to the starting position. If it is impossible to hold the final
pose for long, simply hold the exhalation. Duration: Adepts can comfortably maintain the final pose
for five minutes or more. Beginners, however, should repeat
the abbreviated asana several times. The spiritual benefits
are considerable if the final position is held with complete
relaxation for extended lengths of time. 59
Concentration: On the svadhisthana chakra. Limitations: People who have displaced intervertebral
discs should not attempt this asana; nor should those suffer
ing from sciatica, chronic arthritis, or sacral infections. Benefits: The hamstring muscles are stretched and the hip,
sacroiliac, and lumbar vertebral joints are loosened. Flatu
lence, constipation, backache, and also excess fat in the ab
dominal region are effectively removed. All the abdominal
organs are toned and abdominal disorders, such as diabetes,
may slowly improve. The kidneys, liver, pancreas, and
adrenal glands are activated. As the pelvic organs are also
toned, this asana is especially useful for relieving gynecolo
gical complaints. It also improves the flow of fresh blood to
the spinal nerves and muscles. Paschimottanasana is tradi
tionally regarded as a very powerful asana for spiritual
awakening and is highly praised in ancient yoga texts. (6) Pada Prasarita Paschimottanasana (leg-spread variation)
Sit with the legs spread as wide as possible (180° is ideal)
and breathe normally, relaxing the whole body, especially
the back muscles. Exhale slowly, bending forward, and place
the hands on the floor with the fingertips touching. Try to
touch the forehead to the back of the hands. Breathe slowly
and deeply in the final pose for several minutes, then return
to the starting position. 60
Concentration: On the svadhishthana chakra. Benefits: The same as paschimottanasana, but this pose is
more effective in loosening the lower back and the hip joints. (7) Bhujangasana (Cobra pose)
Lie on the stomach with the legs extended and place the
palms on the floor underneath the shoulders. Rest the
forehead on the ground. Relax the whole body. Slowly lift the
head and shoulders off the floor, pulling the head back as far
as possible. In performing this movement, raise the
shoulders with the back muscles, not the arms. The whole
back is slowly bent back as far as possible until the arms are
straight. Keep the navel close to the floor. Breathing: Inhale while raising the trunk. Breathe normal
ly in the final pose, or, if the final pose is held for only a short
time, the breath can be held inside. Duration: Keep the final pose as long as is comfortable, and
repeat five times. Concentraton: On the vishuddhi chakra. Limitations: People suffering from peptic ulcers, hernia, in
testinal tuberculosis, or hyperthyroidism should not do this
asana. 61
Benefits: This asana tones the ovaries and uterus, and is
helpful in the cure of female disorders such as leukorrhea,
dysmenorrhea, and amenorrhea. It is also beneficial for all
the abdominal organs, especially the liver and kidneys. It
stimulates the appetite and relieves constipation. The spine
is kept supple and healthy, slipped intervertebral discs are
corrected, and backache is relieved. (8) Dhanurasana (Bow pose)
Lie flat on the stomach and inhale fully. Bend the legs at
the knees and grasp the ankles with the hands. Tensing the
leg muscles, raise the head, chest, and thighs as high as
possible off the ground, bending the back into a taut bow
while keeping the arms straight. Note: Do not repeat this asana until the breath returns to
normal. In the final pose, hold the breath in or breathe slowly
and deeply. One may also rock back and forth in the final
position. Exhale slowly while returning to the starting pose. Duration: Keep the final pose as long as it can be comfort
ably maintained. Practice the asana five times. Concentration: On the vishuddhi chakra. 62
Limitations: Not to be practiced by people with hernia,
peptic ulcers, intestinal tuberculosis, or twisted or bent
spines. Benefits: Because this asana massages the abdominal
organs and muscles, it helps to relieve gastro-intestinal
disorders such as chronic constipation and dyspepsia. It is
useful in cases of liver malfunction, and can also reduce ex
cess fat in the abdominal area. (9) Halasana (Plough pose)
Lie flat on the back, arms straight at the sides and palms
flat on the floor. Keeping the legs straight, slowly raise them
to the vertical position and beyond. Use the abdominal
muscles without pressing the arms against the floor. As the
legs pass the vertical position bend the trunk upward, curl
ing slowly so that the legs come down over the head and the
toes touch the floor. Keeping the legs straight, bend the arms
and support the back with the hands. Relax the body, and re
main in this final pose for a comfortable period of time. Then
return to the starting position, or perform the following: 63
(a) Walk the feet away from the head until the body is com
pletely extended and the chin is locked tightly against the top
of the chest. Maintain this pose for a comfortable length of
time and then return to the final pose of basic halasana. (b) Walk the feet towards the head as far as possible with the
legs straight and the toes on the floor directly above the head. Grasp the feet with the fingers. Maintain the pose for a com
fortable length of time and then return to the final pose of
basic halasana. Slowly return to the supine position. Breathing:. Breathe normally in the supine position, then
inhale and hold the breath when assuming the pose. Breathe
slowly and deeply in the final position. 64
Duration: Advanced practitioners can remain in the basic
final pose for 10 or more minutes. Beginners should hold the
pose for only fifteen seconds during the first week of prac
tice, repeating it four times. The time can be increased by fif
teen seconds each subsequent week until the posture is held
for one minute. Concentration: On the vishuddhi or manipura chakra. Precautions: Beginners, unless they have flexible backs,
should do purwa halasana - in which the student raises the
legs over the head at a 45-degree angle - until their back
muscles and joints become supple enough after several
weeks of daily practice to assume the final pose. Limitations: The old and infirm, and those who suffer from
sciatica, other back ailments, or high blood pressure, should
not practice this asana. Benefits: Halasana regulates the functioning of the ab
dominal organs, especially the kidneys, liver, and pancreas,
and activates digestion. It can alleviate constipation and also
slim the waist area. It regulates the activity of the thyroid
gland and thus stabilizes the metabolism. This asana is also
helpful in cases of diabetes and piles. It loosens the vertebrae
and tones the spinal nerves, thereby contributing to the
health of the whole body. (10) Matsyasana (Fish pose) 65
Sit in the lotus position (padmasana) and breathe normally. Bend backwards, supporting the body with the arms and
elbows until the top of the head touches the ground. Hold the
big toes and place the elbows on the floor, arching the back
as much as possible. Breathe in and retain the breath during
this movement. As a variation, interlock the fingers of both hands and
place them behind the head. Breathing: Breathe deeply and slowly in the final pose. (People with tonsillitis or sore throats can, if they wish, prac
tice shitakari pranayama. * Hold the breath inside
when returning to padmasana and then breathe normally.) Duration: Remain in the final pose for five minutes if possi
ble, but do not strain unnecessarily. Concentration: On the manipura or anahata chakra. Benefits: As the abdominal organs, especially the in
testines, are stretched, this asana is useful for abdominal ill
ness. Constipation sufferers seeking relief should do this
asana after drinking three glasses of water. It is also useful
for those who suffer from lung ailments such as asthma or
bronchitis, as it encourages deep respiration, helps to recir
culate stagnant blood in the back, and regulates the function
ing of the thyroid gland. The ten asanas described above stretch the spine through
forward and backward movement. The following asanas ad
just the spine by twisting. * Shitakari Pranayama: The tongue is folded back so that its lower surface
touches against the palate, as in khechari mudra (see p. 101). The teeth are
clenched and the lips drawn back as far as possible. Then yogic


. Headache : A gentleman of Dhalni Pole, Ahmedabad, suffered
from headache every morning for the past many years. There was
much irritaion and thus prevented from doing any work. He used to
take certain tinctures which intoxicated him and ·rendered him
immune from any feeling of pain. He started urine treatment on the
advice of Shri Raojibhai. On the first day he had vomiting. He
continued urine for three days which relieved him of his old chronic
headache. AFTERMATH OF CASES
l. Shri Mahendra V. Mistri aged 30 (opposite Bhatia Hospital,
Bombay) could hear nothing for the last two months. Doctors ·could
not cure him. He started urine treatment on 3-7-67. He began
drinking auto-urine up to 6 ounces twice daily. He massaged his
whole body with warm and old urine for once hour daily and used
to put a few drops of urine in the ears. He did not fast. In 15 days
he was completely cured. 3. Shri Bhogilal N. Choksi (Ganesh Baug. F-45, Bombay 19)
writes that his friend C. C. Desai, a principal of a college had ear
trouble for the last 2C years. Pus was oozing and ne was very slow
of hearing. He began to pL!t urine-drops in the ears and was
completely cured. By urine massage he got rid of his skin disease. He cured his neighbours who were suffering rom asthma,
short-sight and eczema. 4. Shri Devajibhai H:1mraj (Gangasadan, Mareva Road, Malad,
Bombay-64) cured his ea1-pain by eight days' urine treatment. 5. Shri Khetsi Malsi Savla (lndubaug, No. 2, Sun Mill Road,
Bombay-13) informs that he could cure his friends sufferin... fro 0
ear-trouble, toothache and even piles. CHAPTER XVIII
ELEPHANTIASIS, PILES AND INFLAMMATION OF
UTERUS, SYPHILIS AND OTHER AILMENTS
1. Elephantiasis : One Shri uasbhai from surat, in his letter dated
21-7-60, writes:
"My left leg was affected with elephantiasis for the past SO years. · Now I am 73. This trouble disabled me to walk even half a mile for
the last 40 years. Whenever I tried to do so, inflammation appeared
on the legs. There was a fever-attack. last year I had a chance to
read Manav Mutra. I started this treatment in March 1959. After four
to five months, the trouble diminshed by 50% and I could walk ·
about a mile and a half. The inflammation and fever never recurred. Now I can cover slowly a distance of 2 to 3 miles without any
discomfort. Drinking and rubbing of u'rine is done once or twice a
day. Had I treated myself accrding to your detailed instructions, the
cure would have been attained sooner and to a gerater degree." 2. Piles : Gujarat Samachara•s Chief Reporter Shri Kantilal Shah
(Ahmedabad) had chrionic constipation and he suffered it for long
and it resulted into piles-trouble. The soft~anus bore scratches and
there was unbearable pain and burning. He started. this treatment
with rubbing but his body was so allergic that it resulted in
nettle-rash. I asked him 'to stop rubbing urine and advised only for
.t<rl<ing urine tv-1ice or thrice a day. He did accordingly and.got fid.of
trouble withrn ·a week. Nettle-rash stilt troubled· him~ ~so be·
continued the treatment and ultimatety the con.stlpatiOfn; was~
,;emov.ed and rettt.rasn cure.<.L.. His allergic condition was
d~inated. •ncidentatly I wish to point out that in a case of bleeding piles.,
bteeding stops rf a pi-ece of doth soaked in urine be kept on the piles
re.g!Jla~v. U.T.-1-3
157 158 : AUTO-URINE THERAPY
3. Inflammation of the Uterus : A lady in Dhalni Pole,
Ahmedabad, suffered form pain due to inflammation in the uterus
after' her marriage. She got herself treated by doctors and Vaidyas
but did not have any relife. Shri Ranjitbhai informed her husband
that urine treatment would eliminate her trouble. She was
persuaded to take urine. One day she took all the urine passed. This
worked as a miracle and the serious trouble disappeared with a
day's drink only. Before the treatment she was unable to walk
. even a litt~e distance. But after the treatment, She could go to the
river for her b~ths. AFTERMATH OF CASES
. 1. Shri Shambhushankar Trivedi cured his major and minor
troubles by urine treatment. He cured his piles, got rid of spectacles
and nocturnal discharge by drinking auto-urine and urine massage
for one month. He is hale and hearty even at 70. 2. Shri sitaramji Chaudhary suffered from fistula for 15 years. He
was operated' twice but the disease prevailed. He took to urine
treatment and began to apply urine-soaked cloth ori the wound. In
seven months the disease vanished. 3. Shri Vinod Kanaji Motiwala of Bombay aged 26, was sufferi.ng
from apoplexy for the last 1 2 years. He tried various pathies but to
no avail. At last he started urine therapy and could cure such an old
and dangerous disease. He Still continues the urine treatment to
protect himself frbm its sudden attack. 4. Shri Bhuvaneshwar Pande, Gandhi Ashram, Pataranga ( U.P.) had pain and swelling in right testicle and thigh. No rnedicene could
cure him. He fasted on auto-urine for two days, massaged with
urine for 15 minutes daily and used to drink urine about four times
a day. He was particular about dieting. He was completely cured. 5. Shrimati Mahimq is a self-controlled lady. She had a very big
tumour in her armpit. She cured her tumour by urine treatment in no
time. ELEPHANTIASIS AND OTHER AILMENTS : 159
6.'shri Ratimuni related his urine treatment experi~nces to s.hri
, Hans In 1961 in Bihar his toe was badly hit and cured It by applymg
urine~pads. Another time he was operated for some trouble but the
surgeon's wound did not heal. so he aplied urine-pads and healed
the wound. 7. Shri Mangilal Maloviya is a naturopath and he had~ bad prick
in his left foot. He at once urinated over it and put a unne-soaked
bandage over it. Pain at once subsided and the deep wound healed in no time
without any pus formation. 8. Shrimati Prabhavati is 45 and suffered from.leucorrhoea. She
took urine treatment. She fasted on during for el~ht days, drank
urine for one month and massaged with urine durem the treatment. She applied urine-soaked cotton in vagina. She was completely
cured. 9. Shri Keshavbhai G. Patel, Manager, ~darsh Dairy, Bombay;
s~:~ffered from whirling sensation in the bram due to gas or ot~e
disturbance for the last 25 years. He used to take myrobalan pow ~r
daily but in case he forgot to take it, there wou~d surely be t~ ~
sensation. He took urine treatment and the sensation has gone o
ever and he has· left the powder too. 10 Shrimati Ashaben (Red Cross, Chandigadh) has a son. who
suffer~d from apoplexy. He could not be cu~ed. C?nce the dtsease
became very grave. Ashaben began to give htm unne treat~ent..ln
a few days the body began to recover as he passed out a. toxi~S
. by way of loose motions and along with it there was a very btg
worm 7 inches long. The boy recovered fully and the doctors
wonderd at the speedy and complete recovery of the boy. Syphilis : Syphilis cases were also. the.~fter~ath of cases which
were treated after passing away of Shn RaoJibhat. 1. Shri Chhaganlal (Mangrol) informs that a f~rmer ~ged 30 had
syphilis. He w<fs completely cured by urine treatment. I I 160 : AUTO-URINE THERAPY
2. Similarly, the same person informs that one Harij«• Sh


	in	an	effort	to	place	them	in	one	reality. I’ve	been	speaking	as	if	the	universe	consciously	knows	what	it	is	doing
when	DNA	creates	an	amoeba,	for	example,	instead	of	a	chimpanzee	or	a
human	being. This	implies	self-awareness	on	the	part	of	molecules,	and	that
in	turn	requires	the	Zero	Point	Field	to	act	like	a	mind	as	it	organizes	every
possible	fluctuation	in	the	cosmos. No	matter	how	closely	one	draws	the
parallels,	this	premise	can’t	be
proven
—or	disproven—because	the	Zero
Point	Field,	by	containing	everything,	contains	us. We	cannot	step	outside	it,
and	so	we	are	in	the	same	position	as	a	fish	trying	to	prove	that	the	ocean	is
wet. Unless	the	fish	jumps	out	of	the	ocean,	water	is	everywhere;	there	is	no
contrast,	and	therefore	no	dryness	that	makes	wetness	possible. We	cannot	prove	that	the	universe	has	a	mind,	because	we	aren’t
mindless. Nobody	has	ever	experienced	mindlessness;	therefore,	we	have
nothing	to	base	it	on. The	Vedic	rishis	were	fortunate	that	they	started	out
believing	that	consciousness	was	real	and	needed	no	proof. Physics	doesn’t
hold	that	consciousness	is	a	given. To	speak	of	a	self-aware	universe	puts	one
at	the	fringes	of	speculative	thinking	in	physics. But	for	our	purposes	in
looking	for	evidence	of	the	afterlife,	it	is	vital	to	show	that	consciousness	is
everywhere,	because	then	there	would	be	nowhere	to	go	after	we	die	that
isn’t
conscious. Mind	over	Matter
What	if	our	minds	could	alter	the	quantum	field? Then	we	would	have	a	link
between	the	two	models,	mind	and	matter. Such	a	link	was	actually	provided
by	Helmut	Schmidt,	a	researcher	working	for	the	Boeing	aerospace	laboratory
in	Seattle. Beginning	in	the	mid-Sixties,	Schmidt	set	up	machines	that	could
emit	random	signals,	with	the	aim	of	seeing	if	ordinary	people	could	alter
those	signals	using	nothing	more	than	their	minds. The	first	machine	detected
radioactive	decay	from	strontium	90;	each	electron	that	was	given	off	lit	up
either	a	red,	blue,	yellow,	or	green	light. Schmidt	asked	ordinary	people	to
predict,	with	the	press	of	a	button,	which	light	would	be	illuminated	next. At	first	no	one	performed	better	than	random,	or	25%,	in	picking	one	of
the	four	lights. Then	Schmidt	hit	on	the	idea	of	using	expert	psychics	as	hissubjects,	and	his	first	results	were	encouraging:	psychics	guessed	the	correct
light	27%	of	the	time. But	he	didn’t
know
	if	this	was	a	matter	of	clairvoyance
—seeing	the	result	before	it	happened—or	something	more	active,	actually
changing	the	random	pattern	of	electrons	being	emitted. So	Schmidt	built	a	second	machine	that	generated	only	two	signals,	call
them	plus	and	minus. A	circle	of	lights	was	set	up,	and	each	time	a	plus	or	a
minus	was	generated,	a	bulb	would	light	up. If	two	pluses	were	generated
consecutively,	the	lights	would	go	on	in	a	clockwise	direction. Two	minuses
would	light	up	in	a	counterclockwise	direction. Left	to	itself,	the	machine
would	light	up	an	equal	number	of	pluses	and	minuses;	what	Schmidt	wanted
his	subjects	to	do	was	to	will	the	lights	to	move	clockwise	only. He	eventually
found	two	subjects	who	had	remarkable	success. One	could	get	the	lights	to
move	clockwise	52.5%	of	the	time. An	increase	of	2.5%	over	randomness
doesn’t	sound	dramatic,	but	Schmidt	calculated	that	the	odds	were	10	million
to	1	against	this	occurring	by	chance. The	other	subject	was	just	as	successful,
but	oddly	enough,	his	efforts	to	make	the	lights	move	clockwise	had	the
opposite	result:	they	moved	only	counterclockwise. Later	experiments	with
new	subjects	raised	the	success	rate	to	54%,	although	the	strange	anomaly
that	the	lights	would	sometimes	go	in	the	wrong	direction	persisted. (No
explanation	was	ever	found	for	this.) Schmidt	showed	that	an	observer	can
change	activity	in	the	quantum	field	using	the	mind	alone,	which	supports	the
case	that	at	some	deep	level	mind	and	matter	are	one. The	rishis’	assertion
that	we	are	embedded	in	the	Akashic	field	seems	more	credible,	which	also
makes	it	more	credible	that	we	do	not	leave	the	field	when	we	die;	if	we	did,
we	would	be	the	only	thing	in	Nature	that	isn’t	part	of	the	field. Inspired	by	Schmidt’s	results,	a	Princeton	engineering	professor	named
Robert	Jahn	developed	much	more	sophisticated	trials,	involving	a	machine
that	could	generate	zeros	and	ones	five	times	a	second. In	the	Princeton
experiments,	each	participant	went	through	three	types	of	tests. First	he	would
will	the	machine	to	produce	more
ones
	than	zeros,	then	more	zeros	than	ones,
and	finally	he	would	try	not	to	influence	the	machine	at	all. Each	test	was
repeated	until	there	were	between	500,000	and	1	million	results,	a	staggering
number	that	in	a	single	day	outstripped	all	the	previous	trials	performed	by
Schmidt	and	all	the	other	parapsychologists	before	him. After	twelve	years	of	study,	it	was	found	that	roughly	two-thirds	of
ordinary	people	could	influence	the	outcome	of	the	machine,	unlike	in
Schmidt’s	study. These	ordinary	people,	like	his	psychics,	could	will	material
changes,	evoking	more	zeros	than	ones,	more	ones	than	zeros,	about	51	to
52%	of	the	time. This	again	may	seem	like	a	slim	margin,	but	it	turns	out	to
defy	chance	by	a	ratio	of	a	trillion	to	one. The	solidity	of	the	outcome	is
particularly	radical	because	random	chance	is	a	bedrock	of	quantum	physics,
Darwinian	evolution,	and	many	other	fields. (A	dozen	related	follow-upstudies	also	came	up	with	results	in	the	51–52%	range.) If	we	accept	that	our	minds	are	embedded	in	the	quantum	field	and	can
change	it,	where	does	that	leave	us? We	could	be	influencing	the	field	a	little
bit—no	more	than	a	matter	of	slight	coincidences,	such	as	thinking	of	a
friend’s	name	and	having	that	friend	suddenly	call	on	the	phone—or	at	the
other	extreme,	perhaps	everything	we	call	reality	is	manifested	by
consciousness,	coaxed	out	of	the	field	by	intention. After	examining	this
research	in	detail	in	her	excellent	book
The	Field
,	Lynne	McTaggart	sees	the
possibility	of	a	complete	revolution	in	consciousness	theory:
“On	the	most
profound	level,	the	[Princeton]	studies	also	suggest	that	reality	is	created	by
each	of	us
only	by	our	attention
. At	the	lowest	level	of	mind	and	matter,	each
of	us	creates	the	world.”
Jahn	and	his	colleagues	remained	resolutely	technical,	however. They
were	baffled	by	their	results,	because	if	ordinary	people	could	influence	a
machine,	which	part	of	the	complicated	machinery	did	they	affect? Would	we
have	to	say	that	the	mind	actually	changes	the
rate
	at	which


 Pennebaker studied men and women whose spouses had committed suicide
or died in auto accidents and found that those who bore their grief alone had
a much higher than average rate of illness, while those who could talk over
their troubles with someone else had no increase in health problems. In
another experiment, Pennebaker told volunteers he would ask them to talk
about a traumatic event in their lives, either into a tape recorder or in a
simulated confessional booth. When he had them describe some trivial
event instead, physiological measurements showed them to be tense, but
when later they were asked to reveal the tragedy after all, their bodies
relaxed completely, even though many cried and expressed powerful
emotions. Writing apparently works, too. Students who wrote about their traumas
made fewer visits to physicians in the ensuing six months than did others
who wrote about less important subjects. Keeping a diary gets us in touch
with our thoughts. It’ s really a type of meditation. When I suggest keeping a
diary, I don’ t mean where you went that day, but what you thought that day. It makes us aware how active our minds are while we’re paying no attention
to our thoughts, as we shower or eat. A diary can help us become conscious
of all these ideas and learn from them.The people in a patient’ s emotional support network often need to be
educated, too. Many people simply don’ t know how to relate to someone
who has a life-threatening illness. The only essential, really, is an honest
optimism. Patients need people to help them keep sight of their hopes and
the joys that are possible as long as life goes on. But patients sometimes
need to gently remind friends and loved ones that a false determination to
be constantly upbeat, no matter what the situation, is destructive. It springs
from the fears of disability and death that illness evokes in those who are
well. It’ s a natural reaction, but it must be faced, and it’ s one area where
group sessions can be enormously helpful. Beyhan Lowman, who died of
cancer at thirty-one in 1978, left behind A Spirit Soars, a booklet that serves
as a marvelous guide to those facing the same challenge. In it she wrote
poignantly of the patient’ s need for honesty:

Although everyone around me was trying his best to be light-hearted
and optimistic, somehow the ef fect on me was just the opposite. Suddenly
being thrust into a situation where everyone behaved only positively while
around me made me realize to what extent I was no longer part of that
world. The doctors and nurses who cared for me could not always have a good
day. They must have been tired of turning me over in bed or hearing me
complain. But, I never saw that. The lab technician taking a blood sample
must have been frustrated because my veins were so hard to find. But, she
always smiled through gritted teeth. Many times I heard the medical staf f
outside my door talking in agitated tones. But then, they always appeared in
my room as if they were actors going onstage in a well-rehearsed role. The same was true of my family and friends. Everyone tried to help by
telling me how wonderful and courageous I was. Even the man in my life
treated me dif ferently. I knew he must have felt some sense of injustice at
being involved with a dying woman—a development he never bar gained
for. Yet, he never expressed it to me. Of course, his intentions were to
protect me, but I would have had a lot to say to him. Instead of probing his
emotions, which would have included me in the life process, I allowed
myself to feel excluded by his silence. Since disease has usually fulfilled some psychological need for the
patient, it’ s also important to encourage change by doing things that reward
health, not continued illness. As adapted from a list given by the Simontons,
these include:
1. Encourage the patient to be active and do things for himself. 2. Comment when the patient improves. Don’ t get so involved with
difficulties that you can’ t see anything except signs of disease. 3. Spend time in activities unrelated to the illness. 4. Continue the relationship at its new and deeper level as the patient
recovers. It’s equally important for couples to continue some form of physical
intimacy through illness. Like many of the elderly, severely ill patients
often suf fer from “skin starvation,” a literal separation from life, when
touching stops. If lovemaking becomes dif ficult, there are usually
alternative ways of sexual gratification possible within a couple’ s values,
ingenuity, and physical condition. Caresses, hugs, kisses, and hand holding
are always  possible. One of my patients had marked ascites (abdominal
distention), which was uncomfortable if her husband pushed against it. So
she devised a way in which they could kiss, touch shoulders and knees, and
avoid pressure on her abdomen. I find that the resumption of loving—by touching and caressing, not
necessarily sexual activity—after sur gery or illness is a crucial sign of
marital support for a full recovery, especially after operations such as
mastectomy. Spouses often need counseling to adapt to such changes in
their lovers’  bodies, and this is another problem for which groups like ECaP
are invaluable. When a couple can survive such hardship, each knows ever
afterward that they have an unshakable founda tion on which to build the
rest of their lives. Richard Selzer wrote eloquently of this bond in an essay
called “Lessons from the Art of Sur gery”:

The young woman speaks. “W ill my mouth always be like this?” she
asks. “Yes,” I say, “it will. It is because the nerve was cut.”
She nods, and is silent. But the young man smiles.”“I like it,” he says. “It is kind of cute.”
All at once I know  who he is. I understand, and I lower my gaze. One is
not bold in an encounter with a god. Unmindful, he bends to kiss her
crooked mouth, and I so close I can see how he twists his own lips to
accommodate to hers, to show her that their kiss still works. I remember
that the gods appeared in ancient Greece as mortals, and I hold my breath
and let the wonder in. There’ s something more that patients need from their loved ones,
perhaps the most dif ficult requirement of all—the need to deal with fears
and long-standing resentments or conflicts, the “unfinished business,” as
Elisabeth Kübler -Ross calls it. This comes about through the same two
linked opposites we’ve been discussing in various ways throughout this
chapter—self-love and love for others, assertiveness and forgiveness. TRANSCENDING FEAR
To unblock the fountain of love and enter on the path of creative,
spiritual growth, we must let go of our fears (“leave our troubles to God”). But this is very hard, particularly when it looks as though we’re not going
to die tomorrow. When we don’ t have that time limit, it’ s often harder to let
go. To accomplish this “simple” change, we must work through our
negative emotions and transcend them. This is impossible until we realize
that no one makes  us happy or sad. Our emotions don’ t happen  to us so
much as we choose  them. In fact, our own thoughts, emotions, and actions
are the only things we really do control. In the first century A.D., the Greek
thinker Epictetus made this fact the foundation of his philosophy, declaring
that all unhappiness arises from attempts to control events and other people,
over which one has no power. The same futile attempt, born of our fears and
resentments, weakens the body and leads to disease. At one level there is nothing to fear but, obviously, this can be taken too
literally and seriously. For example, fear is natural in life-threatening
situations—such as in high places and near loud noises—but every other
fear is abnormal. We will never meet anything we can’ t handle. I know this
by definition because no patient ever wants to exchange diseases. We each
are more comfortable with our own problems. I have a list of positive
sayings above our kitchen table. Our young daughter Carolyn helped teachme the futility of getting caught up in words. In the middle of a dinner -table
argument among our children, I asked everyone, “Do you want peace or do
you want conflict?” The first item on the list. Our daughter, who has a mild
hearing loss, answered, “I’ll have pizza.” We all laughed, and the ar gument
stopped. The aim here is not to lay down strict rules of behavior but rather
to use the imperfect medium of words to point toward a new psychological
reality—a happiness we can choose, independent of external conditions. A positive outlook can be cultivated as can a negative one be inculcated
by a lifetime of conditioning. In fact, psychologists long ago discovered that
emotions can be modified merely by adopting the facial expression of a
contrary emotion. Recently Dr. Paul Ekman of the University of California
at San Francisco distinguished eighteen anatomically dif ferent types of
smiles. He found that persons trained to control individual facial muscles
voluntarily could af fect physiological measurements of emotion by
assuming the facial position of a particular


 of salt and 2–3 grams of ne powder of
cumin seeds (fried with ghee) and Ajwain (Trachyspermum ammi) seeds.To give avour, curry leaves may be added. is is administered during
night, bed time. As the sour buttermilk is laxative (where as sweet buttermilk is
absorbent, opposite to the laxative action) the individual will pass the bowel
freely, next day morning. Also, common side eﬀects of laxative drugs like abdominal cramps, pain,
twitching sensation will not be there. In addition, digestive and carminative
benets are also contributed well and immediately after defecation person will
feel good hunger and taste. Meanwhile rate of absorption of micro-nutrients is
also signicantly increased. e atus also fully relieved. Buttermilk for Bloating
In case of bloating of abdomen and repeated gurgling sound of intestine, ne
paste (a pinch) of garlic is added to buttermilk and served. For the taste, rock
salt is also added. As the buttermilk possesses lactobacilli, it improves the strength of the gut. Hence ultimately multiple benets of sour buttermilk are obtained at a time by
these simple recipes.195. Two Home Remedies
for Kidney Stones and
Dysuria
Y
Kidney stones are a generic name given to urinary calculi, that may be present
in kidney, ureter (the tube connecting kidneys to urinary bladder), and the
urinary bladder or in urethra. Let us learn two diﬀerent home remedies for this
very painful condition. is home remedy is also good for people suﬀering
from diﬃculty in passing urine, also known as dysuria. Home Remedy for Kidney Stones and Dysuria
Ingredients
A small pieces of freshly cut banana stem. Cardamom – 1 gram of seed. A mortar and pestle (or a mixer). Banana Tree is popularly known as kalpavruksha in Sanskrit. It means, the
tree that gives everything that is desired. is is because, starting from leaves,
to ripe fruits, unripen fruit, stem, owers and roots, each and every part of a
banana tree is stuﬀed with immense helpful medicinal qualities. Its stem juice
is used as a traditional remedy for kidney stones. How to make? Crush banana stem and extract its juice – Take around 10 m l of the juice. Add 1 gram cardamom seeds to this juice and grind for two minutes.1. •
•Dose
is home remedy in a dose of 10 ml is given two times a day, on empty
stomach or 10 minutes before food, two times a day. e dose can be increased based on the severity of the disease, as per your
doctor’s advice. How it acts? Cardamom is an excellent pain killer. It also has relaxing eﬀect over muscles. It
helps to relax the bladder and urethral sphincters so as to initiate urination. It
also helps to reduce the pain that is caused due to urinary calculi and urine
retention. Banana Stem Juice – is an eﬃcient diuretic and also lithotriptic. Diuretic means, it collects urine faster in the bladder and hence the person
passes more urine. is gives a ushing eﬀect on stones. Lithotriptic means, it helps to crush stones into pieces, which are easily
eliminated. Conditions Apply
Each time the banana juice needs to be extracted afresh. Once taken out, the
juice can be stored for a 4–5 hours only. It gets spoilt quickly. You need to check with your doctor before trying this home remedy. To whom it is really benecial? Patients with kidney stones
Patients with diﬃculty in passing urination (Dysuria), without any
structural deformity of the tract. is means, if the patient have any
stricture in urethra or ureter, this home remedy may not be useful. Your doctor will be the best judge.2.Where is the second home remedy? In the traditional Ayurvedic reference, it is told that you can use cow urine
in place of banana stem juice for the same purpose. But the dose of cow
urine will be only one teaspoon, or as your doctor advises.196. Ayurvedic Home
Remedy for Liver Diseases
Y
is is a general home remedy with powerful Ayurveda herbs that can help in
many liver conditions. If you have got all the ingredients ready, it will take
only 5 minutes to prepare. What you need? Cumin powder – 5 grams
Cardamom seed powder – 5 grams
Bhumi Amalaki (Bhui Amla – Phyllanthus niruri) – 5 grams
Sugar candy – 5 grams
Milk – 5–10 ml
How to prepare? Prepare ne powder of four herbs. Prepare ne powder of sugar candy. Mix these ne powders. Add a bit of milk. Triturate well to prepare a homogeneous paste. is paste is given in a dose of 5–10 grams, based on patient’s and disease
condition early in the morning, on empty stomach for all liver diseases.How it helps? It is primarily told as a traditional Ayurvedic home remedy for jaundice. It contains Bhui Amla, which is the commonest of Ayurvedic herbs for liver
diseases. It helps to normalize liver enzymes
It also helps to ght liver infection. Contra Indication and Side Eﬀects
is home remedy is relatively safe in children. However, lower dose is
preferred. Pregnant and lactating mothers should only use this under strict medical
supervision. It is not suitable for diabetic people. People who are allergic to milk, may avoid milk in this home remedy. How long to take? It can be taken for 2–4 weeks. Pregnancy, Lactation and Children
Seek medical advice for its usage during pregnancy. It can be used in children
and lactating mothers. Shelf Life
You can prepare the powder mix and store it for up to six months. Whenever
required, you can grind it with suﬃcient quantity of milk and administer. Once you add milk, the product cannot be stored for more than 3–4 h ours.197. Traditional Ayurvedic
Diet Recipes for Dysentery
and Diarrhoea
By Dr. Raghuram Y.S. MD (Ay)
Y
In treating dysentery and diarrhoea, as much as medicines, the diet also plays
big role. Here are traditional Ayurvedic recipes for dysentery and diarrhoea. ey also work for other related disorders such as IBS associated with
diarrhoea. Bilwadi yusha – Soup prepared with pulp of raw bilwa fruit (bael fruit) and
sesame paste, cream of sour curds, lot of ghee or oil is highly useful in
dysentery. Yavadi yusha – Soup prepared with barley, green gram, rice, sesame, jujube
fruit and raw bael fruit – processed in ghee and oil and added with sour curds
and sour pomegranate juice should be served with hot rice. Dadhi sara – supernatant cream of curds should be fried in ghee and oil and
served mixed with jaggery and powder of ginger. Light food with buttermilk, sour gruel, nourishing drink and fermented
liquids or honey. Goat milk – this is very useful especially when the Pitta is associated with
diarrhoea symptoms such as burning sensation, excess heat etc. Panchakola peya – drink prepared with Panchakola i.e. Pippali (Long
pepper), Pippalimula (root of long pepper), Chavya (Piper retrofractum),Chitraka (Plumbago zeylanica) and Shunti (ginger) – in Grahani. Yavagu (weak decoctions) prepared with juice of Changeri (Oxalis corniculata)
or Kapitta (Feronia limonia), Vrikshamla (Garcinia indica) or pomegranate. Yusha (broth) prepared with green gram or lentils, processed with paste of
Panchakola. Radish soup mixed with Maricha churna (powder of black pepper). Meat soup prepared with meat of animals and birds living in the desert
regions (jangala mamsa), processed with Deepana drugs (explained above),
admixed with ghee, juice of sour pomegranate and sour buttermilk. Buttermilk is said to be a golden remedy for disorders of colon namely
diarrhea, irrita ble bowel syndrome and haemorrhoids. Buttermilk should be used adequately in dysentery. Being a good deepana
(appetite stimulating), grahi (anti-diarrheal) and laghu (light to digest), it
proves its authority as a medicine and food (diet) in dysentery. Pungent, sour, salt and bitter foods and medicines, soup of dry radish,
horsegram


's system. Garlic is rich in mustard oils and this, in conjunction with the
combination of cleansing elements composing it, has a most beneficial
effect on the entire system, from stimulating the appetite and the
secretion of gastric juices, to the promotion of peristalsis and diuretic
action. The ethers in garlic juice are so potent and penetrating that they
help to dissolve accumulations of mucus in the sinus cavities, in the
bronchial tubes, and in the lungs. They help the exudation of poisons
from the body through the pores of the skin, until we wonder whether
the effluvium of the fragrance is any better than the dormant poisons
within us. Garlic juice has proved very effective in helping to eliminate
intestinal parasites. Dysentery can be most effectively helped with
40 this juice, and Amoebic Dysentery responds to it no less than other
kinds. Parasites and germs, however, whether amoeba or any other
kind cannot live unless there is nourishment for them to thrive on. If
the eliminative organs are filled with putrefactive waste matter
naturally germs will be present by the million, and if more waste
matter is added cumulatively by the daily ingestion of meat, other
inorganic foods, and drugs, such germs and parasites are in their
element, and they propagate and multiply. This is wonderful for the
germs, but disconcerting to the victim. Thus, garlic juice helps to
eliminate much of this condition, but to remove the cause we find
that we have to go much farther. Intestinal bathings by means of colon
irrigations and enemas have been found to be essential until the waste
matter has been thoroughly cleaned out. The diet then has been so
planned that the food was assimilated as completely as possible with
the least liability of waste retention in the body. This has been
successfully achieved with an ample supply and sufficient variety of
fresh-raw vegetable juices supplementing a well-balanced raw food
diet. To make garlic juice, however, almost precludes the use of the
juice machine for any other juices, because once the machine has
been so used, it is almost impossible to eradicate the aroma for several
days, and any juices subsequently made on that machine may be
flavored with that bouquet. HORSERADISH SAUCE
We do not use the juice of horseradish, it's ethers are quite potent
and powerful enough when the horseradish is finely ground or
triturated (pulverized). The effect of taking one half a teaspoonful of
the triturated (pulverized) horseradish will leave an indelible
impression on the memory and a dissolving reaction on the mucus in
the sinus cavities. Once this has been tried in pulp form, this impression
and this reaction will no doubt solve the question of why we do not
use it in juice form. The pulp from freshly triturated (pulverized) horseradish mixed
immediately with lemon juice and taken twice a day at a dose of one-
half teaspoon between meals, has effectively helped to dissolve
mucous. This is true not only in the sinus cavities but also throughout
the body and without damage to the mucous membranes themselves. It acts as a solvent and cleanser of abnormal mucus in the human
system. 41 Used judiciously, as indicated, mixed only with lemon juice, we
have found that it does not irritate the kidneys, the bladder, nor the
mucous membranes of the digestive tract. In addition to the value of the ethers in dissolving mucus,
horseradish sauce is a valuable diuretic, particularly beneficial in
dropsical conditions. The horseradish sauce should be prepared fresh and should not
be used when it is more than one week old. It must be kept cold in a
closed bottle or jar although its potency is increased if allowed to
warm up to room temperature when using it. It should be moistened
with plenty of lemon juice. Horseradish sauce when taken as suggested, one-half teaspoonful
in the course of the morning and one-half teaspoonful during the
afternoon, daily, may at first cause a copious overflowing of tears,
depending on how much mucus is packed in the sinus cavities and
other parts of the system. Except for the lemon juice mixed with it,
nothing else should be taken to dilute it, nor should anything be taken
to drink for a few moments after eating it. This procedure has been
followed for weeks or months if necessary, until the horseradish sauce
could be eaten without any sensation resulting from it. It then indicated
the practically complete dissolution of the mucus. For any condition
of sinus mucus, this has been found a very effective natural means to
help remove the CAUSE of this annoyance. As a rule, the most satisfactory results are obtained when the
mixture is comprised of the juice of two or three lemons to one-fourth
pint of triturated (pulverized) horseradish, making the mixture the
consistency of a thick sauce. See the section covering Radish Juice. JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE JUICE
This vegetable, when properly triturated (pulverized) and pressed,
can furnish 3 pints of juice from 4 pounds of the vegetable itself. It is
rich in alkaline mineral elements, particularly potassium, which
represents more than 50% of all the rest of the mineral elements
combined. The artichoke is derived from a species of sunflower. It is the
tuber (a swelling or knob-like growth on a plant) of a species of
sunflower that grows extensively in Italy and is known there as
Carciofo orArchicioffo-Girasole. The word Girasole has been slithered
into the Anglicized Jerusalem, it's definition being simply sunflower. 42 When raw, this vegetable contains the enzyme inulase and a large
amount of inulin. Inulin is a substance resembling starch and is
converted into levulose by the enzyme inulase. It is therefore, a tuber
which diabetics can eat with impunity. Its juice is very beneficial and
palatable, whether taken alone or with carrot juice. KALE JUICE
Kale has much the same chemical analysis as cabbage and may
be used in the same manner. See Cabbage Juice. KELP
For millions of years, rains have washed layer after layer of soil
and all other earthly composed materials from all of land, mountains,
and hills. All this has gone down to the bottom of the sea, thus giving
to the bed of the oceans the most fertile soil in the world. If I were to eat flesh foods, I would choose fish. As fish feed on
the contents of seas and rivers, their flesh naturally contains more
elements — minerals and trace elements — than any other flesh. As for vegetation, seaweed is one of our most valuable food
supplements. Its roots are sometimes as much as 29,000 to 30,000
feet below the surface of the oceans, with tentacles floating to the
surface where, with the help of its enzymes and the rays of the sun, it
bursts forth into nodules and leaves. The leaves are known as sea-lettuce and dulse. Dulse is an
important additive to meals in Scotland, Ireland and many other
nations. In the United States and Canada, dulse is used extensively as
a dietary health food supplement in the form of dried seaweed leaves. The seaweed with large leaves is usually dried, crushed or ground
and is used in powdered or granule form as KELP. Seaweed in any of these varieties is an excellent source of organic
iodine, because of the mineral and the trace elements which are not
readily obtainable in our most common vegetables. The combination of the earthy elements, soil, and seawater at the
bottom of our oceans contain more than 59 of the elements in nature. Thus, we can appreciate the value of seafood to our nutritional
programs. 43 The following are these 59 elements: —
Actinium Copper Neptunium Silicon
Aluminum Erbium Nitrogen Silver
Argon Fluorine Osmium Sodium
Arsenic Gold Oxygen Strontium
Barium Hydrogen Phosphorus Sulfur
Bismuth Indium Platinum Tantalum
Boron Iodine Plutonium Thallium
Bromine Iridium Potassium Thorium
Calcium Iron Radium Thulium
Carbon Lanthanum Rhenium Tin
Caesium Lead Rubidium Uranium
Cerium Lithium Ruthenium Yttrium
Chlorine Magnesium Samarium Zinc
Chromium Manganese Selenium Zinconium
Cobalt Mercury Scandium
Using Kelp and Dulse in moderation as food supplements, we
can be fairly sure of furnishing our system with at least some of the
trace elements so necessary for our well-being, which are not available
in vegetables and fruits. In our home we usually have a salt shaker on our table, filled
with Kelp Granules and a dish of Dulse which we use freely with our
salads and with our juices. Adding some Kelp to the Potassium Combination (carrot-celery-
parsley and spinach juice) we enrich the benefit derived from this
valuable mixture, and find it very beneficial for the glandular system,
particularly for the thyroid


 oxygen-richblood feeding and nourishing the brain. Nerve cells in the brain then die,
affecting the part of the body those cells controlled. Strokes range from ministrokes called TIAs (transient ischemic attacks)
lasting from one to twenty-four hours, to full-blown strokes causing
complete paralysis or death. Stroke and heart disease are both diseases of the cardiovascular system. As with heart disease, in a stroke your vessels (another term for capillaries,
arteries, and veins) can’ t keep pace with the massive quantities of fat,
grease, and cholesterol you consistently ask them to process. Plaque
deposits start to accumulate until you develop either lar ge, stable plaques,
which cause narrowing of the arteries, or the small, delicate ones that
rupture and cause a clot. Keeping your blood pressure in check can minimize stroke risk—but
eating meat, dairy, eggs, and added oils raises blood pressure in several
ways. First, narrowed and clogged vessels require an increase in pressure to
circulate blood throughout the body. Second, the saturated fat in meat and
dairy makes the blood thicker, which again requires an increase in pressure
to move it through the body. Third, animal products are notoriously high in
sodium, causing the body and blood to retain fluid, which again causes an
increase in blood pressure. Americans consume far too much sodium, not only from animal-based
products but also from canned and packaged goods and restaurant meals. Instead, we should be increasing our intake of potassium, a mineral that
removes sodium from the blood and, in turn, reduces blood pressure. This is
why stroke expert Dr. Mitchell Elkind of Columbia University’ s
Department of Neurology suggests that to reduce stroke, people should “eat
a diet rich in fruits and vegetables high in potassium, along with a low-fat,
low-sodium diet.”
According to the Framingham Study, for every three additional servings
of fruits and vegetables you eat a day, the risk of stroke is reduced by 22
percent. And according to a ten-year study presented at the 1993 meeting of
the American Heart Association, female survivors of strokes or heart attacks
could cut their future stroke risk by eating spinach, carrots, and other fruits
and vegetables containing vitamins C, E, and B2 and beta-carotene. (Vitamin C is present in many foods, including citrus fruits, bell peppers,
and kale. Vitamin B2, or riboflavin, and vitamin E can be found in leafygreen vegetables and nuts, as well as in many other plant-based foods. Beta-
carotene is a form of vitamin A present in fruits and vegetables.) So be proactive. Eat a whole food, nutrient rich, plant-based diet. Never
allow the building blocks of stroke and heart disease—artery-clogging
saturated fat, dietary cholesterol, and acidic animal protein—into your
body. Stroke can hit anyone at any time. For example, I can remember when
my grandfather, the great doctor Barney Crile, suf fered a stroke in his late
seventies. He was standing in his kitchen when he suddenly fell over
backward and landed on one of his two cats, Sunday Morning in the
Twilight Gleaming (a crazy-pills long name for a cat the size of a dog). The
cat came out of it fine, but Barney wasn’ t as lucky. He had partial paralysis
to the left side of his body and his quick wit and brilliant mind were dulled. I am confident Barney could have avoided his stroke if he hadn’ t been
such a lover of dining on all things animal. He was a madman when it came
to eating anything and everything. He would jump out of the car when he
saw fresh road kill, scoop it up, take it home, skin it, and incorporate it into
the family dinner. A menu of ten dif ferent meals that hung on the kitchen
wall epitomized the Crile eating style. First on the list: bear balls roasted in
bacon fat. Don’ t eat bear balls. Eat healthy, delectable, plant-based foods so that
you will never fall over on your cat. CANCER
Cancer. The C word. It fans fear in the hearts of Americans. And
rightfully so. Cancer is the second-leading cause of death each year and,
according to the American Hospital Association, will surpass the number
one cause, heart disease, within five years. One in every three people will
contract cancer in their lifetime, and one in four will die from it. Cancer can be ruthless and take you down in a matter of months. Cancer
can be relentless and drag on for decades. Cancer often requires sur gery,
which can be disfiguring and painful. Cancer causes depression, with its
energy-zapping chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Cancer is horrific. Cancer is everywhere. Take a look around you and you will see how it
has blemished almost every family in America—including the families of
our firefighters at the station: Steve Martinez’ s father died at fifty-two ofcolorectal cancer, James Garee’ s father died at fifty-seven of lung cancer,
and Scottie Walter’s seventy-one-year -old father just endured chemotherapy
for throat cancer. How does this menace start? At the cellular level. Each of us has billions
of cells in our body. For the most part, these cells are programmed to grow,
divide, and then die. Cancer begins when normal cells mutate and become abnormal due to
various environmental, nutritional, or chemical stresses. They then start to
grow and divide wildly, refusing to die, doubling every one hundred days—
and yet it can take ten to fifteen years before such cancers reach the size of
a match tip. Eventually these renegade cells clump together to form a tumor, killing
off healthy tissue as it competes for space and blood vessels to acquire
nutrients. Parts of the tumor can even break away, spread throughout the
body, and start other tumors. This process, called metastasis, is usually a
death sentence. But you can lower your cancer risk. Like heart disease, cancer loses its
power if you don’ t feed it the things it craves to flourish—dairy, meat, eggs,
oils, processed sugar, tobacco, and alcohol. Even if you already have cancer, you can reduce its growth by lessening
your reliance on animal foods and reaching for plant foods. Let’s explore why, starting with dairy products. Multiple studies show
that dairy products contain cancer -promoting saturated fat; animal protein;
and insulin-like growth factor -1 (IGF-1), a powerful growth-promoting
hormone and known cancer culprit. Saturated fat suppresses the immune system and contains excessive
calories, which spur growth of all cells—even cancer cells. According to
The China Study’ s T. Colin Campbell, the animal protein in dairy foods
(even fat-free products) contributes to an acidic environment in which
cancer cells and tumors thrive. As for IGF-1, this substance actually changes our hormonal balance,
according to Dr. John McDougall. In women, IGF-1 can increase estrogen
levels, known to promote breast and ovarian cancer, and in men, it can
increase testosterone levels, known to promote testicular and prostate
cancers. In fact, a June 1999 article in the journal Alternative Medicine Reviews
reported that prostate cancer was more strongly correlated with theconsumption of nonfat dairy products than with any other food product. Let’s remember where all dairy comes from—the cow. Cow’ s milk is 20
percent protein if it’ s whole (40 percent if it’ s skim), most of which comes
from casein—a dairy protein shown to be a tumor promoter. Furthermore,
the amount of fat in milk averages around 50 percent, a lar ge percentage of
which is saturated. The remaining 35 percent of milk’ s calories come from
the carbohydrate milk lactose, to which 70 percent of the world is
intolerant. Cow’ s milk is fine for a calf who wants to gain one thousand pounds in
less than a year. Whenever possible, humans should stick to breast milk
until the age of two, and then make the switch to a milk substitute. Meat is another problem. Meat protein creates an acidic environment
that is also a breeding ground for cancer cells and growth hormones. And
meat fat is a magnet for chemical carcinogens that are stored in fat tissue—
fiends such as mercury, dioxin, PCBs, and DDT. Meat is also high in oxidants, such as iron, which not only oxidize
cholesterol—a process that makes it more easily deposited in your arteries
—but also promotes free radicals that mutate your cells’  DNA  and turn
them into renegade cancer cells. To top it all of f, meat, with its lack of fiber, stalls fecal matter in the
colon for extended periods of time, which in turn can contribute to colon
cancer. An eight-year study conducted in conjunction with the American
Association of Retired Persons that followed more than 500,000 people
between the ages of fifty and seventy-one showed that people who
frequently eat meat have a higher risk of several types of cancer—including
lung, colorectal, esophageal, liver, and pancreatic—than people who don’ t.
As for eggs, these devils are not as incredible and edible as the egg
industry wants you to believe. As mentioned, the yolk contains more than
200 milligrams of cholesterol, while the white is one of the most
concentrated sources of animal protein around. And you now know the
dangers of animal protein. A twenty-year study of diet


 by doing
the thin gs they did. I exhausted myself by volunteering m y time and
chauf feuring my  kids to many activities. Then one day I woke up and found
myself m iserable. I also noticed that my kids were miserable too. All the
volunteering too k time away fro m parenting. And the overscheduling didn’ t
give my kids time to play and be kids. Once I realized this, I cut
volunteering down to once a month and made my kids choose at most one
extracurricular activity at a time. Everyone was happier when I was truthful
to myself. R EFLECTING ON  S PEAKING  T RUTH
T ry this interesting exercise. During the day, focus on your words and see if
they ma tch how  you truly feel. Resist the temptation to judge or admonish
yourself; just notice. Y ou may be amazed to discover times when you don’ t
think yo u’re “stretching the truth” but you are. Keep in mind that I’m not
talking about joking around or exaggerating to prove a poin t but rather
deliberately chan ging the truth t o mislead another person or you rself in any
way. For example, if you get on the scale to weigh yourself and you weigh
160 pounds, but you tell your spouse, who asks, that the sca le read 150
pounds, that’ s deliberate. Y ou might think, “W ell, what’ s the harm in that. It’ s j ust a numbe r on a scale. ” That might be so, but if it weren’ t a big deal,
why would you change the number. Ultimately, speaking truth and being mindful of your inner truth is about
flexing a muscle so you can live  a life of excellence, marked by coherence
between body, mind, and spirit. The more you flex your muscles of
deception, the bigger they get. And the more you flex your truthfulness
muscles, the bigger those get. In the end, you have greater gains  when your
truthfulness muscles are flexed and toned. Living i n and speaking truth doesn’ t mean you always have to t ell all. It
is yo ur absolute right to say things such as “I’d rather not say,” “I’m not
sure righ t now,” or even “Now isn’ t the right time for me to exp ress this. ” If
truth means you will hurt some one and that isn’ t where you’d  like to go
with the  conversation, you can always stay silent, unless staying silent
means you might harm them. F or example, if your friend asks  you if you
love her  new red dress and you don’ t like it at all, you could  either stay
silent or say som ething like, “I really like the flowered dress you wore last
week. ” Y ou’re u sing a softener t o avoid hurting her feelings, bu t you’re not
lying. H owever, if she says to you, “What do you think about th is new guy
I’m dating. ” And you google t he guy and find out he has a police record
and you  don’ t tell her, then you could potentially be harming  her by not
revealing the truth. Do you see the dif ference. As y ou g o through your day with this exercise, say to yourself, “Is what
I’m about to sa y going to hurt my integrity in any way. ” and  “W ill I be
disconnecting fr om my spiritual self by saying what I’m about to say. ”
Y ou’ll notice that if you can a nswer those questions honestly, you’ll go
about your day honoring truthfulness. Healing the Spiritual Body
Gaining the awareness of the fifth chakra is like awakening from a deep
slumber. Y ou begin to see thing s dif ferently. W ords spoken or written take
on new meaning. As you emer g e from the darkness of the lower chakras,
spiritual truths seem to fall into place and link together like the pieces of a
puzzle t hat seemed so complicated before. Y ou may find yourself on a
sudden spiritual  journey, seeking to take in as much information as youpossibly can. It’ s an exciting tim e for you as you begin to wond er where all
this wonderful truth has been hiding your whole life. A W AKENING T O THE  T RUTH
Have you ever r ead a really goo d book with an important message and then
picked i t back up several years later and gotten a completely dif ferent
message. That is what it feels like to awaken to spiritual tru ths. An old
adage says, “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear. ” At this
stage of our chakra journey, we have traveled far into a spiritual plane
where things just start to make sense. Y ou might feel that before this moment, you were like a p iece of
seaweed being tossed around by  the waves with absolutely no control over
your thoughts, feelings, emotio ns, and destiny. Now you’re beginning to
understand that you ar e  th e ocean. How  empowering it is to realize that
when you align yourself with the creative force of the enti re universe,
everything is possible. Y ou are at the point in your spiritual development that you are so
ecstatic you want to shout from the rooftops to everyone a round you,
“Don’ t y ou see this. Don’ t yo u understand. This is amazing. ” But alas,
everyone aroun d you is not on your spiritual path, and they don’ t
understand. They are like you w ere before you awakened. In the  beginning,
it ca n be  frustra ting. Y ou want to share all this wonderful know ledge. Y ou
want oth ers to see that we are n ot our bodies but spiritual bein gs having a
human experien ce. W ith the knowledge gained from your heart chakra, you
can reach back in and have co mpassion for those who have n ot yet seen
what you see. Y our faith grows by leaps and b ounds as you test out this new spiritual
awareness. Y ou may be shy to share your joy, but it’ s necessary that you do
so in order to share these spir itual truths with others, just as  they were
shared with you. VISHUDDHA GUIDED MEDIT A TIONSit comfortably and close your eyes. Bring your attention and
awareness to the area of your throat. If it’ s chilly in the room,  cover
your throat with a warm scarf. Or if you prefer, you can use your
hands: crisscros s your hands to  make the shape of a butterfly, and
gently place your palms agains t your throat. This will bring warmth
and healing ener gy to the fift h chakra. Set the intention to bring
healing to your neck, throat, thyroid gland, parathyroid glands, jaw,
mouth, tongue, vocal cords, and ears. As you settle in to relaxing all
these pa rts of your body, ask the question, “How do I know my  inner
truth. ” By simply asking the q uestion, you’ll find that the an swers
will app ear. Then bring your aw areness back to the word truth. Ask
your higher self to access your inner truth. Bring to your awareness dif ferent aspects of your life, and
continue to ask your higher self, “What is my inner truth here. ” Start
with the most important things in your life, such as your family,
friends, and other relationships, then go to your personal health and
well-being, continually asking yourself, “What is my inner truth
here. ” Next, expand outward to your work or career, and ask yo urself,
“What i s my inner truth here. ” Then go to your passions, gift s, and
talents: “What is my inner trut h here. ” Next, consider the m aterial
items in your life — finances, money, home, cars, and other m aterial
goods — and ask yourself, “What is my inner truth here. ” Finally, go
to y our spirituality, your belief s, your ideals, your values, an d ask,
“What is  my inner truth here. ” T ake some time to go over other areas
of your life that come up for you now, repeating the same question:
“What is my inner truth here. ”
Listen to what comes up. Acknowledge it with a nod. T ry not to
judge whatever comes to you i n this conversation with your higher
self. When you’re finished, than k your higher self for all the in sight. Y ou can seal the  meditation by chanting the mantra sound HUM  three
times. When yo u feel ready, you can sl owly open your eyes and return  to
activity. Since this guided meditation has brought you some
revelations, you  may want to write down what came to you duri ng the
meditation. E NERGY -B ODY  H EALING WITH  G EMS AND  C OLORS
The color sky blue is associated with the fifth chakra. Lapis lazuli, known as the “stone of truth,” is great for speaking your
truth. Y ou can also use aquamarine and turquoise. Y ou can  wear or hold to
your thr oat


akras, the relevance of various attributes and the process of disease. They
have integrated chakra healing with aromatherapy, manual lymph drainage
and emotional release work. This book is an effort to share this
understanding with the w orld. Dr Minoo Ratan
MSc, BEd, PhD
Dr Minoo Ratan, the wife of Dr Ravi, is a life
coach, practising psycho-aromatherapist and
healer. In her psychotherapy practice she
integrates aromatherapy with lymph drainage
and chakra healing. Dr Minoo has a Masters in Psychology and specialisation in
occupational stress, besides a degree in education focusing on adolescent
stress. She started treating psychosomatic conditions using plant essential
oils in 1993. She submitted successful case studies as part of her research,
for which she was awarded her PhD by the Open International University
of Alternative Medicine. She is also a member of Bombay Psychology
Association and has been trained in advanced pranic healing withpsychotherapy and eye movement desensitisa tion and reprocessing (based
on the Shapir o School, USA) f or trauma management. Dr Minoo’s Mind Body Clinic is in Mumbai, India, where she provides
consultancy and counselling and life coaching for the management of
psychosomatic disorders as well as interpersonal problems. She also provides
healing treatments using aromatherapy, manual lymph drainage, chakra
therapy and pranic and spiritual healings. She has an association with
institutions such as Dr BMN College of Home Science and MMP Shah
College, both in Mumbai, as a counsellor, also conducting various training
workshops for students and other institutions on stress management, inner
grooming, chakra healing and medita tion and naam sankirtan y oga. Dr Minoo tra vels to the USA, Canada, the UK, Eur ope and A ustralia to
offer consultancy and treatments, as well as co-conducting training
workshops on integrated healing with aromatherapy, lymph drainage,
emotional release and chakra healing with Dr Ravi Ratan. They also use
healing cr ystals and wand therap y. For more information please visit www.aromatantra.com
OceanofPDF.comDedication
Guru Brahma
Guru Vishnu
Guru Devo Maheshwaraiya
Guru Sakashat Per Brahma
Tasme Shri Guruveyah Namah
‘No spiritual progress is possible without the
guidance of the guru.’
This book is dedicated to our gurus. ‘Our first gurus [teachers] are our parents; during our upbringing our
parents and family elders give us sanskar, the basic values of life. Learning
comes to us through books, journals, television, the internet and social
media, which provide information and answers to our questions. When we
are open to learning everyone is our teacher, some we actively seek and
some we draw into our lives; when the seeker is ready, guru appears. Often
we learn simply by observing others even though they may be unaware of
that, so that even our students and clients are our teachers. Guru is not just
a physical bod y but is our guiding principle.’
— Om Shri Gurave Namaha
OceanofPDF.comContents
About the authors
Acknowledgements
Foreword
Introduction
1.The chakra system
Nature and consciousness
2 Energy
Energy metabolism
The seven layers of the human energy field
3 Tantra
Gunas
The five elements
Nadis
Granthis
Vayus
The senses
4 Nervous and endocrine systems
Glands of the endocrine system
5 Lymphatic system6 Chakra aspects and symbols
7 Chakra numbers and planets
8 Chakra attributes
Muladhara (base root)
Swadhisthana (sacral)
Manipura (solar plexus)
Anahata (heart)
Vishuddhi (throat)
Ajna (third eye)
Sahasrara (crown)
9 Chakra healing
Yoga
Mudras
Meditation
Chanting
Sound
Aromatherapy
Crystals
Reflexology
Energy healing
Colour therapy
10The last word
GlossaryBibliography
OceanofPDF.comA c k n o w l e d g e m e n t s
This book couldn’t have been completed without the blessings and guidance
of our gurus. The universal guru (or the guiding principle) has been there for
all of us to guide us all the time; he is the one who moulds our thoughts and
perception, and gives ideas and knowledge. There are also gurus who are
embodied; in our case we have the grace of Shree Shivkrupanand Swami
and Dr Jayant Balaji Atha wale and man y more. The chakras are described in so many books, none of which give a
complete understanding. So many reference books, interactions and queries
with our gurus, students and clients has helped give us an understanding of
the subject, f or which there still isn’t any authentic litera ture. The subject of chakras covers all aspects of our lives, physical, mental,
emotional and spiritual. The process of growing up is in fact a journey
through the chakras for a child. During the process of growing he or she goes
through various phases of life, during which a particular chakra will be
dominant and play a definite role in the development of physical and
physiological organs and emotional development. Today we are more aware
of the external world and the gadgets we use, but not so much aware of the
way our own bodies work and how they process feelings and emotions. Tantra highlights those aspects of life such as breath and movement of
energies, which medical science doesn’t delve into but which the fields of
yoga and Ayurveda give a lot of importance to. The authors were blessed to have been born in the Hindu tradition and
into a spiritual family. Our universal guru ensured we received guidance not
only from our personal gurus but that we were also exposed to modern and
scientific aspects related to the subject of chakras through our interactionswith friends and students and feedback from our associates. John S.
Rogerson introduced us to the ISIS photo energy field imaging system,
which enabled us to authentica te our ener gy-healing r esults. We are thankful to our parents, whose guidance has helped us
throughout our lives. We are also thankful to our daughters Vartika and
Kartikeya for their help, interest and support in the completion of this book. OceanofPDF.comF o r e w o r d
The word ‘chakra’ has so much mysticism about it, and in recent times
more and more people have felt drawn to the subject. However, in the
absence of any authentic literature there are misconceptions about the role,
numbers and loca tions of the individual c hakras. Most of the kno wledge and
understanding about chakras has percolated down from various teachers,
sages and philosophers, and is contained in ancient Hindu texts such as the
Vedas and Upanishads and books on yoga and tantra. These all give
reference to the subject, but the information is available in bits and pieces
and is generally associated with particular attributes or practices rather than
providing the w hole pictur e.
The objective of this book is to offer maximum information and clarity
on the subject of chakras and their associated attributes and practices, not to
promote the Hindu religion. Since most of the information on the subject
has come from ancient Hindu traditions and rituals followed in tantra and
other spiritual practices, we have given references and explanations of those
as well as taking scientific and metaph ysical perspectives into considera tion. Often people vaguely refer to chakras as ‘energy centres on the body’
and then add their own understanding and vision of the role they play in
our lives. The medical community may not understand chakras unless the
practitioner has a spiritual inclination or background. In medical schools
studies are done on cadavers, which don’t have energy and vibrations so it is
beyond their scope. Chakras are the subject of living beings, because only
living beings ha ve vibrations and ener gy.We describe chakras as energy centres because they are the result of
energy metabolism in the body, representing the activity of our organs and
glands. Different spiritual and healing traditions talk of different numbers of
chakras: 7, 9, 12 or 14 and up to 108 chakras. The fact is, wherever there is
an energy activity a chakra is present. We have restricted the scope of this
book to the seven major chakras, as mentioned in kundalini tantra. These
seven are located on the torso and head, the parts of the body housing our
vital organs and glands. From a health perspective, understanding the
association of chakras with our organs and glands gives an insight into the
process of disease. We have discussed chakras from tantric, spiritual, metaphysical and
health perspectives. The focus of this book is not kundalini work or
promoting kundalini awakening practices, which should be done under the
guidance of a teacher with awakened kundalini. We are health practitioner s,
and our focus has been to create an understanding of the subject purely
from a health per spective. OceanofPDF.comI n t r o d u c t i o n
According


 them. ”
Although he was in the midst of doctors and nurses whose job
was to care for him, Phillip had pushed the limits of compassion. He
was too strange and disgust ing for anyone to be around for more
than a few minutes, much less to help. He had developed a stutter,
along with a peculiar collect ion of tics: blinks, darts of the eye, and
twitches in his cheeks, tongue, hands, and ngers. Worst of all was
his total I-could-not-care-less attitude, which had alienated the other
patients and turned the whole sta against him. Two months in the hospital made little change in Phillip’s
condition. “There was no question of the diagnosis,” Laing recounts. “He was an acute (probably becoming chronic) catatonic
schizophrenic. When he had anything to say, it was clear that he
was hallucinated, very paranoid, and very deluded. ” Laing felt
drawn to this shattered creature. Phillip had no remaining relatives
or family friends to take him in. That he would be put away for the
rest of his life was a foregone conclusion. Instead, Laing took Phillip home with him, to his wife and three
children under the age of four. He made this extraordinary decision
because, when talking to Phillip alone in his oce, outside the
setting of a psychiatric ward, he noticed that the boy became
calmer. Phillip started to talk intelligibly, and although his talk was
about “crazy” things—his feeling that the ward was a gigantic
sphere with himself as a pin in the center, his visitations by
interstellar beings, his hallu cination that a black man’s voice was
speaking gibberish to him in the night—he did not seem completely
gone. His tics and twitches also subsided in Laing’s oce. For an
hour at least he controlled his bodily functions, and most telling of
all, a shadow of gratitude passed over his rigid features when Laing
oered to help him. Laing had the insight that perhaps the doctors and nurses were
keeping  Phillip crazy simply by the way they felt about him. “Phillip
generated in everyone  who came near him mixed feelings of
revulsion, at the sight of him and the smell of him, and feeling sorry
for him, just because he was so repulsive, as well as at his evident
misery. The result was that hardly anyone could resist trying to
appear to him to be kind and loving, but eeing out of sight and
smell of him as quickly as possible—not because they could not
stand him, but for some other necessity. ”
Phillip was being kept crazy because the attempt to love and care
for him was tinged with hypo crisy and he knew it. As soon as Laing
took the unheard-of step of bringing a catatonic schizophrenic into
his home, Phillip improved with astonishing speed. His incontinence
ended the mom ent he entered the house. Within a couple of weeks
he had stopped staggering, although he still shook. He began to talk
falteringly but coherently. Three months later he was well enoughto be moved into a foster home. The threat of a lifetime spent
locked up in a mental ward had been removed. Laing did not use psychothe rapy on Phillip while he was under
his roof. The boy was treated honestly, without emotional
hypocrisy, which meant that what was good or bad about him was
reacted to as such. Fifteen years later, he returned to the house to
report his progress. As Laing puts it with a shade of dry wit, “He
was married, had two children, had a steady job, and was taking
evening classes in psychology. ”
It is hard to deny that Phillip’s sanity depended to a huge extent
on projections from the mind s of others. The supercial “love” and
“caring” in the mental ward kept him imprisoned in a false self
because these feelings were equally false. Behind them lurked the
real message: “love” was just a means to keep him under control—it
was a power ploy. Fortunately, in Laing the boy found someone who looked upon
him in the light of love. To me, that is the most touching part of the
story. Laing does not raise the issue of love. He puts his motives on
a simple human basis: “I felt very sorry for his plight and very much
wanted to help him, if possi ble. ” Yet in Laing’s presence, a rapport
was established  that was an honest reection of one awareness with
another. The intensity of life, so clear, sane, and loving, radiated
from Laing and touched the boy. That seems to be the most natural
part of what happened between the two, and what should happen
between all of us. One true self speaks to another, using the
language of the heart, and in that bond a person is healed. Safe to Love
If the rishis are right, the end of the false self spells the end of
fear, and the desperate need for power that fearful people cannot
help. Power is a form of self-protection, and when fear is gone, there
is no need for protection. The true self is love, and being able to love
all the time is the most one could want. The clash between love and
power then has no meaning. As Tagore so decisively wrote, “Love is
not a mere impulse; it must contain truth, which is law. ” I deeplybelieve that, because I have met people who suddenly found
themselves living under this law. “I was driving down the highway looking for the exit onto the
turnpike when  I noticed an unusual sensation in my chest. It began
as a warm or tingling feeling, which I recognized from meditating. Generally the feeling is pleasant but temporary. Now it began to
intensify, and instead of physical warmth, wave after wave of
emotion started to sweep over me. ”
Chris’s eyes shone as he talked on: “It was love, but much purer
and more concentrated love than I had ever felt. I have read in
various scriptures about the heart opening like a ower—one never
thinks such things are going  to happen in real life, on a six-lane
road. But this was it: my heart was unfolding like a ower, almost
drowning me in the exquisit e sensation of love. Strangely, I could
still keep my attention on the road, but I decided to pull o. I
walked into a hamburger stand and just stood there lookin g down at
the salad bar, having the most wonderful experience of my life. ”
I still see my friend Chris every once in a while. He has worked as
a bank manager and a community organizer; he is a hardheaded
sort, not the man you would pick to have his heart unfold like a
ower. But that is wrong of me. His voice sounds kind in an
unforced way, and he has a very accepting manner with people; it is
easy to believe that he has experienced his heart very deeply. Seventeen years ago, when Chris began meditating, he had a
conventional, though deep-felt regard for relationships. “I was just
testing the water as a comm unity organizer then, trying to bring
together people who would normally take no notice of each other. All around me I saw so much hatred that had no real basis—people
simply had never crossed color barriers or social lines to meet each
other. “I helped organize a large food cooperative in a poor
neighborhood; anyone could join, regardless of class or income. We
would purchase food and sell it at cost, but each member had to put
in some time, usually about an hour a week, to go to the wholesale
market at Faneuil Hall or sweep the oor at the co-op or something. The idea was that if people helped out, they could not avoid seeingthe results of their actions. The store wouldn’t open if they didn’t
buy the food. It would open late if they didn’t sweep the oor. Prices would go up if the cash register was shortchanged. “I had never been more hopeful than the day the co-op  opened,
but a month later I was pract ically in despair. People didn’t seem to
care—they shirked their work, they didn’t sweep the oor, they
stole money from the cash register, and they found it very easy to
live with the consequences of their actions. This experience
convinced me that institutions cannot bring about a fundamental
change in human nature. And yet it seemed unbearable not to do
something. ”
As he became more disillusi oned with the social crusade, Chris’s
commitment to meditating deepened. “I desperately wanted to
foster cooperation and love among other people, but it was never
possible to make intimate enough contact with them, not in the long
run. There were always  barriers and personal hangups;
disappointment was inevitable, whatever my ideals said. “Seeing no way out of this painful dilemma, I let it continue. I
decided to work on myself, since after all I was a crucial part of
every relationship I wanted to improve. Gradually a profound
change came about. I felt less anxiety about situations and warmer
feelings towards people who had been stereotyped in my eyes as


 there has been any decline until they reach their
late 30s. A few fortunate ones don't notice it until their 40s. A few (usually) dishonest ones claim no losses into their 50s  but they
are almost inevitably lying, either to you or to themselves, or both. T hough it might be wisest to begin combating the aging process
at age 19, practically speaking, no one is going to start spending substantial money on food supplements until they actually notice
significant lost function. For non -athletes this point usually  comes when function has dropped to about 90 percent of what it was in
our youth. If they're lucky what people usually notice with the beginnings of middle age is an increasing inability for their  bodies
to tolerate insults such as a night on the town or a  big meal. Or they may begin to get colds that just won't seem to go away. Or
they may begin coming home after work so tired that they can hardly stay awake and begin falling asleep in their Lazy Boy
recliner in front of the TV even before prime time. If t hey're not so lucky they'll begin suffering the initial twinges of a non -life-
threatening chronic condition like arthritis. The thinnest line demonstrates the worst possible life from a purely physical point of view, where a person started out life with
significantly lowered function, lost quite a bit more and then hung on to life for many years without the mercy of death. If one can postpone the deterioration of aging, they extend and hopefully square the curve (retard loss of function until lat er and
then have the loss occur more rapidly). Someone whose lifetime function resembled a "square curve"(the thickest, topmost line )
would experience little or no deterioration until the very end and then would lose function precipitously. At this point we do not
know how to eliminate the deterioration but we do know how to slow it down, living longer and feeling better, at least to a p oint
close to the very end. Vitamin supplements can actually slow or even to a degree, reverse, the aging process. Howev er, to accomplish that task, they
have to be taken in amounts far greater than so -called minimum daily requirements, using vitamins as though they were drugs, a
therapeutic approach to changing body chemistry profiles and making them resemble a younger bod y. For example, research
gerontologists like Walford reason that if pantothenic acid (vitamin B 5, in fairly substantial (but quite safe) doses can ex tend the
life and improve the function of old rats, there is every indication that it will do a similar jo b on humans. Medical researchers and
research gerontologists have noticed that many other vitamin and vitamin -like substances have similar effects on laboratory
animals. Some will object that what helps rats and mice is in no way proven to cause the s ame result on humans. I agree. Proven with full
scientific rigor, no. In fact, at present, the contention is unprovable. Demonstrable as having a high likelihood's of being so, yes! So likely so as to be almost incontrovertible, yes! But provable to the mo st open -minded, scientific sort –probably not for a long
time. However, the Life Extension Foundation is working hard to find some quantifiable method of gauging the aging process in
humans without waiting for the inarguable indicator, death. Once this is a ccomplished and solidly recognized, probably no rational
person will be able to doubt that human life span can be increased. Experiments work far better with short -lived laboratory animals for another reason; we can not control the food and supplement
intakes of humans as we can with caged mice. In fact, there are special types of laboratory mice that have been bred to have
uniformly short life spans, especially to accelerate this kind of research. With mice we can state accurately that compared t o a
control group, feeding such and such a dose of such and such a supplement extended the life -span or functional performance by
such and such a percent. A lot of these very same medical gerontologists nourish their own bodies as thoroughly as the laborato ry animals they are
studying, taking broad mixes of food supplements at doses proportional to those that extend the life spans of their research
animals. This approach to using supplementation is at the other end of the scale compared to using supplements to prevent gross
deficiencies. In the life extension approach, vitamins and vitamin -like substances are used as a therapy against the aging process
itself. Will it work? Well, some of these human guinea pigs have been on heavy vitamin supplementation for over thirty years (as of
1995) and none seem to be suffering any damage. Will they live longer? It is impossible to say with full scientific rigor? To  know
if life extension works, we would have to first determine "live longer than what?" After all, we  don't know how long any person
might have lived without life extending vitamin supplements. Though it can't be "proven," it makes perfect sense to me to spe nd
far less money on an intensive life extension vitamin program than I would certainly lose as a r esult of age -related sickness. Besides, I've already observed from personal use and from results in my clinical practice that life extension vitamin program s do
work. Whether I and my clients will ultimately live longer or not, the people who I have pu t on these programs, including myself
and my husband, usually report that for several years after starting they find themselves feeling progressively younger, grad ually
returning to an overall state of greater well -being they knew five or ten or fifteen ye ars ago. They have more energy, feel clearer
mentally, have fewer unwanted somatic symptoms. Sometimes the improvements seem rather miraculous. After a few months on the program one ninety year old man, an
independent -minded Oregonian farmer, reported  that he began awakening with an erection every morning; unfortunately, his 89
year old cranky and somewhat estranged wife, who would not take vitamins, did not appreciate this youthfulness. A few months
later (he had a small farm) he planted a holly orcha rd. Most of you won't appreciate what this means without a bit of explanation,
but in Oregon, holly is grown as a high -priced and highly profitable ornamental for the clusters of leaves and berries. But a slow -
growing holly orchard takes 25 years to began making a profit! A few older clients of mine reported that they noticed nothing from the life extension program, but these are unique people w ho
have developed the ability to dominate their bodies with their minds and routinely pay their bodies absolu tely no attention, driving
them relentlessly to do their will. Usually they use their energies to accomplish good, Christian works. Eventually, these de dicated
and high -toned people break down and die like everyone else. Will they do so later on life exten ding vitamins than they would
have otherwise? I couldn't know because I can't know how long they might have lived without supplementation and since they
refuse to admit the vitamins do them any good, they won't pay for them. Many on life extension prog rams experience a reverse aging process for awhile. However, after the full benefit of the
supplementation has worked itself through their body chemistry, they again begin to experience the aging process. I believe t he
process will then be slowed by their vitamins compared to what it would have been without supplements. But I can't prove it. Maybe we will have some idea if the program worked 20 to 40 years from now. At this time I know of only two companies that make top quality life extension vitamin supplement formulas. One is
Prolongevity (Life Extension Foundation), the other, Vitamin Research Products. I prefer to support what I view as the altrui stic
motives  behind Prolongevity and buy my products from them. Unfortunately, these vitamin compounders can not put every
possibly beneficial substance in a single bottle of tablets. The main reason they do not is fear of the power -grabbing Food and
Drug Administrati on. This agency is threatening constantly to remove certain of the most useful life -extending substances from the
vitamin trade and make them the exclusive property of prescription -writing medical doctors. So far, public pressure has been
mobilized against  the FDA every time action was threatened and has not permitted this. If some product were included in a mix
and that product were prohibited, the entire mixed, bottled and labeled batch that remained unsold at that time would be wast ed, at
enormous cost. Were I manufacturing my own life extension supplement I would include the following. By the way, to get this all in one day, it
is necessary to take 6 to 12 large tablets daily, usually spread throughout the day, taken a few at a time with each meal.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        I believe fasting is the therapy that almost invariably gives a critically ill person their very best chance of recovery. If a patient
dies while fasting they almost certainly would have died anyway, and if death comes while fasting, it will be more comfortabl e,
with less pain, and with more mental clarity. Critically ill people may have, among other things, any of the followi ng diagnoses: advanced cancer, advanced aids, heart
failure, very high blood pressure, kidney failure, advanced liver disease, advanced emphysema, pneumonia or other catastrophi c
infections, especially those that seem unresponsive