 you don't want to read all of the studies
in order to get to the one that applies to you, look up your condition in the Index
listing which will tell you where the information on your disorder is located in the
book. Also, make sure that you read the instructions in Chapter 6 before beginning
the therapy. The use of urine in medicine is such a huge and previously untouched consumer
subject  that  reading,  organizing  and  compiling  the  pertinent  information  has
presented quite a challenge. So to make it more comprehensible, I've devoted each
chapter to particular, specific issues related to the medical use of urine. The first and  second  chapters have  been  a  general introduction to  the largely
unknown medical uses of urine and its importance as a natural medicinal. In Chapter 3, we'll discuss why medical practitioners and the general public know
nothing about the medical applications of urine even though there are centuries of
historical anecdotes and volumes of modem scientific reports advocating its value. 30We'll also discuss more about why the use of the natural form of urine is preferable
to urine extracts. Chapter 4 is an in-depth look at selected laboratory and clinical studies conducted
by doctors and researchers on the medical applications and significance of urine
therapy. These extensive research studies span a period of almost an entire century. -
Chapter 5 presents the interesting history of the use of urine therapy around the
world. Chapter 6 contains directions for home use. Chapter  7  presents  personal  testimonials  on  specific  disorders  and  disease
conditions. In these days of anxiety and fear about health care, perhaps the most important
thing for all of us to remember is that knowledge is our greatest strength and our
best health insurance. The more we know about our bodies and how to use simple,
safe remedies to correct diseases and chronic illnesses, the healthier and happier
each one of us will be. By the time you finish reading everything that people, doctors and scientists have
to say about urine therapy, you will agree, without a doubt, that it's one of the best
and  most  valuable  medical  secrets  that  any  of  us  have  ever  discovered. The
medicinal properties of urine are so comprehensive and so astounding, yet so easily
accessible that it gives each one of us amazing personal power over our own health
that we never even knew we possessed – the cost-free, natural healing power of our
own perfect medicine.n
31CHAPTER  3
WHY NOBODY KNOWS ANYTHING
ABOUT THE MOST RESEARCHED
NATURAL SUBSTANCE IN MEDICINE
One  of  the  questions  that  I'm  most  asked  about  urine  therapy  is:  "If  it's  so
wonderful and there's so much scientific evidence supporting it, why don't my
doctors and the public know about it and why isn't it more widely used?" Historically, the medical use of urine was qyute well known throughout the world. There are many reports that date back thousands of years, (see Chapter Five),
which extol the  virtues of urine both as a  diagnostic  tool and as a  medicinal
treatment for a wide variety of diseases, wounds and skin disorders. And yet today, even after nearly 100 years of consistent and authoritative modem
medical research showing urine or urea to be one of the simplest, cheapest, most
effective medicinal substances in existence, the vast majority of us, including even
32our own doctors, still mistakenly believe that urine is nothing more than a body
waste or a medical diagnostic tool. About all that consumers today know about urine in medicine is that you hand a
sample of it to the doctor's nurse when you go for an office visit so they can test it
for whatever it is that they test it for. And it's pretty much the same for the doctors. So how have we and our doctors, who are supposed to know about these things,
completely  missed  thousands  of  years  of  historical  references  and  almost  a
century's worth of definitive modern research discoveries on the medical use of
urine? To really understand why the extensive medical use of urine is largely unknown
and unpublicized today, we have to look more closely at the background and the
history of modern medicine. Before the advent of modem medicines, there were few man-made drugs, and even
fewer doctors to administer them -and, for most people, no money for to pay the
doctors even when they were available. So people generally treated their illnesses
with prayer and such common sense approaches as good food, rest and whatever
substances they found in nature that were traditionally known to have medicinal
qualities - things like simple herbs, plants, minerals, urine, etc. This natural approach to healing had recognizable benefits and even well-known
and historically respected doctors such as  Hippocrates taught that the body's own
natural defenses should be supported and emphasized in healing and that gentle,
natural medical approaches should always be used first before resorting to stronger
interventions. But throughout the known history of man and medicine, there has always been a
type of "tagstaKm" going on between those who felt that nature was the best
healer, and others who were convinced that man could intellectually devise healing
techniques that would put Mother Nature to shame. One'of the most potent arguments on the side of those who favored science over
nature were the various historical plagues of infectious diseases such as smallpox,
typhoid,  dysentery  and  the  dreaded  bubonic  or  “black  plague”  that  would
intermittently strike and wipe out millions of people in record time. Traditional
33medical approaches seemed of little use against such plagues, and westerners in
particular began to search science for methods of overcoming these diseases. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, science did discover man-
made synthetic drugs like penicillin that seemed to prevent these killer plagues and
other dangerous illnesses, and the age of modem synthetic medicine began. By the
time  the  second  half  of  the  twentieth  century  had  rolled  around,  mankind's
scientific advances in medicine had produced a wide variety of sophisticated drugs
and technology that seemed to make traditional health approaches obsolete. Apparently, mankind and technology had finally won the battle against nature. In
some ways, it appeared that humanity had even overcome its dependence on God;
as Robert Koch, who first discovered microbes commented, "In the nineteenth
century, man lost his fear of God and gained a fear of microbes." And perhaps this
is true, because,  unlike our great-grandparents and other ancestors back to the
beginning of time, most modern societies today depend much more on drugs and
medical science than on God, or the medicines that nature provides for healing
disease  or  correcting  health  disorders. This is  largely  because  today's  medical
community has conditioned us to believe that medical science, drugs and surgery
are all that are needed to keep humanity healthy, happy and disease-free. Medical science, not God and prayer, is now offered as our hope for increased
longevity and a type of immortality, as scientists experiment with such things as
cryogenics (freezing the body so that it can be'resurrected' by future scientists),
and surgical organ transplants that seem as though they could possibly extend our
physical lives indefinitely. When infertility occurs, we can now turn, not to nature,
or spiritual, or even psychological understanding, which often seem to fail to give
us what we want, but to the mechanical manipulations of medical science which
allow us to simply 'detour' around frustrating and 'unfair' natural impediments. In  view  of  all  of  the  apparent  advances  and  advantages  of  twentieth  century
medical science, the simpler, traditional and more natural approaches to medicine
like urine therapy have appeared to be  pseless  and ineffective to us, and we were
right to have abandoned them in favor of 'objective' scientific medicine — or so we
thought. 34The book, The Betrayal of Health, published in 1991 by Dr. Joseph Beasely, M.D.,
a medical doctor and former Harvard University administrator and dean of the
School of Public Health at Tulane University, simply and eloquently tells the story
of  the  development  of  modern  medicine  and  its  unfortunate,  unforeseen
consequences:
"From  the  earliest  days  of  medical  science  there  have  been  two  distinct  but
complementary approaches to health — the pursuit of well-being  (the naturalistic
school) and the cure of disease (the allopathic school). Hippocrates  combined both approaches in his practice and medical teachings —
stressing that the physician must be skilled in Nature and understand the patient in
relation to his or her food, drink, and occupation, as well as the effect each of
these factors has on the others. Health was an equilibrium between the mind and body and the external  world,
disease a disruption of this natural harmony. Treatment involved creating the conditions in which the body could maintain and
cure itself through its internal healing mechanisms. When disease did manifest
itself, specific intervention would be applied, but natural cures such as dietary
changes were preferred over drugs." But as Dr. Beasley points out, this balanced; natural approach to medicine did not
survive the twentieth century avalanche of enthusiasm for sophisticated synthetic
drugs and surgery that


 top, a new type of
experience begins to happen. At the very top of the scale, there occurs the
realization of one’ s true Self and the varying levels of Illumination. The
main importance of this is to note that, as we get higher and freer, what the
world calls spiritual awareness, intuition, and growth of consciousness
occur. This is the common experience of all who surrender their negative
feelings. They become more and more conscious. That which is impossible
to see or experience at lower levels of consciousness becomes self-evident
and stunningly obvious at higher levels.Understanding Emotions
According to scientific findings, all thoughts are filed in the mind’ s memory
bank under a filing system based upon the associated feeling and its finer
gradations (Gray–LaV iolette, 1982). They are filed according to feeling
tone, not fact. Consequently, there is a scientific basis for the observation
that self-awareness is increased much more rapidly by observing feelings
rather than thoughts. The thoughts associated with even one feeling may
literally run into the thousands. The understanding of the underlying
emotion and its correct handling is, therefore, more rewarding and less
time-consuming than dealing with one’ s thoughts. In the beginning, if one is unfamiliar with the whole subject of feelings,
it is often advisable to begin merely by observing them without any
intention of doing anything about them. In this way, some clarification will
occur about the relationship between feelings and thoughts. After there is
more familiarity, some experimentation can then occur. For instance, certain
areas of thoughts that tend to recur can be set aside and the feeling
associated with them identified. The feeling can then be worked with by
first accepting that it is there, without resisting it or condemning it. And
then one begins to empty out the ener gy of the feeling directly by letting it
be what it is until it runs out. Somewhat later, the former thoughts can now
be looked at and their character will be observed to have changed. If the
feeling has been totally surrendered and let go, usually all thoughts
associated with it will have disappeared entirely and been replaced by a
concluding thought which handles the matter quickly. For example, there was the case of a man who misplaced his passport
shortly before going to a foreign country. As the scheduled date of
departure drew closer and closer, his inner panic mounted. His mind raced
wildly, trying to think where the passport could have been misplaced. He
searched high and low. He tried various mental tricks to no avail. He
berated himself: “How could I have been so stupid as to lose a passport? Now there isn’ t time to get another one!” As the fateful day approached, he
faced a real dilemma: no passport, no trip. Missing the trip had a lot of
negative consequences because it was both business and pleasure, and it
would have created a dif ficult situation. Finally, he remembered to do the
letting go technique. He sat down and asked himself: “What is the basic feeling that I’ve
been ignoring?” T o his surprise, the basic feeling that came up was grief.The grief was associated with not wanting to be separated from someone he
dearly loved. There was also an associated fear of loss of the relationship,
or at least the weakening of it due to his absence. As he let go of the grief
and the associated fear, he suddenly felt at peace about the matter. He also
concluded that if the relationship couldn’ t handle a two-week absence, it
wasn’ t worth all that much anyway; so, there was really nothing at risk. As
soon as he felt at peace, he instantly remembered where the passport was. In
fact, it was in a place so simple and obvious that only unconscious blocking
could explain why he had not remembered it. Needless to say, all of the
thousands of thoughts about the missing passport, the failed trip and the
potential consequences instantly disappeared. His emotional state became
one of gratitude and happiness instead of frustration. Letting go can be very useful in everyday life situations, but its use in
life crises can be crucial in preventing and alleviating lar ge amounts of
suf fering. In a life crisis there is usually an overwhelm of emotion. The
crisis has tapped into one of our major areas of suppressed or repressed
feelings. In this situation the problem is not one of identifying the emotion
but how to handle the overwhelm. Handling Emotional Crises
Because this is a very dif ficult problem for most people, some details are
needed. There are several techniques to help move through emotional
disaster much more quickly, and with a better end result, than allowing it to
run out on its own. Recall the usual mechanisms that the mind consciously
uses to handle emotions, which are suppression (or repression), expression,
and escape. These are deleterious only when they are used without
conscious intent. In an overwhelm, it is often advisable to utilize them, but
doing so consciously. The purpose of this maneuver is to reduce the sheer
overwhelming quantity of the emotion itself so that it can be disassembled
and let go of in bits and pieces (this process is described below). Thus, in
this case, it is all right consciously  to push away as much of the emotion as
we are capable of at the moment. The emotion can be reduced in intensity
by sharing the feeling with close friends or mentors. By merely expressing
the feeling, some of the ener gy behind it is reduced. It is also alright in this
circumstance consciously to utilize escape mechanisms, such as going out
in a social situation to get some distance from the upset, playing with the
dog, watching television, going to the movies, playing music, making love,or whatever one’ s habit is under the circumstances. When the feeling has
been reduced in its sheer quantity and intensity, it is best to start letting go
of small aspects of the situation rather than the overall situation and the
accompanying emotion itself. T o illustrate this point, let’ s take the example of a man who loses his
job after many years with a company, and is now in an overwhelm of
despair. By utilizing the three mechanisms already described, some of the
emotion can be reduced. What he can look at, then, are some of the small
trivia about the job. For instance, could he let go of wanting to have lunch
where he always had lunch with his business colleagues? Could he let go of
wanting to park his car in the parking space he always had in the past? Could he let go of wanting to ride up in the same elevator? Could he let go
of the attachment to his desk? Could he let go of the attachment to the
secretary and her friendliness toward him? Could he let go of the
attachment to his computer? Could he let go of seeing the same boss every
day? Could he let go of his feeling of familiarity with the background
noises in the of fice? The purpose of surrendering these smaller aspects of losing a job,
which may seem trivial, is that it gets the mind into the letting go mode. The letting go mode takes us up to the level of Courage; the negative
feelings have been acknowledged and worked through; consequently,
they’ve lost their char ge. Suddenly there is the awareness that we have the
courage to face the situation, recognize our feelings, and do something
about them. As the trivia are surrendered, curiously, the main event
becomes less and less oppressive. The reason for the phenomenon is that,
when we use the mechanism of surrender on one emotion, we are
surrendering on all emotions at the same time. It is as though all emotions
have the same underlying ener gy, so that to surrender in one direction
surrenders feelings which appear, on the surface, to be in an opposite
direction. This is a matter of clinical experience; it must be tried personally
in order to believe it. After utilizing the above four methods (suppression, expression,
escape, surrender of smaller aspects), a fifth now becomes apparent. Every
strong emotion is really a composite of a number of subsidiary emotions
and the total emotional complex can be disassembled. Thus, for instance,
the man who has lost his job initially has an overwhelming feeling of
despair; but, as he begins to surrender around the periphery, and as hediminishes his overwhelm through consciously utilizing escape,
suppression, and expression, he now realizes that there is also anger. He
sees that the anger is associated with pride. There is a lot of anger in the
form of resentment. There is self-invalidation, which is a form of anger
expressed against himself. There is also considerable fear. Thus these
associated emotions can now be addressed directly. For instance, he can
start letting go of the fear that he won’ t find another job. When that fear is
acknowledged and let go, all the alternate possibilities that exist will
become suddenly apparent to him. And, as he surrenders pride, he will
quickly see that he is not faced with economic disaster, as he had thought. Thus, as the disassembled emotional complex is taken apart into its
component parts, each component part now has less ener gy and can be
surrendered individually. As we come out of the overwhelm, it will be remembered that a certain
portion of the emotion was purposely suppressed or escaped. It can now be
reexamined, so that it no longer does residual harm, such as ending up in
bitterness, unconscious guilt, or lower self-esteem


 urine therapy
as well as a number of general principles of holistic
therapies. "More than any other method, urine therapy
represents the principles of natural medicine,
according to which one should not passively depend
on 'being healed', but should instead heal oneself
actively. One's own urine is a specific medicine for anyone
who is ill -it is made for him or her personally
and is just right for what he or she needs at the
present moment- because it changes its composition
all the time. It is not only something that cures, but it also
sustains health when taken as a preventative. Taken energetically, one could consider urine to
be an exact hologram of both healthy as well as
diseased body fluids. All information from the body
fluids is collected and stored in the urine. Since everyone has to learn to take responsibility
for their own health over and over again -do you
normally give your highest good so easily in the
hands of others?-anyway, urine therapy will help
you in a very simple way to take that responsibility
with your own hands." (From: Die Heilkraft der Eigenharn-Therapie,
Ingeborg AUmann, Verlag Dr. Karl Hohn K4
Biberach 1993, p. 5-6.) AUmann emphasises the importance of fasting, par
ticularly during chronic illnesses. She also explains
how urine can be injected, and describes another method in which urine and blood are mixed. A few
drops of this mixture should then be ingested orally
on a regular basis. This shows the versatility of the
different methods of application of urine therapy,
although, according to AUmann, drinking, and spe
cifically fasting, is the most simple and effective
way. AUmann discusses the kidneys as a source of pri
mal energy which is essential for the body. The kid
neys are vital organs which play an extremely
important role in the balance of the whole organ
ism and the functioning of other organs. According
to Allmann, urine therapy is an excellent way to
restore and stimulate this primal energy. "Since one's own urine is the best medicine for
the kidneys that we could imagine, all diseases
which are caused by under-or non-functioning of
this organ can be cured in this way, i.e. via the
kidneys. It is clear for any holistic health practitioner that
all cycles within the body are interconnected, and
this means that the healing of one of those cycles
will have a positive effect on the others." (From: Die Heilkraft der Eigenharn-Therapie,
Ingeborg AUmann, Verlag Dr. Karl Hohn K4
Biberach 1993, p. 24.) AUmann extensively describes the role of the pH
value and how important the acid-alkaline percent
age is for our body and health. She also gives an
overview of the diversity of illnesses on which urine
therapy has had positive results. Both AHmann and
Abele state that candidiasis (a frequently occurring,
stubborn fungal infection) can be completely cured
The History of Urine Therapy in the West 25 by a three-week urine fast. AHmann (a pharmacist)
also outlines the chemical composition of urine. In his book Die Apotheke in uns; Behandlung mit
Eigenharn- eine bewahrte Naturheilmethode ('The Phar
macy Within Ourselves; Treatment with Auto-Urine
-A Proven Natural Healing Method'), the Swiss phy
sician, Dr. UE. Hasler, discusses the substances found
in urine even more extensively. Hasler tells how,
shortly after World War II, he first heard of urine
therapy. Urine was often used at the front, for lack
of other medication and as a disinfectant for surgery
instruments. His interest was rekindled much later
when he heard the story of a doctor from Russia. Apparently, this doctor treated many people from far
and wide, and was able to alleviate or completely cure
illnesses with nothing else than urine therapy, while
other methods up until then had failed. Hasler wanted to know more about urine therapy,
and asked Mantak Chia, an Eastern teacher in the
field of holistic health and spirituality who is also
well-known in the West, for more information:
"I went to the teacher of the course, Mantak Chia,
and asked him if he had ever heard of this peculiar
method. Immediately his face turned into a big
smile, and he pointed at himself and said: "I use it
myself You Western doctors make a big mistake
in thinking that the kidneys only discard poisonous
substances. ]ust look at the dung of plants. A human
being is also such a plant and can benefit
enormously from it."" (From: Die Apotheke in uns; Behandlung mit Eigenharn
-eine bewahrte Naturheilmethode, Dr. med. UE. Hasler, Karl F. Haug Verlag, Heidelberg 1994, p.9.) 26 The Water of Life Hasler ascribes the effect of urine therapy in part
to the many effective substances found in urine. He illustrates this with an overview of these sub
stances (almost twenty pages!) and their possible
effects. But Hasler does not limit himself to the
medical aspects of these substances; he also dis
cusses the 'life energy' found in urine:
"Looking at the surprising diversity of subs
tances found in urine makes us understand its
positive effect. A-L ( auto-liquidum =urine, tr.) represents a living substance. This fluid is full of
life and contains the life energy which is so
important. In complementary medicine we already deal
with the principle of life energy. We have inside
our human bodies an inner healing principle; it is
what I call"the Healer Within". This inner doctor
is very intelligent and wants to keep the organism
healthy whenever possible- whether it is a plant,
ammal or human being. Independently and from
within areas we are normally not aware of, he is
always busy, never sleeps, does not know Sundays
nor holidays, and is always there as long as the
organism is,; ·;.,e." (From: Die A; u·.Jke in uns; &handlung mit Eigenharn
-eine be ltrte Naturheilmethode, Dr. med. UE. Hasler, Karl F. Haug Verlag,
Heidelberg 1994, p. 48.) A few brief examples of the use of urine therapy in
a number of other countries follow below. Various schools and clinics in the United States
which work with natural medicine also work with,,
I
i urine therapy. The Water of Life Institute in Florida
(now Lifestyle Institute, Ruidoso NM, see address
list in the back of this book) has contributed much
to the promotion of the therapy. In New York City,
a support group currently exists for those who use
urine therapy, with some 700 members, many of
whom are suffering from AIDS. Recently I heard
about a similar support group existing in West Hol
lywood, California. Some people with AIDS have
already benefited greatly from this therapy. In 1994 the book Your Own Perfect Medicine, writ
ten by Martha Christy, was published in the United
States. This book gives a very complete and good
overview of scientific material concerning the medi
cal value of urine and its substances. Urine therapy is also used extensively in an in
stitute in England. This institute is directed by
Arthur Lincoln Pauls, a specialist in bio-orthonomy
and author of the book on urine therapy, Shivambu
K.alpa. A 'juicier' example of the use of urine therapy
in England is the British. actress Sarah Miles. She
drinks a glass of her own life water daily and swears
that this keeps her healthy and beautiful. Urine is
terrific for skin care, a fact already well known by
the ancient Egyptians. The present-day cosmetic
industry is also aware of this fact: if you study the
ingredients of a number of skin creams and various
brands of toothpaste, you will regularly come across
'urea' as a significant component. Two books have recently been published in
France on urine therapy. The bookAmaroli suggests
a list of names for urine therapy, including the play
ful name 'pipi-therapie'. Besides an extensive sum
mary of its practical application,Amaro/i also places urine therapy within the broader perspective of
modern holistic medicine and health concepts. One
chapter discusses the transformative and (self)
regenerative effect of drinking urine. From this
perspective, urine therapy is a modern way of
'sanctifying' the body, as it revitalises the genetic
structure on the deepest level. We see here a link to
the'sacred' character of urine therapy as described
by ancient traditions. As a conclusion to this section, I would like to fo
cus on a number of facts related to drinking urine
in emergency situations. Drinking urine is a good alternative wherever
water is scarce. It not only satisfies the need for
liquid, but ·also actually keeps the body healthy. Some time ago there was an earthquake in Egypt. A survivor was pulled out of the rubble in Cairo
after being trapped for three days. The man had


 You set yourself up so that
you can only have peace when the circumstances are just right. But then the
circumstances keep on changing. No peace will ever last when the quest is outside. There is a deeper way to live.Your true Self is not swayed by circumstance, only your mind and
emotions are. When you identify your Self as deeper than your mind and
emotions, you will be satisfied, content, okay—regardless of what is
happening outside of you. Rather than spending your precious moments trying to contort and
control the world outside of you or trying to “fix” or change people so they
will not trigger your emotional wounds, work on your Self. Work on
developing that indwelling connection so that you can be deeply satisfied,
and then move through the world from that place: beyond the fickleness of
the mind, beyond conditioned desire, beyond the ever -changing stream of
emotion. What if you practiced believing that you already have everything you
need? What if you practiced feeling that you are enough—that what you
know is enough, what you have is enough, and who you are is enough? What if you let yourself be satisfied—as it is, and as you are—right now? What if you accepted rather than resisted reality and then showed up in
every situation in a way that uplifts and actually serves? When you are
already satisfied, your actions stem from a place of wanting to give rather
than wanting to get, and it is truly in giving that you will receive. Let each
moment become better because you were there. TAPAS
Tapas  is discipline or austerity. It is the fire between what you want now
and what you want most, between an old habit and a new one. The moment
when you crave your first cigarette after deciding to quit or pass by that first
coffee shop after giving up caf feine. Every single part of you is wired to
reach for the cigarette or to get a cup of cof fee. In that moment there is a
fire that will transform you…if you let it. Tapas is choosing something dif ferent. It is the ability to wait. It is the
willingness to sit in the heat, to tolerate the discomfort that arises, not
because you want it, but because you know that you need it. It isacknowledging the neuroplasticity of your brain and your ability to rewire
old habits in order to build pathways to freedom. SVADHYAYA
Svadhyaya  is Self-study: know who you are. Know the highest vision—the
highest version—of yourself for this lifetime, and also know who you will
be beyond this life. The moment you entered into your mother ’s womb,
cells divided and multiplied—and will keep dividing and multiplying,
transforming and changing, until, one day, you will depart. Know who you are, beyond your body and mind, your roles and
positions. Hear Truth every day. Read, meditate, and learn from Self-
realized teachers. Seek shelter in those who know. Knowing your Self is the
greatest treasure you will of fer the world. By living from that place, you
will inspire and remind many others to do the same. When you know who
you are, kindness, compassion, truthfulness, sense control, and
understanding the temporary nature of this world all come with it. When
you know who you really are, you see the soul within all beings, regardless
of the body they are inhabiting. You’ll show up every moment of your life
in a way that ultimately serves. ISHVARAPRANIDHANA
Ishvarapranidhana  is “surrender to the Divine”: of fering everything that
you have and everything that you do to God—because where does it all
come from, anyway? Humility is vital on the path: ishvarapranidhana calls
for surrendering the idea that you are the controller, the maintainer, and the
owner of it all; it calls for letting go of the notion that you know best or
know everything and requires opening to the possibility that there is a scope
much lar ger than your own. Just because you have not seen something does not mean that it is not
real. Would the fish in the tank believe you if you told them of the ocean? Humility is the ability to say, “I don’ t know, could be!” rather than shuttingout a lar ger perspective than what your limited experience has shown you. When you are humble you are able to recognize someone who has a lar ger
scope than your own, someone who has touched Truth, and you’ll have the
desire to learn. When you trust, you can begin to love. When you love, it is natural to
put your self-centered desires aside and show up in a way that truly serves. To fully serve means that you have surrendered your own personal will to a
much lar ger one—realizing that you are a part of something greater. “Thy will, not mine” becomes your life’ s mantra. NURTURING YOUR
RELATIONSHIP
Whether you are going through the journey of pregnancy with a partner or
on your own, having the support of people in your life is invaluable. The
field of your relationships serve as a sacred container in which your little
one will grow. Before inviting this soul into your life, it is important to
cultivate a sense of deep trust, nourishment, and genuine care in your
primary relationships, as these are the ener gies that will nourish your babe. If you are in a committed partnership, part of the preparation for
pregnancy will be to give yourself completely and fully to that other person. The level and depth of commitment required to enter into the parenthood
phase of a relationship is profound. To invite a soul into the field of your
and your partner ’s love is a powerful step to take as a couple. When inviting
a child into your relationship, the relationship is no longer just about the
two of you, but about serving something greater. It is a bonding at a very
deep level that requires a container of profound trust, conscious
communication, and commitment.DEALING WITH CONFLICT
Whatever the dynamic (whether it be a mother and daughter, a romantic
partnership, or something else), a great relationship does not mean that
there are never disagreements. It means that when they do come up, both
parties have tools, skills, and the ability to listen, reflect, and grow from
whatever arises. A strong parenting relationship will involve a mutual
commitment to growth. This will be especially important once your little
one arrives, as you are the model for the relationships that they will seek in
the future. It may sound like a lot of pressure, but try to see it as an opportunity to
strengthen your commitment; to refine your communication skills; to
redefine your need to be “right”; and to cultivate qualities such as patience,
forgiveness, steadiness, and gratitude, which you will pass on to your little
one through your example. If you are able to practice these things before
your baby comes, you will be much better prepared during pregnancy and
once baby is here to meet any challenges that will arise in your
relationships. Ayurveda teaches that during pregnancy the mother should always feel
happy, and that the partner ’s only job is to assure her happiness. Remember
that the baby experiences everything that mama experiences, so, as much as
possible, bathe yourself in uplifting environments, conversations, tastes,
sights, and sounds. I remember during month three of my pregnancy I was feeling really
frustrated in one of my primary relationships, and at the same time I was
feeling heavy guilt knowing that my baby was experiencing the emotions
that I was feeling. I called one of my girlfriends and shared my experience
with her, and she of fered me the following gem of wisdom:
It is not about not feeling the other emotions. Your baby needs to
know that it is okay to feel what they feel and that they do not have to
be happy all the time. How do you move through it? How do you
process it? How do you grow from it? What is important is that youteach them, through your example, how to move through emotions as
they arise in a healthy way. She assured me that conflict is nothing to fear and that we should raise our
children to know that. Then, rather than avoiding conflict or being afraid
when it comes up, they witness and learn how conflict (if dealt with
consciously) can be fertile soil for growth and connection. After the first time my husband and I got into a disagreement in front of
our six-week-old baby, we had the discussion about what boundaries to
have around that happening again. Is it okay to ar gue in front of him? We
decided that it is okay, as long as we are communicating ef fectively (which
includes listening and reflecting), and as long as we are committed to
coming out the other side with more clarity and connection. In this way, we
model real relationship: there will be bumps and challenging times, but it is
nothing to fear. Conflict does not mean that someone is going to get hurt, or
shamed, or worse, leave. Conflict is not something to run away from, but
rather something to move toward with the intention to understand and move
closer together. Many of us fear conflict because we have seen our own families torn
apart by it. We are afraid of ar guments, because we fear that it is the end of
something: “Dad is going to walk out.” “Mom


42
consciousness entering, 31
five elements in, 15
identifying with, 9, 10–1 1
maha gunas and, 78
as spiritual, 78–80
meals
Ayurvedic guidelines for, 271–72, 283
for postpartum, 283–85
during pregnancy, 273–77
regularity in, 112, 179
timing and amounts, 65
meda dhatu, 86
meditation, 25, 43, 64, 68, 75, 86, 92. See also  mantra meditation
melaleuca (tea tree) oil, 312, 318, 319, 320
melissa oil, 317
Melnick, Narelle, 141
menopause, 208
menstruation, 57, 62, 208, 304
microcosm-macrocosm, 60
midwives and doulas, 62
author ’s experiences with, 162, 165
communicating with, 147
newborns and, 243, 251
roles of, 152–53, 156
milk, 215–16, 276
Ayurvedic Cow’ s Milk Formula, 264–65
in baby soap, 247–48
cold, 282cow’ s, 260, 265
Hot Milk Tonic, 290–91
Panchamrit, 274
tonic, 180, 207, 208, 252
mind
as always changing, 12
identifying with, 41, 44
maha gunas and, 74
noticing, 225–26
nourishing, 80
understanding nature of, 8
mirror metaphor, 34
miscarriage, 20, 94, 102–3, 208, 216–18
mood
balancing, 213
essential oils for, 317
postpartum disorders, 204–6
mood swings, 104–6, 206–7
morning sickness, 24, 106–7, 303
mornings, daily practices for, 64–65
Mother Earth (Bhumi), 232
Mother Teresa, 224
motherhood
boundaries in, 230–31
reflections for, 228
as spiritual practice, 225–27, 231, 236–37, 321
transition to, 141–42, 161, 172–74, 192–93
two hearts in, 218–19
universal principles, 194
mucuna, 206, 207, 306, 307
mucus plug, 144, 146, 159
mustard seeds, 278, 294–95
myrrh oil, 314, 315, 318
N
nadi shodhana. See alternate-nostril breathing
Natural Health after Birth  (Romm), 210
nature, 14, 90–91
nausea, 95
agni and, 271
essential oils for, 311, 314
herbs for, 303
in labor, 149pitta imbalance and, 24, 62
postpartum, 206
during pregnancy, 97, 108, 274
vata imbalance and, 19
See also  morning sickness
neroli oil, 316
nervous system, 90–91
abhyanga for, 66
herbs for, 198, 212, 303–4, 305
imprints on, 2–3
kapha and, 26
of newborns, 192, 238
parasympathetic, activating, 21
vata and, 100
yoga for soothing, 208
nesting, 121–22, 157, 194, 196
nettles, 100, 109, 204, 303
newborns, 192, 223–25, 238
basic needs, 239–40
common challenges, 249–54
essential oils for, 312
in hospital births, 136
immediately following birth, 150–51
list of essentials, 241–42
loving, 232–33, 235, 256–58
mother ’s health and, 248
needs of, responding to, 230–32
normal occurrences, 243–44
nourishment for, 239–40
oiling head and feet, 154
sense of self, 172
skin changes, 254–56
solid foods for, 260–61
niyamas, five
ishvarapranidhana, 45–46
purpose of, 36–37
santosha, 43–44
saucham, 43
svadhyaya, 45
tapas, 44–45
nonattachment, 41–42
nonviolence, 37–38, 75
nourishment
Ayurvedic and Western views, dif ferences in, 71–72Ayurvedic basics of, 268–73
importance of, 267
kapha and, 26
preconception, 33, 85
See also under  birthing ; labor ; newborns ; pregnancy
nutmeg, 56, 110, 206, 207, 293–94
O
Oakes, Ysha, 171, 186. See also Touching Heaven
oat flour, 297–98
oats, 260, 263, 274, 284
colloidal, 92
Nourishing Oatmeal, 293–94
Warm Oatmeal Shake, 291–92
oatstraw, 100, 200, 303–4
oil pulling, 65
ojas
abstinence and, 55
abundant and depleted, signs of, 272
building, 95, 102, 127–28, 215–16, 280, 291, 303
diminishing, 56–57
foods that undermine, 272
between mama and baby, 154
Ojas Milk, 56
sex and, 94, 128
in third trimester, 87, 123
oregano oil, 310, 317
Osho, 172
ovaries, 53–54, 208
ovulation, 62–63
oxytocin, 127, 150
P
panchakarma, 54–55
panchamrit, 273–74
parenthood, 11, 12, 14, 46, 47, 53
partnership
celibacy in, 94–95
conscious, 3–4
explorations for, 53
in postpartum period, 185–88, 189
in preconception, 46
separation and, 117–18passionflower, 208, 306, 307
pediatricians, 243, 244, 249, 251, 252
pelvis, 102, 107–8, 181
peppermint, 76, 254
peppermint oil, 101, 123, 308, 311, 313, 314, 316, 317, 319
perineum
during birthing, 149
cleaning, 180
essential oils for, 316
massage, 124–25, 145
softening, 126
pippali, 179, 212, 286
pitta
balancing, 25–26
digestive problems and, 98–99, 106, 107
imbalances, 24–25, 58, 62
during labor, 155–56
of newborns, 248, 256
overview, 23–24
postpartum, 202, 281, 289
sadhaka, 217
placenta
delivery, 150
previa, 95, 147
PMS, 208
poppy seeds, 207
postpartum, 238
asking for help, 182–84, 195
checklist, 177
diet and nourishment for, 277–79, 280–81, 286–87
doshas and, 17
essential oils for, 311–12, 316–18
foods contraindicated for, 281–83
four pillars of care for, 177–82
Frozen Feminine Pads, 318
grocery lists, 284, 285
herbal support for, 179–80, 212–13, 283, 284
imbalances in, common, 203–10
meal train, 89, 197
partners during, guidance for, 185–88
practices to support healing, 210–1 1
preparing for, 195–200
support during, 197–98
vata in, 20, 61–62, 259See also under  meals ; sacred window
Prabhupada, Srila, 34
prakruti, 15, 16, 17
prana (life force), 32


a lly present within, without, and beyond. Potentiality beco mes actuality when conditions permit or are favorable. The
process is empowered by intention, as well as by the innate impersonal
quality of consciousness itself. In the nonduali ty of awareness, even sequence no longer occurs, and
awareness replaces experiencing. There is no longer the experience of
“moments,” as there is only a continuous Now. Movement appe ars as slow
motion, as though suspended outside of time. Nothing is imperfect. Nothing
actually moves or changes; no events actually take place. Instead of
sequence, there is the observation that everything is in a stage of
unfoldment, and that all form is only a transitional epiphenomenon created
by perception and the observational habits of mental activity. In Reality, all comes into being as an expression of the infinite
potentiality of the universe. Evolving states are the consequences of
conditions but are not caused by them. Conditions account for appearances,
and the phenom enon as change is really the result of an arbitr ary point of
observation. In the Reality of nonduality, there is neither privilege nor gain nor loss
nor rank. Just like a cork in the sea, each spirit rises or falls in the sea of
consciousness to its own level by virtue of its own choices—not by any
external force or favor. Some are attracted by the light and some seek the
darkness, but it all occurs of its own nature by virtue of Divine freedom and
equality. Inasmuch as the entire universe and everything in it is a karmic unity, the
Allness of Reality is the realization of enlightenment. If all is a karmic unity
that originates from the same source, then to see any separation is an
artifact of perception. In Reality, the one and the many are the same. The small self is dissolved by the Self. The healing attitude of the Self to
the self is compassion; it is through forgiveness that one is forgiven. This
willingness to surrender, arising out of the Grace of God, permit s the power
of God expressed as the Holy Spirit to recontextualize understan ding—and,
by this device, to undo the reign of perception and its attendant duality,
which is the source of all suffering. The dissolution of duality is the
ultimate gift of God, for it dissolves the very source and capacity for
suffering. In nonduality, suffering is not possible. On the level of nonduality, there is observing but no observer, as subject
and object are one. You-and-I becomes the One Self experie ncing all as
Divine. Within nonduality, positionality is not possible; thus, dualistic
perceptions stemming from positionalities are the source of the
misunderstandings about God for which, unfortunately, mankind has paid a
great price. To trans cend the linear to the nonlinear is the way of the mystic—the
pathway of nonduality—to realize the inner light of consciousness itself, the
True Immortal Self. Everyone trusts the inner sense of reality or capacity to
“know” that underlies all experiencing and witnessing, no matter what the
content. The content of mind thinks, but only the nonlinear field “knows,”
or how else would it be possible to know what is being thought. Because everyon e actually lives in the experiential at every moment, the
Source of the capacity to know or experience is close at hand and is itself
pristine. All human beings experience that they are continuously
“experiencing,” no matter what the ever -changing content might be. All humans are already mystics  and innately attracted to enlightenment,
whether they are aware of it or not. It is an extension of the qualities of
learning and curiosity, which are innate to the mind. Thus, the pathway of
“Devotional Nonduality” is open to everyone and has no requirements,
other than the capacity for inner honesty and the willingness to align with
verifiable truth and follow it to its Source. The knowingness that arises from within is innate, accessible, and
experiential. Such knowingness is also beyond definition or description as
the primary, confirmable, unive rsal substrate of power and energy—out ofwhich arises the possibility as well as actualization of existence. This
Ultimate Reality  is revealed via the search into the substrate and source of
consciousness itself, which is the ultimate nonlinear context beyond all
definition. Thus, via the pathway of enlightenment, there is no separate
relationship of “you-God” vis-à-vis “me-human. ”
In Devo tional Nonduality, the likelihood of error is bypassed by devotion
to the essential nonlinear qualit ies of Divinity itself, such as compassion,
oneness, love, truth, omniscience, eternal, infinite, omnipresence, and
omnipotence—beyond form, place, time, human instincts, or emotions. While the primary prerequisite  for adherence to religion is faith, the
essential required qualities needed for following the pathway of nonduality
are humility, surrender, and devotional dedication to the pathway. It is readily observable that followers of religions are characterized by the
presumption of “I know” via scriptural authority, ecclesiastical doctrine,
historical prece dent, and so on. In contrast, the spiritual devotee for
nonduality starts from the basic, more truthful position that “I, of myself,
don’t know. ”
To adopt the pathway of Devotional Nonduality recontextualizes the
obligation to the pursuit of Truth rather than worldly involvement and
action. How best to serve the world is concordant with comprehension. Commitment is to the core of Truth itself, and it is free of seduction by
proselytization or secrecies. All that is necessary is a curiosity and
attraction to T ruth—which is complete, total, and self-suf ficient. Even the simplest action, such as peeling a potato, can be accompanied
by resen tment or by devotion to life out of joy, knowing that one is
supporting life through life. In gratitude for the gift of life, one dedicates
that life back as a gift to God through selfless service to His creation as all
of life. With this dedication, one validates the sacredness of all life and
treats it with respect. The universe responds to love by revealing its prevalence. It is hidden to
ordinary perception, but the awareness is finessed by lovingness itself. Awareness is a capacity that is beyond the senses or emotions. If one ceases
anthropomorphic projections and limitations, it is revealed that all that
exists is innately conscious and emanates love as a consequence of the
divinity of Creation. It is important to know that consciousness has no particular space, no
physical area, and no limitatio n. The common fantasy is “I experience
things in my head. ” Actually, we do not experience them in the head. Where
do we experience a thought. We experience a thought nowhere ; there is no
specific location or space in which we experience a thought. The nature of
consciousness is that it has no particular form; it is without form. Its content
is with form, but the field of consciousness itself is like space, having no
particular locality. Ultimate Truth is realized as pure, radical subjectivity. It is self-revealing
and beyond ar gument. The great teachers taught the Truth about Divinity, not religion, which
came centuries later. While the veneration of religion and scriptures is
understandable, it is their truth and God that are meant to be worshipped
and sought. A religion primarily addresses the realm of duality, whereas
enlightenment addresses nonduality. This strict path to enlightenment says
that inasmuch as duality is illusion, there is no point in trying to perfect it. Therefore, the ego is to be transcended and seen for the illusion that it is. “Good personhood” is laudable, but it does not of itself result in
enlightenment. The possibility of reaching enlightenment is based on
advanced understanding of the nature of consciousness itself. To even hear of enlightenment is already the rarest of gifts. Anyone who
has ever heard of enlightenment will never be satisfied with anything else. Humor is an expression of freedom and joyfulness, and laughter is
biologically healing. Faith, love, and joy are the high road; doom and
gloom merely lead to sadness and despondency. Self-hatred blinds
awareness of the Self as a reflection of Divine Creation. That which I am is Allness. To realize that one already is and always has
been All That Is leaves nothing to be added. The “Infinite I” is that subjective reality that underlies the individual “I”
and allows for the experience  of “I-ness” as one’s existenc e. It is the
absolute “I” that enables the statement, “I. ” Consciousness, or the capacity
for awareness, is formless and is the backdrop from which form can be
identified. The source of the highest Spiritual Truth is non-mental. The intellect has
difficulty compr ehending this critical fact because the mind is intrinsically
dualistic and limited, expecting a “this” to come from a “that. ” In the
advanced spiritual Reality, duality dissolves because the “this” is the “that. ”
The seeker and the Sought become One with the transcendence of the
limitation of duality; that is, Realization of the Self, Illumination, and
Enlightenment. When the condi tions—including mindset


 categorized as having a Cold nature. Prolonged stress,
illness, lack of proper nutrition, or repeated exposure to cold climate
or substances can lead to a depletion of Yang. In this case, Cold
overcomes Heat and Yin overcomes Yang. Refrigerated or raw foods and chilled drinks are Cold. Ice cream
and iced drinks are particularly damaging to the Yang energy. Because of their ability to counteract inammation and fever,
medicines such as antibiotics and aspirin have a Cold nature. Antacids counteract stomach inammation and are also considered
Cold medicines. The stomach depends on the power of digestive Fire to break
down and process food. These Cold medic ines weaken and
undermine digestive function because of their ability to dissipate
heat. The repeated administration of antibiotics to children damages
their already sensitive and underdeveloped digestive systems, which
leads to innumerable problems in their later childhood and
adulthood. The most common consequence is weakness of the
immune system, manifested as allergies. The resulting deciency
and Coldness  set the stage  for disorders such as asthma, colitis,
arthritis, eczema, and candidiasis. Accompanying the aversion to cold is a desire for heat and a
craving for warm foods and liquids. There is a feeling of weariness
and debility as well. Retarded circulation also leads to a stagnation
of Blood  and Moisture, which may congeal or harden into clots,
lumps, or masses associated with xed and localized tenderness and
pain. THE FIVE EMOTIONS
Just as climate s exist within the seasons, emotions are primal forces
within the human psyche. All of us experience times of anger, joy,rumination, sorrow, and fear during the course of our everyday
lives. These emotions are often appropriate. It is natural to feel mad
when thwarted, happy when fullled, pensive when attention is
focused inward, sad over loss, and alarmed in the face of danger. When any one state, however, dominates our internal experience or
outward behavior, it interfe res with the conduct of daily life and
disrupts the smooth ow of Qi. The Five Emotions  are associated with the Five Phases. In excess,
these emotions generate imbalance. Anger  causes energy to rise—it
tends to are up and lash out with sudden explosivenes s, like the
windy storms of spring, unpredictable and intense. Joy causes
energy to disperse—it tends to dissipate and be lost. Being overcome
by joy can leave a person giddy and weak like the inten se heat of
summer, exhausted and drained. Rumination  causes  energy  to slow
down—sluggish movement tends toward stagnation, leaving one
lazy and inert, like the oppressive humidity of late summer, slow
and torpid. Sorrow  causes energy to stop—it tends to constrict and
close down. Imprisoned by grief, one is cut o from life; like the
drying leaves of autumn, feelings wither and motivation crumples. Fear causes energy to sink—the bottom falls out. When survival is
threatened, one becomes petried with fright and loses control. As
in the perilous cold of winter, people feel frozen with fear. The emotions are immaterial yet palpable. Although—or  because
—they are experienced deeply, they are dicult to dene and
categorize. Nevertheless they have profound and tangible eects. In
Chinese medicine they are considered one of the major inuences
upon health and disease. Wind  and Anger  particularly injure the
Liver, Heat and Joy the Heart, Dampness  and Rumination  the Spleen,
Dryness  and Sorrow  the Lung, and Cold and Fear the Kidney. ANGER
When Anger  predominates, a person becomes easily upset by
frustrations and obstacles, unable to appropriately restrai n feelings. This person is volatile, engaging in erratic and impulsive behavior. He vacillates between riveted interest and subdued indierence. These unstable emotions and unpredictable actions result in the
uneven circula tion of Qi and Blood, creating a generalized state of
tension. This kind of person often leads a double life. Usually he
exerts tremend ous self-discip line in order to maintain self-control
and composure. But when the stress builds, or when he relaxes and
loosens his inhibitions, he is likely to explode in rage or indulge in
thoughtless, rash behavior. At work he may be dedicated, outgoing,
and resourceful, but on the weekends after a few drinks he may “y
o the handle” and “go through the roof. ” He is prone to ailments
such as ulcers, hemorrhoids, and migraine headaches. JOY
When the pleasure principle is the main focus of a person’s life, she
becomes unable to retain her reserve of energy. She seeks
gratication at every turn and becomes jaded, drive n to seek
continuously more stimulation. She appears fun-loving and romantic
but in fact is unable to sustain her interest and excitement without
external props and other people’s attention. She dislikes being alone. By herself she feels lifeless;  in company she comes alive. She is
prone to free-oating anxiety, insomnia, despair. Her easy
excitability manifests as giggling, talkativeness, giddiness, and
garrulousness. This type of person dissipates her energy by burning
the candle at both ends. When she’s not up, she’s down. When she’s
not lled with excitement, she’s empty and hopeless. The high level
of activity causes accelerated metabolism which may take the form
of hypoglyce mia, anorex ia, or schizophrenia. These are
manifestations of Heat. However, the presence of Heat is not
accompanied by light or clarity. In fact, this person is often
confused, bewildered, and apprehensive. RUMINATIONWhen a person is overly pensive and contemplative, he can easily
become xated on worriso me thoughts and ideas. He is often
tormented by his overconce rn for details and becomes caught in
circular thinking from which  there is no escape. His approach to life
may become obsessive to the point that he is unable to have any
fresh thoughts or experiences. Secure but dull, safe yet sorry, he is
prone to apathy and boredo m. He may be construed as a stick-in-
the-mud. People can depend  on this type of person because he is
reliable, sympa thetic, and a good caretaker. Without the demands of
work or responsibility to others, he can become inert, dropping back
into the well-w orn trails of his own mind. In this state, his energy
becomes stagnant and leads to poor digestion, heaviness, and
abbiness. SORROW
When Sorrow  pervades, a person insulates and defends herself from
the pleasure of attachment and the pain of loss. She arranges her life
for the purpose of avoiding risk and the vagaries of passion. She can
become possessive, acquisitive, and domineering in an eort to
control her environment. Her striving for self-protection may keep
her too detached and inaccessible for true intimacy. She is pleasant
but cool. She has easy disdain for people she considers sloppy and
undisciplined and is uncomfortable with displays of emotion. Her
life is designe d to keep her feelings in. She appears tight, well
mannered, and scrupulously put together. Without the ordered
arrangement of her daily life, this person becomes completely
vulnerable and threatened. Overcontrol is her theme and can
manifest as asthma, constipation, and frigidity. She wards o
excitement and feeling. FEAR
Fear arises when survival is threatened. A man who is in the grip of
Fear can think only of escape. His life is dominated by theexpectation of threat, so he isolates himself and hides from the
world. He becomes furtive and suspicious, relies on no one and
prefers to be left alone. He is the hermit, drifter, and loner. He
anticipates the worst, imagining calamity and disast er lurking
around every corner. He lives under a cloud of doom and gloom. Critical and cynical, he believes the world is fundamentally harsh,
unsafe, and unfriendly. Among other people he remains aloof. His
isolation may eventually cut him o from life, leaving him cold and
hard like stone, impenetrabl e and devoid of spirit. Because of this
hardening, he is prone to develop arthritis, deafness, and senility. METHODS OF  EXAMINATION:  OBSERVATIONS, QUESTIONS, PALPATIONS
Western diagnosis often involves evaluation of a battery of
laboratory tests and machine measurements. Chinese diagnosis
emphasizes methods that rely solely on the practitioner’s own sense
perceptions, judgment, intuition, and experience. The practitioner
inventories what he sees, hears, smells, and feels. He listens to the
patient’s feelings and complaints. He asks questions about activities
and events that cannot be observed directly. Using himself as the instrum ent, the doctor takes the measure of
the patient: focusing mind and perception upon the gestalt of
posture, statur


 great throng of the diseased. EMANCIPATION OF WOMAN. IF the study of the natural or elementary food question had for
its object no other purpose than giving to the human family
their birthright of health and years, and aiding their mental
faculties in reaching a higher development, it would be of
sufficient importance to justify the most profound attention of
every woman in a civilized stat e. But when it is considered
that its final solution may not only accomplish this, but
emancipate her from the slavery of the kitchen and the cook
stove, it becomes one of the most important questions that
can possibly engage the minds of intelligent people. We believe that nature has provided a diet that can be
selected and eaten without changing its form or chemical
properties by the application of either heat or cold, and which
will be perfect. We have proven that if correctly used it will
in all cases bring natural results, which are always healthful
results. We have been led to these conclusions by information
gained from the school of observation and experience at our
own table, as well as by seeing the most obstinate and chronic
diseases gradually disappear from members of our own
family and others under the magic effect of proper feeding,
until perfect health was the result. Aside from the effect of a natural food diet upon the
health and happiness of people, its most important feature is
that it promises to solve for woman another most perplexing
question, namely, the struggle with the servant. When the house is provided, and the woman who has
dreamed of a true home is settled therein, it gradually dawns
upon her that instead of being a queen, she is an imprisoned
vassal. She finds that she must stand over a miniature furnace
for an hour in the morning and breathe the poisonous odor of
broiling flesh, and spend another hour among the grease and
slime of pots and dishes, instead of occupying that time
walking in the life-giving sunlight and drinking in nature's
purifying air. She soon realizes that the fires of the morning are hardly
out until those for the noon are kindled and the labors from
luncheon often lap over into the evening, and those of
evening far into the night. The throne over which she
dreamed of wielding the queenly sceptre has been
transformed into a fiery furnace,  gilded with greasy pots and
plates, blood and bones, over which she has unfurled the
dish-rag, and by the common custom of her country, it waves
over her helpless head as an ensign of her rank and
profession, under which she is really a slave. The home of which she dreamed has laid upon her a
confinement and labor but little lighter than that which
society puts upon the criminal who has violated its laws, and
whom it has deprived of his liberty. The picture of a husband and wife growing old together,
walking hand in hand up to the noon of life, and turning over
the hill and marching down toward the evening of old age together is only painted by poe ts and dreamers, most likely
old bachelors and old maids,—it is not true. The average husband and wife do not grow old together. The wife spends six or seven hours of each day endeavoring
to prepare food and create dishes that will appeal to and
satisfy the perverted taste a nd appetite of her husband, and
probably the short-notice "friend to dinner." The anxiety and
mental tension that she undergoes from day to day and year to
year wear upon her form and face, and like the long dripping
of water upon the stone, leave their mark. This mark is
nervous exhaustion and premature old age. It is from this deplorable condition of womankind that
the use of uncooked or natural foods will surely bring relief
and freedom. In hundreds of cases that have come to our
knowledge where this experiment has been honestly tried, it
has resulted in a revolution in the household culinary
department, and in giving the wife enough mental and
physical freedom to allow her to preserve her youthful
charms, which is her solemn duty, and to cultivate those
higher faculties upon which every woman must depend for
attraction and happiness with advancing old age. It may not free woman wholly from the labors of the
kitchen, but it will prove an important factor in lifting her
mentally, morally and physically into an entirely different
sphere. It is utterly impossible for a woman to spend six hours
out of twelve in the dense and smoky atmosphere of a kitchen
over a roasting fire, breathing air laden with the fumes of
burning flesh and steaming foods, and give to her progeny
those beautiful faculties which are their birthright, and which
have been the dream of her dreams. It is also impossible for a woman to construct her body,
her brain and her heart with all their varied sympathies,
desires and emotions out of such material as the flesh of dead
animals, fermented fruit (wine), fermented bread and the
innumerable narcotics and cooke d or devitalized foods with
which the average table is laden, and think beautiful thoughts
and keep her sympathies and senses of justice and mercy in
that beautiful and highly civ ilized realm where the cultivated
and advanced woman, especially the mother,. should dwell. We are thoroughly convinced,—convinced from
experience, that great school from which all true knowledge
comes,—that the first and most important step in nature
toward making a perfect woman lies in the selection of the
food material out of which the human body and all the
restless flood of emotions that ceaselessly ebb and flow in its
strange mechanism, are made. THE SELECTION OF FOODS. IN the adoption of uncooked foods more care in selection is
required than when they are to  be cooked, for in the process
of cooking, mixing and dressing, the real quality, taste and
flavor of the articles, becomes changed, lost and dissipated. The most inferior articles of food can be cooked and
artificially flavored, as they usually are, and still appeal to
and satisfy the taste. In all public eating places the special duty of the chef and
steward is to use left-over foods. They are hashed, minced,
flavored, spiced and peppered until the smell from the
fermented or decayed portions is so concealed that they
cannot signal the olfactory nerves; therefore the most inferior
and unhealthy articles can be used which could not be done
were these foods not cooked. When using uncooked foods the senses of sight, smell
and taste demand the best, and it is only fair that these senses
should be satisfied. It is as criminal to deceive our taste and
sight in matters of food, as it is to obtain money under false
pretense from our friends; and the penalty for this
wrongdoing is more certain to be paid. We often escape
justice in deceiving our friends, but never in deceiving
ourselves. We cannot jump our bail with nature. We are
always caught and punished for two crimes instead of one. One may be thoroughly convinced that the theory is
correct, but if such articles are selected as do not conform or
appeal to the taste, the effort will prove a failure. Food should
be selected that has ripened on the parent stalk or tree, in the
sunshine, as far as possible. Those who are acquainted with
the curative and life-giving prope rties of air and sunshine will
readily perceive why the selection of thoroughly ripe and full-
grown foods are so necessary. In selecting an apple of a red variety, get a deep, rich red,
not a pale pink one. The deep red color indicates that the fruit
has ripened on an outer twig of the tree, exposed to the
sunlight; while the paler colors show that it has ripened under
cover of the foliage. This ru le should be observed in the
selection of all fruits and berries, and melons of every kind as
far as possible, the rule being th at whatever color is selected,
get it as pronounced as possible. In other words, get the best. BANANAS. Bananas, the second-best article of food known, should
never be eaten so long as a spot of green is visible on the
skin. The majority of people seem to select this most
delicious and nutritious fruit merely to please the eye; and
just when it is at its best, that  is, when the skin is covered
with tiny black spots, or assumes a pied appearance, it is
discarded and considered unfit for use. Where the
consumption of bananas is large enough, they should be
purchased by the bunch,* and where it is not, they should
always be purchased by the hand, not detaching them until they are needed for use. They should also be kept in the
sunshine as much as possible. SWEET FRUITS. Dates, figs and seeded raisins constitute a group of the
best foods known to the dietary. They contain about seventy-
five per cent. of carbohydrates, which is sometimes called the
powder of the human system. The black French date, known
as the "Fard Diamond R.," is one of the best varieties
imported to this country. The Turkish pulled fig, that is, the unpressed fig of the
largest variety obtainable, is much preferable to and more
cleanly than those that have been pressed. Raisins should never be eaten without discarding the
seeds; therefore, the seeded raisin


	expected	of	others	but	not
necessarily	of	oneself	for	whom	plausible	excuses	prevail. It	is	very	immature	to	expect	others	to	live	up	to	one’s	own	standards	or
ideals. Let	us	not	overlook	that	the	majority	of	people	have	no	reason	other
than	to	‘take	what	they	can	get’. Seventy-eight	percent	of	the	people	on	the
planet	calibrate	below	the	level	of	Integrity	at	200. They	are	not
committed	to	spiritual	truth,	which	to	them	is	fiction	or	idealistic
nonsense. Fairness,	consideration,	honesty,	and	ethics	do	not	prevail	at
consciousness	levels	below	200. When	they	do,	it	is	the	exception	ratherthan	the	rule. In	addition,	realize	that	rationality	and	intelligence	do	not	prevail	as
dominant	bases	for	behavior	and	decision	making	until	consciousness
reaches	the	level	of	the	400s. The	majority	of	people	are	not	bound	by
logic	but	by	wants,	emotionalism,	desire,	ignorance,	pridefulness,	and	the
desire	to	be	‘right’. Below	the	consciousness	level	of	200,	society	relies	on
force	rather	than	power. Q:	So	what	can	the	spiritual	seeker	do	to	be	of	help	to	society? A:	To	endeavor	to	evolve	spiritually	is	the	greatest	gift	one	can	give. It
actually	uplifts	all	mankind	from	within	because	of	the	nature	of	power
itself. Power	radiates	and	is	shared,	whereas	force	is	limited,	self-
defeating,	and	evanescent. All	society	is	subliminally	and	subtly
influenced	by	every	kind	and	loving	thought,	word,	or	deed. Every
forgiveness	is	a	benefit	to	everyone. The	universe	notes	and	records	every
action	and	returns	it	in	kind. Karma	is	actually	the	very	nature	of	the
universe	because	of	the	innate	structure	and	function	of	the	universe	itself. In	the	universe	time	is	measured	in	eons. Beyond	that,	it	does	not	even
exist	at	all. Every	kindness	is	therefore	forever.CHAPTER	14
The	Body	and	Society
Q:	If	identification	with	the	mind	and	body	ceases,	how	can	one	survive? A:	There	are	moments	when	it	is	‘permitted’	and	possible	to	relinquish	the
body	altogether. Destiny,	karma,	intention,	commitment,	or	whatever	one
might	choose	to	call	it,	is	also	operative. If	destined	by	prior	choice,
continuance	of	life	in	association	with	this	body	may	continue. It	does	so
on	its	own. The	body	does	not	require	mentation	to	survive. The	universe
provides	for	it. Even	now,	everyone’s	body	is	accomplishing	thousands	of
physiological	processes	that	perpetuate	its	life	without	any	conscious
thought	at	all. It	is	not	necessary	to	decide	on	each	heartbeat	or	digestive
enzyme. Each	of	these	functions	does	what	it	is	supposed	to	do	because	it
is	an	integrated	part	of	a	larger	whole. The	body	is	also	not	separate	from
the	whole	but	is	part	and	parcel	of	the	universe,	and	its	survival	is	a
function	of	the	whole. Necessary	information	is	provided	to	the	body	when	needed,	and	it
does	not	have	to	originate	from	the	mind. The	nervous	system	and	senses
have	automatic,	learned	responses. Although	the	ordinary	body/mind	is	propelled	by	endless	wants,
desires,	and	anxieties,	when	these	lose	their	underlying	motivation,	it	is
found	that	the	body	has	very	few	actual	needs. The	body	itself	is	no	longer
sought	or	needed	as	a	source	of	pleasure	because	the	source	of	pleasure	is
in	the	ever-present	awareness	and	joy	of	existence	in	each	moment. Thus,	continuance	of	the	body	is	dependent	on	local	conditions,	such	as
the	presence	of	others	who	see	to	its	maintenance	and	survival. If	local
conditions	such	as	the	interest	of	other	people	in	the	body’s	survival	are
not	present,	then	it	may	cease	to	survive. Whether	it	survives	or	not	is
actually	relatively	unimportant. Q:	Are	not	some	functions	of	the	body	‘necessary’? A:	They	occur	because	that	is	the	body’s	nature,	but	they	are	not	actually
‘necessary’. They	do	have	a	function;	for	instance,	repetitive	sensory
experiences	help	to	maintain	a	sense	of	locality	and	direction. The	Self	is
invisible,	weightless,	and	everywhere	present	so	that	even	sound	is	no
longer	a	precise	indicator	of	position. The	body	is	witnessed	but	notspecial. If	its	repetitive	sensory	experiences	are	discontinued,	then	time,
location,	and	physicality	drift	away	and	there	is	even	a	loss	of	the	sense	of
direction. Staying	‘in	the	world’	or	functioning	as	‘a	part	of	it’	are	the
result	of	intentional	focus	and	require	energy. Q:	It	sounds	confusing	to	say	that	the	mind	is	the	main	block	to
Realization. A:	To	clarify	for	the	sake	of	understanding,	the	mind	could	be	‘partitioned’
into	‘thinking	mind’	and	‘aware	mind’.‘Aware	mind’	knows,	recognizes,
and	is	conscious	of	many	things	and	has	capacities	that	do	not	depend	on
thought,	language,	or	concepts. It	recognizes	wholes	and	essential
elements	and	patterns. If	the	mind	stops	languaging	and	sequencing
thoughts,	it	is	still	capable	of	rapid	comprehension	on	a	nonverbal	level. Even	a	dog	knows	or	recognizes	a	great	deal,	with	no	language	necessary. This	‘aware	mind’	is	always	present	but	overlooked	if	the	mind	is
focused	on	reason/logic/	thought/words. The	aware	mind	is	analogous	to
peripheral	vision	as	compared	to	central	vision. For	instance,	although	the
eyes	may	focus	on	a	specific	object	such	as	a	clock,	they	are	also
simultaneously	taking	in,	registering,	and	recognizing	the	entire	room. In	spiritual	work,	it	is	necessary	to	withdraw	attention	from	a	central
focus	to	a	more	diffused	and	all-encompassing	gaze. Central	focus	is
always	directed	to	an	ego	interest. It	is	therefore	the	focus	of	desire	and
limitation. One	might	say	one	has	to	focus	in	order	to	function. However,
focusing	is	accomplished	by	excluding	the	whole. Peripheral	unfocused
vision,	like	‘aware	mind’,	is	inclusive	rather	than	exclusive. It	is	concerned
with	essence	and	not	detail	and	operates	effortlessly	at	all	times;	it	is
always	present. One	survives	by	means	of	‘aware	mind’	and	achieves	by	using	‘focused
thinking’	mind. One	could	use	a	mnemonic. Focus	is	to	function	and
peripheral	is	for	peace. In	the	enlightened	state,	the	energy	of	restless
‘focused	thinking’	mind	is	absorbed	back	into	effortless,	non-thinking
‘aware	mind’,	and	when	allowed	to,	it	becomes	only	awareness	itself	that
lies	behind	and	illuminates	‘aware	mind’. Likewise,	intention	results	in	the	bodily	gaze	being	focused	on	the	near
side	of	an	object,	whereas	love	results	in	the	dilation	of	the	pupils,	and	the
eyes	focus	on	the	far	side	of	an	object	or	person	so	as	to	include	them. It	is
a	standing	joke	that	most	men	cannot	tell	you	quickly	at	all	what	color
their	wife’s	eyes	are. Focused,	linear,	verbal	mind	can	learn	‘about’	God,	but	because	Truth
is	total	and	all-inclusive,	it	is	not	equipped	to	know	or	capable	of	knowingGod	directly	or	ex


 of those ar ound us. The mor e we try
to suppr ess the aspects of our personality that we deem
unacceptable, the mor e they ﬁnd mischievous ways of
expressing themselves. The Shadow Eﬀect occurs when our
own r epressed darkness mak es its pr esence known by
driving us to act out in unconscious and une xpected ways. It
occurs when something in the outer world for ces our inner
darkness out of hiding, and we suddenly come face-to -face
with the character traits, behaviors, and feelings that we’ve
kept hidden in our secr et life. The Shadow Eﬀect is not
something we plan. In fact, it’s something that most of us
have invested a lot of time and ener gy in trying to avoid. But when we understand this phenomenon, we can unravel
the mystery of our own self -sabotage. THE SHADOW EFFECT
Imagine that every quality, every emotion, every dark
thought that you try to ignor e, hide, or disown is lik e a
beach ball you ar e holding underwater. You tak e your selﬁsh
self, you tak e your angry self, your too -good self, your not-
good-enough self, your foolish self, your conceited self, all
the selves. And suddenly you’r e overwhelmed with all these
beach balls you’r e trying to manage. When you’r e young,
you have lots of ener gy, so you can manage a lot of beach
balls—you can suppr ess a lot of your unwanted qualities. But then when you’r e tired, heartbr oken, or sick; when you
no longer believe in the possibility of an e xciting futur e;when your defenses ar e down; when your attention is on
your family or some big pr omotion you’r e going to win;
when you’ve had one too many drinks—all of a sudden,
boom! Y ou or someone ar ound you does something without
thinking and one or mor e of your submer ged beach balls
pops up and hits you in the face. This is the Shadow Eﬀect. What is r oad rage? Is it anything mor e than a beach ball of
suppr essed anger for cing its way to the surface? W e see it
in the media all the time. A ﬁlmmak er making deep
Christian ﬁlms all of a sudden gets drunk and shouts anti-
Semitic comments in a drunk en rage. A radio star who
makes his living being a gr eat communicator in one second
makes a racial slur that destr oys his car eer and r eputation. An ambitious young teacher thr ows away her futur e by
having se x with a fourteen- year-old student. A movie star,
with the means to aﬀor d almost anything, gets caught
shoplif ting. All of the suppr essed impulses and hidden ur ges
we have tried to manage ar e like ticking time bombs waiting
to go oﬀ. And what we can e xpect is that the Shadow Eﬀect will
arise at the least opportune time—when we’r e on the ver ge
of ﬁnancial success or in the midst of r omancing a desirable
new partner; when we’r e days away fr om retirement or
about to close a deal that could change our life for ever. These ar e the times when we consciously or unconsciously
sabotage our own success; when one choice, made in the
haze of unconsciousness, under mines the pr ogress we’ve
work ed years to mak e. All self -sabotage is an e xternalization
of the inter nal shame hidden in the dark r ecesses of our
unconscious minds. Because we have not had the wisdom,
courage, or wher ewithal to mak e peace with what we have
suppr essed out of guilt, fear, or shame, it gets for ced out
into the open so that we can r eclaim and embrace our lost
self and r eturn to the transpar ent state of our whole self. It’s not until our self -destructive behaviors ar e no longer a
secret and we see thr ough objective eyes the damage we’r edoing to ourselves and those ar ound us that we ﬁnd the
motivation to change. It’s not until our childr en come home
from school to ﬁnd the electricity cut oﬀ that we’r e willing to
face our gambling addiction. It tak es a DUI ar rest to wak e us
up to the fact that our drinking has spiraled out of contr ol. When we’r e out to dinner with friends and the waiter
announces that our cr edit car d has been declined, we might
ﬁnally have to face the fact that our spending is out of
contr ol. When we get caught dipping into the company
expense account, we ﬁnally r ealize that we must deal with
our entitlement issues. W e can fool ourselves that we ar e
doing all right at work or on our diet—until we get our yearly
review or step on the scale. The Shadow Eﬀect arises as a
potent outer r eﬂection that our inner world is danger ously
out of balance. But as painful as these moments of truth can
be, they can serve to begin a pr ocess of involuntary
evolution. When we ar e confr onted with our shadow and it is
seen by those whose opinions matter to us, we snap out of
denial and hopefully r ecognize that we must do something
about it. If we wer e able to see ourselves accurately, it would be an
easier task. But we can’t, and because of this, it is so easy
to fall into the trance of denial, otherwise known as “ Don’t
Even Notice I Am Lying.” The lie begins with ourselves. If
we wer e intimate with our dark er impulses—if we knew that
selﬁshness, hatr ed, gr eed, and intolerance have an
important message to deliver—we would heed their
presence in our life, lik e a trusted friend knocking at the
door. But when we alienate our shadow, when out of fear we
refuse to acknowledge or r eceive the messages it is trying
to send, we can be certain that we will do something or
become involved in something that brings our hidden
darkness to the surface. A t these times, the pr overbial
knock on the door feels mor e like a knock in the head; yet
the moments we meet our own disowned darkness ar e notonly some of the most painful, but also the most fertile
times of our life. If we wish to avoid the wrath of the Shadow Eﬀect, we
must do a r eality check with ourselves every day to see if
we ar e acting in ways that could shame, embar rass, or
destr oy our family, car eer, health, or self -esteem. W e must
wake up and consider whether we ar e hiding and denying a
secret life; we must become awar e of habits, behaviors, or
ways of being we ar e keeping fr om others. If we fear what
would happen if our families, cowork ers, or friends look ed
through our e-mails, check ed the history of our most
recently viewed sites on our computers, or r ead the
judgmental, mean thoughts in our minds, we must
recognize these as signs—as ﬂashing r ed lights. Denial is
the culprit that k eeps our secr et life intact and out of sight—
and k eeps us focused on anything but our own indiscr etions. To embrace our shadow and derail the possibility of the
Shadow Eﬀect taking us down, we must open up to a
greater truth about our humanness and what lurks beneath
the surface of the person we believe ourselves to be. When
we engage our minds in investigating the hypocrisy of our
human behavior, we open up to a deeper, mor e meaningful
truth—that all parts of ourselves deserve to be seen, hear d,
and embraced, that every aspect holds a gr eater gif t than
we can see and every feeling deserves healthy e xpression. When they ar e tak en out of the darkness and e xposed to the
light, they will support us in cr eating healthy r elationships,
regaining good mental health, and achieving our potential. The Shadow Eﬀect shatters our perfectly constructed
persona so that we can r einvent ourselves as somebody
other than who we’ve been. Self -sabotage is nothing mor e
than an unwillingness on the part of our higher self to
continue playing the r ole we have assigned to ourselves. Ideally, we embrace our disowned aspects willingly; when
we insist on clinging to our personas, the fallout can be
painful and messy. Ther e are examples of this everywher e.Britney Spears, the all- American Mousek eteer who wor e the
good-girl mask, spirals into self -destruction and becomes a
notorious bad girl. T iger W oods, the all-star golfer with the
nice-guy overachiever mask, acts out and in one day goes
from a super hero to a self -sabot


tion,swellingistheresultofincreasedfluidsfromthelymphaticsystem,leakybloodvessels,andothersofttissues. Thefluidhelpsimmobilizethesiteandservesasashockabsorbertopreventfur
therinjurytothearea. Redness,•known asinflammation,isoftenaccompaniedbypainandrepresentsincreasedbloodflowtothe
area. Inflammationisacomplexresponsefromyourhealingsys
tem,workingwithyourimmunesystem,tobringimportantcells
andpowerfulchemicalstotheinjuredareatohelpremovetox
ins,repairdamagedtissues,andspeedhealing. *Tearingoftheeyes. Tearingisaspecifichealingresponsesimilar
towhatoccursinarunnynose. Tearinghelpstoflushforeignmaterialormicroorganismsoutofthedelicateandsensitivesurfacesoftheeyes. Sometimes,wheninfectionorirritationisextreme,theeyeswillremaingluedshutbecausethetearsandsecretionshavedriedup. Keepingtheeyelidsgluedshutisa
36 YourExtraordinaryHealingSystem
furtherattemptofthehealingsystemtoprotecttheeyesfromadditionalinjuryordamage. oVomiting. Vomitingisaprotectivemechanismthatyourhealingsystemusestoeliminatecontaminatedornoxiousmaterialthat
hassomehowenteredintoyourstomachandsmallintestines. Vomitingisafast,efficient,andpowerfulwayforyourbodyto
riditselfoftoxinsorotherharmfulsubstances. Afteryouhave
eatencontaminatedfood,asinfoodpoisoning,vomitingwill
occurtoexpelinfectiousorganismsaswellasunwantedfood
andtoxins. Peopleusuallyreportfeelingmuchbetteraftertheyhavevomitedintheseinstances. Ifyouhaveovereaten,eatenfoodsthataretoorich,ordrunktoomuchcoffeeoralcohol,whichactasintestinalirritantsandtoxinswhenthey’retakenin
excess,vomitingwilloccurtocleanoutandreducetheburden
onthedigestivesystemandbody. Althoughinitiallyyoumaythinktheseresponsesareassociated
onlywiththeindividualsystemswithinthebody,suchascoughing
andtherespiratorysystem,orvomitingandthegastrointestinalsystem,rememberthatitisthehealingsystem’spresencewithinand
itssupervisoryroleoverthesesystemsthatactuallycausestheseresponses. Keepinmindthatthehealingsystemisnotaseparateanatomicalsystem. Itisafunctional,energetic,intelligentsystemthatpermeateseverysinglesysteminyourbody. Asyoureadtherestofthisbook,thinkaboutyourbody,yourbodilysensations,andanychangesthatareoccurringinyourbody
aswell-measuredresponsesproducedbyyourbody’shealingsystem. Thinkofthemasresponsesthatareintendedtocorrectimbalances
andhelpyoumaintainyournaturalstateofhealth,ratherthansymptomsofdisease. Shiftyourawarenessawayfromyoursymp
toms,yourdiscomfort,andyourthoughtsofanillnessorallergy,
evenifthesearerealproblemsforyou. Instead,trustthatyourheal
ingsystemismakingnecessaryphysiologicaladjustmentstocorrectimbalancesandrestoreyourbodytoitsnaturalstateofhealth. Irealizethisperspectivemaybearadicaldeparturefromhowyoucurrentlyviewyourbodyandyourhealth;however,learningtodo
thiswillmakeasignificantdifferenceinyourhealth. Ifyoucanfocus
YourHealingSysteminAction 37
lessondiseaseandmoreonhealth,lessonwhatiswrongwithyourbody,andmoreonwhatisfunctioningproperly;ifyoucanturnyourattentionawayfromthefearofexternalcausesofdiseaseandagents
ofdiseasethatliebeyondyourcontrol,andinsteadlookwithconfidencetothehiddentreasurechestofhealingresourcesthatlieswithin
yourveryownbody,youwillbeabletoreapthebenefitsofsuperiorhealth. Ifyoucanlearntorecognizethemanywaysyourhealingsystemrespondstochallenges,yourdependenceondrugsanddoctors
willbelessened,andthequalityofyourlifewillbevastlyimproved. Youwillgainagreatdealbyrecognizingtheresponsesofyourhealingsystem. Yourhealingsystem
~Empowersyoutodiscoverandmakeuseofthevastsupplyofhealingresourcesthatliewithinyourownbody. ~Directsyourenergiesandeffortswithinyourownbodyandawayfromblamingyourdiscomfortordiseaseonexternalcausesandforcesbeyond
yourcontrol,whichcanbedisempowering. ~Shiftsyourfocusawayfromfear-basedthinkingthatcanbeharmfulto
yourhealthandwell-being. ~Empowersyoutotakegreaterresponsibilityforyourlife,andhelpsyouunderstandtheconnectionbetweenyourownactionsandthoughts,includingyourdietandlifest~’le,andyourhealth. ~Lessensyourdependenceondoctors,drugs,andexternalagentsoftreat
ment. ~Improvesyourconfidenceinyourbody’sabilitytoremainhealthyand
healitself. ~Helpsinplanningthetreatmentandhealingofanyhealthproblemyoumightface. Youcanseethatthebenefitsofrecognizingthepowerofyourremarkablehealingsystemandworkingwithitwillhaveahuge,positiveimpactonyourhealthandyourlife. Note:Asyouarelearningthisnewwayofthinkingaboutyourbodydonotneglecttoseeyourdoctorifanyphysicaldiscomfortorpainincreasesordoesnotgoawayonitsown. Yourdoctor
canbeavaluableaidandsupportforyourhealingsystem. 38 YourExtraordinaryHealingSystem
ClinicalEvidenceofYourHealingSystematWork
We’vealreadylookedathealingresponsesingeneral,andwe’veseenseveraldifferentexamplesofthehealingsystematworktohelphealsuperficialinjuries. Nowlet’smovedeeperinsidethebodyaswecontinuetoexaminetheevidencethatclearlydemonstratesthat
yourbodyhasahealingsystemthatkeepsyoualiveandhealthy. In
eachofthesituationsthatfollow,rememberthatthehealingsystem
istheessentialelementinthehealingprocessandthat,withoutit,healingwouldnotoccur. YourHealingSystemandFractures:Sam’sStory
Samwasa34-year-oldseniorstaffsergeantwith15years’experience
asaveteranparatrooperandcombatcontrollerintheUnitedStates
AirForce. Duringaroutinetrainingmission,hewasrequiredto
jumpfromanaltitudeof10,000feetatnighttimeoverremotejun
gleterrain. Samgotcaughtupinatreeashewaslandingandbroke
hisankleinseveralplaces. Thebonepiercedthroughtheskin,mak
ingitacompoundfracture. Thistypeofinjuryhasahighrateofinfectionandisnotoriouslydifficulttotreat. Infectionthatsetsinto
thebonesisknownasosteomyelitis, aseriousconditionthatisdiffi
culttoeradicateandthatcomplicatesthehealingsystem’sabilityto
knitthebonestogethertohealafracture. SamwastakenbyairplanebacktotheRegionalMedicalCenter
inthePhilippines,whereIwasrequiredtofollowhiscasetoseewhetherhewouldeverbeabletoresumehiscareerdutiesagain. For
allintentsandpurposes,itlookedasifhismilitarycareerwasover. Samwashospitalizedrepeatedly,placedonnumerousantibi
otics,andoperatedon11timesoveratwo-and-one-half-yearperiod,
inattemptstoknithisbonestogether. Duringthisperiod,hewore
acastalmostcontinuouslyandwasneverabletowalkonhisown,relyinginsteadsolelyoncrutches. Heunderwentnumerouspainfulscrapingsandbonegraftsinanattempttocleanthesurfacesofthebonesfrominfectionwhilethedoctorsweretryingtojointhebonestogether. Duringtheseoperations,numerousplatesandscrewswere
alsoattachedtohisbones. Atonepoint,whenitlookedasifthefracturemightheal,Sam’s
castwasremoved,andhewastoldhecouldparticipateinlight
YourHealingSysteminAction 39
sports. Aweeklater,whilehewasfieldingagrounderduringafriendlysquadronsoftballgame,Sam’sanklesnappedandbrokein
twopiecesashisfootbentoutata90-degreeangle. Afterthis,itwasbacktotheoperatingroomforhim,withmorescraping,moremetalplatesandscrews,anothercast,andmorecrutches. Aftertwoandone-halfyears,SamwasnotonlyinjeopardyoflosinghisjobandbeingmedicallydischargedfromtheAirForce,he
wasalsobeingconsideredforafootamputation. Heconsultedwith
theprostheticspecialist,whobeganfittinghimforaprosthetic(artificial


	“Bladder	stones”	in
Figure	12b
)	can	lead	to
urinary
obstruction,	kidney	infection,
	and,	eventually,
kidney	failure. Figure	12b
:	Bladder	stones

As	kidney	cells	become	increasingly	deprived	of	vital	nutrients,	including	oxygen,
malignant	tumors	may	develop. In	addition,	uric	acid	crystals	that	are	not	eliminated	by
the	kidneys	can	settle	in	the	joints	and	cause	rheumatism,	gout,	and	water	retention. Symptoms	of	impending	kidney	trouble	are	often	deceptively	mild	in	comparison	to	the
potential	severity	of	kidney	disease. The	most	observable	and	common	symptoms	of
kidney	problems	are	abnormal	changes	in	the	volume,	frequency,	and	coloration	of	the
urine. These	are	usually	accompanied	by	swelling	of	the	eyes,	face,	and	ankles,	as	well	as
pain	in	the	upper	and	lower	back. If	the	disease	has	progressed	further,	there	may	be
blurred	vision,	tiredness,	declined	performance,	and	nausea. The	following	symptoms	may
also	indicate	malfunctioning	of	the	kidneys:
high	blood	pressure,	low	blood	pressure,	pain
moving	from	the	upper	to	lower	abdomen,	dark	brown	urine,	pain	in	the	back	just	above
the	waist,	excessive	thirst,	increase	in	urination	(especially	during	the	night),	less	than
500	ml	of	urine	per	day,	a	feeling	of	fullness	in	the	bladder,	pain	while	passing	urine,	drier
and	browner	skin	pigment,	ankles	being	puffy	at	night,	eyes	being	puffy	in	morning,
bruising,	and	hemorrhaging. All	major	diseases	of	the	urinary	system	are	caused	by	toxic	blood;	in	other	words,	by
blood	filled	with	tiny	molecules	of	waste	material	and	excessive	proteins. Gallstones	in
the	liver	impair	digestion,	cause	blood	and	lymph	congestion,	and	disrupt	the	entire
circulatory	system,	including	that	of	the	urinary	system. When	the	gallstones	are	removed,	the	urinary	system	has	a	chance	to	recuperate,	rid
itself	of	accumulated	toxins	and	stones,	and	maintain	fluid	balance	and	normal	blood
pressure. This	is	necessary	for	all	the	processes	in	the	body	to	run	smoothly	and
efficiently. There	may	also	be	a	strong	need	to	cleanse	the	kidneys,	in	addition	to	the	liver
and	gallbladder	(see
The	Kidney	Cleanse,
	section	3	of	Chapter	5). Disorders	of	the	Nervous	System

Our	entire	lives	are	dictated	by	the	way	we	feel. Our	persona,	the	way	we	carry	ourselves,
our	interactions	with	other	people,	our	moods,	cravings,	patience	and	tolerance	levels,	and
our	reactions	to	life’s	occurrences—all	are	strongly	influenced	by	the	condition	of	our
nervous	system. In	today’s	fast-paced	world,	we	are	exposed	to	a	variety	of	conditions	that
wreak	havoc	on	our	bodies. The	brain	is	the	control	center	of	the	body,	and	unless	it
receives	proper	nourishment,	your	entire	physical	and	emotional	being	can	easily	become
chaotic. Brain	cells	are	normally	easily	capable	of	manufacturing	the	huge	number	of	chemicals
they	need	for	the	complex	tasks	they	must	perform,	day	after	day,	year	after	year. However,	their	life	support	depends	on	the	continuous	supply	of	nutrients	necessary	to
produce	those	chemicals. Modern	intensive	agriculture	has	nearly	depleted	farm	soil	of	all
its	basic	nutrients	(see	“
Take	Ionic	Essential	Minerals,
”	section	5	in	Chapter	5). Although
this	has	certainly	added	to	the	nutritional	deficiencies	so	prevalent	among	the	populations
in	industrialized	nations,	most	nutrient	deficiencies	actually	occur	as	a	result	of	poor
performance	of	the	digestive	system	and,	particularly,	of	the	liver. Lack	of	such	nutrients
can	hinder	the	ability	of	our	brains	to	manufacture	the	chemicals	they	need	to	function
efficiently. The	brain	can	operate	for	quite	some	time	with	substandard	amounts	of	nutrients,	but
the	price	one	pays	includes	poor	health,	fatigue,	lack	of	energy,	mood	swings,	depression,
sickness,	aches	and	pains,	and	general	discomfort. Some	deficiencies	manifest	in	mental
disease,	such	as	schizophrenia	and	Alzheimer’s. The	health	of	the	nervous	system,	which	includes	the	brain,	the	spinal	cord,	pairs	of
spinal	and	cranial	nerves,	and	autonomic	functions,	largely	depends	on	the	quality	of	the
blood. Blood	is	composed	of	plasma	(a	straw-colored	transparent	fluid)	and	cells. The
constituents	of	plasma	are	water,	plasma	proteins,	mineral	salts,	hormones,	vitamins,
nutrient	materials,	organic	waste	products,	antibodies,	and	gases. There	are	three	varieties
of	blood	cells:	white	cells	(
leukocytes
),	red	cells	(
erythrocytes
),	and	platelets
(
thrombocytes
). Any	abnormal	changes	in	the	blood	affect	the	nervous	system	as	well	as
the	rest	of	the	body. All	three	types	of	blood	cells	are	formed	in	the	red	bone	marrow,	which	is	nourished
and	maintained	by	the	nutrients	supplied	by	the	digestive	system. Gallstones	in	the	liver
interfere	with	the	digestion	and	assimilation	of	food,	which	fills	the	plasma	of	the	blood
with	excessive	waste	material	and	reduces	nutrient	supplies	to	the	red	bone	marrow. This,
in	turn,	upsets	the	balance	of	blood	cell	constituents,	disrupts	hormonal	pathways,	andcauses	abnormal	responses	in	the	nervous	system. Most	diseases	afflicting	the	nervous
system	are	rooted	in	improperly	formed	blood,	brought	about	by	a	dysfunctional	liver	and
subsequent	waste	accumulation	in	the	intestinal	tract. Each	of	the	numerous	functions	of	the	liver	has	a	direct	influence	on	the	nervous
system,	particularly	the	brain. The	liver	cells	convert	glycogen	(complex	sugar)	into
glucose,	which,	besides	oxygen	and	water,	serves	as	the	most	important	nutrient	for	the
nervous	system. Glucose	covers	most	of	that	system’s	energy	requirements. The	brain,	although	it	constitutes	only	one-fiftieth	of	the	body’s	weight,	contains	about
one-fifth	of	the	total	blood	volume	in	the	body. It	uses	up	vast	amounts	of	glucose. Gallstones	in	the	liver	drastically	reduce	glucose	supplies	to	the	brain	and	the	rest	of	the
nervous	system. This,	in	turn,	can	affect	the	performance	of	the	organs,	senses,	and	mind. At	the	early	stages	of	imbalance,	a	person	may	develop	food	cravings,	particularly	for
sweet	or	starchy	foods,	and	experience	frequent	mood	swings	or	emotional	stress. There	are	other,	even	more	serious	problems	arising	from	the	occurrence	of	gallstones
in	the	liver. The	liver	forms	the	plasma	proteins	and	most	of	the	blood-clotting	factors
from	the	body’s	amino	acid	pool. Occurrence	of	gallstones	in	the	bile	ducts	of	the	liver
increasingly	inhibits	this	important	function. When	the	production	of	clotting	factors
drops,	platelet	count	drops,	too,	and	there	may	be	spontaneous	capillary