 response
to chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
The WBC count ranges from 4.1 to 10.9 x 1011. An elevated count signals infection such as an
abscess, meningitis, appendicitis, or tonsillitis, and it may indicate leukemia, tissue necrosis from
burns, myocardial infarction, or gangrene. A low count shows bone marrow depression from viral
infections or from toxic reactions such as those following treatment with antineoplastics, mercury
or other heavy metal toxicity, benzene or arsenic exposure, and invasion by the organisms of
influenza, typhoid fever, measles, infectious hepatitis, mononucleosis, and rubella.
The White Blood Cell Differential
Being a relative number of each type of white blood cell, the white blood cell differential
test is determined by multiplying the percentage value of each WBC type to give an absolute
number of each kind of the 100 or more WBCs. There are granulocytes, agranulocytes, juvenile
neutrophils, segmented neutrophils, basophils, eosinophils, large lymphocytes, small lymphocytes,
phagocytes, histiocytes, and so on.
The WBC differential evaluates the body’s capacity to resist and overcome infection, various
types of leukemia, the stage and severity of infection, allergic reactions, severity of allergic
reactions, and parasitic infections. There is a long list of reference values in the WBC differential
test, divided into adult and child. For example some of them are:
For Adults—   Relative  Value (%)   Absolute Value (mcL)
Neutrophils   47.6-76.8    1950-8,400
Lymphocytes   16.2-43      660-4,600
Monocytes      0.6-9.6        24-960
Eosinophils     0.3-7        12-760
Basophils        0.3-2        12-200
To make an accurate diagnosis, the test examiner must consider both relative and absolute
values of the differential counts. For the vast number of variables and illnesses which are diagnosed
by them, please see Appendix I of the Gerson Therapy Handbook: Companion Workbook to A
Cancer Therapy: Results of Fifty Cases: Practical Guidance, Resources and Recipes for Gerson
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 194Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comTherapy Patients. To acquire a copy of this handbook/workbook, contact the Gerson Institute, in
Bonita, California.
The Routine Urinalysis
Elements of routine urinalysis include the measurement evaluations of physical
characteristics, specific gravity and pH, protein, glucose, and ketone bodies, plus examination of
urine sediment, casts, and blood cell crystals. The analysis of urine is an exceedingly important
test that tells a lot about the internal workings of a person. Routine urine test results have a great
number of implications for how the physiology is functioning or how it is responding to the diet,
nonpathologic conditions, specimen collection time, and other factors.
For the vast number of variables and illnesses which are evaluated by urinalysis, please see
Appendix I of the Gerson Therapy Handbook: Companion Workbook to  A Cancer Therapy:
Results of Fifty Cases: Practical Guidance, Resources and Recipes for Gerson™ Therapy
Patients.
To acquire a copy of this handbook/workbook, contact the Gerson Institute in San Diego,
California.
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 195Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comCHAPTER 27
CASE HISTORIES OF
RECOVERED PATIENTS
The following well-documented stories of recovered Gerson patients are just a very small
sample of the considerable collection of such records in our archive. All of them refer to
patients thoroughly diagnosed by biopsy, done mostly in U.S.hospitals; almost all of them were
in a so-called terminal condition with widespread cancers that have never been cured by orthodox
means.  We chose them in an attempt to include as many kinds of malignant disease as possible,
since we know from long experience that individuals thinking of pursuing the Gerson Therapy
always want to know first whether anyone suffering from “their” cancer has ever recovered. This
selection aims to answer their questions.
The Gerson protocol is often attacked on the grounds that it has never been subjected to a so-
called proper test, i.e., a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. This kind of
test, however, has taken over fairly recently from another, centuries-old way of judging medical
treatments, which was based on clinical results. In other words, as Dr. Gerson often stated, “It’s
the result at the sickbed that counts,” a self-evident view that would be hard to dispute.
The currently favored randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial, however,
is not concerned with individual patients. It requires a large group of individuals and is called
double-blind, because neither the doctor nor the patients know who is receiving the new drug
under testing and who is not; this is meant to exclude psychological or other external influences
that might interfere with the working of the drug.
Clearly, this method is suitable for testing a single drug—but useless for any therapy that
involves a total change of lifestyle, such as the Gerson treatment. Just consider for a moment
the impossibility of administering coffee enemas or serving fresh juices 13 times a day without
patients realizing that something radical is going on. Besides, the mainstays of conventional
oncology, namely radiation treatment and chemotherapy, have never been subjected to randomized
double-blind clinical trials. Only various kinds of chemotherapy have been tested against each
other ; never chemo- vs. non-chemo treatment. Yet all the time many books and academic studies
have been published by physicians and other scientists, attesting to the failure of chemotherapy.
One of the latest books is The War on Cancer: an Anatomy of Failure, by Guy B. Faguet, M.D.
2005. (Springer, ISBN-10, 194020-3618-3.)
In view of this, critics of the Gerson Therapy should perhaps demand the application of
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 196Healing the Gerson Way—Defeating Cancer and Other Chronic Diseases
www.thegersonway.comrandomized double-blind clinical trials to chemotherapy before attacking a method they are
totally unfamiliar with..
Now read on...
Highly aggressive Lymphoma
Born in 1943, S.M.  was 47 years old in 1990 when she developed several swollen lymph
nodes, and, after having them biopsied, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Two
years later, in the summer of 1992, she arrived at the Gerson hospital with extensive edema ( fluid
accumulation ) in her legs, hips and buttocks, and also around a large, melon-sized tumor in her
abdomen. She embarked on the Gerson Therapy as the only treatment for her condition and was
not “tapped” to remove the fluid from her body. In the first five days on the full Gerson program,
with many trips to the bathroom, S.M. lost 28 pounds.
In February of 1993, when the patient was re-examined by her doctor in Wenatchee, WA,
the MD’s report read: “Her lymphedema seems to be resolved (medical term for cleared up).
Her lymph nodes are no longer palpable ( cannot be felt)  and the patient is feeling well. However,
she has severe carotenemia ( harmless  carrot-colored discoloration of the skin, common in many
Gerson patients), and she still refuses chemotherapy.” Understandable, since she no longer had
any swollen lymph nodes! S.M. continued in good health and testified about her recovery at a
convention in Seattle in 1998 and was active in her husband’s business at last report in 2002.
At age 32  W.S. was a struggling young artist with a wife and three small children. When he
noted a mass in his abdomen, he was sent to surgery in May of 1951 in Cincinnati, OH. The doctor
reported “a cluster of lymph glands, the largest measuring 5 cm (2 inches).” He removed as many
as he could; afterwards W.S. was given radiotherapy. A mere four months later, in September,
a new mass appeared and the patient received more radiotherapy, which reduced the swollen
glands. However, a few months later the trouble recurred, and W.S. tried other treatments, since
his doctors told him that he had only two months to live.
When he found out about the Gerson Therapy, he traveled to New York to see Dr. Gerson
(who reported on the case in his book, A Cancer Therapy—Results of 50 Cases, as Case No.18.)
After about eight months on the Gerson program W.S.’s condition improved dramatically, he
recovered his


imbalances. He also gives examples of natural substances that can help the body heal.
See why the following drugs need to be avoided:
Cholesterol-lowering drugs (statins such as Lipitor, Zocor, Mevacor, and Crestor and Zetia)
Antidepressant drugs (SSRI’s such as Prozac, Zoloft, Celexa, Paxil)
Antacid drugs (H-2 blockers and PPI’s such as Nexium, Prilosec, and Zantac)Osteoporosis drugs (Bisphosphonates such as Fosomax and Actonel, Zometa, and Boniva)
Diabetes drugs (Metformin, Avandia, Glucotrol, etc.)
Anti-inflammatory drugs (Celebrex, Vioxx, Motrin, Naprosyn, etc)
Synthetic Hormones (Provera and Estrogen)

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salt is a necessary ingredient for achieving your optimal health. See how adding unrefined salt to your diet can help
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Optimal health cannot be achieved with an imbalanced hormonal system. Dr. Brownstein’s research on
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West Bloomfield, MI 48323<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Jiří
Cingr os
URINOTERAPIE
PUBLISHING
OFFICE
START
BENEŠOV
1996
©
Jiří
Cingros
(1996)
ISBN
-
80-902005-1-6
Introduction
If
someone
had
told
me
a
few
years
ago
that
they
were
drinking
their
own
urine,
I
would
have
thought
they
were
nuts
or
deviant.
If
he
also
claimed
to
me
that
he
injects
his
own
urine
or
the
urine
of
a
child
or
a
pregnant
woman
with
the
help
of
an
enema,
I
would
consider
him
doubly
deviant.
Most
of
you
who
open
this
book
will
probably
think
the
same.
However,
I
firmly
believe
that
when
you
finish
reading
it,
you
will
change
your
opinion
not
only
about
me,
but
also
about
the
thousand-year -old
method
of
healing
with
urine,
or
urinotherapy.
I
first
encountered
this
method
in
Russia,
where
I
worked
as
an
interpreter
for
various
expeditions
and
later,
after
the
Great
Velvet
November
Revolution,
as
the
first
secretary
for
culture
in
the
Czechoslovak
Republic.
embassy
in
Moscow.
There
I
experienced
a
situation
similar
to
the
one
that
exists
in
our
country
today,
but
in
a
much
harsher
version:
an
absolute
lack
of
cheap
drugs
and
the
lack
of
interest
of
doctors
to
treat
for
a
pittance.
Ordinary
people
then
had
no
choice
but
to
reach
for
folk
remedies,
to
become
their
own
healers.
One
of
the
folk
methods
that
has
a
huge
tradition
in
Russia
and
in
the
East
in
general
is
urine
therapy.
In
Russia,
it
is
possible
not
only
among
healers,
but
also
among
ordinary
people
to
talk
quite
openly
about
urine
healing.
This
topic
is
still
taboo
here.
When
I
briefly
outlined
the
possibilities
of
urine
therapy
in
response
to
a
friend's
wife's
question,
I
was
told,
half
jokingly
and
half
seriously:
"We'd
rather
not
invite
that
person
to
dinner."
Enemas
are
the
same
taboo
as
urine
in
the
Czech
Republic.
Even
though
I
personally,
after


two	parts:	the	somatic	and	autonomic	nervous	systems.	All	information	in	the
body	that	you	are	conscious	of	comes	from	the	somatic	nervous	system;	all
information	that	you	are	unconscious	of	comes	from	the	autonomic	nervous
system.	Memes	occupy	a	fascinating	middle	ground,	a	shadowland.	When
you	can’t	get	a	catchy	song	out	of	your	head—one	classic	example	of	meme
behavior—you	are	totally	conscious	of	the	tune	but	unconscious	of	why	you
can’t	get	rid	of	it.
This	is	precisely	what	the	Bhagavad-Gita	means	by	the	binding	effect	of
karma.	You	may	be	completely	aware	that	you	have	a	certain	trait,	such	as
being	stingy,	irritable,	easily	flattered,	or	self-important,	but	you	cannot	say
why	that	trait	sticks	to	you,	however	much	you	dislike	it.
Worldviews	are	built	of	symbols	that	fulfill	a	need.	Take	any	charming
thing	in	the	environment—say,	the	late	Princess	Diana.	For	her	to	stay	in	your
mind	and	persist	there	longer	than	a	few	moments,	she	must	be	significant	to
you.	That	is,	she	is	a	sign	for	something	you	recognize,	and	I	would	add
something	you	value	and	desire.	On	a	global	scale	Princess	Diana	symbolized
beauty,	innocence,	vulnerability,	motherhood,	prestige,	sexuality,	and	more.
Like	all	the	best	memes,	her	negative	side	was	also	powerfully	symbolic.	At
various	stages	she	represented	disability,	illness,	social	liability,	addiction,
naïveté,	wantonness,	infidelity,	and	masochism.
By	whatever	name	we	give	them,	memes	are	the	way	we	give
meaning
	to
experience.	They	package	meaning	into	the	building	block	of	reality.	Insofar
as	we	are	creators	of	reality,	we	use	these	symbolic	building	blocks	as	our	raw
material.	I	find	this	whole	field	of	meme	theory	exciting	because	among	those
scientists	who	cannot	stomach	the	notion	of	inherent	consciousness,	the
parallel	notion	of	memes	is	gaining	considerable	credibility.	A	gap	is	closing.The	Vedic	rishis	had	their	own	model	for	what	happens	in	the	mind	field.
Thought	forms	that	grip	us	are
samskaras
,	impressions	made	on	the	nervous
system	by	past	experience.	A	young	child	frightened	when	his	mother
forgetfully	left	him	in	a	department	store	might	carry	that	impression,	or
samskara,	for	life.	Such	impressions	do	not	have	to	be	negative—a	first	kiss
can,	and	usually	does,	form	a	lasting	samskara.	The	concept	of	samskara	goes
beyond	memes	because	it	applies	to	all	mental	experience.	Whether	they	are
sensations,	desires,	or	ideas,	impressions	can	go	as	deep	into	the	field	as	the
soul.	They	constitute	the	qualities	of	the	self	that	give	each	of	us	an	identity
we	recognize	as	“me.”
Samskaras	can	be	dismantled	or	changed	only	by	affecting	the	right	level
of	the	mind.	A	change	at	the	subtlest	level	is	the	most	powerful.	J.
Krishnamurti	put	it	beautifully	when	he	said	that	“the	highest	form	of	human
intelligence	is	to	observe	yourself	without	judgment.”	That	is,	if	you	can
stand	aside	from	how	your	beliefs	are	behaving,	how	various	impulses	of
desire	and	repulsion	are	pulling	at	you,	how	the	“stored	consciousness”	of
memory	makes	you	see	the	world,	you	can	witness	the	field	itself.	This	is	true
enlightenment.	In	many	spiritual	traditions,	such	as	Buddhism,	the	key	seems
to	be	stillness,	detaching	oneself	from	the	internal	dialogue	whose	stream	of
ideas	and	impulses	comes	from	the	past.	Witnessing	allows	us	to	see	and
understand	with	an	intelligence	that	is	holistic,	without	a	win-or-lose
orientation.	This	gives	us	a	chance	to	experience	the	mind	field,	or	what	we
popularly	call	“having	an	open	mind.”
Can	We	Open	the	Mind?
Ultimately,	dying	will	carry	each	of	us	into	the	mind	field,	which	we	will
experience	directly.	Yet	our	beliefs,	being	stored	consciousness,	will	follow
us.	The	issue	of	an	open	mind	bears	directly	upon	how	much	baggage	we’ll
have	to	carry.	I’m	reminded	of	a	question	posed	by	Krishnamurti.	When
someone	commented	that	it	was	good	to	have	an	open	mind,	he	asked,	“Is
there	such	a	thing	as	an	open	mind?”	This	was	a	typically	ambiguous	reply,
but	if	the	mind	is	trapped	by	either	memes	or	samskaras,	it	cannot	be	open,
because	of	secondhand	beliefs,	opinions,	judgments,	and	other	mental
“viruses.”	Or	is	there	some	kind	of	new	experience	entirely	beyond	the	realm
of	ingrained	beliefs	and	karmic	impressions?
The	most	profound	of	contradictions	is	that	to	reach	enlightenment,	which
is	free	from	past	impressions,	you	have	no	choice	but	to	use	your	brain,	and
the	brain	is	mired	in	its	habit	of	filtering,	choosing,	preferring,	rejecting,	etc.
Krishnamurti	stated	this	elegantly	when	he	asked,	“Can	a	fragmented	mind
ever	experience	wholeness?”	The	answer	is	that	it	cannot,	but	all	any	of	us	are
equipped	with	is	a	fragmented	mind.	A	mind	made	up	of	memes	andsamskaras.	Asserting	that	you	have	an	open	mind	while	someone	else’s	mind
is	closed,	or	claiming	that	you	experience	reality	instead	of	illusion,	seems
like	a	reasonable	statement,	but	in	Krishnamurti’s	terms—which	are	pure
Vedanta—it	is	impossible	to	do	things	like	“trying	to	be	more	open”	or
“trying	to	get	more	real.”	You	are	simply	fighting	with	your	own	divided	self.
So	what	is	the	way	out	of	this	paradox?	There	is	a	way	to	approach	the
tricky	business	of	opening	your	mind.
1.	Know	that	you	are	going	to	identify	with	your	worldview	at	every	stage
of	personal	growth.
2.	Accept	that	these	identifications	are	temporary.	You	will	never	be	truly
yourself	until	you	reach	unity.
3.	Be	willing	to	change	your	identity	every	day.	Take	a	flexible	attitude.
Don’t	defend	an	“I”	that	you	know	is	just	temporary.
4.	Allow	your	ability	to	quietly	observe	without	judgment	to	replace	the
ingrained	ideas	you	reach	for	automatically.
5.	When	you	have	the	impulse	to	struggle,	use	that	as	an	immediate	signal
to	let	go.	Open	a	space	for	a	new	answer	to	unfold	on	its	own.
6.	When	you	can’t	let	go,	forgive	yourself	and	move	on.
7.	Use	every	opportunity	to	tell	yourself	that	all	viewpoints	are	valid,
every	experience	valuable,	every	insight	a	moment	of	freedom.
These	steps	cultivate	an	open	mind	by	exposing	you	to	the	mind	field
itself,	witnessing	without	judgment.	They	will	orient	you	to	the	possibility
that	you	can	be	redefined	continuously.	In	other	words,	give	your	allegiance
to	transformation	rather	than	defending	the	status	quo.	Now	you	are


 since both involve “right living.” But the five
niyamas  are subtler and more intimate. Everyone’ s emotions are a tangle of
positive and negative feelings, which make them a perfect area for learning
how to distinguish the light from the darkness. This happens when we
develop our emotional intellige nce. Everyone has emotional intelligence,
but it’s usually at a level not very far advanced from childhood. Our
emotions come and go without any sort of conscious control.
Before you can control your emotions, you first need to understand
what contr ol means. It doesn ’t mean suppressing, pushing down, or denying
those feelings you find undesira ble and don’t want to experien ce. Instead,
emotional contr ol, as Yoga sees it, means finding the core of bliss that is
your true self and returning to it. The five niyamas  give you the skills to
accomplish this.
MONDAY
Puriﬁed Emotions
Begin by silently repeating today’ s theme:
I experience the light through my emotions.
I experience the light through my emotions.In most people’ s lives, their emotions control them, rather than the other
way around. The sharp rise in anxiety and depression over the past few
decades provides stark evidenc e of this. It therefore sounds strange, even
unbelievable, that Royal Yoga asks us to bring our emotions under control.
Fear, worry, and anxiety should  not be allowed to roam the mind at will.
Grief and sadne ss should not overwhelm us to the point of paralysis and
helplessness.
These conditions come about, according to Yoga, because of
impressions made on the emotional self. Emotional wounds are just as real
as physi cal ones, but the impres sions Yoga describes, known as samskaras,
are invisible, and quite often we have no memory of how or when they
occurred.
Even without knowing where they came from, these holdove rs from
your past are the obstacles that block the light. In emotional terms, the light
is experienced as bliss. When your emotional self is in direct contact with
your true self, you will experience bliss as a normal state. The five niyamas
give you the skills to make that connection. Each skill stren gthens your
emotional intelligence, as follows:
1. Observing mental hygiene, which puriﬁes the emotions
2. Learning to be contented, self-accepting, and accepting of other people
3. Transforming old, outworn emotional habits
4. Clearly understanding that your true self is real, tangible, and powerful
5. Recognizing your higher reality and surrendering to it
Royal Yoga is based on the power of consciousness, which includes the
power to heal the past. If your emotional life is spent entirely in the present,
the past is autom atically healed— you don’t return there anymore. The trick
isn’t how to be in the present moment—you are there anytime you focus on
whatever is before you, whether you’re boiling an egg, bringing a child
home from school, or meeting a deadline at work.
The trick is to remain in the present. The mind is thrown out of present-
moment awareness by all kinds of distractions. The niyamas  are concerned
with emotional distractions. The worst of these are negative emotions thatarise spontaneously, including fear, worry, shame, guilt, ange r, and their
nasty relations.
Therefore, the first niyama  is about purifying your emotions to rid them
of these toxic distractions. Until it is distorted by vrittis, awareness, by its
very nature, is unblemished, or pure. How does this relate to emotions?
Your emotional self is where old wounds are stored as impressions.
Whatever makes  these impressions dark, such as humiliations, shame, and
guilt from the past, are the impurities that need healing.
THE PRACTICES FOR EMOTIONAL HEALING
Favor your positive emotions.
Reject the memory of old hurts.
Face your feelings honestly without denying or repressing
them.
Realize that the past is gone, except as an illusion of memory.
Pursue friendships that accentuate positive emotions.
Be easy with yourself, not putting pressure on yourself to
change.
Look at your emotions with a measure of detachment. Don’t
overly indulge or exaggerate them.
Return to bliss as often as you can.
Untrain your old habitual emotional responses.
All these practices are based on bliss as a permanent reality and
distorted aware ness as temporary. What follows is that our negative
emotions are learned responses. Somewhere in our past we started favoring,
usually in small ways, being  sad, helpless, worried, victimized, or
depressed, just to name the most common emotional habits. These small
beginnings began to cascade the more we relied on them. What started out
as defensive and protective beha vior reaches a tipping point. (Passivity, for
example, is a psychological form of playing possum, defending yourself bynot attracting attention.) After that, you have trained your emotional self to
use this learned behavior all the time.
In that context, the purity called for in the first niyama  is a clean slate,
and the practice s involved are reminders that you can clean the slate—
whatever is learned can be unlearned. The opposite of purity is toxicity, and
the first niyama  can be expressed as freeing yourself from toxicity.
THE PRACTICES FOR CLEARING TOXINS
Expose yourself to uplifting people and experiences.
Go out into Nature as much as possible.
Get 8 to 9 hours of steady good sleep every night.
Avoid physical toxins, such as alcohol, drugs, and tobacco.
Keep away from friends and family with persistent negative
attitudes.
Work in a happy, positive environment.
Get enough physical activity every day to feel ﬂexible and
active.
Your body has natural mechanisms for detoxifying itself. This has long
been recognized  physically through the action of organs like the kidneys,
which remove toxins from the blood. But there is a mental and
psychological connection, too, because it was discovered that the brain uses
sleep to clear away toxic debris from the previous day.
The first niyama  goes a level deeper, to the spiritual state of purity,
which is based on pure awareness. But deeper  also means “expanded,”
because Yoga teaches that awareness is the ultimate healer, no matter at
what level it occurs.
Exercise
With pen and paper in hand, go over the two lists of practices for
emotional healin g and clearing toxins. Rate yourself on how well you think
you are doing in both areas. Take one of your strongest points and writedown ways you can expand it. Having done that, write down your weakest
point and write down how to improve it.
Perhaps your weakest point is that you let old memories of past hurts
return too much. You can untrai n yourself by adopting the habit of looking
these memories in the eye and silently saying, “I don’t need you anymore.”
You can sit and center yourself in a simple breathing meditation until the
memory subside s. You can get up and take a few moments to stretch and
move around, which is often quite effective in making negative thoughts
dissipate naturally.
Your strongest points are likely to be much easier to address—simply
do more of the things that inspire you and you will naturally bring out an
experience of bliss. So why engage in this exercise? Writing down your
strong points reminds you not to take them for granted and forget to
reinforce them.
TUESDAY
Finding Self-Acceptance
Begin by silently repeating today’ s theme:
Being myself brings contentment.
Being myself brings contentment.
The second niyama  is abou t learning to be contented, self-accepting,
and accepting of other people. A basic teaching in Royal Yoga is that you
cannot reach your true self without making peace with your other selves
first. The easiest way to understand this is by looking at the opposite. If you
are disco ntented with your emotional life, your discontent will nag at you
about the same emotional issues over and over again. Like a magnet, your
mind will be attracted back to your unresolved anger, resentment, envy, and
fear. The impres sions of the past (samskaras ) exist to attract your attention,
not to hurt you but to motivate you to seek change.Discontent is not enough on its own to drive a person forward on the
spiritual path. You cannot get beyond emotional pain by dwelling on it;
that’s a basic insight of emotional intelligence. The probl em is that
discontent only serves to fuel more discontent. There has to be the added
element provided by the second niyama, which focuses on finding
contentment and self-acceptance here and now.
THE PRACTICES FOR SELF-ACCEPTANCE
Remind yourself of your own goodness and worth. Reject any
opinion to the contrary, either from yourself or from others.
Find something every day to be contented with.
Reinforce your happy experiences.
Don’t dwell on your unhappy experiences.
Be around people who have high self-esteem.
Choose activities that make you feel good about yourself.
Be vigilant that you don’t fall into false self-worth (the
symptoms are vanity, egotism, pride, arrogance, and
boasting).
Don’t make other people feel small so that you can feel bigger.
The underlying teaching behind all these practices is that your
emotional self exists to bring fulfillment. You aren’ t here to be important,
successful, and respected while feeling miserable inside. You aren’t here to
pursue pleasure


, an impossibility when he was the Unmoving M over by
definition. ( He  is archaic and not correct  in Hebrew, but I’m
resorting to the masculine for convenience, since he/she/it  is
cumbersome.) When referring to God, the medieval Christian
mind couldn’t violate—or escape—divine perfection.
That ob session survives today, but in a different guise. With no
perfect creatio n to dream about, we are left with o ur own
imperfections. We feel as bewildered and confused as the biblical
Adam and Eve. We feel guilty about despoiling the planet  and yet
cannot help ourselves, even as Nature crumbles before our eyes.
This book has proposed that creation unfolds from pure
consciousness. There is no divine artist with a picture in mind.
There is just c reation evolving without end. The process  has no
one story line; it embraces all story lines. It has no m orality.
Tragedy is as fascinating to the human imagination as comedy,
which is why we keep creatin g both. (Shakespeare presented the
whole panoram a to his audience standing in the pit of the Globe
Theatre, and Hollywood keeps the show going.)
The evolution of consciousness is the only explanation for
creation that holds everything  together. It has the advanta ge of no
boundaries. Th e miraculous stands on the same level playing field
as the mundan e. At this poin t I am going to go out on a limb. If
you go  to YouTube and enter three search words, Lourdes
levitating Host, yo u can watch a filmed miracle that occurred in
Lourdes, France. As one informed online commentator explains it:
In 1999, during a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Billé,
then archbisho p of Lyon, the Host began to levitate just
above the paten [the plate us ed for Eucharist] from the
moment of the epiclesis  u ntil the eleva tion. The prodigy
was filmed for broadcast an d a clip of it is making its
way around the internet. At the time, the French bishops
decided to keep it quiet. Recently, it was brought to the
attention of a cardinal in th e Curia, who took it upon
himself to verify the origin of the clip and ask the
current archbishop of Lyon for the position of the
French bishops on the matter. This cardinal in turnpassed it on to  the Holy Father. He is concerned that
certain bishops were too quick to put the lid on what
seems to be an authentic sign.
The existing video is blurry, but it shows what the commentator
describes. During this Mass a large Host was used, about  the size
of a dinner pla te. The levitation, which lasts several minutes, ends
with th e elevat ion of the Hos t, when the archbishop lifts it up to
display to the congregation. The levitation, if that is wha t we are
seeing, raises the Host only an inch or two into the air.
I d on’t know w ho is in a position to rule the footage rea l or a
clever d igital h oax, but for m e the issue isn’t about mirac les. It is
about what human beings ar e willing to allow into the acceptable
picture of reality. To date, millions of people have seen the video
of t he levitating Host, and their responses cover the spectrum.
Most people I know are momentarily impressed; others question
the blur ry imag es. A few get a strange expression on their faces, as
if th ey were H oratio and Hamlet had just said, “There a re more
things in heaven and earth, Horatio, / Than are dreamt of in your
philosophy.”
You co uld say that Hamlet is accusing his friend of not
dreaming deep ly enough. Miracles are similar reminde rs. The
levitating Host may be explained away one day—after all,
antigravity exists in theoretic al physics. It might be exposed as a
fraud or simply sink into the morass of forgotten experience. Even
so, something important happened. A bit of strangeness was
allowed to enter our collective dream. It takes only a spark to burn
down a  forest. You never kn ow which strange bit will dispel our
collective dream.
The time for waking up never grows short. Waking up takes you
beyond the bounds of time. Yet it’s hard not to feel the pressure of
disaster the closer it approac hes. There is such a thing as a storm
so powe rful it occurs only on ce every five hundred years, but by
the reckoning of meteorologists, twenty-six such storms have
occurred in the past decade. If we are going to make cosmic
consciousness matter, we cannot wear rose-colored glasses. Those
storms, and the human misery they generated, were allowed intovirtual reality.  Many things have entered virtual reality to make
life nightmarish.
The average person isn’t prepared to accept responsibility for
the spell/dream/illusion we are entangled in. The accumulation of
greenhouse gas es can be explained as divine retribution, or as the
outcome of a series of very  unfortunate events, or as human
imperfection screwing up one more thing. Self-destruction is part
of our nature, but self-creation is infinitely more powerful. By
waking up, metahumans can make right what humans ha ve done
wrong. Waking  up happens o nly one person at a time. Reality isn’t
a numb ers game. It’s a one-player universe, and you an d I are
enough to move creation itself.One purpose of this book is to demystify the process of
waking up. The direct path i s meant to be effortless and natural.
The only uncertainty is time—people who want to achieve higher
consciousness all begin at a different place, and this makes a
difference. I’ve found in my own experience that desire is a
powerful incentive no matter  where you start from. If you really
want to learn something—a new language, French cooking, rock
climbing—the process becomes enjoyable. The better you get at
learning, the more enjoyable it is.
Unlike those things, however, waking up isn’t a skill. There’s no
set of rules or  guidelines. Even finding a teacher is fraug ht with
missteps. How does a teacher prove that he’s awake? But every
culture that believes in higher consciousness has, over time,
developed a setting for this special kind of learning, suc h as an
Indian ashram or a Zen Buddhist monastery.
These settings fit into the context of each culture. If you don’t
happen to belong to the culture, however, and you’re viewing
these settings from the outside, ashrams and monasteries look
alien and exotic. Yet there’s no proof that a special setting is
mandatory. Af ter all, the process of waking up is abo ut self-
awareness. No  one can teach you to be self-aware. No one needs
to. Con sciousness already includes self-awareness. I’ve been
arguing in this book that existence is  consciousness. In other
words, you were born with the tools to become more self-aware.
It’s just a matter of applying them.
In the process of waking up, n o special lifestyle is required. You
live as you’re living now, by being aware of the world “ou t there”
and the  world “in here.” The  only thing new is that you relate to
both wo rlds using new assumptions. You assume that the “real”
reality isn’t the same as virt ual reality. You assume that you are
whole at the le vel of the true self. You assume that the true self
offers a better way to live, a more conscious way but also more
creative, open, relaxed, accepting, and free.
Assumptions a ren’t the same as truth or facts. They need to be
tested, which is the purpose of this section. You are asked toexperiment on yourself, spen ding time every day for a month to
find out if the direct path works. It’s a fortunate time to seek
higher consciousness. Stripped of religious trappings and the fog
of m ystery, consciousness h as entered a new phase as  a full-
fledged researc h topic, studied by psychologists, psychoth erapists,
biologists, philosophers, neuroscientists, and even physicists.
This explosion  of interest makes for a better setting, in  fact,
than traditional ashrams and monasteries. You can be fully
engaged in everyday life while placing your deeper attention on
waking up. It’s a little odd th at someone must learn to w ake up,
but that’s the result of living  so long with the conditione d mind.
Convinced that the spell/d ream/illusion is real, our  minds
conform to it. Waking up happens by dismantling the conditioning
that kee ps us trapped in mental constructs. When those co nstructs
begin to fade away, waking up is the state we arrive at.
Arriving there is unpredictable and totally personal. It’s best to
set out with an open mind and no expectations. Just adopt the
attitude that waking up is real; other people have done it f or many
centuries, and the only requirement is self-awareness.
A  D a i l y  P l a n


ows	the	effects	of	aging,	reduces	pain
and	helps	to	improve	mood,	clarity	of	mind,	balance,	coordination	and	spatial
awareness—not	to	mention	the	confidence	boost	that	comes	from	“getting
physical.”	The	body	has	almost	seven	hundred	different	muscles;	without
physical	activity,	these	muscles	quickly	waste	away	and	lose	their	strength.
When	certain	muscles	are	weak,	others	will	compensate	to	do	the	work,	which
can	cause	painful	physical	damage	to	the	body	with	long-term	wear	and	tear.
What	happens	then?	Canes,	walkers	and	pain	medications	are	the	frequently
prescribed	treatments,	but	the	problem	is	inactivity.	A	study	reported	in	the
Journal	of	the	American	Medical	Association
in	1996	found	that	physically
inactive	people	are	up	to	twice	as	likely	to	die	prematurely	as	those	who	are
physically	fit.
Lack	of	exercise	actually	may	be	a	greater	health	risk	than	smoking.
People
who	exercise	regularly	and	also	smoke	typically	live	longer	and	healthier	lives
than	people	who	do	not	smoke	but	also	do	not	exercise.	Consider	what	happens
to	bedridden	people—bodies	that	do	not	move	or	exercise	at	all.	Their	cells
become	increasingly	more	deficient	and	toxic,	wasting	away	daily.	Unused
muscles	lose	10	to	15	percent	of	their	strength	per	week	and	half	their	strength	in
just	three	to	five	weeks.	Meanwhile,	the	bones	and	joints	become	weak,	brittle
and	susceptible	to	fracture	or	breakage.
Exercise	for	Your	Mind’s	Sake
Exercise	is	important	for	mental	function,	helping	to	engage	and	clear	the
mind.	Lack	of	exercise	makes	a	person	more	susceptible	to	mental	illness.
Exercise	is	an	excellent	stress-management	technique.	Older	people	who
exercise	are	3.5	times	less	likely	to	develop	Alzheimer’s	disease	than	those	who
lead	sedentary	lives.	Engage	in	some	kind	of	physical	activity	every	day.	Letting
days	or	weeks	go	by	without	any	exercise	has	a	negative	impact	on	the	health	of
your	brain	cells	as	well	as	all	your	other	cells.	The	known	benefits	of	exerciseinclude	the	following:
•	Releases	brain	chemicals	that	alleviate	feelings	of	anxiety,	depression	and
mental	stress.
•	Enhances	the	immune	system	(by	increasing	natural	killer-cell	activity)
and	improves	the	body’s	ability	to	fight	infections.
•	Slows	the	onset	of	aging	effects,	such	as	slowed	nerve	impulses	and	bone
demineralization	(including	osteoporosis).
•	Reduces	the	risk	of	developing	Type	II	diabetes	by	about	25	percent	and
decreases	insulin	resistance.
•	Helps	lower	blood	pressure.	Regular	exercise	can	lower	blood	pressure	by
ten	points	or	more.
•	Helps	prevent	cardiovascular	disease	by	blocking	the	buildup	of	plaque	in
the	arteries.
•	Dissolves	blood	clots	and	reduces	the	risk	of	stroke.
•	Reduces	cancer	risk;	just	four	hours	of	exercise	per	week	lowers	a
woman’s	risk	of	breast	cancer	by	almost	60	percent.
•	Tones	and	conditions	the	entire	body	and	helps	prevent	obesity.
Diet	Fads	and	Facts
Dieting	to	lose	weight	is	a	recurring	theme	in	American	life.	New	diet	plans
are	announced	repeatedly.	Weight-reducing	products	flood	the	market,	often
promoted	by	famous	or	ordinary	people	with	“remarkable”	stories.	For	lasting
results	in	any	weight-loss	program,	however,	exercise	is	essential.	Decreasing
calories	(dieting)	as	a	weight-loss	method	can	actually	cause	the	body	to	slow	its
metabolic	rate	to	conserve	energy.	By	starving,	one	has	less	energy	and	burns
less	fat,	and	the	unwanted	pounds	are	likely	to	stay	right	where	they	are.	Regular
exercise	changes	how	your	body	produces	energy	(like	stoking	a	fire	or	heating
up	a	furnace),	increasing	one’s	ability	to	burn	stored	fat	and	lose	weight.
America	has	a	serious	obesity	epidemic	that	worsens	yearly	and	begins	at
younger	and	younger	ages.	Consider	our	children,	who	are	spending	more	time
with	computers,	television	and	video	games,	and	less	time	at	physical	play.	From
1960	to	2000,	obesity	among	U.S.	children	aged	six	to	ten	years	increased	54
percent.	Parents,	do	not	kid	yourselves:	Few	children	outgrow	weight	problems.
Eighty	percent	of	obese	children	and	adolescents	become	obese	adults.
These
high	obesity	levels	in	children	already	are	contributing	to	widespread	diseases,
including	cardiovascular	disease,	diabetes	and	cancer.	These	conditionsfrequently	are	associated	with	obesity	and	used	to	be	rare	in	children.
The	only	way	to	stop	this	cycle	is	to	start	with	the	kids!	At	least	adults	can
understand	that	bodies	are	made	of	cells	that	must	be	maintained.	Young
children	do	not,	yet	they	suffer	the	repercussions.	Adults	need	to	instruct
children.	We	only	hurt	them	when	we	allow	them	to	develop	sedentary	and
unhealthy	lifestyles—when	we	allow	them	to	sit	in	front	of	electronic	screens	as
a	way	of	life,	rarely	exercising	or	seeing	the	light	of	day.
Gain—Without	the	Pain
In	general,	everybody	needs	some	kind	of	physical	movement	every	day.
Establishing	and	adhering	to	a	routine	may	be	difficult.	Realistically,	how	do
you	fit	a	workout	into	an	already	busy	life?	By	doing	what	you	like	to	do.	If	you
do	not	like	a	particular	type	of	exercise	(and	you	do	it	more	for	the	“medicine”
than	for	the	enjoyment),	you	are	far	less	likely	to	continue	it.	Experiment	until
you	discover	the	activity	or	routine	that	is	right	for	you,	one	that	genuinely
engages	you.
A	vigorous	and	challenging	exercise	routine	is	ideal,	but	most	importantly,
establish	a	routine	that	you	can	practice	consistently.	Occasional,	erratic
workouts	provide	little	benefit.	Furthermore,	intense	physical	activity	with	an
out-of-shape	body	increases	risk	of	injury.	If	you	do	not	exercise	every	day,
absolutely	avoid	long	periods	of	time	(a	week	or	more)	of	being	sedentary;
living
a	sedentary	lifestyle	is	the	same	as	inviting	disease	and	injury	into	your	body.
Establishing	a	healthy	exercise	routine	requires	evaluating	your	body’s
comfort	level	and	limits.	Exercises	should	be	challenging,	but	not	painful.	Pain
is	a	warning.	Mild	discomfort	is	normal,	but	once	the	body	is	warmed	up,	pain
should	go	away.	If	not,	perhaps	the	exercise	is	too	intense,	or	perhaps	more
thorough	stretching	and	warmup	are	needed.
How	much	exercise	do	we	need?	In	1995,	the	Centers	for	Disease	Control	and
Prevention	and	the	American	College	of	Sports	Medicine	surveyed	existing
evidence.	Both	organizations	recommend	that	every	American	get	a	minimum	of
thirty	minutes	of	physical	activity	every	day.	Within	reason,	the	more	intense	the
exercise,	the	greater	the	health	benefits.	For	example,	men	burning	two	thousand
to


 abscess were arranged according to the
incidence for each month. All of these diseases show a relatively high incidence during February
and March, rising in December and January, falling during April and May, reaching a very low
level in midsummer and then making a rapid increase during the autumn. These are opposite to the
vitamin levels found in the dairy products of Ontario for the same months.
    In Chapter 3, I discussed data obtained during two summers in the Loetschental and other
Swiss valleys. The Loetschental Valley has been isolated from contact with surrounding
civilizations by its unique physical environment. For twelve hundred years during which time a
written history of the valley has been kept, the people have maintained a high level of physical
excellence providing practically all their food, shelter and clothing from the products raised in the
valley. Cattle and goats provided milk, milk products and meat. The stock was carefully sheltered
during the inclement weather and great care was used to carry back to the soil all of the
enrichment. This, of course, is a process that is efficiently carried out in many parts of the world
today. In this manner extensive depletion of the minerals required for food for animals and human
beings may be prevented. Their practice is in striking contrast to that in many of the agricultural
districts of the United States in which the minerals are systematically shipped from the land to the
cities, there to be dissipated to the ocean through the sewerage system. Among many primitive
races there is some attempt to preserve the fertility of the soil. For example, in Africa, many of the
tribes that depend in part on agriculture, cleared off only a few acres in the heart of a forest and
cropped this land for a limited number of years, usually less than ten. Great care was taken to
prevent the loss of the humus both through drenching rains and wind erosion. The decaying
vegetation and lighter soil that might be dislodged by the water were caught in the entanglement of
roots and shrubbery surrounding the agricultural patch. The surrounding trees protect the soil from
wind erosion. Care was taken not to form gullies, furrows and grooves that could carry currents of
water and thus float away the valuable humus from the soil. This again is in contrast to conditions in
other parts of the world, particularly in the United States. Sears (5)  has stated that "Bare ground left
by the plow will have as much soil washed off in ten years as the unbroken prairie will lose in four
thousand. Even so, soil in the prairie will be forming as fast as, or faster than it is lost." In Nature's
program, minerals are loaned temporarily to the plants and animals and their return to the soil is
essential. To quote again from Sears.
    What is lent by earth has been used by countless generations of plants and animals now
dead and will be required by countless others in the future. In the case of an element such as
phosphorus, so limited is the supply that if it were not constantly being returned to the soil, a
single century would be sufficient to produce a disastrous reduction in the amount of life.
    The history of preceding civilizations and cultures of mankind indicate the imbalances that have
developed when minerals have been permanently transferred from the soil. There are only a few
localities in the world where great civilizations have continued to exist through long periods and
these have very distinct characteristics. It required only a few centuries, and in some profligated
systems a few decades to produce so serious a mineral depletion of the soil that progressive plant
and animal deterioration resulted. In such instances, regular and adequate replenishment was not
taking place.
    The replenishment may be made, as in the case of the prairie with its plant and animal life,
through a replacement in the soil of borrowed minerals, a program carried out efficiently by a few
intelligent civilizations. The balance of the cultures have largely failed at this point. Another
procedure for the replenishing of the depleted soils is by the annual spring overflow of great water
systems which float enrichment from the highlands of the watersheds to the lower plains of the
great waterways. This is illustrated by the history of the Nile which has carried its generous blanket
of fertilizing humus and rich soil from the high interior of Africa northward over its long course
through Sudan and Egypt to the Mediterranean, and thus made it possible for the borders of the
Nile to sustain a population of greater density than that of either China or India. The salvation of
Egypt has been the fact that the source of the Nile has been beyond the reach of modernizing
influences that could destroy Nature's vast stores of these replenishing soil products. Where human7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html#toc 233/250beings have deforested vast mountainsides at the sources of the great waterways, this whole
problem has been changed.
    A similar situation has occurred in China. Her two great rivers, the Yangtze and the Yellow
River, having their sources in the isolated vastness of the Himalayas in Tibet, have through the
centuries provided the replenishment needed for supporting the vast population of the plains of
these great waterways. Together with this natural replenishment the Chinese have been exceedingly
efficient in returning to the soil the minerals borrowed by the plant and animal life. Their efficiency
as agriculturists has exceeded that of the residents of most parts of the populated world.
    The story in Europe and America has been vastly different in many districts. The beds of roots
of trees and grasses that hold the moisture and induce precipitation have been rudely broken up.
An important function of the plant and tree roots is the entanglement of dead plant life. Vegetation
holds back moisture at the time of melting snows and rainy seasons so efficiently that disastrous
floods are prevented and a continuing flow of water maintained over an extended period. Under
the pressure of population more and more of the highlands have been denuded for agriculture; the
forests have often been ruthlessly burned down, frequently with the destruction of very valuable
timber. The ashes from these great conflagrations provided fertilizer for a few good crops, but
these chemicals were dissipated rapidly in the swift flow of the water in which they were soluble,
with the result that vast areas that Nature had taken millenniums to forest have been denuded and
the soil washed away in a few decades. These mountainsides have become a great menace instead
of a great storehouse of plant food material for the plains country of the streams. Loss of timber
which was needed greatly for commerce and manufacture has been another disastrous result. The
heavy rains of the spring now find little impediment and rush madly toward the lower levels to carry
with them not the rich vegetable matter of the previous era, but clay and rocks which in a mighty
rush spread over the vast plains of the lowlands. This material is not good soil with which to
replenish and fertilize the river bottoms. On the contrary, it often covers the plains country with a
layer of silt many feet deep making it impossible to utilize the fertile soil underneath.
    We have only to look over the departed civilizations of historic times to see the wreckage and
devastation caused by these processes. The rise and fall in succession of such cultures as those of
Greece, Rome, North Africa, Spain, and many districts of Europe, have followed the pattern
which we are carving so rapidly with the rise and fall of the modernized culture in the United
States.
    The complacency with which the masses of the people as well as the politicians view our trend
is not unlike the drifting of a merry party in the rapids above a great cataract. There seems to be no
appropriate sense of impending doom.
    An outstanding example of our profligate handling of soil and watersheds may be seen in our
recent experiences in the Mississippi Basin. The Ohio River draining the western slopes of the
Allegheny Mountains has gone on rampages almost annually for a decade carrying with it great
damage to property and loss of life. Other branches of the Mississippi, particularly the Missouri,
draining the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains have gone out of control so that vast areas are
flooded with silt. There is now a concerted effort to stem this series of cataclysms by building
dykes along the great waterways to raise the banks and dams in the higher regions of the
watershed to hold back the floods. These artificial lakes become settling pools for the silt and soon
lose their efficiency by being filled with the debris that they are holding back from the lower levels.
An effort is also being made to reforest which is purposeful, but when we consider the millenniums
of time that Nature has required to build the tanglewood of plant life, shrubbery and trees over the
rocks and through the gullies to act as great defenses for holding back the water, these modern
programs offer very little assurance for early relief.
    Another very destructive force is the wind. When surfaces are denuded either at high or low
altitudes the wind starts carving up the soil and starts it on the march across the country. We call
the demonstrations dust storms. When we travel through our Western States, it is not uncommon
to see buildings and trees partially buried in these rolling dunes of drifting sand. When we were7/29/13 Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html#toc 234/250traveling across the desert of Peru in 1937


 killsomebody on the court is suffering from gross Pitta imbalanc e. Also, the
start-stop rhythm  of competition sports is not as good for your body as half
an hour of continuous motion.
Walking briskly for half an hour a day will take the feistiness out of your
system better than a competitive sport.
Swimming is even better—many  Pitta types who drive themselves on the
job find that a plunge in the pool at five o’clock cools them off and
dissolves the day’s tensions. Winter sports of all kinds also appeal to Pittas
because they take to the cold better than Vata and Kapha types. Because
they are stimulated visually, Pittas gain a large benefit from a leisurely stroll
in the woods; it provides a change from their usual determined pace. The
beauty of nature  will sink deep into them when they pause long enough to
experience it.
KAPHA-TYPE EXERCISE
Kapha types have strong, steady energy but often lack agility. They
generally are good at all exerc ises and become better when they become
more limber and balanced. Because of their physical strength, Kaphas excel
at endurance sports—they have the natural build for a long run or distance
rowing. The combination of Pitta and Kapha gives determination and
endurance. This is a common prakruti among professional baseball and
football players.Pushing the blood through their veins feels good to Kaphas, which is why
they take to weight training in gyms and health clubs. It is good  to combine
this with exercis e that gets the circulation going; bringing up a good sweat
(without exhaus tion) will clear out Kapha congestion. Many Kaphas have
excess fat and water that need to be pushed out. Being a cold dosha, Kapha
resents it if you go out into the cold and damp to run or row. In winter,
Kapha types should stay indoors and stick with aerobics or calisthenics.
Dance classes provide a good alternative for Kaphas. Although  a Kapha
may not have a dancer ’s build, they feel much better about their natural
shape, once they gain the poise and balance that dance training instills.
A few general pr ecautions apply to all body types. Do not exercise:
Just befor e or after a meal. Exercising at these times lowers your agni,
which you want at its highest. Allow at least half an hour before a meal
and one to two hours afterward without exercising. Walking right after
a meal, however, is an exception. Taking a leisurely fifteen-minute
walk after lunch and/or dinner stimulates digestion (anything longer or
harder would compete with it). Exercising after sundown is
discouraged by Ayurveda; it is better to let your body slow down in the
evening and prepare itself for bed.
In the wind or the cold. Both Vata and Kapha dosha resent the cold, as
we have mentioned. If you go out for a walk in winter, keep yourself
bundled up and do not breathe strenuously. Heavy breathing of cold,
damp air is bad for the respiratory tract. Also, any strong wind upsets
Vata dosha and removes the calming ef fect of a good walk.
In the br oiling sun. The reason only mad dogs and English-men go out
in the noonday sun is that harsh sun inflames Pitta dosha, raising your
body heat at a time when exercise is raising it enough already.
Along with moderation, the key to balanced exercise is regularity. The
doshas always tend to reinforce  themselves. If you have neglec ted physical
activity for a while, your body will be used to inertia. Once you return to
even a little activity, your doshas will rise to a level of better balance andwant to stay there. So, do everything you can to start a progra m that you
will enjoy for years, preferably for life.
THREE-DOSHA  EXERCISES
Now I would like to describe the three-dosha exercises taught at our
Center: the Sun Salute, the set of gentle yoga positions, and balanced
breathing. More people in the West are becoming familiar with these
postures and discovering the benefits that have been appreciated in the East
for thousands of years.
The following exercises are very easy to do. Only the Sun Salut e requires
some patience to master; the others do not take any special skill. The whole
emphasis on perfect performan ce is misplaced. These are exercises for
tuning in to your body. Anyone can do that, simply by letting the mind relax
into each pose. Don’ t even think of how you look or how close you are
coming to the ideal positions. Whatever you achieve is right for you. This
approach makes  each exercise feel good as you do it and even better
afterward. Everyone feels pleas antly relaxed for the next few hours after
doing a short Ayurvedic routine.
The following descriptions were provided by Bija Bennett, an expert,
talented yoga therapist who has taught yoga at many of our seminars over
the years.
SUN SALUTE (Surya Namaskara)
Time: 1 to 2 minutes for each cycle, moving slowly
Repetitions: 1 to 6 cycles in the morning, mor e as you become experienced
The Sun Salute (Surya Namaskara) is a complete Ayurvedic exercise that
simultaneously integrates the whole physiology—mind, body, and breath. It
strengthens and stretches all the major muscle groups, lubricates the joints,conditions the spine, and mass ages the internal organs. Blood flow and
circulation is increased throughout the body. With regular practice, you will
gain stability, suppleness, flexibility, and grace.
Here is a cycle of 12 postures. Perform them in a fluid sequence one right
after another. Synchronize each motion with the breath. Move smoothly
into each pose, breathing fully and easily so that each cycle takes about 1
minute.
Start slowly, avoiding strain, and listen to your body as you gradually
increase the number of Sun Salute cycles you do. This step-by-step
progression eliminates the possibility of pulling or tiring your muscles,
especially if you haven’ t been exercising regularly. Stop when  you notice
that you are breathing and perspiring heavily or feeling too tired. If this
occurs, lie down  and rest for a minute or two until the breath is free. With
regular performance, your capacity will easily and naturally increase.
In the Sun Salut e, a specific pattern of breathing is encouraged. Inhale to
extend your spine vertically or to open, lengthen, or fully elonga te the body.
Exhale to bend or fold the body, creating a flexing of the spine. Each of
your movements should be an extension of the breath in order to facilitate
the motion. There is one transit ional position in the Sun Salut e where the
breath pauses for a moment before you continue into the next pose.
Otherwise, let your breathing be fluid and continuous throughout the entire
exercise.
HOW  TO PERFORM THE SUN SALUTE
Perform the following postures in a flowing, moving sequence one right
after another. Remember to use the breath to connect each pose with the one
following it. Emphasize the expansion of the chest on inhale and the
contraction of the abdomen or belly in a bending motion on exhale.
Salutation position ( Samasthiti ). Begin by standing tall with the feet
together in a parallel position. Stand evenly on both feet and lengthenthe spine upward. Place the palms of your hands together in front of
your chest. Lift the chest and expand the ribs as you look straight
ahead.
Raised arm position ( Tadasana ). On the inhalation, slowly extend the
arms over the head. Lift and expand the chest as you continue
lengthening the spine while allowing the head to look upward. Keep
breathing evenly as you continue right into the next pose.
Hand to foot position ( Uttanasana ). As you exhale, bend the body
forward and down, lengthening the spine, arms, and neck. Let the
knees soften or bend freely, bringing the hands to the floor. Avoid
collapsing the chest or overrounding the upper back. Keep the elbows
and shoulders relaxed, and don’ t lock the knees.
Equestrian position ( Ashwa Sanchalanasana  ). On your next
inhalation, extend the left leg back and drop the back knee to the
ground. The front knee is bent and the supporting foot remains flat on
the floor. Simultaneously extend or lift the spine and open the chest.
Allow the head and neck to lengthen vertically.Figure 1. Salutation position.Figure 2. Raised arm position.Figure 3. Hand to foot position.
Mountain position ( Adhomukha Svanasana  ). On the exhalation,
bring the left leg back to meet the right leg—legs both at hip width
apart, hands at shoulder distance. As you raise the buttocks and hips,
press down with the hands, allowing the spine to release upward and
back. Stretch the heels down toward the floor and lengthen through the
backs of the legs. Relax and free the head and neck. The body forms an
even inverted V from the pelvis to the hands and from the pelvis to the
heels.Figure 4. Equestrian position.
Eight limbs position ( Ashtanga Namaskara


abolic
wastes	to	clear	from	your	body	more	efficiently,	making	dry	brushing	a	great
detoxifying	aid.
Like	a	light	massage,	dry	brushing	also	provides	some	anti-stress	benefits	and
may	even	help	with
bloating.	Massaging	the	lymph	nodes	can	help	the	body
shed	excess	water	and	toxins,	improving	kidney	function	and	flushing	out	your
system.	Dry	skin	brushing	rejuvenates	the	nervous	system	by	stimulating	nerve
endings	in	the	skin,	and	it	feels	pretty	great,	too!	(Well,	it	can	feel	a	little	rough
at	first	when	you	are	getting	used	to	it,	but	it	will	leave	you	feeling	revitalized
and	with	a	great	memory	of	the	experience.)	Last	but	not	least,	dry	brushing	will
almost	certainly	help	make	your	skin	glow	and	become	tighter.	Try	it	for
yourself	and	see	what	kinds	of	benefits	you	experience!
To	do	it	yourself,	all	you	need	is	about	2	to	3	minutes	a	day	(ideally	layered
into	your
abhyanga
	practice)	and	a	long-handled	brush	made	from	dry	bristles,
which	you	can	generally	purchase	for	under	$20	online	or	at	a	health	market.
Starting	at	your	feet,	brush	your	skin	in	long	strokes	toward	your	heart.	Be	sure
to	brush	your	legs,	arms,	chest,	back,	and	stomach.	Avoid	sensitive	areas,	such
as	your	face,	and	be	very	careful	with	delicate	areas	like	varicose	veins	(thoughgentle	dry	brushing	can	be	great	for	flat	spider	veins).	Be	firm,	but	don’t	press
too	hard.	Your	skin	should	be	pink	when	you’re	done	but	certainly	not	red	or
irritated.	Afterward,	be	sure	to	engage	in	your
abhyanga
	practice	or	apply	a
natural	moisturizer	or	emollient	oil,	such	as	shea	butter	or	coconut	or	sesame
oil.	Since	dry	brushing	helps	slough	off	the	dead,	outer	cells,	your	skin	will	be
able	to
hydrate	more	efficiently	and	absorb	more	moisture.
OCEAN	BEAUTY	DETOX	AND	MINERAL	MASK
Kelp	is	seaweed	that	is	rich	in	minerals	and	vitamins.	Used	in	a	mask	form,	it	will	draw	impurities	out
of	your	skin	as	it	also	helps	restore	nutrition	to	your	complexion.
2	tablespoons	kelp	powder
½	cup	aloe	vera	gel
2	teaspoons	filtered	water
Combine	the	kelp	and	aloe	vera	in	a	small	bowl.	Slowly	mix	in	the	water	until	you	create	a	thick	paste.
Apply	to	your	face	and	neck	for	about	15	to	20	minutes.	Rinse	well.
JUMP	ON	A
TRAMPOLINE
This	type	of	movement	is	particularly	good	for	increasing	lymph	flow,	as	the
up-and-down	rhythmic	gravitational	force	created	by	bouncing	encourages	the
lymph	system’s	one-way	valves	to	open	and	close.
GO	FOR	A	WALK	OR	HIKE
In	addition	to	all	the	other	benefits	of	getting	out	into	nature	(not	to	mention
exercise),
walking	is	a	great	way	to	help	move	your	lymphatic	system	and
improve	circulation.
CLEANSE
Try	a	properly	administered	cleanse,	especially	in	the	springtime.	If	well
designed	and	followed,	this	can	be	a	great	way	to	detox	your	whole	system	and
let	your	lymph	system	flush	out	accumulated	wastes	and	toxins.	If	you	are
interested,	check	out	Kimberly’s	organic	smoothie	and	juice	company
(
myglowbio.
com
)	for
cleanses	she	designs	that	ship	nationally.
WEAR	LOOSE
CLOTHING
Tight	clothing	can	restrict	your	body’s	natural	circulation,	so	peel	yourself	out
of	your	skinny	jeans	(at	least	part	of	the	time)	and	incorporate	more	flowing
skirts
and	maxi	dresses	into	your	wardrobe.	You’ll	be	more	comfy—and	moredetoxed.	After	detoxing	your	lymphatic	system	with	looser	clothes	on	most
days,	you’ll	look	even	better	on	those	nights	when	you	do	want	to	wear	a	tight,
slinky	dress.
PRACTICE
HYDROTHERAPY
If	you’ve	ever	been	to	a	traditional	Korean	spa,	you’ll	find	a	cold	plunge	pool
next	to	a	hot	pool.	Experiencing	side-by-side	temperature	shifts	externally	to	the
outer	surface	of	your	skin	(again,
not
	by	saturating	your	internal	organs	with	icy
liquids!)	is	believed	to	be	invigorating	in	some	Eastern	traditions,	as	it	promotes
enhanced	blood	flow	and	great	circulation	throughout	your	whole	body.	You
can	do	this	at	home	by	simply	alternating	warm	and	cold	water	in	the	shower.
Start	your	shower	with	a	few	minutes	of	warm	water,	and	then	shift	the	dial	for
2	minutes	of	cold	water.	Make	it	as	cold	as	you	can	stand	it!	Then	continue
alternating,	ending	your	shower	with	cold	water.	You	will	feel	refreshed	and
energized,	and	your	hair	will	look	shinier	(on	the	days	you	wash	it).	What	an
excellent	way	to	start	the	day—your	skin	will	also	be	glowing	all	over!
NERVOUS	SYSTEM	SOOTHING	MASSAGE	OIL
Jojoba	oil	is	a	great	carrier	oil	for	most	essential	oils	because	it	is	easily	absorbed	into	your	skin	and	is
rich	in	vitamin	E.	Neroli	essential	oil	is	a	great	choice	for	this	skin	recipe,	as	research	has	found	neroli
helps	reduce	anxiety	and	improve	sleep	quality.
2
	Besides	its	calming,	grounding	properties,	it	has	a
lovely	sweet	and	spicy	aroma.
Combine	½	cup	jojoba	oil	and	40	drops	neroli	essential	oil,	using	it	in	your
abhyanga
	practice	or	with
just	a	quick,	modified	hand	or	foot	massage	at	the	end	of	the	day—or	whenever	you	feel	you	need
some	soothing.SHIFT	8:
Address
Specific	Skin	Issues
While	the	ingredients	we	discussed	earlier	will	naturally	boost	your	skin’s	glow
and	vitality,	there	are	some	common	skin	issues	that	respond	well	to	particular
ingredients.	In	this	shift,	you’ll	learn	tips	to	overcome	any	issues	that	might	be
plaguing	your	skin.	We’ve	also	included	recipes	for	masks	and	tonics	that	were
designed	specifically	for	each	individual	concern.
Acne
Acne	is	an	all	too	common	skin	condition	that	can	be	exacerbated	by
impurities	in	your	blood	that	push	out	through	your	skin,	causing	breakouts.
Here	are	some	of	the	best	ways	to	cut	down	on	these	impurities	and	create	clear,
radiant	skin:
•
Reduce	consumption	of	oils	in	general	and	high
fat,	heavy	foods.	Excessive
oils	in	the	system	can	aggravate	your	moisture	balance	and	clog	the	pores.
•
Incorporate	cumin,	turmeric,	and	ginger	when	cooking	to	boost	digestion
and	help	promote	pure,	healthy	blood.
•
Eliminate	dairy	from	your	diet,	which	some	research	has	linked	to	acne.
1
•
Take	an	excellent	probiotic	supplement	(see


autopsies also disclose the deleterious effects upon the human body of dietetic errors and of drug treatment. In every case t he cause
of death is conclusively shown to have been due to the presence of structural organic defeat that was beyond repair. Two o f the
deaths described happened when the subjects were on a dietary, but the conditions discovered in these showed no decided
differences in causation from those displayed when dissolution took place while a fast was in progress. In all of the related  cases
death was certain, fasting or feeding. The list is selected from a total of twenty -two fatalities occurring in a practice confined to
therapeutic fasting and its accessories that covers a period of over thirty years. The number of cases handled is about thirty
thousand, and each of these fasted at some time while under guidance for intervals varying from one day to seventy -five.

    Case 1. A married woman, thirty -eight years of age, who had devoted twenty years in vain attempt to regain lost health und er
medical guidance. She finally discovered that alternating periods of dieting and abstinence from food, usually short in durat ion,
were the sole means by which she could obtain relief. At consultation a perilous condition indicating the presence of organ ic
disease was evident, and a more carefully selected dietary, with the employment of the usual natural hygienic accompaniments of
treatment, was prescribed and faithfully carried out for six months. At the end of this time the patient, in full enjoyment o f the
relief that invariably appears in disease when organic labor is lessened by diet judiciously lowered, or by abstinence from f ood,
insisted upon undergoing an absolute fast.

    After three weeks, during which liquid food only was ingested, the tota l abstinence stage was entered, and the condition of the
case visibly improved. On the twentieth day of fasting the patient decided for herself that her stomach could tolerate food.
Experience demonstrates that persons who suffer from chronic disease after  a time develop, as a consequence of repeated
disappointment in search of health, a mental tendency that is wilful, not to say stubborn. And in serious cases, such as the one
under discussion, it is a question whether the better policy lies in acquiescense  or in resistance to their expressed desires. In this
instance no opposition was offered when the will to fast was expressed, nor was any attempted when the demand was now made
for food. Because of structural organic deficiency, later fully discovered and then most evident in symptom, the digestive organs
could not perform the tasks entailed, and ingestion of food resulted in nausea with vomiting, while hiccoughs in severe form,  a
sign most apprehensive in character, that in the circumstances indicated inte stinal obstruction, occurred and continued
intermittently until death intervened.

    When a case exhibits in aggravated form the symptoms noted, and when, moreover, its history is one of prolonged suffering, it
is a virtual certainty that extreme organi c impairment exists that can in no wise be overcome. But, in order that no question might
arise concerning the remedial agencies employed and in order to allay the distress of the family, the condition of the case w as
brought to the attention of several me dical practitioners. They suggested a number of things, but none of their suggestions proved
of avail, for unanimously they insisted upon feeding the woman, whose stomach was rejecting all forms of food, retaining even
water with difficulty. The condition described continued for more than two weeks, with pulse and temperature at average normal,
but with no visible improvement Again at the insistence of the family another consultation of medical doctors was called, its
personnel consisting this time of three  prominent specialists in intestinal disease. They concurred in the opinion that the patient
was suffering from cancer of the stomach and pronounced the case as one without hope of recovery. In the latter respect they were
right, for death came at the end of the fortieth day of abstinence from food.

Page 63 of  72     The autopsy made known a condition which the symptoms had predicated. The stomach occupied a position in the abdominal
cavity such that its pyloric opening was turned and held forward and downward six or s even inches from its normal position; the
rounded portion of the lower center of the organ lay opposite the navel, and its shape was distorted and enlarged to a length  of
nearly two feet, and to a capacity of six fluid quarts. The small intestines were adh erent at a number of points to the peritoneum,
and the stomach also had to be released by the knife from the abdominal walls before it could be fully examined. The gall sac  was
excessively enlarged, while the liver was in a state of degeneration.

    The medical history of this case notes typhoid fever with peritonitis about twelve years before death. This in all probability
determines the time of causation of the visceral adhesions and of the distortion in stomach and intestines, for, when the typ hoid
symptoms occurred, the organs of the body of the patient were fully matured, and the inflammation incident to the symptoms, wit h
constant feeding even while fever was at its height, gave no opportunity for the healing processes of nature to act. This
combina tion of error eventually led to the formation of the lesions described, to which the fatal outcome is directly traceable.

    It is perhaps unnecessary to emphasize the truth that, in the physical distress suffered by this woman, medicine was unable t o
grant her relief. In fact, the time when she was most free from suffering was covered by the last several weeks of fasting bef ore
death occurred.

    During the forty days of abstinence large quantities of blackish offensive fluid was discharged with each  enema, and there was
progressive relief from distress with lessened pain. However, no decrease in the amount of refuse evacuated was noted until t he
power of function of the eliminative organs diminished with lowering vitality.

    Case 2 is that of a m arried woman, thirty -nine years of age, who for all of the adult period of life had suffered greatly from
impaired digestion, variously diagnosed by many different physicians. For two years prior to death the patient had subsisted upon a
diet of liquid foo d, the stomach refusing solids. This woman since girlhood had the distinction of consistently refusing medical
remedies, but, nevertheless, her condition steadily grew worse, and, while no hope was offered that recovery could be had, he r
request that she b e permitted to undergo a fast was granted. No food, excepting the slight amount of nourishment contained in the
juice of oranges and lemons in small quantities was given for fifty -seven days, when she died. In fact, at no time from the
beginning of the fas t, which really was undertaken because the stomach repeatedly rejected the liquids ingested, could food have
been introduced into the organ. This was absolutely determined by the results of the autopsy, which are now given.

    In the duodenum, just belo w the pyloric opening of the stomach, there must at one time have been an ulcer or some acute
inflammation. Nature in her efforts at repair had deposited tissue cells at this point to the degree that the lumen of the in testine had
been almost occluded. As time went by this growth enlarged and involved the bile ducts, so that when death occurred the passage
through the duodenum was entirely blocked. In composition the accumulation of tissue showed none of the characteristic cell
formation of cancer, but was a mass of muscle and membrane, healthy in their components, but abnormal in deposition. The right
kidney was in a state of complete degeneration, but the other organs of the body and the intestines, with the exception of th e
duodenal portion, were normal i n size, position, and condition.

    In view of the remarkable circumstances involving the physiology of this woman, a fuller description of her dietetic habit pr oves
interesting. As stated, for two years previous to death only liquids were tolerated. Fo od substances obtained by boiling vegetables
and by diluting fruit juices were the forms in which sustenance was furnished. In fact, so intolerant of solids was the stoma ch that
the broths and juices were strained through cloths in order that no formed par ticles entered into them. Whenever the straining was
defective, vomiting of sediment occurred, hence the utmost care was needed so that distress might not be caused.

    This case, then, subsisted for two years upon only that sustenance which her body wa s able to appropriate through stomach
absorption. Mineral salts and the vitamins may conceivably be conveyed in part to the centers of nutrition in this manner, bu t it
could only have been in minute amounts that proteins, carbohydrates, and the starches we re delivered, and then in forms not fully
digested. While, until a year or so before her death, there might have been a small passage through and past the accumulation  in
the duodenum, thus permitting of some intestinal digestion, it is certain that months  of existence had elapsed with no food ingested
other than that described as strained to a watery consistency; and it is virtually certain that for this same period no intes tinal
digestion took place, for, when vomiting occurred, no bilious fluid ever appe ared, and in the whole history of the case no formed
feces were ever evacuated, the enemas in discharge being invariably fluid and never more than slightly discolored.


 to stop in Gainesville on his way from Atlanta
to Miami.
I t houg ht it was a crazy idea. My mind kept telling me
that the re was no way Baba  would ever come here. I
actually felt embarrassed to write the letter and send it
off t o India. B ut what choice did I have? I could either
listen to my r esistant mind,  or recognize that life had
brought me in contact with this great yogi, given me a
deep experience sitting before his picture, and then stuck
an impa ssioned devotee onto  my own land to force me to
invite him to Gainesville. Ultimately, I surrendered and
mailed the letter.
Some months later I received a response telling me
that so meone would come to my place to discuss the
possibility of a Gainesville visit. When he arrived out
here, I was sur prised to be meeting a very professionally
dressed young man. Apparently, he was just as surprised
to b e meeting a hippie-type c haracter living alone in the
woods. You could tell that he wasn’t all that impressed.
He began to explain to me what it would take to host a
weeklong visit from Baba and his entourage. They would
need facilities for his staff of up to twenty people, a room
large enough for fifty to a hundred people for daily
sessions during the week, and a weekend retreat site that
could h ouse up to a few hundred people. He was very
skeptical about my ability to arrange everything, and
who co uld blame him. I wa s a part-time teacher at a
community co llege earning $350 a month—not exactly
the credentials they were looking for.
In the end, he told me I was welcome to see what I
could a rrange, and they would get back to me. It
certainly didn’t sound promising, but at least I didn’t geta de finitive no. Before he left, I asked him an important
question: If his group was trying to get people interested
in Baba, how exactly did they  promote him on his world
tour? I didn’t t hink an Indian saint who spoke no English
would a ttract that many people. All he told me was that
Baba was a v ery powerful Siddha  master and people
would w ant to  meet him. I didn’t understand what that
meant, but I figured I’d find out later.
A few months went by, and we were given a tentative
date for when Baba might pass through Gainesville:
January 18, 1975. The excitement about a possible visit
by a world-renowned yoga master only served to
accelerate the energy around my classes and the Sunday
services. Each  week things grew until I was forced to
build a small a ddition onto my house to fit more people.
With th e publi cation of my b ook, The Search for Truth,
in spring of 1974, the energy was fanned even more.
Rama and Sandy had both  come and gone by the
spring o f that year, and Sand y’s house sat empty until a
young w oman named Donna Wagner moved in. Donna
was finishing her degree at the university when she
started sitting in on my Sant a Fe classes. Though just a
few years older than the othe r students, Donna was more
centered and mature. She had a very deep understanding
of w hat I was  teaching, and she came to most of my
classes and all the Sunday services. For about a year
before she moved in, it seemed like time and again we
kept bumping into each other in town. These chance
meetings happened so often that I began to wonder what
was going on.
Donna started to help organize the Sunday group after
Sandy left. She would often stay in Sandy’s house on
Saturday nights to help set up for and greet the people on
Sunday morni ngs. Eventual ly, she just stopped going
home. If I had known then that she was moving out of a
nice co ndominium her parents had purchased for her,
and int o this tiny cabin in the woods with no plumbingor electricity, I might not have been so quick to let her
move in. If I had known then that we were destined to
fall in love, get married, and have a beautiful daughter
together—given my mind-set at the time, I definitely
would n ot have  let her move in. It would take a few more
years of learning to surrender before I would be capable
of d ropping my spiritual self-concept enough to accept
the special relationships that life had in store for me.2 2.
S h a k t i p a t
W e had so many things to take care of if we were going to
host a visit from  Baba. None of us had done anything like
this bef ore, so we had to learn things as we went along.
First, we found a summer c amp in the Ocala National
Forest that could easily handle a large weekend retreat
during its off-season. Next, we put the word out that we
needed a very large house for Baba’s twenty-person staff
and the weekday meditation sessions. As a college town,
Gainesville is not known for its large mansions, but
someone contacted me and offered us the perfect house
for the entire month of January. Things were definitely
falling into place.
The weekend retreat was goin g to be the clincher. If we
couldn’t get enough people signed up, Baba would never
come. Donna and I had to make hundreds of individual
phone calls and send mailings all over the state to attract
enough people. It took real surrender for me to hook up a
phone at my h ouse and use that as the contact number
on all flyers and phone messages. We were passionate
about getting the word out, and we had a tremendous
response from all over the state.
For yea rs I had thought that  a spiritual life was about
spending every day in silence and solitude. I was now
running around getting all this work done. Yet somehow
I f elt more ope n and more co nnected to the energy flow
than ever before. I kept my morning and evening
meditations, but the hours in between were devoted to
my classes and bringing Baba to Gainesville. I had
surrendered ju st enough to where the flow of life was nolonger something I chose to give in to—the flow had
taken o ver my life. It had gon e from subtly guiding me to
running me. My mind k ept telling me that after this was
over I would go  back to my solitary lifestyle. As usual, my
mind was wrong.
Before Baba came to Gain esville, we received an
invitation to attend his December retreat just outside of
Atlanta. I was anxious to meet him, plus it seemed like a
good idea to know what to  expect when he came to
Gainesville the next month. About six of us packed into
my van, and we made the trip  north. When we arrived at
the retr eat site, we were ush ered into a large hall with
fifty to sixty o ther people. So began four of the most
intense days of my life.
I remember the first meditation session with Baba. We
were to ld he would walk arou nd among us while we were
meditating. It was so dark in the room that I couldn’t see
anything, yet at some point I felt a strong presence
behind me. It got stronger a nd stronger until I realized
that Baba was standing right beside me. He touched the
point between my eyebrows, exactly where I always felt
the energy flow. He then moved on.
We had two of these meditation sessions each day.
Each time I could definitely feel strong energy as Baba
walked around behind me, but that was about it. It was
hard to sit in that room all day. I would try to meditate
just to get some privacy, but I was unable to get inside
myself. Instead of my meditations getting deeper, I was
locked o ut altogether. That was pretty much how I felt all
the time—closed down. I was too spacey to think, my
body h urt, and that voice in  my head was driving me
crazy. I  was determined to sit it out, but I couldn’t wait
until it was over.
It w ent on like  that until the  final day, and I was very
confused to say the least. On the final morning, I decided
perhaps I wasn’t being open enough in how I was
relating to Baba. I had come t o pay my respects to a greatspiritual teacher, but he wasn’t my teacher—Yogananda
was my teacher. I decided that for this last day I would
even let go of that concept and just surrender completely
to the experience in front of me.
While the program was goin g on at the front of the
hall, I sat in my seat and started to do Baba’s mantra. I
repeated Om Namah Shivaya  over an d ove r again.
Before I knew it, I was very deep in meditation. All outer
sounds had ceased, as had m y mental chatter. I was in a
place I had never been before, deep inside my heart. I felt
like my heart was a giant ca ve that was protecting me
and loving me. I was completely entranced and at peace.
It s oon


ion
SymptomsBelching:bitter;sour.Belly/stomach
bloated.Flatulence:windafterbreakfast.
Betterafterpassingastool.
Worseaftereatingstarchyfood.
Thepersoncannotdigeststarchyfood,suchaspota-
toes,andthetonguemaylookgreenishbrownordirty
NBSEEALSOPAGES203-26FORGENERALADVICE,DOSANDDON'TS.
122•Nitricumacidum(Nit-ac.) INTERNALMATERIAMEDICA
green.Thiscolicorrumblinginthestomachisbetter
forpassingastool.
Nitricumacidum(Nit-ac.)
Othernames:aquafortis;nitricacid
Nitricacidisanimportantmineralacid.Itisoneofthe
earliestnitrogencompoundstobepreparedandused;
inthethirteenthcenturyitwasknownasaquafortisor
eauforte,anditwasusedasatonic.
Purenitricacidisacolourless,extremelycorrosive
liquidwhichfumesstronglyoncontactwithmoistair.
(Freenitricacidisfoundinmoistairinthedischargeof
atmospheric electricity,orlightning.)Thefumescan
causenitrousgaspoisoning,andspillageoftheacid
causessevereburnsandstainstheskinvellow.
Poisoningsproducegastro-enteritis withburning
painsintheoesophagusandabdomen,bloodv
diarrhoea,collapseanddeath.
Commercially, itisusedprimarilyinthemanufac-
tureofammoniumnitrateforfertilisersandexplos-
ives,although itisalsousedindyesanddrugs,
plastics,lacquersandsyntheticfibres.Medicinally,
itspowerfullycorrosiveactionisusedtoremove
warts,althoughmuchcareneedstobetakeninits
application.
Thehomeopathicpreparation ismadefrom"nitric
acidpreparedbymixingpure,pulverisednitrewithan
equalamountofphosphoricacid;thisisthendistilled
andsuccussed.
GENERALSYMPTOMS
Anaemia.BreathsmellyDischargeslikeammonia.
Likesfatfattvfoods.Pains:inbones;flyingaround;
needle-like;splinter-like;appearanddisappear
suddenly.Sweat:onsinglepartsofthebody;smelly;
sour;fromslightestphysicalexertion.Tongue
cracked.
Betterforlyingdown.
Worseforcold;forfreshair;atnight;onwaking;for
lossofsleep;fortouch;forjarringmovement;for
walking.
NitricumacidumisverysimilartoHeparsulpllwith
offensivenessonbothphysicalandemotionallevels.
Theirurinesmellsstrongly(itisoftencomparedtothat
ofhorses)andtheirsweatisalsofoulsmelling.They
willoftenhavesmellybreathandacrackedtongue.
Theylovefatty,friedfoodsandwilleatthefaton
meat.
Nitricumtypesareweakandchillyandworseforcoldandatnight.Thisisoneofthe'coldest'remedies
intheMateriaMedica.
Theirpainscomeandgoandaredeepinthebones.
Thesepeopleareverysensitivetobeingtouchedor
jarred,whichaggravatestheirsplinter-likepains.
Theyalwaysfeelgenerallybetterforlyingdown.
Theysufferfromnervousexhaustioncausedby
insufficientsleeporfromhavingbrokennights.
EMOTIONAL/MENTALSYMPTOMS
Violentlyangry.Anxious.Depressed.Fearfulof
death.Irritable.Sensitivetonoise;topain.Sluggish.
Tantrums.Unforgiving.
Thesepeoplefeelanxiousanddepressed,especiallyin
theevenings.Theyhavealotofanxietyabouttheir
healthandmaywellconsultdoctorafterdoctorin
ordertofindoutwhatiswrong,notbelievingthe
diagnoses,particularly iftheyaretoldtheyarenot
seriously ill.
Theyoftenbecomesickinthefirstinstancebecause
theyhaveaveryunforgivingstreakandfeelanenor-
mousamountofangertowardsthosewhohave
offendedthem.Theymayusetheword'hate'when
describingtheobjectoftheirderision.Theirangercan
explodeandcausethemtoswearandtremble.They
are(inthisunforgivingstate)notmovedbyapologies
andcarrythishatredaroundwiththem.Thiseats
awayatthemlikeanacid,andtheythenbecome
sensitive.
Theymaythrowthemselvesintotheirworkand
thenbecomewornoutmentallyandswingtothe
oppositeextremeofnotwantingtoworkatall.Inthis
statetheybecomeover-sensitive tonoise,especially
shrillnoises,whichwillmakethemjump.
PHYSICALCOMPLAINTS
Commoncold
SymptomsNasalcatarrh:bloody;burning;dirty
yellow;thin;wateryinthefreshair.
Worseforfreshair;atnight.
Thenoseisblockedandfeelssoreandbruisedand
sensitivetotouch.Theremaybeulcersinthenostrils.
Earache
SymptomsCracklinginearswhenchewing.Pains
splinter-like;throbbing.Withsymptomsofsore
throat(seebelow).
Worseonrightside,forswallowing.
Thepainsareusuallysplinter-likeandthehearing
becomesacute-moresensitivethannormal.
INTERNALMATERIAMEDICA Nuxvomica(Nux-v.) •123
Exhaustion
SymptomsNervous.
Worseafterpassingastool;forwalking.
Causesdiarrhoea;lossofsleep;nursingthesick.
Thisweaknessresultsfromlossofsleepandaccom-
paniesorfollowsanattackofdiarrhoea. Itisworse
afterpassingastoolorfortakingawalk.
Eyeinflammation
SymptomsIn
swollen.
Itisimportanttotakegeneralsymptoms-suchas
chillinessandsmellyurine-intoaccount,aswellas
thesore,waterveves.Piles
SymptomsPains:burning;splinter-like. Piles:
bleeding;large.
Worseafterastool.
Thepainsmaylastforonetotwohours,evenaftera
softstool.
Sorethroat
FlatulenceSymptomsPains:burning;pressing;raw;splinter-
infants.Eyeswatering.Eyelids like;stitching;spreadingtoear.Tonsils:swollen;
ulcerated.
Worseforswallowing.
Thepainsaresevere-itfeelsasifsomethingsharp
werestuckinthethroat-andthevextendtotheearon
swallowing.Swallowing isextremelydifficult;even
tinyamountsoffoodseemtolodgeinthethroat.
SymptomsWind:smellv;obstructed(difficulttoex-
pel).
Headache
SymptomsHeadfeelsconstricted.Pains:spreading
toeyes;inbones;recurringatregularintervals;
pressing.
Worseforjarringmovement;formovement;atnight;
fornoise;forpressure;onwaking;forwalking.
Thisisasevereheadachethatisworseatnight.The
bonesofthefacearesore,andtheslightestpressure,
eventhatofahat,makesitworse(theheadfeels
constricted,asifitwerebandageduptightly)The
pressingpainsintheheadextendtotheeyeswhich
alsofeelsore.Theymaycomeandgosuddenly(see
GeneralSymptoms); iftheydo,thismayfollowa
pattern,forexampletheheadachemayreturnevery
eveningornight.
Insomnia
SymptomsDreamsanxious.Sleepunrefreshing.
Worseafter2a.m.
Thepersonwakesaround2a.m.andisunabletoget
backtosleep.
Jointpain
SymptomsPains:inbones;inlegs;splinter-like;
stitching;tearing.
Worseatnight.
Mouthulcers
SymptomsUlcers:onedgesoftongue;painful.
Thesearepainfululcersorpimplesontheedgeofthe
tongue.Thereisanincreaseofsalivainthemouth,
andthegumsmayalsobleedeasily.Thebreathisvery
smelly.Thrush(genital)
SymptomsDischarge:burning;smelly;itching;thin.
NUXVOMICA(Nux-v.)
Familyname:Loganiaceae
Commonnames:poisonnut;Quakerbuttons;semen
strvchnos
124•Nuxvomica(Nux-v.) INTERNALMATERIAMEDICA
Nuxvomicaseedsareproducedbyalargeevergreen
treenativetocertainpartsofIndia,Burma,Thailand,
ChinaandNorthernAustralia. Itproducessmall,un-
pleasant-smelling flowers,andbeautifulorange-
colouredfruitthesizeoflargeapples,whichcontaina
softwhitejelly-likepulpandfiveseedscoveredinsoft
hairs;theseseedshavenosmellbuttasteextremely
bitterowingtothestrychninecontainedinthem