 ground nuts. You can
also use pulp left from other fruit and vegetables depending on your taste
preferences. Fruit smoothies
You can make all sorts of combinations. If you make your own goat's
yoghurt, then you can use it as well. Here are a few ideas.
Blend a banana with 7 2 ripe avocado, half a cup of home-made goat's
yoghurt and a bit of honey to taste.
Half an avocado blended with freshly squeezed apple/carrot juice or
freshly squeezed pineapple juice.
Banana blended with freshly squeezed carrot juice (apple juice, pine
apple juice, orange juice, etc.) and half a cup of yoghurt.
11. Yoghurt and creme fraiche
In the initial stages many GAPS patients tolerate goat's yoghurt better than
cow's. So, try to make yoghurt from goat's milk first. I strongly recommend
using only organic milk. A lot of milk on the supermarket shelves has been
subjected to a process, called homogenisation in order to stop milk from
separating in the bottle. This process breaks down the fat globules and
changes the structure of milk making it harmful for the body. Try to buy
milk, which apart from pasteurisation, has not been subjected to any
processing.
Goat's yoghurt is quite a lot more liquid than cow's yoghurt. You can use
it as a drink or if you want to thicken it you can drip it through cheese
cloth.
To make yoghurt you need to introduce bacteria into the milk. You can
buy commercially available yoghurt starters from many health food shops
or small-holding suppliers. Alternatively you can use commercially avail
able live yoghurt as a starter. After making their first yoghurt many people
successfully perpetuate their own yoghurt by using it as a starter for the
next batch. You can also keep the liquid left from dripping your yoghurt in
a clean dry jar in your refrigerator to use as a starter for making the next
batch of yoghurt. If at any point your own yoghurt or the "dripping liquid"
do not work you need to start again with a commercial starter or commer
cial live yoghurt.
Instructions for making yoghurt
l. In a stainless steal pan bring close to the boil l litre of milk (goat's or
cow's) stirring occasionally. You need to bring the milk close to boiling point in order to destroy any bacteria, which may linger in the milk
and interfere with the fermentation. However, do not boil the milk, as
it will change its taste. Take the pan off the heat. Cover the pan with
the lid and cool down by placing the pan into cold water until the tem
perature of the milk is around 38-45°C. If you do not have a suitable
thermometer use your own hand to determine the right temperature.
To do that take a teaspoon of milk from the pan (using a clean dry
spoon) and put the milk on the inside of your wrist. If it feels just
slightly warm then the temperature is right.
2. If you are using a commercial yoghurt starter in a powder form you
need to dissolve the powder in a little milk first before adding it to the
pan. If you are using your own yoghurt or commercial live yoghurt add
7a cup into the milk. Stir well, cover with the lid and put in a warm
place preferably at 38-45°C. You can use a clean dry thermos for this
purpose, a yoghurt maker, an electric plate, the top of your boiler or
your airing cabinet (if it is warm enough). Ferment the yoghurt for at
least 24 hours or longer.
3. After the fermentation is complete, move the yoghurt into a clean dry
glass jar, cover and refrigerate.
4. To drip the yoghurt line a large colander with a cheese-cloth. Place the
colander into alarge bowl and pouryour yoghurt into the lined colander.
Cover with a tea towel and let it drip for a few hours. You can collect the
liquid after dripping and keep it refrigerated in a dry glass jar to re-use as
a starter. You can also use this liquid for soaking the liver in to remove
any bitter taste before cooking it. Depending on how long you leave your
yoghurt dripping you can make a soft cottage cheese or thicker yoghurt.
Both soft cottage cheese and the yoghurt can be used for baking, adding
to salads and soups and as desserts with honey and fruit.
Instructions for making creme fraiche
By using cream instead of milk you can make creme fraiche or soured
cream. For llitre of cream use one sachet of commercial starter or l cup of
live yoghurt.
1. Constantly stirring, bring the cream to boil but do not let it boil.
2. Cool down by placing the pan into cold water. Keep the pan covered at
all times. 3. Test the temperature, it should be 38-45°C.
4. Add the starter and ferment for 24 hours minimum.
This soured cream or creme fraiche is very nice to use in salads, soups,
stews, in baking or as a dessert with some honey and berries. You can blend
it with a little honey and frozen fruit or berries to make an instant ice
cream. 4. IT'S FEEDING TIME!
OH, NO!
Grown-ups never understand anything for themselves,
and it is tiresome for children to be always
and forever explaining things to them.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery
he Petit Prince, 1943
It is very rare to meet a GAPS child who is not a finicky eater. The same can
be said about many GAPS adults as well. This problem is particularly pro
nounced in autism. The majority of autistic children and adults have feed
ing problems, sometimes very severe. Some are very fussy and would
accept only a very limited range of foods. Some cannot chew properly and
would hold food in their mouth for a long time or try to swallow it in a
lump. Some can only suck from a bottle and would not drink from any
thing else. Feeding time is a nightmare for many parents of autistic
children.
There are number of possibilities why GAPS patients have these prob
lems.
First is a distorted sensory input. The taste buds in their mouth receive
the information about food, which gets passed to the brain. A GAPS brain is
clogged with toxicity and cannot process this information properly. As a
result, to these people the food can taste completely different to what it
should taste like. Add to that a distorted feeling of food texture and temper
ature and we start appreciating why an autistic child, for example, would
not accept many foods. The taste, texture and feeling of food can be quite
offensive for them.
Second is a craving for sweet and starchy foods typical for all people with
abnormal bodily flora, particularly with Candida albicans overgrowth. No
matter how finicky a GAPS child or an adult might be, most of them would
accept sugary drinks, biscuits, cakes, sweets, sugar-laden breakfast cereals,
chocolates, chips, crisps, pasta and white bread. In fact these are the foods
to which many GAPS people limit their diet thus feeding the vicious circle
of abnormal flora and toxicity in their bodies.
Third is the state of the mouth itself. A human mouth is home for a
large population of microbes which normally protect the mouth from pathogenic bacteria, viruses and fungi, maintain the healthy state of the
mucous membranes and various structures in the mouth. GAPS children
and adults often have a very abnormal bacterial flora in their mouths, often
with an overgrowth of Candida and other pathogenic microbes. The activ
ity of this abnormal flora produces a lot of toxins, which are stored in the
mucous membranes of the mouth and alter the functioning of taste buds,
saliva glands and other structures. Apart from contributing to the distor
tion of taste, this process causes a chronic inflammation in the mucous
membranes of the mouth, making it a target for the immune system. As a
result of microbial activity and inflammation many GAPS patients have
bad breath, very red lips and mouth, various spots and ulcers on the
mucosa of the cheeks and a coated furry tongue. Many foods, like raw fruit
and vegetables, herbs, uncooked nuts and seeds, cold pressed oils and
some other foods have strong detoxifying substances, which would bind to
the toxins in the mouth trying to remove them. This can feel far from nice
ranging from stinging, itching and burning, to simply an unpleasant taste,
and indeed, those are the foods that GAPS people commonly would not
accept.
There are some contributory factors. For example, any secretion from
the body is a way of eliminating toxins. Saliva is one of them. GAPS patients
have very toxic bodies and some of these toxins get excreted through saliva.
This contributes to the toxic load in the mouth, altering the taste and feel
of foods.
In some cases of autism and other GAPS disorders another contributory
factor comes into play - an inability of the toxic brain to orchestrate
normal movements of the muscles in the mouth, tongue


5 to 6.2 million/microliter (4.5 to 6.2 x 1012/L) of venous blood; in adult females
from 4.2 to 5.4 million/microliter (4.2 to 5.4 x 1012/L) of venous blood; in children, 4.6 to 4.8
million/microliter of venous blood; in full-term infants, 4.4 to 5.8 million/microliter (4.4 to 5.8 x
1012/L). An elevated RBC count indicates polycythemia or dehydration; a depressed count shows
anemia, fluid overload, or recent hemorrhage. With total bed rest, RBC counts drop considerably
from decreased oxygen requirements.
The Total Hemoglobin (HgB)
Laboratory Test
The total hemoglobin (Hgb) concentration in a deciliter (l00ml) of whole blood is measured
by the total hemoglobin laboratory test. The Hgb-RBC ratio (mean corpuscular hemoglobin or
MCH) and free plasma Hgb affect the RBC count. This test, a usual part of the complete blood
count, measures the severity of anemia or polycythemia, monitors therapy response, and supplies
figures for calculating MCH and mean corpuscular Hgb concentration.
Based on venous blood samples, normal values for different patients are:
Age      Hemoglobin Level (g/dL)
Less than 7 days    17-22
1 week     15-20
1 month     11-15
Age      Hemoglobin Level (g/dL)
Children     11-13
Adult males    14-18
Elderly males    12.4-14.9
Adult females    12-16
Elderly females    11.7-13.8
Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007.  All rights reserved.
This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author.Page 191Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comThe Hematocrit (Hct)
Laboratory Test
The volume of RBCs packed in a whole blood sample is measured by the hematocrit (Hct)
laboratory test. Number and size of the RBCs determine the Hct concentration, and such a readout
aids in the diagnosis of abnormal states of hydration, polycythemia, anemia, fluid imbalance,
blood loss, blood replacement, and red cell indices. According to a patient’s sex, age, laboratory
competence, and type of blood sample, the test routinely screens one’s blood in a complete blood
count.
Hct reference values range from 40 percent to 54 percent (0.4 to 0.54) for men and from 37
percent to 47 percent (0.37 to 0.47) for women. Low Hct indicates anemia or hemodilution; high
Hct shows polycythemia or hemoconcentration caused by blood loss. If a hematoma develops at
the venipuncture site, ease discomfort by applying ice, followed later by warm soaks.
The Erythrocyte Indices Laboratory Test
Mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), and mean
corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) are the three measurements accomplished by
the erythrocyte indices laboratory test. The MCV expresses the average size of erythrocytes
and indicates whether they are undersized (microcytic), oversized (macrocytic), or normal
(normocytic). MCH gives the weight of hemoglobin in an average red cell. MCHC defines the
concentration of Hgb in 100 mL of packed red cells.
The normal RBC indices are:
 MCV = 84 to 99 cubic microliters/red cell (femtoliters (fl)/red cell)
 MCH = 26 to 32 picograms (pg)/red cell
 MCHC = 30% to 36% (300 to 360 g/L)
These indices aid in diagnosing and classifying anemia. Low MCV and MCHC show
microcytic hypochromic anemias caused by iron deficiency anemia, pyridoxine-responsive
anemia, or thalassemia. High MCV indicates macrocytic anemia caused by megaloblastic
anemias coming from folic acid or vitamin BIZ deficiency, inherited disorders of DNA synthesis,
or reticulocytosis.
The Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR)
Measuring the time required for erythrocytes in a whole blood sample to settle to the bottom
of a vertical tube, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) is a sensitive but nonspecific test that
Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007.  All rights reserved.
This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author.Page 192Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comindicates the presence of disease when other chemical or physical signs are normal. It rises in
widespread inflammatory disorders caused by infection, autoimmune disease, or malignancy.
Thus, the ESR monitors inflammatory or malignant illness and detects occult disease such as
tuberculosis (TB), tissue necrosis, or connective tissue disorders. The normal ESR ranges from
0 to 20 mm/hour. It rises in pregnancy, acute or chronic inflammation, TB, paraproteinemias,
rheumatic fever, rheumatoid arthritis, and some cancers. ESR also rises in anemia. ESR drops in
polycythemia, sickle cell anemia, hyperviscosity, and low plasma protein.
Note: ESR  is frequently raised during and after reactions and fevers induced by the Gerson
Therapy.
The Platelet Count
Platelets, or thrombocytes, are tiny formed elements in the blood which create th’e hemostatic
plug in vascular injury. They promote coagulation by supplying phospholipids to the intrinsic
thromboplastin pathway. The platelet count is vital for monitoring chemotherapy, radiation
therapy, or severe thrombocytosis and thrombocytopenia. A platelet count that falls below 50,000
brings on spontaneous bleeding; below 5,000, fatal central nervous system bleeding or massive
gastrointestinal hemorrhage is possible.
The platelet count evaluates platelet production, assesses effects of cytotoxic therapy, aids
the diagnosing of thrombocytopenia and thrombocytosis, and confirms visual estimate of platelet
number and morphology from a stained blood film. Normal platelet counts range from 130,000 to
370,000/mm (130 to 370 x 1011/L).
A decreased count comes from aplastic or hypoplastic bone marrow; infiltrative bone marrow
diseases like carcinoma, leukemia, or disseminated infection; megakaryocytic hypoplasia;
ineffective thrombopoiesis caused by folic acid or vitamin B1 deficiency; pooling of platelets in an
enlarged spleen; increased platelet destruction from drug use or immune disorders; disseminated
intravascular coagulation; Bernard-Soulier syndrome; or mechanical injury to platelets.
Medications decreasing the count include acetazolamid, acetohexamide, antimony,
antineoplastics, brompheniramine maleate, carbamazepine, chloramphenicol, ethacrynic acid,
furosemide, gold salts, hydroxychloroquine, indomethacin, isoniazid, mephenytoin, mefenamic
acid, methazolamide, methimazole, methyidopa, oral diaoxide, oxyphenbetazone, penicillamine,
penicillin, phenylbutazone, phenytoin, pyrimethamine, quinidine sulfate, quinine, salicylates,
streptomycin, sulfonamides, thiazide, thiazidelike diuretics, and tricyclic antidepressants. Heparin
causes transient reversible thrombocytopenia.
An increased platelet count results from such diseases as hemorrhage; infectious disorders;
malignancies; iron deficiency anemia; myelofibrosis; primary thrombocytosis; polycythemia
vera; myelogenous leukemia; recent surgery, pregnancy, or splenectomy; and inflammatory
disorders, such as collagen vascular disease.
Copyright © Charlotte Gerson, 2007.  All rights reserved.
This material may not be reproduced in any medium, print or electronic without prior written permission from the author.Page 193Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comThe Leukocyte (White Blood Cell, WBC) Count
Reporting on the number of white blood cells (WBCs) found in a microliter (cubic
millimeter) of whole blood by use of a hemacytometer or Coulter counter, the leukocyte count
varies with strenuous exercise, stress, or digestion. It’s used to detect infection or inflammation,
the need for further tests such as the WBC differential or bone marrow biopsy, and the


, the body needs to
make more NIS. It requires elevated TSH to do this. It usually takes three to six months to saturate the cells with iodine. At that
point TSH levels will decline back to the reference range. Simply following thyroid hormone levels and doing a history and
physical exam can quickly put to rest the idea that iodine is causing hypothyroidism.
FINAL THOUGHTSUnfortunately, medical iodophobia is still alive and well. However, it is the result of misinformation and ignorance.
Understanding the biochemistry and physiology behind iodine should cure anyone of medical iodophobia. After treating thousands
of patients and lecturing to many health care professionals and hearing their stories of success with using iodine, I am sure that
medical iodophobia can be overcome.APPENDIX: RESOURCES
1. Iodoral
®
 can be purchased from:

Individual orders for Iodoral can be purchased at Center for Holistic Medicine (Dr. Brownstein’s office):
1.866.877.6467 or
www.centerforholisticmedicine.com

2. For iodine testing and the iodine-loading test as well as bromide and fluoride testing contact:
FFP Lab
 (
www.ffplab.org
)
1.877.900.5556
Hakala Labs
 (
www.hakalalabs.com
)
303.763.6242
Doctors Data
 (
www.doctorsdata.com
)
800.323.2784

3. For allergies to iodine, NAET (Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Technique) can be helpful. To find an NAET
practitioner please call: 1.714.523.3068 or look on the internet:
www.naet.com
.

4. A compounding pharmacist can make up Lugol’s solution or bioidentical hormones. To find a compounding pharmacist,
please contact:
The International Academy of Compounding
Pharmacists (IACP)
iacpinfo@iacprx.org
(800)-927-4227
Fax: 281-495-0602Index
A
Allergy 222-224, 252, 254

Anti-thyroperoxidase antibodies 98, 99, 120

Apoptosis 103, 153-4, 183

Autoimmune thyroid disorders 70-71, 85, 91, 105-111, 115, 120-125, 127-128, 130, 133, 144-145, 254-255
B
Bisphenol A 178
Breast Cancer 151-182

Bromide/Bromine 42-43, 48-50, 54, 217-223, 231, 233
C
Chloride 48-49, 226

Chlorine 51, 217, 226-227

Crohn’s Disease 141

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome 107, 111
Colorectal Cancer 142

Cretinism 29, 43-44, 48
D
Delta () - iodolactone 100-101, 103, 105-107, 110, 120-135

Detoxification 100-115, 132, 135, 234-235, 241, 243-246, 252-253, 255
E
Estrogen 157-163, 171-178
F
Fibrocystic breast disease, 73, 76, 162-165, 174-175, 182

Fibromyalgia96, 107, 111

Fluoride 48, 49, 54, 217, 223-226, 231, 233-234
G
Glutathione 141, 144-146

Glutathione peroxidase 143-146

Goiter 29-35, 43, 45-46, 54, 70-71, 73, 76, 120, 125-126, 222, 224-225, 227

Goiter belt 34

Goitrogen 222-223
 Graves’ Disease 70, 73, 85, 90, 106, 108, 119-121, 125-127, 130-135, 289, 293

Growth Hormone 194-196
H
Halide channel 96

Hashimoto’s Disease 70, 73, 85, 88, 90, 97, 99, 101, 106, 108, 110-111, 120-121, 125, 130, 132, 134-135, 289, 293

Hydrogen peroxide 98-99, 107, 109

Hyperthyroidism 74, 85-87, 120, 122-124, 127-128, 130-133

Hypothyroidism 35-36, 70, 72-74, 78-79, 81-82, 84-85, 87-91, 120, 125, 130, 134-135, 246

Iodinated lipids 105-107

Iodine in food 33-34

Iodine-induced hyperthyroidism 252, 257

Iodine-induced hypothyroidism 252, 256

Iodine loading test, 260-262, 302

Iodism 252, 258

Iodized salt 44, 46-47, 49, 73
L
Lugol’s Iodine 59-61, 63, 262
Lung Cancer 142
M
Magnesium 107, 110, 113

Methimazole 127

Mitochondria 106, 109-110, 113
N
NAET 253-254
O
Organification 95-98, 100-101, 104-106

Ovarian cancer 166, 174

Oxidation 95-96, 98-100, 104-105, 107, 113
P
Percholate 50-51, 227-231

Pituitary gland 83

Propylthiouracil 127

Prostate cancer 142, 176-177, 178, 182
R
Radioactive iodine 127-128, 130, 132-133
S
Saliva/serum iodide 264-266
Salt 41, 44, 46-49, 217, 242-243, 245, 247

Selenium 139-146

Stomach cancer 166
T
T3 69, 71, 78, 84-85, 97, 100-101

T4 69, 71, 78, 84-85, 97, 100-101

Thyroperoxidase (TPO) 98-99, 105, 107-109

TSH 71, 83-85, 91

Thyroid cancer 71, 73, 129
V
Vitamin B-2 112

Vitamin B-3 112

Vitamin C 10, 293
X
Xenoestrogens 178Books by David Brownstein, M.D.
More information:
www.drbrownstein.com
Vitamin B12 for Health
Vitamin B12 deficiency is occurring in epidemic numbers. This book show you the many benefits of using natural,
bioidentical forms of vitamin B12 and how B12 supplements can help you achieve your optimal health. B12 therapy
can treat many common ailments including:
Anemia
Autoimmune Illness
Blood Clots
Brain Fog
Cognitive Decline
Depression
Fatigue
Fibromyalgia
Heart Disease
Muscle Disease
Neurologic Problems
Osteoporosis
AND MUCH MORE!

IODINE: WHY YOU NEED IT, WHY YOU CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT IT, 5
th
 EDITION
Iodine is the most misunderstood nutrient. Dr. Brownstein shows you the benefit of supplementing with iodine.
Iodine deficiency is rampant. It is a world-wide problem and is at near epidemic levels in the United States. Most
people wrongly assume that you get enough iodine from iodized salt. Dr. Brownstein convincingly shows you why it is
vitally important to get your iodine levels measured. He shows you how iodine deficiency is related to:
Breast cancer
Hypothyroidism and Graves’ disease
Autoimmune illnesses
Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia
Cancer of the prostate, ovaries, and much more!
OVERCOMING ARTHRITIS
Dr. Brownstein shows you how a holistic approach can help you overcome arthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue
syndrome, and other conditions. This approach encompasses the use of:
Allergy elimination
Detoxification
Diet
Natural, bioidentical hormones
Vitamins and minerals
Water
DRUGS THAT DON’T WORK and NATURAL THERAPIES THAT DO, 2
nd
 Edition
Dr. Brownstein’s newest book will show you why the most commonly prescribed drugs may not be your best
choice. Dr. Brownstein shows why drugs have so many adverse effects. The following conditions are covered in this
book: high cholesterol levels, depression, GERD and reflux esophagitis, osteoporosis, inflammation, and hormone


inely	treated	with	psychotropic	drugs	like	Prozac.
Symptoms	improve,	and	physical	evidence	for	that	can	be	found	through
brain	scans;	the	parts	of	the	brain	that	malfunction	in	OCD	start	to	become
more	normal	on	the	drug.
But
	obsessive-compulsive	patients	sometimes	seek
relief	through	talk	therapy	instead.	These	patients	frequently	improve,	yet
only	recently	did	anyone	examine	their	brains	with	MRIs	and	PET	scans,	and
what	they	discovered	is	startling:	the	same	impaired	regions	that	become
more	normal	with	Prozac	also	become	more	normal	with	talk	therapy.	(
Jeffrey	Schwartz	is	an	expert	in	OCD	and	based	the	new	theory	in	part	on
such	brain	scans.)
In	other	words,	the	process	of	reflection	and	insight	through	therapy
changed	the	patients’	brain	cells.	This	is	exactly	what	was	predicted	by	the
new	theory	of	quantum	mind.	But	the	answer	was	there	all	along.	The	mind
has	always	been	able	to	change	the	brain.	If	a	person	suddenly	loses	a	loved
one	or	is	fired	from	his	job,	sudden	severe	depression	often	follows.
Depression	is	rooted	in	abnormal	uptake	of	the	brain	chemical	serotonin.	This
physcial	imbalance	is	what	antidepressants	are	typically	designed	to	correct.
Yet	when	someone	loses	a	loved	one	or	gets	fired,	isn’t	it	obvious	that	the
chemical	imbalance	came	about	after	the	bad	news?	Reacting	to	bad	news	is	a
mental	event.	Indeed,	the	entire	world	we	inhabit	of	words	and	thoughts
creates	infinite	brain	changes	in	all	of	us	every	moment.
If	mind	comes	before	brain,	then	what	if	mind	belongs	to	all	of	us?	I	can
say	“my	brain,”	but	I	can’t	say	“my	quantum	field.”	There	is	growing
evidence	that	in	fact	we	do	share	the	same	mind	field.	This	would	go	far	to
support	the	existence	of	heavens	and	hells,	Bardo	and	Akashic	memory,
extending	far	beyond	the	brain.	To	begin	with,	we	need	to	examine	the	kinds
of	ideas	that	people	share	as	a	group.	The	brain	belongs	to	“me,”	but	if	ideas
belong	to	“us,”	then	we	are	participating	together	in	a	field,	sometimes	quite
mysteriously.
The	Brain	Beyond	Boundaries
The	human	brain	processes	only	a	fraction	of	the	information	available	to	it.
By	some	estimates	the	brain	receives	6	billion	bits	of	data
per
	second	(such	as
sound	vibrations,	photons,	X-ray	and	gamma	radiation,	electromagnetic	static,
and	various	chemical	and	electrical	signals	from	the	immediate	environment),
a	floodtide	that	gets	squeezed	into	the	trickle	of	experience	we	actually	notice
and	respond	to.	But	what	we	notice	isn’t	the	same	as	what	we	know.
For
example,	some	so-called	idiot	savants	with	very	low	IQs	can	instantaneously
compute	long	strings	of	numbers,	tell	the	day	of	the	week	that	any	date	fallson	in	the	future,	remember	every	detail	of	their	past,	or	learn	difficult
languages	with	incredible	fluency.	(One	savant	mastered	Finnish,	Arabic,	and
Mandarin	at	a	young	age,	and	only	afterward	did	his	caregivers	realize	he	had
been	learning	these	languages	on	his	own	despite	the	fact	that	he’d	held	the
books	upside	down.)	Such	savants	often	lack	even	the	most	basic	capacity	in
other	areas.	One	well-documented	type	of	savant	is	able	to	perform	music	or
paint	pictures	with	extraordinary	facility	but	cannot	calculate	change	from	a
purchase,	or	tie	their	shoes	without	help.
When	sudden	artistic	abilities	began	to	appear	in	a	small	percentage	of
normal	people	who	suffer	from	brain	tumors	and	other	neurological	disorders,
researchers	looked	at	the	brains	of	savants	and	discovered	that	they,	too,
displayed	brain	abnormalities,	particularly	in	the	right	temporal	lobe.	To	my
knowledge,	the	current	explanation	for	“savant	syndrome”	now	centers	on
such	physical	abnormalities.	Thus	it	seems	that	when	the	brain’s	filtering
system	is	impaired,	reality	expands	in	some	areas	while	it	contracts	in	others.
All	kinds	of	abilities	may	inexplicably	exceed	the	norm.	Joseph	Chilton
Pearce,	a	specialist	in	child	development,	writes	about	the	savant	syndrome	in
his	book
The	Biology	of	Transcendence
.	He	makes	several	striking	points.
The	first	is	that	most	children	with	savant	syndrome	don’t	perform	on	their
own	but	respond	when	asked.	The	second	is	that	they	are	not	especially
interested	in	the	wider	area	of	their	extraordinary	ability.	If	you	sit	down	and
ask	a	savant	what	day	of	the	week	March	12,	2163,	falls	on,	it’s	like	talking	to
a	machine.	The	child
goes
	inward	for	a	few	seconds,	then	pops	up	with	the
answer,	but	might	have	little	interest	in	simple	math.	A	calendar	savant	might
not	be	able	to	multiply	12	by	12.
The	normal	brain	filters	out	information	for	good	reason—it	takes	narrow
experience	to	form	a	self,	a	separate	person	with	limited	beliefs,	goals,
memories,	likes,	and	dislikes.	We	deliberately	reject	huge	portions	of
information,	but	a	damaged	brain	is	exposed	to	everything	through	its
inability	to	select	and	filter.
Pearce	is	particularly	intrigued	by	how	an
“automobile	savant”	could	take	one	look	at	a	parking	lot	and	tell	you	the
make,	model,	and	year	of	every	car	in	it	without	being	able	to	read.	How	does
he	know	this	without	reading	magazines	that	feature	the	latest	models,
including	European	models	that	had	received	no	publicity	in	the	United
States?	It	seems	as	if	these	savant	children	are	accessing	the	mind	field.
Genius	is	another	way	to	access	the	field	beyond	normal	abilities.	Musical
prodigies	like	Mozart	can	see	whole	symphony	scores	in	their	heads.
One
such	prodigy	now	enrolled	in	the	Juilliard	program	for	composers	has	been
able	to	switch	between	four	channels	of	music	in	his	head	since	early
childhood;	when	asked	to	write	a	new	sonata	for	violin,	he	simply	turned	to
the	appropriate	channel	and	took	dictation.	A	direct	link	to	the	field	of
information	seems	possible,	then,	and	we	move	closer	to	the	possibility	thatthe	brain	is	the	receiver	of	mind,	not	its	creator.
This	is	important	to	the	afterlife	because	upon	dying	we	have	no	brain	but
do	desire	to	keep	our	minds.	If	the	Vedic	seers	are	right,	the	human	brain
connects	us	to	infinite	consciousness.	The	fact	that	we	shut	out	so	much	of	the
mind	field	doesn’t	mean	we	have	to.	Aboriginal	peoples	don’t	access	higher
math,	scientific	reasoning,	or	advanced	musical	harmonies,	but	if	a	baby	were
taken	from	a	New	Guinea	jungle	tribe	and	placed	in	the	right	learning
environment,	its	mind	contains	the	potential	for	all	these	skills.	Indeed,	only
in	this	decade	are	certain	trib


, the other aspects of daily
life get neglected. At the opposite end of the spectrum is a loveless
existence. None  of the joy and vibrancy of love is present; the other aspects
of life get all your attention.
Yet there  is a stage of mature love in which a steady flow of both loving
and sexual energy is present. Two people share in the contentment and trustthat mature love brings, and their love evolves into deeper levels of caring
and appreciation. The connection to innocence happens because both
people are open to the other, not building up old resentments, hurts,
disagreements, and a feeling of “same old, same old.”
Innocence is the same as having no agenda. Without falling in love, you
can treat everyone in your life with openness and appreciation. That’ s a
mark of social intelligence, because you are using your physi cal, mental,
and emotional energy without exhausting yourself on the one hand or being
ruled by inertia on the other. In classic Yoga, the fourth yama  is associated
with sexual chastity, but for modern people, the real issue is not sexual
innocence and purity but the right use of every kind of ener gy.
Exercise
Make a list of the people and situations where you are wasting your
energy or using it ineffectually. The telltale signs are that your efforts are
getting you nowhere; you feel exhausted; frustration is always present; and
you keep trying  too hard without results. Almost always there is also a
buildup of low expectations and the memory of past failure and frustration.
Your list might include a family member who never does their chores, a
child you constantly worry about, or a coworker who keeps  demanding
your time in trivial ways.
Now look at the person or situa tion from the viewpoint of your energy
and how you expend it. Use the categories of physical, mental, and
emotional energy. For instance, maybe a friend of yours is consistently late,
and this inconsid erate behavior causes you a lot of irritation. Every time the
behavior is repeated, that leaves you out of sorts, feeling drained and
regretting setting up the get-together.
But it is import ant to realize that your energy is not being drained or
exploited by someone else. It is being drained and exploited by you.
Your response has stopped being open, and you are pursuing, however
silently, an agenda of being long-suf fering that complements your friend’ s
agenda of inconsideration. There is always a better way to deal with yourown energy so that no agenda is involved. Look at the practices listed for
the fourth yama  and take the first step to applying at least one of them.
Measure your success by how your own energy level improves—that’ s the
goal of this yama.
FRIDAY
The Joy of Letting Go
Begin by silently repeating today’ s theme:
I feel no need to cling or grasp.
I feel no need to cling or grasp.
The fifth yama  is about acting with self-reliance, neither clinging nor
creating dependence in others. Not clinging is synonymous with letting go.
Everyone has experienced finall y letting go after the struggle of holding on
has exhausted itself. The moment of letting go brings a sigh of relief. A
burden has been lifted, and you are free to move on. The experience of
letting go is so gratifying, you wonder why people do the oppos ite, holding
on to grudges, resentments, bad relationships, self-defeating habits, and so
on. Royal Yoga devotes the last yama  to non-clinging because the inability
to let go is age-old and has many tentacles.
Your social self has been trained to adopt the ego’s agenda, which can
be simply stated as “more for me.” We grasp, cling, and hold on as a reflex,
our default for getting more  money, more love, more pleasurable
experiences to ward off the threat of loss. In psychological terms, the result
of clingi ng, when it happens in a relationship, is codependency. Two people
cling to each other, even though what the ego wants—love, sexual
gratification, security, and respect—isn’ t being delivered anymore. The
habit of clinging  has taken over without anything positive to show for it.
“But at least we stayed together” is the rationale behind codependent
relationships.Royal Yoga’s aim is to break the habit of clinging, whether it is in the
early or late stages. Social intelligence teaches that when you have your
own space and you give space to others, everyone benefits. The practices of
non-clinging spring from this realization.
THE PRACTICES OF NON-CLINGING
Ask for the space you need from other people. Give others the
same space before they have to ask.
Don’t encourage someone to cling to you out of pity or
superiority.
Practice self-reliance and independence.
Take responsibility for your life, ﬁnding solutions on your own.
Avoid relationships where one person dominates the other.
Drop the need to control.
Don’t be grasping about money and possessions. Choose
generosity whenever you can.
If you apply these practices in daily life, a change starts to occur. You
catch yourself clinging in ways that are not productive and most of the time
are self-defeatin g. It is nearly impossible to follow the ego’s agenda of
“more for me” without at the same time clinging to what you acquire,
whether it is money and possessions or status and family.
Relationships form the acid test. Social intelligence is realistic. It
recognizes that most people have a strong streak of dependency. They are
more than willing to be led by a stronger, more dominant person. They feel
too weak or insecure to practice self-reliance. In the face of this reality,
many relationships are about finding the “missing piece.” Two people find
mutual support because they supply what the other person is lacking.
Missing-piece relationships are perhaps the most common, and they can
bring a sense of security and belonging. The pitfall is the illusion of being
whole. Two incomplete people do not make a whole, and wholeness is the
goal of Yoga. Yet it is also possible that with loving support, two people canencourage each other to evolve and fulfill the wholeness that is found in the
true self.
Exercise
The temptation  to cling to someone else is strong when we feel
incomplete in ourselves. Take a look at your spouse or partner (if you’re
single, choose your closest friend or family member) and list the ways in
which you feel he or she is better than you. Is this person smarter, more
creative, more popular, or a higher earner? Do they seem more self-
confident than you or more successful at getting along with others?
Your list shows you where you have a missing piece, a hole in your self-
esteem. Now think of ways to fill these holes yourself. Begin by not
clinging to the other person. It is certainly good to admire your spouse or
friend for their positive qualitie s. But you aren’ t a sponge that can soak
those qualities up. Earning them for yourself is the only way.
What you are looking for in any relationship is mutual respe ct, first
from your spouse or friend, but also from others, who might be tempted to
think, “He’ s smart enough for both of us” or “She’ s got more than enough
money for two.” Inequality in money, job success, and social standing
destabilizes a mutual relationshi p. Think about how you can find something
valuable that you can contribute; it should be something that makes you feel
more self-suf ficient and worthy.
You don’t have to even the balance by competing—this tactic rarely
works. Let your partner or friend bask in the qualities that are special about
them, while developing in yours elf the qualities that make you special. The
values that matter most are love, compassion, creativity, service, joy,
intelligence, personal evolution,  and self-awareness. All of them  belong to
your true self, and when you pursue these values as a social self, you begin
to connect more closely to your true self, which is your source.
ADVANCED EXPLORATIONIf you want to go more deeply into classic Yoga, there are many  sources
of information about the yamas, beginning with all the free information
online. Look under the Sanskrit names for the yamas, which are given
below with their traditional translations.
Ahimsa: Non-violence
Satya: Truthfulness
Asteya: Non-covetousness
Brahmacharya: Sexual restraint
Aparigraha: Non-grasping, non-clinging
OceanofPDF.comWEEK 2
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
(Limb of Yoga: Niyamas)THIS PART OF THE JOURNEY
In Week 1 we dealt with your social self, which is how you present
yourself to the world and other people. In Week 2 we move on to your
emotional self, which relates to you personally and privately. Only you
know how you feel and what makes you happy or unhappy. The journey of
Royal Yoga is about moving ever closer to your true self. Every step of the
way makes the light brighter and removes another layer of ment al obstacles
(vrittis ) that block the light. These two steps never change.
The second limb of Y oga outlines the practices known as niyamas. They
are complement ary to yamas,


 site
where the bees previously encountered this odor.”
Koch links this trait, called “associative memory,” with the
famous momen t in French literature centered on a cookie known
as a madeleine. The massive seven-volume novel À la recherche
du temps perdu  ( In Search of Lost Time ), by Marcel Proust,
begins with a f lood of memory occasioned when the narrator dips
a madeleine in a cup of tea, a gesture from his childhood. This
experience of associative me mory Koch also ascribes to bees, a
lowly form of insect life. But we can find a wealth of other
examples. Staying just with bees, Koch points out the following:
[They] are capable of recognizing specific faces from
photographs, c an communica te the location and quality
of food sources to their sisters via the waggle dance, and
can nav igate c omplex mazes  with the help of cues they
store in short-term memory ( for instance, “after arriving
at a  fork, take the exit marked by the color at the
entrance”).
The upshot, Koch says, is tha t consciousness cannot be walled
off in arbitrary ways just because a life form looks biologically too
simple to be conscious. With arms wide open, he declares, “All
species—bees, octopuses, ravens, crows, magpies, parrots, tuna,
mice, whales, dogs, cats and monkeys—are cap able of
sophisticated, learned, nonstereotyped behaviors.” This gets us a
long wa y from “no,” only hu man beings are conscious, to “yes,”
consciousness is universal.
The grateful octopus was act ing out a human gesture. T o see
this isn’t sentimentality or fantasy. Koch believes that if we
weren’t so prejudiced, we’d see that animals behave constantly in
ways that would be called conscious if the same activity were
displayed by a person. A dog’s look of love toward his ma ster, his
distress if his owner is absen t, and the grief he feels if hi s owner
dies are conscious traits being expressed through another life
form. Yet our prejudice is ha rd to overcome because it se rves our
selfishness. Homo sapiens  has ancient hunting stock in it. We killand eat  a great many animals, and it salves our conscience to see
them as  lower life forms, dep rived of mind, will, and freedom of
choice.
Everything that makes othe r life forms alien in our eyes is
arbitrary. No creature looks more alien than an octopus.  Among
the three hundred octopus species, which first appeared at least
295 mi llion years ago according to the oldest fossils, the largest
types resemble the smallest in having two eyes, eight arm s, and a
beak ce ntered where the arms meet. Blown up to a large scale, as
in the giant Pacific octopus, w hich can reach a weight of up to six
hundred pounds with an arm span between fourteen and thirty
feet, those eight arms and snapping beak seem monstrous. But
like Tyrannosaurus rex  or a great white shark, the giant Pacific
octopus isn’t a monster in its own eyes. In the play of
consciousness, the octopus occupies the same cosmic status as
Homo sapiens.  It is alive and aware of itself and its surroundings.
There’s abundant evidence to support this claim. In her 2015
book, The Soul of an Octopus, naturalist Sy Montgomery closes
the gap between people an d mollusks in startling ways. In a
section that begins, “Octopuses realize that huma ns are
individuals, to o,” she relates how distinctly an octopus can make
friends and enemies. In the mildest example, one keeper at the
Seattle Aquarium was assigned to feed the octopuses while
another touched them with a bristly stick. Within a week, at first
sight of the two people, most of the octopuses drifted toward the
feeder.
But the ir ability to relate to specific humans grows much more
mysterious. A volunteer at th e New England Aquarium earned the
dislike of a pa rticular octop us named Truman for no a pparent
reason. Whenever she came close to the tank, Truman would use
its siph on (a funnel on the sid e of an octopus’s head that propels it
through the water) to spray a blast of cold seawater at h er. The
volunteer went away to college but returned months later for a
visit. Truman, who hadn’t squirted anyone in her absence,
immediately s oaked her with a blast from his siphon at first
glance.
Montgomery relates in depth the idiosyncratic behavior of
octopuses in captivity named Athena, Octavia, Kali, and others,making them almost as individual as people. Her argument for
their si milarity to humans is ultimately physical. After all, she
writes, we share the same neurons and neurotransmitters. But
even th ough o ctopuses have unusually complex nervous systems
for an invertebrate, their anatomy doesn’t resemble the human
nervous system. The majority of octopus neurons are lo cated in
their eight arms, not in their  brains. Each arm can indepe ndently
move, touch, and taste (the suckers that line each arm are
locations for the sense of taste) without needing to refe r to the
brain.
Anatomy cannot explain how octopuses recognize people and
remember their faces. Disl iking a bright light at night that
disturbed its sleep, one octopus aimed a jet of water at it and
burned it out through short-circuiting. Dissecting an o ctopus’s
nervous system doesn’t expla in how such a tactic was devised (in
the wild octopuses don’t sq uirt water above the surface of the
seas). It would seem to be an act of creative intelligence.
My contention  is that existence is  con sciousness ; therefore, no
animal ability is astonishing (except in our one-eyed view),
because every life form expresses traits that belong to pure
consciousness. These traits wake up, as it were, emerging into the
physical world according to each creature’s evolutionary story. The
grateful octopus wasn’t being like a human. We could say with
equal ju stice that when we ar e grateful, we are being octopus-like.
Both views are one-eyed.
This bo ok has been making the case for waking up, but being
awake i sn’t the  end—ahead lies cosmic consciousness. I am using
the term  the way others use supreme enlightenment  (known in
Sanskrit as Paramatma ). If  metahuman is the awakened state,
think of it as crossing a threshold. There is a vast new ter ritory to
explore beyond.
C o s m i c  C o n s c i o u s n e s sCosmic consci ousness doesn’t give a little bit of itself to an
amoeba, more  to bees, still more to octopuses, and fin ally the
grand p rize to Homo sapiens. In a hologram, a fragment of a laser
image c an be used to projec t the whole image—with only Mona
Lisa ’s smile, the entire painting can be projected. Hologram
technology can  even simulate a statue or a living person in 3-D
from a laser im age in two dimensions. Cosmic consciousn ess does
this on a huge scale—the entire universe—using merely the
possibility  of a cosmos. Therefore, it’s not quite true that
something is created out of nothing. The physical universe sprang
from a conception in cosmic consciousness that unfolded in
material form. Pure consciousness is not nothing.
This capacity has been inhe rited by human beings. If I  say,
“Imagine the Eiffel Tower” or “See the Statue of Liberty  in your
mind’s eye,” it only takes the name of those monuments for you to
see them in to tality. A name doesn’t have three dimensions; in
fact, it has no dimensions, being just a verbal tag for a concept.
The Statue of Liberty is the concept of freedom transformed into a
work of art. But liberty  can  also prod uce completely different
manifestations, such as r evolutionary wars or an antiwar
movement. Con cepts are constantly shaping and reshaping events,
civilizations, and the human world in general.
You are  living in a world that  consists of ideas blown into three
dimensions. As usual, the great minds got there before us. More
than two thousand years ago  Plato argued that everything in the
world originated in abstract universal ideas, which he called
“forms.” Leap ahead two millennia, and here is Werner
Heisenberg: “I  think that mod ern physics has definitely decided in
favor of  Plato. In fact the sma llest units of matter are not physical
objects in the ordinary sense; they are forms, ideas which can be
expressed unambiguously only in mathematical language.”
If th e elementary building blocks of matter and energy are
conceptual, then the universe itself is bubbling up from a set of
ideas or forms, too. This par ticular set of ideas that became our
home u niverse could have other variations, some of which would


move	yourself	in	the	right	direction	on	the	psychological	pathway	and	improve
your	health	for	the	better,	you	cannot	continue	to	do	the	same	negative	things
and	expect	to	obtain	different	and	positive	results.	Changing	one’s	patterns	of
behavior,	belief,	thinking,	feeling,	perception	and	physical	response	is	the	goal
of	the	psychological	pathway.	Such	changes	take	practice	and	commitment.
The	first	step	is	to	notice	and	identify	the	feelings	associated	with	stress,	then
to	implement	strategies	consciously	to	take	care	of	yourself.	Beyond	mental
techniques—such	as	prayer,	biofeedback,	therapy,	meditation	and	numerous
self-regulation	techniques—physical	activities	also	can	be	helpful,	including
exercise,	breathing	techniques,	yoga,	massage,	saunas	and	hot	baths.
Understanding	how	the	mind	affects	the	function	(or	malfunction)	of	our	cells
enables	us	to	make	the	positive	choices	that	enable	us	to	maintain	or	improve
health.
Keeping	a	healthy	outlook	is	both	one	of	life’s	great	challenges	and	one	of
life’s	great	opportunities.	Having	a	purpose,	a	higher	meaning	to	your	life	than
mere	existence,	is	a	critical	part	of	the	whole	picture	of	health.8
T
HE
	P
HYSICAL
P
ATHWAY
“Many	of	the	things	we	call	biomarkers	of	aging	might
actually	be	biomarkers	of	inactivity.”
William	Evans,	Ph.D.
The	Human	Nutrition	Research	Center	on	Aging
Y
ou’ve	heard	the	advice	before:	If	you	want	to	stay	physically	fit	and	healthy,
get	plenty	of	exercise	and	sleep,	and	stay	away	from	drugs,	tobacco	and	alcohol.
You	may	have	heard	it	so	often,	in	fact,	that	you	no	longer	are	paying	attention.
Also	because	this	advice	is	common—the	kind	of	thing	“your	mother	told
you”—you	may	think	that	you	know	all	that	you	really	need	to	know.
Think	again!	There	is	more	to	the	story.	Without	understanding	how	everyday
choices	affect	your	health	at	the	cellular	level,	you	may	not	recognize	the	risks	to
avoid,	nor	the	benefits	you	can	reap.	For	example,	missing	too	much	sleep	may
create	more	than	dark	circles;	it	may	cause	brain	damage.	Breathing	the	right
way	may	help	you	feel	better	and	live	longer.	Exercising	your	eyes,	in	simple
ways,	may	help	you	to	avoid	needing	eyeglasses,	or	to	discard	eyeglasses	you
already	wear.	Using	hairdryers,	electric	razors,	cellphones	and	other	electrical
appliances	may	increase	your	risk	for	cancer,	as	does	exposure	to	medical	X
rays.	Simple	choices	can	make	the	difference—turn	on	the	dishwasher	only
when	you	plan	to	leave	the	kitchen.
•	Much	of	the	disability	in	our	elderly	population	attributed	to	aging
actually	is	the	result	of	decades	of	inactivity.
•	A	study	reported	in	the	October	1999	issue	of
Lancet
found	that	after	one
week	of	only	a	few	hours	sleep	per	night,	hormone	levels	change	and	the
body	even	has	trouble	metabolizing	carbohydrates.
•	A	study	reported	in	the	February	2001	issue	of
Occupational	Medicine
showed	that	factory	workers,	chronically	exposed	to	loud	noise,	suffered
calcium	and	magnesium	losses.
•	Medical	X	rays	may	be	the	leading	cause	of	cancer.
If	you	do	not	support	your	body’s	needs	for	sleep	and	exercise	and	protect
yourself	from	physical	harm—everything	from	noise	to	microwaves	to	X	rays—
you	cannot	be	healthy.	Also	you	cannot	be	overweight	and	healthy;	you	cannot
be	exhausted	and	well.	Terms	like	“overweight”	and	“exhausted”	are	definitions
of	ill	health	and,	in	the	long-term,	invitations	to	disaster.Think	of	all	the	people	you	know:	those	who	wear	their	age	well	and	those
who	“break	down.”	Think	of	all	the	cars	on	the	streets:	beautifully	maintained
classic	cars	as	well	as	rusty	old	“clunkers.”	If	you	want	long-lasting	health,	you
must	maintain	your	body	properly	and	“drive”	it	with	care.
Maintaining	yourself	on	the	physical	pathway	is	not	only	about	preventive
maintenance	but	also	about	protecting	your	body	from	the	physical	damage	that
results	from	physical	events	(accidents,	sport	injuries),	the	environment	(noise,
sunburn,	electromagnetic	radiation)	and	medical	treatments	(X	rays,	drugs,
surgery).
Given	the	lifestyles	of	many	Americans	who	spend	most	of	their	days	sitting
or	driving,	who	have	hectic	schedules	and	interrupted	sleep	and	whose	days	may
be	bombarded	by	unrecognized	environmental	assaults,	the	time	has	come	to	be
serious	about	preventing	wear	and	tear.
The	Joy	of	Movement
Throughout	human	evolution,	our	biological	ancestors	were	very	active,
engaging	in	hours	of	vigorous	physical	activity	every	day.	They	walked	or	ran
everywhere	they	went,	and	they	needed	to	work	hard,	physically,	to	meet	their
basic	needs.	Because	of	this	evolutionary	history,	human	bodies	require	physical
activity	for	good	health.	Historically,	healthy	populations	such	as	the	Hunzas
and	the	Vilcabambas	met	those	biological	needs	by	default.	They	lived	their
entire	lives	in	mountainous	farming	communities	where	they	had	vigorous
exercise	through	regular	daily	activities.	As	you	recall,	older	Hunza	men—often
well	into	their	hundreds—worked	in	the	fields	and	participated	in	strenuous	folk
dancing.
Exercise	is	like	an	essential	nutrient;	without	it,	your	body
malfunctions.
Unlike	our	hunter-gatherer	ancestors,	most	of	us	now	engage	in	little	physical
activity.	The	Industrial	Revolution	radically	changed	human	existence.	Machines
and	technology	perform	work	formerly	done	by	hand.	No	longer	do	we	hunt	or
farm;	our	work	is	done	sitting	at	a	desk	or	standing	behind	a	counter,	and	we
meet	our	daily	needs	with	a	quick	trip	to	a	store.	Even	our	recreation	is
sedentary:	We	read	books,	play	video	games,	and	watch	movies	and	television
(the	average	American	watches	three	hours	a	day).	We	seldom	walk	or	run;
instead,	we	use	automobiles,	trains,	taxis	and	buses.
Sixty	percent	of	our	adult	population	is	sedentary,	and	one	out	of	four	people
engages	in	absolutely	no	exercise	whatsoever.	Lack	of	activity	contributes	to	our
epidemic	of	physical	problems	such	as	low-back	pain	and	spine	problems,fatigue,	arthritis,	osteoporosis,	obesity	and	a	host	of	chronic	diseases.	Almost
everyone	has	the	nagging	sense	that	they	“should”	exercise,	but	few	understand
why	exercise	is	so	important.
Exercise	is	good	because	(like	anything	else	that	is	“good	for	you”),	it
promotes	the	health	of	cells.
Exercise	prevents	both	of	the	two	causes	of	disease
—deficiency	and	toxicity—	by	promoting	efficient	nutrient	delivery	to	cells	and
stimulating	the	lymphatic	system	(the	body’s	sewage	system),	vital	for	removing
toxins	from	cells.
Exercise	is	great	for	body	and	mind;	it	sl


 transportation of minerals from the soil an exceedingly small proportion
gets back to the tillable land in this country. Orr (2)  states that "Consumption in the United Kingdom
of live stock products mostly derived from grass lands has been estimated at about four hundred
million pounds sterling per annum (nearly two billion dollars)." This includes dairy products,
meats and hides. Never in the history of the world has there been such a large scale depletion of
the soil by transportation away from the tilled and pasturage areas. Sickness in the United States
has been calculated to cost nearly half as much as food, and is increasing.
    An important discovery has been made with regard to the feeding of dairy cattle and other live
stock: the nutritive value of young grass, when in a state of rapid growth, carries not only a very
large quantity of minerals, but also digestible proteins in amounts that are approximately equivalent
to those provided by the concentrated cereal cattle foods, such as linseed cake. It is observed also
that not only do the milk products of such cows remain at a high level while the cows are on the
rapidly growing young grass, particularly a rapidly growing young wheat grass or young rye grass,
but the animals themselves are in better physical condition than when on grain concentrates.
Further, that calves fed on the milk of those cows grow much more rapidly than they do when the
cows are on other fodder and have a much higher resistance to disease. Grass, to provide these
nutritional factors, must be grown on a very rich, well-balanced soil. A young plant, of necessity,
produces a rapid depletion of soil. Minerals and other chemicals are removed and therefore there
is need for adequate replacement.
    In Chapter 18 I have reported investigations made by Professors Meigs and Converse at the
Beltsville Experimental Station, in which they have shown that feeding cattle on a grade of dried
hay that was low in chlorophyll resulted in the development of dead or blind calves, and further
that when the milk of these cows was fed to three normal calves they died in fifty-seven, sixty-two
and seventy-one days respectively. These calves had been fed on whole milk until twenty days of
age. They show that the main deficiency in this ration was vitamin A.
    Since mammals require milk in infancy and since it is the most efficient single food known, I have
made a special study of milk and its products. The role of the vitamins and other activating
substances in foods is quite as important and essential as that of minerals. These activating
substances, in general, can be divided into two groups, those that are water-soluble and those that
are fat-soluble, the former being much more readily obtained in most communities, than the latter.
Since the fat-soluble and also the water-soluble vitamins are essential for mineral utilization and
particularly since the fat-soluble activators are so frequently found to be inadequately supplied in
diet and are usually more difficult to obtain, a special effort has been made to determine the level of
these in dairy products in many different places for different seasons of the year. To accomplish
this, I have obtained each year since 1927 samples of cream and butter, mostly butter, for analysis
for their activator content. The work has rapidly extended so that for the eleventh year we are
receiving now (1939) samples from several hundred places distributed throughout the world,
usually once or twice a month throughout the year. Methods used for these studies are both
biologic and chemical. These data are used in connection with morbidity and mortality statistics for
the same districts.
    The progressive changing of the levels of life is shown by the morbidity and mortality statistics of
the various areas of the United States and Canada. The American Heart Association publishes,
from time to time, very important data relative to the number of deaths from heart disease in the
various states of the Union. It is of interest to note that the highest mortality levels that are obtained
are found in those states, in general, that have been longest occupied by modern civilizations,7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html#toc 231/250namely, the Atlantic States, the New England States, the Great Lakes States and the Pacific
States. Their data published in their booklet ~tHeart Disease Mortality Statistics" and based on the
United States Registration area reveal that the death rate per 100,000 population was 123 in
1900. The data sent me in November 1937 from the United States Census Bureau, Department of
Commerce, in Washington, report the death rate from heart per 100,000 for 1934 as 239.9, in
other words an increase of 86.9 per cent in thirty-four years. Figures provided by the Bureau of
Census for England and Wales show the death rate per 100,000 to be 269.3; and for Scotland,
232. While the average figure for the United States Registration area of 224 deaths per 100,000
seems very high, it is exceedingly important to note that the New England States were much
higher, leading the entire country. Massachusetts reported 307.3; New Hampshire, 323.1;
Vermont, 310.8; New York, 302.1; Maine, 297.5. The rate of increase in the decade of 1921 to
1930 was 51.3 per cent for Delaware; 52 per cent for Connecticut, 51 per cent for Pennsylvania,
59.4 per cent for Missouri, 60.0 per cent for Washington; 55 per cent for Wisconsin; 64 per cent
for Louisiana; 71 per cent for Florida; 63 per cent for South Carolina; 81 per cent for Montana;
61 per cent for Kentucky; and 51.9 per cent for North Carolina. Such rates of increase as these
are cause for alarm.
    Sir Arnold Theiler, who spent a quarter of a decade studying the problems of nutritional
deficiency diseases among pasture animals in South Africa, has discussed at length the reduction of
phosphorus in available quantities for plant development as constituting, by far, the most important
mineral deficiency. He reported data obtained from many countries through the world, indicating
that the deterioration of cattle and sheep can be directly traced to an inadequate amount of
phosphorus in the soil. He states, in discussing the relation of this problem to the conditions as they
obtain in Australia, that: (3)
   Amongst the Australian data the figures showing depletion of phosphorus as a result of sale
of products off the farm without adequate replacement by manuring, are interesting. Thus
Richardson estimates that it would take two million tons of superphosphate to replace the
phosphorus removed in the form of milk, mutton and wool. In the "ranching stage" of the
development of a country the fact is often forgotten that the balance of Nature is frequently
disturbed to the detriment of generations to come.
    It is important to keep in mind that morbidity and mortality data for many diseases follow a
relatively regular course from year to year, with large increases in the late winter and spring and a
marked decrease in summer and early autumn. The rise and fall of the level of morbidity with the
changing season produces curves that are exceedingly regular for the same place from year to
year. The distribution, however, is distinctly different for different latitudes and altitudes. It is further
of special importance to note that the curves for the Southern Hemisphere, with its opposite
seasons, are in reverse of those of the Northern Hemisphere, and have very similar levels for the
same seasonal periods. I have obtained the figures for the levels of morbidity for several diseases
in several countries, including the United States and Canada. I find that the distribution of the rise
and fall in morbidity and mortality does not follow the sunshine curve but does follow the curve of
vegetable growth. Accordingly, I have made studies by dividing the United States and Canada into
sixteen districts, four from East to West and four from North to South. I have plotted by months
the levels of mortality for heart disease and pneumonia in these various districts, from figures
obtained from the governments of these two countries. Similarly, I have plotted curves for the
vitamin content found in butter and cream samples obtained from these sixteen districts. When
these are arranged in accordance with the levels by months they are found, in each case, to be
opposite to the mortality from heart disease and pneumonia. It is also important to note that while
these curves show a higher midsummer level of vitamins in dairy products in the northern tier of
districts, the period of high level is shorter than in the more southern division. Two peaks tend to
appear in the summer cycle of curves for the vitamins, one representing the spring period of active
growth and the other, the fall period. These peaks are closer together in the north than in the south.
    A particularly important phase of this study is the finding of a lower level of vitamins throughout
the year in those districts which correspond with the areas of the United States and Canada that
have been longest settled, and consequently most depleted by agriculture. A similar study has been
made based on the data published in a report by Tisdall, Brown and Kelley, (4) of Toronto. Their7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html#toc 232/250figures for children's diseases which included chicken pox, measles, nephritis, scarlet fever,
hemorrhage of newborn, tetany and retropharyngeal


 those of the people around you, have a
harmful ef fect on digestion.
Be grateful for nature’ s unending gift of food, and respect it as you do
yourself.
OceanofPDF.comCHAPTER 13
EXERCISE—THE MYTH OF “NO P AIN, NO GAIN”
From an Ayurvedic standpoint, much of the exercise recommended today
falls short of ideal. Why do we need physical activity in the first place?
Charaka, the greatest writer on Ayurveda, gave this answer: “From physical
exercise one gets lightness, a capacity for work, firmness, tolerance of
difficulties, elimination of impurities, and stimulation of digestion.”
Aerobics for your heart or weight training for your muscles achieve some of
these goals, but these are not comprehensive enough activities to fit
Charaka’ s description. The ideal is to balance the whole system, mind and
body. It is also vital that exercise give more energy than it takes, a
consideration that people tend to ignore.
One very simple exercise, walking, comes close to being ideal because it
is a natural activity that satisfies  all three doshas. Vata types find that taking
a long walk tranquilizes them. Pitta types react quite differently. They like
being slowed down from the driving pace that so often overtakes them
during their workday. Kaphas feel stimulated and lighter; a brisk walk
clears out any minor congestion  they might have built up and makes their
typically slow digestion more efficient. For these reasons, a brisk half-hour
walk every day is one of the prime recommendations we make to patients at
the Chopra Center.
Patients are also taught a new approach to exercise in which the aim is
not to strain or to pound their muscles into shape. They are shown that
exercise is meant to forge a closer link between themselves and their
quantum mecha nical bodies—it thus becomes a powerful tool for balance.
We call this approach “three-d osha exercise.” It is embodied in a set of
short, connected routines:The Sun Salute ( Surya Namaskara )—a morning exercise that
combines stretching, balance, and calisthenics (1 to 6 minutes)
Neuromuscular integration—a set of gentle yoga positions (10 to 15
minutes)
Balanced breathing—a simple form of Pranayama, a traditional yogic
breath exercise (5 minutes)
The description of these exercises begins on page 325. Performing them
in connection with meditation, for which they are ideally suited,  raises mind
body integration to a new level. To begin with, these exercises are natural
and comfortable forms of activity that the doshas welcome. They can also
be performed by all age groups and do not require you to be in shape.
From the very first session, people discover the intimacy that nature has
established between awareness and physiology. The body is not just a shell
or a walking life-support system. It is your self intimately clothed in matter.
Getting back in touch with this intimacy is very reassuring and delightful,
particularly for people who have given up on exercise and become virtual
strangers to their bodies.
SUCCESS WITHOUT  PAIN
Before explaini ng these points further, let’s consider conventional
exercise. Since life is generally meant to be comfortable and happy,
Ayurveda views exercise as a means to that end. It holds that exercise
should always leave you ready for work. Exercise shouldn’ t be work itself.
Yet, many Americans see it that way. They feel that without a grim and
determined attitude, they are not doing much good for themse lves. (Go to
the park early tomorrow mornin g and count how many frowns there are on
the faces of the runners you see.) If you get only one benefit from
Ayurveda’ s approach to exercise, it should be that “no pain, no gain” is a
myth.A good way to see this is in terms of Vata dosha. All physica l activity
increases Vata. A moderate increase makes you feel more vigorous, alert,
and clearheaded, as well as stronger physically. You are getting  mental and
physical benefits together, in a natural balance. But overstimulating Vata
destroys all these benefits. It makes you feel restless, fatigued, and shaky.
How much is enough, then? As a general rule, Ayurveda wants us to
exercise to 50 percent of maximum capacity. If you can bicycle ten miles,
go for five; if you can swim twenty laps, make it ten. These lower limits are
not detrimental to fitness; in fact they make exercise more efficient, because
you are not givin g your body so much repair work to do afterwa rd, and your
cardiovascular system will have an easier time returning to normal after
your workout. Another simple guideline has to do with exertion. Rather
than exerting yourself to the point where you are sweating heavily and
panting for breath, just go until you break out into a light sweat and start to
mouth breathe. Those are natural signals that you are at the right limit.
You are going too far if you begin to pant or sweat profusely, if you feel
your heart pounding violently, or if your knees feel rubbery. At the first sign
of overe xertion, stop exercising, give yourself a few minutes of walking
around to let the system cool down by stages, and then rest for another few
minutes until your pulse and breathing are back to normal. In the heat of
competitive sports such as tenni s and racquetball, you may not notice how
strenuously you are exerting yourself. If it is fun to play, then keep on. But
if you are pushi ng yourself to win the game or to prove that you can keep
up with someone else, your attitude is needlessly punishing your body.
Vata types especially should be careful not to overdo; their constitutions
generally have lower exercise thresholds than Pittas, and Pittas lower than
Kaphas. Exertio n also needs to be adjusted for age: over the age of 45 or 50,
everyone begins  to have increased Vata, which should be comp ensated for
by not exercising as hard as before. As in everything else, you need to
respect your doshas. Going the extra mile at any age is just another way of
inviting serious Vata problems. (Recent studies in sports medicine indicate
that 50 percent of serious women athletes have significant menstrual
disturbances, a symptom of highly aggravated Vata.)BODY -TYPE EXERCISE
Every time you move your body, you are talking to your doshas. Because
each dosha has its own emphasis, there are three kinds of benefits that all
balanced exercise brings:
Vata: poise, agility, limberness, coor dination, and inner exhilaration
Pitta: warming up the body, circulation of blood to all parts, increased
heart capacity
Kapha: increased strength and stability, steady ener gy
If you never get out of your armchair to exercise, obviously you will not
experience these benefits. But many active people with firm muscles and
sound hearts do not experience them either. Most exercise programs today
are dedicated to increasing the capacity of the cardiovascular system, which
puts a heavy emphasis on Pitta dosha. I would like to list balanced activities
that are broader in scope and more suited to the major body types.
VATA-TYPE EXERCISE
Vata types have bursts of energy but tire quickly. They excel at balancing
and stretching exercises. Being light and lithe, they like yoga and walking,
as long as these do not beco me too tiring. Because of their natural
enthusiasm, Vata types also feel good doing bouncy dance aerobics to
music. Any exercise that takes place indoors is good in winter, since Vatapeople are averse to the cold and do not have enough fat and muscle to
protect them from the elements.
Everyone dominated by Vata must always be careful not to get carried
away and push themselves too far. This is the primary caution for them,
since Vata dosha typically starts  with a bang but does not know its limits,
particularly when out of balance. Half an hour of mild exercise a day is
enough. If you are exhausted, trembling, dizzy, or on the verge of cramping,
you have gone much too far. These are all signs of Vata imbalance.
PITT A-TYPE EXERCISE
Pitta types tend to have more drive than endurance. They are good at all
exercise in moderation. Because they like a challenge above all, Pittas enjoy
skiing, hiking, mountain climbing, and other sports that bring a sense of
accomplishment at the end of the day.
Athletes in competitive sports must have a good deal of Pitta to give
them a fighting  spirit, but this is not the dosha for intense competition.
Pittas hate to lose; this motivates them more than the satisfaction of
winning. (Sports  studies have shown this among professional tennis players,
some of whom are notorious for Pitta-type anger.) Pittas will grimly make
themselves run, jog, or weight train but gain very little inner contentment
from their ef forts.
Probably you already know whether you are falling into this trap. If you
stew over every bad shot on the golf course or want to drill your tennis
opponent with the ball, give up these sports. If you chew yourself or anyone
else out in any sport, walk away from it. Anyone who needs to


tract
1½	tablespoons	arrowroot	starch
In	a	bowl,	mix	together	all	the	ingredients	until	well	combined	into	a	thick,	paste-like	consistency.
Store	in	the	refrigerator	for	20	to	30	minutes	to	let	the	coconut	oil	resolidify	if	it	liquefied	during	the
mixing	process.	Place	the	mixture	into	a	small	glass	or	BPA-free	container.	Dip	your	fingers	into	the
mixture	and	apply	it	directly	to	your	underarms.	To	keep	your	deodorant	solid,	be	sure	to	store	it	in	a
cool	place,	but	even	if	it	liquefies	a	bit,	it	will	still	work	just	as	well!SHIFT	7:
Practices	to	Nourish	Your	Skin	from
the	Outside	In
In
Pillar	1
,	you	learned	to	boost	your	beauty	from	the	inside	out	by	eating
foods	with	unique	properties	that	help	boost
circulation	and	support	your
body’s	natural	processes.	Many	people	don’t	realize	that	in	addition	to	using
the	right	skin-care	products,	there	are	also	many	things	you	can	do	to	improve
the	body’s	functions	from	the	outside	in.
Supporting	Your	Lymphatic	Circulation	for
Enhanced	Detoxification	and	Slowed	Aging
Most	people	don’t	think	about	it	that	much,	but	we	have	a	second	circulatory
system	devoted	to	healing	and	immunity	known	as	the
lymphatic	system.
Composed	of	your	spleen,	thymus,	lymph,	lymph	nodes,	and	lymph	channels
as	well	as	your	tonsils	and	adenoids,	your	lymphatic	system	works	directly	with
your	cardiovascular	circulatory	system	to	keep	blood	and	lymphatic	fluid	levels
in	balance	and	flush	toxins	out	of	the	body.	Fluid	squeezed	from	the	blood,
called	interstitial	fluid	or	“lymph,”	transports	waste	to	your	lymph	nodes
through	a	series	of	vessels	similar	to	veins.	There,	the	fluid	is	neutralized,
filtered,	and	eventually	returned	to	the	bloodstream.	These	vessels	also	carry
immune	cells	throughout	the	body	to	help	defend	against	infections.
Called
rasa
	in
Ayurveda,	your	lymph	is	part	of	the	plasma	that	is	considered
part	of	the	primary
dhatu
,	or	structure	of	the	body.
Healthy
rasa
	is	key	in	order
to	give	rise	to	the	next
dhatu
,	healthy
rakta
,	or	blood,	and	consequently	the
other
dhatus
	in	the	body.
Rasa
	is	said	to	govern	your	emotional	and	hunger
responses,	which	is	another	good	reason	to	keep	it	flowing.
Unlike	the	cardiovascular	system,	the	heart	does	not	pump	the	lymphatic
system,	which	is	basically	self-circulating.	Gravity,	muscle	contractions,	and
certain	forms	of	movement	and	manipulation	stimulate	this	system.	If	yourlymphatic	circulation	gets	sluggish,	toxins	build	up,	which	is	the	precursor	to
accelerated	aging.
1
	Aches	and	pains	can	also	appear,	and	your	immunity	is
lowered.	This	can	adversely	affect	your	thymus	gland,	tonsils,	and	spleen,	which
in	turn	can	weaken	your	body	against	sickness	and	diseases.
Traditional	Chinese
Medicine	believes	that	your	spleen	plays	a	central	part	in	your	vitality	and
strength.
Because	the	two	systems	work	together,	incorporating	the	foods
recommended	in
Pillar	1
	for	your	cardiovascular	system	will	also	be	beneficial
for	your	lymphatic	system.	However,	since	your	almighty	heart	does	not	pump
the	lymphatic	system,	there	are	specific	methods	to	support	this	system	that	are
applied	to	the	outside	of	the	body.	Here	are	some	great	methods	you	can
incorporate	to	support	your	lymph	system	and	nourish	glowing,	healthy	skin
from	the	outside	in.
GET	A	MASSAGE
Massages	are	incredibly	beneficial	for	detoxification.	Stimulating	the	blood	and
lymph	vessels	helps	move	the	fluids	and	enhance	circulation.	Professional
massages	are	wonderful,	as	well	as	a	regular	practice	of	self-massage.
PRACTICE	ABHYANGA
This	ancient	form	of	self-massage	is	a	powerful	anti-aging	practice	that	can
easily	be	incorporated	into	your	daily	routine.
Abhyanga
	will	make	you	feel
rejuvenated,	soften	your	skin,	and	contribute	to	a	better	overall	skin	tone	while
also	fostering	muscle	tone.	There	is	a	belief	in	Ayurveda	that	working	manually
on	the	surface	of	the	skin	helps	support	the	structure	and	health	of	your
muscles,	as	there	is	a	connection	between	your	skin	and	muscle	health.	Some	of
abhyanga’
s	deeper,	detoxifying	properties	are	meant	to	be	cumulative	and	long-
term,	so	you	may	not	witness	immediate	benefits,	but	you	will	likely	feel
invigorated	by	the	movement	while	you	trust	that	deeper	support	for
detoxification	is	taking	place	beneath	the	surface!	As	you	know,	the	importance
of	improving	circulation	and	detoxification	(which	is	part	of	what
abhyanga
	is
all	about)	cannot	be	overestimated	for	its	long-term	role	in	maintaining	your
health	and	beauty.
Abhyanga
	has	been	part	of
Ayurveda	for	thousands	of	years	and	is	perhaps
the	foremost	anti-aging	practice	you	can	incorporate	into	your	daily	life.	That	is
a	pretty	strong	statement,	but
abhyanga
	can	help	balance	your	entire	mind	and
body,	relieve	fatigue,	provide	stamina,	enhance	sleep,	promote	a	better
complexion,	improve	the	luster	of	your	skin,	increase	longevity,	and	foster	all-
around	body	nourishment.	You	may	be	skeptical	that	a	simple	self-massagepractice	can	really	reap	all	those	benefits,	but	as	you	progress	in	your
understanding	of	the	circulation	and	lymphatic	system,	you’ll	surely	realize
these	benefits	and	appreciate	how	anti-aging
abhyanga
	truly	is.
First,	it’s	important	to	learn	more	about	your	skin.	Besides	being	a	major
elimination	organ,	your	skin	is	the	largest	organ	of	sensory	perception.	Your
skin	takes	in	a	great	deal	of	information	from	the	outside	world	and	is
connected	to	every	part	of	the	body	by	thousands	of	nerves	throughout	your
entire	nervous	system.	As	such,	Ayurveda	believes	that	touching	the	outside	of
your	skin	has	a	big	impact	on	your	nervous	system,	while	your	nervous	system
further	impacts	your	endocrine	system	and	immunity.	An	imbalanced	nervous
system	can	manifest	in	excessive	worry,	decreased	energy,	imbalanced	digestion,
and	can	eventually	contribute	to	deeper	and	more	plentiful	wrinkles,	as	you
generally	age	at	a	much	faster	rate	when	your	nervous	system	is	imbalanced.
Stress	and	toxins	constantly	accumulate	in	the	mind	and	body,	but
thankfully
abhyanga
	can	help	dissolve	them	on	a	daily	basis.	By	manually
working	with	skin,	Ayurveda	claims	you	can	help	bring	yourself	back	to	the
present	moment	and	reduce	excessive
Vata
	energy,	or	an	overabundance	of	the
air	element	that	can	make	you	feel	flighty,	anxious,	and	ungrounded.	In	other
words,	the	sense	of	touch	can	help	settle	your


 wrought by
prayer than this world dreams of." And fasting, physical in application, conduces to the highest degree of mental clarity. Th e body,
purified of its dross, approaches more nearly the spiritual vehicle it is intended to be. Successfully conducted to the point of the
return of hunger, the body and its brain are enhanced in substance and in function. In this condition difficulties are solved,
decision s are made, and conclusions are reached with marvelous clearness and despatch.

    The Gospel relates that Jesus was led up into the wilderness for the purpose of being tempted --a test through which mere man
passes daily, and ofttimes daily fails to meet. But Jesus, before temptation assailed, fasted for the approximate time needful for
physiological purification of the adult body, and the fast concluded, we are specifically told, with its physiologically corr ect
symptom, the return of hunger. We do not e rr, we think, in attributing to the Christ in the flesh the experiences of the flesh. Why
Page 61 of  72 else should he have been subjected to temptation? And physically there must have been need for regeneration, for the incident
occurred just before the beginning of hi s active ministry, when all of his power of endurance was to be called forth, and mental
acuity more than normal was to be commanded at every future moment of his physical life. And in addition the divine plan
embodied further proof of its all -embracing wi sdom in that it held up to the world divinity clothed in a material body, endowed
with physical attributes, and subjected to the test of physical desire --a test that could perfectly be withstood only by a mind
functioning in a body physiologically pure.

    The Christ invariably worked through the material, the physical, to the mental and spiritual. And perfect spirituality in man
requires its vehicle, the material body, to be physically excellent. Purity of body, purity of mind, purity of heart --these al one may
commune with the divine.

CHAPTER XX
DEATH IN THE FAST
A THEORY OF DEATH:
ELEVEN CASES OF DEATH IN THE FAST:
SUMMARY OF POST MORTEM FINDINGS

    NO FULLY satisfactory definition in explanation of what is called death in the physical body has  ever been given. In
conformity with the theory of life, upon which the belief of the author is based, a definition of physical death is offered t hat,
following the tenets of that belief, covers completely for her the phenomenon of the dissolution of the a nimal body. The theory
referred to considers energy, vitality, or life force, as an entity that emanates from a source without the animal organism, and that
animates the latter when, with the body as a laboratory, the chemical transformations necessary to life are effected. This means that
the expression of energy as exhibited in sentient living organisms is achieved with those organisms functioning merely as mea ns of
transmission, as vehicles. While the explanation may be a bit labored, its purport should be clear, and the definition of physical
death here offered is this: --when, for one reason or another, the mysterious force which permeates every sentient living body,
giving to it motion, sensation, and thought, is prevented entrance to or passage through  the organism, what is called death occurs.
This definition is not strikingly original, nor is it completely satisfying, but, after all, the sciences have not as yet bee n able to
analyze life nor the sources of life; and the phenomenon of its cessation, or  what is called death, is just as much a mystery.

    A digression may here be pardoned. Just what is to be after death, apart from what faith may predicate, we do not know. And
men should fear only what they know. They should not, like children, be afra id to go to bed in the dark, afraid of things that they
imagine. In all that we really know there is nothing about death to frighten us. We know that our bodies go back to the earth. We
know that birth and death come alike to all of us. We can remember not hing that occurred before we were born, yet this thought is
not fearsome. We know that this universe, in which the earth is but a grain of sand, is managed with marvelous wisdom and
justice. We know in consequence that we have no reason to fear injustice, or terror, or torture.

    Death in the physical body is to be regarded as having taken place when there is complete stoppage of the functions of the br ain
and of the organs of respiration and circulation, with sequent cessation of the processes dependen t upon these functions. To
amplify, death occurs whenever, through disease or shock, the brain, the storage battery of physical and mental life, becomes
unable to perform its task of transmitting energy --life force to its points of action or expression, th e vital organs of the body. Vital
organs cease functioning when there is obstruction or demolition of some portion of the main lines of transmission followed b y life
force in its passage from the brain. That this may happen by reason of long continued deni al of food to the organism is
undoubtedly true, but death from the exhaustion of inanition caused by absence of food is most rare in occurrence. On the oth er
hand, in bodies that are continuously supplied with sustenance, exhaustion from lack of nourishmen t because of disorder of the
nutritive functions proves a most usual agent of dissolution. And this is true since this sort of exhaustion, while having it s source in
the functional disability of the organs of nutrition, eventually succeeds in inhibiting th e cells of the brain from acquiring and hence
assimilating those substances necessary for their conservation.

    In average conditions death results from disease that is functional in character, not organic. In the experience of the autho r,
death during  a fast never has occurred when merely functional disorder was present, nor did it ever result for the sole reason that
food was withheld. In every instance listed in this chapter, in every instance of death that has happened during the long yea rs of
pract ice upon which this text is based, the cause of dissolution was conclusively shown by post mortem examination to have been
the inevitable consequence of obstruction through structural defect of some portion of the avenues through which life force i s
expres sed. And it is questionable whether, in a conscious being not afflicted with morbid impairment of tissue, or not so situated
that food could not be supplied when hunger made its demand, death has resulted from starvation, or, in other words, from the
exhau stion of brain sustenance. No evidence that is conclusive shows that this has ever happened.

    In disease that is functional in origin and character the fast may be carried to its logical end without a particle of anxiet y, for the
law of hunger marks t he limit beyond which abstinence may not continue lest starvation ensue. Hence, death from starvation is
impossible during a fast when functional disease is in question. In the presence of structural organic deficiency the result is not
assured. When, howe ver, impairment of tissue is slight in degree, recovery is possible; but, when the fault is such that structural
Page 62 of  72 restoration of the organ or organs affected is beyond the power of natural law, no hope of cure exists, although, because fun ctional
labor is l essened through abstinence, and distress is with certainty relieved, life may be prolonged. It is always to be remembered
that in all disease, whatever its form, the fast is nature's sole curative agency, and is then as much a function as is feedi ng in hea lth.

    The autopsies held upon the bodies of the subjects of whom the causes of death are here described disclosed in every instance
disease that was organic in character. In most of these cases arrested development of one or more of the functioning pa rts of the
body was discovered, and in all of them malformation of the intestines was displayed that must be attributed to long continue d
irritation with inflammation. These cases are those of persons who had resorted to orthodox methods for the relief of their
suffering until orthodoxy proved without avail, and who only then bethought themselves of natural law.

    In view of the defects exhibited, it is certain that malnutrition occurring in the developing period of life, coupled perhaps  with
the banefu l effects of drugs administered in the attempt to remedy disease, was responsible for fatal issue. Nature had endowed
each of these subjects at birth with presumably normal vitality; each of them had suffered early in life from severe forms of
functional d isorder; and each, with one exception, had virtually exhausted the list of medicines designated as remedies for the
symptoms displayed.

    While it is not at all a just concept to attempt to place entire responsibility for the conditions shown upon drug  dosage, it is to be
recognized that, broadly speaking, there is no drug that is in effect not a poison. It is also to be recognized that, while h arm ensues
when drugs are used for the suppression of disease in mature years, the consequences of administeri ng medical remedies in infancy
and in adolescence are much more detrimental.

    The instances of death now to be cited occurred while a fast was in progress, or while the patient was undergoing a period of
dieting. Each casts light upon the ease of diagnosis consequent upon abstinence from food as a therapeutic measure; while the


 at Union Correctional
Institution (UCI), a maximum-security prison about
forty miles north of Gainesville. Bob had promised to
visit thi s inmate once in a while but now had to go out of
town. He asked me if I would visit Jerry while he was
gone. This was a very strang e request for me. I had no
prior e xperience in this area, and I was still very
protective of my attempts to live a solitary life. As the
voice of my th oughts said No,  the voice of m y lips said
“Yes.” I had n o idea what it would be like to go into amaximum-security prison to meet a total stranger, but I
was about to find out.
I drove up to the prison one Saturday morning and
met Jerry, a young black man, in the designated visiting
area. We spent a few hours together discussing topics
similar to what I had been teaching in my classes. He
seemed genuinely interested, and he was a very
intelligent young man. He had been doing meditation for
some time, so we spent a while meditating together.
Jerry expressed his appreciation for the visit and asked
me to come b ack. I had no ticed that other than Bob
Tilchin and me, no one else was on Jerry’s approved
visitors list. Our meditation t ogether had been amazingly
deep, and I fe lt overwhelmed by peace when I left the
prison. Someh ow, being in that setting had touched
something very deep within me. Before I was even out of
the gate, I was looking forward to coming back.
When I returned to see Jerry for the second time, he
had a surprise  for me. He had so enjoyed our visit and
our med itation together that he had created a list of five
or s ix other inmates who w anted to meet for group
meditation. I contacted the authorities and found out
that suc h a group meeting w ould only be possible as a
religious servi ce. Jerry considered himself a Buddhist,
and I had done Zen Buddhi st meditation, so I started
what wa s probably the first Buddhist group in the history
of a  North Flo rida prison. We met in the chapel every
other Saturday morning, and the whole scene was quite
surreal for someone with my background. When I
arrived at the prison, I would  pass through the main gate
that was surrounded by do uble coils of razor wire. I
would then pass through two more gates before I was
searched and patted down. Shortly thereafter, a call
would come across the loud speakers in the various cell
blocks, “BUDDHIST.” From a very quiet place deep
inside m yself, I watched that voice in my head say, How
in the world did I get here?The gro up gre w over the ye ars, and when Jerry was
transferred to Florida State Prison, I also did a group
there. I t may have been acts of surrender that originally
put me into those prison groups, but once I wa s th ere it
was my  heart and soul. Wh enever I would go into the
prisons, I would feel a powerful increase in the spiritual
energy flow within me. And my meditations were much
deeper when I sat with the i nmates than when I sat for
hours a t home  by myself. I didn’t understand what was
happening, bu t I looked forward to every visit as an
experience of spiritual upliftment.
I ra n the group s pretty much like the classes at Santa
Fe. I did not plan any sessions; I just let the energy give
the talks. The men were able to relate immediately to the
notion of the talkative voice in their head. They were very
receptive to learning how to  quiet that voice and deal
with the inner patterns of an ger, fear, and strong drives.
The inmates’ deep-seated sincerity about their spiritual
growth made those prison groups one of the most
rewarding experiences of my life. A single request from
my neighbor Bob Tilchin, to which I had initial
resistance, grew into more than thirty years of working
with the incarcerated. The men in my group became a
part of my exte nded family, and they continue to live in a
place deep in my heart.
It was the summer of 1973, a nd in the most unlikely of
places, my heart center was le arning to open. I was being
taught how to serve. This is n ot something I would have
come u p with on my own. My whole being thought my
path to self-realization was about meditation.
Fortunately, life knew better, and she was starting to
guide me away from myself through service to others.S e c t i o n  I I I
From Solitude to Service2 1.
T h e  C a l l  o f  a  L i v i n g  M a s t e r
S ummers are brutal in Florid a, even in the woods. My
house had no air-conditionin g, and with a solid wall of
glass fa cing west, it did not exactly have passive solar
design. I still had a few months left before my classes at
Santa Fe started again in mid-September, so I took a
drive back out to northern C alifornia for a visit. Before
returning home, I got wind that Shelly, my ex-wife, was
living at some sort of yoga c enter in the San Francisco
area. I managed to get the number and gave her a call. I
had not seen her for a few years, and it fascinated me
that I had got ten so deeply into yoga and evidently so
had she.
I dr ove down to Piedmont an d found where Shelly was
staying. It was great to see h er again, and my heart felt
very open. She began to show me around the beautiful
house that served as a meditation center for a small
number of residents. We went upstairs to see the
meditation ro om, and once again, life caught me
completely by surprise. Scatt ered around the room were
photographs o f a yoga mast er they called Baba. I had
never heard of him, but there was no reason I would
have. I  had been living in the woods of north-central
Florida for a fe w years by the n, and he lived in India. The
pictures of that holy man were mesmerizing. I could not
take my eyes off them. The energy flow inside of me
welled up to the point betw een my eyebrows, and a
tremendous peace came over  my whole being. I asked if I
could m editate there for a wh ile. Shelly nodded and went
about her business.I meditated in that room for hours with shimmering
energy coursing throughout my body. The whole room
seemed to be f illed with energy. Something was going on
that I didn’t understand. I only knew that I was being
drawn i nto deep meditation without my normal struggle.
I stayed  in the room for a very long time, and when I
finally came out, it was time t o bid Shelly good-bye. That
was certainly not the visit I had imagined. What had
started out as a very personal trip, life had managed to
turn into a powerful spiritual experience. If that had
been all that transpired from the visit, it would have been
fantastic. But it was only just the beginning.
I returned home in early September to find someone I
didn’t know staying at Sandy’s house. Evidently, Sandy
had gone on a  trip and allowed a friend, Rama Malone,
to s tay at her place. Ram a was very outgoing and
vivacious. She was filled with excitement and
immediately drew me into her world. The first time I
went up to me et her, she in vited me into the cabin to
show m e wha t she had d one with the place. Very
enthusiastically, she beckoned me up to the loft. I
climbed the rough-sawn la dder, and when my head
cleared the opening, what I sa w almost knocked me back
downstairs. The entire lof t area was covered with
pictures of the same yoga master I had just encountered
at Shelly’s place.
Now, I believe in coincidence s, but this was twice in a
row on  opposite sides of the continent. In 1973, there
simply were not that many p eople in America who knew
of th is h oly ma n in India. It felt like he was following me.
Rama immediately started telling me that Baba
Muktananda was planning to come to America next year
in the spring, and I should i nvite him to Gainesville. At
first I thought we were having a fanciful conversation,
until I realized  she was dead serious. I took a deep breath
and tried to reason with her.  I reminded her that I lived
alone in  the woods, and I’d g one out of my way for yearsto not attract people. How c ould I be in a position to
write to India and invite a hi ghly respected yoga master
to a small town in north-central Florida? There was no
reasoning with her. She insisted that I write a letter to
India, on Santa Fe Commun ity College letterhead, and
invite Baba