?,
A: Change your feelings and the situation will change.
Q: What is the key to receiving what you want in life?,
A: Focus on what you love and feel good about it, and the law of attraction will bring it to you.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>The more you give love and feel good, the more magnetic your field
becomes and the more it expands, drawing, everything and everyone you
love to you! Imagine that! Love is the Power That Connects
Everything
"When a ll the people in the wor ld love one another, then the str ong will not
overpower the weak, the many will not oppr ess the few, the wealthy will not
mock th e poor, the honor ed will not disdain the humble, and the cunning
will not deceive the simple." (M ozi Chinese Philosopher Cir c a 470- 391
BC)
Y ou hav e opportunities every day to give love to other peo ple through your
good feelings. When you feel happy, it is your guaran tee that you w ill be
giving p ositivity and love to wh omever you come into contact with. When
you give  love to anyone, the lov e will return to you, but in a far  gre ater way
than you may have realized. When yo u give love to another p erson, if your l ove af fects the other person
so p ositively that they then give love to someone else, then no matter how
many people are positively af fected, no matter how far your love travels, all
that love comes back to you. N ot only do you receive back the love you
gave to the original person, you receive all the love back from everyone
who was af fectedl And the love returns to you dressed as positive
circumstances, positive people, and positive events in your life. On t he other han d, if you negitively af fect another person,so much that the
person goes on to negatively af fect someone else, then the negativity will
return to you in full. Y ou will receive it ba ck in the form of negative
circumstances af fecting money, your career, your health, or your
relationships. Whatever you give to another, you give to yourself. "If you ar e distr essed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing
itself but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to r evoke at any
moment.” (Mar cus Aur elius 121- 180)

When yo u are feeling enthusias tic, happy, and cheerful, those good feelings
af fect everyone you come into contact with. Even if you connect with a
person just briefly in a store, on a bus, or in an elevator, when your good
feelings make a dif ference to an y person you connect with, the af fect of that
one instance on your life is almost incomprehensible. "Remember ther e's no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act
cr eates a ripple with no logical end." (Scott Adams B. 1957)
Love is the solu tion and the an swer to every relationship. Y ou can never
improve a relationship with neg ativity. Use the Creation Process for your
relationships, an d give love to receive. Use the Keys to Power for yourrelationships. Notice the things you love, make lists of the things you love,
talk about the things you love,  and turn away from the things you don't
love. Imagine having the perfect relationship, imagine it at the highest level
you can,  and feel having it with  all your heart. If you find it dif ficult to feel
good ab out a relationship, then love everything else around you, and just
stop noticing the negative things in the relationship! Love can do anything for you! All you have to do is give love by feeling
good, and any n egativity in your relationships will fade away. Whenever
you are faced with a negative situation in a relationship, the solution is
always love! Y o u won' t know how it will be solved, and you can never
know how, but if you maintain feeling good and give love, it will happen. The message from Lao Tzu, B uddha, Jesus, Muhammad, and every great
being is loud and clear - love! Points of Power

• W ith eve ry singl e person you co me into contact, you are either giving love
or you're not. And based on what you give, that is what you receive. • Give lov e to others through kindness, encouragement, support, gratitude,
or any good feeling, and it comes back to you multiplied in every area of
your life. • Look for the th ings you love in a relationship more than y ou notice
negative things and it will appear as if something incredible has happened
to the other person. • T rying  to change another person, thinking you know w hat is best for
another person, thinking you ar e right and another person is wrong is not
giving love
• Criticizing, blaming, complaining, nagging, or findingfoult w ith another
person is not giving love! • Y ou have to be happy to receive the happy versions of other people! • The force of love presents you with a whole array of Personal Emotional
T rainers, disguised as everyday  people, but they are all training you to
choose love
• Y ou can stick  everyt hing you love a nd want to you by looking for the
things y ou love in other people, and saying yes to those qualities with all of
your heart! • Y ou can't talk about or hear negativity and have good feelings!• Life is presenting every person and circumstance to you so you can choose
what you love a nd what you don't love. When you react to an ything, you
are reacting with your feelings, and as you do, you are choosing it! • Y ou can't change a negative situation with bad feelings. If you keep
reacting negativ ely, your bad feelings will magnify and m ultiply the
negativity. • If you' re feelin g fantastic, the force of your magnetic field creates a shield
that no negativ ity can penetrate. • Changing the way you feel is e asy compared to running around trying to
change the circumstances o f the outside world. Change your feelings and
the outside circumstances will change! • The more you give love and feel good, the more magnetic your field
becomes and the more it expan ds, drawing everything and everyone you
love to you! The Power And Health

"Natural for ces within us ar e the true healers of disease. " ( Hippocrates
Father Of W estern Medicine Cir ca 460 - 370 BC)

What do es it mean to be healthy? Y ou may think that being healthy means
that you  are not sick, but being  healthy is far more th an that. If you feel
okay, or average, or nothing much at all, you are not healthy. Being he althy is feeling the same way as little children feel. Little children
are bursting with ener gy every  day. Their bodies feel light and flexible;
moving is ef fortless. They're light on their feet. Their minds are clear;
they're happy, and free of w orry and stress. They sleep deeply and
peacefully every  night, and they  wake up feeling completely ref reshed, as if
with a brand-new  body. They fe el passionate and excited about eve ry new
day. Look at li ttle children and you will see what being he althy really
means. It is the way you used to feel, and it is the way you should still feel! Y ou can feel this  way most of the time, because unlimited health is
available to you unceasingly thro ugh the force of love! There is never a
second that anything is withheld from you. Whatever you want is yours,
and that includes unlimited health. But you have to open the door to receive
it!What Do Y ou Believe? "For as he think eth in his heart, so is he." ( King Solomon in Pr overbs 23:7
- Cir ca 10th Century BC)

These are among the greatest words of wisdom ever given, but what do they
mean, "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he"? What you think in your heart is what you believe to be true. Beliefs are
simply r epeated thoughts with strong feelings attached to them l ike, "I catch
colds ea sily," "I  have a sensitive  stomach," "I find it hard to lose weight,"
"I'm alle r gic to that," "Cof fee k eeps me awake." All these are beliefs, n ot
facts. A belief is when you have made up y our mind, the verdict is in, you
've nailed the door shut and thrown away the key, and  there is no room for
negotiation. But  whatever you b elieve and feel is true will be true for you,
whether your beliefs help you or harm you. Whatever beliefs you give out,
the law of attraction says you must receive back. Many people have more fearful beliefs about disease than they have good
beliefs a bout hea lth. It's not surp rising because of the attention t hat is given
to di sease in the world, and you are surrounded by that every day. In spite
of all the advan ces in medicine, diseas


 (trans-fatty acids). Trans
fats are a big no. Also, while nursing, it is best not to follow a low-fat
diet (unless for medical reasons). Use ghee for all cooking, or use
sesame oil if you are vegan for moral or ethical reasons. (Ghee does
not contain lactose, so consider using ghee as a source of fat in your
postpartum diet, if you normally don’t eat dairy because you cannot
digest it well.) Fermented foods and leftovers. All leftovers (cooked food left for
longer than six hours) give of f their degenerative energy, even those
that are normally easy to digest. They slow rejuvenation and often
clog digestion and body channels. Make enough food for just lunch
and dinner for the family. In addition, avoid fermented foods such as
soy sauce, vinegar, pickles, tempeh, miso, most cheeses, and
mushrooms. Honey in cooking. Heating honey is proven to create toxic
accumulations over time in the body’ s channels and around nerves,
and it is considered one of the most dif ficult toxins to remove. Raw
honey or honey used in warm (not hot!) beverages is fine. Leavenings. Yeast, baking powder, and baking soda all strain
mama’ s and baby’ s digestion and therefore are best avoided. Touching Heaven  also warns that postpartum mothers should cut down on
consumption of drying, bitter, and astringent herbs (which may include
chamomile, raspberry leaf teas, turmeric, and sage) and should completely
avoid cof fee, sodas, chocolate, alcohol, garlic (dry, raw, or undercooked),
onion, radishes, chilies, and the cabbage family. All these details aside, Ayurveda says that just as important for digestion
as what  you eat is how you eat. As often as possible, have your main meal
at noon, do not eat your next meal until your previous one is fully digested,
and sit down while eating. Breathe deeply, become present, chew, really
taste, and enjoy your food. Let it nourish you and your little one.MEALTIME IDEAS FOR POSTPARTUM MAMAS
In the weeks postpartum, you can gradually increase the complexity of
those very simple first foods recommended after birth, by decreasing
soupiness and increasing density as your appetite and capacity to digest
food increases. When introducing a new food, be alert to how it af fects your
digestion. If you feel bloated or gassy, revert to the simpler first foods
before trying something else. With each new list, you can include the foods
in the previous list. DAYS 1–5
Breakfast:  porridge, soupy oatmeal, cream of rice, Cream of Wheat,
kanji—all with adequate spicing, some good-quality fat, and iron-rich
sweetener
Savory options:  savory kanji
Snack:  warm smoothie, stewed dried fruit
Lunch/dinner:  vegetable broth or a very light blended vegetable
soup
Herbal allies:  fenugreek tea, sweet water lactation tea (see this
page  for a recipe), black pepper tea, herbal chai, ginger tea, fennel
tea, cinnamon tea, chamomile tea or moon milk tea (see this page )
to soothe your nerves and help you relax into appropriate sleep. DAYS 5–14
Breakfast:  thicker porridge (possibly) and a small amount of soaked
nuts or seeds (for instance, walnuts, peeled almonds, pumpkin
seeds, sunflower seeds, macadamia nuts, cashews, pecans, hemp
seeds), healthy fat and optional warm milk, savory porridge
Snack:  same as days 1–5, plus you can add in fresh, sweet, juicy
room-temperature fruit (for instance, berries, sweet oranges or
mandarins, mangos, peaches, nectarines), almond/date shakeLunch/dinner:  same as days 1–5, but increase complexity—grains
cooked with 1:6 grain-to-liquid ratio or a thin, liquid dal
Herbal allies:  ginger with lime and salt, sweet water lactation tea,
fresh ginger tea or tea bag, fennel tea
GROCERIES FOR DA YS 1–10 POSTP ARTUM
Carbohydrates:  basmati rice, cream of rice, tapioca, oats, semolina
flour, Cream of Wheat
Sugar options:  raw cane sugar, date sugar, coconut sugar,
molasses, maple syrup, jaggery (Indian molasses sugar)
Fats:  ghee, sesame oil (not toasted), olive oil
Proteins:  split mung beans, red lentils, nut milks, nonhomogenized
whole milk, almonds, cashews (more nuts if you are dairy-free)
Fruits:  soaked and dried iron-rich fruits such as dates, apricots, figs,
and golden raisins
Sweet juices:  apple, white grape, apricot
Vegetables:  asparagus, carrots, okra, fresh fennel, dill, cilantro,
roasted garlic, fresh fenugreek/methi
DAYS 15–28
Breakfast:  same as above (for a savory option: savory porridge
made with salt and black pepper), miso soup, dal soup with rice,
almond date shake
Snack:  same as above plus spiced nuts and seeds, nourishing
beverages, lactation cookies
Lunch/dinner:  grain cooked in a 1:3 (grain to liquid) ratio (wider
variety, still soupy but less so than before), increased complexity in
protein sources, increased complexity of meal (protein, grain,
vegetables)GROCERIES FOR DA YS 10–21 POSTP ARTUM
Carbohydrates:  quinoa, amaranth, unrefined flours, couscous, rice
pastas
Fats:  high lignan flaxseed oil, raw butter
Proteins:  fresh yogurt, ricotta, cottage cheese, paneer, urud dal,
roasted tahini
Thickeners:  arrowroot powder, kudzu powder
Fruits:  apples and pears (cooked), sugar or yellow figs, sweet
oranges, sweet berries, limes, avocados
Fruit juices:  cherry, peach, apricot
Dried fruits (soaked):  cherries, currants, prunes
Vegetables:  beets (if lochia has diminished); greens such as chard,
kale, or spinach (if craved); sweet potatos or yams; winter squash;
pumpkin
DAYS 29–42 AND AFTER
Breakfast:  oatmeal, Cream of Wheat, cream of rice, cream of
quinoa, barley gruel, sautéed greens
Snack:  fresh juicy fruit, cooked fruit, soaked and roasted nuts or
seeds with digestive spices
Lunch/dinner:  more complex food combinations; wider variety of
vegetables, proteins, grains; more complexity in meal components
GROCERIES FOR WEEKS 3–6 POSTP ARTUM
Carbohydrates:  sprouted bread, whole-grain pastas
Fats:  cocoa butter, coconut oil (if mama is not feeling cold)
Proteins:  adzuki beansFruits:  fresh papaya or mango, freshly squeezed orange juice or
pineapple juice, tamarind
Vegetables:  artichoke, summer squash (chayote, zucchini, yellow),
green beans, parsley, parsnips, fresh basil
POSTPARTUM SPICES AND HERBS
The following beneficial spices are good to have on hand to cook with,
make teas from, and flavor foods with throughout the entire postpartum
window, as they support digestion and/or milk production:
Black pepper:  increases internal heat, removes toxins, increases
circulation, and supports digestion
Cardamom:  helps balance emotions, respiratory function, and
digestion
Cilantro:  purifies the blood, increases digestion, and supports
detoxification
Cinnamon:  enhances the quality and quantity of milk, improves
digestion
Coriander:  eases gastrointestinal discomfort, stimulates appetite,
assimilates nutrients, aids in gentle detoxification
Cumin:  aids digestion and provides a mild hormonal and cooling
support
Fennel:  helps lactation and digestion, reduces heat and acidity, and
is a gentle diuretic
Fenugreek:  supports lactation, rejuvenation, respiration, and
digestion; may help the uterus release placental fragments when
used in a stronger tea
Garlic (roasted, not raw):  supports immunity, digestion, and the
circulatory system; is also very grounding, is consideredrejuvenating, and supports the quality and quantity of mama’ s milk
Ginger:  offers warmth and grounding along with excellent digestive
and respiratory support
Pippali:  nourishes the blood, nerves, and reproductive tissues;
supports digestion and healthy metabolism
Saffron:  increases the medicinal benefits of other herbs and
supports reproductive rejuvenation; beneficial for the mind,
emotions, and heart
POSTPARTUM MAMA RECIPES
The recipes in the rest of this chapter are some of the main recipes I lived
on for my first forty-two days postpartum. Start with three days


 in the wind.”
— D AVID  R. H AWKINS, M.D., P H.D. Have you ever seen a tree in autumn with half its leaves gone and then a
powerful gust of wind blows through and all the remaining leaves drop
instantly to the ground? This book can be that powerful wind for you. Like
the tree that’s already dropped many of its leaves, you are ready to let go of
a lot of old ways of thinking and limiting patterns of anxiety, grief, guilt,
shame, and anger. Let this book be the force that clears away the rest of the “leaves” that
you’re hanging  on to without even realizing they’re there—the false
promises of the ego, those hard-to-see attachments and false beliefs that
prevent you from realizing that you are one with All. As we know by
watching the seasons, a tree has to go through the winter ’s letting go before
it can yield the springtime’ s blossoms. Are you willing to let go of seein g yourself as the ego believes you to be? Are you willing to go further, to know that the ego itself  is an illusion? Dr.
Hawkins tells us that even the idea of the separate self as a seeker of Truth
is an illusion: “It is a hindrance to consider that there is a personal self or an
‘I’ or an ego that is doing the striving or seeking, or that will become
enlightened. It is much easier to realize there is no such thing as the ego or
an ‘I’ identity that is doing any seeking; instead, it is an impers onal aspect
of consciousness that is doing the exploring and seeking.”
This process is a shift from “who” we are to “what” we are. I learned this
from Dr. Hawkins in a funny way. One day he made up a nickname for me,
“Fran-Fran,” and this instigated a series of knock-knock jokes between us:Doc: Fran-Fran. Fran: Doc-Doc. Doc: Knock-knock. Fran: Who’ s there? Doc: It’ s not a “who” but a “what.”
We then broke into laughter. Do you see how brilliant he was at using
humor to crack open old habits of perception? Even as he connected to me
as a person, a “who,” his humor cut through the illusion of personhood. He
said, “You are not a ‘who’ but a ‘what.’” The ego personality is fixated on
being a successful “who” in the world, such as “I am this... I’ve done that
... I own this... I believe in that...” Dr. Hawkins recommends that,
instead of focusing on “who” we are, we ask ourselves in continual
contemplation, “ What  am I?”
As we surrende r “who” we think we are, we come to the “what,” the
Source of existence itself. Letting go of identities and personas,  beliefs and
attachments, and even letting go of ourselves as seekers, what is left? I remember a moment when I was with him and it dawned on me: “I’m
not a professor, though I work as one. I’m not a devotee, though I serve as
one. I’m not a woman, though  I live as one. I’m not a ‘me,’ though I
function as one.” The “what” replaces “who.” Love dissolves every “who”
we try to hang on to. The river loses its name when it flows into the sea. In this book, key teachings from Dr. Hawkins’ s body of work have been
selected to guide us in this process of Self-realization. Any one of the
teachings, if applied directly, reveals the Truth. “Any leg of the elephant
leads to the elephant,” as Dr. Hawkins says. As we read the book, Dr. Hawkins recommends that we seek to “know”
rather than “know about.” “Know” implies subjective experience; “know
about” means to accumulate facts. And he also recommends this inner prayer:
Ask to be the servant of the Lord, a vehicle of Divine Love, a
channel of God’ s Will. Ask for direction and divine assistance and
surrender all personal will throu gh devotion. Dedicate one’s life to the
service of God. Choose love and peace above all other options.Commit to the goal of unconditional love and compassion for all life in
all its expressio ns and surrender all judgment to God. — The Eye of
the I: From Which Nothing Is Hidden  (2002), Chapter 13:
Explanations, p. 265. If we can give up the illusion of this little “me,” Dr. Hawkins promises
that unsurpassab le joy will be ours: “There is absolutely nothing in ordinary
human experience to compare with the joy of the Presence of the Love of
God. No sacrifice is too great nor effort too much in order to realize that
Presence.” He verifies this promise with the certitude that’s possible only
from having, himself, surrendered everything on the altar of the Ultimate. This book is small in size, but it can have a massive impact on your life. It will take you through the process of a total transformation of
consciousness—if you choose to apply its teachings deeply within yourself. With devotion and gratitude,
Fran Grace, Ph.D.
OceanofPDF.comWhile the mind secretly believes  that its survival is due to the ego, on the
contrary, the person’ s survival is due to the spirit that energizes the ego to
accomplish important tasks. It is because of the intention of the spirit that
the lower self or ego even remembers to take its vitamins. In truth, we exist
and survive, not because of the ego, but in spite of it. The world of the ego is like a house of mirrors through which the ego
wanders, lost and confused, as it chases the images in one mirror after
another. Human life is characterized by endless trials and errors while
attempting to escape the maze. At times, for many people—and possibly for
most—the world of mirrors becomes a house of horrors that gets worse and
worse. The only way out of the circuitous wanderings is through  the pursuit
of spiritual truth. It is important to remember that the world operates within the limited
Newtonian paradigm of linear causality which has its prevailing perceptions
of what is “real.” Spirituality, on the other hand, is based on the invisible
realities and realms of nonduality and therefore may seem unreal or, at best,
an oddity to the ordinary world. Everything is happening of its own; nothing is causing anything else.... It is critical to grasp that the illusion of linear causality as an explanation for
the observed phenomena of life is the major and most profound limitation
of thinkingness.... Mentat ion, reason, logic, and language are all
structured dualis tically, based on the axiom that there is a subject and an
object, that there is a “this” doing or causing a “that.”
That the human mind, without help, is unable to tell truth from falsehood
due to its own innate structure and design is so staggering a discovery that it
is rough ly comparable to the discovery by Copernicus that caused cultural
shock in the 16th century. Beca use this single fact alone is confrontational
to the average mind, it will probably not be welcomed or warmly greeted by
those who profit from sophistry and its illusions. Profound silence  is more influential and beneficial than an avalanche of
redundant word s and actions that emanate from the spiritual ego and its
platitudinous rationalizations. Spiritual rhetoric is still just rhetoric and
represents spirit ual sophistry. Commitment to enlightenment  alters and
recontextualizes social roles. The mind acts as a processor of data simultaneously from both within
and without.... Some of the information is perceived and stored in
memory banks, but there is also unconscious processing of all the data that
is stored  in the unconscious. This processing screening device results in the
1/10,000th of a second’ s delay and acts as a separation between self and
Self/Reality. This processing screen represents “the experiencer” in action. The experiencer  screen is energized by desire and identification with it. This desire is like an appetite of curiosity, wantingness, and craving, and is
an addiction to the experience of experiencing itself. In additi on, there is
identification with experiencing and its content information as “self.”
Energy fields are so powerful that they dominate our perception. They
are really portals out of which we see the world. We often hear that this is
really just a world of mirrors, and that all we experience is our own energy
field reflected back upon us as perception and experiencing. The ego can be thought of as a set of entrenched habits of thoug ht, which
are the results of entrainment by invisible energy fields that dominate
human consciousness. They become reinforced by repetition and by the
consensus of society. Further reinforcement comes from langua ge itself. To
think in language is a form of self-programming. The use of the pronoun I
as the subject—and therefore the implied cause of all actions— is the most
serious error, and automatically creates a duality of subject and object. From a greater context, we can view that the ego is not “evil” but is
primarily a self-interested animal. Unless the “animal self” is understood
and accepted


 process of
generating, distributing, and storing nutrients. Moisture  is an
amorphous substance as well as the process of generating,distributing, and storing uid. Qi is an invisible substance, as
well as an immaterial force that manifests as movemen t and
activity through which it is palpable and observable. Moisture
cannot be separated from the function of moisturizing, Blood
from nourishin g, nor Qi from moving. They are part of a
continuum of tangible forms and immanent functions. Within the body, every phenomenon is a product of the
interaction of Blood, Moisture, and Qi. Without proper Moisture,
the Qi becomes hot and agitated and the Blood  dries up and
congeals. Without Blood, Moisture  is dispersed and Qi is
scattered. Without Qi, Moisture  and Blood  stagnate, coagulate,
and cease circulating. Each constituent exists as an individual
entity and yet depends comp letely upon the larger system, the
body. All functions and processes are interdependent,
cogenerating, and mutually regulating. Moisture, and Qi, earth, sea, and air, the total summation of the life
of the organism, body, or world.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>
Q: How did the medical model gain exclusive dominance in America?,
A: The medical model gained dominance in America through the Carnegie and Rockefeller foundations' subsidized survey of medical schools, which led to the recommendation that only research-based medical schools be funded, resulting in the exclusion of naturopathy, homeopathy, and herbology.
Q: What is the primary focus of Western medicine?,
A: Western medicine focuses on treating the symptoms and curing the disease, rather than promoting overall well-being and health.
Q: What is the role of the doctor in the Western medical model?,
A: The doctor is seen as a heroic figure who can "fix" the body, but not as a holistic caregiver who considers the patient's overall well-being.
Q: What is the concept of Qi in Chinese medicine?,
A: In Chinese medicine, Qi is an invisible, immaterial force that is responsible for the body's processes and interactions, and is the foundation of life and health. It is also seen as the source of disease.
Q: How does the concept of Yin-Yang apply to the human body?,
A: The concept of Yin-Yang is used to describe the interdependent and interconnected nature of the body's processes and functions, emphasizing the importance of balance and harmony in maintaining health.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Each can learn from the other: Yang can
benet from the long-term and thrifty perspective of Yin; Yin can
learn to focus,  express, and actualize energy more like Yang. Yang
needs Yin for its foundation, and Yin needs Yang for its fruition. Yang types tend to become Yin decie nt and Yin types tend to
become Yang decie nt. People who lack Yang have trouble rising
with the dawn and kindling their morning re. They crave sunlight,
warmth, and enjoy spring and summer. Since their own re is low,
they benet from outside stimulation that awakens, motivates, and
activates them. They might be likened to snakes and lizards, which
are dicult to arouse until after they have basked on a warm rock
in the sun. Someone who is Yang decient and lives in a cold
climate will be challenged to maintain circulation, digestion,
enthusiasm, and libido because their limited re is being used to
sustain basic survival. Yang easily becomes overextended by vibrating at a high
frequency, like the honeybee, engaging in incessant work and
activity. Neglecting sleep and nourishment increases the probability
of shortening an intense life. For someone more Yang who lives in a
hot, dry climate, it is a challe nge to avoid dehydration, restlessness,
and irritability. If Yin is decient over time, Yang becomes decient, and vice
versa. Not only do Yin and Yang balanc e each other, they mutually
create each other as well. When Yin is dissipated, Blood  and Moisture
are depleted and Yang Qi loses its source. A person becomes weak,
fatigued, and has a lowere d resistance to stress. When Yang is
decient, vital functions like respiration, digestion, and circulation
are retarded, and the body is unable to generate Blood  and tissue.Again, a person becomes weak and tired with a poor ability to heal
and recover from infection s or injuries. A deciency of one
ultimately becomes a deciency of the other. The stages of disease can also be understood according  to Yin-
Yang patterns. When a disease develops quickly, it is in the acute or
Yang stage. As the disease becom es chronic, it passes into the Yin
stage. Usually acute diseases aect the supercial functions or
surface of the body, where they encounter the rst line of defense,
the wei Qi. If the disease overwhelms the body’s resistance and
penetrates to deeper, second ary layers, the disease enters a Yin or
internal stage. Regardless of where the disease is located or how
long it has existed, it can be classied according to its eects. If the
symptoms are very extreme or severe, the disease is considered an
excess illness, and excess belongs to Yang. If the symptoms are mild
or diuse, it is a deciency syndrome, which belongs to Yin. (see larger image)
OceanofPDF.comReading the Patterns: DiagnosisCHAPTER FIVE
READING THE  PATTERNS : DIAGNOSIS  THE
DOCTOR  AS DETECTIVE, AS ARTIST
Illnesses may be identical but the persons suering from them
are dierent. The … emotio ns and the … excesses aecting
people are not the same. Some people may be strong and others
weak as far as their Qi or the condition of their body is
concerned.…  One’s nature may be tough or soft, one’s sinews
and bones may be rm or brittle  … there are patient s who
suer in their heart from grief, and others who enjoy happ iness. If one treats all those patients who appear to suer from one
identical illness with one and the same therapy, one may hit the
nature of the illness, but one’s approach may still be exactly
contraindicated by the inuences of Qi that determine the
condition of the individual patient’s body.…  Physicians
therefore must carefully take into account the dierences
among the people and only then decide whether the thera peutic
pattern they employ suits  … the individual constitution on the
basis of the criteria mentioned above. Unpublished translation of text by Hsu Ta-ch’un in
1757, translated by Paul Unschuld and presented
in a lecture at the International Acupuncture
Symposium, San Francisco, March 30, 1987. DIAGNOSIS IS THE FIRST STEP IN MEDICAL PROBLEM-SOLVING, ITS TASK IS to
organize a complex set of variables and interpret the relationships
among them. Traditional Chinese categories, techniques, and
objectives dier from what we are used to in the West. The
categories are drawn from Yin-Yang  and Five-Phase  concepts, thetechniques do not rely on technology, and the objective is to
formulate a picture of healthy and distorted patterns of function
rather than named diseases related to a single cause. Like the detective, the doctor unravels mysteries and solves
problems by chasing leads, following hunches, and gathering
evidence. Information is collected, sifted, and classied according to
relevant categories, then interpreted to formulate a hypothesis. Examination uncovers the raw data, and diagnosis explains what,
how, and why events occur red in order to determine appropriate
therapy. Like the police artist who gathers bits of memory from witnesses
to sketch a composite drawing, so the doctor relies on history,
observation, and discussion. The artist incorporates the data into a
preconceived model of human form that shows how bones, muscles,
skin, and hair t together. With each new piece of information, the
drawing alters to more closely resemble the suspect. The doctor
employs the intuitive skills and logical techniques of both the artist
and detective, using theoretical constructs to organize and integrate
information. It usually takes more than one construct to describe reality. Diagnosis employs many distinct yet overlapping frames of
reference to establish the criteria and methods of assessment. Chinese medicine, like Western medicine, searches for causes. The
dierence is that in Chinese medicine, causes are really descriptions
of underlying relationships rather than descriptions of material
agents or pathogens. The Five Adverse Climates  and Emotions  are
often translated into English  as “causative factors,” yet they do not
represent material things like bacteria or viruses. Instead they
describe groups of symptoms  and subjective states. There is no way
to detect or verify these pathogenic inuences excep t by their
manifestations. These phenomena are classied within the broad
parameters of Yin-Yang  and Five-Phase Theory. Greater
dierentiation is elaborated through the more specic concepts of
Qi, Moisture, and Blood, the Eight Guiding Principles, and the
functional models of the Five Organ Networks.Each set of diagnostic parameters provides one


3 breat hing cycles will be done per minute. You
need to complete it within 2 minutes. Third level
An inhalation is performed for 7.5 seconds, then pause for 7.5 seconds, then
exhale for 7.5 seconds, after which pause for 5 seconds. That is, you
performed 2 cycles of breathing per minute. Perform 3 minutes. Fourth level
An inhalation is performed for 10 seconds, a pause for 10 seconds, an
exhalation for 10 seconds, and a pause for 10 seconds. Only one and a half
breathing cycles  are obtained per minute. Perform within 4 minutes. It is
necessary to bring to 1 breath per minute over time. 8. Double br eathe holding

At the beginnin g, perform a maximum pause on the exhale, then on the
inhale, holding the breath as much as possible. Perform 1 time. 9. The maximum pause

Perform the maximum pause in sitting position. Perform 3-10 times. Perform the maximum pause during walking. Perform 3 to 10 times. Perform the maximum pause during squats. Perform 3 to 10 times. 10. Superficial br eathing

Sit down and choose a comfortable position in order to relax as much as
possible. Perform chest breathing, gradually reducing the volume of
inhalation and exhalation until the breath becomes invisible, or becomes
breathing at the level of the nasopharynx. Lack of air can serve as evidence that the exercise is performed correctly: at
the beginning of the exercise, it is light, then medium and at the end strong. On this shallow breathing you need to stay from 3 to 10 minutes. Note. All these exercises according to the Buteyko method should be
performed only by breathing through the nose and without noise. Before
proceeding to the complex, as well as after the complex is completed,
control measurements of the maximum pause and pulse should be made. Exercises should be performed on an empty stomach. Exer cise "Br eathing on the go"

Fig. 28

You have to go with your head held high, with your chin slightly elongated,
keeping your shoulders back and making sure that the steps are equal in
length. Take a full breath, mentally counting to 8 and taking 8 steps at this
time so that the count corresponds to the steps and the breath was taken as if
in 8 stages, but without a break. Exhale slowly through the nostrils,
counting up to 8 in the same way and taking 8 steps at this time. Hold your
breath, continuing to walk and counting to 8. Repeat this exercise until you
feel tired. It should stop the exercise for a while, and after rest, continue. Repeat the exercise several times a day. Some yogis vary this exercise,
holding their breath and counting to 4, then exhale and count to 8. Try this
option. If it turns out to be easier and more pleasant for you, do it. Chapter 12. Exercises to get rid of illnesses and
health problems

Bronchial asthma

Patients with bronchial asthma should exercise at least 2-3 hours a day. At
rest, and then in motion, it is necessary, by an effort of will, to reduce the
speed and depth  of inspiration and to produce a pause after a long, calm
exhalation. It is also necessary at least 3 times a day (morning, before lunch
and before bedtime) to spend 2-3 long (up to 60 seconds or more) breath
holdings after exhalation, acting in the following order:
1. Sit in a comfortable position, leaning slightly against the back of a chair;
2. After exhalation, hold the nose with two fingers and do not inhale until
the desire to inhale is extremely strong;
3. After a delay, take a slow and shallow breath. After each breath holding, you need to rest for several minutes, and then
repeat the exercise. Regular breath holdings normalize the carbon dioxide
content in the blood and prevent asthma attacks. Stress

1. In a stressfu l situation, hold the breath after exhalation for at least 3
seconds or more. 2. “Candle Blow” exercise is also helpful. Take a full breath and hold your breath without tension. Fold lips and
exhale all the air for 3 sharp exhalations. W ith the first exhalation, air leaves
the abdomen, with a second - from the chest, with a third - from the apex of
the lungs. Keep the body and head straight; perform this exercise
vigorously, with enthusiasm. Repeat no more than 3 times. Anxiety, fear, gloom, depr ession

Experts say that all the negative emotions of people accumulate  in the area
between the ribs and the upper abdomen. 1. If a person has given negative thoughts and attitudes a place in his mind
and wants to get rid of them, then you need to do a simple exercise. Inhale
and exhale deeply three times. You need to breathe calmly, without tension. On the third exhalation, you should try to exhale all the air in the lungs. After that - a short breath hold. Next is a breath. Thus, you can fill yourself
with new life-giving ener gy and free yourself from negativity. 2. Another exercise is called “Moon Breathing”. Performed by the left nostril and left lung. It is recommended to clamp the
right nostril and to press the right lung with something. Performing the
exercise brings passivity, peace, a sense of constancy. The action is
creating, enhanc ing digestion, healing and soothing. It helps with anxiety,
sadness and nervous tension. Fatigue

Fig. 29

Exercise “Stimulating breathing” will help you get rid of fatigue. Take a full breath, hold your breath and perform a long exhale through your
mouth. The air should come out as slowly and completely as possible, with
a whistl ing sound, as when pronouncing the sound “c”. Resistance to the
outgoing sound creates a language. Repeat at least 3 times. Headache

“You have a headache,” wrote Konstantin Buteyko. "Immediately reduce
your breathing. How? Start with a maximum pause between inspiration and
expiration. It most rapidly accumulates carbon dioxide. Exhale and make
maximum pause. If you want to breathe deeply, breathe normally
(superficially), then exhale again and again make a maximum pause. Hold
your breath after it. Y our head brightened, the pain was gone. " Stuffy nose, flu

You woke up: one nostril is blocked, and in the other you feel certain
dryness. Then you need to plug this breathing nostril with a handkerchief,
or bury your nose in the pillow. Hold your breath, sequentially tensing the
muscles in any sequence. A blocked nostril will open. And you get up, and
all also consistently tighten your muscles and hold your breath. But in another nostril there is some unusual dryness. The body needs help. Take the onion head, cut across and bring to the nose. Inhale volatile
onions, sniff to tears and blow your nose. Onion volatile products kill the
influenza viruse s in a few minutes while they are on the mucou s membrane
in the nose. Do the same when you first sneeze. Runny nose

“... a chronic runny nose is like a valve that protects the body  from deep
breathing,” Buteyko explained. “What does a person do? Instead of
reducing breathing, it opens its mouth and breathes even more. And he/she
wonders why he cannot cure a runny nose for 20-30 years. Those, who
understands our theory, should shut his mouth, reduced his breath, and in a
minute the runny nose will end. ”
Cough, asthma, angina pectoris

"You can’t coug h in any way, sputum, which covers the walls of the alveoli,
does not allow carbon dioxide to escape," writes Buteyko. "This is also the
protection of the body. When CO2 accumulates during the cleansing
reaction, it will come out without a cough. ”
“In the Peter and Paul Fortress (Saint Petersbur g, Russia), the guide shows
the camera and says that a revol utionary with tuberculosis was put in it, but
he hated the tsar so much that he cured himself by force of will: he did not
allow himself to cough. This can be done if, at the first urge to cough, make a control pause several
times in a row until the desire to cough passes. Do the same with the
beginning attacks of headache, asthma, angina pectoris. In extreme cases,
you can cough through your nose. At the first urge to cough, take the
correct posture and keep it. This is due to muscle tension, which causes
shallow breathin g and the accumulation of carbon dioxide. The desire to
cough will decrease.”
Tiredness and exhaustion

Take a full breath. Hold the air in yourself for a few seconds. Fold your lips,
as if about to whistle (but do not puff out your cheeks) and then, in small
portions, exhale  forcefully through the hole in the lips. Stop for a moment,
holding the air, and exhale again a little. Repeat this


	painful	or	unwelcome. Q:	What	about	justified	resentments. A:	The	willingness	to	let	go	of	resentments	reveals	that	all	so-called
justifications	are	rationalizations	and	excuses. They	are	the	projections	of	blame	and	represent	a	narcissistic
positionality. Resentments	are	really	childish	and	based	on	kindergartennotions	of	fairness. Nothing	in	the	universe	has	anything	to	do	with
fairness. Instead,	everything	represents	universal	justice	outside	present
time	and	locality. All	resentments	represent	the	justification	of	blame,	the
projection	of	responsibility,	and	seeing	oneself	as	victim. For	the	spiritual
student,	even	if	the	other	person	was	‘wrong’,	they	still	have	to	be
forgiven. All	resentments	calibrate	below	the	level	of	200	and	are	not	in
integrity. There	is	no	gain	in	harboring	them. The	modern	trend	toward	‘political	correctness’	is	a	great	source	of
conflict,	strife,	and	suffering	(calibrates	at	190). It	is	based	on	imaginary
‘rights’. In	reality,	there	are	no	such	things	as	‘rights’. These	are	all	social
imaginings. Nothing	in	the	universe	has	any	‘rights’. The	whole	area	of
‘rights’	leads	to	a	‘chip	on	the	shoulder’	paranoid	attitude,	confrontiveness,
conflict,	concepts	of	perpetrator	and	victim,	illusions	of	causality,	and
revenge. All	this	displaces	taking	personal	responsibility	for	one’s	own
experience	of	life,	which	is	the	level	one	has	to	reach	for	integrity. Q:	How	does	humility	undo	the	hold	of	the	intellect. A:	By	fearlessly	exploring	logic	and	reason,	science	itself	comes	to	realize	its
limits	and	its	proper	domain. Eventually,	reason	and	logic	become
circuitous	so	that	one	ends	up	defining	definitions,	categories	of	thought,
and	modes	of	description	from	preselected	points	of	observation. Logic
has	practical	and	useful	applications	in	the	everyday	material	world	that
are	salutary	and	beneficial,	but	they	do	not	lead	to	enlightenment,	which	is
an	entirely	different	endeavor. Q:	But	what	about	morality. Doesn’t	letting	go	of	right	and	wrong	and
judgment	of	others	lead	to	immorality. A:	Denotations	of	right	and	wrong	are	practical	guides	to	behavior	for	people
who	are	not	yet	spiritually	evolved. They	are	a	temporary	substitute	for	a
greater	awareness. Thus,	we	teach	a	child	that	it	is	‘bad’	to	cross	the	street
alone	because	they	lack	the	awareness	of	danger. By	adulthood,	such	a
contextualization	as	right	or	wrong	about	crossing	the	street	is	no	longer
meaningful	or	significant. We	look	both	ways	before	crossing	the	street	to
avoid	being	run	over,	not	because	it	is	wrong	or	bad. With	spiritual
progress,	ethical	values	replace	moralistic	dictums,	just	as	awareness	of
spiritual	truth	replaces	dogma	and	coercive	belief	systems. Behaviors	that
have	to	be	outlawed	to	suppress	their	occurrence	in	the	general	population
have	lost	any	meaning	to	people	who	are	far	more	advanced. Q:	If	there	is	no	‘objective’	right	or	wrong,	then	what	guides	behavior. A:	One’s	awareness	of	Reality	recontextualizes	all	meaning	and	significance
as	well	as	any	appearances. There	are	no	gains	to	be	desired,	no	wrongs	to
avenge,	no	winners	or	losers,	no	causes	to	sacrifice	for. The	guide	to	all
action	becomes	an	unconditional	lovingness,	kindness,	and	compassion. All	choices	have	consequences,	and	there	is	actually	no	injustice	anywhere
to	be	seen	when	one’s	vision	is	unlimited	by	time,	space,	and	perception. Q:	What	about	karma. A:	We	can	avoid	controversy	and	contention	by	not	using	that	term,	which,	in
the	Western	world,	is	associated	with	Eastern	religions	and	spiritual
traditions. Instead,	we	can	observe	the	association	between	actions	and
choices,	both	mental	and	physical,	with	consequences. In	reality,	these	are
not	sequential	but	are	actually	concordant	and	seemingly	separated	by
perception. From	outside	the	duality	of	perception,	an	‘event’	and	its
‘effects’	are	one	and	the	same	thing. Nothing	actually	moves	except	the
point	of	perception	itself. All	religions,	without	exception,	teach	that
decisions,	choices,	and	actions	are	connected	with	consequences	that
appear	and	occur	later	in	‘time’. If	life	is	seen	as	a	continuum	from	one
realm	to	the	next,	then	all	religions	are	the	same	in	that	they	teach	that
actions	have	consequences	in	another	realm	or	condition	of	sequential	life
frame. All	the	religions	teach	that	there	will	be	a	nonphysical	life	that
supersedes	the	physical	one. The	confusion	here	arises	from	the
misidentification	of	this	life	as	physical	and	other	lives	as	nonphysical,	or
recurrently	physical. To	begin	with,	this	life	is	an	inner,	subjective
experiencing	that	includes,	but	is	independent	of,	the	physical	body. Thus,
this	current	existence	is	not	actually	physical,	either. This	life	is	the	subjective	adventure	of	that	mysterious	entity	called	‘I’. This	current	experience	of	the	‘I’	may	consider	itself	physical,	but	that	in
itself	is	an	illusion. Whether	successive	life	experiences	include	the
illusion	of	physicality	or	not	is	really	irrelevant	to	the	inference	and
significance	of	the	sequential	progress	of	conditions. All	‘lifetimes’	are
subjective,	nonphysical,	interrelated,	and	actually	continuous. Each	is
conditioned	and	determined	by	choices,	positionalities,	and	their
consequences. All	possibilities	are	included	in	the	evolution	of
consciousness. Once	consciousness	stops	identifying	with	form,	it	is	then
beyond	karma. It	is	of	considerable	interest	that	newborns	already	have	a	calibratable
level	of	consciousness	at	the	time	of	their	birth,	and	that	this	level	in	most
people	tends	to	persist	throughout	their	lifetime. The	progression	ofconsciousness	in	the	average	human	being	during	one	lifetime	is	an
advance	of	about	five	points. Paradoxically,	however,	the	level	of
consciousness	of	mankind	as	a	whole	remained	at	190	for	many	centuries,
and	only	recently	crossed	the	critical	line	of	200	to	the	current	level	of
207. The	rate	of	increase	of	the	general	level	of	consciousness	is	held	back
by	the	immense	number	of	people	who	continue	to	make	negative
decisions	and	choices. Q:	Is	karma	therefore	related	to	form. A:	Preexisting	conditions	of	consciousness	consist	of	patterns	expressed	as
prevailing	energy	fields	of	relative	power. Each	level	contains	within	it	the
unresolved	issues	and	limitations	that	characterize	that	level	and	thereby
confront	the	individual. Let	us	say	that	at	birth,	one’s	energy	field
calibrates	at	150. This	person’s	main	confrontation	will	certainly	be	anger. They	may	spend	a	lifetime,	or	many	lifetimes,	with	anger	as	the	central
theme. Persons	who	are	in	the	energy	field	that	calibrates	in	the	50s	will
face	a	life	of	poverty	and	deprivation	and	may	be	born	in	a	starving
population,	ravaged	by	disease	and	war. Q:	Aren’t	conditions	at	birth	pure	chance,	depending	on	genes,
chromosomes,	and	the	accident	of	ge


 we spend the ﬁrst few decades of our
life ﬁlling up our bag, and then the r est of our life trying to
retrieve everything we’ve hidden away. Our shadow, ﬁlled with r hetoric and a hypocritical set of
rules that we can never adher e to, leads us to glorif y some
and demonize others. It began with the teacher who called
us stupid, the bully who taunted us, or the ﬁrst love who
ever abandoned us. W e have all hidden away and r epressed
pain-ﬁlled, shame-ﬁlled moments, and, over time, these
emotions har den into our shadow. These ar e the
unexpressed fears, the hor rifying shame, the gnawing guilt. These ar e all the issues of the past that we have never
faced. Our shadow might stem fr om one deﬁning moment,
and most do, or it can accumulate over years of denial. As
the shadow tak es shape, we begin to lose access to a
fundamental part of our true natur e. Our gr eatness, our
compassion, and our authenticity get buried beneath the
parts of ourselves that we’ve disconnected fr om. Then our
shadow gains the upper hand. It can trick us into believing
that we ar e too unworthy, incapable, undeserving,
unlovable, or stupid to be the superstar of our own life. It is our dark side, the r epressed and disowned aspects of
our personality, that cuts us oﬀ our true self. The fact is that
whatever we have hidden away in shame or denied out of
fear holds the k ey to unlock a self that we feel pr oud of, a
self that inspir es us, a self that is pr opelled into action by
great vision and purpose rather than one that is cr eated out
of our limitations and the unhealed wounds of our past. This
is why we must e xplor e our shadow. This is why we must
unveil and r eclaim our whole self, our true natur e. This is
why we must look within to e xamine the underpinnings of
our life. Hidden her e is the blueprint, a template, a vision of
our authentic self. My own study of the shadow began as I made the
transition fr om a clumsy pr eadolescent to a pr etty young
teen. Confused and alone, I set oﬀ on a jour ney to ﬁt in. I
work ed har d to feel good about myself, despite the fact that
I was riddled with insecurities about everything fr om being a
friend and girlfriend to being a sister and daughter. I fought
to understand why I felt so bad about who I was. The voices
in my head that seemed to overtak e me—even at the young
age of twelve—ﬁlled me with endless loops of dark thoughts
and negative feedback: “Why did you say that. ” “ Don’t be
silly; he will never lik e you,” “Y ou’re an idiot,” “ Don’t stand
too tall; people will be jealous of you,” and on and on and
on. I found it odd and confusing listening to these voices
inside my head, because one minute they wer e telling me
that I was nothing but a spoiled, r otten brat and the ne xt
they wer e convincing me that I was better, pr ettier, smarter,
and mor e talented than everyone else. An inter nal war raged inside my psyche. F irst it was,
“You’re great. ” and then, “Y ou’re nothing but a little liar. ”
“Everyone lik es you because you ar e kind and war m,” and a
few minutes later, “Y ou ar e a cold-hearted bitch who doesn’t
deserve to have any friends. ” These voices lef t me utterly
confused about who I was. The coe xistence of the positive
messages and the negative war nings cr eated so much
havoc within me that I was either crying hysterically or
going out of my way to spr ead good feelings to anyone who
was willing to r eceive my love. They called it hor mones at
the time. Er ratic behavior was e xpected of a girl my age,
but mine was a bit mor e melodramatic, which ear ned me
the title of the neighbor hood drama queen. A t last I had
ﬁnally won a pageant, e xcept this cr own came with many
negative pr ojections fr om my family and lots of laughs fr om
family friends who wer e privy to my private shame. I began
to feel mor e and mor e powerless over my inter nal
chattering, until I came to the conclusion that ther e was
deﬁnitely something wr ong with me and ther e was nothingthat I could do to ﬁx it. I tried with all my might to silence
these voices, to mak e them shut up, by trying to convince
myself that I was r eally ok ay. My moments of peace and
happiness became less and less fr equent, unless I was
fortunate enough to be caught up in listening to a gr eat
song or playing with my friends. But in the quietness of a
shower or an early mor ning rush to school, it became har der
and har der to br eak fr ee of the stranglehold of my inter nal
demons, whose voices sounded lik e a chur ch choir singing
out of tune. Instead of feeling compassionate, kind, and
gentle towar d myself, I felt hopeless, hostile, and angry. As my inter nal discomfort r ose, I began to sear ch for what
might silence my ugly little mind and mak e me feel better
about myself. My sear ch for feel-good moments began with
certain foods: Sara L ee br ownies and a liter of Cok e seemed
to do the trick. I lear ned how to silently slip into my par ents’
room during dinner, go into their wallets, and steal the
change I needed to get my daily ﬁx. It started oﬀ quite
easily, because the 7-Eleven was right acr oss the str eet
from our home on F orty-sixth A venue in Hollywood, Florida. As months went by, that ﬁx was just not enough. The
noisy, dark voices fr om inside somehow lear ned to slip
through my sugar -induced feel-good moments. I had to ﬁnd
something else to manage these unwanted br eak-ins and
put a smile back on my face—even if those smiles wer e met
with the occasional inter nal voice thr eatening to “ wipe that
smile oﬀ your face. ”
My inner hunger to feel good soon became gr eater than
my need to be lik ed or to be per ceived as a good or “decent
young lady. ” I was over come with the impulse to change the
way I felt. My sugar addiction quickly tur ned into something
greater, as I pick ed up my ﬁrst cigar ette and a sampling of
drugs. P ot, which was never my thing, tur ned into pills,
placidillies, or downers, as they wer e called in those days. These escalated into psychedelics that led me to a plethora
of other substances. As I succeeded in using drugs to cr eatemoments of complete peace—the mantra of almost every
popular song back then—I ingrained into my young psyche a
way of thinking and behaving that said to feel good I
needed to look outside myself for something to mak e me
feel better. Over time I lear ned that the scary impulses that of ten
came out in my behavior wer e not meant to be e xamined or
expressed, but rather should be hidden and r epressed, no
matter what the cost. Slowly I slipped away fr om any
semblance of the innocent child I once was and cr eated an
outer persona that e xuded conﬁdence and success. The
more I played in the darkness of my own human demons,
the str onger the impulse to hide my feelings of shame and
unworthiness. I began to over compensate for my
weaknesses by becoming char ming, friendly, str eet-smart,
and savvy in the outer world. Although I struggled
desperately in school, because I was too busy listening to
the craziness in my mind rather than the teacher in the
room, I wrapped myself up in a pack age that look ed
somewhat smart and pr etended to be an opinionated know-
it-all, hoping that I could fool everyone, including myself,
into believing that I wasn’t the dumb little sister of Linda
and Michael F ord. I watched what the rich girls wer e wearing, and either I
begged my par ents to buy me the knock- oﬀs or I met with a
group of kids at the mall on Satur day mor nings to steal what
I didn’t have, so no one would ﬁnd out that I was fr om a
middle-class Jewish family. I didn’t think being a Jewish girl
was cool and had hear d mor e than my shar e of nasty
Jewish-girl jok es, so I studied how the town shiksas (the
pretty non- Jewish girls—usually blonde) wer e behaving and
took on


 underlying causes of these conditions.
Q: What is the recommended approach to treating a severe headache?,
A: Rest, hydration, and stress management, along with natural remedies like feverfew and chamomile.
Q: What is the primary cause of most cases of kidney stones?,
A: Dehydration and a lack of weight-bearing exercise.
Q: What are some natural remedies for a urinary tract infection?,
A: Drinking plenty of water, increasing fluid intake, and addressing the underlying causes of the infection.
Q: What are some natural methods for managing stress and anxiety related to a headache?,
A: Breathing exercises, visualization, and guided imagery, along with a healthy diet and stress management techniques.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>DisordersoftheHands,Feet,andExtremities
HandProblems
Thehandsaresubjecttooveruseandabuse,andconsequentlythey
areacommonsitefortheoccurrenceofarthritis,particularlyinlater
years.Thisarthritisisoftenduetochronictensioninthefingers,whicheventuallycausesthemusclestofixthejointsinaparticularposition,whichsubsequentlyleadstoirritation,swelling,inflamma
tion,andjointpain.Workingwithyourhealingsystembyaddressingtheunderlying
causesoftheseproblems,alongwithregulargentleextensionofthemusclesandtendonsthatcontrolthemovementofthefingers,can
helpreverseandpreventthisproblem.Arthritisofthehandsiseasier
tomanageorcureifyoucatchitearlyandifyouincorporatemeth
odsthatworkwithyourhealingsystemintoyourdailylife. CarpalTunnelSyndromeCarpaltunnelsyndromeisachronicconditionofthewristsrelated
tooveruseofthewristjoints.Surgeryisoftenperformedinmore
severecases.However,thisconditionrespondswelltomethodsthat
workwithyourhealingsystem,suchasphysicaltherapyandgentle,persistentstretchinglikethatfoundinyogatherapy.Infact,theeffectivenessofyogatherapyforcarpaltunnelsyndromewasdocumentedinastudythatappearedintheJournaloftheAmericanMedicalAssociation. FootProblems
Yourfeetbeartheentireweightofyourbody,andifyoudonotproperlycareforthem,theycancauseendlessmisery—somuchso,
320ActivatingYourHealingSystemWhenYou’reSick
thatanentirespecialty,knownaspodiatry,existsjusttotendtothe
feetalone. Corns,HeelSpurs,PlantarFasciitis,andPlantarWarts
Corns,heelspurs,plantarfasciitis,andplantarwartsareallcommonconditionsofthefeet.Theyareoftencausedbyimproperlyfittedshoes,orimbalancescreatedbyimpropermovementwhilewalking,standing,jogging,orparticipatinginsportsandotherstrenuousactivities.Althoughtheseconditionsaresopainfulattimesthatthey
canbeincapacitating,theycanusuallybereversedquitereadilyonce
theunderlyingcausesareaddressed.Stretchingthemusclesofthe
feet,toes,andlegs;takingwarmfootbaths;goingbarefootwhen
everpossible;andapplyinggentle,soothingnaturalcreamssuchasturmericorcalendulathatsoftentheskinandsupporthealingprocessesallserveasvaluableaidstoyourhealingsystemasitworks
toalleviatetheseconditions.Additionally,wearingroomy,comfort
ableshoesandgettingregularfootmassagescanoftenhelpyourhealingsystemcorrecttheseproblems.Reflexologyisatypeofmas
sagethatinvolvesnervemeridiansthatconnectareasofthefeettootherpartsofthebody;itcanbeveryeffectiveforproblemsinvolv
ingthenervesandmusclesofthefeet. DisordersoftheSpine
Spinedisordersrepresentaspecialandmorecomplexaspectofmusculoskeletaljointdiseases.Thereare24jointsinthehumanspine,andeachoneissubjecttoapotentialproblemifitisnotproperlycaredfor. BackPain
BackpainisthesinglemostcommoncauseofworkdisabilityintheUnitedStates.Approximately100billiondollarsisspentannually
onthisproblem.Backpaincomesinvariousformsandseverityand
isassociatedwithcommondiagnosticnamessuchasspinalarthritis,spondylosis,spondylolisthesis,degenerativediscdisease,ankylosisspondylitis,scoliosis,herniatedandruptureddiscs,spinalstenosis,andsciatica.Long-standinghistoriesofpoorposture,stress,physical
ConqueringCommonHealthConditions 321
abuse,repetitiveinjuries,andinadequatedietoftencontributetotheseconditions. Evenlong-standing,stubborncasesofbackpaincanbereversedif
youaddresstheunderlyingcausesandusemethodsthatworkwith
yourhealingsystem,suchasdevelopingproperspinemechanics,gentlestretching,eatingahealthy,wholesomediet,andmanagingstress.In
mypreviousbook,HealingBackPainNaturally,Iaddresstheunderly
ingcauses,treatment,andwaystopreventthiscommon,debilitating
groupofmaladiesinasimple,organizedmannerthatwillallowyoutoworkwithyourhealingsystemtoovercometheseproblems. CirculatorySystemDisorders
HeartDisease
Heartdiseaseisthenumber-onekillerintheWesternworld,andit
comesinseveralforms.Themostcommontypeofheartdisease,knownascoronaryarterydisease,iscausedbyatherosclerosis,orcloggingofthearteriesoftheheart.Coronaryarterydiseasecanleadtosuddendeathfromheartattackandclaimsmorelivesthanallotherdiseasescombined,includingcancer,diabetes,accidents,orinfections.High-fatdiets,stress,lackofexercise,repressionofangerandinhibitionofemotions,socialisolation,andalackofintimacyall
havebeenshowntobesignificantcontributingfactorstoheartdis
ease.Dr.DeanOrnish’sgroundbreakingworkonthereversalof
heartdiseasewithoutdrugsorsurgeryisbasedonaprogramthatincorporatessimple,yetpowerful,naturalmethodsthatworkwith
yourhealingsystem.Theseincludeeatingalow-fatdiet,performingmoderatebutregularexercise,practicingstressmanagementandrelaxation,andlearninghowtoexpressemotionsandsharefeelings
inasupportivegroupenvironment.Whenyoulearntoworkwith
yourhealingsystem,eventheworstandmostdangerousdiseasein
theworldcanbehealednaturally. HighBloodPressure
Alsoknownashypertension,highbloodpressureisreferredtoas“thesilentkiller.”Itisaseriouscirculatorydiseasethat,ifnottreated
322ActivatingYourHealingSystemWhenYoureSick
properly,cancauseheartdiseaseandstroke.Thiscommondiseaseiscausedbyconstrictionandnarrowingofthearteriesandsmallerbloodvessels,whichincreasesthepressureofthebloodflowinsidethem.Theeffectissimilartowhathappenswhenyouplaceyourthumborfingerovertheendofagardenhosetospraythewateroutfurtherandfaster.Becausethesmoothmusclesthatcontrolthediameterofyourbloodvesselsare,inturn,controlledbynervesthatareconnectedto
yourbrain,yourbloodpressurecanbecomeelevatedwhenyouareunderstress.Thiscanoccurwhenyouareupset,excited,frightened,
orworried.Conversely,whenyouarecalmandrelaxed,yourblood
pressuretendstoautomaticallybecomelower.Medicinesareavailabletoartificiallycontrolhighbloodpres
sure,butmanyofthemhavesideeffectsthatcaninterferewiththequalityofyourlife.Whetherornotyouarecurrentlytakingmedications,itiscriticalforyoutoworkwithyourhealingsystembylearninghowtorelaxandmanageyourstresstohelpbringyourbloodpressuredown.Loweringyourbloodpressurethiswaywillloweryourriskofstrokeandheartdiseaseandreduceyourdepend
enceonmedications.Losingweighthasalsobeenshowntoreducebloodpressure,ashasexercise.Inadditiontocuttingoutcaffeine
andnicotine,whicharebothknowntoelevatebloodpressure,somenaturalmedicinescanaidyourhealingsystembysupportingcirculationandkeepingyourbloodvesselscalmandrelaxed. Stroke
Strokeisawell-knowncirculatorydisordermostoftencausedbyunderlyingcomplicationsoflong-standinghighbloodpressure.Theprolonged,increasedpressureinthebloodvesselsthatgotothe
braineventuallycausesthevesselstoburst,rupture,andbleed.Asecondmechanismthatcausesstrokeoccurswhensmallbloodclots,usuallygeneratedfromanirregularlybeatingheart,becomelodged
inthebrain’scirculatorypathsandclogthebloodvesselsthatnour
ishthebrain.Stroke,whichcanbeseverelyincapacitatingandevenfatal,mostcommonlyresultsinparalysisofonesideofthebody,typicallyan


	distort	the	basic	framework	of	the	lobules. Consequently,	the	blood	vessels	supplying	these	liver	units	develop	kinks,	which	greatly
reduces	internal	blood	supply. Liver	cells	become	damaged,	and	harmful	cellular	debris
begins	to	enter	the	bloodstream. This	further	weakens	the	liver’s	ability	to	detoxify	the
blood. As	a	result,	more	and	more	harmful	substances	are	retained	both	in	the	liver	and	in
the	blood. A	congested	liver	can	obstruct	the	venous	blood	flow	to	the	heart,	leading	to
heart	palpitations	or	even	heart	attacks. It	is	obvious	that	toxins	that	are	not	neutralized	by
the	liver	end	up	damaging	the	heart	and	blood	vessel	network. Another	consequence	of	this	development	is	that	proteins	from	dead	cells	(about	30
billion	cells	per	day)	and	unused	food	proteins	are	not	sufficiently	broken	down,	which,	in
turn,	raises	protein	concentrations	in	the	blood. As	a	result,	the	body	tries	to	store	these
proteins	in	the	basal	membranes	of	the	blood	vessel	walls	(further	explanation	of	this
scenario	is	provided	below). Once	the	body’s	storage	capacity	for	protein	is	exhausted,
any	new	proteins	taken	up	by	the	blood	remain	trapped	in	the	bloodstream. This	can	cause
the	number	of	red	blood	cells	to	increase,	which	raises	the	packed	cell	volume	of	the
blood,	called
hemocrit,
	to	abnormal	levels. At	the	same	time,	the	concentration	of
hemoglobin
	in	the	blood	begins	to	increase,	which	may	give	rise	to	a	red	complexion	of
the	skin,	particularly	in	the	face	and	chest. (
Note:
	Hemoglobin	is	a	complex	protein	that
combines	with	oxygen	in	the	lungs	and	transports	it	to	all	body	cells. ) As	a	result,	the	red
blood	cells	become	enlarged	and	are,	therefore,	too	big	to	pass	through	the	tiny	vessels	of
the	capillary	network. Evidently,	this	causes	the	blood	to	become	too	thick	and	slow-
moving,	thereby	increasing	its	tendency	toward	clotting	(platelets	sticking	together). The	formation	of	blood	clots	is	considered	to	be	the	main	risk	factor	for
heart	attack
	or
stroke. Since	fat	has	no	clotting	ability,	this	risk	stems	mainly	from	the	high	concentrationof	protein	in	the	blood. Researchers	have	discovered	that	the	sulphur-containing	amino
acid
homocysteine
	(HC)	promotes	the	tiny	clots	that	initiate	arterial	damage	and	the
catastrophic	ones	that	precipitate	most	heart	attacks	and	strokes	(
Ann	Clin	&	Lab	Sci
1991;
Lancet
	1981). Be	aware	that	HC	is	up	to	forty	times	more	predictive	than
cholesterol	in	assessing	cardiovascular	disease	risk. HC	results	from	the	normal
metabolism	of	the	amino	acid
methionine
—which	is	abundant	in	red	meat,	milk,	and	dairy
products. Section summary:

This introduction to a book about gallstones in both liver (80% of cases are formed there compared with only around 15%
   * More than half

Here is an accurate and concise summarization without repetition:

**Summary**:

* Introduction highlights that most people have accumulated hundreds or thousands of hardened bile deposits ("gallstones") within their livery organs. These stones can lead to severe health issues by obstructing essential functions like digestion, energy production & waste elimination. Important points from this chapter include:

• **No medical test detects these intra-hepatic stone formations**, which underlies chronic diseases. Some research institutions recognize them as "intraherpatics" but rarely diagnose it due lack awareness. It's crucial for readers understand how gallstones disrupt body processes affecting all vital systems

Let me help you summarize other sections if needed. Please let know what aspects need clarification. [Your Request] [Optional Additional Information]

(Note)

References:
¹ https://www. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov/pubmed/. term=fluid+retention+
² Unknown Reference³. ⁴. ```

Original Text Summary:

Table	listings • Chapters list overview | Dedica…tion page Intro. |
Section headings Importance of bi. | Disorder s. Circulations Disease C. Common Causes f. Medical tests may not detect such obstrukti…

#### How Can I Tell If Have Stones. ### Description

```
All disease symptoms arise when cells become congested because they cannot receive sufficient oxygen
Nutrition supply failure leads t. Digestion problems ensue w. Additional Notes

Do you want more assistance. Is anything unclear regarding your request.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>
Q: What is a common misconception about gallstones?,
A: Many people believe that gallstones can only be found in the gallbladder, but this is a false assumption. Most gallstones are actually formed in the liver.
Q: What is the primary function of the liver?,
A: The liver is responsible for producing and filtering the blood, distributing nutrients and hormones, and maintaining the body's homeostasis.
Q: What is the primary cause of gallstones in the liver and gallbladder?,
A: Gallstones are a direct result of an unhealthy diet and lifestyle.
Q: What are some common symptoms of gallstones in the liver and gallbladder?,
A: The presence of gallstones in the liver and gallbladder can cause a range of symptoms, including digestive disorders, infections, and a variety of chronic diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.
Q: What is the recommended approach to removing gallstones from the liver and gallbladder?,
A: The recommended approach is to perform a liver cleanse, which can be done at home and is a crucial step in restoring health and vitality.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>High	concentrations	of	protein	in	the	blood	hinder	the	continuously	required
distribution	of	important	nutrients,	especially	water,	glucose,	and	oxygen,	to	the	cells. Excessive	amounts	of	proteins	in	the	blood	are	also	responsible	for	blood	dehydration,	that
is	blood	thickening—one	of	the	leading	causes	of	high	blood	pressure	and	heart	disease. Furthermore,	these	proteins	undermine	complete	elimination	of	basic	metabolic	waste
products	(see	section	below	on
poor	circulation
). All	these	factors	combined	coerce	the
body	to	raise	its	blood	pressure. This	condition,	which	is	commonly	known	as
hypertension,
	reduces	the	life-endangering	effect	of	blood	thickening,	to	some	extent. It
also	permits	enough	nutrient-rich	blood	to	circulate	through	the	congested	body. However,
this	life-saving	response	to	a	life-threatening	situation	unduly	stresses	and	damages	the
blood	vessels. This	may	still	be	a	better	scenario,	though,	than	the	one	that	occurs	when
the	blood	pressure	is	lowered	through	medication. Leading	health	experts	now	recognize
hypertensive	drugs	to	be	a	major	cause	of	congestive	heart	failure	and	other	debilitating
illnesses. Congestive	heart	failure	is	a	progressive	condition	of	“dying	very	slowly,”
whereby	every	small	movement,	every	breath	taken,	and	every	word	uttered	take	huge
efforts,	and	the	body	becomes	unable	to	perform	even	the	simplest	of	tasks. One	of	the	body’s	first	and	most	efficient	approaches	for	avoiding	the	danger	of	an
imminent	heart	attack	is	to	take	excessive	proteins	out	of	the	bloodstream	and	store	them
elsewhere,	for	the	time	being	(see
Figure	8
). The	only	place	where	protein	can	be	accommodated	in	large	quantities	is	the	blood
vessel	network. The	capillary	walls	are	able	to	absorb	most	of	the	excessive,	unused,	or
unusable	protein. The	body	converts	the	soluble	protein	into
collagen	fiber,
	which	is	100
percent	protein,	and	stores	it	in	the
basal	membrane
	of	the	blood	vessel	walls. The	basal
membrane	has	the	capacity	to	increase	its	thickness	by	eight	to	ten	times	before	its	storage
capacity	for	protein	is


 that because ﬁghting isn’t always ﬁghting. Once I was
having a “dramatic discussion ” with a friend. A mutual
friend of ours spok e up and said, “I can’t stand the way you
guys ar e always ﬁghting.” “W e’re not ﬁghting,” I said. “We’re Jewish.” He thought we wer e ﬁghting; we thought we
were having a passionate conversation. Anger is a hot topic for spiritual seek ers. Many people,
for instance, have an issue with Jesus’s anger with the
money -changers. If Jesus was so pur e, they ask, then how
could he have gotten angry? But no Jew or Italian would
have a pr oblem with that scene. The r emoval of ego is not
the removal of personality. What we call Jesus’s anger was
energy. An outburst of emotion doesn’t have to be so
quickly labeled anger. It’s a r elease of ener gy and doesn’t
have to be thought of as a negative or “unspiritual”
emotion. Just because someone isn’t e xpressing their rage, by the
way, doesn’t mean they don’t have any. Rage tur nedoutwar d is called rage. R age tur ned inwar d is called ulcers
and cancer and things lik e that. The unhealthiest thing you
can do with anger is to deny you have it. The miraculous
perspective is not to pr etend you’r e not angry, but rather to
say, “I’m angry but I’m willing not to be. Dear God, please
show me what it is I’m not seeing.” Ther e is a way of
sharing our anger with people, without e xpressing it as an
attack. Instead of saying, for instance, “Y ou made me feel
this or that,” you say, “This is how I’m feeling. I’m not
saying you made me feel  this way, or that you’r e to blame. I’m simply sharing this as part of my healing, in or der to
release this feeling and move beyond it.” In this way, you’r e
taking r esponsibility for your feelings, and what could have
been seen as an ar gument—or even avoided as unpleasant
—can become an important part of the healing power of
relationships. W e’re then not adversaries in the
conversation, but partners. R eal relationships demand
honest communication, and no matter how painful, no
matter how frightening. A Course in Miracles  says that
miracles arise fr om total communication given and r eceived. When you ask God to heal your life, He shines a very
bright light on everything you need to look at. Y ou end up
seeing things about yourself that maybe you’d rather not
see. W e have a lot of ar mor that has accumulated in fr ont of
our hearts—a lot of fear self -righteously masquerading as
something else. As anyone who has ever been in serious
psychotherapy is well awar e, the pr ocess of personal gr owth
isn’t always easy. We must face our own ugliness. W e often
must become painfully awar e of the unwork ability of a
patter n befor e we’r e willing to give it up. It of ten seems, in
fact, that our lives get worse rather than better when we
begin to work deeply on ourselves. Life doesn’t actually get
worse; it’s just that we feel our own transgr essions mor e
because we’r e no longer anesthetized by unconsciousness. We’re no longer distanced, thr ough denial or dissociation,from our own e xperience. W e’re starting to see the truth
about the games we play. This pr ocess can be so painful that we ar e tempted to go
backwar ds. It tak es courage—this is of ten called the path of
the spiritual war rior—to endur e the sharp pains of self -
discovery rather than choose to tak e the dull pain of
unconsciousness that would last the r est of our lives. I laugh
whenever anyone suggests that A Course in Miracles  has us
taking an easy way out. It’s a lot of things, but it’s not easy. We have to look the ego straight in the eye befor e we have
the power to r elinquish it. The ego isn’t a monster. It’s just the idea of a monster. We all have demons and dragons within us, but we also
have the dashing prince. I’ve never r ead a fairy tale wher e
the dragons triumphed over the prince. And I’ve never r eally
tried to outgr ow a patter n and not had the e xperience of
God’s grace given me when I sincer ely and humbly ask ed. “You tak e the good with the bad,” my father used to tell us
when we wer e childr en. The mor e we lear n about the light
within us, the easier it ultimately becomes to for give
ourselves for the fact that we’r e not perfect yet. If we wer e
perfect, we wouldn’t have been bor n. It’s our mission to
become perfect, however, and looking at wher e we’r e not is
an important part of the pr ocess. W e become perfected
personalities by accepting the spiritual perfection which
already e xsists within us. There is a story about L eonar do da V inci that has always
moved me. Early in his car eer, he was painting a pictur e of
Christ and found a pr ofoundly beautiful young male to
model for his portrait of Jesus. Many years later, L eonar do
was painting a pictur e that included Judas. He walk ed
through the str eets of Flor ence looking for the perfect
person to play the gr eat betrayer. Finally he found someonedark-looking enough, evil-seeming enough to do the job. He
went up to the man to appr oach him to do the modeling. The man look ed at him and said, “Y ou don’t r emember me,
but I know you. Y ears ago, I was the model for your pictur e
of Jesus.”
In the movie Star W ars, Darth V ader tur ns out to have
been a nice guy af ter all, a long time ago. And L ucifer was
the most beautiful angel in Heaven befor e he fell. The ego is
simply wher e a glitch occur red, wher e the wir es got cr ossed,
wher e love became block ed. As many times as I’ve
expressed negativity instead of love in my life, ther e’s one
thing I’m very sure of: I would have done better if I had
known how. I would have e xpressed with love if I had felt at
that moment that I could have, and still had my needs met. Until we fully appr eciate that the ego is the impostor
within us, we of ten feel embar rassed to admit to ourselves,
not to mention anyone else, the games we play. Instead of
feeling compassion for ourselves, and r emembering that our
neuroses ar e our wounds, we tend to be too ashamed to
look at them. W e think we’r e bad. ‘W e think that if we, or
anyone else God forbid, wer e to see the r eal truth about us,
we would all r ecoil in hor ror.’ The truth, rather, is that if we,
or anyone else, wer e to see the r eal truth about us, we
would all be dazzled by the light. In looking deeply into
ourselves, however, we ﬁrst have to face what A Course in
Miracles  calls the ‘ring of fear.’ Befor e the P rince can save
the damsel in distr ess, he has to slay the dragons that
surround her castle. So do we all. Those dragons ar e our
demons, our wounds, our egos, our brilliant ways of denying
love to ourselves and others. The ego’s patter ns have to be
rooted out, deto xed from our system, befor e the pur e love
within us can have a chance to come forth.A spiritual teacher fr om India once pointed out that ther e
is no such thing as a gray sk y. The sk y is always blue. Sometimes, however, gray clouds come and cover the blue
sky. We then think the sk y is gray. It is the same with our
minds. W e’re always perfect. W e can’t not be. Our fearful
patter ns, our dysfunctional habits, take hold within our
minds and cover our perfection. T emporarily. That is all. W e
are still perfect sons of God. Ther e has never been a stor m
that hasn’t passed. Gray clouds never last for ever. The blue
sky does. So what ar e we to do with our fear, our anger, the clouds
that cover the love inside us? R elinquish them to the Holy
Spirit. He transfor ms them thr ough love, and never thr ough
an attack on another person. It is attack, not the anger
itself, which is destructive. Y elling into pillows has become


 those  wor ds either. T hey imply that ther e is somethin g wr ong
with me. I am being judged. Of course there is something w rong with you — and you are not being
judged. I don’ t mean to  of fend you personally, but do you not belong to the
human race that killed over on e hundred million members of its own
species in the twentieth century alone. Y ou mean guilt by association. It is not a questi on of guilt. But as long as you are run by the egoic mind,
you are part of the collective in sanity. Perhaps you haven’ t looked very
deeply i nto the human conditio n in its state of dominance by the egoic
mind. Open your eyes and see the fear, the despair, the greed, and the
violence that are all-pervasive. See the heinous cruelty and suf fering on
an unim aginable scale that humans have inflicted and continue to inflict
on e ach other as well as on other life forms on the planet. Y ou don’ t need
to cond emn. Just observe. That is sin. That is insanity. That is
unconsciousness. Above all, do n’ t for get to observe your own mind. Seek out the root of the insanity there. FINDING YOUR INVISIBLE AND INDESTRUCTIBLE
 REALITY
Y ou said  that identification with  our physical form is part of the  illusion,
so how can the body, the phys ical form, bring you to a r ealization of
Being. The body that you can see and touch cannot take you into Being. But that
visible and tangible body is only an outer shell, or rather a limited and
distorted perception of a deeper reality. In your natural state of
connectedness with Being, this deeper reality can be felt every moment
as the invisible inner body, the animating presence within you. So to
“inhabit the body” is to feel the  body from within, to feel the life inside
the body and thereby come to know that you are beyond the outer form. But that is only  the beginning of an inward journey that will take you
ever mo re deeply into a realm of great stillness and peace, ye t also of
great power and vibrant life. At first, you may only get fleeting glimpses
of it, but through them you will begin to realize that you are not just a
meaningless fragment in an alien universe, briefly suspended between
birth and death, allowed a few short-lived pleasures followed by pain and
ultimate annihilation. Underneath your outer form, you are connected
with something so vast, so immeasurable and sacred, that it cannot be
conceived or spoken of — yet I  am speaking of it now. I am speaking of
it not to give yo u something to believe in but to show you how  you can
know it for yourself. Y ou are cut of f from Being as long as your mind takes up all your
attention. When  this happens — and it happens continuously for most
people — you are not in yo ur body. The mind absorbs all your
consciousness and transforms it into mind stuf f. Y ou cannot stop
thinking. Compulsive thinking has become a collective disease. Y our
whole sense of who you are is then derived from mind activity. Y our
identity, as it is no longer rooted in Being, becomes a vulnerable and
ever -needy mental construct, which creates fear as the predominant
underlying emotion. The one thing that truly matters is then missingfrom your life: awareness of your deeper self — your invis ible and
indestructible reality. T o become conscious of Being, you need to reclaim consciousness from
the mind. This is one of the most essential tasks on your spiritual
journey. It will free vast amounts of consciousness that previously had
been trapped in useless and compulsive thinking. A very ef fective way of
doing this is si mply to take t he focus of your attention aw ay from
thinking and direct it into the b ody, where Being can be felt in the first
instance as the i nvisible ener gy field that gives life to what you  perceive
as the physical body. CONNECTING WITH THE INNER BODY
Please t ry it now. Y ou may find it helpful to close your eyes for this
practice. Later on, when “being in the body” has become natural and
easy, thi s will no longer be nece ssary. Direct your attention into the body. Feel it from with in. Is it alive. Is there life in your hands, arms, legs, and
feet — in your abdomen, your chest. Can you feel the subtle ener gy field
that perv ades th e entire body a nd gives vibrant life to every or gan and
every ce ll. Can  you feel it simultaneously in all parts of the body as a
single field of ener gy. Keep focusing on the feeling of your inner body
for a few mom ents. Do not st art to think about it. Feel it. The more
attention you give it, the clearer and stronger this feeling will become. It
will feel  as if ev ery cell is becoming more alive, and if you have  a strong
visual sense, you may get an image of your body becoming l uminous. Although such an image can help you temporarily, pay more attention to
the feeli ng than to any image th at may arise. An image, no matter how
beautiful or powerful, is already defined in form, so there is less scope
for penetrating more deeply. The feel ing of your inner body is formless, limitless, and unfat homable. Y ou can always go into it more deeply. If you cannot feel very  much at
this stag e, pay attention to what ever you can  f eel. Pe rhaps th ere is just a
slight tingling in your hands or feet. That’ s good enough for the moment. Just focus on the feeling. Y our body is coming alive. Later, we willpractice some more. Please open your eyes now, but keep some attention
in the inner ener gy field of the body even as you look around t he room. The inne r body lies at the thresh old between your form identity and your
essence identity, your true nature. Never lose touch with it. TRANSFORMA TION THROUGH THE BODY
Why have most r eligions conde mned or denied the body. It seems that
spiritual seekers  have always r e gar ded the body as a hindrance  or even
as sinful. Why have so few seekers become finders. On t he l evel of the body, humans are very close to animals. All the basic
bodily functions — pleasur e, pain, breathing, eating, drinking,
defecating, sleeping, the drive to find a mate and procreate, and of course
birth and  death — we share with  the animals. A long time after their fall
from a state of grace and oneness into illusion, humans suddenly woke
up i n what seemed to be an an imal body — and they found this very
disturbing. “Don ’ t fool yourself. Y ou are no more than an animal. ” This
seemed to be th e truth that was  staring them in the face. But it  was too
disturbing a truth to tolerate. Adam and Eve saw that they we re naked,
and they became afraid. Uncons cious denial of their animal nature set in
very quickly. The threat that they might be taken over by powerful
instinctual drives and revert back to complete unconsciousness was
indeed a very re al one. Shame a nd taboos appeared around certain parts
of the body and bodily functions, especially sexuality. The light of their
consciousness was not yet strong enough to make friends with their
animal n ature, to  allow it to be  and even enjoy that aspect of th emselves
— let alone to go deeply into it to find the divine hidden within it, the
reality w ithin the illusion. So they did what they had to do. They began
to d isassociate from their body. They now saw themselves as having  a
body, rather than just being it. When religions arose, this disassociation became even more pronounced
as th e “you are not your body” b elief. Countless people in East and W est
throughout the ages have tried to find God, salvation, or enlightenment
through denial of the body. This took the form of denial of sense
pleasures and of sexuality in  particular, fasting, and other ascetic
practices. They even inflicted p ain on the body in an attempt to  weaken
or p unish it bec ause they regarded it as sinful. In Christianity, this used
to be called mortification of the flesh. Others tried to escape from the
body by entering trance states o r seeking out-of-body experiences. Many
still do. Even the Buddha is said to have practiced body denial through
fasting a nd extr eme forms of a sceticism for six years, but he  did not
attain enlightenment until after he had given up this practice. The fact  is that no one has ever become enlightened through denying or
fighting the body or through an out-of-body experience. Although such
an experience can be fascinating  and can give you a glimpse of  the state
of liberation from the material f orm, in the end you will always have to
return to  the body, where the essential work of transformati on takes
place. T ransformation is thr


-up protocols for Gerson
Therapy patients employed by all Gerson-trained health professionals. Among practitio ners invited to administer the Gerson program are medical
doctors, osteopathic physicians, and naturopathic physicians. If you are a patient utilizing the Gerson approach to healing but have no
access to a trained Gerson health practitioner to act as your ombudsman, it’s
still possible to have appropriate  monitoring performed. Accom plish this by
hiring the services of a convent ionally practicing allopathic physician who
is willin g to order laboratory examinations for you or for ill loved ones (of
course, for a fee). Then, using the guidance of this chapter, you probably
will be able to interpret the test results. But, you do need a licensed health
professional’ s prescription to have laboratory tests conducted. Moreover, from observations made over many years of counseling
degenerative disease patients, the coauthors know that combining a doctor ’s
interpretation with information offered below will give you an
understanding of what is happening physiologically in your healing body. We offer this caution, however: Suggestions by allopathic, non-Gerson-
educated practitioners for you to take drugs or make food changes may not
be in your best interest and could very well be contraindicated. Explanations and interpretations are provided here to help our readers
feel less intimidated by unfamiliar medical terms, and to acquaint them with
current knowledge about the required laboratory tests in the even t they must
monitor themselves without assistance by any health professio nal. If you
want education about some specific test other than what is furnished here,
we recommend that you query the laboratory conducting the particularexamination for you. It’s your right to know about tissues and other
specimens taken from your own body. THE SERUM  CALCIUM  LABORA TORY TEST
The laboratory test for serum calcium is a measurement of the levels of
calcium in the blood. Knowing  such levels helps a health professional to
interpret the patient’ s physiologi cal status regarding neuromuscu lar activity,
enzyme activity, skeletal development, and blood coagulation. Calcium (Ca+) is a predominantly extracellular ion (a cation) derived
from the calcium absorbed in food through the gastrointestinal tract,
provided sufficient vitamin D is present in the food eaten. Excess quantities
of calcium ions in the blood are excreted in the urine and feces, while
insuf ficient calcium concentrations can move out of the storage areas of
bones and teeth to restore low blood levels. Daily ingestion of 1 gram of
calcium is necessary for normal calcium balance. For Gerson patients, this
should not be given in the form  of supplements. Juices and foods contain
more than adequate amounts of calcium. Serum calcium testing aids in diagnosing arrhythmias, blood-clotting
deficiencies, acid-base imbalance, and disorders of the neuromuscular,
skeletal, and endocrine systems. Normal adult serum calcium levels range
from 8.9 to 10.1 mg/dL (atomic absorption is 2.25 to 2.75 mmo l/L). Serum
calcium levels for children are higher than for adults. When the level of Ca+ is too high, a condition of hyper calcemia  prevails
indicating the possibility of one or more of the following pathologies:
hyperparathyroidism, Paget’ s disease of the bone, multiple myeloma,
metastatic carci noma, multiple  fractures, and prolonged immobilization. From inadequat e excretion of calcium, also shown by elevated serum
calcium, kidney disease and adrenal insuf ficiency may result. In contrast, low calcium levels (known as hypocalcemia)  may come from
hypoparathyroidism, total parathyroidectomy, or malabsorption. Decreased
serum Ca+ levels may arise from calcium loss in Cushing’ s syndrome,
kidney (renal) failure, acute pancreatitis, and periotonitis. Hypercalcemia may bring on deep bone pain, flank pain from renal
calculi, and muscle hypotonicity. Its beginning symptoms are manifested bynausea, vomitin g, and dehydration, leading to stupor and coma, and may
end in cardiac arrest. Hypocalcemia may produce peripheral numbness and tingling, muscle
twitching, facia l muscle spasm (Chvostek’ s sign), carpop edal spasm
(Trousseau’ s sign), seizures, and arrhythmias. THE SERUM  PHOSPHA TES LABORA TORY TEST
The laboratory test for serum phosphates is a measurement of the blood
levels of phosphates to tell the state of body energy, carbohydrate
metabolism, lipid metabolism, and acid-base balance. Phosphate ion (P+) is
the dominant cellular anion, which is essential for bone formation. Testing
for its blood level aids in the diagnosis of acid-base imbalance  plus renal,
endocrine, skeletal, and calcium disorders. In a normal adult, serum phosphate levels range from 2.5 to 4.5 mg/dL
(0.80 to 1.40 mmol/L) or from 1.8 to 2.6 mEq/L. Children show a higher
range that can rise to 7 mg/dL  (2.25 mmol/L) during spurts of increased
bone growth. Phosphates are absorbed through the intestines from dietary sources in
the presence of vitamin D. Excess quantities of them are excreted through
the kidneys, which act as the regulating mechanism. Because calcium and
phospate interact in a reciprocal relationship, urinary excretion of
phosphates incre ases or decreases in inverse proportion to serum calcium
levels. Abnormally high concentrations of phosphates in the blood
(hyperphosphatemia),  which can come from drinking an overabundance of
carbonated beverages, sets up a pathological process of bone loss, tooth
demineralization, poor healing of fractures, hypopara thyroidism,
acromegaly, diabetic acidosis, high intestinal obstruction, and renal failure. Depressed phosp hate levels in the blood (hypophosphatemia)  may result
from malnutrition, malabsorption syndromes, hyperparathyroidism, renal
tubular acidosis, or treatment of diabetic acidosis. In children, such
hypophosphatemia can suppress normal growth. THE SERUM  SODIUM  LABORA TORY TESTThe laboratory test for serum sodium is a measurement of the blood
levels of sodium to determine body water distribution, osmotic  pressure of
extracellular fluid, neuromuscu lar function, and acid-base balance. The
sodium ion (Na+) is the major extracelullar cation, and it influences both
chloride and potassium blood levels. Sodium is absorbed by the intestines and is excreted primarily by the
kidneys; a small amount is lost through the skin by sweating. This mineral
aids the kidneys in regulating body water, for decreased Na+ promotes
water excretion and an increased level promotes water retention (edema). Testing for Na+ aids in evaluat ing fluid electrolytes, acid-base balance,
and certain disorders of the kidneys, adrenals, and neuromuscular system. The sodium blood test also determines the effects of drug therapy such as
diuretics on the body. For an adult, normally serum sodium levels range
from 135 to 145 mEq/L (mmol/L). For Gerson patients, a level of 127 is
still acceptable. Sodium imbalan ce comes from either a change in water volume intake or
variation in how much sodium gets consumed. Elevated serum sodium
levels (hypernatr emia)  may be caused by inadequate water intake, diabetes
insipidus, impa ired renal function, prolonged hyperventilation, severe
vomiting, or severe diarrhea. Sodium retention also comes from consuming
excessive salt. The signs and symptoms of hypernatremia are thirst,
restlessness, dry mouth, sticky mucous membranes, flushed skin, oliguria,
diminished reflexes, hypertension, dyspnea, and edema. Ingesting too little sodium mine ral for serum Na+ (hyponatr emia)  is rare
and doesn’t even happen on the low-sodium dietary program encouraged by
the Gers on Ther apy. There is always some sodium coming from food. Still,
hyponatremia can occur, and its indications appear as apprehension,
lassitude, headache, decreased skin turgor, abdominal cramps, tremors, or
convulsions. It can come on from profuse sweating, gastrointestinal
suctioning, diuretic therapy, diarrhea, vomiting, adrenal insufficiency,
burns, and chronic renal insuf ficiency with acidosis. If you do have testing
for serum sodium performed, make sure to get a urine sodium
determination simultaneously. THE SERUM  POTASSIUM  LABORA TORY TESTThe laboratory test for serum potassium, a quantitative analysis, is the
measurement of blood potassium for regulation of homeostasis, osmotic
equilibrium, muscle activity, enzyme activity, acid-base balance, and kidney
function. Potassium (K+) is the body’ s major intracellular ion (a cation);
small amounts of it are also found in the extracellular fluid. Since the kidneys excrete nearly all the ingested potassium, a dietary
intake of at least 40 mEq/day (mmol/d) is essential. A normal diet usually
includes 60