 to keep us enslaved by its programs. Letting go is a natural ability. It is not something new or foreign. It is
not an esoteric teaching or somebody else’ s idea or a belief system. W e are
merely utilizing our own inner nature to get freer and happier. When letting
go, it’ s not helpful to “think” about the technique. It’ s better, simply, just to
do it. Eventually it will be seen that all thoughts are resistance. They are all
images that the mind has made to prevent us from experiencing what
actually is. When we have been letting go for a while and have begun
experiencing what is really going on, we will laugh at our thoughts. Thoughts are fakes, absurd make-beliefs that obscure the truth. Pursuing
thoughts can keep us occupied endlessly. W e will discover one day that we
are right where we started. Thoughts are like gold fish in a bowl; the realSelf is like the water. The real Self is the space between the thoughts, or
more exactly, the field of silent awareness underneath all thoughts. W e have had the experience of being totally absorbed in what we were
doing, when we scarcely noticed the passage of time. The mind was very
quiet, and we were simply doing what we were doing without resistance or
ef fort. W e felt happy, maybe humming to ourselves. W e functioned without
stress. W e were very relaxed, although busy. W e suddenly realized that we
never needed all those thoughts after all. Thoughts are like bait to a fish; if
we bite at them, we get caught. It’ s best not to bite at the thoughts. W e don’ t
need them. Inside of us, but out of awar eness, is the truth that “I alr eady know
everything I need to know.”  This happens automatically. Paradoxically, one resistance to surrendering is due to the ef fectiveness
of the technique. What happens is that we keep letting go when life is not
going too well and we are beset by unpleasant emotions. As we finally
surrender our way out of it and all is well, then we stop letting go. This is a
mistake because, as good as we may feel, there is usually more to it. T ake
advantage of the higher states and the momentum of letting go. Keep on
going because it will get better and better all the time. Letting go gains a
certain momentum. It is easy to keep it going once it is started. The higher
we feel, the easier it is to let go. That’ s a good time to reach down and let
go of some things (suppressed and repressed “garbage”) that we wouldn’ t
want to tackle if we were in the dumps. There is always a feeling to be let
up and surrendered. When we are feeling good, the emotions are merely
subtler. Sometimes you will feel stuck with a particular feeling. Simply
surrender to the feeling of being stuck. Just let it be there and don’ t resist it. If it doesn’ t disappear, see if you can let go of the feeling in bits and pieces. Another block that may occur is the fear that if we let go of a desire for
something, we won’ t get it. It is often beneficial to look at some commonly
held beliefs and let go of them right in the beginning, such as: (1) W e only
deserve things through hard work, struggle, sacrifice, and ef fort; (2)
Suf fering is beneficial and good for us; (3) W e don’ t get anything for
nothing; (4) Things that are very simple aren’ t worth much. Letting go of
some of these psychological barriers to the technique itself will allow an
enjoyment of its ef fortlessness and ease. CHAPTER
3
T H E  A N A T O M Y  O F  E M O T I O N S
There are numerous complicated psychologies of the human emotions. They often involve considerable symbology and references to mythology,
and they are based on hypotheses that are hotly debated. As a result, there
are various schools of psychotherapy with their dif ferent aims and methods. Simplicity is one of the earmarks of truth, and so we will describe a simple,
workable, testable map of the emotions that can be verified by subjective
experience, as well as by objective testing. The Goal of Survival
Whichever psychology is studied reveals that the primary human goal,
superseding all others, is survival. Every human desire seeks to ensure one’ s
personal survival and the survival of one’ s identified groups, such as family,
loved ones, and country. Humans fear, most of all, the loss of the capacity
to experience. T o that end, people are interested in the survival of the body
because they believe that they ar e  the body and, therefore, they need the
body to experience their existence. Because people view themselves as
separate and limited, they are stressed by their sense of lack.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        ALSO BY DA VID R. HA WKINS, M. D., PH.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>
Q: Who is the author of the book?,
A: David R. Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D.
Q: What is the primary aim of the author's work?,
A: To provide a mechanism for unlocking our innate capacities for happiness, success, health, and spiritual growth.
Q: What is the main obstacle to achieving inner peace and fulfillment?,
A: The attachment to negative emotions and the ego's influence, which leads to a cycle of suffering and self-justification.
Q: What is the author's approach to addressing negative emotions?,
A: The author recommends a mechanism of surrender, which involves acknowledging and accepting one's negative feelings, rather than suppressing or avoiding them.
Q: What is the author's claim about the effectiveness of his technique?,
A: The author claims that his technique is scientifically proven to be more effective than other approaches in relieving emotional pain and promoting spiritual growth.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>It is common
for humans to look outside of themselves for the satisfaction of their needs. This leads them to experience themselves as vulnerable because they are
insuf ficient unto themselves. The mind is, therefore, a survival mechanism, and its method of
survival is primarily the use of emotions. Thoughts are engendered by the
emotions and, eventually, emotions become shorthand for thoughts.Thousands and even millions of thoughts can be replaced by a single
emotion. Emotions are more basic and primitive than mental processes. Reason is the tool the mind uses to achieve its emotional ends. When used
by the intellect, the basic underlying emotion is usually unconscious or at
least out of awareness. When the underlying emotion is for gotten or ignored
and not experienced, people are unaware of the reason for their actions and
they develop all kinds of plausible reasons. In fact, they frequently do not
know why they are doing what they are doing. There is a simple way to become conscious of the underlying
emotional goal behind any activity through use of the question, “What for?”
W ith each answer, “What for?” is asked again and again until the basic
feeling is uncovered. An example would be the following. A man wants a
new Cadillac. His mind gives all the logical reasons but logic doesn’ t really
explain it. So he asks himself, “What do I want the Cadillac for?” “W ell,”
he says, “it is to achieve status, recognition, respect, and solid citizen
success status.” Again: “What do I want status for?” “Respect and approval
from others,” he might say, “and to ensure that respect.” Again: “What do I
want respect and approval for?” “T o have the feeling of security.” Again:
“What do I want security for?” “T o feel happy.” The continual question,
“What for?,” reveals that basically there are feelings of insecurity,
unhappiness, and lack of fulfillment. Every activity or desire will reveal that
the basic goal is to achieve a certain feeling. There are no other goals than
to overcome fear and achieve happiness. Emotions are connected with what
we believe will ensure our survival, not with what actually will. Emotions
themselves are actually the cause of the basic fear that drives everyone to
seek security constantly. The Scale of Emotions
For simplicity and clarity, we will utilize the scale of emotions that
corresponds with the levels of consciousness. A thorough presentation of
consciousness levels, their scientific basis, and practical applications is
found in Power vs. For ce: The Hidden Determinants of Human Behavior
(Hawkins, [1995], 2012). Briefly, everything emits ener gy, either positive or negative. Intuitively,
we know the dif ference between a positive person (friendly, genuine,
considerate) and a negative one (greedy, deceitful, hateful). The ener gy of
Mother T eresa was obviously dif ferent from the ener gy of Adolf Hitler;most people’ s ener gy is somewhere in between the two. Music, places,
books, animals, intentions, and all of life emit an ener gy that can be
“calibrated” as to its essence and its degree of truth. “Like goes to like.” The dif ferent ener gies constellate in “attractor
patterns” or “levels of consciousness.” The Map of Consciousness


 Hammond, US
Army (1863) in which reference is made to thi
method. These days few doctors give urine injec
tions; only Heilpraktiker (natural doctors) in Ger
many use this method regularly. They specificall
consider urine injections to be a worthwhile metho
of treating illnesses related to allergies. This appli
cation of urine therapy was recently highlighted o
a German commercial television broadcasting sta
tion in which several people with allergies wer
shown injecting themselves with urine. The medical interest in urine and its component
increased around the beginning of this century
particularly in Germany. Experiments were con
ducted on injecting urine, and the results were posi
tive. The German physician Dr. Herz was an enthusi
astic proponent of this method and, in 1930, h
wrote a book reporting his experiences (Di
Eigenharnbehandlung, 'Auto-Urine Treatment') Although scientists and clinics were initially inter
ested in his work, his research came to a halt, since
the German government at the time tightened the
reins on scientific research. Even so, a number of
doctors kept practising this therapy. In the 1940's, doctors in Germany gave urine-en
emas to children exposed to measles or smallpox. Those treated with urine-enemas came down with
a milder form of these illnesses. The German phy
sician Dr. Martin Krebs wrote Der menschliche Harn
als Heilmittel ('Human Urine as Medicine'), a book
about the application and results of urine therapy
with children. Martin Krebs was a fervent follower
of Dr. Herz. In 1965, Dr. Edam from Germany recommended
urine therapy as the most effective treatment for
morning sickness during pregnancy, and advised the
larger university hospitals to try this method in
stead of the frequent use of medication. He main
tained that no side effects had been diagnosed, and
he hoped more doctors would take an interest in
this therapy. Scientists also began to research the effectiveness
of the separate components of urine. Hundreds of
research reports have been published on the com
ponent urea, apart from water the main compo
nent of urine. In Chapter 5, the importance of urea,
a simple breakdown-product of proteins, regarding
the effects of urine therapy is discussed in more
detail. Research has been conducted into the possible
medicinal effects of urine's individual components,
such as the hormone specimens obtained from preg
nant women's urine. Under the motto'mothers for mothers', urine is collected from pregnant women
and processed into a hormone product for those
women who have difficulty getting pregnant. An
other preparation is also made as a side product from
this urine and is used for slimming cures. Below are two examples of the results of scien
tific research on urine substances which have a
proven curative effect in the case of cancer. The
discovery of these kind of substances in urine helps
to bring onto a more scientific level the understand
ing of the positive effects of urine therapy in treat
mg cancer. -In the 1960s the Nobel Prize winner Albert Szent
Gyorgi (who also discovered vitamin C) isolated
a substance in urine called3-methyl glyoxal.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        The GOLDEN FOUNTAIN
The Complete Guide To Urine Therapy
Coen van der kroon
U rine therapy -the drinking and external· application of one's own urine
as a healing agent -is an ancient Eastern tradition which is gaining
popularity in the West. Devotees, who include the acress Sarah Miles,
claim that it is the oldest of natural remedies and swear by its health-enhanc
ing properties. The venerable former prime minister of India, Morarji Desai -
who was 99 and in excellent health the author met him in 1994 -was open
about the fact that he drank a glassful of his own urine every day. It was while he was in India in 1990 that Coen van der Kroon was first given
the opportunity to experience the therapy's healing benfits first -hand, follow
ing an accident. Afterwards, he embarked on a long journey around the world
to research into its history, uses and efficacy. The Golden Fountain, the most
complete book to date on urine therapy, is the result of those wide -ranging
investigations. The author tackles his subject with sensitivity and conviction. He provides a
comprehensive overview of urine therapy's history throughout the world,
together with detailed case histories and a user-friendly guide to its practical
application in relation to specific ailments. Swami Pragyamurti Saraswati, a strong advocate of urine therapy who teach
es in London, has written an authoritative foreword to the book, while individ
ual accounts from people who have tried it and found it beneficial add a fasci
nating personal touch. As an intriguing do-it-yourself home treatment, urine therapy is often the sub
ject of lively debate, but there's one thing that everyone agrees upon-it's
absolutely free. Coen van der Kroon
oreword by Swami Pragyamurti Saraswati TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreword by Swami Pragyamurti Saraswati 9
Introduction 11
t. GETTING THE TASTE: An Introduction to Urine Therapy
4. 1 My Introduction to Urine Therapy 1
4. 2 A Brief Introduction to the Principles of Urine Therapy 8
f2' THE WATER OF LIFE: The History of Urine Therapy in the West r The t. Se of Urine in Ancient Europe 13. 2 Medical t. Se of Urine in the Last Centuries 16. 3 20th Century Developments of Urine Therapy 18
"2. 4 Recent Research, Practice and Literature -4
a. NECTAR OF IMMORTALITY: The History of Urine Therapy in the East
3. 1 Urine Therapy within Hindu Tradition 29
3.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>
Q: Who is the author of the book "The Water of Life"?,
A: J.W. Armstrong
Q: What is the main component of urine, according to the author?,
A: 95% water, 2% urea, and 2% minerals, hormones, and enzymes
Q: What is the primary focus of urine therapy, according to the author?,
A: To stimulate the self-healing power of the body
Q: Who is the former Indian Prime Minister who drank his own urine every day?,
A: Morarji Desai
Q: What is the name of the book that Coen van der Kroon read at the monastery in the Himalayas?,
A: The Water of Life<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>It has
subsequently been proven that this substance
destroys cancer cells. - A certain Dr. S. Burzynski isolated a peptide com
ponent in human urine called Antineoplaston. It
is now known that this substance selectively
combats the growth of cancer cells without fight
ing the growth of normal cells. (see also the let
ter of Dr. Burzynski to the urine therapy centre
in Ahmedabad, India, in Chapter 6). Many substances with an anti-cancer effect have
since been discovered in urine, a number of which
are listed and briefly discussed in Chapter 5. It has
been discovered that the substance laetrile (also re
ferred to as vitamin B17) is extremely effective in
the treatment of cancer. Although it was initially
not known how this substance could be produced,
it was subsequently discovered that when goats
The History of Urine Therapy in the West 21 persistent in his conviction and enthusiasm con
cerning urine therapy, probably because through
urine therapy, he cured himself of tuberculosis
which had been declared 'incurable'. Armstrong began urine therapy after a long and
agonising journey in which doctor after doctor
proved unable to cure him of his symptoms. On
the contrary, his condition only worsened. He de
cided to try urine therapy for two reasons. First of
all, a quotation from the Bible stimulated his curi
osity: "Drink water from your own cistern, flowing wa
ter from your own well." (The Book of Proverbs 5: 15)
Secondly, he had childhood memories of his mother
smearing urine on his face which was swollen from
a bee sting, and of his grandfather treating animals
with urine. Armstrong is unclear as to whether this quota
tion from the Bible should be interpreted as he has,
but he does claim it to be the source of inspiration
for his beginning a forty-five day fast based exclu
sively on urine and water. He combined this fast
with massaging urine into his skin, based upon
what he found in another passage in the Bible, the
Gospel of Matthew 6:17-18: "But when you fast, anoint
your head and wash your face,... " He found that fast
ing was much easier and more pleasant if he also
massaged himself with (old) urine. After his own successful experience, Armstrong
treated hundreds of people with urine therapy. Only
after a number of years, and at the explicit request
of those he had treated, did he write a


YAMAS
In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali outlines an eight-limbed, step-by-step path for
purifying the body and the mind, leading to self-realization and lasting
fulfillment. The first two steps of this path are guidelines—restraints and
observances—called the yamas  and the niyamas, which outline how to act
in the world and what practices to do to purify the mind so that we may
experience real happiness. The lifestyle aspect of the five yamas and five
niyamas are a great way to cultivate a supportive consciousness for the
journey of motherhood. They are guardrails to help keep us living in right
relationship with ourselves, with others, and with the world as we move
toward the awakening of our spiritual nature. Many people may think that boundaries or parameters will cheat you
out of freedom. When you become aware of what the parameters are
protecting you from, you realize that they actually enhance your freedom! For example, you may have boundaries around what you eat so that you do
not get sick. You don’ t eat foods that you’re aller gic to, which ultimately
enhances your experience of health.You begin to recognize that the journey toward real inner freedom takes
a commitment to identifying with the part of you that is steady beyond your
mind and body; you are otherwise bound by desires that control you. Inner
peace comes from a lifestyle dedicated to the process of self-realization. Vedic traditions had parameters that were built into the culture; the Vedic
texts recommend certain values as ideals to hold on to because they keep
your train on the track, so to speak, and your consciousness fixed in the
right place. By living a life devoted to these higher values, your mind becomes
situated in sattva —that is, purity, goodness. You begin to live with more
clarity, from a place deeper than the ever -changing mind and emotions. The
yamas and niyamas help in managing your life ener gy, balancing your outer
life and your inner development. They help you to see yourself with
compassion and awareness and guide you toward leading a conscious,
spiritual life. They clean up your life, in a way, so that you are not full of
guilt, shame, and toxins—and you can start to gain some momentum on this
very, very deep path. The yamas and niyamas are about living in integrity
with your true Self. Living according to these principles is about living your
life in a better way, and thus becoming an example for your little one. THE FIVE YAMAS
The yamas lay out guidelines about how to live and interact in relationship
to other beings and the world. AHIMSA
The first yama, ahimsa,  calls for noninjury, or nonharming; it requires the
awareness and practice of nonviolence in thought, speech, and action. Ahimsa advocates the practices of compassion, love, understanding,
patience, self-care, and worthiness on the deepest level.Ahimsa is the fundamental acknowledgment of the soul within all
beings—the understanding that wherever there is life, there is a soul,
whether in the body of a human, a grasshopper, a tree, or a blade of grass. The dif ferent bodies in which the soul can reside are many. Each body has
certain abilities and certain limitations. The quality of the indwelling soul,
however, is the same for all of us. But recall that out of the millions of species of life on this planet, the
thing that separates humans from all other animals is the ability to choose. Rather than being pushed by your past or pulled by your self-satisfying
desires, you can establish your identity as a pure spirit soul and move
through life making decisions from that deepest place, where we are all
united. Rather than making choices that may satisfy your own senses but
bring harm to another, you can choose to live with a broader perspective
and allow all your actions to be an expression of compassion. When
established in the Self, all your choices are ahimsa—not just nonviolent, but
compassionate. You understand that all beings are pure spirit, deserving of
love, compassion, and life, regardless of the body that they are temporarily
inhabiting or the conditions and circumstances that have shaped them to act
in certain ways. How can you live with more compassion? How can you be more
compassionate toward yourself? What might you start or stop doing,
buying, or eating if you were living in alignment with ahimsa? SATYA
Satya  means truthfulness or living an honest life. Are there little white lies? Exaggerations? Excuses? Satya is taking responsibility, or accountability,
for your life and living a life of integrity. Sat means eternal, which means that in order for something to be Truth,
it must have been true in the past, is true in the present, and will be true for
all of time to come. In my late teens, I started seeking Truth: the big,
capital-letter -T Truth. I saw that so many people and so many spiritual
traditions had their  truth, which too often negated the truth of another. I feltthat real Truth had to be so big, so great, so vast that it could hold within it
all truths, without making any one wrong. There is an underlying Truth that pervades all of reality. This Truth is
the essence of all spiritual traditions, and what all real religion points us
toward. Yes, satya means not telling lies. But more important, it means living in
alignment with Truth. You practice satya when your thoughts, words, and
actions stem from that deepest place of being ; situated in that which is sat,
that which is eternal (the soul), without attachment to results or aversion to
circumstance. Satya calls for living from a deeper place than thinking,
being, or doing from your temporary likes and dislikes. It is living deeper
than seeking lasting happiness in a temporary world. It is establishing
values based on a Truth that is beyond convenience and preference. Think of ways that you are living out of alignment with your values. It
can be something as simple as “I don’ t recycle and I’d like to,” “I eat meat,
though I don’ t believe it is kind,” “I don’ t meditate each day, though I know
I’d feel better if I did.” Examine those misalignments and then act: start
recycling, stop eating meat, meditate. Live from a deeper place than your
likes or dislikes. Live bigger than convenience. You will feel empowered
when you start living from a place of integrity; when how you act is aligned
with how you feel, which stems from a more enlightened place of thinking,
born from a deeper way of being. Surround yourself with people who are servants of Truth, living a life of
integrity, and you will learn how to be as they are. ASTEYA
Asteya  refers to the virtue of “nonstealing”: everything has been given to
you by nature; nothing is really yours. How can you utilize everything that
you have, including your thoughts, your time, and your body, in service to
the Source of all that is? If you knew that you would be given everything that you need, where
would be the need to take more? Mother Nature provides enough foreveryone’ s needs, though not for everyone’ s greed. If you trusted that you
would always be provided for, you would take only what you needed. You
wouldn’ t buy things just because they were on sale or take something just
because it was free. If you knew that you were always taken care of, you
would be able to discern what is rightfully yours, and what should be left
for someone else, or passed on. Asteya means not taking what is not yours, or what is not freely of fered. Stealing can manifest in obvious ways but also in more subtle ways, as in
taking people’ s time and ener gy. You can steal unwittingly when you are not
grounded, when you are not seated in your Self. This can show up as
demanding ener gy from the same person over and over again, rambling,
complaining, or asking too many questions. Make sure that you are not
asking for too much or giving too much. This is where healthy boundaries
come in. Every interaction should be balanced—treated as a co-creation. You can apply asteya by honoring your teachers and recognizing that
everything you are and everything you know has been given to you by
someone else. You learned it from a relationship or an experience, or you
heard it from a teacher. When you acknowledge this, you remain humble,
and humility is the soil in which gratitude grows. Everything that you have
is a gift. BRAHMACHARYA
Brahmacharya  translates as “that which brings you back to Source”; it
refers to ener gy management and the practice of controlling your senses so
that your senses do not control you. All of us can be dragged about by desires, by wanting to feel something
(taste, smell, see, hear something). We are pulled toward an experience
because we think it will bring us the pleasure we are seeking, when what we
actually seek is the pleasure that is inherent within the Truth of who we are. When you are disconnected from yourself, your attempts toward
happiness are attempts to fill a bottomless void that you are experiencing
within your own heart. If you are caught up in your thoughts or distracteddoing too many things at


ame seeds, 56, 128, 260
Dry-Fruit Laddus, 276
Herbal Chewing Mix, 213, 289–90
See also  tahini
sexual desire, regulating, 41
sexual intercourse
apana vata and, 102
Ayurvedic guidelines for, 68–69
ojas and, 94, 128
preconception, 55
during pregnancy, 93–95
shatavari
for acid reflux, 99
contraindications, 58, 305
descriptions, 213, 304
in ghee, 87, 207
for lactation, 260, 263
powder, 215–16, 297–98, 307
preconception, 58
shilajit, 58
showers, 29, 43
shukra dhatu, 87
sitali. See cooling breath
sitz baths, 87, 126, 318
skin
healthy fats for, 110
herbal baths for, 91
itchy, essential oils for, 314
of newborns, 244, 245, 254–56
pitta imbalance and, 24
skin-to-skin contact, 150
sleep
co-sleeping with baby, 306
difficulties in, 109–10
essential oils for, 314, 318
excess, from kapha imbalance, 27
herbs for, 303
of newborns, 240, 243newborn’ s and mother ’s, 251–52
pitta and, 66
postpartum, 207–8
during pregnancy, positions for, 93
sleep apnea, 110
snacking, 21, 65
soul, 42, 81
ahimsa and, 37
conception and, 32
maha gunas and, 78
of newborns, 233
nourishing, 4, 80
presence of, 9–10
study of, 8
sounds
for baby in womb, 78, 80
maha gunas and, 75, 76, 77
spiritual vibrations, 83–84
sperm, 32, 54, 57, 63
spikenard oil, 319
spiritual people, associating with, 82
spiritual traditions, 38, 42
spirituality, 8, 32, 35, 52, 78–80, 233
spring, 27, 28, 60
sprouts, 274, 282, 285
Śrīla Gopāla Bha ṭṭ a Gosvāmī, Sat Kriya Sara Dipika,  138
Srimad Bhagavatam Canto, 59
stillbirth, 216–18
stress hormones, 33, 57, 151
stretch marks, 110–1 1, 182, 315
sucanat, 56, 264–65, 292–93, 297–98
sugar, 19, 275
avoiding, 28, 105, 215, 278
cane, 56, 274, 277
cravings, reducing, 313
for newborns, 260
options, 284
rapadura, 215–16
turbinado, 217–18
summer, 23, 25, 61
surrogacy, 216–18
Sushruta Samhita,  85, 100, 268, 276
svastha, 9, 14
swaddling, 252Swami, Radhanath, 42, 81, 157–58
symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD), 107–8
T
tahini
Tahini Cookies, 297–98
Tahini Sauce, 296
tamas, 73, 74, 76–77
tastes, six, 261
celebrating, 88–89
seasons and, 60, 61
sweet, 270
Teitelbaum, Marianne, Healing the Thyr oid with Ayurveda,  210
tests and procedures, 119, 134, 162–63
thyme oil, 310, 317
thyroid, 204, 208–10
time of day, 16
tongue scraping, 65
Touching Heaven  (Oakes), 215, 261, 281–82, 283, 289
travel, 84, 178, 206
trimester, first
imbalances during, 97, 100
miscarriage in, 102–3
overview, 84–85
vata in, 20
trimester, second
overview, 85–86
pitta in, 24
trimester, third, 86–87
hair-parting ritual, 113
imbalances during, 97, 107, 108–9
kapha in, 27
pain reduction during, 125
triphala, 58
true Self, 13, 44, 45, 64, 83, 233
trust
in birthing process, 122, 128–29, 142, 160, 162
in relationships, 48, 49–51
turmeric, 56, 104, 264–65
avoiding, 283
essential oil, 314, 317
Herbal Chewing Mix, 289–90
Hot Milk Tonic, 290–91kanji, 292–93
kitchari, 294–95
Warm Yam Smoothie, 292
U
umbilical cord
bathing and, 245
ceremony for cutting, 168
massage and, 247
when to cut, 154
Upanishads, 10
uterus
involution of, 203
irritable/exhausted, 155
preconception influences on, 32
strengthening, 57, 58, 212, 304, 305
V
vacha (calamus root), 153, 315
vaginas
during birthing, 149
bleeding from, 95
oiling, 151
tissues of, preparing for birth, 123, 126
valerian, 208, 318
values
choice based on, 12
guilt and, 231–32
living in alignment with, 38–39
vanilla, 207, 276, 307
vata
balancing, 21–23, 66
in breastfeeding, 263
depression and, 217
imbalances, 20–21, 62, 94, 100, 204
during labor, excess, 154–55
nesting as, 122
overview, 18–19
pacifying, foods/herbs for, 277–79, 303–4
postpartum, 174–75, 180, 201–2
preconception, 57
during pregnancy, 17, 20, 86–87, 90
sleep and, 109stabilizing, 64, 126
vitiated, eliminating, 125
weight gain and, 111–12
See also  apana vata
Vedas, 10, 11–12, 232–33
Vedic tradition
parameters in, 36
rituals, 138, 168, 220–21, 234
vegetables
Kitchari, 294–95
Steamed Veggies, 296
when to avoid, 282
See also individual vegetables
vegetarian diet, 269
Velamentous Cord Insertion (VCI), 163, 164–65
vernix, 135, 244
vetiver oil, 314, 317
vitamin B (various forms), 57, 109, 210, 269, 275
vomiting
by newborns, 243–44, 252
during pregnancy, 97, 106, 108, 149, 273
W
walking, 22, 79, 84, 87, 90–91, 178
walnuts, 56, 262, 273, 276, 284
water breaking, 144, 146, 147
water element, 15, 17, 23–24, 26–27, 91
Weed, Susan, Wise W oman Herbal for the Childbearing Y ear, 109, 256
weight gain, 27, 111–13, 209
Western/allopathic medicine, 14, 71, 301
Williamson, Marianne, 1
winter, 19, 21, 60, 61
winter green oil, 316
witch hazel bark, 181, 200
Wolf, David B., Relationships That W ork, 51
Womanly Art of Br eastfeeding, The  (La Leche League International), 261
Y
yamas, five
ahimsa, 37–38
aparigraha,


 true Self is invisible and has no characteristics by which it can be
judged. It has no describable qualities, nor can it be the subject of any
adjectives at all. The Self merely is and is beyond verbs, adverbs, and
adjectives. It does not even “do” anything. Exceptional subjective experiences of truth, which are the province of the
mystic, affect all mankind by sending forth spiritual energy into the
collective consciousness. Realization is not a “gain” or an accomplishment, nor is it something that
is “given” as a reward for being good—these are all notions from
childhood. God is immutable and cannot be manipulated into granting
favors, or seduced by bargaining or adulation. Worship benefits the
worshipper by reinforcing commitment and inspiration. God is still, silent,
and unmoving. To know  that the Self is context and that, in contrast, the self is content is
already a huge leap forward. The naïve seeker merely keeps reshuffling the
content. The Self is beyond, yet innate in, all form—timeless, without beginning
or end, changeless, permanent, and immortal. Out of it arises awareness,
consciousness, and an infinite condition of “at home-ness. ” It is the ultimate
subjectivity from which everyone’ s sense of “I” arises. The Infinite Reality
does not even know itself as “I” but as the very substrate of the capacity for
such a statement. It is invisible and all-present. The Self is not conditional; it has no qualities and is not dependent or
explicable. The Self has no duration, beginnings or endings, location, form,
or limitations. It is the Radiance of the Self that illuminate s existence,
without which there would be no awareness. The Self is beyond process. All descriptions are inappropriate and inapplicable to the Self. The spontaneity of life is an expression of essences interacting
effortlessly. The miracle of Creation is continuous, and all life shares in the
Divinity of its Source, for nothing comes into existence excep t by Divine
ordinance. Once the sacredness of life is revealed, there follows the
knowingness of what is meant by the phrase, “Gloria in Excelsis Deo. ”
Enlightenment is not a condition to be obtained; it is merely a certainty to
be surrendered to, for the Self is already one’s Reality. It is the Self that is
attracting one to spiritual information. The source of the Self is the reality of Divinity. Although it is the source
of existence, it is not subject to it, nor is such a term applicable. Life itself is not subject to cessation but only to change of form. The
Source and essence of life is God, Who is not subject to demise. One cannot
lose one’s source. Death is the end of one chapter of a series of stories that
finally cease only when the ego-author surrenders to its source. The Self is like one’s inner grandmother who watches over a child so he
does not forget to take his raincoat or mail the rent check. God is not
ominous but loving; fear arises from the imagination. The Presence of the Self is comp lete, permanent, and totally fulfilling—it
has no needs. Everything occurs spontaneously as an expre ssion of its
intrinsic essence. There is nothing and no one to “cause” anything to
happen. In reality, the Love of God, like the sun, shines equally on all. The Presence as Self illuminat es the Allness of Reality. Ever ything is
equal by virtue of the Divinity of its existence as the Infinite Supreme, out
of which all existence and creation arise. There is no selectivity or division;
all is of equal value and importance. The Self knows, by virtue of its essence, all that exists beyond  time and
therefore beyond memory. The Presence of Self constitutes the classic purusha, or Radiance of Self
as Source. Self “knows” by virtue of identity with Divinity itself. It thereby
is its own Aware ness, and by its Presence, it thereby makes itself “known”
as the “Knower. ” Thus, it does not know “about,” but is the completion of
its own essence. The realization and knowingness of God is radically and purely
subjective. There is not even the hypothetical possibility that reason could
arrive at T ruth. T ruth is knowable only by virtue of the identity of being it. The Allness of Divinity is stron gly confirmed by the immense power of
Love as intrinsi c to Creation and Divinity. The Presence of Love is all-
pervasive and experienced as one’s intrinsic Self. It melts linearity into
Oneness, which  is simultaneously exquisitely gentle and—para doxically—
infinitely powerful. Love is the Ultimate Law of the Universe. Through inner observation, there is the realization of something that
remains constan t and the same, no matter what goes on in the external
world or with body, emotions, or mind. With this awareness comes a state
of total freedom. The inner Self has been discovered. The silent state of
Awareness that underlies all movement, activity, sound, feeling, and thought
is discovered to be a timeless dimension of peace. Divinity is the Source of all Existence, including one’ s own. Truth is autonomously self-evident by virtue of its existence as Allness. Life, like existen ce, has no oppo sites—just as truth has no opposite, self-
existent pseudo-reality such as falsehood. Truth is either present or not. Divinity, God, Allness, Oneness, and the Absolute are All That Is; no
opposite to God can exist. Only the truth is true; nothing else exists. All
fear, then, arises from attachment to form due to the illusion that form is a
necessary requirement for existence. With awareness  of Reality, all learning stops. The mind becom es silent. In peace and stillness, all that exists radiates forth its own meaning and
truth and reveals that the nature of existence is stunningly divine. Everything radia tes forth its Divine essence as Existence itself. That which
Is and that which is Divine are one and the same. Truth is the radical simplicity and obviousness of God. It is unity. The
word “unity” signifies the completeness of the Self-identity of existence. All is complete  by virtue of being itself. No descriptions or nominal
designations are required; they are all distractions. Even to just witness
requires no thought. There is no necessity to mentalize Reality;  it does not
enhance what is but instead detracts from it. Truth is actuality; nontruth is false because it never existed and therefore
was never recorded, which is why it exhibits a “false” (absence of truth)
response to consciousness-resea rch testing. Consciousness only responds to
what “is” or “has been” in Reality. The source of consciousness is the
Absolute Reality, classically called T ruth. The only energy that has more power than the strength of the collective
ego is that of Spiritual T ruth. The power of Truth itself is a quality of Divine Love that, in its infinite
mercy, dissolves positionalities back into the Reality of the Self. There is no separation between Creator and created, no subject or object;
they are one and the same. Such terms as “new” or “old” are only
nonexistent points of view, like “now” or “then. ” We are the constant
witness to Creation at the very moment of Creation itself. What we witness
is the Hand of God as experience. Awareness is the “Eye” or witness, and
Creation is the handiwork of the infinite Self. In the Presence of God, all suffering ceases. One has returned to one’s
Source, which is not different from one’s own Self. It is as though one had
forgotten, or is now awakened from, a dream. All fears are revealed to be
groundless; all worries are foolish imaginings. There is no future to fear,nor past to regret. There is no errant ego/self to admonish or correct. There
is nothing that needs changing or improving. There is nothing about which
to feel ashamed or guilty. There is no “other” from which one can be
separated. No loss is possible. Nothing needs to be done, no effort is
required, and one is free from the endless tug of desire and want. Begin by accepting the very important statement that all truth is
subjective. Do not waste lifetimes looking for an objective truth, because no
such thing exists. Even if it did, it could not be found except by the purely
subjective experience of it. All knowledge and wisdom are subjective. Nothing can be said to exist unless it is subjectively experienced. Even a
supposedly purely objective material world, if it existed, could  be said to
exist only because of one’s subjective sensory experience of it. Even the
most rabid mate rialist is stuck with the fact that in the end, it is only their
own subjective awareness that gives it the authority of believability. Awareness mere ly registers what is being experienced; it has no effect on
it. Awareness is the all-encom passing attractor field of unlimited power
identical with life itself. Falsity is not the opposite of truth but merely its absence. In reality, truth
has no opposite, just as cold is not the opposite of heat, nor is light the
opposite of darkness. The Ultimate is


surface (Yang). Metal  is the Phase  of contraction, culminating in the
Phase  of Water, which  consolidates energy at the core (Yin). Our
Wood  aspect leads us outward toward Fire, where we feel at one, a
part of it all; our Metal  aspect leads us inward toward Water, where
we recognize our separate and historical self. Our Earth Phase
stabilizes us so that we can handle the gyrations of our oscillatingprocess. Consciousness that exists beyond time, in the realm of
space, belongs to Fire. Our bodies, lineage, genes, and will to pass
from generation to generation through time belongs to Water. The
realm of action belongs to Wood, denition to Metal, and balance to
Earth. Familiarity with each of the Five Phases  acquaints us with the
individual waves within the common sea of our being. In tension with the great Yin Phase, Water, is the great Yang, Fire. Water  gives rise to the germination  of substance, and Fire gives rise
to the completion of materi alized form. The latent power of the
apple seed in the creation of the apple tree derives from Water. The
manifest power of the tree to mature and bear shiny red apples,
completing and fullling its potential, derives from Fire. Whereas
Metal  and Wood  represent stages of expans ion and contraction,
Water  and Fire represent stages of generation and completion. The lines of correspondence between the Five Phases  and human
experience divide the body into Five Organ Networks, each of which
corresponds to one Phase. These Organ Networks, echoing the nature
of each Phase, descr ibe the physiology and psychology of the
organism. By extrapolation people can be generally classied into
ve character types by matching healthy and distorted expressions
of the soma and psyche with the characteristics of each of the Five
Phases  and Organ Networks. Five-Phase Theory  is like a fugue, with ascending and descending
rhythms and recapitulations, repetitions, echoes, and variations on a
theme. Each Organ Network  is a living system, a melody, expressed
through the instrument of the soma and psyche. In the body,
dissonance manifests as physical symptoms and patterns of
dysfunction. In the psyche, bothersome traits, xations, and
dilemmas manifest as distortions of character and patterns of
distress. The function and interaction of the Five Organ Networks
establish the basis for understanding the ve character types.Phases of Pulsation
Symbolizing the organism as a sphere: Metal  (Yin) represents
contraction, movement inwar d toward the core. Water  (extreme Yin)
represents the core, the site of germination and creation. Wood
(Yang) represents expansion, movement outward toward the surface. Fire (extreme Yang) represents the surface, the site of culmination
and completion. Earth  represents the axis, the point of balance,
around which the forces of Yin-Yang  revolve and spin. FIVE ORGAN NETWORKS:  TRADITIONAL  CHINESE  PHYSIOLOGYTo maintain the abundant circulation of Qi and Blood  is to sustain
the material life of the organism, the integrity of mind and tissue. Each Organ Network  refers  to a complete set of functions—
physiological and psychological—rather than to a specic and
discrete physical structure xed in an anatomical locatio n. For this
reason they are referred to as Organ Networks  rather than simply
organs. Identied by the names of the Yin Organs, each paired
system consists of Liver-Gallbladder, Heart-Smal l Intestine, Spleen-
Stomach, Lung-Large Intestine, and Kidney-Bladder *
Yin corresponds to organs that store Qi. Here Qi means Essence—
the most rened state of material substance. The Yin organs are
more stable and constant, representing the more homeostatic
mechanisms that regulate pressure, temperature, distribution, and
metabolism. Constituting the body’s foundation, they’re both more
consequential and more vulnerable. Disease of these organs is
considered deeper and more critical. Yang corresponds to the organs
that transform matter. They are more active and unstable in
character because of their participation in the process of digestion
and elimination. As an aggregate of organs, tissues, channels, and physiologic
functions, each Network  is critical for the sustenance of life. Each
embodies a distinctive intellectual, emotional, and behav ioral style
as well as physiological correspondences. Each has its own
responsibilities (a job to do), a strategy (how to do the job), and a
character (a way of being, a personality) that reect the power of
each Phase.Five-Phase Organ Network Correspondences
Each Organ Network  refers  to a complete set of functions—
physiological and psychological—rather than to a specic and
discrete physical structure xed in an anatomical locatio n. For this
reason they are referred to as Organ Networks  rather than simply
organs. Each paired system is identied by the names of the Yin
Organs. The Liver stores the Blood  and regulates the even movement of Qi. The Heart  propel s the Blood  and is the seat of consciousness. The
Spleen  generates and distributes nourishment. The Lung receives and
disperses Qi. And the Kidney  stores the Vital Essence. Together the
Organ Networks  comprise the team that gets the work of the body
done. Through the division of labor, all tasks are accomplished.CIRCULATION OF  QI FROM  DAY THROUGH  NIGHT
Qi and Blood  circulate continuously in an orderly sequence from one
Organ Network  to the next throughout the day and night, accounting
for maximum and minimum periods of function. During the day, Qi
expands outward toward the surface of the body (Yang) and during
the night Qi retreats into the body’s core (Yin). Yang peaks at
midday, Yin at midnight. Every two-hour period during the day and
night clocks an alternating ebb and ow of Qi. One Organ  and its
associated channel lls, while another empties. For example, from
three to ve A.M., the Qi of the Lung reache s its peak, while the
Bladder  is at its lowes t ebb. At noon  the Heart  reaches its peak and
the Gallbladder  its ebb.Our Functional Shape: A Continuum of Organ Networks  as Yin-
Yang  Protoplasm
Our inner and outer shape is dened not only by cavities and
structures, but also by an alchemy of processes governed by the
functions of the Organ Networks  impelled by the inexorable ebb and
ow of Yin (Jing) and Yang (Shen) as Qi and Blood  pulse and stream
through the organism.The Rhythmic Circulation of Qi from Day through Night
Stomach peaks 7 A.M.–9 A.M..
Spleen peaks 9 A.M.–11 A.M..
Heart peaks 11 A.M.–1 P.M..
Small Intestine peaks 1 P.M.–3 P.M..
Urinary Bladder peaks 3 P.M.–5 P.M..
Kidney peaks 5 P.M.–7 P.M..
Pericardium peaks 7 P.M.–9 P.M..
Triple-Burner peaks 9 P.M.–11 P.M..
Gallbladder peaks 11 P.M.–1 A.M..
Liver peaks 1 A.M.–3 A.M.. Lung peaks 3 A.M.–5 A.M..
Large Intestine peaks 5 A.M.–7 A.M.. The Stomach  and Spleen  are at their peak function between seven
and eleven A.M. This is the time of optimal digestion and assimilation
and helps to explain why the rst meal of the day is so important
for maintaining adequate energy. The time of peak function for theLarge Intestine  occurs at ve to seven A.M., just prior to that of the
Stomach. This suggest s that the natural rhythm is to empty in
preparation for receiving.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        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


 never come in contact with them) will soon become extremely de licious and satisfying; so
much so, that the appetite will demand no other. When this condition is attained foods begin to perform
their natural functions. They de legate to the body all their
latent powers and energies. They bring it to the highest
degree of development of whic h it is capable. Language fails
to describe the difference betw een the emaciated dyspeptic,
who is fed on the so-called "fat of the land," and the rugged,
robust, red-blooded individual  who subsists entirely upon
nature's unchanged, elementary foods. FOOD PRODUCTS. THAT type of life to which man belongs, if traced
chronologically from age to age, and geographically from
land to land, will be found to have  originated in the tropics, or
the warmer belts of the earth's surface. His primitive food was
plants. As the ages progressed and he ascended a little farther up
in the scale of evolution, he added fruits, and further on nuts,
to his dietary. So far as his physical needs were concerned,
this combination, plants, fruits and nuts, composed the most
perfect diet he has ever subsisted upon. There are numerous
forms of anthropoidal life in these southern climes that bear
testimony to the wonderful strength, agility and endurance
that can be builded from these simple foods. In some parts of
Africa there is a type of gor illa which subsists entirely upon
these foods in their natural state, and which can twist with his
two hands the barrel of a Springfield rifle into a shapeless
mass in an instant. Every step that man has taken in the long and devious
road of civilization, added to his love of travel and romance,
and his instinctive curiosity, and unsatisfied desire for
something—anything he did not possess. Every step that he took beyond the limits of his own
country involved the question of food. Especially as he
migrated northward the storing of food products to tide him
over from season to season became a question of very great
importance, one that involved the question of life and death. All the faculties were employed almost wholly in his
endeavor to solve this one dominant question. He began to
think, to study, to experiment.. He had emigrated beyond the limits of his native land,
where he could live from the bountiful prodigality of nature. He found himself confronted by all the hazardous vicissitudes
of climate and vegetation. Root s, herbs and every vegetable
thing was tested as food, and during periods of famine and
hunger, in sheer desperation he slew and preyed upon even
animal life. It is certain that the custom of flesh eating among the
ancients began with the direst necessity, with the choice
between that or death by starvation. The first cereal product known to history was a small
seed or berry, the product of a wild grass called sativa or
sativum. From triticum sativum was developed the wheat
plant; from orysa sativa came the rice. These two great
staples came substantially from the same root. The one
planted in the more northern latitudes produced the wheat,
while the same plant in the tropical and semi-tropical regions
developed the rice. It was during the time that man was sorely put to it to
find and produce foods which he could store for winter use,
probably, that foods classed as legumes, that is to say, every
product that grows in a pod, of the bean and pea variety, became so highly developed and universally used. There are
about 7,000 species in the legume family contained in about
450 different genera. The enormous variety of things that could be used as
food because they would sustain life, which had been
discovered by mankind in his more primitive years, were
passed on from generation to generation and mixed, crossed
and combined to appease the appe tite of the wealthier classes. Besides this extensive bill of fare that had been discovered
and compiled from necessity, the earth's surface was again
scoured to find things that would tickle the palate of the
priests and rulers of the Oriental world. The natural trend of civiliz ation is to group people
together in communities, settle ments and cities. The natural
tendency of this, under ancient, and even our present social
system, was to concentrate wealth, the result of which is
always the division of society into two classes, namely,
producers and non-producers. This condition left its mark  upon the inhabitants of
ancient cities. Idleness sought employment and entertainment
in many forms of dissipation, the most prominent of which
was feasting—eating and drinking. The ancient Romans at
their feasts would eat as long as they could comfortably sit
up, and then lie down, and in this position finish their feast. Then they would repair to a vomitorium, where they would
disgorge themselves. The result of this was mental and physical decay among
the wealthier classes. It was at this time that Augustus Caesar
was changing the Rome of brick to the Rome of marble, and
she was boasting that her art,  language and literature were
ornamenting and civilizing the world, when in reality among
her wealthier classes was being sown the seeds of her
ultimate decline. Our present methods of sustaining life from food are but
a mirror made from the fragments of man's past and curious
history, in which the student  can see reflected through the
ages that have gone the primitive man and the food and habits
which brought him to such a high degree of physical
perfection. During the whole life of primitive man he would not eat
more than a half dozen different varieties of food, while it is
estimated that the average American can select from 1,000
articles. It would be impossible, as well as useless, to try to
enumerate all the articles used as food, and especially to
attempt to give their analyses or nutritive values. All we wish
to show are the reasons why man has become so omnivorous. We want to make him think. We merely want to give him
material out of which he can weave his own conclusions. We want no one to accept our theories of the food
question without thorough investigation and study. If he does,
he will eternally be wavering between two opinions, and like
all those who bestride great questions, will never accomplish
anything of value on either side. "RAW" FOODS. FOODS  that have ripened and been brought to a state of
maturity by nature cannot cons istently be called "raw." The
origin of this word was the e ffort to describe something that
was unfinished, that was crude, that was rough, or in some
way objectionable. Think of applying this ugly word to a luscious bunch of
purple grapes swinging to and fro in bowers of green. Or to a
hickory nut that has ripened in the top of a mountain tree,
whose life-giving properties have been filtered through a
hundred feet of clean, white wood. Or to a delicious apple, or
peach, reddened, ripened and finished,—nursed in the lap of
nature, rocked in her ether eal cradle, and kissed from the
odorous blossom of infancy on to maturity by the soft beams
of the life-giving sun, the Parent of all light and life. These things are finished, read y for use; they are perfect,
they are not raw, they are done; and when they are cooked
they are undone. They are as far removed from their finished
and done condition as if they were green or but half grown. In the true sense of the word, cooking that which nature
has ripened in reality renders it raw—hopelessly raw. The
Standard Dictionary says that raw means uncooked; but
dictionaries are made by men. They record as true whatever
becomes a custom, and if custom  makes an error, then the
dictionary makes an error. If custom were to make raw mean
finished, the dictionary would accept it as true. Language is a thing of growth and development. It is an
oral effort to express our emotions, our hopes, fears, joys,
sorrows and sympathies. Language is continually being born
and continually being buried. We cannot accept the sweeping statement that all things
are raw that are not cooked, though a thousand dictionaries
were to say so. An uncooked beafsteak could, with much consistency, be
called raw. It looks raw and tastes raw. In the sense that the
skin worn from the shoulder of a horse by a rough collar
makes a raw place, so is an uncooked beafsteak raw. But this
word cannot be made to truthfully describe fruits, nuts and
grains in a perfect state of maturity. They have been finished
by nature, by some supreme intelligence, and sown with
prodigal hand over the face of the earth, and man has become
the beneficiary thereof. And none of his work and puny
efforts can possibly improve them. ECONOMY—SIMPLICITY. IF there were nothing else to recommend the use of uncooked
foods except simplicity and economy, it would be quite
enough. There is nothing more complicated—more laborious
and more nerve-destroying, than the preparation of the
alleged good dinner. There is nothing simpler, easier and
more entertaining than the preparation of an uncooked dinner. The largest eating place in


nipresence	and	totality	of	God	are	all	that	is	possible,	which
excludes	all	alternatives. God	as	‘void’	is	the	unmanifest	Godhead	of
infinite	potentiality	unexpressed,	formless,	invisible,	and	intangible. It	is
the	infinite	Brahman,	the	transcendental	Krishna,	beyond	existence	or
beingness. It	is	the	unborn,	unexpressed	source. Out	of	the	unmanifest
arises	the	totality	that	is	God	expressed	as	Creation	or	Allness. God	is	All	Presence	simultaneously	as	manifest	and	unmanifest,	as	void
and	Allness,	as	visible	and	invisible,	as	the	potential	and	the	actual,	as	the
expressed	and	the	unexpressed. The	Dance	of	Shiva	is	the	apparent	appearance	or	disappearance	of
these	seeming	opposites	that	are	really	only	alternatives	of	viewpoint. These	occur	just	as	the	appearance	of	a	hologram	is	determined	by	the
position	of	the	observer	and	not	by	any	movement	or	change	of	the
hologram	itself. Let	us	use	the	example	of	the	concept	of	temperature,
which	includes	all	possibilities	within	which	there	would	be	neither	hot
nor	cold	except	by	definition	and	an	arbitrary	point	of	delineation. From	this	understanding,	we	can	see	that	all	seeming	alternatives	are
merely	options	of	viewpoint	or	definition. All	definition	is	purely
subjective;	therefore,	there	is	no	self-existent	‘out	there’	to	be	blamed	for
anything. One	cannot	be	the	victim	of	a	storm	or	an	avalanche;	one	is
merely	a	participant	observer	of	an	actual	phenomenon. One	cannot,
therefore,	be	a	victim	of	life,	but	only	take	a	stance	that	some	condition	is
favorable	or	not	favorable,	desired	or	not	desired. Therefore,	all	hatred,
revenge,	spite,	resentment,	and	anger	are	without	any	basis	in	reality,	and
it	is	all	imaginary. Everyone	is	exposed	to	life	in	its	expression	as	nature	and	also	human
interaction,	called	society. This	interaction	is	impersonal,	and	the
vicissitudes	of	life	are	inevitable	and	unavoidable. This	can	be	either
challenging	or	depressing,	depending	solely	on	one’s	point	of	view. Without	positionalities,	life	is	experienced	as	serene	and	interesting. It
potentiates	growth	and,	hopefully,	wisdom	rather	than	self-pity	or
bitterness. Everyone	is	free	to	make	a	choice. The	rain	does	not	determine
whether	one	will	be	happy	or	disappointed. The	surrender	of
willfulness/positionality	brings	peace	in	all	circumstances. Q:	But	aren’t	there	rational	opinions	and	positionalities	based	on	being
realistic? A:	These	are	primarily	conveniences;	actually,	they	are	self-indulgences. All
resentments	are	petulant	self-indulgences	of	sentimentality,	emotionality,
and	melodrama. One	gets	to	be	the	martyr	or	the	pitiful	victim,	or	gets	to
cast	oneself	as	tragic	or	heroic. Endless	plausible	explanations	or	excuses
are	available	to	rationalize,	explain,	or	justify	absolutely	any	human
behavior	or	response. Reactivity	is	conditioned,	but	it	is	also	selective. These	temptations	to	be	childish	have	to	be	bypassed	by	the	serious
spiritual	seeker	who	sees	them	for	what	they	are	and	refuses	the	attraction
of	the	games	of	emotionalism. On	a	certain	level,	they	can	all	be	seen	to	be	false. They	are	actually
one’s	‘act’,	even	if	one	is	unaware	that	they	are	only	that. Peace	is	literally	a	choice	and	a	decision,	although	not	a	popular	one	in
our	society	despite	all	the	rhetoric	about	the	term. The	decision	to
overlook	the	seeming	inequities	of	life	instead	of	reacting	to	them	is	a
choice. Q:	What	of	social	problems? A:	Being	a	social	reformer	is	an	entirely	different	career	from	that	of	seeking
enlightenment. It	is	well	to	remember	that	spiritual	advancement
influences	everyone	else	from	within,	whereas	force	tries	to	change	the
external	only. Surrendering	a	personal	grievance	or	grudge	is	more
rewarding	for	all	society	than	marching	up	and	down	with	provocative
signs	and	slogans. To	the	spiritually	advanced	persons,	whether	other
people	agree	with	them	or	not	is	immaterial	as	they	no	longer	need	to	look
outside	themselves	for	validation	or	agreement. Q:	What	does	it	mean	to	go	into	a	bliss	state?What	does	one	do? What	happens? A:	To	be	dissolved	into	intense,	infinite	love	is	overwhelming	and
incapacitating. There	is	neither	the	desire	nor	the	capability	to	emerge
from	that	state	unaided. All	bodily	functions	cease. Even	breathing	itself
may	cease	and	resume	only	in	response	to	an	entreaty	from	another	person
who	is	intensely	loving. However,	it	is	not	necessary	to	do	so. One	has
permission	by	knowingness	to	leave	the	body	as	an	option. In	this	case,	in	order	to	acknowledge	love,	breathing	resumed. Perhaps
it	was	decided	by	karma. However,	the	choice	was	also	made	with	the
concurrent	awareness	that	any	return	to	physicality	was	only	temporary
and	the	final	dissolution	back	into	Infinite	Love	was	inevitable	and	certain. Compared	to	the	eternity	of	that	infinite	state,	a	short	return	to	the	realm	of
physicality	seemed	trivial. Q:	What	if	there	was	nobody	around	to	entreat	one	to	return	to	worldly
life? A:	Whether	or	not	those	conditions	prevail	probably	depends	on	karma,
circumstances,	conditions,	Divine	Will,	and	the	interaction	of	the	universe
as	a	totality. If	there	were	no	entreaties,	then	the	body	would	expire,	which
at	the	time	would	be	quite	agreeable. When	Ramana	Maharshi	went	into
that	bliss	state	spontaneously,	he	was	not	discovered	for	some	lengthy
period	by	which	time	he	had	been	severely	bitten	by	many	insects	and	had
been	without	sustenance	for	an	unknown	number	of	days. He	was
entreated	to	drink	and	eat. He	responded	slowly	and	eventually	resumed
movement	and	function;	however,	he	did	not	speak	in	language	for	another
two	years. Q:	Are	there	different	degrees	of	realized	states? A:	There	are	different	levels	of
Samadhi
,	classically	described	with	Sanskrit
designations. There	is	a	state	that	is	transcendental	but	which	persists	only
so	long	as	one’s	eyes	are	closed	in	meditation. There	is	a	more	intense
Samadhi	that	persists	in	the	meditative	state	even	after	the	eyes	are
opened. There	is	a	more	advanced	state	yet	that	persists	even	if	the	devotee
gets	up	and	is	able	to	walk	around	and	function	simply. These	states	are
reflected	in	an	electroencephalogram	(EEG)	as	‘alpha’	waves	which	are
much	slower	than	the	beta	waves	that	denote	ordinary	consciousness. The
more	advanced	state	is	a	permanent	awareness	that	persists	continuously
so	that	returned	functioning	in	the	world	is	possible,	as	determined	by
karma	or	prior	decision,	choice,	or	agreement. The	returnee	to	the	world	is
then	termed	a	‘sage’	and	may	function	in	the	role	of	healer,	teacher,	andsource	of	information. The	EEG	of	the	enlightened	sage	is	dominated	by
slow	Theta	waves	(4–7	cycles	per	sec. ),


ed and
well-spok en. The public image we cr eate is contrived by the
parts of us that wer e hurt, confused, or full of pain. Althoughit may fool others and even us for a while, eventually we will
be faced with the wounds that this mask was constructed to
hide. As a way to ensur e that our ﬂawed and imperfect self
would not be discover ed or e xposed, we cleverly began to
develop qualities opposite fr om those we wer e trying to
hide. W e work ed har d to over compensate for the parts of
ourselves we believed wer e unacceptable, hoping to thr ow
others oﬀ the scent or to rid ourselves of the bad feelings
that wer e associated with them. If we wer e riddled with
insecurities, we may have developed an ar rogant, know-it-
all persona to convince others that we have enor mous
conﬁdence. If we felt lik e a failur e, we may have sur rounded
ourselves with people who have achieved gr eat things or
exaggerated the scope of our own endeavors to appear
more successful than we actually ar e. If we felt powerless
over our life, we might have chosen a car eer or partner that
would have allowed us to appear mor e powerful. Our personas convince us that ther e is nothing that we
don’t know about ourselves—that we ar e in fact the person
we see in the mir ror and believe ourselves to be. But the
issue with this is that once we have bought into the story of
“this is who I am,” we shut the door on any other possibility
and deny ourselves access to all of who we can be. W e lose
our ability to choose, because we can’t do anything outside
the conﬁnes of the character we’r e playing. The pr edictable
persona we’ve constructed is now in contr ol. W e become
blind to the immense possibilities for our life. Only when we
stop pr etending to be something we ar e not—when we no
longer feel the need to hide or over compensate for either
our weaknesses or our gif ts—will we know the fr eedom of
expressing our authentic self and have the ability to mak e
choices that ar e based on the life we truly desir e to live. When we br eak out of this trance and ar e no longer
preoccupied with ﬁtting in, with what other people think of
us or what we think about ourselves, we can open up andtake advantage of opportunities that might just pass us by
when we ar e trapped inside our story line or behind the
mask we wear. We are driven to the point of e xhaustion by our ego ideal
to be diﬀer ent than we ar e. We ﬁght to be bigger, str onger,
tougher, and mor e secur e. Without r ealizing it, we position
ourselves to pr ove that we ar e mor e, better, or diﬀer ent
than the r est of the cr owd or try to stay invisible by ﬁtting in
and not being seen. W e scramble to cr eate the e xact
persona we believe will bring us the appr oval and
recognition we desperately need or, alter natively, give us an
excuse for not playing full out and having a life we love. And
then we begin to act and behave in ways, consciously or
unconsciously, that will leave others with the thoughts,
feelings, and impr essions we believe will bring us their love,
respect, or pity—until that one day when the walls come
crumbling down. Amanda was deeply ashamed of the fact that she never
graduated fr om college and mortiﬁed that most of the
relatives on her mother’s side of the family wer e from the
wrong side of the tracks and uneducated. She work ed har d
to create a persona to hide her embar rassment and mak e
her look good to those she wanted to impr ess. She found a
niche for herself in a specialized ﬁeld wher e she was
regarded as smart, helpful, and indispensable, but no
matter how much she r ead or how much she contributed at
work, Amanda ended most days feeling “less than. ” In an
attempt to r esolve her pain, she decided to go back to
school, hoping that ear ning a degr ee would transfor m her
from an uneducated girl fr om a trailer park into a
sophisticated, worldly woman. One evening she walk ed into her psychology class suited
up inside her pr ofessional persona. She felt pr oud, because
she had alr eady cr eated a r eputation for being the smart girl
in the class. As the pr ofessor detailed their assignment for
the week, Amanda began to cringe as her shame-ﬁlledshadow took over. She could feel her whole body tightening
up as she lear ned that the pr oject was to cr eate a very
detailed family tr ee showing the educational backgr ounds
and car eers of all her family members. As she began
working on the assignment, noting all the members of her
family who wer e drug-addicted, ﬁnancially unstable, and
uneducated, she was confr onted with the pain and
embar rassment of her family history. Her overwhelming
sense of not being good enough suddenly felt too big to be
hidden by any persona. Later in the week, as she r ead her
report and look ed over her compr ehensive family tr ee,
instead of feeling pr oud of the work she had done, she was
riddled with shame. A fter years of trying to outrun her
shadow and cover it up, it took only one assignment for
Amanda’s persona to crack open. Like Amanda, some of us wer e awar e, even at a young
age, that we wer e trying to be someone we wer e not. Instead of ourselves, we wanted to be lik e someone we
looked up to, so we unconsciously took on another person’s
façade, not even r ealizing that it was not an authentic self
we wer e seeing. But either way, in our sear ch for fr eedom,
safety, and authenticity, it is imperative to r ecognize that
we ar e wearing some version of a mask that we put on
twenty, thirty, or even forty years ago. And now our
authentic self, which is scr eaming to get our attention, is
deeply hidden behind a mask, and our false self is
masquerading as our true natur e. Imagine this. When you wer e a small child, you r eceived a
little gif t—a magic penny, per haps—fr om your grandmother. Wanting to k eep it safe, you hid it somewher e so no one
would ﬁnd it. W ould you be able to r emember all these
decades later wher e you had hidden it. W ould you
remember that you had hidden it at all. The same is true for
your unscathed authentic self. You’ve k ept it hidden for such
a long time, you have for gotten that this part of you ever
existed in the ﬁrst place. The natur e of the façade we chose varies based on our
backgr ound, our par ents, our sur roundings, and what was
consider ed good and bad behavior, yet the masks that ar e
commonly seen in our society today ar e no diﬀer ent fr om
those of a hundr ed years ago. Today we see updated
versions of the seductr ess, the char mer, the people pleaser,
the eter nal optimist, the “cool” one, the martyr, the good
girl, the nice guy, the tough guy, the abuser, the bully, the
quiet snak e, the intellect, the savior, the depr essive, the
jokester, the loner, the victim, and the overachiever. They
are repetitive, ar chetypal e xpressions appearing in the
moder n age. The pr oblem with living inside these masks,
these personas, is that eventually we lose sight of who we
really ar e and what is possible for our life. In canceling out
our darkness, we unconsciously e xtinguish our authentic
power, cr eativity, and dr eams. EXPOSING OUR SECRET LIFE
Our shadow thrives when we have secr ets. The moment we
close the door on one or mor e aspects of ourselves, we set
into motion a secr et life. Ther e’s an adage in twelve-step
programs: “Y our secr ets k eep you sick. ” And in my years of
working with people, I can conﬁr m that this is, in fact, true. It is nothing to be ashamed of, because most of us have a
public life and a secr et life. W e have a public persona we
show the world and a secr et life we k eep hidden. W e
construct a secr et life in or der to hide the parts of ourselves
that we’r e most ashamed to face. It could be an ar ea of our
life that holds some shame or


ofthewound,herealizedthepuncturewasdeep. Innotime,thebleedingbecameprofuse. Pain,
28 YourExtraordinaryHealingSystem
delayedforseveralseconds,soonbegantopulsateandthrobthrough
outhisfingertipandentirehand. Alappliedpressuretopreventhisbloodfromspillingontothefloor. Afterhalfanhour,henoticedthebleedinghadslowed. Anhourlater,iteventuallystopped. Fromtheverybeginningofthisincident,andoverthecourseof
thenextseveraldays,Al’shealingsystemwasbusyactivatingaheal
ingresponsethatincludes
oThenervoussystem,whichfirstrespondswithmessagesofpainthatwarnAlaninjuryhasoccurred. oThecomplexmechanismsofbloodclotting,whichareasophisticatedinteractionofhormones,enzymes,andnumerouschem
icalsandcellswithinthecirculatorysystem. Thesecomponents
arenaturallystickyandjointogethertosealoffthewoundto
protectthebodyfromfurtherbloodloss. oThelayersoftheskin,deepertissues,andvariouscells,which
weavethemselvestogethertoformatransitional,intermediate
layerofskinandfillinthegapcreatedbythewound. oTheformationofascab,whichprotectsthedeeper,moresensitivelayersofnewskinandtissuesasthehealingprocesscontinues. Whenthescabsloughsoff,Al’shealingsystemmiraculouslymanufacturesnewskinwheretheoldskinhadbeencompletelysevered. Afterseveralweeks,Al’sfingerlooksthewayitdidbeforehisinjury,asifnothinghadhappenedatall. EventhoughAl’sinjuryisarelativelysimpleone,ifyoulook
atthesequenceofevents,thevarioussystemsandcomponentsinvolvedinthehealingofhiswound,andthesynchronizedflowof
energyandmovementduringtheentirehealingprocess,youstarttodevelopanappreciationforthedegreeofcomplexityandprecision,
andtheincredibleorganization,speed,andefficiencyyourhealingsystemrequirestoperformthisspecifictask. Keepinmindthatyourhealingsystemsupervisesandcoordi
natesallhealingresponsesinyourbody,includingillnessesandinjuriesthatarefarmorecomplexandseriousthanAl’sinjury. And
eventhoughyourhealingsystemmayappeartobehiddenanddif
ficulttopinpointwithinanygivenpartofyourbody,youcanbegin
YourHealingSysteminAction 29
tounderstandthefunctionandpurposeofthisamazingsystembyobservingitspowerful,swift,dynamicandefficientmovements,andviewingtheresultsofitsactions. Thesubtleanddynamicaspectof
yourhealingsystemisoneofthereasonsithasnotbeenmorewide
lyrecognized,acknowledged,andaccepteduntiljustrecently. Theimmunesystemandthehealingsystemarebothsubtleanddynamicsys
tems,andalthoughtheyoftenworktogether,theyservedifferentfunctions. Thehealingsystemisevenmoresubtleandmorewidespreadinitsdistributionthroughoutthebodythantheimmunesystem,permeatingevery
organ,tissue,andcellinyourbody. Itisalsomorepowerful,moredynamic,
andmorediversifiedinitsfunctionsandtasksthanyourimmunesystem. Likethehealingsystem,theimmunesystemhasmanybranches,isnotlimitedtooneparticularareaofthebody,andoperatesonthemicroscop
iclevelofcellsandbiochemicals. Infact,yourimmunesystemcollaborates
withyourhealingsystemandcanbethoughtofasanaspectofthehealingsystemthatisconcernedwithpreventinganderadicatinginfectionsfrom
thebody. Theimmunesystemalsowaspoorlyunderstoodandnotgivenmuchimportanceinthepracticeofmodernmedicineuntilthediscovery
ofAIDS. Fortunately,withtheshiftoffundsandresources,andresearch
beingdirectedfromwithouttowithintherealmofourownbodies,we
havelearnedmoreaboutourbody’snaturaldefensesystemthanweeverimaginedexisted. YourHealingSystemandtheOtherSystemsinYourBody
Yourhealingsystemutilizesthespecialpropertiesandfunctionsofothersystemsinyourbody,integratingandsupervisingtheiractivi
tiesintooneorganized,efficienthealingresponse. Tounderstand
thismoreclearly,let’sseewhathappenswhenyouaccidentallytouch
ahotelectricironandburnyourself. Imagineanironthatispluggedintoanelectricalsocket,sittinguprightontheironingboard,andinadvertentlyleftonforhalfa
30 YourExtraordinaryHealingSystem
day. Whenyoudiscovertheironandtrytoputitaway,youacciden
tallytouchtheveryhotbottom. Assoonasyoutouchthehotironandhearthesizzlingsound
ofyourfleshburning,youinstantaneouslyfeelpainasyouimmedi
atelyjerkyourhandback. Inadditiontotheincredibleburningpain,withinamatterofminutes,youbegintonoticeblistersform
ingonyourfingersandhandsintheplacesthatcameincontact
withtheiron. Fromthevantagepointofwhatisgoingoninsideof
yourbody,let’stakeacloserlookatwhatishappening,stepbystep,
asyourhealingsystemspringsintoaction:
Step1
Yourhealingsystemisimmediatelyactivatedwhenyoutouchthe
hotiron,asthepainsensorsinyourfingersandhandsendasignal
tothebrainthroughyournervoussystem. Yournervoussystem,workingwithyourhealingsystem,initiatesareflexresponseinthemusclesofyourarmtocontractthearm,pullingitawaytopreventfurthercontactwiththehotiron,whichpreventsfurtherinjury. Step2
Almostimmediately,incollaborationwiththeskin,yourhealingsystemcoordinatesaresponsethatfirstresultsinrednessorinflammationastinybloodvesselsaredirectedtoincreasebloodflowto
theareaofthescorchedskin. Step3Specializedcellsknownasmacrophages,alongwithredbloodcells,whitebloodcells,oxygen,andotheressentialnutrients,arepumped
intothebloodstreamanddirectedtotheinjurysitetohelpnourish,fortify,andsupportthebody’srepairprocesses. Step4
Shortlythereafter,theskinsecretesspecificfluidstohelpformblis
tersattheburnsites. Theblistersserveseveralprotectiveandheal
ingfunctions. First,thefluid-filledsacsactlikeshockabsorbersto
protecttheraw,injuredskinthatliesunderneath. Theyalsoactassealedbarriersagainstthepossibilityofinfection. Thefluidinside
theblistersalsocontainsnutrientstohelpnourishandfeedthenew
YourHealingSysteminAction 31
layerofskinthatwillformunderneath. Antibodiesandimmune
cellsalsohavebeenmobilizedbytheimmunesysteminthisfluid. Thesemechanismsalsoareunderthedirectionofthehealingsys
tem,towardoffanymicroorganismsthatmightcauseinfection. Inaddition,thebodyreleasesotherimportantchemicalstocooperate
inthehealingresponse. Step5
Withthehealingresponsewellunderway,newcells,fluids,andchemicalsarecontinuouslypumpedinandoutoftheburnsiteover
thecourseofthenextseveraldaysandweeks;thepainbeginstosub
sideandthenewskingrowthaccelerates. Step6
Soon,theblistersgraduallyshrinkasthefluidisreabsorbedback
intothebody,withnewskinarisingtotaketheplaceofthepreviouslyinjuredoldskin. Step7Continuedhealingmechanismsareactivatedonthemicroscopicleveltofinishthejob,and,ifallgoeswell,notevenascarwillbe
presentwherethenewskinhasgrownback. Evenwithasimpleinjurysuchasaminorsecond-degreeburn,
youcanseethatalotmoreisgoingoninyourbodybeneaththesur
faceoftheskinthanmeetstheeye. Aswiththemoreseriousandcomplicatedproblemsthatoccurwithinyourbody,againitisclearthat
thebodyneedsasinglesystemthatcansuperviseanddirectallthe
otherkeysystemsintooneorchestratedandefficienthealingresponse
fortheprotection,self-preservation,andhealthofyourbody. Thisis
theincrediblejobthatyourhealingsystemdoesforyou. HealingSystemResponsesvs. SymptomsofDisease
ANewWayofThinkingAboutYourHealth
Whenourhealingsystemisinitiallyactivated,wemightconfusethechangesthatoccurinourbody,whicharenormalhealingresponses,
32 YourExtraordinaryHealingSystem
withsymptomsofaparticulardisease. Infact,thisisthecommonmistakemostpeoplemake,includingdoctorsandthemedicalprofessioningeneral. Again,untilveryrecently,ourculturehasbeendisease-orientedinitsapproachtounderstandinghealth


 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


	congestion	in	the	cysterna	chyli	and	thoracic	duct	permits	toxic
materials	to	be	passed	into	the	heart	and	heart	arteries. This	unduly	stresses	the	heart. It
also	allows	these	toxins	and	disease-causing	agents	to	enter	the	general	circulation	and
spread	to	other	parts	of	the	body. Hardly	a	disease	can	be	named	that	is	not	caused	by
lymphatic	obstruction. Lymph	blockage,	in	most	cases,	has	its	origin	in	a	congested	liver
(the	causes	of	gallstones	in	the	liver	will	be	discussed	in	the	following	chapter). In	the
extreme	eventuality,
lymphoma
	or
cancer	of	the	lymph
	may	result,	of	which
Hodgkin’s
disease
	is	the	most	common	type. When	the	circulatory	system	begins	to	malfunction	because	of	gallstones	in	the	liver,
the
endocrine	system
	starts	to	be	affected	as	well. The	endocrine	glands	produce	hormones
that	pass	directly	from	the	glandular	cells	into	the	bloodstream,	where	they	influence
bodily	activity,	growth,	and	nutrition. The	glands	most	often	affected	by	congestion	are	the
thyroid,	parathyroid,	adrenal	cortex,	ovaries,	and	testes. A	more	severely	disrupted
circulatory	function	leads	to	imbalanced	hormone	secretions	by	the
islets	of	Langerhans
	in
the	pancreas	and	the
pineal
	and
pituitary	glands. Blood	congestion,	which	is	characterized	by	the	thickening	of	the	blood,	prevents
hormones	from	reaching	their	target	places	in	the	body	in	sufficient	amounts	and	on	time. Consequently,	the	glands	go	into
hypersecretion
	(overproduction)	of	hormones. When	lymph	drainage	from	the	glands	is	inefficient,	the	glands	themselves	become
congested. This	brings	about
hyposecretion
	(lack)	of	hormones. Diseases	related	to
imbalances	of	the	thyroid	gland	include
toxic	goiter,	Graves’	disease,	cretinism,
myxoedema,	tumors	of	the	thyroid,	hypoparathyroidism. Thyroid	disorders	can	also
reduce	calcium	absorption	and	cause
cataracts
,
	as	well	as
behavioral	disorders
	and
dementia. Poor	calcium	absorption,	alone,	is	responsible	for	numerous	diseases,	including
osteoporosis
	(loss	of	bone	density). If	circulatory	problems	disrupt	the	secretion	of
balanced	amounts	of	insulin	in	the	pancreatic	islets	of	Langerhans,
diabetes
	may	develop. Gallstones	in	the	liver	can	cause	liver	cells	to	cut	down	protein	synthesis. Reducedprotein	synthesis,	in	turn,	prompts	the	adrenal	glands	to	overproduce
cortisol
,
	a	hormone
that	stimulates	protein	synthesis. Too	much
cortisol
	in	the	blood	gives	rise	to
atrophy	of
lymphoid	tissue
	and	a
depressed	immune	response,
	which	is	considered	the	leading
cause	of	cancer	and	many	other	major	illnesses. An	imbalance	in	the	secretion	of	adrenal	hormones	can	cause	a	wide	variety	of
disorders,	as	it	leads	to	weakened
febrile	response
	(fever)	and
diminished	protein
synthesis. Proteins	are	the	major	building	blocks	for	tissue	cells,	hormones,	and	so	forth. The	liver	is	capable	of	producing	many	different	hormones. Hormones	determine	how
well	the	body	grows	and	heals. The	liver	also	inhibits	certain	hormones,	including
insulin,	glucagon,	cortisol,
aldosterone,	thyroid,
	and
sex	hormones
. Gallstones	in	the	liver	impair	this	vital	function,
which	may	increase	hormone	concentrations	in	the	blood. Hormone	imbalance	is	an
extremely	serious	condition	and	can	easily	occur	when	gallstones	in	the	liver	have
disrupted	major	circulatory	pathways	that	are	also	hormonal	pathways. For	example,	by
failing	to	keep	blood	cortisol	levels	balanced,	a	person	may	accumulate	excessive	amounts
of	fat	in	the	body. If	estrogens	are	not	broken	down	properly,	the	risk	of	breast	cancer
increases. If	blood	insulin	is	not	broken	down	properly,	the	risk	of	cancer	rises,	and	the
cells	in	the	body	may	become	resistant	to	insulin,	which	is	a	major	precursor	of	diabetes. Disease	is	naturally	absent	when	blood	flow	and	lymph	flow	are	both	unhindered	and
normal. Both	types	of	problems—circulatory	and	lymphatic—can	be	successfully
eliminated	through	a	series	of	liver	cleanses	and	prevented	by	following	a	balanced	diet
and	lifestyle. Disorders	of	the	Respiratory	System

Both	mental	and	physical	health	depend	on	the	effectiveness	and	vitality	of	the	cells	in	the
body. The	cells	of	the	body	derive	most	of	their	energy	from	chemical	reactions	that	take
place	in	the	presence	of	oxygen. One	of	the	resultant	waste	products	is	carbon	dioxide. The	respiratory	system	provides	the	routes	by	which	oxygen	is	taken	into	the	body	and
carbon	dioxide	is	excreted. Blood	serves	as	the	transport	system	for	the	exchange	of	these
gases	between	the	lungs	and	the	cells. Gallstones	in	the	liver	can	impair	respiratory	functions	and	cause
allergies,	disorders
of	the	nose	and	nasal	cavities
,	and
diseases	of	the	bronchi	and	lungs. When	gallstones
distort	or	injure	the	lobules	(units)	of	the	liver,	the	blood-cleansing	ability	of	the	liver,
small	intestine,	lymphatic	system,	and	immune	system	diminishes. Waste	material	and
toxic	substances,	normally	rendered	harmless	by	these	organs	and	systems,	now	begin	to
seep	into	the	heart,	lungs,	bronchi,	and	other	respiratory	passages. Constant	exposure	to
these	irritating	agents	lowers	the	resistance	of	the	respiratory	system	to	them. Lymph
congestion	in	the	abdominal	region,	particularly	in	the	cysterna	chyli	and	thoracic	duct,
hampers	proper	lymphatic	drainage	from	the	respiratory	organs. Most	respiratory	ailments
occur	because	of	such	lymph	blockages. Pneumonia
	results	when	protective	measures	fail	to	prevent	inhaled	or	blood-borne
microbes	from	reaching	and	colonizing	the	lungs. Gallstones	harbor	harmful	microbes,	as
well	as	highly	toxic,	irritating	material	that	can	enter	the	blood	via	areas	in	the	liver	that
are	damaged	by	the	presence	of	gallstones. Gallstones	are	a	constant	source	of	immune
suppression,	which	leaves	the	body,	and	particularly	the	upper	respiratory	tract,
susceptible	to	both	internal	and	external	disease-triggering	factors. These	include	both
blood-borne	and	airborne	microbes	(believed	to	cause	pneumonia),	cigarette	smoke,
alcohol,	x-rays,	corticosteroids,	allergens,	antigens,	common	pollutants,	waste	matter	from
the	GI	tract,	and	the	like. Further	respiratory	complications	arise	when	handfuls	of	gallstones	that	have
accumulated	in	the	liver	bile	ducts	lead	to
liver	enlargement. The	liver,	situated	in	the
upper	abdominal	cavity,	spans	almost	the	entire	width	of	the	body. Its	upper	and	anterior
surfaces	are	smooth	and	shaped	to	fit	under	the	surface	of	the	diaphragm. When	enlarged,
the	liver	obstructs	the	movement	of	the	diaphragm	and	prevents	the	lungs	from	extending
to	their	normal	capacity	during