 ones. Pineapple  contains
an enzyme,
bromelain, that
acts as an aid
to digestion.anamirta cocculus
(Menispermaceae)
Indian Berry,
Cocculus
Description  Large, woody climbing plant
with alternate oval leaves and long hanging
clusters of greenish flowers. Has male and
female flowers on separate plants. Bears
red-brown kidney-shaped fruit. Habitat & Cultivation  Indian berry is found
in forests in Southeast Asia from India and Sri
Lanka across to Indonesia. Parts Used Leaves, fruit. Constituents  Indian berry contains picrotoxin
(up to 5%) and alkaloids. Picrotoxin is a very
powerful poison and nerve stimulant. History & Folklore The fruit is used as a fish
poison. Scattered in the water, it stupefies fish in the
surrounding area, causing them to float to the surface. Medicinal Actions & Uses  Indian berry fruit
is sold commercially as a remedy for parasites. The plant is so toxic that it is rarely taken internally. It is mainly applied externally to kill parasites
such as lice. In Ayurvedic medicine, Indian berry
fruit is classified as astringent, antifungal, and
anthelmintic (de-worming), and is used for skin
ulcers and fungal conditions such as ringworm. The herb is used in homeopathic medicine as
a remedy for heart conditions. RQ Cautions  Indian berry is highly toxic. Do
not take internally. Use externally only under
professional supervision.andrographis paniculata
(Acanthaceae)
Andrographis,
Green Chiretta,
Kiratatiktah (Sanskrit)
Description  Upright, branched annual,
growing to 3 ft (90 cm), with lance-shaped leaves,
spotted, pale brown or purple flowers, and long,
thin seed capsules containing numerous yellow-
brown seeds. Habitat & Cultivation  Andrographis grows
throughout India, on plains, and as undergrowth in
forests. It is commonly cultivated for medicinal use
in northern India and China, and is also grown as
a garden plant. Parts Used  Aerial parts. Constituents  Contains bitter diterpene
lactones, diterpene glucosides, and flavonoids. History & Folklore  In Ayurveda, andrographis
is used mainly for the liver, to treat infection, and
for intestinal worms. In the past it has been used
chiefly to treat malaria. Medicinal Actions & Uses  A classically bitter
and tonic herb, andrographis exerts a wide range
of protective effects on the body—mostly through
its ability to stimulate the immune system,
especially macrophages, and to protect the liver
from damage, whether by infection or poisoning. Like most bitters, it will help to counter fever. In
China, andrographis is used to treat a wide range
of infections including bacillary dysentery and
enteritis. It may be taken for chronic infection,
and in any situation where the immune system
is underperforming.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        Related Species
Cornsmut (Ustilago zeae), a fungus that grows on corn, is used by the Zuni of New Mexico to speed childbirth and stop uterine hemorrhage. Key Constituents
■ Flavonoids
■ Carotenoids
Cob:
■ Anthocyanins (purple corn)
Cornsilk:
■ Carotenoids
■ Volatile oil
■ Sterols
Key Actions
■ Urinary demulcent
■ Diuretic■ Mildly stimulates bile secretion
■ Gently lowers blood pressure
Research
■ Purple corn Purple corn contains
unusually high levels of anthocyanins, dark red or blue plant pigments  that have strong antioxidant and protective effects within the body. A 2007 paper reported that, weight for weight, purple corn contained nearly four times more anthocyanins than blueberries, suggesting that purple corn could be a key dietary source of anthocyanins. ■ Carotenoids Corncob and
cornsilk contain high levels of carotenoids (including lutein and zeaxanthin), compounds that are thought to protect the eye from oxidative damage. Zeaxanthin in particular is thought to protect against age-related macular degeneration. Traditional &
Current Uses
■ Traditional herb Corn meal has
been used by Native Americans for
a wide range of ailments. It makes
an effective poultice and has been given in Mayan, Incan, and American medicine to treat bruises, swellings, sores, boils, and similar conditions. Virgil J. Vogel writes that “the Chickasaw Indians treated itching skin, followed by sores when scratched, by burning old corncobs and holding the affected part over the smoke. ”
■ Urinary remedy Cornsilk is
a gentle-acting diuretic with mild antibiotic activity. It can help in acute and chronic cases of cystitis and is commonly used in prostate disorders. It may also prove useful in frequent urination and bladder irritability. ■ Kidney stones Cornsilk is
thought to have a beneficial effect  on the kidneys, reducing kidney stone formation and relieving some of  the symptoms of existing stones. ■ Chinese remedy In China, Parts Used
Key Preparations & Their UsesCornsilk (stamens)
can be used fresh or dried as a remedy for urinary disorders. Meal is used externally to treat bruises and other skin problems. Fresh
cornsilk Fresh meal Dried cornsilk
Infusion of cornsilk (to make,
p. 291) is soothing. For cystitis,
 drink 2 cups (500 ml) daily. Decoction of meal (to make, p. 291). Apply as a poultice (see p. 295) to
sores and boils. cornsilk is used to treat fluid
retention and jaundice. Self-help Uses
■ Fluid retention in
 pregnancy, p. 317. ■ Urinary infections, p. 314. The outer leaves of corn are
stripped to reveal the cornsilk and meal. The staple food of Central and South America for at least
4,000 years, corn is also used medicinally in countless different ways. The Aztecs gave a corn meal decoction  for dysentery and “heat in the heart,” and to increase breast-milk production. Cornsilk (the silky fronds wrapped around the cob) has always been the part most used medicinally, and it is of particular value in treating  urinary conditions. Tincture of cornsilk (to make, p. 292). For cystitis, combine 1⁄3 cup (80 ml) with
1 tbsp of buchu tincture and take 1 tsp with water 3 times a day. Capsules of cornsilk (to make, p.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>
Q: What is Cornsmut used for?,
A: To speed childbirth and stop uterine hemorrhage.
Q: What is the traditional use of Korean mint?,
A: It is used to relieve pain and reduce fever.
Q: What is the traditional use of Agropyron repens?,
A: It is used as a diuretic, anti-inflammatory, and antispasmodic.
Q: What is the use of Marshmallow root?,
A: It is used to soothe and protect the mucous membranes in the respiratory and urinary tracts, and to treat cystitis, prostatitis, and kidney stones.
Q: What is the use of Andrographis paniculata?,
A: It is used to treat a wide range of infections, including malaria, and to protect the liver from damage.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Although it has no antiviral
activity, andrographis can speed up recovery
from the common cold. Research  In mostly Indian and Chinese
research, the herb has been shown to stimulate
the immune system, particularly helping to protect
against poisoning (such as from snake bite). The glucosides are strongly antioxidant, and
extracts of the whole herb have demonstrated an
effect similar to, or better than, silymarin (from
Silybum marianum, p. 137) in supporting the
function of the liver. Thai research published in
1991 indicated that 6 g per day of andrographis
was as effective as acetaminophen in relieving fever
and sore throat. The herb also has reported
effectiveness against fertility. Cautions  Do not take during pregnancy. High
doses may cause nausea and vomiting. US_158-179_Abies_balsa_Boswe_serratta.indd   167 26/02/16   12:47 pm
168
other medicinal Plantsanemarrhena asphodeloides
anemarrhena asphodeloides
(Liliaceae)
Zhi Mu
Description  Perennial herb with a thick
rhizome, thin leaves up to 28 in (70 cm) long, and
clusters of small white or light purple flowers. Habitat & Cultivation  Native to northern
China, zhi mu grows wild on exposed slopes and hills. It is cultivated in the northern and north-eastern provinces. Part Used Rhizome. Constituents  Contains steroidal saponins,
lignans, phenolic compounds, and xanthones. History & Folklore


138)
Remedy Apply comfrey ointment or cream to
the pus-filled area twice a day. Caution  Do not use comfrey on broken skin. Herb Lemon ( Citrus limon, p. 82)
Remedy Dab pure lemon juice onto the
pus-filled area, or dilute 1 tsp of lemon juice
with 1 tbsp of water and use as a skin wash
twice a day. Stomach Spasm
Relaxing herbs  German chamomile
(Chamomilla recutita, p. 77), lemon balm ( Melissa
officinalis, p. 113), cramp bark ( Viburnum opulus,
p. 150)
Carminative herbs  Anise ( Pimpinella anisum,
p. 248), fennel ( Foeniculum vulgare, p. 212), mint
(Mentha  spp., pp. 234–235), angelica ( Angelica
archangelica, p. 168)
Remedy Mix 3 parts of a relaxing herb to 1 part
of a carminative herb and make an infusion. (For
the carminative herbs, use fennel seeds, aniseed,
mint leaves, or angelica root.) Drink up to 3 cups
(750 ml) a day.Herbs Slippery elm ( Ulmus rubra, p. 145),
calendula ( Calendula officinalis, p. 73), myrrh
(Commiphora molmol, p. 85), echinacea
(Echinacea  spp., p. 92)
Remedy Mix 1 level tsp of slippery elm
powder with sufficient calendula, myrrh, or
echinacea tincture to make a thick, smooth
paste. Place on and around the boil, and bandage
securely. Remove after 1–2 hours. Note  This remedy is especially useful for drawing
painful boils and splinters. Internal Remedies
Herbs Dandelion ( Taraxacum officinale, p.141),
burdock ( Arctium lappa, p. 65)
Remedy Make a decoction using 5 g of
burdock root and 10 g of dandelion root
with 3 cups (750 ml) of water. Divide into 3
doses and drink during the day. Herb Echinacea ( Echinacea  spp., p. 92)
Remedy T ake echinacea tablets or capsules,
or make a decoction of 10 g of root to 3 cups
(750 ml) of water and drink during the day. Digestive Infections
Herb Garlic ( Allium sativum, p. 59)
Remedy Eat 1–2 fresh cloves a day. Herb Calendula ( Calendula officinalis, p. 73)
Remedy Infuse 2 tsp of herb in 3 cups
(750 ml) of water and drink up to 3 cups a day. Herbs Y arrow ( Achillea millefolium, p. 56),
peppermint ( Mentha x piperita, p. 114),
catnip ( Nepeta cataria, p. 239)
Remedy Mix equal parts of each herb. Make
an infusion of 2 tsp of mixture to 3/4 cup (150
ml) of water. Drink 11/4 cups (300 ml) a day. Caution  Do not take yarrow in pregnancy.Digestive Disorders
Everyone falls prey to certain digestive problems and, for those
with weak or unsettled digestion, life can be miserable. Poor
digestive health usually results from insufficient digestive
secretions, infections (such as gastroenteritis), disordered gut
bacteria, stress, and anxiety. Herbal medicines can improve the
complex functioning of the digestive system, helping to relieve
acidity, nausea, and bloating. Eating simple, wholesome food can be beneficial,
but it is difficult to generalize about diet. Some conditions may require fasting,
while in other cases, a certain type of food might need to be avoided.Ginger
Zingiber officinale
Before taking any herbal remedies, see pages 290 & 298–299 QSeek immediate professional
advice for:
■ Difficulty in swallowing
■ Severe pain
■ Vomiting blood
■ Blood in the stool
Important Note
For continuing or recurrent digestive
problems, seek professional advice to
determine the cause. US_300-307_Allergies.indd   305 26/02/16   4:43 pm
306
herbal remedies for home useNausea & Vomiting, Including Motion Sickness
Gas & Bloating
Mouth Ulcers & Gum ProblemsNausea and vomiting can occur for various
reasons, including food poisoning, infections, fever, migraine, stress, or emotional problems, as well as travel sickness. For short-term conditions, there are many herbs that reduce or relieve the unpleasant, empty, gnawing symptoms of nausea and vomiting. Most of the herbs listed are also very useful for travel sickness.Ginger, in particular, and other close relatives
such as galangal and turmeric, are widely used for nausea and vomiting. They help to “warm” and settle the digestion. Chiretta strengthens weak digestion and
relieves nausea.Lemon is an excellent cleansing remedy for  weak and sluggish digestion.If you are pregnant, or suspect you may be pregnant, see Morning Sickness, p. 317, before taking any of these remedies. QGeneral caution Seek professional advice if nausea
is severe or is recurrent. All types or species of mint
(Mentha spp.) are unsuitable for children under 5. Gas and bloating are common digestive
problems. As a preventative, take bitter herbs, such as centaury and gentian, which improve
digestion. Infusions of aromatic plants such as fennel, cardamom, anise, lemon verbena, or peppermint are effective remedies. All the herbs listed under General Remedies can be combined by adjusting the measurements of each herb using the same proportion to water. General cautions Bitters are generally unsuitable and
unpalatable for children under 5. All types or species of  mint (Mentha spp.) are unsuitable for children under 5. Many astringent herbs can be used to treat
mouth ulcers and tighten up weak gums and loose teeth. Sage is particularly effective as it also disinfects the mouth. Myrrh tincture will sting but it will also increase the rate of healing.Nausea & Motion Sickness
Herbs Ginger (Zingiber officinale, p. 155), galangal (Alpinia officinarum, p. 61), turmeric (Curcuma longa,  p. 90)Remedy Make an infusion with one of the herbs
listed using about 1–2 slices (0.5 g) of fresh root or
1⁄4–1⁄2 tsp of dried, powdered, or grated root to
3/4 cup (150 ml) of water. Use the fresh root if possible. Infuse for at least 5 minutes and sip while hot. Drink up to 3 cups (750 ml) a day. Add 1–2 cloves (Eugenia caryophyllata, p. 97) if desired.Option Use the remedy under Nausea with Headache. Tip For travel sickness, take the infusion in a flask or
chew crystallized ginger. Weak Digestion
Herbs Chiretta (Swertia chirata, p. 273), centaury
(Erythraea centaurium, p. 206)
Remedy T ake 2–4 drops of one of the tinctures on
the tongue each hour. Herb Lemon (Citrus limon, p. 82)
Remedy Drink the freshly squeezed juice of a lemon, neat or diluted, each morning. Nausea due to Emotional Problems
Herb Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis, p. 113)Remedy Make an infusion with the dried herb or use 2 tsp of fresh herb per 3/4 cup (150 ml) of water. Drink up to 3 cups (750 ml) a day. Protection & Prevention
Herbs Centaury (Erythraea centaurium, p. 206),
gentian (Gentiana lutea, p. 99)Remedy T ake 5–10 drops of tincture 3 times a day with water. General Remedies
Herbs Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare, p. 212), anise
(Pimpinella anisum, p. 248)Remedy Make an infusion with
1⁄4–1⁄2 tsp of fennel
or anise seeds per 3/4 cup (150 ml) of water and drink up to 3 cups (750 ml) a day. General Remedies
Herb Myrrh (Commiphora molmol, p. 85)
Remedy Dab neat tincture onto mouth ulcers and infected gums once every hour. Herb Sage (Salvia officinalis, p. 131)
Remedy Use an infusion as a mouthwash, or  rub gums with leaves or powder.Vomiting with Dizziness & Vertigo
Herb Black horehound (Ballota nigra, p. 176)
Remedy Make an infusion and drink up to 3 cups (750 ml) a day. QCaution


 ey a re missing in our life, we will naturally gravitate toward  that which
serves this need. A cup of tea on a cold wintery day can be just the thing tocomfort us. A sweet treat as a way of self-love can sometimes do the trick,
as well. Food is as much about spiritual and emotional nourishm ent as it is
about no urishing our physical body. Fear of becoming over -reliant on food
for our emotional nurturance can cause us to deny ourselves and feel guilty
about deriving any pleasure from it. On my son’ s 22nd birthday, I made him a chocolate chip cookie cake. I was
gener ous with both butter and chocolate and made it extra decadent. Later
he said,  “Mom,  it tasted so good, I honestly felt guilty about eating it.”
What is it about us humans tha t we feel guilty about getting any pleasur e
fr om food, I later thought? Most, if not all of us, struggle w ith a lack of worthiness. Is it humility? Our
ego? Ar e we just playing safe? I  mean, we don’ t want to toot our own horn! What if we bel ieved we were good enough but then later told that we
weren’ t?! As I pondered this idea while writing this book, I r ealized that
worthiness has nothing to do with our successes or failures: that would
mean that each t ime we fail we are deemed unworthy, and that’ s  simply not
true! W orthiness  is granted by that which created us. The Creator definitely
thought we were all worthy, and created us all with an equa l dosage of
worthiness. Simply because we are born, we are worthy and good enough. Because we are on this planet, we are good enough. W e are worthy of
experiencing thi s human life, a s dif ficult as it may sometimes  be. W e are
worthy of learning the lessons set out for us and becoming whole. W orthiness is not the result of our accomplishments or lack thereof. Certainly, our challenges can m ake us question our worthiness and that’ s
exactly w hen we  should remember where we come from and who we truly
are. W e are g ood enough to enjoy the experiences we are here to
experience, including decadent chocolate chip cookie cake. I N D U L G I N G  I S  D E S I R A B L E
The guil t that keeps us from all owing ourselves the experience of pleasure
equally pulls us into over -indulgence in trying to suppress it, and that keeps
us stuck  in a cyc le of guilt and shame. However, indulging once in a while,
or on special o ccasions, is desirable and allows us to truly experience
enjoyment. In allowance, there i s no guilt, only pleasure. And we may of ferour gratitude for the experience. Instead of asking “Who am I to have such
pleasure?” we might ask, “Who am I to not experience that pleasure?” As I
heard from one of my teachers: when good things come into your life,
simply s ay, “Th ank you. May I  have more please?” Because y ou are good
enough! Shame and guilt are the mental constructs of the mind to help us fit into the
societal mold of what’ s right a nd wrong. These are merely our defense
mechanisms, est ablished to bridge the gap between what we wa nt and what
we think  we should want. In this complex structure of feelings,  the truth of
what we  actually  feel and believ e gets lost somewhere, or at least distorted,
leaving most of us feeling insecure about what and how to eat; we chase the
latest food craze, and coming up short every time. All this anxiety about
food negatively af fects our ability to digest it. W e become hyper -sensitive
to every thing w e eat. W ith every bite we take, we ingest a morsel of fear,
guilt, sh ame and confusion right along with it. W e believe we h ave no right
to enjoy our food anymore, making that gap between what we want and
what we should want bigger an d bigger, and leaving food to fill that gap. Calling some foods “guilt-free” only emphasize the misplaced guilt we
experience in eating and nourishing ourselves. The comfort we derive from
food turns to guilt and shame if we don’ t resolve the deeper emotional
challenges that are keeping us from living full, vibrant lives. Dawn (o ne of my clients) br ought her mother, Doris, to see m e and, with
her mother ’ s consent Dawn stay ed with her during the consulta tion. Doris
was exp eriencing heat rash all over her arms and she attributed it to the
hormone therap y she was under going. In trying to uncover the true cause of
the pr ob lem, I asked for details of the food she was eating, as I  always do,
and nothing r eally pointed to wh at she was experiencing. Hormone therapy
affects e veryone differ ently and it can r esult in skin rash, but I wanted to
rule out any other causative factors. In th e m iddle of the appointment, Doris asked to use the r estr oom and in
her absence her daughter told m e that her mother was a closet eater. Doris
appar ently ate a lot of salty chips when no one was looking. W hen Doris
r eturned, I mentioned that in sp ite of how healthy her diet seemed to be, it
was rath er blan d and lacked va riety. I mentioned that when we  don’ t haveall the tastes and textur es in our meals, we tend to seek them out thr ough
junk foo d, at which point Doris told me about her cravings fo r salty and
crunchy things. She was over do ing it on the salt to compensate for the lack
of it in h er meal s. This cr eated mor e heat in her body, another c ontributing
factor to her skin rash. Doris th ought th at in order to stay healthy, she had to deny what she liked. That’ s often the case, as we believe that if it tastes good, it may not be too
healthy for us. W e can thank ou r marketing world for keeping us confused
when it comes to food. “This tastes good, and it is even good for you,” the
marketing messa ges tell us, as if tasty and healthy are mutually exclusive. The truth is that we can choose many tasty foods that are also good for us. W O R K  T H R O U G H  T H E  P A I N
Fear can  be debilitating. W e lose our ability to navigate through emotional
pain; perhaps we fear getting st uck in the pain and not being a ble to come
out, even though that very pain is subconsciously ruling our lives and
keeping us stuck in a pattern already! The quicker path to emotional
liberation is to work through the pain. Unfortunately, as painful emotions
surface, the fear of facing them makes us turn to food over and over again,
always in the h ope of eliminating these perceptively negative  feelings. If
food really could eliminate negative feelings, of course, we would
eventually stop turning to it to tr y to satiate our emotional hunger. The only
way out  of the negative feelings is through them; we must allo w them and
feel them fully. Allowing is a skill that we can all cultivate through practice. Seemingly
dif ficult, the easiest thing to do is to feel what you feel! Surrend er! Feel the
fear! Feel bad! Y ou may feel tha t your life is spinning out of control. Let it! Stay with it! Soon enough, you will feel tired or hungry or may  need to go
to th e bathroom. Life goes on! The sun is still there, either shining or
waiting behind the clouds. Y ou a re still here! The Earth did not shatter! Y ou
may feel awful, but you are OK.
Thr ough feeling the pain, you will get to the other side of it, wher e
ther e is peace.When we work through the mind-directed emotions, we find only peace and
love in our heart s. Fill yourself w ith that love by simply feeling it. Now you
can spare food to simply nourish you, which is what it was meant to do! The dee per beliefs that we are unlovable and unworthy can’ t be resolved
with foo d, as we eventually discover. And what if we were view ing food as
the temporary solution to a prob lem that had nothing to do with food? Now,
on top of feeling unworthy, w e begin to feel guilt and shame, since we
know that what we are doing is not going to serve us, yet we can’ t stop. The
more we  suppre ss our feelings, the stronger they become. W e get stuck in
an insid ious cycle, not only perpetuating our painful feelings, but
embedding them  deeper into our subconscious. Our basic human need to
feel loved and worthy gets undermined when we use food to satisfy it. The
brain becomes confused about w hether to satisfy the physical h unger or the
emotional hunge r. The lines become blurry and we begin to


 does it feel
to you? What is your intuitive response? Please give this some thought as you prepare to
move into the final cha pter of this book; as you prepare to embrace The Final Change... “Show yourself to me,”
said I to God again. And this is what happened next:
I became pregnant with Light. My eyes were sunrise and sunset, both. Freckles announced themselves planets and s tars,
and beamed upon my cheeks. Each of my lips became a kiss to the other,
my ears heard oceans of life. Between my eyes there was an indigo wheel,
between my toes, blond fields. My hands remembered climbing -trees,
my hair, each Lover’s fingers. And then  I whispered,
“But why have you made me this way?”
And it was told to me:
“Because I have never had Your name before,
nor heard the way You sing it. Nor stared into the Universe through eyes like These. Nor laughed This way, nor felt the path that These te ars take. Because I have not known These ecstasies
nor risen to These heights, nor experienced
every nuance of the Innocence
with which you create your lows,
nor how a Heart could grow so wide,
or break so easily
or Love
quite so unreasonably.”
—‘Unreasonably’  © 2008 Em Claire  24. THE NINTH CHANGE
HERE IS WHAT  I now understand: Some souls co -create experiences that are clearly (on a
human level) hurtful and damaging to themselves. Nobody can know why they are doing
this. Maybe they  have come to their present incarnation in order to experience the “other
end” of something they have done to others in a previous lifetime. Maybe they have come to allow other souls a chance to experience themselves in a
particular way. Maybe they have co me to provide “players” or “actors” for some larger “scene” in the
whole drama of life, the acting out of which will permit huge numbers of humans to come
to a singular realization at once. (Those who were killed in the 9/11 tragedies come to
mind... as  do the millions murdered in the Holocaust.)<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        This can, in turn,
remove you a great deal of the time from fear. The process that I have created and use in my Changing Everything Workshop gives
people a chanc e to do that. It offers participants an opportunity to move from Distorted
Reality to Observed Reality in a very short period of time. I like to say that it can take you
from tears to laughter in seven minutes. (I have seen this happen in our workshops. ) We go farther, then. We take participants from laughter to the joy of awareness —which
is a different level of happiness altogether. It is not just a place where you move away  from
fear, but where you actually transform it, changing the very meaning of the w ord. We use
this acronym:
F-E-A-R = Feeling Excited And Ready. The person who is coming from Actual Truth, and therefore living on an even higher
plane in the realm of Ultimate Reality, is always in such a space, is always “feeling excited
and ready,” because that person does not even see the same things that a person  living in
the Observed Reality sees —for the simple reason that the person living in Ultimate Reality
is looking at everything from an entirely different perspective. from that third  reality
that modern clinical psychology doesn’t even acknowledge exi sts. Do you remember this. The place from which you are looking determines what you see. Indeed, it does. And so the trick is to live as an integrated whole, with all three  parts of the
Totality of Your Being —Body, Mind, and Spirit —creating, expressing, an d fulfilling your
current notion of Who You Are and Who You Choose To Be —and with you gathering that
notion not from your Imagined Truth, not from the Apparent Truth, but from the third level
of truth: the Actual Truth. By moving to the Actual Truth as you r Point of Origin, you can use the Mechanics of the
Mind to transform any moment. And you access this Actual Truth by using the System of the
Soul to change your perspective. Is this real. Can this really happen. Those are fair questions. You may now be as king
those questions yourself. I have come (or, more accurately, you have brought me to you) to
tell you this: yes, it is real. This is how the soul and the mind work together in a synergistic
process that allows the Total Being That Is You to do what you came here to do; to use this
life as you were intended to use it. So far I have invited you to do six things. I’ve invited you to change your decision to “go
it alone,” to change your choice of emotions, to change your choice of thoughts, to change
your ch oice of truths, to change your idea about Change Itself, and to change your idea
about why Change occurs. Now, with this background, I’m going to invite you to make a stupendous change, a
humongous change, a mountainous, gigantic, gargantuan change. I’m in viting you to make
CHANGE #7:
Change your idea about future Change
It may not have yet occurred to you that the System of the Soul can be applied to future
change as well as presently experienced change, but it can. In fact, this is where it has its
greate st power, because it can systematically change not only this moment, but your entire
life. I have said now a number of times that change occurs because you want it to occur. You
want it to occur because you are continually choosing the perfect people, plac es, and
conditions with which to experience what you next seek to experience as you move
forward in the process of the evolution of your soul. Now you may not feel that the change
that is now occurring has been caused by you, but it has been, at a very hig h metaphysical
level, through the process of synergistic energy exchange. In simple terms: thought in
action. What some have called the Law of Attraction. Yet why would you attract something to you that you do not experience as being very
welcome. Because it is only in your mind  that it does not seem welcome. In your soul it is
very clear that the change now presenting itself is your simple and intuitive assertion of the
Principles of Life (life is eternally functional, adaptable, and sustainable). But, you  may ask, how is what is happening now actually “good” for me. Well, you can experience that in two ways. You can either wait long enough for the
passage of time to show that to you (which it inevitably will), or you can go to the place of
knowing that rig ht now. That place is your soul, not your mind. Your soul will show you now what your mind will
show you later. Later, as life unravels itself, you will see that everything that’s ever
happened to you has happened for the better. What a statement. What a G od we must have. Now I know that it is compelling (and important) to bring this up right now: what about
the unthinkable plight of those people who have endured unimaginable suffering in their
lives. I know, I know. and I agree that it is very, very d ifficult for the limited perspective of
the human mind to hold such suffering as acceptable, purposeful, or intentional on the part
of the soul. Yet Conversations with God  has been very clear on this point. It says there are no
victims and there are no vil lains in this world. Everything that happens is happening for the
highest evolutionary purpose —and it is notable that sometimes a soul reincarnates at a
time and for a purpose that serves the agenda of another. Such a statement could be made about the man named Siddhartha Gautama, who came
to be called the Buddha. It could also be made about Moses, who led his people out of the
desert and into the promised land. It could also be made about Jesus Christ, whose message
has likewise impacted the world entire. It could also be made about Muhammad ibn
Abdullah, bless his holy name, a diplomat, merchant, philosopher, orator, legislator,
reformer, military general, and, according to Muslim belief, an agent of divine action; a
messenger and prophet of Allah. It coul d also be said of many other masters and avatars
and saints, some known and some not known, but easily recognizable by their actions, by
what they have given and what they have sacrificed in order to serve the sacred and holy
agenda of others. (This idea, this concept, is described in beautiful terms easy enough for a child to
understand —indeed, written  for a child —in the wonderful book, The Little Soul and the
Sun, a children’s literature bestseller that emerged from the messages in Conversations with
God. ) Into this final category falls a multitude of contemporary figures, or what might be
termed latter -day saints. which include, of course, more than the members of a particular
religion. People such as Mother Teresa, Paramahansa Yogananda, Mahatma Gha ndi, Martin
Luther King Jr., and even


 shriveled and near death. In a kind
gesture Pei gathers the octopu s into a plastic cup, carries it back to
the sea, and releases it. The octopus immediately begins to revive. Its eight arms spread
out (experts tell us that tentacle  isn ’t the prop er term), and it
changes to a healthier colo r. Typically, an octopus is shy andscuttles away from any approaching threat, a necessary tactic for
such a baggy, s oft-bodied ani mal. But instead of fleeing, the saved
octopus approaches Pei’s boots and places two arms on them,
resting for several seconds before moving away without haste. Soon the “grateful octopus” entered popular culture when the
video went viral. You might suppose that this was an exa mple of
human sentim entality, but then, there is no proof that the  rescued
octopus wasn’t  grateful. Is there any way to tell. The convention al answer is n o. This can be a hard no or a soft
no. The hard n o holds that only human beings are conscio us. The
soft no holds t hat humans are the only fully conscious cr eatures. This lea ves a little wiggle room for big-brained mammals, like
porpoises, elep hants, and the great apes. The soft no has h eld firm
for a  long time. But once you understand that consciousness is the
source of creation, the road to yes—an octopus can  feel gratitude—
is opened. From the perspective of metahuman, nothing is alien, however. There is only o ne reality, governed by one consciousness. There is
only one life, too, despite our distinctions between smart
chimpanzees, s tupid lizards, and totally unconscious bacteria. An
urgent need at this moment w hen the Earth is in peril is t o evolve
to metahuman for the sake of all living things. O n e  L i f e,  a n d  O n e  L i f e  O n l y
In a January 2014 article in Scientific American, the highly
regarded neuro scientist Christoph Koch made inroads against the
“no” po sition by asking if co nsciousness is universal. He is very
persuasive when he points out that animal intelligence isn’t
primitive. Not only that, it is n’t correlated with brain size or even
possessing a complex nervous system. “Bees can fly several
kilometers and return to their hive, a remarkable navigational
performance,” Koch points ou t (not only remarkable, I would add,
but something  human beings lost in the woods are incap able of). “And a scent blown into the  hive can trigger a return to the site
where the bees previously encountered this odor. ”
Koch links this trait, called “associative memory,” with the
famous momen t in French literature centered on a cookie known
as a madeleine. The massive seven-volume novel À la recherche
du temps perdu  ( In Search of Lost Time ), by Marcel Proust,
begins with a f lood of memory occasioned when the narrator dips
a madeleine in a cup of tea, a gesture from his childhood. This
experience of associative me mory Koch also ascribes to bees, a
lowly form of insect life. But we can find a wealth of other
examples. Staying just with bees, Koch points out the following:
[They] are capable of recognizing specific faces from
photographs, c an communica te the location and quality
of food sources to their sisters via the waggle dance, and
can nav igate c omplex mazes  with the help of cues they
store in short-term memory ( for instance, “after arriving
at a  fork, take the exit marked by the color at the
entrance”). The upshot, Koch says, is tha t consciousness cannot be walled
off in arbitrary ways just because a life form looks biologically too
simple to be conscious. With arms wide open, he declares, “All
species—bees, octopuses, ravens, crows, magpies, parrots, tuna,
mice, whales, dogs, cats and monkeys—are cap able of
sophisticated, learned, nonstereotyped behaviors. ” This gets us a
long wa y from “no,” only hu man beings are conscious, to “yes,”
consciousness is universal. The grateful octopus was act ing out a human gesture. T o see
this isn’t sentimentality or fantasy. Koch believes that if we
weren’t so prejudiced, we’d see that animals behave constantly in
ways that would be called conscious if the same activity were
displayed by a person. A dog’s look of love toward his ma ster, his
distress if his owner is absen t, and the grief he feels if hi s owner
dies are conscious traits being expressed through another life
form. Yet our prejudice is ha rd to overcome because it se rves our
selfishness. Homo sapiens  has ancient hunting stock in it. We killand eat  a great many animals, and it salves our conscience to see
them as  lower life forms, dep rived of mind, will, and freedom of
choice. Everything that makes othe r life forms alien in our eyes is
arbitrary. No creature looks more alien than an octopus. Among
the three hundred octopus species, which first appeared at least
295 mi llion years ago according to the oldest fossils, the largest
types resemble the smallest in having two eyes, eight arm s, and a
beak ce ntered where the arms meet. Blown up to a large scale, as
in the giant Pacific octopus, w hich can reach a weight of up to six
hundred pounds with an arm span between fourteen and thirty
feet, those eight arms and snapping beak seem monstrous. But
like Tyrannosaurus rex  or a great white shark, the giant Pacific
octopus isn’t a monster in its own eyes. In the play of
consciousness, the octopus occupies the same cosmic status as
Homo sapiens. It is alive and aware of itself and its surroundings. There’s abundant evidence to support this claim. In her 2015
book, The Soul of an Octopus, naturalist Sy Montgomery closes
the gap between people an d mollusks in startling ways. In a
section that begins, “Octopuses realize that huma ns are
individuals, to o,” she relates how distinctly an octopus can make
friends and enemies. In the mildest example, one keeper at the
Seattle Aquarium was assigned to feed the octopuses while
another touched them with a bristly stick. Within a week, at first
sight of the two people, most of the octopuses drifted toward the
feeder. But the ir ability to relate to specific humans grows much more
mysterious. A volunteer at th e New England Aquarium earned the
dislike of a pa rticular octop us named Truman for no a pparent
reason. Whenever she came close to the tank, Truman would use
its siph on (a funnel on the sid e of an octopus’s head that propels it
through the water) to spray a blast of cold seawater at h er. The
volunteer went away to college but returned months later for a
visit. Truman, who hadn’t squirted anyone in her absence,
immediately s oaked her with a blast from his siphon at first
glance. Montgomery relates in depth the idiosyncratic behavior of
octopuses in captivity named Athena, Octavia, Kali, and others,making them almost as individual as people. Her argument for
their si milarity to humans is ultimately physical. After all, she
writes, we share the same neurons and neurotransmitters. But
even th ough o ctopuses have unusually complex nervous systems
for an invertebrate, their anatomy doesn’t resemble the human
nervous system. The majority of octopus neurons are lo cated in
their eight arms, not in their  brains. Each arm can indepe ndently
move, touch, and taste (the suckers that line each arm are
locations for the sense of taste) without needing to refe r to the
brain. Anatomy cannot explain how octopuses recognize people and
remember their faces. Disl iking a bright light at night that
disturbed its sleep, one octopus aimed a jet of water at it and
burned it out through short-circuiting. Dissecting an o ctopus’s
nervous system doesn’t expla in how such a tactic was devised (in
the wild octopuses don’t sq uirt water above the surface of the
seas). It would seem to be an act of creative intelligence. My contention  is that existence is  con sciousness ; therefore, no
animal ability is astonishing (except in our one-eyed view),
because every life form expresses traits that belong to pure
consciousness. These traits wake up, as it were, emerging into the
physical world according to each creature’s evolutionary story. The
grateful octopus wasn’t being like a human. We could say with
equal ju stice that when we ar e grateful, we are being octopus-like. Both views are one-eyed. This bo ok has been making the case for waking up, but being
awake i sn’t the  end—ahead lies cosmic consciousness. I am


	wrinkles	and	reducing	sagging
skin. Some	studies	have	shown	that	green	tea	can	also	reduce	damage	from
environmental	pollution	and	sun	damage. 9
PeptidesPeptides	are	protein	fragments	that	have	been	shown	to	have	some	beneficial
effects	on	skin. In	particular,	they	help	heal	damaged	tissue	from	scars	and
wrinkles	and	stimulate	the	production	of	healthy	normal	skin. Some	research
has	shown	that	peptides	can	help	enhance	cell	communication,
10
	regulating	the
exchange	and	growth	rates	between	layers	of	skin	cells. Peptides	can	also	prevent
harmful	oxidation	that	damages	the	skin,	and	they	have
anti-inflammatory
properties	that	can	better	set	up	your	skin	to	heal	itself. Essential	Fatty	Acids	(EFAs)
EFAs	reduce	the	amount	of	moisture	lost	through	your	epidermis,	the	top	layer
of	your	skin,	thereby	keeping	your	skin	soft	and	elastic	instead	of	dried	out. They	are	particularly	protective	in	cold	or	windy	weather,	which	can	strip	away
the	skin’s	lipid	barrier	and	contribute	to	skin	conditions	such	as	eczema. The
anti-inflammatory	properties	of	these	essential	fats	are	also	helpful	for	eczema
and	psoriasis,	and	in	preventing	inflammation	that	can	contribute	to	aging. There	are	many	natural	sources	for	these	essential	fatty	acids,	such	as	shea
butter,	kukui	nut,	jojoba,	rosehip,	sesame	seed,	black	currant,	evening	primrose,
camellia	seed,	almond,	apricot	kernel,	argan,	hemp	seed,	manuka,	kokum,
pumpkin	seed,	olive,	black	cumin	seed,	coconut,	sea	buckthorn,	avocado,
borage,	tamanu,	and	walnut	oils. Hyaluronic	Acid	(HA)
The	body	uses	hyaluronic	acid	to	make	new	cells,	and	it	is	a	natural	compound
found	in	the	skin. As	we	age,	we	produce	less	of	this	acid,	so	adding	it	back
helps	repair	the	skin	and	reduce	inflammation. As	a	skin-care	product
ingredient,	it	helps	not	only	to	deliver	moisture	to	the	skin	but	also	to	hold	it
there,	preventing	moisture	loss	for	continued	smooth	skin	while	protecting	the
skin	from	dirt,	debris,	and	pollutants. It	doesn’t	penetrate	too	deeply,	staying
near	the	surface	of	your	skin. Hyaluronic	acid	was	once	produced	largely	from
the	comb	of	a	rooster,	but	thankfully	it	is	now	produced	in	a	lab	from	a
fermentation	process	that	involves	plant	materials. Clay
There	are	different	kinds	of	clays,	which	are	a	highly	beneficial	ingredient	to
include	in	skin	masks. Sometimes	masks	are	pushed	to	the	side	in	a	skin-care
routine,	but	applying	masks	is	an	ancient	beauty	tool	that	can	be	very	beneficial
to	use	at	least	once	a	week	(depending	on	your	skin	type)	to	help	you	maintain
beautiful	skin	for	the	long-term. Clay	is	a	unique	ingredient	with	the	ability	to	absorb	excess	oils,	dirt,	andharmful	toxins	from	the	skin. Clays	are	made	up	of	different	mineral	contents,
which	are	unique	to	different	types	of	clays,	and	these	minerals	help	rejuvenate
the	skin	as	the	clay	simultaneously	exfoliates	and	stimulates	blood	circulation
to	the	skin. The	more	regularly	you	use	clays,	the	fresher	your	skin	will	look. Improved	circulation	and	the	removal	of	debris	from	your	pores	instantly
improve	the	brightness	of	your	skin. Rose	clay	is	mild	kaolin	clay	that	is	great	for	normal	to	dry	skin	and	gently
helps	cleanse,	exfoliate,	and	improve	skin’s	condition. It	gets	its	delicate	pink
color	from	the	iron	oxides	it	contains. White	clay,	also	known	as	China	clay,	is
basically	kaolinite	and	is	the	mildest	of	all	clays. It	helps	stimulate	circulation
to	the	skin	while	gently	exfoliating	and	cleansing. French	green	clay	consists
mostly	of	montmorillonite	and	is	highly	efficient	at	drawing	oils	and	toxins
from	the	skin. It	also	helps	nourish	the	skin	with	minerals	and	phytonutrients. It	is	great	for	oily	skin	and	is	commonly	included	in	spa	body	wraps. It’s	not
recommended	for	sensitive	or	dry	skin. Yellow	kaolin	clay	is	mild	and
stimulates	circulation	to	the	skin;	it	is	suitable	for	use	on	sensitive	skin	as	well
as	dry	skin. ANCIENT	BEAUTY	INGREDIENT:
ROSE	WATER
Roses	are	one	of	the	most	universally	revered	flowers	for	their	beauty	and	sweet
fragrance,	but	what	can	they	do	for	your	skin. In
ancient	Rome,	rose	water	was
allegedly	used	as	a	cleanser. Some	even	bathed	in	it. Rose	water	has	also	been	a
part	of
Indian	skin	care	for	millennia. Just	like	natural	foods,	natural	skin-care
ingredients	can	impart	their	beautifying	properties	onto	you. Pure,	true	rose	water
is	created	from	steam	distillation	of	damask	rose	petals. It	smells	delicate	and
delicious	and	nothing	like	the	synthetic	and	sickeningly	strong	fragrances	that	are
used	in	toxic	sprays	and	car	air	fresheners. Rose	water	is	said	to	have	some	antibacterial	and	antiseptic	properties	and	is
believed	to	help	restore	the	skin’s	pH	levels	and	tighten	pores. It’s	also	considered
to	be	anti-inflammatory	and	to	help	regenerate	skin	tissue. The	sugars	and	natural
oils	found	in	rose	petals	trap	moisture	in	your	skin,	making	your	skin	look	smoother
and	softer—just	like	the	beautiful	rose	petals	themselves. Plus	rose	water’s	natural
fragrance	can	help	soothe	your	nervous	system. This	will	help	destress	you,
another	key	factor	in	keeping	your	skin	youthful	and	healthy. Try	to	find	some	pure	rose	water	at	a	health	store	and	add	a	few	drops	to	your
cleanser	or	moisturizer. You	can	also	try	using	it	as	a	toner,	either	pure	or	mixed
with	a	bit	of	witch	hazel,	gently	brushing	it	over	your	skin	with	a	cotton	pad	after
cleansing. Bentonite	clay	is	derived	from	deposits	of	weathered	volcanic	ash. It	absorbs
toxins	such	as	heavy	metals	and	other	pollutants	from	the	surface	of	your	skin
like	a	kitchen	sponge. There	is	also	an	electrical	aspect	to	bentonite	clay’s	abilityto	bind	and	absorb	toxins. Bentonite	clay	has	a	negative	electrical	charge,
attracting	positively	charged	molecules. As	most	toxins	are	positively	charged,
clay	naturally	rids	the	body	of	toxins	as	it	pulls	and	holds	the	toxins	in	its
core. 11
Cosmetics	Safety:	Critical	for	Your	Overall	Beauty
Just	because	a	cosmetic	is	sitting	innocuously	on	the	shelf	at	your	local
pharmacy,	there’s	no	guarantee	that	it	is	safe	and	will	not	have	toxic
ramifications	on	your	body. The	US
Food	and	Drug	Administration	(FDA)	has
no	authority	to	require	companies	to	test	cosmetic	products	for	safety,	and
most	products	and	ingredients	are	not	approved	or	reviewed


 the attempt. See yourse lf
as unabl e to stand in front of an audience, and you will not. You
will simply stay away from that experience and justify it by
labeling yourself a shy person. Shy persons make shy pictures
over and over in their minds, and until they can see themselves as
unafraid, they will always act on the picture they create. Regardless of the circumstances  of your life, you are the writer,
director, and producer of your mental images. You will always act
out those pictures. Your circumstances do not determine what
your life will be; they reveal what kinds of images you have
chosen up until now. From the quality of your physical
appearance, to your level of nutritional health, to the state of yourfinancial holdings, to the quality of your relationships and
everything else that requires an action by you, you are acting on
images. Your mind stores away all of the images that you elect,
and you daily carry out the assignments of those thoughts. You cannot have a feeling witho ut first having a thought. Your
behavior is based upon your feelings, which are based upon your
thoughts. So the thing to work on is not to change your behavior,
but those things  inside of your consciousnes s that we call
thoughts. Once your thoughts reflect what you genuinely want to
be, the appropriate emotions and the consequent behavior will
flow automatically. Believe it, and you will see it! 2. Tell yourself  that everything you visualize is already here. Remember what Einstein taught us about time! Time does not
exist in the linear world—it is man’ s invention because of his
limited vision and his need to compartmentalize everything. There really is no such thing as time. Just let these words sink in
and be open to the possibility that they are truthful. Now, in a
universe in which time does not exist, everything that you are
capable of thinking of is alread y here. Where else could it be? That thing in your head that we call a thought is really already
here in the physical world. It is not in another solar system or
another univers e. It is here. But you cannot simply visualize
something and then sit around and wait for it to materialize in
your life. You must understand that the opportunity for bringing
the thought to a physical reality is up to you, and that the physic al
reality is already  here, on this plane and available for you to make
the connection. Your job as a visualizer is to learn to bring it from
the astral world of thought to the physical world of form. Suppose that you visualize yourself selling five million widgets
you have invented. You might say to yourself, “How can this
image already be here if they haven’ t even been manufactured
yet?” Because everything you visualize is already here. But who
is going to buy one widget apiece? Where are those five millio n
people? On another planet? In another solar system? Of course
not. They are here already. Of course, there are many steps inbringing that to form. You must know how to manufacture,
distribute, and advertise your product. The rest of the steps are
already in thought. All you have to do is connect your though ts
with their thoughts to purchase a widget, and what you visualize d
begins to materialize in the world of form. Suppose you visualize yoursel f as someone who can run a
twenty-six-mile marathon. Where are you going to do that? Right
here! Not in another reality system, but right here, now. When the
Wright brothers visualized a plane flying, that reality was alread y
here. We did not need to invent a new reality system in order to
produce flying possibilities for humans. We needed to connect our
thoughts to the reality that was already here. Once those thoughts
were tuned in to the frequency of flying as a possibility, that
became our reality. The healthy person that you visualize yourse lf
to be is already  here, albeit surrounded by the unhealthy earlier
thoughts. Understanding that everything that you are capable of
seeing within your mind is already here will help you to take
responsibility for the entirety of your life. Every thing  is energy. Noth ing is solid. Everything vibrates at
its own level of reality, and while form appears to be solid,  a
simple examination under a microscope reveals that that solid
object is actually alive with danc ing molecules vibrating at a little
less than the speed of light and thus appearing to us to be solid. Energy is the very stuff of the universe, and thoughts are a part of
that “stuff.” So when you are having a thought about somethin g
that you would like to see happen for yourself, remember it is
nothing more than connecting the two frequencies together to
make the reality  happen for you. Keep in mind that if you are
capable of conceiving the idea in your head as an image of
something that you would like, then it is already here. And when
you begin to doubt it, remember to ask yourself, “Where else
could it be if it’s not here in our reality system?” The thought that
I had in my head  as a child of appearing on The Tonight Show, as
difficult as it is for us to grasp, was already here. If time does not
exist, then 1953 and 1976 are essentially the very same thing. If
you know in your heart that your images are already here just by
virtue of the fact that you can think them, then you will stopwaiting around and start working on those images to make them
your physical as well as your inner reality. “Where else could
they be?” is a wonderful questio n to ask yourself when you start
doubting that your images are going to work out for you. 3. Be willing. Forget about the word “determination”! Forget
about perseverance! Forget about personal drive! These are not
the concepts that will help you to understand the visualization
process and bring it into your life. Over and over I hear, “I gave  it
my best shot.” “I really tried hard, and it still didn’ t work out.” “I
persevered for months, and still I didn’ t get what I wanted.” The
key word that is missing from these statements is willing. In order
to make a visualization a reality in the world of form, you must be
willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen. This is the
single most important aspect of visualization and imagery. Everything that you can picture in your mind is already here
waiting for you to connect to it. What needs to be added is your
state of willingness. When I left the university to pursue my dreams I was willing to
do anything. If it meant moving to another part of the country, I
was willing. If it meant borrow ing money, I was willing. If it
meant leaving my family behind  for a time, I was willing, because
I knew my family supported my dreams. If it meant working
eighteen-hour days for years and years, I was willing. When I give lectures on the subject of positive imagery and
creative visualization, someone in the audience will usually say,
“I worke d and worked at my dream and it still didn’ t work out. Why?” My answer to that person is a question: “What is it you
were unwilling to do?” The response is usually something like “I
simply can’t uproot my family and move to a new area just to
pursue my own dreams.” “Perhaps,” I say, “you need to examine
how willing you are to do what it takes to make your dream  a
reality.” I believe that being willing to do whatever  is neces sary to
achieve your dream is a key factor in the accomplishment. Willingness is really a state of mind. It is an internal statement
that says, “I will be happiness and bring it to my undertakings. Iwill take the next step toward making my dream a reality.” This is
not a principle that presuppose s a long list of goals. Quite the
opposite. It is an internal statement of I will do whatever it takes
because that is what feels right to me. I believe  that willingness is proportionate to the rightness of
your path. If you consistently find yourself unwilling, I sugge st
you examine your dream closely. You may be receiving an inner
signal that this is not what you want. Otherwise, you will advan ce
confidently and not stop regardless of what others say, what
obstacles come along, or what evidence suggests that you will not
fulfill your visualization. In my office I have two framed posters. One is a picture of
Albert Einstein,  beneath which are the words “Great spirits have
always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.”
The other poster is made up solely of words: “I am grateful to all
those people who said no. It is because of them I did it myself.”
Great thoughts! Inherent within this third princip le of visualization is the notion
of openness. When you are willing to do whatever is necessary to
form alize your images, your thought s, you open your heart to all
of the possibilities available to you as a human being. Nothing
will be too absurd for you to undertake. No obstruction or
discouragement will enter into your consciousness. You are open
to it all. Further more, when you open yourself up to abundanc e,
you begin acting in abundant ways. So many times along the way


ankha prakhalana. *
Benefits: The esophageal walls and the digestive secretory
glands are rejuvenated. The whole stomach is toned, stag
nant gases are eliminated, and gastric disorders improve. When air is retained in the stomach, the student can float in
the water for any length of time without sinking. (5) Ashvini mudra (Horse mudra)
Stage 1: Sit in a meditation asana, relax the whole body,
close the eyes, and breathe normally. Contract the sphincter
muscles of the anus for a few seconds, then relax them for a
few seconds. Repeat this process as many times as possible. * A gentle, systematic method for complete washing of the entire alimentary
canal from the mouth to the anus. 100
Stage 2: Sit as in Stage 1, contracting the anus during in
halation. Retain the breath and hold the contraction, then ex
hale, releasing the contraction. Repeat this process as many
times as possible. Duration: For as long as is comfortable without strain. May
be practiced at any time of the day and at any stage during
yoga practice. Concentration: On the muladhara chakra. Benefits: Control is gained over the sphincter muscles of
the anus (as a horse has). When this mudra is properly per
formed, the escape of prana from the body is prevented, and
this energy can therefore be conserved and directed upwards
for higher purposes. It is very useful for those who suffer
from piles or prolapse of the rectum or uterus, though in
these cases this mudra is most effective if done in conjunc
tion with an inverted pose. Intestinal peristalsis is also
stimulated and constipation is eased. This is an excellent
preparatory exercise for mula bandha. (6) Kaki mudra (Crow beak)
Sit in a meditational pose and make a narrow tube by purs
ing the lips. Concentrate the eyes on the tip of the nose. In
hale slowly and deeply through the mouth and then slowly
exhale through the nose. Again inhale through the mouth
and repeat the process. 101
Duration: For as long as possible. Benefits: The influx of air touches the walls of the mouth
and stimulates the digestive secretions. This mudra is effec
tive in awakening the muladhara chakra and for cooling the
whole body. (7) Khechari mudra (Tongue lock)
Close the mouth and roll the tongue backwards so that the
underside of the tongue touches the back of the palate. Take
the tongue-tip as far back as possible without strain (in this
position ujjayi pranayama may be performed) and hold it
there for as long as possible. If beginners feel discomfort
after a short time, they should relax the tongue for a few
seconds, and then resume the position. (With practice, the
tongue can be stretched enough to be rolled backwards to
stimulate the larynx and pharynx. This stimulation is then
conveyed to the various nerve centers in the brain.) Breathing: Beginners may breathe normally during the
practice, but over a period of months they should gradually
try to reduce the rate of respiration until after two months or
more it is only five to eight breaths per minute (normal
breathing being about sixteen per minute). With careful prac
tice, preferably under expert guidance, the respiration rate
can be reduced even further. Duration: For as long as possible or desired, preferably at
peaceful, relaxed times. Khechari mudra can be performed
in conjunction with other yoga practices. Precautions: If this mudra is performed during physical ex
ercise and a bitter taste is felt in the throat, stop the practice
to avoid any harmful effects. Benefits: This mudra has a subtle influence on the human
body. There are various pressure points and glands in the
cavity behind the palate which have extensive control over
the activities of the body, and the secretions from these are
stimulated by the folded tongue. Saliva is also produced,
which removes feelings of thirst and hunger. Yogis who are
buried underground for long periods of time perform 102
khechari mudra for the duration. This allows them to retain
the breath for as long as they wish without any harm. The
mudra helps to awaken the kundalini shakti, and also to
preserve the vital energy of the body. The form of kechari mudra described here is, properly
speaking, a practice of raja yoga. In the full hatha yoga form,
the tendon beneath the tongue is gradually stretched over a
period of several months until the rear passages can be com
pletely blocked with the folded tongue. When perfected, this
practice can cause detachment of the astral body from the
physical. The consciousness thereby dwells in akasha, the
"space" between the astral and physical dimensions. This
mudra is regarded as very important in the ancient yoga
texts. (8) Prana mudra
Starting
Position
Stage 2 103
Sit in a meditation pose with the spine erect. Close the eyes
and place the hands on the lap. Stage 1: Exhale as deeply as possible, contracting the ab
dominal muscles to expel the maximum amount of air from
the lungs. Perform mula bandha while retaining the breath
and concentrating on the muladhara chakra. Retain the
breath for as long as is comfortable. Stage 2: Release mula bandha and slowly begin a deep in
halation, expanding the abdomen to its fullest extent and
drawing as much air as possible into the lungs. Simul
taneously raise the hands in front of the navel. The hands
should be open with the fingers pointing at each other but
not touching, and with the palms facing the trunk. During this stage, try to feel the prana being drawn from
the muladhara to the manipura chakra as you inhale. The movement of the hands should be coordinated with
the abdominal inhalation. Stage 3: Continue the inhalation by expanding the chest
and simultaneously continue the upward movement of the
hands. At the end of this expansion the hands should be
directly in front of the heart. During this stage, try to feel
prana being drawn from the manipura to the anahata chakra. Stage 4. 104
Try to draw even more air into the lungs by raising the
shoulders. During this action, try to feel the prana being
drawn up to the vishuddhi chakra and then spreading like a
wave to the ajna chakra and eventually to the sahasrara. Coordinate the hand movements with the breath by raising
the hands in front of the throat. Stage 5. Stage 5: Retain the breath inside while moving the hands
out to the sides. In the final position, the hands should be at
the same height as the ears, the arms outstretched but not
straight. Concentrate on the sahasrara chakra. Try to
visualize an aura of pure light emanating from the head. Feel
your whole being radiating vibrations of peace to all beings. Maintain this position for as long as possible without strain
ing the lungs. Then return to the starting position while ex
haling, repeating Stages 1 to 5, but in reverse order. During
the exhalation, feel the prana coming down from the
sahasrara to the muladhara via each chakra. Relax the body
for a short time, breathing deeply and slowly. Concentration: The awareness should move with the
breath and hand movement from the muladhara to the 105
sahasrara and vice versa. When this mudra is perfected, the
student can see the breath extrasensorily as a stream of white
light ascending and descending in the sushumna nadi. Prana
mudra should be performed before meditation. Precautions: Do not strain the lungs. Slowly increase the
duration of inhalation, retention, and exhalation with
regular practice. Benefits: This is a compact mudra, combining pranayama
with the symbolic gesture of a mudra. It is an excellent prac
tice for awakening the dormant vital energy (prana shakti). It
distributes this energy throughout the whole body, thereby
increasing strength, personal magnetism, and health. (9) Navamukhi Mudra (The mudra of nine gates - yoni
Mudra)
Sit in a meditational asana, relax the whole body, and in
hale slowly and deeply. Simultaneously concentrate on each
chakra in turn for a few seconds, feeling the slow ascent of
the breath (prana) and consciousness from the muladhara to
the sahasrara. Retain the breath inside and raise both hands
to the face. Close the ears with the thumbs, the eyes with the
index fingers, the nostrils with the middle fingers, and the
mouth by placing the ring and the little fingers above and
below the lips. Perform mula bandha and vajroli mudra (see
p. 91 and 114). Concentrate on the sahasrara while retaining the
breath inside. Hold the breath for as long


 drops in her eyes and by
washing them by urine. She has cured wounds and other ailments
by use o. f urine. She did all this at Shri Hans's suggestions. 2. Sflrimati X lives at Firozepur (Punjab) and is aged fourty-four. She is somewhat fatty. Seven years before she had pain in her
knees, shoutders and other joints and slowly the pain covered the
wha}e body. There was swelling on alomst all joints. There was
diffculty in walking too. She started urine treatment on 12-5-66 at
Shri Hans's instance. She felt relief only in four or five days. Then
she fasred on urine for five days. There was an all-round reltfe to
her body. Her weight was reduced by about 12 lb. ; constrpatk:m
disappeared; cold was no more; and now feels herself quite mormal.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>
Q: What was the patient's condition before starting urine treatment in the case of Shrimati Kalavati?,
A: Shrimati Kalavati was in pain and had swelling on her back, and was unable to move properly.
Q: What was the treatment that Shri Ranjitbhai B. Parikh used to treat his friend's burning sensation in the fingers?,
A: Shri Ranjitbhai did not provide the specific details of his friend's treatment, but it is mentioned that he used urine to treat his friend's condition.
Q: What was the outcome of Shri Bhikhaji's treatment, who had chronic glaucoma?,
A: Shri Bhikhaji was completely cured of his chronic glaucoma, and his vision improved significantly.
Q: What was the treatment that Shri Vinod Kanaji Motiwala used to treat his son's eczema?,
A: There is no information in the passage about Shri Vinod Kanaji Motiwala's treatment for his son's eczema.
Q: What was the outcome of Shri Raojibhai's treatment of his friend's syphilis?,
A: There is no information in the passage about Shri Raojibhai's treatment of his friend's syphilis.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>&it very heavy expendittll1e
· for their medical studfes beeomes a ·great burden to them. So to
meet their expenses and maintain their standard of nfe, they
become prof-essionats and look at their practice only from the
busif'l€Ss point of view and thus the mission for the servke of the
poor is thwarted. In urine therapy, however, there are no such
temptations because there in every patient is a doctor for himself. It CONCLUSION : 173
reserve his. even an illiterate person can p. is a technique by which this own disposal quite freely. health by the natural menas a a well planned
S iptures mean. Proof Self-revealed :... ~rc. ::md experiences of savants. It IS
compendium of great thoug.knowledge to adopt a. generous and
essential for the progre~ ~f ld answer all the quenes and dou~ts
open-hearted attitude an s ou t the same time with a searchmg
on the basis of the scriptures ~nd ado matically and cond~mn. those
mind To stick to onels own views ~ lead to the falsification of
of others repeatedly would necessan ·~dedness in the field of ·ews Such narrow ml. one1
S own ~1
• er to knowledge itsefl. knowledge bnngs dang d any eXternal proof as
· lso does not nee k h s The power of auto-unne a. h the author of Chara a
its utility is self-re~:ale_d. That ~r:S ~nly, I.e., it is anti-poison and
mmed up its qualitieS m two w than this. It deserves all the
~~a tonic. No savant would.sayhmorervice of human health. gaged m t e se · f attention of persons en 'b the properties of urine o
Great Supports : Ayurve~a d~:c;~o:~ animals may be beneficial
eight types of animals. Th~fi u~n: Charak but it is worthy of research
to human beings as, speo le y h ·r own urine on their systems. to have findings of the eff~cts ~f t el et rid of the disease once for
They instinctively use the•r. ur~e ~~s; of human being and human
all The same holds good m t e be as Ayurveda describes hot,
uri.ne too. The urine of a p.erson m::or but it is so only to another
bitter, bile-increasin~ a~d •:fl~m:e to ~se the urine of other person
rsolt I do notthmk It a ~·sa tall rescribed in urien threapy. :d it is notscientific too. It ~s ".ot,:ant/ auto-urin~ therapy. atp~r
That is why urine therapy IS ldn I in exceptional cases I e
. n be use on Y. bl 1 uch rare person Is unne ca I urine is not ava•la e. n s..
k bite etc. when one s own.. I It means that the
~~:e;-it c;n be used in extern~! a~~~c;~~~~ne~~~ally and in drinking
urine of a healthy person c~n e kue-bite or so.. t'onally as m sna d' g only very excep 1
• ft a mere cursory rea m
I b · n to opme a er Most of the peop e eg•
U.T.-14 174 : AUTO-URINE THERAPY
of the book and without having full deliberation the subject. But on
the basis of my own and others' experience, I can say with all the
emphasis at my command that human urine is harmless and always
beneficial. Used methodically and in proper doses, it is efficacious
in all diseases. I say this not as an authority but on the basis of
experiences of a number of patients from India and abroad. The
statement of the well-known Vaidya like shri Bapalalbhai and a
writer on Ayurvedic subjects, cannot be doubted when he
unreservedly supports urine therapy. He has written on the
experiments which he had carried out as true and enquiring Vaidya. Similarly. the d~scription of two T.B. patients cured by Dr.
Gunanidhi Bhatt by means of urine therapy is no doubt genuine. All the descriptions of the cases in this book are genuine facts based
on self-experience. There is absolutely no exaggeration in the
presentation of all these cases. Must B.e Made Universal : The problem is how to make it
universally useful. A number of friends have advised me to start
hospitals where patients can be treated ·exclusively on urine therapy
but I am against it, as I believe that it should become a household
treatment. Every mother should be an adept in it and use it like
homely medicenes. The urine therapy does not require any
expenditure nor does it require any storage. The message of urine
therapy should reach every home and village. It will surely be
evolved into a scientific systme automatically. The intelligentsia can
very well further its progress and can work out a thorough scientific
method. All attempts in this direction are quite well come. Our tl'lis much will not suffice. We shall have to make more and
more experiments and establish a definite system. We shall have to
regularize it and put some restrictions also on its haphazard use. Urine is beneficial in its pure and natural state. I doubt if its efficacy
can be improved through any mixture with it. Yet if someone tries to
increaie effic;:acy of utility through natural methods, I have no
objection. But one should be careful in such an attempt as it would CONClUSION : 175
0
• ma mind it WO!Jid be a vain dabble with its original potentiality. To y
attempt. 0 a ree to start health centres in
With such· an attitude I w?uld h g • atients may be treated and
Gujarat and other parts of ln~~l=l e~:dyas, allopaths, diecticia~s
restored to perfect health. S.. y undertake research of thiS
and others interested in mediCine :~:de ofdevotion service and
therapy in such centres, but an_ a 'Tuh hould pr~pare detailed
.. · h ·mary necess1ty. ey s f self-sacnf1ce IS t e pn.. var ing methods treatment rom
reports of diseases, cas~-h,ston~s,. ;ons during the course of
patient to patient, actions an :~~~~ and established a scientific
treatment so that there can be e
full-proof system. d. e a fair trial to this
The intelligent reader isberequfie~t~ a~~r gpl:rsonal test, it should
ot is proved ne 10a f 1 systmeo In case, '.. d ublicity. If there is any au t, every
be given


,	that	pure	emptiness	isn’t	possible. An	invisible	ether	that	can’t	be
seen	or	measured	allows	light	to	travel	from	the	stars,	as	water	allows	ripples
to	spread	when	a	rock	is	thrown	into	a	pond. Without	a	medium	to	pass
through,	light	waves	have	no	way	to	move	from	point	A	to	point	B. The	ether	suffered	a	decisive	setback	in	the	1880s	when	two	American
scientists,	Albert	Michelson	and	Edward	Morley,	proved	that	light	traveled	at
the	same	speed	no	matter	what	direction	it	moved	in. This	was	important
because	the	so-called	“ether	wind”	that	was	thought	to	sweep	energy	through
the	universe	should	have	made	light	travel	slower	going	upstream	than
downstream. When	Michelson	and	Morley	proved	that	this	wasn’t	true,	even
Einstein	became	convinced	that	space	was	a	void	without	activity,	a	belief
that	was	also
wrong
,	as	it	turns	out. Physicists	now	believe	that	space	is	full	of
activity	in	the	form	of	invisible	fluctuations	in	the	quantum	field. These	so-
called	virtual	fluctuations	account	for	matter	and	energy	and	also	for
distortions	in	time	and	space. Thus,	in	a	curious	way	the	disproved	notion	of
the	ether	has	been	revived	indirectly. To	find	out	where	matter	and	energy	come	from,	physics	wound	up
positing	a	universal	field	that	envelops	not	just	what	we	observe	but
everything	that	could	possibly	exist. Modern	physics	finds	it	easy	to	make	the
material	world	disappear	into	nothingness,	but	that	is	deeply	disturbing,
almost	as	disturbing	as	the	disappearance	of	a	dying	person. Here	is	how	the
disappearing	act	of	a	rock,	tree,	planet,	or	galaxy	works:
First,	the	rock,	tree,	or	planet	disappeared	from	sight	when	scientists
realized	that	solid	matter	is	made	up	of	atoms	that	cannot	be	detected	by	the
naked	eye. Second,	atoms	disappeared	when	it	was	discovered	that	they	are	made	upof	energy,	mere	vibrations	in	the	void. Finally,	energy	disappeared	when	it	was	found	that	vibrations	are
temporary	excitations	in	a	field,	and	that	the	field	itself	doesn’t	vibrate	but
maintains	a	flat,	constant	“zero	point. ”
Theoretically,	to	reach	the	zero	point	in	Nature	one	could	cool	empty
space	down	to	absolute	zero,	and	instantly	everything	would	cease	to	vibrate. Yet	the	zero	point	also	exists	here	and	now—it	provides	the	starting	point
from	which	everything	in	the	universe	springs. Since	matter	and	energy	are
constantly	emerging	and	then	vanishing	back	into	the	void,	the	zero	point
serves	as	the	switching	station	between	existence	and	nothingness. Newton
had	established	that	matter	and	energy	cannot	be	destroyed,	but	they	can
oscillate	in	this	shadowy	way	at	the	subatomic	level,	as	long	as	the	sum	total
of	matter	and	energy	isn’t	altered. The	Zero	Point	Field
It	wouldn’t	be	so	disturbing	if	this	vanishing	act	was	due	to	occur	only	when
the	cosmos	dies	billions	of	years	from	now	by	cooling	down	to	absolute	zero. Nor	would	it	be	so	disturbing	if	matter	only	collapsed	into	the	void
theoretically. Such	isn’t	the	case,	however. Matter	and	energy
have
	to
disappear. If	they	remained	stable,	which	is	how	rocks,	trees,	and	planets	look
to	the	eye,	chaos	would	break	loose. Matter	would	exist	only	as	randomly
floating	particles	in	interstellar	space. Exploded	bits	of	the	Big	Bang	would	be
flying	apart	at	millions	of	miles	an	hour	without	any	relationship	to	one
another. There	would	be	no	forms,	no	evolution,	no	organization—in	other
words,	no	universe	as	we	know	it. At	best,	gravity	could	possibly	pull
together	larger	clumps	of	matter,	but	gravity	is	also	a	wave	function	that
fluctuates	around	the	zero	point. The	fact	that	chaos	doesn’t	totally	dominate	remains	a	huge	mystery,
which	may	only	be	solved	by	Akasha. Here	the	needs	of	physics	and	the
Vedic	rishis	begin	to	converge	in	startling	ways. The	rishis	were	focused	on
consciousness	as	a	universal	principle. But	to	have	a	thinking	universe,	they
needed	to	explain	how	the	cosmic	mind	works,	how	it	holds	itself	together
and	organizes	itself	into	thoughts. If	the	“mind	field”	was	totally	stable,	it
would	be	a	dead	zone,	or	at	best	filled	with	a	constant,	meaningless	buzz. Physics	also	needs	to	know	how	the	universe	holds	itself	together	and
organizes	into	coherent	forms. Otherwise,	the	inconceivable	fireball	that
appeared	at	the	instant	of	the	Big	Bang	would	have	blown	itself	apart,	the	way
dynamite	blows	itself	apart,	without	bothering	to	create	forms	along	the	way. Physics	was	drawn,	step-by-step,	into	the	void	because	nothing	in	the
visible	world	was	adequate	to	explain	what	had	to	be	explained. The	zero
point	became	an	all-inclusive	“field	of	fields”	that	encompasses	every	unseen,or	virtual,	particle	in	the	universe. It	was	calculated	that	the	zero	point
contained	10	to	the	40th	power	more
energy
	than	the	visible	universe—that	is,
a	one	followed	by	forty	zeros. The	void	turned	out	to	be	a	seething	exchange
of	energy,	not	just	between	photons	and	electrons	but	in	every	conceivable
quantum	event. Suddenly	the	unseen	has	become	incredibly	more	powerful
than	the	seen. But	in	what	way	is	the	“field	of	fields”	like	a	mind,	the	thing
the	rishis	were	looking	for. Thinking,	the	basic	operation	of	the	mind,	organizes	reality	to	make	sense. The	universe	does	this	physically. It	forms	complex	systems. DNA	is	one
example,	but	genes	didn’t	create	life	simply	by	stringing	simple	molecules
along	a	double	helix. There	are	spaces	between	each	genetic	bit,	and	this
sequencing	is	all-important. An	amoeba	differs	from	a	human	being	in	the
sequence	of	carbon,	oxygen,	hydrogen,	and	nitrogen	along	its	genes,	not	in
the	atoms	themselves. The	fact	that	empty	spaces,	or	gaps,	between	genetic
material	are	so	important	brings	us	back	to	the	void,	where
something
	is
arranging	random	events	so	that	they	are	meaningful. Once	a	form	has	been	created,	it	has	to	be	remembered	in	order	to	stay
together. The	universe	remembers	what	it	has	created	and	meshes	it	with	older
systems. The	Earth’s	ecosystem	is	a	good	example. Life-forms	constantly
relate	to	each	other	in	exquisite	balance. The	oxygen	given	off	by	plants
during	photosynthesis,	for	example,	would	eventually	poison	the	entire
atmosphere,	killing	off	all	vegetation	that	needs	carbon	dioxide,	were	it	not
for	the	evolution	of	animals,	which	consume	the	oxygen	and	return	carbon
dioxide	back	to	plants. This	extremely	complex	balance	can	be	traced	back	to
the	void,	where	every	single	fluctuation	of	virtual	energy	is	passed	along	and
absorbed	by	a	virtual	particle	in	need	of	energy. (As	one	popular	writer	has
put	it,	it’s	as	if	the	cosmos	were	passing	along	a	penny,	so	that	every


 brush in his mouth. An elderly gentleman had fallen down the stairs and was admitted to the
hospital in a coma. He and his wife had been married over sixty years. The
next day she had a heart attack and was admitted to the medical service. He
was in coma, she was on a respirator, and they were on two dif ferent floors. I suggested to the intern that he should let each of them know about the
other ’s condition, since there obviously could be no direct communication. I
said, “If one dies, the other ought to know what has happened.” The interns
all thought it was spooky, so I whispered in the ear of each what had
happened to the other. The next day I came to the hospital, and the intern said, “Do you know
what happened?” I said, “No. What?” He said, “Mr. Smith died, and I had
picked up the phone to call the intern on the medical floor to get the phone
number of the niece who was the next of kin. The intern there said, ‘That’ s
funny. I’m looking for it. What do you need it for?’  Mr. Smith had just died,and the other intern said his wife had just died. The wife followed him by
five minutes.” What a gentleman—he went and picked up his wife, and they
left together. A drawn-out, living death happens when feelings are unspoken,
conflicts remain unresolved, and life goes on only for the sake of others. It
occurs when the dying one receives “Don’ t die” messages, which define
death as a failure, something that must be done in secret when doctors and
loved ones are absent. When people achieve peace with themselves and others, it becomes all
right to die, to “relax and enjoy it,” as one of my patients put it. But
paradoxically, as Dr. Ellerbroek has found, this very acceptance may
produce healing. I felt Valerie was only about forty-eight hours from death,
and because of her husband’ s reluctance to accept the situation, I decided to
help get the family together. On Tuesday night I explained the situation to
her husband and suggested that he call their girls to come home from
college. He said he would. On Wednesday night Valerie talked to me about her husband. “Do you
know what he says when you leave? He says, ‘Don’ t die. Don’ t die.’”
I asked her, “Have you ever done anything for yourself in your life?”
“No.”
“Then it’ s perfectly all right to die,” I said. “But, before you die, I’d like
you to straighten out your relationship with your husband.”
I came back later that night. Valerie was out of bed. Pointing toward her
husband, who was standing by the window, she said, “I just told him a few
things, some of which he didn’ t want to hear.”
On Thursday morning she was looking wonderful, and she said, “I have
two questions. Where did all this ener gy come from? And why are the
nurses in my room all the time now?”
I told her, “The nurses are in your room because you’re not dying
anymore, and the ener gy comes from resolving your conflict with your
husband. I don’ t know if a miracle will happen, but I think you should get
up and go home.”
“That is a little scary,” she said. “I thought I was supposed to die
today!”
Tests have shown a significant delay in nurses’  responses to so-called
terminal patients. However, this is not meant to be a derogatory statement
about nurses. They must face their own mortality when they enter a roomwhere somebody is labeled “dying,” a dif ficulty we all face until we’re
comfortable with our own mortality. Valerie’ s remission lasted for two or three months (a “little miracle”),
during which she lived at home, accomplishing beautiful things with her
family. She then died peacefully at home, surrounded by love. This example
did more for the nursing staf f than any number of lectures. They all saw
what happens when someone resolves conflicts and finds new ener gy to
heal. If we could do this with all our patients at an earlier stage, not only
would they live longer and better, but we would probably increase the
number of self-induced cures dramatically. It’s amazing how seldom members of the hospital staf f visit patients
who are close to death. If you shut the door, no one comes in. I was once even questioned about killing someone because of this fear
of seeing death. I was in a meeting when I received a call from Muriel, a
young woman almost unable to breathe and near death from extensive
cancer. She told me, “Y ou say dying’ s easy. I looked up at the sky and said,
‘I’m ready,’ and nothing happened.”
So I explained, “It’ s because you’re too agitated. I can’ t get there till
five o’clock, but then I’ll come and help you.” If patients want to wait they
will. When I came in, she was filled with fear and anger, and had been given
no sedation. I tried to tell her that it is hard to die angry and fearful. It keeps
you oriented to your body. You have to relax and let go. Then I asked for
some morphine, enough to calm her and ease her pain. Because of Muriel’ s youth, this was a frightening scene for the nurses. They had to be thinking, “This could be one of us in that bed.” Only a brave
medical student was there besides me and the patient’ s family. After the
morphine took ef fect, her breathing became easier and we had a wonderful
couple of hours, filled with love and laughter. She literally came alive
again, and at one point said she’d be coming back as the first woman
President. By seven o’clock Muriel looked so much better that I thought maybe
she was changing her mind. I asked her, “Do you mind if I go get dinner?”
She said no. I came back in half an hour, and she had died. I know that was
her way of making it easier for me. The nurses had announced she had died, but, when I walked into the
room, Muriel’ s eyes were open, the intravenous pump was still running, andeverything else was connected, as though she were still alive. The nurses
had dif ficulty dealing with her death. Later that night I heard that one of the nurses had called an
administrator and said I might have killed a patient with morphine. The
administrator wouldn’ t call me, because he wasn’ t an M.D. So it worked its
way up to the medical chief of staf f, who was at a party. The next day the chief of staf f, who knows me well, called me, and I
explained what had happened. But the part that pained me was the nurse’ s
inability to come into that room. She would have seen how beautiful
Muriel’ s last hours were. These hours are gifts of love that help all the
survivors go on. A patient of mine who died recently left me a note saying,
“Thank you for the love. I can take it with me.” She healed me and her
family and all who touched her. The love that flows from a life ended at peace was beautifully expressed
in a poem by Juliet Burch, now a student at St. John’ s College. It was
written at the bedside of her father, who died two days later. Sitting with Pa
The man who was/is my father
His laboured, rhythmical breathing
The slightness of his stature now
I hold his warm hand and
The room is peaceful
There is such a lack
of fear
in this room. It is a
peaceful place to die. I am
finally
unafraid to hold the hand of a man who
was so mighty. Meditation
A room that is
difficult to come to,
yet somehow
hard to leave. His opened eye.He is there
but what happens inside him? A pause in the metronome of breath
I come to attention. And then the rhythm
like the tired clock
returns. I wonder if he is
crying
inside. Is he afraid
at all? I worry less—
for I look to discover that
now the hand
being held
is mine. The contrast between a natural, peaceful death and a death artificially
prolonged without dignity has been captured in a similar poem by Joan
Neet Geor ge. Grandmother, When Your Child Died
Grandmother, when your child died
hot beside you
in your narrow bed,
his labored breathing kept
you restless
and woke you when
it sighed,
and stopped. You held him through the bitter dawn
and in the morning
dressed him, combed his hair,
your tears welled, but you didn’ t weepuntil at last he lay
among the wild iris in the sod,
his soul gone inexplicably to God. Amen. But grandmother, when my child died
sweet Jesus, he died hard. A motor beside
his sterile cot
groaned, and hissed, and whirred
while he sang his pain—
low notes and high notes
in slow measures
slipping through the drug-cloud. My tears, redundant,
dropped slow
like glucose or blood
from a bottle.


 I Juice Carrots? Aren’ t Smoothies Filled with Calories? Chapter 20: T en Antioxidant-Rich Fruits and V egetables
Açai Berries
Black RaspberriesW ild Blueberries and Cranberries
Black Plums and Prunes
Blackberries
Red Beans, Kidney Beans, and Black Beans
Artichokes
Garlic
Cabbage and Broccoli Rabe
Purple Cauliflower
Appendix: Metric Conversion Guide
Cheat SheetJuicing & Smoothies For Dummies®
by Pat Crocker
Juicing & Smoothies For Dummies®
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Crocker, Pat
Juicing and smoothies for dummies / Pat Crocker. Includes index. ISBN 978-1-118-38749-8
1. Fruit juices. 2. Vegetable juices. 3. Smoothies (Beverages). I. Title. TX840.J84C75 2012 641.87’5 C2012-902736-7ISBN 978-1-118-39570-7 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-39571-4 (ebk); ISBN
978-1-118-39569-1 (ebk)
Printed in the United States
1 2 3 4 5 RRD 15 14 13 12 11
About the Author
Pat Crocker knows about food, herbs, and health from the
ground up. She has enjoyed a long career teaching, researching,
writing about, growing, and speaking about healthy food and
herbs. A home economist (Ryerson University, BAA, 1975), she
taught high school immediately upon graduating from the
University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in
Education. After leaving teaching, Pat started a niche food public relations
company, Crocker International Communications, Inc.,
operating in Toronto with food and consumer accounts. She
sold the company, moved to a log cabin on the Saugeen River in
southern Ontario, and hosted Riversong Herb Walk and
Gourmet Lunch programs in the 1990s. Now an award-winning author and regular writer for food and
garden magazines, Pat’s articles have appeared in national and
international magazines and newspapers. She has been proﬁled
in Herbs for Health and the Toronto Sun; on Canada’s CTV, CBC,
and City Television; and on radio stations throughout the
United States and Canada. She lectures about food and herb
topics throughout the United States and Canada. The 2011 International Herb Association Professional Award
given for outstanding contributions to the Herb Industry and
the 2009 Gertrude H. Foster award from the Herb Society of
America for Excellence in Herbal Literature have both honoredPat. Her books, The Juicing Bible and The Vegan Cook’s Bible
have won “Best in the World” awards from the International
Gourmand Culinary Guild. Pat’s other books include The Healing Herbs Cookbook; The
Juicing Bible; The Smoothies Bible; The Vegetarian Cook’s Bible;
The Vegan Cook’s Bible; The Yogurt Bible; 150 Best Tagine
Recipes; Everyday Flexitarian: Recipes for Vegetarians and Meat
Lovers Alike, co-authored with Nettie Cronish; Oregano; Herbs of
the Kasbah; Pelegoniums, co-authored with Joyce Brobst and
Caroline Amidon; and Preserving: The Canning and Freezing
Guide for All Seasons. Pat’s lifework embraces food, her spirit is entwined with plants,
and she nourishes readers, listeners, and audiences with her
knowledge and love of both. Dedication
This is a book for people who envision a healthy life for
themselves and their families. I dedicate it to you, no matter
where you are on the path to healthy living. Author ’ s Acknowledgments
With 13 books under my pen, I have come to understand how to
write cookbooks. I’ve worked with co-authors, editors, copy
editors, food editors, designers, recipe testers, and several
publishers. And from each, I have learned more about the
business of developing, testing, and writing recipes; researching
health issues; and the art of writing. Thanks to all the
professionals for sharing what they know. I was delighted to write this book for John Wiley & Sons Canada. Thanks to Anam Ahmed, acquisitions editor, for asking.Elizabeth Kuball is amazing. While we’ve never met face to face,
I know that we would have much to discuss if ever we did. Her
editing skills have shaped this book from the Table of Contents
forward. It’s nice to know that someone has your back, and with this
book, I had three experts on my team: Emily Nolan tested the
recipes, Patty Santelli did the nutrition analysis, and Candice
Schreiber was the technical editor. Thanks for your professional
work on this book. After 13 books, my family and friends know the drill. They give
me space and time to do the long and solitary job of crafting
words for paper. They nurture me when I just want to linger in a
garden or on a trail. And they cook and clean. Thank you