ball  through the
adrenal gland  reflex areas for
several minutes.Gently press  the
adrenal gland  reflex
areas several times in
order to help relieve
symptoms. Then move
on to try the side-to-
side dessert. Sinus problems
Sinus problems and headaches are often the
result of excess mucus clogging the sinus
cavities. Working the adrenal gland reflex
areas may help to relieve symptoms. Also try
the side-to-side dessert, which may help
unclog the sinus cavities and ease symptoms.common health concerns 259Sore throat
If you have a sore throat you can try
applying technique to the neck reflex area
and to the adrenal gland reflex area to help
soothe symptoms and reduce inflammation. If the hand reflex areas are overly sensitive,
treat the corresponding areas on the foot; if
the foot is sensitive, treat the hand. Apply thumb-walking  technique to the ear reflex
area until the symptoms subside.Tinnitus
This condition causes a ringing, hissing, or
buzzing in the ear. Apply thumb-walking
technique to the hand or foot ear reflex area
on the same side as the ringing ear and work
until noise subsides. Note the time needed to
get results. Work three to four times a day
for several minutes as a preventive measure. Thumb-walk over  the neck  reflex area  making
several passes to cover the area. Pinpoint the adrenal gland  reflex area with the
index finger and press gently several times.Pinch the ear reflex area  in between your little
finger and ring finger.The cardiovascular system
The cardiovascular system −the heart and blood vessels−is responsible
for the constant ﬂow of blood and other bodily ﬂuids. The heart acts as a pump
to keep the blood circulating around the body, carrying nutrients, hormones,
antibodies, heat, and oxygen to the tissues and taking away waste materials. 260 health concernsDisorders of the cardiovascular system include:
stroke (interruption of the blood supply to part
of the brain), arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat),
congestive heart failure (an inability of the heart
to pump blood effectively), high blood pressure
or low blood pressure, heart attack (an
interruption of the blood supply to the heart),
and angina pectoris (an insufﬁcient supply of
blood and therefore oxygen to part of the heart). 42Hand orientation
left Hand
1 heart
2 solar plexus
3 brain stem
4 adrenal  glandfoot orientation BodY orientationIn reﬂexology, the heart reﬂex area is targeted to
affect the heart. Work on the solar plexus reﬂex
area helps ease tension which may contribute
to high blood pressure. The brain stem regulates
some of the heart’s activities, such as the
heartbeat, while the adrenal gland produces
adrenaline, which stimulates the heart, the blood
vessels, and the respiratory system. Consequently,
work on these two reflex areas can be beneficial.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        2Go on to gently press your
thumb several times in the
webbing between the second and
third toes, the eye reﬂex  area. 3Work the inner ear  reﬂex
area by pressing your thumb
into the webbing between the
third and fourth toes several times. 4Move on to the ball of the
foot. Use several gentle
thumb-presses to work the solar
plexus  and lung  reﬂex areas. 5To work the heart  reﬂex
area, apply a few gentle
presses to the ball of the foot. reflexology for your baby 203The foot sequence
The techniques used here involve presses that are more
gentle than others presented in this book. The techniques
are simpliﬁed because a baby’s feet are small and you’ll
be working with a moving target. 10 Work the tooth  reﬂex
areas by pressing gently
several times on the top of the foot
at the stem of the toe. 7Give several gentle presses of
the thumb to the stomach
reﬂex area. Reposition your thumb
and cover the whole area. 8Next, work the reflex area
corresponding to the
pancreas  by pressing it gently
with your thumb several times. 9Now use a few gentle presses
of your thumb to work the
kidney  reﬂex area. 6Continue your work with a
few gentle presses of the
thumb to the adrenal gland
reﬂex area. 204 reflexology for every life stagereflexology for your baby 205The hand sequence
A baby’s hands are tiny and simply worked. The areas worked in this sequence cover
reflex areas representing much of the body
in a few presses. Go on to gently press areas
of the hand not pictured. Also a few gentle
finger-pulls can add to your work. 1 Begin with a gentle thumb-press to
the center of the thumb, which is the
pituitary  reﬂex area. Go on to gently
press the centers of each of the fingers. 2 Now press your thumb gently several times in
the webbing between the second and third
ﬁngers, working the eye reﬂex area. 3 Continue by applying a few gentle thumb-
presses to the webbing between the third and
fourth ﬁngers, the inner ear  reﬂex area. 206 reflexology for every life stage4 Apply a few gentle
thumb-presses to the
solar plexus  and lung
reﬂex areas. Reposition your
thumb and work the areas
below each ﬁnger. 5 Press your thumb gently into
the heel of the hand


 “scorch” the
competition. As you look at the history of the United States, it m akes sense
that we embody  third chakra ener gy.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        Y ou can  use a y oga block to sit  on in this pose if your hips are tight or the
squat is hard o n your knees. Practicing Kegels or mula b andha (see
description above) is ideal in th is pose. If you can, hold this pose for up to
one minute. Pelvic T ilts:  Lie  flat  on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat
on t he floor, hip-width apart an d parallel, with your toes pointi ng forward. W alk your heels close to your bottom. Place your arms alongside you with
your pal ms faci ng down. The position looks like a preparation for bridge
pose ( setu bandhasana ), a  yoga asana you may be familiar with (describedon page 130 ). Begin  the tilt by squeezing your buttocks and lifting your
tailbone and first three vertebrae, one vertebra at a time. Then sq ueeze, hold
for five seconds, lower, and rele ase. Repeat this exercise twenty-five times. Pelvic t ilts brin g heat and ene r gy to the first chakra, stimula ting all the
nerves. Standing Mountain Pose — T adasana :  S tand tall with your feet paral lel
and toes  pointed  forward. A gre at way to do this grounding pose is to use a
yoga block and place it between your upper thighs. Spread out your toes,
and firm ly plant your feet on the floor. Draw the ener gy up through your
legs. Squeeze your buttocks while slightly opening your thighs outward. Stack yo ur verte brae, each one on top of the one below, and lift the crown
of your head with your head in a neutral position. Roll your sho ulders back
and down, and allow your arms  to hang like plumb lines. Close your eyes
and feel the dynamic of your feet firmly rooted to the earth an d the crown
of your head flo ating upward toward the sky. Notice how good it feels to be
balanced, grounded, and immovable. B ALANCING THE  F IRST  C HAKRA THROUGH  F OOD
It’ s impo rtant on  your healing journey to eat only whole foods that are fresh
and com e directly from the eart h. Reduce your consumption of processed,
packaged, canned, or frozen food. When y ou’re fe eling unground ed, eat heavier foods such as proteins,
hearty soups, bread, oils, and sw eet fruit. Y ou can also focus on eating root
vegetables and potatoes. If you’ re feeling too heavy and sluggish, try eating
what A yurveda calls a Kapha-p acifying diet: focus on bitter, p ungent, and
astringent tastes; e at more beans, lentils, leafy green vegetables, and whol e
grains such as quinoa; reduce meat consumption. W EIGHT  L IFTING T O  B ALANCE  M ULADHARA
Those w ho live mainly focused on the first chakra instinctual ly build up
their muscles through weight tra ining. In fact, lifting weights is an excellent
way to physical ly balance the first chakra. Y ou must be grounded to liftweights; otherw ise you would topple over under the weight. Th e heaviness
(even with lighter weights) will make you stronger and more rooted to the
earth. W eight training is a grea t way to play around with gravity, the first
chakra ener gy. Healing the Emotional and Energetic Body
When it comes to mental and emotional healing in the first chakra, you
need to think about three basic thought concepts: worry, trust, and security. W ORR Y
W e all suf fer from worry at on e time or another. It’ s not always easy to
delve into the past and think about our development of trust and security,
but i t might be worth doing this if you struggle with issues of tru st or worry. Concern is valid at times, such as when you have dif ficulty paying bills on
time or your ma rriage is on shak y ground. Y et worry isn’ t warr anted if you
can do nothing to change the situation. In many dif ferent religions and spiritual practices we’re warned not to
worry. In the Bible, Jesus says in Matthew 6:27, “Can all your worries  add a
single moment to your life. ” In all 12-step programs, the meetings conclude
with the Serenity Prayer:
God, grant me the ser enity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the differ ence. W orry i s a blockage in and of itself. It blocks the flow of en er gy to
creative solution s. W orry causes us to act out of fear instead of love. When
we act out of fear — or rather react, in most cases — we usually create new
problems and obstacles. Maybe you developed worry from your upbringing — maybe your
parents constant ly worried. Or perhaps you developed worry from uncertain
circumstances i n your past, such as parents divorcing, poverty, or adysfunctional family home. Whatever the case, you have the power to
change i t now. Y ou can start by saying the Serenity Prayer to yourself daily
and truly thinking about the things you can change versus the things you
can’ t. T RUST
If you didn’ t gro w up with a healthy sense of trust, you may fin d it dif ficult
to tr ust others a nd your environment. There is no magic bullet to building
trust bac k to a n ormal level. But if you’re open to learning, y ou can take
baby ste ps towa rd its attainment. As you think about the concept of trust,
think about things in the environment that are certain. For example, you can
trust that the sun will rise each morning and set each night. Y ou can trust
that you  have twenty-four hours in the day. Y ou can trust that there are four
seasons and certain celebrations or milestones on the calendar. Y ou can trust
that your body will need be tween s ix and nine hou rs of sleep per night,
depending on your personal nee ds. Y ou can trust that you will need to eat
about th ree times per day and that if you follow the principle s of healthy
living, your body will perform for you. Think a bout all  the things you already trust but take for granted. For
example, do you have a bank account. Do you deposit money into it. If you
do, you trust that the bank will eventually give you back the m oney when
you need  it. Do you drive a car. If so, you trust all the other drivers to stay
in their lanes and not run into you. When it comes to people and loved ones, first try noticing little things
you trust. When a boyfriend shows up on time for a date, you l earn to trust
him. Or when a new friend remembers it’ s your birthday, you b egin to trust
that she cares fo r you. Do you see how trust is a flowing dynamic. W e tend
to overlo ok the little gestures in relationships, even though trus t building is
usually an accumulation of a lot of little things. When y ou approach “feeling” concepts such as trust from the
perspective of the first chakra, you might believe that things are cut-and-
dry. Ins tead of trust being a  flowing quality, it stays concrete and
categorical. T ake for example a two-year -old child, who can change like or
dislike o f a person depending on an individual experience. If a parent takesaway a toy beca use of bad behav ior, the small child might shout out, “I hate
you, Daddy. ” In that moment, the child feels hate because of a single
experience that was displeasing  to her. First chakra people behave in a
similar way. They tend to be m ore rigid when it comes to deeper concepts
like trust. But as you move up the chakras, you will notice that things get a little
fuzzier, without  well-defined boundaries, when it comes to emotional
matters. For now, allow yoursel f to be open to taking steps to trust and see
where it takes you. S ECURITY
T ied into  trust, feelings of secur ity or lack thereof can be a prob lem in first
chakra b alancing. When you experience life through the first chakra alone,
you might think you have to do it all alone. Y ou might fal l under the
illusion that the world is a scary place and you have to fend for yourself or
else you will die. (That is, by the way, the essence of survival of the fittest. ) Until you can b egin thinking otherwise, try living in the present moment. Present-moment awareness is n ot even a spiritual practice at this point. It
simply means looking around y ou and looking at yourself. Are you living. Are you breathing. Do you have  clothes on.


 in life, not as a diversion you make time for if work—or
the loss of it—allows. From my perspective, Jarret’ s being forced into
retirement at this young age is the best thing that ever happened to you.”
Jarret looked thoughtful. His mood, which had been self-pitying and
introverted, had changed. He looked somewhat angry (which at least had
brought him to life), but his whole life had been centered on challenge. If he
could take my words as a challenge, I knew he would rise to it. “I know that a lot of fear surrou nds you now,” I said more gently to him. “But the best way to get throug h fear is to find a new purpose, otherwise
fear will just increase its hold on you. The highest purpose you can have is
with your wife. The merging of two energies, male and fema le, is much
greater than what can be expressed just through sex or friendship. There’ s a
spiritual potenti al here waiting to be fulfilled. Enter into it. Find out what
you can gain from your marriage that goes beyond individual personality
and isolated need.”
I turned to Gail. “And the same is true for you. Make your motto one
word—courage. Love and tenderness are not powerless; patience and
tolerance can produce tremendo us change. Yet these energies have to be
used not in submissiveness or resignation but in passion.”A passion for life is a passion for completeness. This means, at the most
primal level, merging the male and female within oneself. The marriage of
Shiva and Shakti is about spiritual potential, nothing less. In men this means the advent of tenderness, nurturing, and trust. Having
a woman supply these qualities is not enough. Male attributes of force and
violence have become grotesquely exaggerated in this world because men
leave the feminine energies to women. Aggression and violence will
become unnecessary as the shadow energies they disguise—fear and
impotence—come to the surface to be recognized and healed. Being
vulnerable will then be seen as a human quality, not a weakness  that makes
a man only half a man. Competi tion based on raging (and insecu re) ego will
diminish with healing, and the ability to cooperate will increase. The worth of women in men’ s eyes will rise as men stop defining
themselves as the opposite of female. Spiritually, male is the complement of
female. Once this is accepted the awakening of male spirituality can come
about, since it takes an infusion of female energy before our bodies and
minds can totally merge with the silent field of pure awareness. By
welcoming Shakti a man can truly be Shiva. For wom en the journey to wholeness is different, because it first entails
raising female qualities to full dignity with male. A woman must build up
her energies, so long forced into submission by society, whereas a man
typically has to diminish the dominance of his. In both instances what is
being achieved is balance. No one has ever claimed that the world had too
much affection,  tenderness, nurturing, intuition, and beauty— all female
spiritual qualities—while it is all too obvious that aggression, force,
struggle, and competition—exaggerated male qualities—have gone too far. A woman needs to allow herself however much time it takes to use
Shakti energy to accomplish what has been reserved for the male ego. Shakti energy runs in everyo ne, but women have been given their
femaleness to accentuate the difference between Shakti, which is subtle and
spiritual, and brute force. This dif ference can be summarized as follows:
Shakti understands. Instead of imposing, she communicates. Shakti has patience. Instead of forcing an answer, she waits for spirit to produce one. Shakti is tender. Instead of ignoring emotions, she uses emotion to tell when someone else is ready
to listen and act. Shakti is peaceful. No situation ever requires force. Shakti is creative. She creates answers where none were seen before.Shakti is wise. She considers the whole picture rather than a few parts; she takes the cosmic
perspective, which always comes from love. I saw these very qualities being displayed in the way Gail appro ached her
husband’ s predicament. She had the ability to sympathize, to be patient, to
offer emotional support, to allow, and to be tender. These aren’ t just ways to
find a solution— they ar e the solution. “If you were as kind to yourself as Gail is,” I said at the end of our
meeting, “if you wanted to understand yourself as much as she does, with as
much love and lack of ego, you would have solved your predicament
months ago. I hope you’ll be able to accept her perspective for the
cherished thing it really is.”
Jarret nodded, not quite able to say, “I’ll try,” because he was still too
stuck in his old ways to admit he might have been wrong. But I sensed that
he knew he was at a crossroads. Leaving defeat and bitterness behind would
be his way to open up to the new. THE MARRIAGE OF  SHIVA AND  SHAKTI
Having already touched on the concept of a sacred marriage, now we can
expand that concept by looking  at the energies of Shiva and Shakti. It is
totally inadequate to call Shiva male and Shakti female, since these terms
limit God, who cannot be limited. Our minds are limited to seeing
masculine and feminine as polar  opposites, but Shiva and Shakti have been
married since before the dawn of creation. They are a divine whole that
chooses to express itself by taking on the appearance of being masculine
and feminine. You and I do the same thing. Although my body may be male, my inner
self identifies with spirit as a whole, and therefore my soul must include
both Shiva and Shakti:
Shiva is silence. Shakti is power. Shiva is creativity. Shakti is creation. Shiva is love. Shakti is loving. These qualities aren’ t opposites but complements, which is a perfect
description of a sacred marriage. Mature love consists of being able to see
yourself in your beloved and your beloved in yourself. To remain stuck ingender stereoty pes, to defend one’s maleness or femaleness, to aim
criticism at the other sex for causing problems—these are all betrayals of
marriage’ s sacred foundation. A sacr ed marriage draws its passion fr om its inclusiveness. Passion for another person has to
fade, but passion for life itself is eternal. When the two cosmic energies, Shiva and Shakti, are connected, the flow
of passion brings unlimited creative potential. The poles of silence and
power set up a tension between them, like the yearning felt between a man
and a woman that can only be satisfied by the exchange of love. The current
that connects them is the creative force of the universe, which is
concentrated nowhere more than in you. You are the ground for this current
to flow, it needs  no one else. Only when Shiva and Shakti are married in
you will you be able to enter a sacred marriage with someone else. Setting Shiva aside for the moment, since that energy is more abstract
than Shakti, let’s explore why Shakti is feminine. In our culture  a woman’ s
role has long been to serve as helpmate, mother, attendant, and supplicant,
not to wield power herself. Power in the Vedic sense, however, is always
creative, and creativity is always sexual. Out of a divine sexual act the
world was born;  therefore the feminine, as birth giver, is the natural vehicle
of power. Shakti can be extremely viscera l and physical, as anyone who has ever
attended a birth knows. At the moment of delivery the whole room is
charged with a vibrant, raw energy that emanates directly from the mother,
and the appeara nce of the baby  is like nothing so much as the birth of the
world in miniature. Even though the fetus has been gestating, in the womb
for nine months, this sudden appearance of a fully formed human being is
miraculous. That is the concepti on of Shakti I hold in my mind —the force
that can create out of nothing. Shakti can totally transform, melting away features of our inner
landscape and creating new ones in their place. Yogis report tingling energy
running up the spine in meditation (its esoteric name is Kundalini, one of
the thousand names of the divine mother). The presence of this ener gy gives
direct knowledge of God, perception of other worlds, and ecstatic fusionwith the divine. But if you aren’t a yogi or a mother in the delivery room,
what is the experience of Shakti like? Shakti is the hidden power that turns matter into life. She is the divine
spark, the flow of God’ s love. Anyone who is connected with spirit has Shakti, which manifests in five
ways that the God Herself manifests. (For the sake of simplicity I will use
the word God and apply feminine pronouns whenever I have the goddess
Shakti in mind.) As described in the ancient Shiva Sutras —“teaching about
Shiva”—these are the five


magical minds are therefore the healthiest. OceanofPDF. com4
Bending the Arrow of Time
As ill fortune would have it, the two worst days in Malcolm’s life
came back to back. On Monday his brother was jogging in the park,
as he did every morning, when another runner saw him suddenly
collapse onto the path. The man rushed to help, but Malcolm’s
brother was already dead, the victim of a massive heart attack. He
was fty years  old, seven years younger than Malcolm, and he had
no previous history of heart disease. On Tuesday, the wife of Malcolm’s best friend, who was a local
pediatrician in his late forties, called up weeping incoherently. Her
husband was driving home from the hospital that afternoon when
he slumped over the wheel of his car. He, too, had been struck with
a fatal heart attack without anyone suspecting that he had heart
disease. These two losses aected Malcolm deeply. Numbed and shaken,
he began to dwell moodily on the uncertainty of life. By week’s end,
he decided to consult a doctor about his own heart. His cardiologist
ran an EKG, which proved normal, but since his brother’s heart
attack might point to a famil y predisposition, Malcolm was asked to
take a treadm ill test. He performed extremely well, taking his
heartbeat up to 180 without suering pain, nor were there
indications of any distortions in his heartbea t. “Stop worrying,” his
cardiologist reassured him, “you have the heart of a twenty-year-
old. ”
The next day, however, Malcolm was sitting at a red light in
morning trac, continuing to obsess over the two deaths that hadleft such a gaping hole in his life. He missed the light turning green. Suddenly he found himself at the head of three lanes of angrily
honking cars trying to zoom around him. Confused and disoriented,
he took a few seconds to regain his composure, and as he shifted
into gear, he noticed a funny sensation in the middle of his chest—
he couldn’t tell whether it was pain or pressure, but it made him
feel momentarily dizzy. Malcolm decided to consult another cardiologist, who spotted
some potential irregularities in the way the rst treadmi ll test had
been conducte d. “Why don’t you have another stress test. ” he
advised. “Just  to make sure. ” Malcolm showed up early at the
testing laboratory and was told that he would have to wait for the
patient in front of him. He sat down and peered in through the lab
window to see a t-looking man in running shorts walking briskly
on the treadmi ll. As if in a silent movie, the man opened his mouth
without emitting a sound, clutched spasmodically at his chest, and
fell to the oor. The nurse hustled Malcolm away. In a few minutes
he learn ed that the man had died of a coronary. His own test was
postponed for another week. Malcolm feared that he was being followed by a curse. Greatly
distressed, he returned home and for the rst time began  to notice
denite twing es of pain in the area of his breas tbone. He
immediately reported this symptom to his new cardiologist. “Look,”
the doctor said, “no treadmill test is all that reliable. If you really
want to be sure about your heart, let’s do an angio gram. ” An
angiogram, which allows the heart to be observed on a monitor
while the coronary arteries are illuminated with an injection of dye,
is considered the gold standard for assessing coronary heart disease. The test was run, and if Malcolm had feared the worst, it now
came true. Two of his coron ary arteries were 85 percent blocked,
causing blood ow to his heart to be dangerously restricted. His
chest pain suddenly increased in intensity and frequency. It began to
show the prole of typical angina, coming on whenever he exerted
himself physically. Alarmed, his cardiologist put him on
nitroglycerine pills to control the attacks. All next week Malcolm
stayed home from work, but to combat his dejection, he decided tonish some home repairs, which required climbing a ladder and
setting in some heavy window sashes. On his next visit to the doctor, he mentioned that he had been
doing this work without any chest discomfort. His cardiologist
looked aghast. “You can’t do that kind of thing. Don’t you realize
that with coronary arteries as blocked as yours, you could suer a
heart attack at any moment. ”
Upon hearing these words, Malcolm felt squeezing chest pain that
left him breathless—it was his rst attack of unstable angina, a late
and very serious symptom of heart disease. It is called “unstable”
because the bouts of pain start coming unpredictably, with or
without physic al exertion. His cardiologist felt that they had no
choice but to operate. Malcolm underwent a double bypass graft
that Friday. It was less than a month after the two fatal heart attacks
that had sent him into a tailspin. Nor was this the end. When I saw him four months later,
Malcolm’s newly grafted coronary vessels were still open, but his
chest pain had not abated. Today he still exhibits all the classic signs
of unstable angina. He has to avoid even the least stress and
therefore has been forced into early retirement. Since a stroll to the
refrigerator is now enough to trigger a burst of chest pain, he is
almost completely housebound. Presumably his high anxiety level
triggers his attacks, either by causing spasms of the coronary
arteries or by creating psychosomatic pain. “What do you think caused all this. ” I asked him. “I lie awake thinking about it,” he said mournfully. “Did I do this
to myself, or am I just incredibly unlucky. No one’s given me any
kind of acceptable explanation. Let’s call it a mystery and leave it at
that. ”
Time and the Perceiver
If Malcolm’s condition had taken forty years to develop instead of
four weeks, there would be no mystery. We would just say that he
grew old. Coronary artery disease aicts so many old people that it
was long considered a norm al part of the aging process, and evennow, when heart disease is known to be preventable and therefore is
not, strictly speaking, norm al, it remains the leading cause of
mortality among the elderly. Historically, medicine has not been
able to hunt down the cause of aging or even describe it well, but by
denition getting old is something that takes a long time to happen. A heart  that ages in a month is acting in a fashion that is highly
abnormal, even bizarre. There is more than a hint that Malcolm somehow gener ated the
series of event s that victimized him, although his consciousness did
not recognize the fact. To begin with, explaining his case as the
product of random chance is not convincing. The timing and
orchestration of events following the death of his brother is just too
perfect. They unfold like a well-crafted play, with rising  dramatic
tension and a swift, gripping denouement. Malcolm has no
knowledge of how he might have done all this. To hasten the aging
process implies  the ability to control it, but that implies control over
time itself, which is clearly impossible—or so we assume. If we step outside the limited world view of science, explanations
do exist. First we can challe nge the basic assumption that time is
objective. The clocks we depend upon to tell us the time appear to
tick their hours and minutes independent of our inuence, and daily
events appear to be jumbled up with no rhyme or reason; but from
another viewp oint, all this is only the conventional treatment of
time which all of us happen  to share. We have made a collective
agreement that time has certain unalterable features: it moves
forward, it is measured by clocks, it is uniform everywhe re, it waits
for no man. Yet this agreement is not ironclad, and at certain moments time
turns inexplicably exible. Recently a Swiss friend of mine, also a
physician, read me a curious and moving newspaper story about a
coal mine disaster in Germany. A small group of miners were
trapped underg round after a massive cave-in. They realized that the
air in the mine shaft would last only a limited number of hours. As
it turned out, just one of the group was wearing a wristwatch, and
he began to announce the time while the men anxiously awaited
rescue. To sustain hope in the others, he did not announce the righttime, however ; he called out one hour whenever two hours had
passed. Six days later, a rescue team found the trapped miners;
astonishingly, they were all still alive with one exception—the man
who wore the watch. In essence, the man with the watch fooled the others into
breaking their agreement about what constitutes real time. Tragically, he could not fool himself. Can it be that time will wait
for one man and overtake another, depending on what  each one
expects. In the spring of 1990, sociologists from the University of
California at


 the form of little pills and capsules) commonly known as
vitamins or food supplements. Interestingly, acceptance of these methods by my clients runs in exact opposition to their effectiveness. People prefer taking
vitamins because they seem like the allopaths' pills, taking pills demands little or no responsibility for change. The least popular
prescript ion I can write is a monodiet of water for several weeks or a month. Yet this is my most powerful medicine. It is possible to resolve many health complaints without fasting, simply by cleansing the colon and regaining normal lower
bowel function. Colo nics take little personal effort and are much easier to get people to accept than fasting. So I can fully
understand how perfectly honest and ethical naturopaths have developed obsessions with colon cleansing. Some healers have
loudly and repeatedly (and w rongly) proclaimed that constipation is the sole cause of disease, and thus, the only real cure for any
illness is colon cleansing. Even though it is possible to have a lot of successes with the simple (though unpleasant to administer) technique of co lon
cleansing, degenerated lower bowels are the only cause of disease. I prefer to use bowel cleansing as an adjunct to more comp lete
healing programs. However, old classics of hygiene and even a few new books strongly make the case for colonics. Some of t hese
books are entirely one -sided, single -cause single -cure approaches, and sound convincing to the layperson. For this reason, I think I
should take a few paragraphs and explain why some otherwise well -intentioned health professionals have overly -advocate d
colonics (and other practices as well). Most Diseases Cure Themselves
    If you ask any honest medical doctor how they cure diseases, they will tell you that most acute disease conditions and a smal ler,
though significant percentage (probably a majorit y) of chronic disease conditions are self -limiting and will, given time, get better
all by themselves. So for most complaints, the honest allopathic doctor sees their job as giving comfort and easing the sever ity of
the symptoms until a cure happens. This same scenario, when viewed from a hygienist's perspective, is that almost all acute and many chronic conditions are simpl y
the body's attempt to handle a crisis of toxemia. For two reasons the current crisis will probably go away by itself. The pos itive
reason is that the toxic overload will be resolved: the person changes their dietary habits or the stressor that temporarily lowered
their vital force and produced enervation is removed, then digestion improves and the level of self -generated toxins is r educed. The
negative reason for a complaint to "cure" itself is that the suffering person's vital force drops below the level that the sy mptom can
be manifested and the complaint goes away because a new, more serious disease is developing. I view this  second possibility as highly undesirable because strong, healthy bodies possessing a high degree of vital force are
able to eliminate toxins rather violently, frequently producing very uncomfortable symptoms that are not life -threatening. However, as the vital force drops, the body changes its routes of secondary elimination and begins using more centrally located
vital organs and systems to dispose of toxemia. This degeneration producing less unpleasant symptoms, but in the long run,
damages essential org ans and moves the person closer to their final disease. A young vigorous body possessing a large degree of vital force will almost always route surplus toxins through skin tissues a nd
skin-like mucus membranes, producing repeated bouts of sinusitis, or  asthma, or colds, or a combination of all these. Each acute
manifestation will "cure" itself by itself eventually. But eventually the body's vital force can no longer create these aggre ssive
cleansing phenomena and the toxemia begins to go deeper. When th e allopathic doctor gets a patient complaining of sinusitis, they
know they will eventually get a cure. The "cure" however, might well be a case of arthritis. This unfortunate reality tends to make young, idealistic physicians become rather disillusio ned about treating degenerative
conditions because the end result of all their efforts is, in the end, death anyway. The best they can do is to alleviate suf fering and
to a degree, prolong life. The worst they can do is to prolong suffering. Thus, the  physicians main job is to get the patient to be patient, to wait until the body corrects itself and stops manifesting the
undesired symptom. Thus comes the prime rule of all humane medicine: first of all, do no harm! If the doctor simply refrains from
making the body worse, it will probably get better by itself. But the patient, rarely resigned to quiet suffering, comes in dema nding
fast relief, demanding a cure. In fact, if the patient were resigned to quiet suffering they would not consult a doctor. So i f the
doctor wants to keep this patient and make a living they must do something. If that something the doctor must do does little or no
harm and better yet, can also alleviate the symptoms, the doctor is practicing good medicine and will have a very high cure rate
and be financially successful if they have a good bedside manner. This kind of doctor may be allopathic and/or "natural," may  use
herbs or practice homeopathy. The story of Dr. Jennings, a very successful and famous or infamous (depending on  your viewpoint) physician, who practiced in
Connecticut in the early 1800s exemplifies this type of approach. Dr. Jennings had his own unique medicines. Their composition was of his own devising, and were absolutely secret. He had
pills and colored b itter drops of various sorts that were compounded himself in his own pharmacy. Dr. Jennings' patients generally
recovered and had few or no complications. This must be viewed in contrast to the practices of his fellow doctors of that era,
whose black bags were full of mercury and arsenic and strychnine, whose practices included obligatory bleeding. These techniques
and medicines "worked" by poisoning the body or by reducing its blood supply and thus lowering its vital force, ending the bo dy's
ability to man ifest the undesirable symptom. If the poor patient survived being victimized by their own physician, they were tough
enough to survive both their disease and the doctor's cure. Typically, the sick had many, lengthy complications, long illness es, and
many " setbacks" requiring many visits, earning the physician a great living. Dr. Jennings operated differently. He would prescribe one or two secret medicines from his black bag and instruct the patient  to
stay in bed, get lots of rest, drink lots of water,  eat little and lightly, and continue taking the medicine until they were well. His cure
rate was phenomenal. Demand they might, but Dr. Jennings would never reveal what was in his pills and vials. Finally at the e nd
of his career, to instruct his fellow m an, Dr. Jennings confessed. His pills were made from flour dough, various bitter but harmless
herbal substances, and a little sugar. His red and green and black tinctures, prescribed five or ten drips at a time mixed in  a glass of
water several times daily, were only water and alcohol, some colorant and something bitter tasting, but harmless. Placebos in other
words. Upon confessing, Dr. Jennings had to run for his life. I believe he ended up retiring on the western frontier, in Indiana. So me of
his fo rmer patients were extremely angry because they had paid good money, top dollar for "real" medicines, but were given only
flour and water. The fact that they got better didn't seem to count. If the physicians curative procedure suppresses the symptom and/or lowers the vital force with toxic drugs or surgery, (either
result will often as not end the complaint) the allopathic doctor is practicing bad medicine. This doctor too will have a hig h cure
rate and a good business (if they have an effective bedsi de manner) because their drugs really do make the current symptoms
vanish very rapidly. Additionally, their practice harmonizes with a common but vicious dramatization of many people which goe s:
when a body is malfunctioning, it is a bad body and needs to be punished. So lets punish it with poisons and if that don't work, lets
really punish it by cutting out the offending part. However, if the physician can do something that will do no harm but raises the vital force and/or lowers the level of toxemia,
this doctor will have a genuine cure rate higher than either of the two techniques. Why does raising the vital force help? Be cause it
reduces enervation, improves the digestion, lowers the creation of new toxins and improves the function of the organs of
elimination, also reducing the toxic overload that is causing the complaint. Techniques that temporarily and quickly rais e the vital force include homeopathy, chiropractic, vitamin therapy, massage,
acupuncture and acupressure and many more spiritually oriented practices. Healers who use these approaches and have a good
bedside manner can have a very good business, they can have an especially -profitable practice if they do nothing to lower the level
of toxemia being currently generated. Their patients do experience prompt relief but must repeatedly take the remedy. This ma kes
for satisfied customers and a repeat business. The best approach of all focuses on reducing the self -generated level of toxemia, cleansing to remove deposits of old toxemia,
rebuilding the organs of elimination and digestion to prevent the formation of new toxemia, and then, to alleviate the c


 juices of the stomach and intestines. The bulk of the
food touching the stomach and intestinal walls is the
stimulus
 for muscular
contractions as well as
for proper digestive secretions. Because of this, solid food is digested and handled more
efficiently than juices. It is held in the stomach and intestines long enough for proper digestion and
absorption, whereas juices, lacking this bulk are hurried along the digestive tract. Lacking in bulk,
juices do not occasion strong peristaltic waves and do not elicit the gastrocolic reflex as strongly
as solid foods. Because of these facts when the fast is broken on juices the first bowel movement
after a fast is delayed. When solid foods are used to break the fast, bowel movements are
reestablished much earlier. Chewing of food is necessary both psychologically and physiologically. Another advantage of
breaking the fast with solids is that the faster does not become bloated and over-filled with fluids. Taking the bulk with the food prevents overeating and the post faster is more satisfied with his
meals. When fruit or vegetable juices are used there is a loss of vitamins and nutriments by
oxidation no matter how carefully nor how quickly the juice is prepared. Some fasters are afraid to
drink the juice rapidly and take one sip every fifteen minutes. By the time they have taken four
ounces of juice in this manner almost two hours have passed with the juice oxidizing all the while. Breaking the fast with four ounces of whole orange, a section at a time may be eaten with a
minimum of oxidation. The fast may be broken at any time of the day or night that hunger recurs. If broken in advance of
the return of hunger, it may be broken arbitrarily at 8:00 a.m. A number of techniques for breaking
the fast have been worked out. Indeed, almost every man who conducts fasts has his own favorite
plan. The main need is wholesome food; but not too much of it. Dr. Crane, previously mentioned in these pages, used to give a faster an orange to eat in
breaking the fast. The well-known Henry Lindlahr, M.D., now deceased, formerly of Chicago and
Elmhurst, Illinois, who was director of the College of Natural Therapeutics in Chicago, broke fasts
with a handful of pop com. His reason for this was that the com served as a broom to sweep out
58the digestive tract. In any case the pop com did no harm. The care exercised in breaking a fast is commonly proportioned to the length of a fast. Let me
describe the plan we now employ. Assume that the fast has extended beyond fourteen days. We
start the faster with four ounces of whole orange (weighed without the peeling) every two hours
during the first day feeding is resumed. We prefer to start feedings at eight o’clock in the morning
and stop at six in the evening—obviously this can be done only when the fast is broken in advance
of the return of hunger. When hunger returns the fast should be broken without regard to the time. No harm is done, however, if the faster waits until 8:00 a.m. should hunger recur at midnight or in
the wee hours of the morning. On the second day, we give the faster eight ounces of orange or any
other fresh juice fruit in
season (weighed without rind or peeling) every two hours. A different fruit may be used for each
feeding. If a faster has no desire for a feeding he is advised to skip a feeding or two. But this rarely
occurs as it does when the fast is broken on juices. There is no compulsory amount of food he must
take during this period. On the third day we give twelve ounces of whole orange or melon for breakfast, two or three
oranges, or two or three tomatoes, depending on their size for lunch, and three or four oranges for
the evening meal. After the third day it is no longer necessary to weigh the food as the body again
becomes accustomed to handling food. Instead of oranges, the third day, an equivalent amount of
grapefruit or other juicy fruit in season may be given. The particular food given is not so important
as avoiding overfeeding the faster. These fruits should be fresh, well ripened, and well chewed. Any tendency of the feeder to hurried eating should be discouraged. On the fourth day the faster gets a small breakfast composed of citrus fruits or one or two other
fresh fruits, or melon in season; at noon, a vegetable salad without salt, oil, vinegar, lemon juice or
dressing of any kind, and one cooked nonstarchy vegetable. For the evening meal I feed fruit again. This meal should be light, but may be slightly larger than the breakfast. On the fifth day, another fruit breakfast; a salad, two cooked green vegetables and a baked
potato or a protein (small quantity) at noon, and a fruit meal again in the evening. I permit a glass
of sour milk, (made from unpasteurized milk) at this fruit meal for those who are not vegetarians. On the sixth day the feeding is about the same as on the fifth day, except that the amounts are
increased. By the end of the first week the faster should be able to take normal amounts of food. No between meal eating is permitted and no eating in the evening before retiring is allowed. Three
meals a day, simple and composed of fresh foods, constitute the best plan of feeding following a
fast. If, later, the individual desires to adopt a two-meal or a one-meal plan of eating, this is best
done after he has acquired some weight. Bed rest should be continued through the first week of eating and activity begun very gradually. It is common for the faster to want to become active as soon as he resumes eating. This is unwise. He is not so strong and he does not have the endurance he thinks he has. Also activity retards his
gain in weight if he has fasted to add weight. Some fasters want to take long walks as soon as eating is resumed. Such activity is often over
indulged to the extend that it often retards recuperation and causes the individual's weight to stand
still. One must take it easy for a few days before resuming normal activities. If the fast has been less than two weeks in duration, breaking it may be done with eight ounces of
whole fruit every two hours the first day, then the preceding program followed from there. Less
caution is required in
breaking a short fast of this kind, and activity may be resumed sooner after a
short fast. 59All of this is true, of course, in those individuals who are in a fair state of health. If there is need
for added rest and for light eating for some time after breaking a short fast, the faster must be
guided by the judgment of his adviser. But the most important advice, for all fasters at the breakfast point, is this:
Go slowly! 6013
Can Fasting Keep You Well? There is no such miracle as permanent recovery in the sense that we can become so healthy we
need give no further attention to our health. Nor is there any such thing as permanent weight
reduction in the sense that we can eat all we want and stay thin. Caring for the needs of life to secure health and proper weight maintenance is a constant
Hygienic
 responsibility. We have all the health we deserve and no more. No genuine recovery can be made until the cause of the impairment of health is removed and no
perpetuation of the recovery is possible except upon a basis of continued avoidance of the causes
of ill health. To remain well requires that we live in a way to perpetuate good health. Whatever breaks down
health in the first place will do so again, if it is returned to after health has been restored. Fasting
will not provide man with a license to debauch himself. Fasting followed by gourmandizing is
stupid. The drunk who sobers up can and will get drunk again if he returns to drink. If he ignores
the drink he will not again become drunk. When a man learns his limitations in food consumption, and respects these, he will remain well. If he habitually oversteps these, he will build disease and no plan of
immunization
 can prevent
him from becoming ill.
A return to coffee and tobacco, to alcohol and poisoned soft-drinks, to overwork and late hours,
to unventilated bedrooms and slothfulness, to overeating and the conventional diet, in a word, to he
old disease-producing way of life will build again physical troubles that have subsided with
fasting. The only basis upon which to establish and maintain high-level health is supplied by first-
class living habits. What are the causes of disease? Any and all habits of mind and body that use up nerve energy in
excess. Whatever factor or combination of factors that produces enervation is a cause of disease. If
we squander our energies in many ways, we will enervate ourselves and begin the evolution of
more disease. It is inevitable, under such circumstances, that elimination shall be checked and
waste accumulate in the body. Thus it becomes apparent that a corrected pattern of life involves far more than a mere change in
eating habits. The sexual life, emotional life, working life, domestic life and all other elements of
living that make up the complex of our lives are each vital to health. Each habit must be ordered
and controlled in keeping with the unchanging laws that govern the living organism. Fasting results in a radical cleansing of the fluids and tissues of the body, but it cannot prevent
the subsequent fouling of


6 minutes. If you don’t have a steamer,
pour water into a saucepan and bring to
the boil. Place the greens in a colander
and insert into the saucepan. Cover and
steam for about 6 minutes. 2. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a frying pan over amedium heat. Add the onion, tomatoes
and pepper. Mix well and cook for
about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to
low and add the remaining oil. 3. Whisk the lemon juice, flour and half
the water until smooth and
well-
blended
. Pour into the onion mixture
and mix well. 4. Add the remaining water, cooked
greens, salt and pepper to taste and mix
well. Increase the heat to medium,
cover and cook for 3 minutes to heat
through. Serve with a main dish such as
fish or chicken. Asparagus and Sun-dried
TomatoesThe combination of the sun-dried
tomatoes and healthy sauce gives a
wonderfully sweet and savoury taste. Serve this on its own as a starter or side
dish with chicken or fish – absolutely
delicious! Serves 2
 1 tbsp olive oil
 1 tsp flaxseed oil
 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
 ½ tsp cayenne pepper
 2 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
 15 g parsley, chopped
 225 g asparagus
 10 g fresh basil, chopped1. In a small bowl, mix the oils, vinegar,
cayenne, tomatoes and half of the
parsley together. Leave to marinade for
2 hours. 2. Steam the asparagus for about 6 minutes
or until just tender. 3. Place the asparagus on a plate. Pour the
sauce over, and sprinkle with the
remaining parsley and basil. Baked Tomatoes
A classic Mediterranean dish, which is
often served as part of a number of
platters making up a main meal. Serves 2–4 2 tbsp olive oil
 4 large tomatoes, cored and each cut
into 3 thick slices
 200 g breadcrumbs
 20 g fresh basil, chopped
 1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
 1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
 1 garlic clove, chopped
 Extra olive oil to drizzle
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C or Gas Mark
4. 2. Lightly brush half the olive oil on a
baking tray. Arrange the tomato slices,
cut side up, in a single layer. 3. Mix the breadcrumbs, remaining oil,
half the herbs and garlic. Sprinkle overthe tomatoes. Bake for about 5–7
minutes or until the breadcrumbs are
lightly browned. 4. Place the tomatoes on a serving platter,
sprinkle with remaining herbs and
drizzle with olive oil. Sautéed Bok Choy (Asian)
Bok choy isn’t just for salads or Asian
dishes. It is also a perfect vegetable for a
quick, healthy side dish. Sautéing
concentrates both the flavour and
nutrition of the vegetable. Serves 2–4
 1 onion, chopped 2½ cm ginger, grated
 1 tbsp olive oil
 ½ tsp sesame oil
 500 g bok choy, both white and green
parts sliced
 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
 1 tsp fish sauce
 ½ tsp red pepper, crushed
 Salt to taste
 100 ml chicken stock
 1 tbsp sesame seeds
1. In a medium-sized saucepan, sauté the
onion and ginger in the oils for 5
minutes. 2. Add the bok choy, vinegar, fish sauce,
pepper, salt and stock. Mix and sautéfor about 8 minutes. 3. Place on a plate and sprinkle with
sesame seeds. Balsamic Mushrooms
These mushrooms can be served hot or
cold, so you can prepare them a day
before or right before you serve your
main meal. They take 10 minutes to
prepare. Serves 2
 ½ tsp sesame oil
 1 onion, chopped
 350 g shiitake mushrooms 2 tbsp sundried tomatoes (optional)
 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
 1 tbsp red wine
 20 g parsley, chopped
1. Sauté the onion in sesame oil in a wok
or saucepan for 5 minutes. 2. Add the mushrooms, sundried tomatoes,
vinegar, red wine and half the parsley. Mix together thoroughly for 5 minutes,
stirring continuously. 3. Place on a serving platter and sprinkle
with the remaining parsley.Chapter 11
Mains
There are many types of foods
and recipes around the world. It’s a lot of fun discovering and
trying them out. Hope you enjoy
these!Couscous with Dates, Raisins
and Almonds (Middle
Eastern)
This recipe is fruity and nutty – a perfect
combination of flavours. It takes about
10 minutes to prepare. Serves 4
 450 ml water
 1 tbsp Olivio (or unsalted butter)
 Grated peel and juice of 1 orange
 1 tbsp honey or agave nectar
 ½ tsp cinnamon
 ¼ tsp nutmeg
 ¼ tsp salt 275 g couscous
 110 g almonds, sliced
 110 g raisins
 110 g dates, chopped
1. Mix the water, half the Olivio or butter,
orange peel and juice, honey or agave
nectar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a
medium saucepan and boil. 2. Add the couscous to the boiling
mixture. Then remove from the heat and
cover for 10 minutes or until all the
liquid has been absorbed. 3. In a small frying pan, heat the almonds
over a medium heat, stirring
continuously until they are toasted. Add
the raisins, dates and remaining Olivio
or butter. Heat until the butter hasmelted. 4. Spread the couscous on a serving
platter and top with almond and date
mixture. Serve on its own or with
grilled chicken or fish. Baked Curried Fish
(Mtuza
Wa Samaki – Kenyan)
A traditional Kenyan recipe for a classic
curried stew of fish and onions full of
aromatic spices. Serves 4
 900 g sea bass or halibut, bones
removed 3 onions, sliced
 3 garlic cloves
 1 tsp cayenne pepper
 1 tbsp curry powder
 125 ml white wine vinegar (optional)
 ½ tsp ground cardamom
 ½ tsp cumin
 ½ tsp salt
 4 tomatoes
 2 tbsp olive oil
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C or Gas Mark
4. 2. Place the fish on a baking tray and add
the onions over the fish. 3. In a food processor, mix the garlic,
pepper, curry, vinegar, cardamom,cumin and salt until smooth. 4. Add the tomatoes and oil, and blend for
just 10 seconds. Avoid blending until
smooth. 5. Pour this mixture over the fish. Cover
and bake in the oven for 30 minutes or
until the fish is cooked. Can be served
with wholemeal pitta or with rice. Fish with Herbs in Tomato
Sauce
(Mauritian)
This is a very rich and delicious sauce,
which can be made a bit spicy by adding
one chopped serrano chilli. Easy on the
lemon with this dish though; use half
initially and add the rest if required.Serves 4
 1 kg halibut or sea bass (any white fish
is fine), cleaned
 Salt and pepper to taste
 3 tbsp grape seed oil
 1 onion, finely chopped
 2½ cm ginger, crushed
 3 garlic cloves, crushed
 10 g fresh thyme, chopped
 225 g tomatoes, crushed
 2 tbsp tomato paste
 125 ml dry sherry
 25 g fresh parsley, chopped
 25 g fresh coriander, chopped
 Juice of ½ lemon (optional)1. Preheat the oven to 150°C or Gas Mark
2. 2. Cut the fish into serving slices and then
reassemble to make the whole fish
again. Season with salt and pepper to
taste. Place the reassembled fish on a
baking tray and bake in the oven for
10–15 minutes. Remove from the oven
and set aside. 3. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Sauté the
onion, ginger, garlic and thyme. Add
the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste
and mix well. Add salt and pepper to
taste. Simmer for 10–15 minutes, then
gradually add the sherry. 4. Add half the chopped parsley,
coriander and lemon juice. Simmer
until the sauce thickens to yourpreferred consistency. 5. Preheat the oven again to 200°C or Gas
Mark 6. Sprinkle the remaining parsley
and coriander on the fish in the baking
tray. 6. Pour the tomato sauce over the fish
evenly then put the fish back in the
oven and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce
the heat to 150°C and bake for a further
5 minutes. Serve hot with fresh bread
or boiled or baked yams. Spiced Salmon on Lentils
(Moroccan)
A traditional Moroccan recipe for a


 exercise. •  Y ou are unwell. •  Y our BOL T score is shorter than 30 seconds. •  Y ou are not currently in a regular physical training program. This advanced exercise aims to readjust the composition of your blood
and alt er levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide. After months of
experimenting, I have developed this exercise to lower the oxygen
saturation of arterial blood and to maintain this decrease over a number of
seconds. I have practiced this e xercise hundreds of times and include the
following guide lines to help you to perform it correctly and to be aware of
potential side ef fects:•   T o regulate the decrease in ox ygen saturation to below 94
percent and to ensure that it does not go below 80 percent, it is
important to use a higher -quality pulse oximeter during this
exercise. •   This exerci se should be p racticed on a relatively empty
stomach, at least three hours after eating. •   The f irst brea th hold is between 40 and 60 paces, or until yo u
feel a medium to strong need for air. •   After  the first breath hold, subsequent holds are performe d
every 5 to 10 paces. •   Follow ing eac h breath hold, either exhale through your nose or
take a sip of air in through your nose before the next breath
hold. •   A “si p of air” means taking  a tiny breath in, the purpose of
which is  to relieve tension rathe r than take in air. It is about 10percent of a normal breath. •   Contractions  of the diaphr agm will strengthen as the a ir
shortage progres ses. T ry to bring a feeling of relaxation to your
body as the air shortage increases. •   W ith  each successive brea th hold, oxygen saturation will
continue to decrease. •   Continue to observe the puls e oximeter, ensuring that you do
not go below 80 percent SpO 2. •  Challenge but do not stress yourself. •   If the air shor tage is too great, take a slightly lar ger breath and
continue to relax. •  Perform this exercise for 1 to 2 minutes. The obj ective of the exercise is to generate a reasonably strong air
shortage in order to lower oxygen saturation and to maintain it at a lower
level for a period of between 30 seconds and 2 minutes. Please note that it is not advis able or even necessary to low er your
oxygen saturatio n below 80 pe rcent. Maintaining an oxygen saturation of
less than  91 percent for approximately 24 seconds can result in an increase
of E PO of up to 24 percent, while maintaining this saturation for 136
seconds can result in an increase of EPO of up to 36 percent. Putting the Oxygen Advantage Pr ogram to the T estFrance i s well known for its glo bal cycling events. It is not
only the  home of the T our de France but also to such legendary
mountains as Mont V entoux and Col le da Madone, which lure
cyclists from around the world to conquer their slopes. The
thriving French amateur road racing culture is steeped in
folklore, setting such intense challenges that some athletes are
unable to compete more than a few seasons due to injury,
fatigue, or burnout. Nick Ma rshall i s an Australian cyclist who started racing in
the Paris region. A father of two and a businessman, Nick had
trouble j uggling the demands of work and family with what he
felt w ere “old-school training m ethods. ” Seeking a better way to
train, Nick started using advanced yoga breathing and then the
Oxygen Advant age principles to develop more power while
reducing his overall training lo ad. Initially, Nick had a BOL T
score of  just 25 seconds (common even among elite athletes),
but through the nasal breathing, Breathing Light to Breathe
Right, and simulating high-altitude training, his BOL T score
now regularly reaches 60 seconds. The primary Oxygen Advantage exercise Nick used was a
daily 30-minute routine combining the following:
1. Breathe Light to Breathe Right for 15 minutes.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>
Q: What is the primary reason why Oxygen Advantage breath holds are performed after exhalation?,
A: To lower the oxygen saturation of the blood to simulate the effects of high-altitude training.
Q: What is the maximum increase in hemoglobin that can be achieved through 3-5 breath holds?,
A: 2-4%
Q: What is the recommended duration of breath holds for athletes with a BOL T score of less than 20 seconds?,
A: Not specified, but it is mentioned that athletes with a BOL T score of shorter than 20 seconds should be careful not to hold their breath for too long.
Q: What is the purpose of the "Run and Hold" exercise?,
A: To simulate high-altitude training and improve endurance
Q: What is the recommended duration of the "Simulate High-Altitude Training" exercise?,
A: Not specified, but it is mentioned that the exercise should not be done if your BOL T score is shorter than 30 seconds, and you should start with 40-60 seconds and gradually increase the duration.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Recounting  the race, Senna explained how he achieved t his without
conscious ef fort : Letting his instincts guide him, he felt as if the circuit had
become a tunnel, and no matter how fast he drove, there was always room
for more. Enter the Zone at W ill
The zon e is nothing more than p erforming in the absence of tho ught. When
the mind is still and thoughts are no longer a distraction, you are able to
give an activity your complete and undivided attention. Being a ble to focus
without distracti ng thoughts defines concentration, a vital attribute for the
proper e xecution of any action a nd the achievement of any goa l. An active
mind re sults in diminished con centration as every little thought interferes
with the  task at hand. For example, an individual who is readin g this book
with an active mind is merely looking at the page. His attention is
elsewhere on a never -ending train of repetitive and useles s thinking. Although his eyes might be following the sentences, his mind is not. When
he re aches the bottom of the page, it is unlikely that he will remember much
of the content. Nowadays, as we spend more time communicating via social media,
playing computer games, an d surfing the Internet, our powers of
concentration are diminishing. A ccording to international motiv ational guru
Kevin K elly, we  are now living  in an attention-deficit society. T he dial has
moved from conversation to presentation and from dialogue to monologue. W e no longer give each other our undivided attention, and neit her do we
take the time to observe our own breathing or allow our minds to still. T ed Selker of th e Massachusetts Institute of T echnology supp orts this
view, cl aiming t hat because the Internet of fers so much choice  we end up
spending our time flitting from one thing to another, shortening our
attention spans and forming a h abit of poor concentration. Selker suggests
that the nature of web browsing can leave us with an attention span of just 9
seconds—the same as that of a goldfish. Reading a piece in the  New  Y o rk T imes,  I  was surprised to learn that the
children of the l ate Apple founder Steve Jobs hadn’ t been introduced to the
iPad. W hen journalist Nick Bilton asked Jobs if his children loved thegadget, he replied, “They haven’ t used it. W e limit how much technology
our kids use at home.” This stance has been echoed by a number of
technology chief executives, wh o set very strict criteria on the amount of
screen time their children experience—all too aware of the implications of
extended periods spent looking at a screen. As the modern world becomes
increasingly dep endent on screens and devices, gadget addiction has the
potential to isolate people from  the world around them, subd uing social
interaction and increasing mind activity. Not only is an overactive mind less conducive to focus and prod uctivity,
it also leads to  increased stress, anxiety, and depression—all of which
contribute to mental health problems and a reduced quality of life. The importance of being able to control and still the mind cannot be
overestimated. An athlete with a quiet mind will enjoy good  powers of
concentration an d be able to enter the zone at will, but an athlete with an
active mind will have a head full of unnecessary thoughts and will find it
dif ficult to enter the zone. If the mind is overactive during d aily life, it
follows that the mind will be ov eractive during sports. Only when the mind
is relatively still during normal daily life can the athlete enter the zone
during competit ion. A still mind can be attained through having a high
BOL T score, using meditation,  and developing awareness of the mind—
nothing else. Y ou could, of co urse, go down to your local bar and drink six or seven
lar ge beers. No doubt this appro ach will quiet the mind. As appealing as it
sounds, achieving