ased body fat are well-known consequences of inactivity. But they can
all be reversed through strength training. Improving muscle tone through
weight-bearing exercises can also improve your posture and reduce back
pain. If you are dealing with chronic low-back problems and believe you
cannot e xercise, start slowly to build your back and abdominal muscle
strength and your pain will diminish. There are emotional and psychological benefits of exercise. Hundreds of
studies attest to the value of regular exercise on your mood and mental
state. Th ese are some of the psychological benefits that have been shown
with exercise:
Less depression
Less anxiety
Less anger
Less cynical distrust
Improved self-esteem
Better resilience to stress
Improved sleep
Exercise gives you a greater se nse of confidence and competence. It is
good for  your body and good for your mind. Let’ s look more cl osely at the
essential ingredients of an ef fective age-reversing fitness program. FlexibilityPerform a few minutes of stretching before a more vigorous strength-
training or cardiovascular worko ut. Particularly if you have a sedentary job
in which you are sitting for hours at a time, a few minutes of flexibility
exercise will overcome the shor tening and tightness of muscles that comes
with inactivity. Surprisingly, there is only limited scientific documentation
that stretching before exercise reduces muscle injuries. Those reports that
show a benefit suggest that active stretching while holding a position for
fifteen seconds provides the most benefit. If you are prone to low-back
pain, spi ne-stretching exercises can reduce your discomfort during and after
your exercise time. T ry five to ten minutes of yoga or another flexibility exercise each day at
the s tart of your  workout. The S un Salutations (see page 114) s tretch every
muscle group, improve spinal flexibility, increase circulation, and improve
muscle tone. Use the Sun Salutations to bring your attention into your body
in preparation for strength training and aerobic activity. Building Str ength
Muscles respond to use, which means that to build strength you have to
regularly activate a muscle group. The human body has over one hundred
dif ferent muscles that govern your movements and support your posture. Y ou can gain gr eat benefit by systematically exercising the major muscle
groups i n your arms, legs, and trunk. The key to building muscl e strength is
to start of f slowly and gradually build up your conditioning level. While
fitness centers of fer expanded exercise options and can prov ide needed
motivation, you do not need expensive equipment to get a good workout. The Basic Seven
T ry the basic sev en exercises below every other day for two weeks and you
will see a noticeable improvement in your muscle tone and strength. Plan tospend four to five minutes performing each exercise for a thirty-minute
strength-building workout. 1. Curls
Curls. This exercise builds the muscles that flex the elbow. Find an
object that weighs four to five pounds to start. Y ou can purchase a
small dumbbell or use an unopened half-gallon container of water,
milk, or orange juice. Sitting in a chair with your back supported, do
ten to fifteen repetitions: Start with your forearm resting on your thigh,
palm facing up. Slowly extend your elbow and then fully flex it. Inhale
while flexing your arms and exhale while extending. After completing
a round of repetitions, rest about half a minute and then repeat. Do this
three to five times with each arm. After a few weeks, you can
gradually increase the weight by a couple of pounds. This exercise
primarily strengthens the biceps muscle.Shoulder rotators. A valuable exercise that reduces shoulder injuries is
one that strengthens the muscles that rotate your arms outward. Most
exercise programs do not work these external
2. Shoulder r otators
rotators, creating imbalances in the shoulder girdle. These imbalances
then predispose you to rotator cuf f injuries. Sit with  your back supported and use the same weight as abo ve. W ith
your elb ows he ld at your sides, begin with your arms straigh t ahead and
parallel to the floor. Now slowl y rotate your hands outward as far as you
can. Hold this position for a few seconds and then return to the starting
point. Repeat the external rotations ten times. Another way to strengthen these  same muscles is by using a lar ge elastic
rubber band that you hold w ith both hands. Then, rotate your arms
externally using the rubber band for resistance.Push-ups. This well-known exercise helps build the shoulder girdle
muscles and the triceps. If you cannot do full straight-legged push-ups,
begin with modified ones, supporting your weight on your knees. Inhale while lowering yourself toward the floor and exhale while
rising. Begin with eight to ten repetitions, resting for half a minute
between sets. Aim for three sets the first week, gradually increasing to
five. 3. Push-ups4. Abdominal crunches
Abdominal crunches. When doing abdominal crunches it is important
to recognize that you need to raise your head only 25 to 30 degrees of f
the ground to gain maximum benefit. As opposed to sit-ups, abdominal
crunches do not place unnecessary strain on your spine. Lie on a
padded surface with your knees bent and your fingers laced behind
your head. Lift your head and shoulders of f the ground with your chin
separated about a fist distance from your chest. Inhale while lifting of f
and exhale while returning to the floor. Perform fifteen crunches,
followed by half a minute of rest. Begin with three sets, gradually
increasing to five. 5. Back str engthenersBack strengtheners. Lie on your stomach with your palms on the floor. W ithout pushing off with your hands, slowly lift your chest of f the
floor by tightening your back muscles. Y our arms and hands are just
used to provide stabilization. Repeatedly raise and lower your chest to
the floor, using only your back muscles. Do about twenty to twenty-
five lifts as a set. Thigh strengtheners. These are best performed while supporting
yourself with your hands on a table or chair. T o protect your knees and
gain a full thigh muscle workout, do not bend beyond 90 degrees at the
knees. Maintain your back perpendicular to the floor. Inhale while you
are squatting and exhale while rising. Begin with fifteen squats, rest
for half a minute and then repeat the set. 6. Thigh str engtheners
Y ou can  gain similar benefits by stair -stepping. Find a platform  that is a
foot of f the grou nd and repeatedly step up, leading first with one leg, then
the o ther. Start w ith twenty-five  steps with each leg. Continue until you feel
a mild burn in your thigh muscles.Y ou can also u se weights to strengthen the muscles that ext end your
knee. Sit in a firm chair with y our back supported; place a tw o- to five-
pound w eight ar ound each ankle. Slowly straighten your knee, hold it for a
few seco nds, and then slowly re turn your foot to the floor. Do o ne side then
the other, beginning with about ten repetitions. T oe risers. This exercise tones and strengthens the calf muscles. Stand
in your bare or stocking feet, supporting yourself with your hands on a
table or chair. Slowly raise yourself up on your toes, and then slowly
lower yourself. Inhale while you are rising and exhale while lowering. Do twenty to twenty-five raises, rest for half a minute and repeat. T ry
three sets at first, gradually increasing to five. 7. T oe risers
Cir culating the Life For ceThe hum an phy siology is a sop histicated biological instrument designed to
transform creativity into manife station, thought into action. If you are not
regularly increas ing the flow of  oxygen into your lungs and enhancing the
circulation of blood through your body, you are not providing your
physiology the opportunity to experience peak performance. As a result of
inadequately exercising your ca rdiovascular and respiratory sy stems, you
place yourself at increased risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, and a
variety of dif ferent cancers. At any age and regardless of your current level
of f itness, beginning an aero bic exercise program will improve your
physical and emotional well-being and help you grow younger. As i s true with strength training, a cardiovascular fitness program does
not have to be complicated in order to provide health-enhancing benefits. Y ou do have to be regular, for your mind can always come up  with some
reason why exercise is not a good idea today, particularly if you get of f your
routine and miss a few sessions. Find an aerobic activity that you can do
regularly—regardless of the weather—and stick with it. Three to four
sessions per week for twenty to thirty minutes is usually enough to gain
substantial bene fits. There are a few simple principles to follow to
determine how much and how often you should be exercising  in order to
gain maximum cardiovascular benefit. CALCULA TING YOUR T ARGET EXERCISE LEVEL
The first step i s to calculate y our maximal heart rate (MHR), which is
determined by subtracting your age from 220. For example, if you are 50 years  old, your maximal heart rate is 170 (220
− 50


 brain to interpret the environment and to use the nervous
system to relay that information, telling the cells what to do. Depending on one’s
perceptions of the environment, the expression of genes can be greatly affected. For
example, the mortality rate goes up during the first year or two after retirement. Why. Does the brain perceive that “life” is over, causing the genes to express
accordingly. Deepak Chopra, M. D., author of many books and a pioneer and leader
in mind/body medicine, often says in his lectures, “Aging is a mistake. ” He means
that we observe others around us aging, so we believe that we too will age. We
literally instruct our genes to age us. Could this be one of the reasons that
traditionally healthy people like the Hunzas lived so long. By believing that they
would live long, healthy lives, did they actually instruct their genes accordingly. Much evidence indicates that what we believe does affect the function of our cellsand the expression of our genes. Intentional Damage to Your DNA
Modern diet and lifestyle can cause damage to genes— different from genetically
inherited predispositions. Rather than causing the expression of existing genetic
coding, genetic damage involves changes in the coding. A change in genetic coding
is known as a mutation, which can occur both through natural causes and man-
created damage. One theory of aging is that gene mutations over a lifetime cause
gradual loss of function and resilience. The ability of genes to mutate is not all
“bad,” but rather is an essential part of evolution and of adaptation to changing
conditions. The mutations to be concerned about are caused by chemicals and radiation,
which can lead to dramatic and unpredictable changes in genetic coding. Genes are
crucial plans for creating, repairing and reproducing an organism; randomly
changing these plans is a bad idea. What would happen if you started making
random changes to the blueprints of your house. Doors, windows, walls and even
whole rooms would appear in strange places. So it is with genetic damage. What causes genetic mutation. •
Ionizing radiation:
Almost half of the average person’s exposure to ionizing
radiation comes from medical X rays and medical radiation treatments. Avoid
this kind of radiation unless vitally necessary. It’s bizarre that physicians put
much stock in the genetic origins of disease yet also inflict massive amounts of
genetic damage with pharmaceutical chemicals and X rays. •
Non-ionizing radiation:
This is created by the flow of electricity and may also
have genetic repercussions— though the evidence is less clear. As a general
rule, avoid close proximity or prolonged exposure to all types of electric
devices. •
Toxins:
These include man-made industrial chemicals, prescription drugs,
tobacco, alcohol and chemical residues in meat and dairy products, such as
PCBs and dioxins. In particular, foods that are heated to high temperatures or
blackened (such as in barbecuing) contain chemicals capable of causing gene
mutations and cancer. When a cell is exposed to toxins or radiation, the cell may die or the genes may be
damaged. A mutated gene may permanently alter the way the cell works, often
contributing to deficiency, toxicity and disease. Furthermore, altered cells (with
mutated genes) can replicate, allowing the mutation to propagate throughout more
and more cells. The effects of this replication can range from minor to devastating;
replication is a classic way for cancer to develop. Worse, if genetic mutations take
place in a reproductive cell, a 50/50 chance exists of passing these on to an unbornchild. Destroyed or damaged cells and genes can lead to premature aging and a
variety of diseases, including cancer, fatigue, poor resistance to infections,
psychological stress and even social maladjustment. Genes are not causing aging and disease. We are. We expose our cells to the
toxins and radiation that make the genes mutate in the first place. Life in the twenty-
first century is now causing damage to our genes and creating mutations in
unprecedented ways and at an alarming rate. As scientist Richard Lewontin said in
his 1982 book,
Human Diversity:
“Because of technology’s ventures into ionizing
radiation and synthetic chemistry, the human beings of our age, as well as the food
chain on which we live, are thought to be undergoing a far higher mutation rate than
biology has been accustomed to. ”
Fortunately, under the right circumstances, genetic damage can be repaired. Not
only must we avoid damaging our genes in the first place, we also must provide our
genes with the materials (nutrients) they need in order to repair themselves. Genetically Modified Foods: Risky Business
No contemporary discussion on genetics is complete without discussing the
powerful genetic technologies in use today, particularly with our foods. With
modern genetic technology, what would have seemed miraculous just a generation
ago is now possible. However, whether or not these technologies pose a threat to our
health is a huge debate. Scientists on both sides constantly argue their points. These
technologies present the potential both for great achievement and for catastrophe. Not enough research is available to know what will happen, although the research
that is available presents cause for serious concern or even alarm. I recommend
against consuming genetically modified foods because I believe these foods may be
lower in nutrients, higher in toxins and present other potential risks as well. Never before in human evolution has humankind eaten a genetically modified
food. Only in recent years have we developed the technologies that allow us to create
these foods. Now genetic technologies are being developed and deployed rapidly,
with few controls and almost no consideration for long-term consequences. Most of
the food in your supermarket already contains genetically modified components. Yet
there is insufficient research, particularly long-term research, to establish the safety
of genetically modified foods and, indeed, ample reason to believe they may not be
safe. If we keep producing and consuming genetically modified foods, we will be
unable to prevent genetic contamination from becoming prevalent throughout our
entire food supply. If ever these foods are determined unsafe, the damage will be
irreversible. Unexpected results from these foods might not become obvious until
years after they are introduced, at which point taking it back is too late. Ourscientists do their best, but when experimenting with genetics, the potential for
unanticipated side effects is almost incalculable. Here is one scenario: Over time,
genetically modified organisms interact with their environment, mutate and evolve,
and pass on their mutant characteristics to other related and unrelated organisms,
including us. This sets off a chain of events throughout the entire ecosystem,
jeopardizing life on earth as we know it. I know this scenario sounds dramatic, but
messing with genes and the course of evolution is risky business. Is That a Jellyfish in Your Potato. Producing new foods with modern genetic engineering is no minor event. Genetic
engineers cut, splice and transfer genes between totally unrelated species to produce
combinations that could never occur in nature. Scientists are inserting jellyfish
genes into potatoes, scorpion genes into vegetables, human genes into pigs and fish
genes into tomatoes. Perfect accuracy using these gene-splicing techniques and
knowing exactly what will be produced is almost impossible. Researchers at the
prestigious Rowett Institute in Scotland studied different batches of genetically
modified potatoes and found substantial differences from the same gene insertion. Two lines of potatoes grown from the same gene insertion and the same growing
conditions had a 20 percent difference in protein content, demonstrating the
unpredictability inherent in genetic modification. Genetically modified foods may be of altered nutritional value, and they also may
contain allergens or toxins they would not naturally contain—including ones not
normally associated with that type of food. For example, genes from Brazil nuts
were used to engineer a new soybean; but people allergic to Brazil nuts were now
highly reactive to these soybeans. Fortunately the problem was discovered before
anyone was harmed. Other genetically modified foods may present similar risks. A
1999 study printed in the British medical journal
Lancet
showed that genetically
modified potatoes damaged the stomach and intestinal linings of rats. People are
also eating genetically modified potatoes, but similar tests are not being performed
on humans. Do you recall one of the health “scandals” of the late 1980s. Many people who
took an essential amino acid called tryptophan (which is used for treating depression
and other emotional problems) had devastating reactions. Thirty-seven people died,
fifteen hundred were permanently disabled, and five thousand became extremely ill. As it turned out, one particular manufacturer in Japan had produced tryptophan using
a genetically modified bacterium, which did produce commercial quantities of
tryptophan, but which also produced a powerful nerve poison. Of course this poison
did not exist until we created it with genetic engineering, so it could not be detected
by existing safety tests. We cannot test for toxins we don’t know about, which is the
problem with genetically engineered foods. They are capable of producing theunexpected. Supermarkets Full of Genetic Experiments
Food industry journals estimate that about 70 percent of the processed foods in
our supermarkets would test positive for genetically modified ingredients. Most
common are genetically engineered corn, soybeans, tomatoes, yellow crookneck
squash, canola, papaya and Russet Burbank potatoes. Other foods are being
developed, such as apples, rice, wheat, broccoli, cucumbers, carrots, melons and
grapes; genetically modified versions of these foods are either in stores already or
they soon will be. A 1999 study by
Consumer Reports
found that only one-third of U.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>
Q: According


Encyclopaedia of Domestic Medicine and Surgery  by Dr H Ghulam Jilani in Urdu. It is open on a page that deals with medication for migraine. All Unani medicines are made from 100 percent natural ingredients including
plants, herbs and minerals. This  mufaras  or medici ne made by Hakim Sayed
Riazuddin in Mysore contains musk, amber, silver, gold and  zafaran  leaf. It is
reputed to be helpful for excessive palpitation of the heart.A Unani application used on the skin to help with white pigmentation marks. Made
at Soukya mainly from  bakuchi  or  Psoralea corylifolia  seeds, it is anti-fungal and
anti-protozoal. Repeated applications over a period of time result in a gradual
fading of the discoloration. Many herbal preparations in In dia are as likely to be Unani in
origin as they are A yurvedic, as historically the two overlapsignificantly. Unani herbology is well documented and spa
treatments such as body polishes and wraps often use ingredients
from the Unani pharmacopoeia. There are a number of pastes,
formulated from fresh herbs, seeds and roots, suitable for ailm ents
such as vitiligo, eczema, psoriasis, bronchial asthma and arthritis. This is good news for suf ferers, as many such ailments do not have
a cure in W estern medicine. A case in point is a thick herbal paste used at Soukya to reduce
skin pigmentation or leucoderma. Psoralea corylifolia  seeds are
boiled in milk, t hen dried (not in direct sunlight), with the pro cess
being repeated seven times in total. Afterwards, the mix is ground
into a powder, some other ingredients are added and a little bi t of
water makes it i nto a paste. Ov er a period of a month, the paste is
applied on to t he specific areas of the skin daily for 20 to  45
minutes and the area held in  direct sunlight. Afterwards, it is
washed of f. Patients report a di minishing of the bright white s pots
with time. However, as with A y urvedic remedies, there is no q uick
fix!siddha  Tamil Herbal Healing
Perhaps not so well known outside India as A yurveda,
Siddha is an a ncient form of natural medicine that has b een
practiced in T amil Nadu for centuries. T aking its name fr om
18 T amil  siddhars  (devotees of Shiva who attained  siddhi
or p erfection),  it shares wit h A yurveda the theory of f ive
elements and three  doshas, whic h are referred to a s
muppini  in T amil. However, unlik e A yurveda, Siddha
divides the body according to the five elements. So, earth
corresponds to  the legs, water to the abdomen, fire to the
chest, a ir to the neck and sp ace to the head. It also relates
the five elements to bodily fluids. The fundamental principles of Siddha medicine are encapsulated in
several T amil texts. Like all Hindu philosophers, the  siddhars
believed, that all life should seek oneness with God, so a produc tive
long life  was to be encouraged. Their basic premise was that the
universe consist s of two essential entities — matter and ener gy  —
that are found in five primordial elements:  munn  (solids),  neer
(fluids),  thee  (radiance),  vayu  (gas) and  aakasam  (ether). If these
elements are maintained in equilibrium, the result is health; if there
is disruption, the result is disease. Alchemical idea s dominate Siddha medicine, with its  materia
medica  consisting of herbs, roots, sa lts, metals and mineral
compounds. The 18  siddhars  classified 4,448  diseases and
prescribed med icines according ly. Nevertheless,  bhasmas  (finepowders made from incinerated and purified metals and minerals)
are at the forefront of their prescriptions. However, as with
A yurveda, other common preparations include  choornam
(powders),  kashayam  (decoctions),  lehyam  (confections),
gritham  (ghee preparations) and  tailam  (oils). Siddha specialities
are  chunna  (metallic preparations that be come alkaline after
purification),  mezhugu  (waxy preparations) and  kattu
(preparations tha t are impervious to water and fire). The medicines
are generally taken internally, although there are some external
applications also. The Siddha system includes not  only medicine and alchemy but
also yoga and p hilosophy. Diet  is an important part of Siddha, as
doctors identify and associate dif ferent food types with dif ferent
doshas, a nd the pursui t of longevity w ithout illness and a useful,
spiritual life is its ultimate aim. The spiritual aspect of healing,
wellness and being at one w ith the Divine cannot be under -
emphasized: it lies at the heart of all Siddha discipline. It is not often th at visitors to Ind ia come across Siddha practices
outside T amil Nadu, but sometimes you will be lucky. Aura spas at
the forward-loo king Park Hotels of fer a type of  marma  massage
prescribed main ly for rheumatics that dates from pre-V edic time s in
Siddha culture. Using medicated herbal oils it tar gets the  marma
points t o release stored emotions in order to restore me ntal,
emotional and spiritual equilib rium. Each point is related to a
particular concept: for example, shoulder points store emotions of
responsibility an d sternum points relate to the heart, so the masseur
concentrates on  dif ferent areas for dif ferent ef fects. It is an
extremely powerful treatment that sometimes results in intense
emotional outpouring and tension release.A Siddha preparation made at Soukya from neem leaves and turmeric used as an
external paste in the treatment of psoriasis.A selection of miner als in raw, incinerat ed, semi-cooked and purified form, all used
in Siddha formulations. They include iron, mercury, arsenic and sulphur.The photos on these two pages show various pressure positions given in a type of
marma  massage that dates back to pre-V edic times in Siddha culture. Using
medicated herbal oils, it was prescribed mainly for rheumatics. Here, it has been
resurrected at Aura spas in the forward-thinking Park Hotels. “The 107  marma
points are targeted to release stored emotions in order to restore mental,
emotional and spiritual equilibrium,” explains spa director Megha Dinesh. “Each
point is related to a particular concept: ie the knee is related to death, that’s why
so many older people get arthritis in the knee. Shoulder points store the emotions
of respon sibility and the sternum points are related to the heart, so people  with
hunched shoulders may be loveless.” She goes on to add that the treatment is
very powerful and can have long-lasti ng effects especially if particular areas are
targeted for very specific results. Therapists tend to use elbows and knuckles as well as the palm of the hand when
targeting particular  marma  points. It’s believed that pranic flow can become
blocked, so pressure at such points helps release the vital force; at the same time
pent-up emotions may be subconsciously released too. It’s reported that clients
often have intense reactions to this treatment, so it should not be undertaken
lightly.soba rig-pa
Traditional Tibetan Medicine
T ibetan medicine is a traditional system of medicine that has
been p racticed for over 2,500 years and is still practi ced
today both within T ibet and by T ibetans in exile. Called
Soba Rig-pa  or the “Science of Healing”, it uses many
natural ingredients including herbs, trees, rocks, resins,
soils, precious metals and more. However, 95 percent of
T ibetan medicine is based on herbs, and precious metals are
used for the se ven kinds of precious pill known as  rinchen
rilpo. Soba Rig-pa’ s  basic premise is that the body needs to be balanced
to be  we ll. Whe n imbalances in what are called the three humor s or
nyipa sum (rLung,  mKhris-pa  and  Bad-kan)  occur, a person falls
ill; s ymptoms may be physical, m ental, spiritual or a combination of
all three. In brief,  rLung  is the subtle flow of ener gy in the body;
mKhris-pa  is th e hot nature or bile within the body; and  Bad-kan
is concerned with the body’ s cold nature signified by phlegm. Attachment, A v ersion and Delusion are considered long-t erm
causes o f balan


-force. Now, to suppl y the needs  of our  bodies,  we continue  to
draw from our  principal  energy, and by the time we are 40, we have
spent  50 to 60  percent  of it. B y the age of 65 mo st of us are  living
from a d windling amount  of this  vital energ y until finall y we run out
of it. The la w of energ y is that  energy  cannot  be destroy ed, it can
only be transfo rmed. When you dispose  of this negative  or “garbag e
energy ” by “dumping”  it out,  som eone  else  has to pick it up. W hen
you dump y our anger  on someone,  that person  also has  to dump
it, and  if he  or she cannot  dump it on  you, it will be dumped  onto
someone  else. This ange r will eventuall y come back to  you again
with extra  force,  bringin g with it fear, sadness,  haste  and all kinds
of stress. This is also  impossible to  bear  so you again  find a  way to
dump it. There  will be no end  to the  dumping,  and the negative
emotions  will continue  to multiply. This w ill greatl y reduc e sexual,
creative,  and gene rative  energy. - 28 -Chapter  I
D. Life Force Energy (Chi)
1. Transforming Negative Energy  into Life- Force Energy (Chi)
You need  to kno w how  to transform negative  energ y into positive
energy  and good  feelings. In this book  you will learn  how to gradu ally
restore  lost sexual,  creative  and gene rative  energ y by opening  a
certain  channel  that runs  through  your body. Once  you have  your
channel  open  through  techniqu es such  as Ovarian  Breathing,  you
can circulate  both  the negative  energy  and the sexual  energ y through
this channel. As these  two energi es are com bined  and circulate d,
a natural  process  of combustion  changes  the negative  ener gy to
life-force  energy. This creates  a positive  energ y cycle, giving  you
more vital  energy  to cope  with your negative  emotions. There  is anothe r way to deal  with negative  emotional  energ y: by
directly  transforming  it back into positive  Chi later in the  Healing
Tao practice,  by learning  the Fusion  of the Five  Elements, the  second
part of the  Taoist med itation,  we will learn  how  to harmonize the
different  types of em otional  energ y with the organs  that have  come
to be  associated  with them. We differentiat e these  associations
(hot/hea rt/impatient/has ty, cold/kidne y/fearful, warm/liver /angry,
mild/warm/spleen/ worry, and cool/dry /lung/sad /grief), beco ming
aware of their presence  or appe arance, as w ell as the differe nt
kinds of  negative  energy  that remain trappe d in our organs  where
they may later  turn into illnesses. By using  Fusion  of the  Five
Elements, w e can counter act, harmonize  and transform the
negative  energy  into positive  life-force. 2. Gaining Ad ditional Chi through  Lovem aking
The only  way to gain  addition al Chi is to transform sexual  energ y
that would normally be released  in lovemaking b y recy cling it back
into Chi, thereb y providing  us w ith an extra  30 to 40  percent  of life-
force. In this book  you will learn  the Taoist  methods  of Healing  Love
to accomplish this: namely  Ovarian  Breathin g and the Orgasm ic
Upward Draw. Both me thods  will help  to rec ycle and transfo rm a
part of the  sexual  energ y into Chi. 3. Chi is the Key to Attaining Go od He alth. The Taoist ma sters  view  Chi as the ke y to attaining  good  health
and realize  that good  health  enables  us to conde nse and transfer
- 29 -Taoist View  of Wom an’s
more Chi to a highe r grade  of ener gy. This enables  us to have  even
more Chi available  to build up  the energ y body  or soul bod y and
create  and nourish  the most important  thing  in each  of our  lives:
our immortal spirit, or  spirit  body  With our present  rate of energy
expenditur e, we have  no extra energy  to acco mplish this. In the health  field today  there  are many methods  available  to
help us increase  life-force  (Chi),  such as  massage,  acupressu re,
shiatsu,  jin shin  do, jin shin jyuts u, tai chi chuan,  chi kung,  health
food,  herbs,  meditation,  yoga, etc. However it is the  Taoist  Maste rs’
view that the most abundan t and easiest  energ y that can be
transformed  into Chi and  a higher  grade  of energ y is sexual  energy. In the  Healing  Love  practice  we show very  clearl y a way to rec ycle
sexual  energy  and store  it, but  it is m ost important  to transfo rm it
first into  Chi and  then  spiritual  energy. Other wise you will grad ually
build  up too  much Chi,  which can lead  to serious  imbalances. Young people,  for example, have  a lot of  life-force  energy
available,  but they do not know  how to channel  it prope rly. Their
answ er is to bum up excess  energ y in the  fastest  way: by using
drugs,  consuming alcohol,  smoking,  or other  stim ulants. These
methods  of stim ulation  initially  give  the user  ten or twenty times as
much energ y, but they  draw all the ener gy out from  wherever it is
available,  namely,  the organs,  glands,  and brain. After wards the
user is left w ith low-key ener gy. When he or she w ants to return  to
the same high  level of  energ y, it means a  return  to the  stimulants,
but this tim e the  user  has less energ y to dra w from, and  the high
will not be the same. The result  is a higher  dosag e, or changing  to
a mo re pow erful stim ulant. A person  who is in a  low-key Chi energ y
state  will not be as affected  by the drug  because  the drug  does  not
have  much life- force  energy  to dra w from. For  this reason  young
people  become mu ch more easily  depende nt upon  drugs,  sex,  or
other  addictions. Transforming the  abund ant Chi properl y will
eliminate the  need  to burn  the ener gy up with stim ulants  or
participate  in excessive  sexual  activity. E. Creative Force- -Sexual Energy
   The basic  function  of sex is repro ductio n. Beyond that,  each
time we  are sexually  active w e generat e a lot of life-force  energ y. When we  have  a normal orgasm, the  life-force  pours  out of us  into
the universe. If we can learn  to redir ect the orgasmic energy  inward
and upw ard instead  of out ward, the energ y will reach  a higher  center
- 30 -Chapter  I
of the  body and we will experienc e the even  great er orgasmic
experience  know n as total  body orgasm, or  organs’  and glands’
orgasm, an experie nce never  felt as a result  of normal sex. Thus,
we can create  more energy : store  it, and  transform it into  life-force
energy, thereby  increasin g our total  energ y. 1. Positive Energy  Will Increase  Sexual Creative Energy
    Thus far:  in keeping  with the teachings  of the Taoist Masters,
we have  been  classif ying our body  energy  into many differe nt types
of energ y: positive  and negative,  sexual,  life-force,  etc. All of these
energies  have  very  different  properties. If we identify  them, we  can
start to control  them, transforming  every thing negative  into positive,
and cultivating  the good  ener gies that please  us. Just  as negative  emotions  deplete  our life-force,  there by
reducing  sexual  creative  energ y,


rather live in the mind because  they have more control there. Somebody
hurts you, you feel an uncomfor table emotion, and you go right to the mind
and rationalize it away: “He didn’t mean it, it’s okay. Don’ t take it so
personally. ” That’s if you’re being positive. Otherwise, the negative mind
starts in, “I’m not going to put up with this. Nobody is going to talk to me
that way. Who do they think they are. ” Either way, your mind is telling your
heart, “It’ s okay, I’ll take care of it. ” Y ou’re simply directing your awareness
to your mind, so you don’t have to feel the difficult emotion s emanating
from your heart. Notice that consciousness can focus fully on the heart, fully on the
mind, or it can divide its aware ness between the two. When emotions are
extremely pleasant, you may have the tendency to behave irrationally
because you don’t want to shift awareness from the beauty in your heart to
the rational mind. On the other hand, when the emotions are unpleasant, you
may try to change the inner experience by letting your thoughts distract you
from what’s happening in the heart. The mind becom es a place the soul goes
to hide from the heart. To transcend this tendency to hide in either your
heart or your mind, simply realize that it is always the same conscious
awareness experiencing what is going on inside. Chapter 22. Why the Heart Opens and Closes
If you want to know your heart, first and foremo st understand that you are
not your heart—you are the experiencer of your heart. You are the
consciousness that is aware when emotions are taking place. When love
shoots up inside  of you, and you say you’re in love, what you really mean is
that you feel love coming up from your heart and bathing you. You’re
floating in the ocean of love, but you’re not the love you feel—you are the
experiencer of the love you feel. Note that so far we haven’ t considered the
role of another  person in this love experience. This is because what’ s
actually happeni ng when you begin to feel love is your heart is opening and
emanating a beautiful flow of energy. This should drive you to say, “I love
love,” but instead you say, “I love you. ” That is your first clue into the role
of another person in your exper ience of love. As long as the other person’ s
presence helps your heart open, you feel love for them. If their presence
stops opening your heart, you start looking elsewhere. This is why human
relationships are so difficult. We project the source of love outside, instead
of realizing it is always inside. The actual flow of love has to do with you and your heart. It has
nothing to do with anybody else. It is an energy flow coming through your
heart that you experience inside. Undoubtedly, certain people or
circumstances can cause your heart to open or close. But the action of
opening and closing is somethin g your heart is doing, not the other person. By the time we’re done with this discussion, you will understand why this
happens. For now, let’s look at what happens if we don’t understand that
love is a totall y inner experience and we project that expe rience onto
someone else. The moment we project the source of love outside ourselves,
everything becomes personal. We tend to become possessive, and that isonly natural. We want to feel love and have projected the experience onto
another person. To keep feeling the love, we have to keep the other person. The very human emotions of jealously, need, and dependency  result from
this. Likewise, if we are feeling the flow of love and our lover does
something we don’t like, we feel closed and hurt. These are just other
feelings that can emanate from the heart. If you want to continue feeling love, you have to learn how to deal
with emotions that open and close the heart. It’s like learning  to play an
instrument. At first, you don’t know how to do it. You’re going to make
mistakes and learn from the experience. The heart is a very sophisticated
instrument that few people know  how to play. If the heart opens, they try to
possess the things that helped it open. If the heart closes, they try to protect
themselves from  the things that caused it to close. Since you have to live
with the consequ ences of your actions, it can be life changing to understand
why the heart opens and closes, and who it is that notices. You do notice that your heart opens and closes, right. Regardless of
whether a person has studied yoga, or ever meditated in their life, everyone
understands the heart can open  and close. When the heart is open, you
experience a more uplifted state than at other times. When the heart is
closed, it’s very difficult and painful to live with. Unfortunately, most
people don’t have the slightest idea what’ s going on when this happens. If
they were told right now to open their heart, they wouldn’ t know what to do. They know how to clench their fist, blink their eyes, and even create a
thought—but they don’t know how to willfully open their heart. Generally,
the heart opens and closes on its own, and people just have to live with the
consequences. Better be careful about your heart. Y ou can get so involved in the initial
rush of energy when it opens that you get carried away. People have been
known to say, “I’m totally blow n away. I’m so in love. I don’t care where I
live. I’ll live outside in a tent as long as I’m with them. ” Let’s see how long
that lasts. When  the heart closes, it becomes, “I don’t ever want  to see them
again. I don’t care what they say. I don’t even want to talk to them. I can’t
believe they did that. ” If you get lost listening to the closed heart express
itself, you might not want to see where you end up. Your heart is a thing, like an appliance. It’s an appliance that emanates
vibrations of energies. Like an appliance, it needs a healthy power source. When the heart is closed, you don’t feel positive energies or a constructivepurpose. It can get pretty hard and uncomfortable in there. Sometimes it
feels like a rock inside your chest. You definitely don’t want that, so in an
attempt to avoid the experience, your mind starts making up stories of what
to do. “I’m going to leave them. They’ll be so sorry. ” Can we talk honestly
about this. The generation of these thoughts is just a process that happens in
the psyche. When the heart closes, the energy flow is not strong, and this
results in negativ e thoughts. It takes energy to raise things, and that includes
the level of your thoughts. When the heart is closed for a period of time,
people can even go into deep depression. That doesn’ t happen when the
heart is open. Note that whatever state the heart is in, it feels like it’s going
to stay that way. Yet, you’ve seen at different points of your life that the
heart does change if given the chance. People get so lost in the experience of
the blocked heart that they ruin their lives over it. What the mind says when
the heart is closed is not you. It’s just the mind expressing the state of the
closed heart. Y ou are the one who notices. What if your heart is in an excited, open state. You’re just as
dangerous because you think it’s not going to change. Generally, something
is going to happ en that curbs the enthusiasm pouring through your heart. If
there is a reason  that the heart opened, then there is a reason it can close. The world keep s changing; your mind keeps changing; everything keeps
changing. Therefore, if you can point to a reason why your heart is open, be
careful—it will change. If you can point to a reason why your heart is
closed, don’t worry—it will change. If you let it, your heart will go through
fluctuations as different situatio ns cause it to open and close. When you
don’t understand this, you just react to your heart. It takes a truly great being
to understand the heart. This is because they have spent years  objectively
observing the heart’ s behavior rather than running after what it wants or
running away from what it doesn’ t want. A very important aspect of spiritual growth is understanding the
dynamics of the opening and closing of the heart. In order to fully explore
why the heart opens and close s, we must first bring our discussion to a
deeper level. We said earlier that you experience three things inside
yourself: the world coming in, the thoughts of your mind, and the emotions
of your heart. Truth is, there’ s a fourth thing you experience in there. It’s in
there all the time, but most people are so lost in the first three they don’t
focus on this fourth object of consciousness. Nevertheless, there is a very
powerful energy flow inside of you. In different cultures it has been calledby different names, such as shakti, chi, or spirit. For the purposes of our


 me, and I was an angry kid. Not only was I fat but I was weird looking, too. I carried all
my weight in my hips and thighs, like a woman. I was one of thoseobese people who seem to be not a “he” or a “she” but an “it.” Ilooked like two different people stuck together. In my line of work, which is designing and building binary data
systems, I’m able to work solo as a contract employee. I always choseto work from home, going in for meetings as infrequently as possible.I fashioned my career to allow for maximum reclusiveness. 153I was always ashamed and embarrassed. Whenever I went out
to eat I would find the darkest, most secluded corner in therestaurant to hide out in. Clothes were a problem, too. For years Iwore bib overalls, the monster size. I couldn’t button them all theway up on the sides. And I lived in fear of children. Children would see me in
public and pipe up with something totally humiliating. I startedscheduling my visits to the market for the middle of the night justto avoid being humiliated by little kids. In the midst of all of this humiliation, I had a strong feeling
that this obesity was not my fault. I would keep going to doctors totry and get some help. Normally their response, after they’d takenmy money, was to say, “Go home, kid, and quit eating so much.”I would tell them, “I don’t eat that much,” and I didn’t, I neverhave. You and I could eat the same exact meal and you’d beunaffected, but I’d wake up the next morning and my pantswouldn’t fit. But every doctor I tried to get help from told methat although I probably didn’t think I was a huge eater, inreality I was. They made me feel like a liar. Some of them gaveme amphetamines. At age 23 I started getting leg pains, and then later on I
developed full body cramps. I was cramping all the time, havingnight sweats and weird vision problems. None of the doctors Iwent to had any solutions for me. These problems were variouslymisdiagnosed as gout, pseudo-gout, tendonitis, and a bunch ofother things. My life was miserable. I’d do my work, come home, drink a
six-pack of beer and a half bottle of T equila every night, and go tosleep and get up and do the whole thing over again. One night afriend infuriated me on the phone by telling me I was like somelittle old lady with her two dogs and no life. It sent me off the scale.I yelled at her. But I thought about it all night, and the next day154 THE MIRACLE OF BIO-IDENTICAL HORMONES  I realized that she had only described me as I really was. I had heard Dr. Platt talking about weight loss on the radio. The day after the fight with my friend I went to see him. He satme down and talked to me for over an hour. He wanted to knoweverything about my family history and my life. After my initialvisit he put me on progesterone and DHEA and started me on thediet. Right away I started losing weight. About three months into the program I had a real bad
flare-up in my knee, hip and in between; it felt like having hotsteel shoved up your leg. I tried a chiropractor and then a sportsmedicine specialist, but they didn’t help. Finally I thought, “Whatthe heck; I’ll ask Dr. Platt about it.”
I was totally shocked by his reaction. “Look, I’m your physi-
cian and I’m treating you,” he said. “I want to know everythingthat’s happening to you.” I found that such a strange attitude fora doctor. He added testosterone and thyroid to my medications, and
changed the type of DHEA I was taking. That same day hediagnosed my fibromyalgia, which is the pain in my leg that hadbeen misdiagnosed by so many doctors. About three days later I feltas though I’d come out of a fog. It’s hard to describe. I had beenthere so long I didn’t know I was there. I had an amazing change,a new clarity of thought. It was startling. And I was pain-free for the first time in 24 years. Strange
things started happening to me physically at this point. All my lifeI’ve been kind of a big, white farm-boy-looking guy without anymuscle definition at all. Now I’ve developed all this muscledefinition. I’m much stronger. I used to sleep eight or ten hours anight and then sit all day without wanting to do anything. NowI sleep about four hours a night and I’m never tired. Life is good. I weigh 195 pounds. It’s the first time I’ve been less than 200
pounds since I was 12 years old. My brain hasn’t kept up with my155 MORBID OBESIT Y AND ROGER P. body and my biggest challenges now are social and psychological. I’d say socially I’m probably at a junior high school grade levelbecause I’ve never participated in society outside of work. People sometimes ask me if I’m bitter about all the years when
I was looking for help and doors were being shut in my face. ButI’m not. They were blessings and gifts even though they werepainful. I’m pretty happy with who I am now. THE PAIN OF MORBID OBESITY
T o me, Roger’s case highlights the pivotal problem with the way
medicine is practiced today. As I’ve said before, too many doctors don’t have the time it
takes to listen to their patients any more. For years Roger wentfrom doctor to doctor about his weight problem, telling themthat he didn’t over-eat and asking for help. But they didn’tlisten to him. They dismissed him. And they didn’t observe him. They didn’t look at him. It
was so obvious from the distribution of his fat that there wassomething more than an eating problem going on. He had tohave a hormone problem—it was unmistakable. It’s amazingto me that so many doctors were blind to it. When I went through medical school, we had a course
called “Physical Diagnosis,” and it was fascinating. We learnedabout an array of outward physical signs, many of them verysubtle, that you could observe in a patient to pick up informa-tion about what might be going on inside their bodies. It wasa kind of visual detective work. It kept you attuned to whatyou were really seeing when you looked at your patient. I wonder if they even teach this course any more. The
medical profession has become so fixated on technology thatsimple first-person observation seems to have lost its value.156 THE MIRACLE OF BIO-IDENTICAL HORMONES  TWO STEPS FORWARD, ONE STEP BACK
This may sound strange, but I often feel that the development
of blood tests has been a major setback in medicine. In the olddays—going back 100 or 200 years—the only thing doctors hadto rely on was talking to their patients and observing them. (Inthe really early days they didn’t even have stethoscopes. They’droll up a piece of paper and listen to people’s hearts throughthat.) T oday doctors have blood tests to fall back on, and theyseem to find the statistical “hard facts” of blood tests reassuring.It seems that they would rather treat the blood test than look atthe patient and find out what’s actually going on. With everytechnological advance it seems as though doctors recede furtherand further from direct contact with their patients. Roger was obviously crying out for help, and nobody
would give it to him. He was just about suicidal when he cameto me. Looking at him, at the way he stored fat in theabdomen and buttocks, it was obvious to me that his bodyproduced too much insulin and estrogen. So I put him onprogesterone right away. He went on the diet, and I eventuallyadded other hormones to help him with his metabolism andmuscle mass. THE ROAD HOME
As he lost weight, Roger’s anger melted away too, and that
helped to mitigate his fibromyalgia. This man had been furi-ous for practically all of his 47 years. He’d been a fat child, andwe all know how cruel children are to the fat kids at school. Asan adult he carried this humiliation with him, becoming arecluse and living a life of quiet desperation. The suppressedanger he felt must have been crushing.157 MORBID OBESIT Y AND ROGER P. Once he finally got help at our office, once he talked to a
doctor who confirmed that he was not over-eating and he wasnot the cause of his own disfigurement, his gratitude knew nobounds. T oday Roger will tell anyone who will listen that he’dwalk through fire for me or anyone in my office. If you saw Roger now, you would never know this man had
once been morbidly obese. He looks like a normal person, andhis entire life has been transformed. And it was so simple. It wasjust a matter of getting his hormones in balance and getting himto eat in a way that would force his body to burn fat. THE INFORMATION IS A VAILABLE
The sad thing is that what I’m doing for people like Roger is
based on information that’s available to any doctor who wantsto avail himself or herself of it. The other day I saw an ad in the newspaper with the head-
line “An Amazing Weight Loss Discovery.”


 active into old age. Again
there was tremendous variance from person to person. Married men
between ages 60 and 80 might have sex as little as three times a year
or as much as once a week or more. Most subjects believed that
regular sexual activity, however, was good for their health. • When asked to perform light to moderate exercise, men in their
sixties were as efficient as men in their twenties, but the older men
had to use more of their total physical capacity. (The Tufts
researchers found that older bodies benefit just as much from exercise
as do younger ones; the gain in muscle mass from twelve weeks of
weight-lifting was the same for 60-year -olds as for much younger
subjects.) • Old people metabolize alcoho l as well as when they were young,
but its effects get stronger. After taking a drink, an older perso n willshow poorer reaction time, memory, and decision-making than a
younger person. • High levels of cholesterol do not keep rising with age but peak at
about 55 (somewhat earlier for men and later for women). • Although sugar tolerance declines with age, this leads to type II
diabetes only in some people; others do not acquire the disease
despite the change in their body’s ability to use glucose in the
bloodstream. This represents only a fraction of what the Baltimore researchers
discovered, but it is enough to confirm one of the main points I started out
with: Everyone grows more unique with age, and that uniqueness includes
the possibility for improvement on any front. Of 650 men, only 12 actually
managed to improve their kidne y function, while the vast major ity suffered
decline in function or remained  the same, but that small handful is enough
to give us a glimpse of untapped possibilities. The new paradig m tells us that we are constantly making and unmaking
our bodies at the quantum level, which means that we are constantly
unfolding hidde n potential. Some of this potential is nega tive, some
positive. The field takes a neutral attitude; what we wish and expect for
ourselves governs the response  we get. If we consider how to improve
physical and mental function every day for the rest of our lives, three values
emer ge that must be part of everyone’ s intention:
  1.  longevity itself, since life is a primary good
  2.  creative experience, which keeps life interesting and makes us
want more of it
  3.  wisdom, which is the collective reward of long life
It’s impo ssible to set limits on what can be achieved in each area. Creativity
and wisdom inspired Picasso, Shaw, Michelangelo, Tolstoy, and other long-
lived geniuses to the day they died. Verdi wrote one of his greatest operas,
Falstaff,  at the age of 80, and the German naturalist Alexander von
Humboldt comp leted his greatest work, Cosmos,  at 89. There is immense
beauty and dignity in these autumnal achievements; the dome of St. Peter ’sseems even more masterful for the fact that Michelangelo designed it in his
ninth decade. Psychologists who study creativity say that artists and writers often can
produce more new ideas in their sixties or seventies than in their twenties. One interesting variable is that the later you take up any creative pursuit,
the more likely you are to pursue it into old age. Eliot Porter, one of
America’ s premier landscape photographers, did not publish his first picture
until he was past 50; Julia Child came to television when she was past
midlife. In both cases, success  steadily increased through the next three
decades. Creative experience may enhance the structure of the brain itself. Chinese
studies of old people in Shangh ai indicate that less educated people have
higher rates of dementia and Alzheimer ’s disease; the implication is that
educated people, having been trained to use their minds, stimulate healthy
brain activity. PET scans show increased blood flow to the brain during
periods of creative thought; a distinctive EEG of coherent rhythms across
all band s of brainwave activity is associated with the “Aha!” or “Eureka!”
experience that characterizes art and creativity in general. Also, it’s a myth
to think that it harms the brain to get too wrapped up in mental work. As
long as it is enjoyable, concentrated mental activity gives rise to alpha-wave
patterns typical of “restful alertness,” the relaxed but aware state also found
in meditation. Certain desirable neurotransmitters such as serotonin also increase during
pleasurable creative activities (again, the same change is associated with the
restful alertness found in meditation). The neurological picture is still
debatable, but the real-life results—more years of fulfilling existence—are
not. It would appear, then, that to want as much life, creativity, and wisdom
as possib le is very desirable. If your expectations in these areas are low, you
are not likely to exceed them, while setting very high standards makes
every decade worth looking forward to. (I am fond of Robert Browning’ s
line, drilled into my head as a child in India: “A man’ s reach should exceed
his grasp, or what’ s a heaven for?”) A sense of “active mastery…is the ego
state most clearly associated with longevity,” wrote David Gutmann, aging
researcher at the University of Michigan. This conclusion came after
studying long-li ved people from many diverse cultures and periods ofhistory. Active mastery means having autonomy over one’s life and
circumstances, not power over others. Beyond any body of evidence about
aging and how to prevent it, the single most important factor is that you
make something creative from your existence. The renowned religious writer Huston Smith once declared, “In order to
live, man must believe in that for which he lives.” People languish and die
when their core of belief is gone. The most meaningful thing you can live
for is to reach your full potential. At any given age the body and mind you
experience are but a tiny fraction of the possibilities still open to you—there
are always infinite new skills, insights, and depths of realization ahead of
you. These latent potentials are closed off to the vast majority of people, who
barely have skills to fill sixty-five years of existence. Therefore, it is
extremely important to begin to develop your skills consciously, breaking
free of social expectation and setting yourself the goal of becoming a
master. The underlying reason why old people feel marginal in our society,
cut off from the mainstream of activity and social value, is that they
themselves do not have a positi ve ideal of the very stage of life they find
themselves in. To help you carve out your own ideal life, I have listed ten
keys to active mastery. They summarize much of what we have learned so
far about aging and awareness. They are also meant to be practical ideals,
ones you can aspire to in action every day (we will detail the kind of action
in the “In Practice” section that follows). TEN KEYS T O ACTIVE MASTER Y
1. Listen to your body’ s wisd om, which expresses itself through
signals of comfort and discomfo rt. When choosing a certain behavior,
ask your body, “How do you feel about this?” If your body sends a
signal of physical or emotional distress, watch out. If your body sends
a signal of comfort and eagerness, proceed.2. Live in the present, for it is the only moment you have. Keep  your
attention on what is here and now; look for the fullness in every
moment. Accep t what comes to you totally and completely so that
you can appreciate it, learn from it, and then let it go. The present is
as it should be. It reflects infin ite laws of Nature that have brought
you this exact thought, this exact physical response. This moment is
as it is because the universe is as it is. Don’ t struggle against the
infinite scheme of things; instead, be at one with it. 3. Take time to be silent, to meditate, to quiet the internal dialog ue. In
moments of silence, realize that you are recontacting your source of
pure awareness. Pay attention to your inner life so that you can be
guided by intuition rather than externally imposed interpretations of
what is or isn’ t good for you. 4. Relin quish your need for external approval. You alone are the
judge of your worth, and your goal is to discover infinite worth in
yourself, no matter what anyone else thinks. There is great freedom in
this realization. 5. When you find yourself reacting with anger or opposition to any
person or circumstance, realize that you are only struggling with
yourself. Putting  up resistance is the response of defenses created by
old hurts. When you relinqui sh this anger, you will be healing
yourself and cooperating with the flow of the universe. 6. Know that the world “out there” reflects your reality “in here. ” The
people you react to most stron gly, whether with love or hate, are
projections of your inner world. What you most hate is what you
most deny in yourself. What you most love is what you most wish for
in yourself. Use the mirror of relationships to guide your evolution. The goal is total self-knowledge. When you achieve that, what you
most want will automatically be there,


down;dull;pressing;sore,bruised. Betterforcrossingthelegs. Worsebetween9a.m.and6p.m. ;duringtheafter-
noon/morning;duringtheperiod;forstanding;for
walking. Theinsidesofthepelvisfeelasiftheywillfallout.This
feelingisoftenworsewhenurinating.Theperiods
maybeveryshort. Thrush(genital)
SymptomsDischarge:burning;copious;likecottage
cheese;likeeggwhite;smelly;yellow.Withdryness;
itching. Worsebefore/between menstrualperiods;during
pregnancy. Thesimplethrushthatoccursduringpregnancy,
wherethewomanfeelsexhaustedandworndown,
willrespondwelltoSepia. Toothache
SymptomsPains:radiatetotheears;pulling;
stitching;tearing;throbbing. Worseforbitingteethtogether;forcolddrinks/food;
duringmenstrualperiod;duringpregnancy;for
touch;forhotdrinks. Travelsickness
SymptomsWithbiliousness;headache(seeabove);
nausea(seeabove). Worseaftereating;duringthemorning. Causespregnancy. Vomiting
SymptomsVomit:bile;smelly. Worseaftereating. Causespregnancy. Thepersonmayfeelbetterforeating,buttheimprove-
mentwillbetemporary. Nausea
Belly/stomach feelempty.Pains
breakfast;duringtheSymptoms
gnawing. Worseaftereating;before
morning;formilk;forpork. Causespregnancy. Thereisanempty,sinkingfeelinginthestomachthat
isonlytemporarilyrelievedwhileeating,isoften
accompaniedbyaheadacheandisworsewhen
thinkingaboutfoodoreating.Silica(sn.) Othernames:rockcrystal;pureflint;silex
SilicaisthemostcommonmineralintheEarth'scrust. Itisthemainconstituentofmostrocks,andcomesin
manyforms,forexamplesand,quartz,agateandopal. Silicasandisusedindustriallytomakeportland
cement,concrete,mortarandsandstone. Itisalso
usedingrindingandpolishingglassandstone;in
NBSEEALSOPAGES203-26FORGENERALADVICE,DOSANDDON'TS. 150•Silica(Sil.) INTERNALMATERIAMEDICA
foundrymoulds;inthemanufactureofglass,cera-
mics,enamelwareandpaper.Silicaisanessential
elementofthesupportingstructuresofmanyplants
suchasthestalksofgrainorgrass.Normalbody
tissuescontainonlytracesoftheelement,butitisa
componentofteeth,nails,hairandconnectivetissues. Itisalmostunknownasamedicineoutsidehomeo-
pathy,asitwasthoughttobeinert.Thehomeopathic
preparation ismadeinanumberofways:Hahne-
mann,whofirstprovedit,obtained itfrommountain
crystal;andaBritishmethoddilutessilicapowderwith
sodiumcarbonatebytrituration. GENERALSYMPTOMS
Catchcoldseasily.Complaintsfrom:gettingfeet
wet;changeofweathertocold.Dislikesmeat. Glandsswollen.Painsstinging.Sweat:atnight,
duringsleep;profuse;smelly;sour.Thirsty.Ankles
weak. Betterforheat;forwrappinguphead. Worseforchangeofweather;forcold;fordamp;for
draughts;forfreshair;forgettingfeetwet;fortouch;
forbeinguncovered;forwetweather. Silicatypesfeelthecoldintenselyandhaveicy-cold
handsandfeet.Theyareeasilytiredandchilled;if
theygooutintothecoldafteraswim,oriftheyget
wetandchilledintheraintheybecomesick,witha
coldorcough.Theyarealsosensitivetodraughts
andchangesofweather,andarealways*betterfor
warmthandbeingwrappedupwell,especiallythe
head. Silicaindividualssweatatnight,particularlyonthe
backoftheheadandneck(likeCalcareacarbomca,
thoughnotsoprofuse).Thesweatsmellssourand
theirfeetarecharacteristically sweatyandsmelly,to
thepointofeatingholesintheirsocks.Thefeetmay
smellevenwithoutsweating. Theyhavetroubleassimilatingtheirfoodandthere-
foretheirbonesdonotformaswellasinotherchil-
dren.Theyhaveweakanklesandareslowinlearning
towalkandslowtoteethe.Theirfontanellesclose
slowly.Therearewhitespotsonthenails,andthe
nailsthemselvesdonotgrowstrongandhealthilybut
spliteasily.Theskinisoftendryandthemouthmay
crackatthecorners. EMOTIONAL/MENTAL SYMPTOMS
Anxious.Complaintsfrom:mentalstrain;shock. Poorconcentration.Confused.Conscientious. Dislikesconsolation.Irritable.Jumpy.Mild. Sensitivetonoise;topain.Restless.Lackof
self-confidence. Shy.Sluggish. Worseforbeingconsoled.Thesearepeoplewhotypicallylackstaminaboth
mentallyandphysically-wholack'grit'(flintiness). Theybecomewornouteasilyfromtoomuchwork
(usuallymental)becausetheydonothavethestamina
tokeepgoingunderstress. Alternativelytheycanbevery'gritty'-abletowork
allhoursunderpressure,extremelyconscientious
andabletosustainsuperhuman featsofendurance. Theycollapseonlywhenthejobinhandhasbeen
completed. Theyareveryshyandexceedinglyanxiousabout
appearinginpublicbecausetheyfeartheywillfailor
dobadly.Theyareunassertive,lackinginconfidence
andwillgivewayratherthantakeapositionandfight
forit,althoughconverselytheycanbestubbornand
wilfulanddevelopfixedideas. Theybecomeirritableiftheyareconsoledwhen
feelinglow.Theyfeelrestlessandnervousinside
andbecomeover-sensitive tonoise,especiallysmall
noises,andwillstartleeasilyfromunexpectednoises. NB.A'Silicatype'maywellneedPulsatillaifheorshe
developsanacuteillness,andconversely Silica
isoftenneededafterPulsatillahasworkedwellbut
somesymptomsremain,forexamplethecough(see
below). PHYSICALCOMPLAINTS
Abscesses
SymptomsAbscessesofglands;ofrootsofteeth. Silicawillbringtoaheadabscessesthatareinthe
processofforming. Athlete'sfoot
SymptomsCracksbetweentoes.Withsweat:onfeet;
profuse;smelly. Backache
SymptomsPains:sore,bruised;stitching.Withlame-
ness;stiffness;weakness. Worseongettingupfromsitting;atnight;for
pressure;forsitting. Causesafallontotheback;injurytococcyx;manual
labour. Bedwetting
Causesinjurytoback;worms. Forchildrenwhowetthebedafterafallorafteran
attackofworms. Breastfeedingproblems
SymptomsBreasts:inflamed;painful;lumpy. Nipples:cracked,inverted.Pains:inbreast;cutting;
stitching.Breastabscesses. INTERNALMATERIAMEDICA Silica(Sil. )•151
Worsewhilenursing;inleftbreast. Themotherexperiencessuddensharppainswhilethe
childisnursing.Thebackmayachewhilenursing. Brokenbones
SymptomsBonesslowtomend. Commoncold
SymptomsNasalcatarrh:dry;hardcrusts;smelly;
thick.Sinusespainful.Senseofsmell/taste lost. Sneezingdifficult. Sinusesbecomeblockedup;thenoseisdryand
blockedandthenostrilsbecomesoreandulcerated. Constipation
SymptomsIneffectualstraining.Painburningafter
stool.Stool:hard;knotty;large;'shy'. Worsebefore/duringmenstrualperiod. Themusclesinthebowelsareweak,makingitdifficult
topassstools;thestoolsarepartiallyexpelledandthen
slipback. Corns
SymptomsCornsinflamed;soft.Pains:sore;tearing. Cough
SymptomsCoughirritating.Mucus:lumpy;thick;
yellow. Betterforhotdrinks. Worseinmorningonwaking;forgettingcold;for
uncoveringfeetorhead. Silicaisespeciallyusefulforlingeringwintercoughs
thatstartaftergettingchilled,orwetandchilled,
andthatdonotclearupeasilywiththeindicatedor
constitutionalremedy. Diarrhoea
SymptomsInteethingchildren.Flatulence:wind
smelly. Better


 what I have
been told by others is what I should be; how messed up I am in real-
ity; what I think and how I feel; how I look and how much better
others look; how much I make, how much others make and how
much I need. The list is potentially endless. All of this conflict as a result of our propensity to divide and sub-
divide ourselves at the world, national, social or individual level is an
expression of chaos. We cannot bring order to the world or to our
lives as long as we fail to recognize that, in reality, all human beings
are holograms of humanity. We all reflect the whole, and it is essen-
tial for us to begin to think in this way. When you perceive yourself in the hologram that is humanity, you
connect on an energy level to everyone else in your environment. An
environorganism most truly is a reflection of it all, and this energy
that you share is shared by all. This awareness gives you the option to
tap into this universal energy anywhere, at any time, by metaphori-
cally projecting yourself to reflect the whole. When you can do this
projecting without doubt or reservation, you can literally see how
your inner thoughts and desires are not only within you, but are
within the whole of humanity, which is abundantly boundless. This is
accomplished by simply changing your beliefs from a separate ego to
that of an environorganism. As an environorganism, you are a single individual who is only a
part of the picture at the same time that you contain the whole
panorama. Moreover, the content of your consciousness, which dif-
fers from person to person, is also hologrammatic in nature. Consciousness is the mental condition of being aware. Your individ-
ual thoughts, while they form only a part of the total picture of
human consciousness, simultaneously contain the whole of human
consciousness. » Like a hologram, your thoughts reflect the thoughts of all. The
power of your thoughts in this hologrammatic view can be projected
47
WAYNE W. DYER
in such a way as to connect to all of humanity. Your thoughts are, lit-
erally, connected to the thoughts of everyone else, as are your emo-
tions, your desires, your total inner world. You can learn to use this
connection to nurture your own divinity and, therefore, by defini-
tion, the divinity of all of humanity. The nature of a hologram and the nature of you as an environor-
ganism are one and the same. The energy that comprises your
humanity is in everything around you. You are it, it is you. You are
not separate from it. The Bhagavad Gita summarizes this point of
view as profoundly as I’ve ever found. Commit these holy words to
memory as you practice the art of spiritual manifesting in your daily
life. They will serve you well wherever you are, and in whatever way
you believe your current life circumstances are incomplete. He who sees that the Lord of all is ever
the same in all that is—immortal in the field of
mortality—he sees the truth. And when a man sees
that the God in himself is the same God in all that is,
he hurts not himself by hurting others. Then he goes,
indeed, to the highest path. The key phrase in this profound passage is “in all that is. ” This
includes you and me and everything that is. It is you. You are not sep-
arate from it. Use some of the following suggestions to implement
this understanding and truly experience this third principle of spiri-
tual manifesting. SUGGESTIONS FOR LIVING THIS PRINCIPLE
Make a conscious effort to check yourself when you begin to
think in ways that reflect separateness. Imagine yourself as a part
of all that you see and make an internal attempt to project the
48
Manifest Your Destiny
energy of your thoughts into all that is alive on the planet. Substitute the pronoun “us” for the pronoun “them,” and
send sacred energy to co-workers, family, strangers and people
that you only see in faraway places on television. Silently say, “I
am these people,” “I am also in those trees and clouds,” “We
truly are the world and I am not separate from anyone or any-
thing. ” This inner practice will help you to embrace the concept
of you as an environorganism rather than an organism in an envi-
ronment. Contemplate the energy that is your life force. Forget about your
body and your thoughts, and focus attention on the invisible life
force that sustains your very being, which is also known as chi or
prana. See if you can sense it objectively and also try to do the same
thing with the energy of someone close to you. Watch that person
and forget about his or her body. Center your attention on the idea
that you share the same energy, and so you are the same person at
that energy level. Becoming an observer of your energy and the energy of those
around you is a way of putting you into contact with the spiritual
essence of everyone and everything. Awareness of this connection
will help you begin to use this energy to attract the objects of your
desire, since this life force is also present in all that you wish to
manifest into your life. Trust in the wisdom of your feelings. If you feel it, it is true for you. You can avoid being controlled by attitudes that belong to others by
not placing your trust in something your heart does not feel. This is accomplished by trusting the wisdom of your inner feel-
ings, which flow from trust of your experience of life. When you
trust your feelings, you trust the energy that is the life force of the
universe. Those feelings you know to be true are the contact with
49
WAYNE W. DYER
that life force and should never be ignored in favor of a belief that
your heart wisdom contradicts. Practice being gentle, respectful and loving toward the life force in
all things. In other words, behave as if the God in all life really mat-
tered. I live near the ocean for most of the year, either in Florida or
Hawaii. I was walking along the beach in Florida one morning when
thousands of small, silver fish washed up on the shore. They were all
jumping around and gasping for water. I began throwing the fish
back into the ocean, which was now a bit calmer after the waves
that had beached the silver fish. As I was throwing the fish back into the water, a man walked by
and laughed at my efforts. He said something like, “Can’t you see
how hopeless your task is. There are thousands of fish on the
shoreline, and your efforts are not making any difference at all. ” |
bent back down and threw in another fish and responded, “It made
a difference to that one. ” Remind yourself that your efforts do
make a difference, even if you think they are minuscule compared
to the magnitude of the problem. Being gentle, respectful and loving to one other person or crea-
ture has major significance for you and the other. The energy of love
is sent out into the universe and connects with the same loving
essence that is in all things. This does not deny a natural food chain,
but extends love, thanks, respect and gentleness to all, even when it
is a part of your diet. The energy of that food is also life sustaining, and eventually,
every creature and every being becomes food for other beings,
including yourself. In essence, we are all tomorrow’s food. The uni-
verse gobbles up all form and turns it into new form, while the
energy that is warehoused in that form is eternal. 50
WA) Manifest Your Destiny
Determine that you will spend some time each day alone and in
silence, meditating on this principle. Repeat the principle over and
over as a silent mantra: “I am not an organism in an environment, I
am an environorganism. ” By repeating these words to yourself you
will eventually begin to project this reality outward. This is the beginning of your manifestation project, because man-
ifesting is nothing more than materializing a new aspect of yourself
to which you have always been connected on a spiritual level. Make the spaces of your life as sacred as possible. In your living
space bless all that surrounds you, and fill your space with the life
that plants, flowers and animals bring. Spend some time contem-
plating your living space as a holy place. The more you bring your environment alive with sacred thoughts
and feelings, the more you will feel spiritually connected. An atti-
tude of sacred space automatically attracts more to your world than
an attitude of indifference or hostility. A hostile environment breeds
discontent and keeps what you need and desire from manifesting in
your life. This is uncomfortably obvious in large cities, where very little
respect has been paid to the immediate environs, where trees have
been cut down, parks removed, and most of it replaced with con-
crete, stores, high-rises and freeways. The soul is removed when the
space is not honored by builders or residents. What manifests is a hostile, frightening, non-loving world with
people to match. Restoring nature and all that is natural to your life
and to the places where it has been forfeited in


 pm
118Panax ginseng
Tablets are a convenient way of taking ginseng. T ake for short-term stressful
events, such as moving a household.key medicinal plantsIn China, dried
root is chewed to provide an energy boostPanax ginseng (Araliaceae)
Ginseng, Chinese Ginseng, Ren Shen (Chinese)Ginseng
A perennial growing  to 3 ft (1 m), with oval, toothed leaves and a cluster of small green-yellow flowers. Ginseng has always been valued as a tonic
in old age. Habitat & Cultivation
Ginseng is native to northeastern
China, eastern Russia, and North Korea, but is now extremely rare in the wild. Ginseng cultivation requires great skill. It is propagated from seed in spring and requires rich, well-drained soil. The plant takes at least 4 years to mature. The root is then normally harvested in autumn and washed  and steamed before being dried. Related Species
San qi (P. notoginseng, p. 243),  P. pseudoginseng, and American ginseng (P. quinquefolium, p. 243)  all have significant benefits. Key Constituents
■ Triterpenoid saponins (0.7–3%),
 ginsenosides—at least 25 have   been identified
■ Acetylenic compounds
■ Panaxans
■ Sesquiterpenes
Key Actions
■ Adaptogen
■ TonicResearch
■ Adaptogen Ginseng has been
researched in detail over the last
50 years in China, Japan, Korea,
Russia, and many other countries. Its remarkable adaptogenic quality (helping the body adapt to stress, fatigue and cold) has been confirmed. Trials show that ginseng significantly improves the body’s capacity to cope with hunger, extremes of temperature, and mental and emotional stress. ■ Hormonal support The
ginsenosides, which are similar
in structure to the body’s own hormones, can be adapted within the body to tone up deficient hormonal states. Clinical trials support the root’s traditional use by men, as they age,  to maintain vitality and virility. There  is also evidence it helps with both impotence and erectile dysfunction. Research indicates that ginseng
is equally valuable for women and is  a useful medicine at menopause and beyond, aiding hot flashes and lowered mood, and improving
sexual arousal. ■ Other research Ginseng
increases immune function and resistance to infection and improves liver function. Ginseng is a key herb in maintaining health and quality of life in those with cancer. Traditional &
Current Uses
■ Chinese remedy In China,
ginseng is best known as a stimulant,
tonic herb for athletes and those subject to physical stress, and as a male aphrodisiac. It is also a tonic for old age, and is traditionally taken by people in northern and central China from late middle age onward, helping them endure the long hard winters. ■ Western tonic In the West,
ginseng is viewed not so much as a medicine, but as a life-enhancing tonic. It is useful for those coping with stressful events, such as taking exams. Parts Used
Key Preparations & Their UsesRoot is harvested after 4 years,
when the active constituents are most concentrated. Dried root
Capsules For nervous
exhaustion, take a 500 mg capsule once a day. Self-help Uses
■ Impotence & premature
 ejaculation, p. 316. ■ Maintaining vitality, p. 319. ■ Poor sleep & nervous
 exhaustion, p. 309. ■ Short-term stress, p. 308. Soup is a common way of taking ginseng in China. Add 1 g dried root per portion  of vegetable soup. T ake daily.Fresh rootGinseng is the most famous Chinese herb of all. It has
been prized for its remarkable therapeutic benefits for
about 7,000 years, and was so revered that wars were fought for control of the forests in which it thrived. An Arabian physician brought ginseng back to Europe in
the 9th century, yet its ability to improve stamina and resistance to stress became common knowledge in  the West only from the 18th century. QCautions Do not exceed dose (can cause insomnia and high blood pressure). T ake
on professional advice if using blood-thinning medication. Y oung healthy adults should not
take ginseng more than 6 weeks. Avoid caffeine while taking it. Do not take if pregnant. US_118-119_Panax_Passiflora.indd   118 26/02/16   3:59 pm119Passiflora incarnatakey medicinal plants
Infusion  (to make, p. 291). For
occasional sleeplessness, drink up
to 11⁄2 cups (300 ml) during the evening. Tablets  are a common over-the-counter
remedy for insomnia and stress.Tincture  (to make, p. 292) is a useful
sedative for an overactive mind. T ake 1 tsp with water daily.Passiflora incarnata  (Passifloraceae)
Passionflower, Passiflora, Maypop
Passionflower’s name comes from its beautiful flowers,
thought to represent Christ’s crucifixion—5 stamens
for the 5 wounds, 3 styles for the 3 nails, and white
and purple-blue colors for purity and heaven. The herb
has valuable sedative and tranquilizing properties and
has a long use as a medicine in Central and North
American herbal traditions, being taken in Mexico for
insomnia, epilepsy, and hysteria. Habitat & Cultivation
Native to the southern U.S.
(Virginia, Texas, and Tennessee)
and to Central and South America,
passionflower is now extensively
cultivated in Europe, notably in
Italy, as well as in North America. It is propagated from seed in spring
and needs plenty of sun. The aerial
parts are gathered when the plant
is flowering or in fruit. Related Species
There are approximately 400 Passiflora
species, some of which are popular
garden plants. A number have a
similar sedative action to passionflower. P. quadrangularis  has been found
to contain serotonin, one of the
main chemical messengers within
the brain. Key Constituents
■ Flavonoids (apigenin)
■ Amino acids
■ Cyanogenic glycosides
 (gynocardin)
■ Indole alkaloids (trace)Key Actions
■ Sedative
■ Antispasmodic
■ Tranquilizing
Research
■ Tranquilizing properties
Pharmacological research shows the
herb to have sedative, tranquilizing,
and sleep-inducing properties. A 2001
clinical trial found that passionflower
was as effective in relieving anxiety as
oxazepam, a conventional tranquilizer,
and had fewer reported side effects. A clinical study in 2011 found
improvement in subjective sleep quality
in those taking passionflower. ■ Indole alkaloids  Research has
not yet conclusively established
that passionflower contains
indole alkaloids. Traditional &
Current Uses
■ Insomnia  Passionflower is best
known as a remedy for insomnia and
disturbed sleep patterns, and is useful
for short-term bouts of sleeplessness. ■ Gentle sedative  This herb
is widely acknowledged to be a
good medicine for anxiety, tension,
irritability, and insomnia. Its gentle
sedative properties produce a
soothing and relaxing effect, reducing
nervous activity and panic, and
making it a mild and non-addictive
herbal tranquilizer, comparable in
some ways to valerian ( Valeriana
officinalis, p. 148). Occasionally, it is
prescribed for convulsions. ■ Pain relief  Passionflower has
valuable painkilling properties and
is given for toothache, period pain,
and headaches. Passionflower
A climbing vine
growing to 30 ft (9 m),
with 3-lobed leaves,
ornate flowers, and
egg-shaped fruit. ■ Tranquilizing effects  Its ability
to reduce anxiety makes
passionflower valuable for many
nervous states, and it is used to treat
conditions as diverse as asthma,
palpitations, high blood pressure,
and muscle cramps. In each case,
its antispasmodic and tranquilizing Passionflower  was used by the Algonquin
people of North America as an herbal
tranquilizer.Parts Used
Key Preparations & Their UsesAerial parts  are picked as
needed for relaxing infusions. Fresh
flower
Dried aerial
parts
Fresh
aerial parts
properties are the key to its
usefulness, reducing the overactivity
responsible for the disorder. Self-help Uses
■ Insomnia, p. 309. ■ Sleeplessness due to
 backache, p. 313. QCautions  Passionflower can cause drowsiness. Do not take high doses
in pregnancy. US_118-119_Panax_Passiflora.indd   119 26/02/16   3:59 pm
120Pelargonium sidoideskey medicinal plantsPelargonium sidoides (Geraniaceae)
Pelargonium, UmckaloaboPelargonium
An evergreen herb growing to 10 in (25 cm), pelargonium forms a rosette of long-stalked, heart-shaped leaves with striking purple-black


 Saussarine depresses the parasympathetic
nervous system.Saponaria officinalis
(Caryophyllaceae)
Soapwort
Description  Perennial growing to a height of
3 ft (1 m). Soapwort has lance-shaped leaves and
clusters of delicate pink 5-petaled tubular flowers. Habitat & Cultivation  Native to temperate
regions of Europe, Asia, and North America,
soapwort thrives in open woodland areas and
on railroad embankments. It has been widely
cultivated as a garden plant. The herb is gathered
while in flower in summer; the root is unearthed
in autumn. Parts Used  Root, aerial parts. Constituents  All parts of soapwort contain
saponins (around 5%), resin, and a small quantity
of volatile oil. History & Folklore  Soapwort has mostly
been used as a substitute for soap, especially in
washing clothes. Boerhaave (1668–1738), a Dutch
physician, recommended soapwort as a treatment
for jaundice. Medicinal Actions & Uses Soapwort’s
main internal use is as an expectorant. Its strongly
irritant action within the gut is thought to stimulate
the cough reflex and increase the production of a
more fluid mucus within the respiratory passages. Consequently, the plant is prescribed for bronchitis,
coughs, and some cases of asthma. Soapwort may
be taken for other problems, including rheumatic Soapwort  is an expectorant
plant used to relieve
bronchitis and coughs.Winter savory  helps
to alleviate flatulence,
indigestion, and colic. Satureja montana  (Lamiaceae)
Winter Savory
Description  Semi-evergreen aromatic herb
growing to 16 in (40 cm). Has lance-shaped leaves
and white-pink flowers appearing in clusters. Habitat & Cultivation  Native to southern
Europe, winter savory thrives in sunny, well-drained
sites. It is commonly cultivated as a garden herb. The flowering tops are collected in summer. Parts Used  Flowering tops, essential oil. US_266-283_Sanguinaria_Ziziphus_jujuba.indd   267 26/02/16   12:48 pm
268
other medicinal plantsSchizonepeta tenuifolia
History & Folklore  Kuth root has been used
in Indian medicine for at least 2,500 years. It has
also been exported to China and the Middle East. The fragrant root is often used in perfumery. In India, it is valued as an aphrodisiac and for its reputed ability to prevent gray hair. Medicinal Actions & Uses  Kuth is used in
the Ayurvedic and Unani Tibb traditions in India  for its tonic, stimulant, and antiseptic properties. The root is commonly taken, in combination with other herbs, for respiratory system problems such as bronchitis, asthma, and coughs. It is also used to treat cholera. Related species S. amara is used in Mongolian
herbal medicine to treat bacterial infections and gallbladder disease. Caution  Do not take kuth essential oil internally.nodes of the neck, infected with tuberculosis, swell to form hard protruding lumps beneath the skin. Figwort root resembles these swollen glands and therefore, according to the Doctrine of Signatures (which holds that a plant’s appearance indicates  the ailments it treats), the herb was considered  to be an appropriate remedy for treating scrofula. Indeed, in the 16th and 17th centuries, figwort was esteemed as the best medicinal plant to help relieve all manner of swellings and tumors. Medicinal Actions & Uses  Figwort is an
herb that supports detoxification of the body  and may be used as a treatment for various types of skin conditions. T aken internally as an infusion  or applied externally, figwort is of value in treating chronic skin diseases such as eczema and psoriasis. Applied externally, it will also help speed the healing of burns, wounds, hemorrhoids, and ulcers. The traditional use of figwort as a treatment for swellings and tumors continues in Europe to this day. The herb is also mildly diuretic, and it is reputed to be effective when used to expel worms. Related Species Water figwort (S. aquatica),
another plant that is native to Europe, has similar properties, as does the American S. marylandica. In China, S. ningopoensis is used to treat infections  and to clear toxicity. Caution  Do not take figwort if suffering from
a heart condition.Hartstongue is found growing in shady woodland sites across
the northern hemisphere. Constituents Hartstongue contains tannins,
mucilage, and flavonoids (including leucodelphidin). History & Folklore  Hartstongue has been
prescribed as a treatment for diarrhea and
dysentery for at least 2,000 years. In Wales and  the Scottish Highlands, it was traditionally used as  a poultice for wounds, scalds, and burns, and as an ointment for hemorrhoids. In Japan, the fronds were smoked by the Ainu people. Medicinal Actions & Uses  Hartstongue was
valued in the past for its ability to heal wounds, but today it is employed chiefly as a mild astringent. It  is sometimes used in the treatment of diarrhea  and IBS, and it may be of benefit to the liver and spleen. Hartstongue appears to have expectorant properties, and it is also mildly diuretic. Scrophularia nodosa
(Scrophulariaceae)
Figwort
Description  Upright perennial herb growing
to 3 ft (1 m). Has a square stem, oval leaves, small
round brown flowers in clusters, and green  seed capsules. Habitat & Cultivation  Native to Europe,
Central Asia, and North America, figwort thrives  in wet or damp places, in open woodland, on riverbanks, and alongside ditches. The herb is gathered in the summer while in flower. Parts Used  Aerial parts. Constituents  Figwort contains iridoids
(including aucubin, harpagoside, and acetyl  harpagide), flavonoids, cardioactive glycosides,  and phenolic acids. Harpagoside and harpagide  are thought to account for its antiarthritic activity. History & Folklore  Figwort’s genus name,
Scrophularia, alludes to the plant’s age-old use as a treatment for scrofula. In this condition, the lymph Schizonepeta tenuifolia
(Lamiaceae)
Jing Jie
Description  Perennial plant growing to 26 ft
(8 m) with upright square stems, lance-shaped
leaves, and whorls of small flowers. Habitat & Cultivation  Native to the Far East,
jing jie is widely cultivated in eastern China. The aerial parts of the plant are gathered in autumn. Parts Used  Aerial parts. Constituents  Jing jie contains a volatile oil,
the main constituents of which are menthone  and limonene. Medicinal Actions & Uses  In the Chinese
tradition, jing jie is valued as an aromatic and warming herb. It is taken to alleviate skin conditions such as boils and itchiness. Jing jie also induces sweating and is used to treat fever and chills, and  as a remedy for measles. It is often combined with bo he (Mentha haplocalyx, p. 234). Research  Chinese studies have confirmed jing jie’s
ability to increase blood flow in the vessels just beneath the skin. Scolopendrium vulgare
(Polypodiaceae)
Hartstongue
Description  Evergreen fern growing to 2 ft
(60 cm). Has long, tongue-shaped fronds with twin
rows of spores on the underside. Habitat & Cultivation  Hartstongue is found
throughout much of Europe, North Africa, East Asia, and North America. It prefers shaded sites  in woodlands and on banks and walls. The fronds are gathered throughout the summer. Parts Used  Fronds.Selenicereus grandiflorus
(Cactaceae)
Night-blooming
Cereus
Description  Climbing multibranched perennial
cactus with upright cylindrical stems and aerial
roots. Produces large flowerbuds opening into night-blooming white flowers that grow to 8 in  (20 cm) across, and red oval fruit. Habitat & Cultivation  Native to Mexico
and Central America, night-blooming cereus is now rarely found in the wild. It is cultivated both as an ornamental and a medicinal plant. The flowers and young stems are gathered in summer. Parts Used  Flowers, young stems. Constituents  Night-blooming cereus contains
alkaloids (including cactine), flavonoids (isorhamnetin), and a pigment. Cactine’s cardiotonic effect is considered similar to that of cardiac glycosides (see
foxglove, Digitalis species, p. 202). Medicinal Actions & Uses As it is in short
supply, night-blooming cereus is little used at present, but it is a valuable remedy for the heart. It stimulates the action of the heart, increasing the strength of contractions while slowing heart rate. It is prescribed as a treatment for various conditions,
US_266-283_Sanguinaria_Ziz