 is much
evidence regarding them.’ Among these interested persons
must be ranked the dead  who, for some reason or other,
wish to make their presence felt in the mortal world. A
powerful magician or hsien  could also summon the dead to
serve his purpose, as in the case of the noted hsien  Liu
Ken. He was once a court oﬀicial at the capital of Ch'ang-
an, in the Later Han dynasty. He abandoned court life and
retired to a cave on the edge of a precipice. He also
abandoned clothing and grew a covering of hair a foot
long, but when visited, or in company, he could suddenly
assume the conventiona l brocade robes of the scholar-
oﬀicial. He used his magical powers to help the local
populace, providing food and healing illness, but a new
governor of the province  regarded him as a wizard and
intended to have him tried and executed. Commanding Liu
Ken to appear before him, the Governor challenge d him to
call up some spirits to his aid in his present predicament.
Liu Ken wrote at the Judge's table and there followed an
eerie whistling and clanking. The wall of the courthouse
fell in and through the gap came a troop of soldiers
escorting an enclosed carriage. The wall then closed
behind them. Liu Ken then ordered the occupan ts to be
brought out and an old man and woman appea red with
hands bound and a noose round the neck. T o his horror the
Governor recognized his dead parents, who upbra ided him
for having been of no use to them in his life, since hisoﬀicial prefe rment had not taken place until after they had
died; now, in death, he was causing them harassm ent and
humiliation in persecuting a blameless hsien.  The
Governor immediately prostrated himself before Liu Ken
and pleaded that his father and mother might be released.
The hsien  then ordered the chariot away; the wall opened
and closed again behind it and Liu Ken vanished. But this
was not the end of it for the Governor; his wife died soon
after but came back from the next world to tell him that
his parents were so enraged at his unﬁlial behaviour that
they were going to kill him. A month later he and his son
and daughter all died.
As a background to this story it must be realized that in
China the whole family was held responsible for the
misdeeds of any member and was involved in any
punishment. Similarly, the entire family was aggrandized
when a success was achieved or honour conferred, even
when the honour was posthumously awarded; this had the
advantage that, if anyone had been accused falsely or
executed when innocent, he—and his family—c ould be
exonerated and recompensed after death. The next world
was regulated on the same hierarchic-bureaucratic lines
as that of imperial times,  when there were distinct grades
of oﬀicials and classes of persons. This ﬁrm and practically
applied belief in the spirit world permeated Chinese social
and religious practices: the realm of spirits was taken
seriously, nor have these beliefs died out, as witness a
recent account of a spirit-marriage in Peking. A girl,
having been killed in an accident before she was married,
was saved the ignominy of arriving unwed in the after-life.
A recently-dead youth was found; the normal match-
making ceremonies were undertaken by a go-betw een who
settled the dowry with the girl's father; there was the
normal wedding ceremonial and feast and then both
bodies were buried in the husband's tomb. The usualoﬀerings of money, clothing, food and wine were oﬀered at
the graveside. Traditionally, all the requisites for a
comfortable life in the next world—servants, clothing,
money—were taken in the funeral procession in paper
eﬀigies or forms and burned at the grave to ascend in
smoke to the heavens.
Spirits, if the body had been properly interred and there
was a home  to live in, were contented and well looked
after in the ancient ancestor reverence; but if the right
conditions were not followed, or if there were no home to
go back to, the spirit then became a wandering ghost,
unhappy in itself and a threat to the living; hence the
many rites for preventing such ghosts from causing harm
and for banishing them. This, too, explains the great
importance of having sons. Daughters marry into other
families, but sons perpetuate the family home and provide
the necessary home for the ancestors. There are various
methods of keeping ghosts at bay. ‘If you meet a ghost
coming and shouting continually to you for food, show it a
white reed and it will die instantly. In the mountains
ghosts are continually creating confusion to make people
lose their way.’ They also cause illness and disease, but if
the right magic is employed they can be controlled and
made to serve the living. For this purpose spells,
incantations and ‘words of power’ were used, both oral
and written. There is a universal belief in the power of
sound in words. In Egypt the cult of immortality was as
much of an all-absorbing interest as in China, not only in
the preservation of the physical body but also in magical
formulas which helped the dead in the next world. Both
Isis and Thoth/Hermes held the secret of sound and Isis
reviviﬁed the dead Osiris, killed by his brother Set, with
magic words ; the exact pronunciation and understanding
of their meaning was of the utmost importance. InHinduism the sound OM penetrates and sustains the whole
cosmos.
Servants for the Dead Eﬀigies following the funeral.
Summoning spirits or demons is universally done by the
magic Power of the Name. Spirits serve the magicians,
shamans and priests, and are often treated with contempt
by the masters who exercise power over them.
Incantations could force demons to leave their abodes and
appear before the sorcerer at his will. Divine names were
used in incantations and invocations; these were esoteric
and a jealous guard was kept on them. There was a
constant struggle between the shaman-magician-alchemist
and the spirits he needed to serve him; either he obtained
the mastery over them or they mastered him and he would
become ‘possessed.’ In Chinese alchemy possessionbelonged only to the failures who, in consequence, require
the rites of exorcism. Wandering ghosts and spirits could
also take possession of the body of those making mistakes
or trespassin g on forbidden ground while insuﬀiciently
‘protected.’ Possession was taken seriously and in
religious Taoism priests were trained in exorcism, while
magicians used their powers to expel possessing spirits.
Possession can be voluntary or involuntary. Pries ts and
mediums could be possessed by spirits when in trance. In
the lower orders these entities could be demons; in the
higher states, gods, goddesses or hsien  could speak
through the medium. It was in cases where demons or
ghosts took over against the intentions of the person that
the individual became possessed to his or her detriment
and so required exorcism. Priests, shamans and mediums,
once possessed, had command over all magical powers:
they could slash themselves with knives and remain
unhurt, swallow ﬁre, walk on live coals, cause objects to
ﬂy through the air or levitate themselves; such powers
have been examined and attested to in modern times. I
witnessed them myself at close quarters when itinerant
magicians displayed their abilities in the market place with
people crowding round within touching distance. Swords,
oﬀered to the crowd to test, were ‘swallowed’ and coals
taken from a brazier were also oﬀered for inspection then
put into the mouth and held there and spat out, still
blazing hot.
These magic powers were used by the ‘bellows blowers’
alchemists in their work, but the true hsien  did not use the
mastery of spirits in his work on the spirit; that was done
by yoga, self-mastery and by co-operation with Nature to
become one with her rhythms.
The Sorceress (wu) played a vital part in ancient
Chinese magic. She puriﬁed herself with perfumed water,
donned ritual robes, took a ﬂower in her hand and mimedher journey in search of the gods or goddesses. She
danced ecsta tically to the music of drums, ﬂutes and song
until she fell exhausted and the deity invoked then spoke
through her. Like the hsien, the wu could become invisible,
levitate, travel great distances in the spirit and could
produce all the magical and mediumistic phenomena. Her
male counterpart was called a hsi.
A sword swallower
Chinese alchemists were  experts in making perfumes,
which occupied an important place in all religious rites
and any ritual-social occasion. Indeed, scents have always
been valued and used in all aspects of Chinese life: witness
the numerous sc


 and then still rush to judgment. Such temptation of the ego merely
blinds us to trut h and casts us into darkness. Only through the  eyes of
love can  we truly see anything, and only through the Mind of Love can
we truly understand.
I w ish only to see what God wou ld have me see. For there is lov e and
yearning in everyone. May God give me new eyes that I might see and a
new mind that I might understand.
Dear God,
May I not be tempted to think I know
What in fact I cannot know.
May I not be tempted to judge Y our childr en
When Y ou Y ourself do not.
May my mind be fr ee of the ego thoughts
That hide the light
In everyone.
Amen.DA Y 345
FOR REFLECTION
O n  t h e  S o n g  o f  t h e  U n i v e r s e
T he true you, your holy self, is b eyond any limits of the mortal world.
So are the talents and brilliance within you. When you dwell in that
knowledge, simply recognizing and appreciating the divi ne spirit
residing in all of us, you receive the charisma of a self-confident person.
Someone who has confidence in God comes across as confident to
the worl d; some one who thinks of himself or herself as a fol lower of
God comes across as a leader to the world. Y ou’ll develop a kind of
invisible light, a sense of humble certitude, a greatness that comes from
beyond yourself.
Y our abilities, your intelligence, your talents, your personality, your
circumstances, y our dreams will all come together in a beautifu l pattern.
And you will see all this as yo ur calling—a calling back and forth, in
continuous song, from your hea rt to the universe and from the universe
back to you.DA Y 346
M a y  I  l e a r n  t o  l o v e  a s  G o d  l o v e s.
W hom I do not like, God still l oves. For God loves everyone. By
turning away from love for anyone, I turn away from God. T oday I
choose not to counter His will, but to be His instrument.
I am an idea in the Mind of God. The Mind of God is the Mind of
Love, for everyone and everything. T oday may I learn to love as God
loves, that I might learn who I really am.
Dear God,
Please lift my thoughts to love
For everyone and everything.
For then I will know what it means to love
And I will know who I r eally am.
Amen.DA Y 347
T o d a y  I  s e e k  t o  l o v e  m y  e n e m y,  t h a t  h e  m i g h t
b e c o m e  m y  f r i e n d.
T he only sure way to rid myself of an enemy is to choose to be his
friend. My withholding love fro m anyone is not what God would have
me do.
Thus ev en someone who has been my enemy can miracul ously
become my friend. T oday I allo w the power of for giveness to do for me
what I cannot do. I pray for my enemy, despite my resistance, that he or
she might become my friend.
Cr eating walls of separation between others and myself will
never cr eate a miracle. Love is the power that will defeat m y
enemy, b y defeat ing within me a ny idea of having one. I choose t o
be rid of my enemies by choosing to love them instead.DA Y 348
M a y  m y  m i n d  n e v e r  b e  a n  i n s t r u m e n t  o f  a t t a c k.
W hile love  would  not always hav e me agree with a brother, it w ould
always have me love him. May  my mind be an arbiter of fairn ess, and
never an instrument of attack.
In d isagreeing with someone, may I do so with respect. In holding
someone accountable, may I do so with honor. In setting a boundary,
may I do so with love.
Dear God,
May my mind be a conduit of love
And not fear,
That I might somehow help
T o heal this hurting world.
May my mind be clear
But my heart be always open,
Accor ding to Y our will.
Amen.DA Y 349
I  c l e a v e  t o  G o d,  a n d  t o  G o d  o n l y.
H ow often I cling to people or things, hoping that I can keep them
close. In doing so, I repel the very people and things I love.
T oday, may I cling only to God. As we depend on God within us, we
become more independent people. Through the independence of my
spirit, I attract everyone and everything that contributes to my good.
Released from my ego, I free others to more easily love me.
Dear God,
Please r emove
My attachment
T o things that ar e not mine.
Remove my ego’ s grip
Fr om the flow of all things good,
That all things good might flow thr ough me.
Amen.DA Y 350
FOR REFLECTION
O n  I n t e r n a l  R e g r e e n i n g
S ome people wonder why the ener gy in their life seems not to be
moving forward —when in fact the only thing holding them back is their
own unwillingn ess to face the  issues that still need to be fa ced, the
shadows that still need to be ow ned, and the amends that still need to be
made in order t o free their ener gy and restart their engines. As long as
we’re st uck inte rnally, our lives will be stuck externally; the only way to
go wide in life is if we are willing to go deep. It doesn’ t matter if the
problem happen ed decades ago; the challenge is to face it and deal with
it no w, s o in the decades ahead y ou’ll be released from the karm ic trap of
having always to reenact past disasters.
What sometimes seems as a slowing down of our jets is often
anything but. Internal work is s ometimes done more easily while sitting
there thinking than while busily running around. A frantic schedule helps
us to avoid taking a deeper look  at ourselves, but at a certain p oint such
avoidance simpl y does not and cannot work anymore. Slower l ifestyles,
candles and soft music in the house, yoga, meditation, and the like are
often sig ns of an internal regre ening. W e are focusing on changes that
support our deepening. And that deepening is the purpose of our lives.DA Y 351
L o s t  o p p o r t u n i t i e s  a r e  n e v e r  t r u l y  l o s t.
I  have not always behaved in ways that have maximized my
opportunities. But the fact that I attracted them means that they were
mine. Every lesson will come a round again, and I will have a chance to
learn it.
Through my atonement, humili ty, and sincere desire to get it right
where I have gotten it wrong be fore, I will attract the same opportunities
again in another form. God hold s His miracles in trust for me u ntil I am
ready to  receive them. He will  send opportunities around again, with
even bigger plans for how they can bless me and others now.
Dear God,
I am r eady to learn what I did not learn befor e.
I am r eady to gr ow and to be a b etter person because of what I know
now.
I atone for the mistakes of my past
And pray that they be used miraculously
T o cr eate an even gr eater good.
Amen.DA Y 352
B e i n g  p r e c e d e s  d o i n g,  i n  m e  a n d  i n  t h e  w o r l d.
T he only way I can know what I should be doing is to focus on who I
should be. There are important things God would have me do, but I am
responsible for becoming the vessel through which He can work. He can
only work for me if I allow Him to work through me.
Putting my focus on who God would have me be, is the only sure
way I will ever come close to discerning what He would have me do, and
being able to do it. Being precedes doing, in me and in the world.
Dear God,
Please make me who Y ou would have me be,
That I might do what Y ou would have me do.
May I embody the love
And extend the peace
That alone can change the world.
Amen.DA Y 353
I  p o u r  l i g h t  o n  a n y  t r o u b l i n g  c i r c u m s t a n c e.
G


 intelligent and listened closely when I said
that at the root of her disorder was a mistake in her self-
image. Because our society is obsessed with the ideal of
thinness, many women try to live up to an inner image of
their bodies that is simply not right for their physical
makeup. In her case, however, the image was not saying, “I
have to be thin.” It was saying, “I can never be thin
enough.”
To explain this paradoxical illness, one has to drop the
distinction between mind and body and think of one
system, the “bodymind.” This is because an eating disorder
is a holistic disease, the cruel opposite of holistic health. In
anorexics, the distorted idea, “I must be thinner,” takes
over the bodymind like a malevolent and elusive phantom.
Even after long hospitalization and exhaustive psychiatric
treatment, the patient rarely eats like a normal person. A
normal person would have to struggle to starve himself—
once the body went past a certain point of deprivation, its
hunger signa ls would take precedence over everyt hing else
in the bodymind, until the desire for food became
overpowering. For someone with anorex ia, the same thinghappens but in reverse—the compulsion to avoid eating is
all but irresistible.
As I was talking about this, the young woman looked at
me sorrowfully and whispered, “So there really are such
things as ghosts, aren’t there?”
I was startled, and after a moment I answered, “It’s true,
but this ghost can be exorcised.” What we were talking
about is a ghost of memory, a memory picked up and stored
in the body. Memory sounds very abstract, while food is
very concrete. But the memory is far more real in this case.
Whether a person is compulsively too thin or too fat does
not depend primarily on how much food he takes in. This is
true for conditions that are less bizarre than anorexia. For
centuries, obesity has been seen as a ﬂaw in character,
which religious ages called the sin of gluttony. The
implication was that if fat people were just strong enough
and used a little self-discipline, they could be as thin as the
rest of us simply by eating less.
Now it is generally recognized that for the chronically
obese, diets  do not solve the problem (just as, at the
opposite extreme, ﬁlling an anorexic with food does not
solve that problem), because the brain of a fat person is
actually sending out overpowering signals for too much
food. How these messages are triggered and how to turn
them around  are open questions. Unless some  degree of
control is gained at a very deep level, obese people can
spend their whole lives forcing themselves to diet, a self-
defeating tactic that only makes the mental distortion
worse. The loss of 10 pounds is registered in their brains as
a famine, and the next time food is oﬀered, the brain will
not stop until 15 pounds is put back on, adding an extra 5
as a safety margin against the next famine. Obese people
have been known to gain weight on diets where no extra
calories are oﬀered beyond the bare minimum to sustain
basal metabolism. The reason for this is that the brain canactually alter the metabolism in such a way that the
calories are stored as fat instead of being burned up as
fuel.
No one knows why the intellect is so powerless to change
these distortions in self-image. The ghost gets stronger the
more you ﬁght it. Although anorexics will persistently deny
that they have a proble m, once the doctor pierces this
defense, it is clear that a profound split in the bodymind is
involved, with one part of the system struggling to maintain
rationality while another sends up wildly irrational
impulses.
I once spent an hour counseling another anorexic woman
in her thirties who weigh ed less than 80 pounds, had given
birth at that weight, and was going into rapid physical
decline (10 percent of anorexics die from deliberate
starvation or from causes related to malnutrition).  Her case
was made particularly bizarre by the fact that she loved
nothing better than going home to cook for her large Italian
family, doling out pasta and olive oil to a dozen brothers,
sisters, cousins, aunts, and uncles.
Our conversation had been rather eerily reasonab le until
she suddenly snapped at me, “Do you really think you can
talk me out of this? I alrea dy understand the whole thing
perfectly, you know, and it hasn’t done me a damn bit of
good. Leave me alone. This is how I have to eat.”
She glared at me with unconcealed hostility. “Tell me,”
she demanded, “how many people do you cure of smoking
by talking to them? They know what nicotine  does and the
danger of lung cancer and all that. It doesn’t do them any
good to talk, and you won’t do me any good, either.”
I sat back, feeling the cold blasts of despair and the hot
blasts of hatred in what she had said. How horrible to have
to live with both, in a weird, poisonous tangle.
“The real question isn’t whether I can help you, is it?” I
pointed out after she calmed down. “It’s whether you canhelp yourself.” She started to soften just a little, and I
added gently, “You know, you’re not hurting me by not
eating. You’re not hurting anyone real at all, but someone
who is an image. It is all inside you, and that is the part
that is so tough, both for you as a person and for me as
your doctor.”
This story does not have an immediate happy ending.
Certainly my patient was right about the futility of talking
about her disease. She remains  a very hostile, confused
person, and my best hope  is that joining a peer group with
other anorexics and bulimics will help. To get her to
exorcise the ghost of memory, she will have to reach the
level where the ghost lives. Until the ghost is gone, patients
like her do not feel that they have a disease—they  are their
disease.
I mean this quite literally. What happen s to you when you
see a snake  and jump out of its way? The frightened
thought, Look out, a snake!  comes  to mind at exactly the
same instant  as adrenaline makes you jump. Usually the
thought and the action are so closely tied together that the
conscious thought doesn’t even have time to say its words
—you just see the snake and you jump. So there is no space
where you can drive in a wedge between the two. In the
case of an anorexic, the mere sight of food sets up a wave
of revulsion. Perhaps the sight and smell of a fresh loaf of
bread sends the thought, Ugh, I can’t eat this, while at the
same time the stomach turns, the salivary glands dry up,
and the whole digestive tract is alerted not to function.
Naturally, this is a twisted reaction, but the thought and
the reaction come packag ed together, and there is no place
to drive in a wedge betw een them. What is at work here is
something we can call an “impulse of intelligence,” which
means a thought and a molecule tied together, like a two-
sided coin. Once the impulse starts to rise, there is no
turning it back. The thought is the molecule; the moleculeis the thought. At the time it takes place, an impulse of
intelligence constitutes the patient’s whole inner reality.
When an anorexic is repelled by food, her reaction is all
there is (at least for that instant)—she is her disease at the
moment. The same holds true for the obese person trying
to resist food, the smoker trying to resist another cigarette,
and so on.
You cannot change a thought after you have had it—the
entire inner struggle of such patients is totally futile. But
there is another component to an impulse of intelligence
besides the thought and the molecule. The third component
is silence; this is the unseen component. Like all of us, the
anorexic must fetch thoughts from the region that lies
deeper than thought, and it is there that a cure might be
found.
The anorexic’s dreaded realization, I am my disease, may
be true, but it is not the ﬁnal truth. If the anorexic could
transcend her compulsions, looking on them without
involvement, her disease would end. Becoming a silent
witness would be enough to disentangle her from the
ghost. Archimedes said that if he had a lever long enou gh
and a place to stand on, he could move the Earth—
presumably, he would have to stand in outer space. The
anorexic needs just such a place; unfortunately, a human
being is conﬁned to inner space. No one has a spare
nervous system hanging in the closet in case his primary
one gets strange ideas. Sadly but inevitably, there is no
place outside to stand on.
—
Without realizing it, we count very heavily on the fact that
our thoughts  will trigger the right chemicals in our bodies


 But they can
all be reversed through strength training. Improving muscle tone through
weight-bearing exercises can also improve your posture and reduce back
pain. If you are dealing with chronic low-back problems and believe you
cannot e xercise, start slowly to build your back and abdominal muscle
strength and your pain will diminish.
There are emotional and psychological benefits of exercise. Hundreds of
studies attest to the value of regular exercise on your mood and mental
state. Th ese are some of the psychological benefits that have been shown
with exercise:
Less depression
Less anxiety
Less anger
Less cynical distrust
Improved self-esteem
Better resilience to stress
Improved sleep
Exercise gives you a greater se nse of confidence and competence. It is
good for  your body and good for your mind. Let’ s look more cl osely at the
essential ingredients of an ef fective age-reversing fitness program.
FlexibilityPerform a few minutes of stretching before a more vigorous strength-
training or cardiovascular worko ut. Particularly if you have a sedentary job
in which you are sitting for hours at a time, a few minutes of flexibility
exercise will overcome the shor tening and tightness of muscles that comes
with inactivity. Surprisingly, there is only limited scientific documentation
that stretching before exercise reduces muscle injuries. Those reports that
show a benefit suggest that active stretching while holding a position for
fifteen seconds provides the most benefit. If you are prone to low-back
pain, spi ne-stretching exercises can reduce your discomfort during and after
your exercise time.
T ry five to ten minutes of yoga or another flexibility exercise each day at
the s tart of your  workout. The S un Salutations (see page 114) s tretch every
muscle group, improve spinal flexibility, increase circulation, and improve
muscle tone. Use the Sun Salutations to bring your attention into your body
in preparation for strength training and aerobic activity.
Building Str ength
Muscles respond to use, which means that to build strength you have to
regularly activate a muscle group. The human body has over one hundred
dif ferent muscles that govern your movements and support your posture.
Y ou can gain gr eat benefit by systematically exercising the major muscle
groups i n your arms, legs, and trunk. The key to building muscl e strength is
to start of f slowly and gradually build up your conditioning level. While
fitness centers of fer expanded exercise options and can prov ide needed
motivation, you do not need expensive equipment to get a good workout.
The Basic Seven
T ry the basic sev en exercises below every other day for two weeks and you
will see a noticeable improvement in your muscle tone and strength. Plan tospend four to five minutes performing each exercise for a thirty-minute
strength-building workout.
1. Curls
Curls. This exercise builds the muscles that flex the elbow. Find an
object that weighs four to five pounds to start. Y ou can purchase a
small dumbbell or use an unopened half-gallon container of water,
milk, or orange juice. Sitting in a chair with your back supported, do
ten to fifteen repetitions: Start with your forearm resting on your thigh,
palm facing up. Slowly extend your elbow and then fully flex it. Inhale
while flexing your arms and exhale while extending. After completing
a round of repetitions, rest about half a minute and then repeat. Do this
three to five times with each arm. After a few weeks, you can
gradually increase the weight by a couple of pounds. This exercise
primarily strengthens the biceps muscle.Shoulder rotators. A valuable exercise that reduces shoulder injuries is
one that strengthens the muscles that rotate your arms outward. Most
exercise programs do not work these external
2. Shoulder r otators
rotators, creating imbalances in the shoulder girdle. These imbalances
then predispose you to rotator cuf f injuries.
Sit with  your back supported and use the same weight as abo ve. W ith
your elb ows he ld at your sides, begin with your arms straigh t ahead and
parallel to the floor. Now slowl y rotate your hands outward as far as you
can. Hold this position for a few seconds and then return to the starting
point. Repeat the external rotations ten times.
Another way to strengthen these  same muscles is by using a lar ge elastic
rubber band that you hold w ith both hands. Then, rotate your arms
externally using the rubber band for resistance.Push-ups. This well-known exercise helps build the shoulder girdle
muscles and the triceps. If you cannot do full straight-legged push-ups,
begin with modified ones, supporting your weight on your knees.
Inhale while lowering yourself toward the floor and exhale while
rising. Begin with eight to ten repetitions, resting for half a minute
between sets. Aim for three sets the first week, gradually increasing to
five.
3. Push-ups4. Abdominal crunches
Abdominal crunches. When doing abdominal crunches it is important
to recognize that you need to raise your head only 25 to 30 degrees of f
the ground to gain maximum benefit. As opposed to sit-ups, abdominal
crunches do not place unnecessary strain on your spine. Lie on a
padded surface with your knees bent and your fingers laced behind
your head. Lift your head and shoulders of f the ground with your chin
separated about a fist distance from your chest. Inhale while lifting of f
and exhale while returning to the floor. Perform fifteen crunches,
followed by half a minute of rest. Begin with three sets, gradually
increasing to five.
5. Back str engthenersBack strengtheners. Lie on your stomach with your palms on the floor.
W ithout pushing off with your hands, slowly lift your chest of f the
floor by tightening your back muscles. Y our arms and hands are just
used to provide stabilization. Repeatedly raise and lower your chest to
the floor, using only your back muscles. Do about twenty to twenty-
five lifts as a set.
Thigh strengtheners. These are best performed while supporting
yourself with your hands on a table or chair. T o protect your knees and
gain a full thigh muscle workout, do not bend beyond 90 degrees at the
knees. Maintain your back perpendicular to the floor. Inhale while you
are squatting and exhale while rising. Begin with fifteen squats, rest
for half a minute and then repeat the set.
6. Thigh str engtheners
Y ou can  gain similar benefits by stair -stepping. Find a platform  that is a
foot of f the grou nd and repeatedly step up, leading first with one leg, then
the o ther. Start w ith twenty-five  steps with each leg. Continue until you feel
a mild burn in your thigh muscles.Y ou can also u se weights to strengthen the muscles that ext end your
knee. Sit in a firm chair with y our back supported; place a tw o- to five-
pound w eight ar ound each ankle. Slowly straighten your knee, hold it for a
few seco nds, and then slowly re turn your foot to the floor. Do o ne side then
the other, beginning with about ten repetitions.
T oe risers. This exercise tones and strengthens the calf muscles. Stand
in your bare or stocking feet, supporting yourself with your hands on a
table or chair. Slowly raise yourself up on your toes, and then slowly
lower yourself. Inhale while you are rising and exhale while lowering.
Do twenty to twenty-five raises, rest for half a minute and repeat. T ry
three sets at first, gradually increasing to five.
7. T oe risers
Cir culating the Life For ceThe hum an phy siology is a sop histicated biological instrument designed to
transform creativity into manife station, thought into action. If you are not
regularly increas ing the flow of  oxygen into your lungs and enhancing the
circulation of blood through your body, you are not providing your
physiology the opportunity to experience peak performance. As a result of
inadequately exercising your ca rdiovascular and respiratory sy stems, you
place yourself at increased risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, and a
variety of dif ferent cancers. At any age and regardless of your current level
of f itness, beginning an aero bic exercise program will improve your
physical and emotional well-being and help you grow younger.
As i s true with strength training, a cardiovascular fitness program does
not have to be complicated in order to provide health-enhancing benefits.
Y ou do have to be regular, for your mind can always come up  with some
reason why exercise is not a good idea today, particularly if you get of f your
routine and miss a few sessions. Find an aerobic activity that you can do
regularly—regardless of the weather—and stick with it. Three to four
sessions per week for twenty to thirty minutes is usually enough to gain
substantial bene fits. There are a few simple principles to follow to
determine how much and how often you should be exercising  in order to
gain maximum cardiovascular benefit.
CALCULA TING YOUR T ARGET EXERCISE LEVEL
The first step i s to calculate y our maximal heart rate (MHR), which is
determined by subtracting your age from 220.
For example, if you are 50 years  old, your maximal heart rate is 170 (220
− 50). If you are just beginning an exercise program, first chec k with


 you will know that
God is present within you. So, my dearest friends, nd out what
distorted image you have of God that stands in the way of your God-
experience as the total, blissful cosmic feeling it is in reality. Make
yourself open to it. May the words I am giving you bring light into
your soul, into your life. Let them ll your heart. Let them be an
instrument to liberate you from illusions. I bless each one of you,
individually and as a whole.  God’s world is a wonderful world and
there is only reason to rejoice  on whatever plane you live, whatever
illusions or hardships you temporarily endure. Let them be amedicine for you, and grow strong and happy with whatever comes
your way. Be blessed. Be in peace. Be in God!
OceanofPDF.com5
Unity and Duality
We live on a plane of duality. All our experiences are ltered
through a dualistic consciousness. The dualistic state is painful,
because we are uctuating between opposing alternatives; we
perceive life as a series of events which we call good or bad. The
most threatening of dualities is that between life and death. Yet we
know that a higher consciousness exists on a unied plane and that
to be in contact  with it is blissful. We strive toward unication, but
how can we attain it without denying parts of our present being?
This lecture explains our dualistic condition and shows how we
can transform those parts in ourselves which prohibit unication.
Greetings, my dearest friends. May this evening be a blessing and
an enric hment for every one of you here and for all who read these
words. May you open your minds and hearts so you can deeply
understand yourselves. And even if you cannot understand my
words immediately, some of them may take root in your psyche and
come to fruition later. Full understanding of this lecture may reach
you only as you work your way through the deep layers of your
unconscious where what I say here will apply.
There are two basic ways to approach life and the self. Or, to put
it dierently, there are two fundamental possibilities for human
consciousness: the dualistic and the unied plane. The majority of
human beings live predominantly on the dualistic plane, where you
perceive and experience everything in opposites: either/or; good orbad; right or wrong; life or death. In other words, practically
everything you encounter, every human problem, is shaped by this
dualism. The unied principle combines the opposites of dualism.
By transcendin g dualism you will also transcend the pain it causes.
Few human beings transcen d the dualistic plane, so most people
experience only an occasional taste of the limitless outlook, the
wisdom and freedom of the unied plane.
On the unied plane of consciousness there are no opposites.
There is no good or bad, no right or wrong, no life or death. There is
only good, only right, only life. Yet it is not the kind of good, or
right, or life that comprises only one pole of the dualistic opposites.
It trans cends them both and is completely dierent from either one.
The good, the right, the life that exist on the unied plane of
consciousness combine both dualistic poles, so no conict exists.
This is why living in a unied  state, in absolute reality, creates bliss,
unlimited freedom, fulllment, and that unlimited realization of
potentials which religion calls heaven. Heaven is usually thought to
be a place in time and space. This, of course, is not so. Heaven is a
state of conscio usness that can be realized at any time by any entity,
whether a human being in the esh, or one who does not live in a
material body.
Understanding Is the Way to the Unied Plane
The unied state of consciousness is attained through
understanding or knowingness. Life on the dualistic plane is a
continuous problem. You have to struggle with the arbitrary,
illusory division of the unied principle, through which things
become oppo sites that impose conicts. This creation of
irreconcilable opposites generates a tension within and therefore
with the outside world.
Let us understand this particular struggle, and therefore the
human predicament, a little better. You already have, in your real
self, a unied state of mind, regardless of how unconscious and ignorant
you may be of it. This real self embodies the unied principle. Now,even those who have never heard of such a thing have a deep
longing and a mostly uncons cious sense of a dierent state of mind
and life experience than the one they know. They yearn for the
freedom, blissf ulness, and mastery of life that the unied state of
consciousness aords.
This longing is misinterpreted by the personality, partly because it
is an unconscious yearning for happiness and fulllment.  But let us
understand precisely what is really meant by these words. They
mean the unication of the dualistic opposites, so that there is no
longer any tension, conict, or fear. Consequently, the world
becomes alive and the self is master, not in a tight, tense, hostile
way, but in the sense that life can be exactly what the individual
determines it to be. The freedom, mastery, and bliss of this
liberation are sought after consciously and unconsciously.
The misinterpr etation of this longing occurs partly because it is
unconscious—only a vague feeling deep within the soul. But even
when the theoretical knowledge of such a state exists, it is still
misinterpreted for yet another reason. When freedom, mastery,
unication, and the resulting bliss of the unied state of
consciousness are pursued on the dualistic plane, a tremendous
conict must ensue because they are absolutely impossible to
accomplish on that plane. You strive for the fulllment of your deep
longing to transcend and nd, deep within yourself, a new state of
consciousness where all is one. When you seek this on a plane
where all is divided, you cannot ever nd what you seek. You will
despair and split yourself further apart in conicts, for illusion
creates duality.
This happens overwhelmingly among people who are ignorant of
these possibilit ies, but it also happens among people who are more
spiritually enlightened, yet are nevertheless ignorant both of the
dierence between these two planes and of how they can learn to
transcend the dualistic plane in their practical daily existence.
When the vague longing for, or the precise theoretical knowledge
of, the unied plane of consciousness is misread and therefore
sought on the dualistic plane, here is what happens: You sense that
there is only good, freedom, right, beauty, love, truth, life, without athreatening opposite, but when you apply this on the dualistic
plane, you will immediately  be plunged into the very conict you
seek to avoid.  You then ght for one of the dualistic aspects and
against the other. Such a ght makes transcendence impossible.
Let me demon strate this in a familiar, everyday human problem,
so that you can understand these words more concrete ly. Let us
assume that you are quarreling with a friend. You are convinced,
from where you sit, that you are right; therefore, immediately, the
friend becomes wrong. With dualistic understanding issues can only
be either/or. The outcome seems to matter more than the issue
itself, for when the intensity of emotions is truly tested, it often has
no relationsh ip to the issue at stake. It would rather be
commensurate with a life-or-death issue. Although you may think
this irrational on a consciou s level, on an unconscious level being
wrong truly means being dead, for being wrong means being denied
by the other. On the dualistic plane, your sense of identity is
associated with the other person, not with your real self. As long as
you experience yourself only as the outer ego-self, you will depend on
others. Hence, a slight quarrel truly becomes a matter of life or
death, which explains the intensity of emotions when it comes to
proving your right and the other’s wrong. Only when you have
realized the center of your being, which embodies unication, does
your life cease to depend on others.
On the dualistic plane each issue ends with either life or death.
Life becomes terribly impo rtant in order to avoid death. Often
people fear death so much that they run into it head on. Such
individuals do not escape fear of death. Quite the contrary. Their
constant strug gle with life, which results from their fear and
struggle agains t death, renders them so unhappy that they believe
they don’t fear death. This is an illusion as long as life is
experienced on the dualistic plane, as long as one side is viewed as
important and is fought for, and the other side is seen as a threat
and is fought against. As long as you feel that you must win because
your side is true, while the other’s is false, you are deepl y involved
in the


appeared  upon the earth, some provision  must  have
been made for his security against extinction.  Food, clothing, shelter
were all stored within the earth, man having only to work for them to
satisfy all his material  needs. Would the vital importance  of his freedom
from disease be neglected?  If what is stated in these pages is correct,
the means whereby health may  be attained  is always close at hand,
easy to carry  out, marvellous  in its simplicity  and  free to everyone.  The
late Dr. Chas.  H. Duncan, one of the most  enlightened  doctors of
America, states in his book Autotherapy :
“There are in the pathogenic  exudates toxic substances  to which  the
patient must  develop resistance  in order that a cure  may  be instituted.
In other words, in Autotherapy  the patient  has  the right toxic
substances  within his body, and  it remains for the physician  to find
them and determine  the proper dose and  the interval between doses
so that the local  tissues may develop  resistance  to them. “
There  is therefore,  much in some branches of medical research which
agrees with the courageous  contribution  of John Armstrong  which  is
testified to in the cases mentioned  in this book.  "

  97
 CHAPTER  XV.
THE COMMON  COLD

It is not extravagant  to say that the simple malady we call an ordinary
common cold has baffled the Prof ision for centuries.  A doctor  once
said to the write‐: "If there  is one thing I dislike being asked to cure, i± is
a common or garden cold in the head! "The late Dr. Haig, who first
drew attention  to uric acid, aid beater still to the folly of living on an
unbalanced  di It (though  on certain points one might differ  from  him)
told people they  should be thankful when they  contracted  a streaming
cold, as it acted as a species of house‐cleaning, and therefore  should
never be suppressed.  But unfortunately  for mankind at large, very often
the first  thing most  persons do immediately  they  "begin to feel a cold
coming on" is to buy something  to stop  it, and "nip it in the bud." This is
not curing it, it is merely  suppressing  it and  frustrating  Nature. The
suppression  of a simple cold often  leads to worse  afflictions,  such as
pneumonia,  etc.
The cause of colds is as simple as colds themselves  are common;  it lies
in an unbalanced  diet, and as t to majority of people live on unbalanced
diets, the majority if people are thus  in, varying degrees susceptible  to
colds. Excess  of starch in a diet combined  with a deficiency  of foolis
containing  the essential mineral  salts  is productive  of catarrh. The
exudations  in catarrhal conditions  should in themselves  be quite
sufficient  to indicate to us the real cause of catarrh ‐their nature  is
starchy. Moreover,  just as the cause of a cold must  be obvious, so must 98
 be its cure,  as I have found through years of observation  and
experience.
The procedure  is to fast on cold water and  self‐urine only.  No
medicaments,  whether in the form of lozenges or potions, must  be
taken. If this treatment  is carried out, the cold will disappear,  in the
case of otherwise  healthy individuals,  in about 12 hours  or less.
Doubtless  the reader will say: "but  this  is quite contrary to the old
adage  `Feed a cold, and starve  a fever'." Yet was that the  original
adage? I have heard  it said that such is merely  a perversion  of the
original  saying, which was "If you feed a cold, you'll have to starve  a
fever." Even a fast on cold water only will cure a cold in anything from
24 to 48 hours. But this  is less  effective  than the cold water and  self‐
urine treatment,  which  not only results  in the rapid disappearance  of
the catarrhal condition,  but the victim  feels much better in every way
than prior  to the  visitation.  Moreover,  which is very important,  it
prevents the development  of influenza,  pneumonia,  etc., which  when
once  developed  may  in some cases need at least a fast of 10 days, and
much care and nursing.
And yet influenza,  pneumonia,  bronchitis  and  kindred  ailments  may  be
merely  the more  immediate  results of suppressing  Nature's attempts to
get rid of an excess of starch and  its evils. Indeed, it is my conviction
that suppressed  colds are the most  fruitful and common basis  of a long
list of major  diseases. Coryza, as it is technically  called, i.e., the
inflammation  of the mucus  membrane  of the nose; should be regarded
as a blessing in disguise, for it is, so to say,  the  alarm‐bell which
annouoices  that the interior  needs a cleansing  process.  And I would
here  stress at the risk of repetition  that nothing performs this office so 99
 quickly, easily and  actively  as the i ntake of every drop of one's own
urine while fasting, even if the passing and  intake of that urine is up to
20 pints  in the 24 hours  of a fast.
As to chronic nasal catarrh, those people who live on an unbalanced
diet should be thankful for this "safety  valve" which


 and you say, “I had a
dream.” That statement is actua lly very deep. How do you know you had a
dream? Do you merely rememb er the dream or were you actually in there
experiencing it? The answer is very simple: you were in there experiencing
it. The same you who looks through your eyes and sees the outer world was
experiencing the events occurring in the dream. There’ s only one conscious
being in there, and you are either experiencing the waking world or the
dream world. Note that when describing your interactions with both worlds,
you intuitively use the word “I,” as in “I was flying through the clouds with
my arms open wide, then I suddenly woke up and realized I was in my bed.”
In The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali,  which is a very ancient yogic  text,
Patanjali discusses the topic of deep, dreamless sleep. He says that when
you go to sleep and there are no dreams, it’s not that you are not conscious,
it’s that you are conscious of nothing. If you spend time contemplating this,
you’re going to find that you’re always conscious in there. Even people who
get knocked unconscious, or go into a coma, often come back and tell us
what they were experiencing. People have near-death experiences in which
they leave their bodies and come back to tell about it. Whatever the source
of these experiences, the same you in there experienced them and were able
to describe what you experienced. How can you call that not being
conscious? Medically, what we call “conscious” has to do with awareness of
our external surroundings. However, the concept of whether you in there are
consciously aware of anything—that’ s another story altogether. You’re
always conscious. You’ve been conscious from the beginning. You’re aware
of whate ver you focus on, internally or externally. Who are you? Who is
that consciously aware entity inside?Chapter 3.
Living Inside
We are back  to the most basic truths of your life: you’re in there, you know
that you’re in there, and you’v e been in there all along. This raises some
interesting quest ions, such as, when the body dies, will you still be aware of
being? Isn’t that an interesting question? Don’ t get excited, we’re not going
to answer that for you. Eventu ally, however, there will be someone who
provides that answer: You. You are guara nteed to personally find out
someday whether you will be there after the body dies. Why do people have
so much trouble with death? It’s got to be one of the most exciting aspects
of your life. It’s truly a once-in-a -lifetime experience! That is what’ s waiting
for you at the time of death. After that final moment, either you are going to
be there or you are not. If you’re not there, don’t worry. It’s not like, “Oh
my god, I’m not here. I don’t like this.” No. You’re not there, so it’s not
going to be a problem. The other alternative, however, is much more
interesting—what if you are there? Then you’re going to find out what it’s
like to explore a whole other universe where you don’t even have a body.
Let’s not talk about it further because it runs into people’ s belie fs, concepts,
or views about the subject. Let’s just let it be something to look forward to
as the ultimate once-in-a-lifetime experience.
The reason some people have so much trouble with death is because
they identify with their bodies. As if that’s not enough, they also identify
with their cars and houses. People project their sense of self onto things that
are not their self. When they do that, they feel afraid to lose those things. As
you work your way through your inner growth, you won’ t identify with
these outer objects anymore. You’ll identify with the deeper sense of self
within.
Now that it’s clear that you’re in there, it becomes reasonable to ask:
What do you do in there? Even more relevant, what’ s it like in there? Whatan interesting question to ask: What’ s it like in there? If people answered
honestly, most would say that it’s not always so much fun in there. In fact,
sometimes it’s downright tough. What’ s that all about? This is where we get
down to a real honest discussi on about inner growth. Most people don’t
realize that it can always be nice in there. Take the nicest it’s ever been:
holding your first child, the day of your wedding, your first kiss, winning
the lottery. Recall that state, then increase it multifold and have it be that
way all the time—except that it keeps getting higher. That is what you are
capable of experiencing inside. That’ s the truth. It is really beautiful in there,
but something is messing it up. Imagine walking into a house that has dirt,
banana peels, and pizza crusts all over the place. It happens to be a beautiful
house, but no one took care of it. It can be beautiful again, but some work
needs to be done. This is exactly the situation inside you. In fact, that is why
we’re on this inner exploration. Everybody wants the same  thing: they
would like it to be nice in there.
People do all kinds of things trying to make it nice in there. Some run
around trying to have exciting experiences, find fulfilling relationships, or
even take the edge off with drinking or drugs—all for the same reason. The
problem is they’re approaching the issue in the wrong way. They’re asking
how to make it nice in there, while the more relevant question is why is it
not nice? If you find out why it’s not nice, and you get rid of that, you’re
going to find out it can be really nice in there. Life doesn’ t have to be a
game of, “Since it’s not nice in here, I need to find things that will
compensate for that in order to feel a little bit better.” That is what
everybody’ s doing. They are trying to find people, places, and things in the
outside world that will unfold in a way that makes it more comfortable
inside. People are trying to use the outside to fix the inside—b etter to find
out why it’ s not nice inside to begin with.Chapter 4.
The Three-Ring Circus
“I’m in here. I’m conscious, and what I am conscious of is that it’s not
always so nice in here.”
That honest statement  is a wonderful launching pad for continuing our
exploration of Self and the power of acceptance. What is it you experience
that sometimes makes it nice inside, and sometimes makes it very difficult?
There are only three things you experience in there, so let’s take a look at
them. First, you experience the outside world coming in through your
senses. There’ s a whole world out there, and what’ s in front of you comes in
through your eyes, ears, nose, and senses of taste and touch. When it comes
in, it’s either a pleasant experi ence, an unpleasant experience, or a just-
passing-through experience. Thus, the outside world is one of the things you
deal with that has a profound ef fect on your inner state.
As overwhelming as the outside world can be, it’s not all you
experience inside. You also have thoughts in there. You hear the thoughts
saying, “I don’t know if I like this. I don’t even understand why she did it.”
Or perhaps, “Wow! I’d like to have a car like that. I would go for long
weekend rides in the country.” If you’re asked who is saying all this inside
your head, you’ll probably say it’s you. But it is not you. Those are
thoughts, and you are the one who is noticing the thoughts. Thoughts are
just another thing you notice in there. You notice the world coming in from
outside, and you notice the thoughts that are generated inside.
Where do thoughts come from? We’re going to discuss that at length
later, but for right now, understand that thoughts and the outside world are
two of the three things you experience inside. The third  thing youexperience is your feelings or emotions. There are feelings that come up
suddenly, like fear. Your mind can say, “I feel scared,” but if you didn’ t
actually feel scared, the impact would be much less. It’s the fact that you
actually experience the emotio n of fear that causes the problem. Some
feelings are pleasant: “I felt love. I felt more love than I have ever felt
before.” You like that feeling. Other feelings are unpleasant: “I’m feeling
fear, embarrassment, and guilt coming up all at the same time.” You don’t
like that, do you?
We’ve already come a long way in our exploration of Self. We’ve
proven you’re in there, and the strongest proof is you know that you’re in
there. This is your seat of awar eness.  Anytim e you get lost, just stand in
front of the mirror and say, “Hi, are you in there?” Wave at yourself, and
realize, “Yep, I see somebody waving. Who am I that sees that?” This is a
way to center


 this excruciating pain. I had no energy andstarted experiencing hot flashes. When I discussed these symptomswith my doctor and suggested that the estradiol patch and theMeridia might not be helping me, she made me feel like a failure.It was as though it was my fault that I could not lose weight.
I was so worried about my failing health that I started
talking to everyone I met looking for advice. Through acompounding pharmacist I found my way to Dr. Platt.
At our first meeting, Dr. Platt did a very thorough history on
me. He wanted to know everything about my medical history, myparents’ medical history, my sister, my husband, everything. Hehad me take a blood test on my first visit. He did a completehormone panel and, after looking over the results, explained whatwas going on in my body. He told me that the food I had beeneating was affecting my insulin levels. He explained what happensthroughout the day when you eat those kinds of foods. He could seefrom my history and my blood tests that I was already making toomuch estrogen and certainly didn’t need to take more. Dr. Plattwas concerned about my daughter as well, since my family has ahistory of breast cancer and uterine cancer. He told me to stoptaking the estradiol and the Meridia, and he put both me and mydaughter on natural progesterone.
He told me that my other doctor wasn’t lying to me; it’s just
that she was misinformed about natural hormones. He also gaveme a book,
Metabolic Solutions, that reviewed all the things that
he told me about. He said I was to commit myself to a programthat he would design for me. He said I would lose my weight, havemore energy, and my headaches and hot flashes would probably goaway too.
A nutritional counselor in his office set a goal weight for me
and designed a meal plan that included shopping tips and foods to183 DOCT ORS DON’T ALWAYS LISTEN buy. He told me to wean myself off sugar and caffeine. The day
after I saw the counselor I was at work and I started to getweaker and sicker until by evening I thought I might be dying. Icalled the counselor, who had Dr. Platt call me back immediately.Dr. Platt reassured me that it was just my body going through adetoxification process from sugar and caffeine. He said I’d be a lotbetter the next day, and sure enough, he was right.
I continue to go into Dr. Platt’s office once a week. When I go
in, they check my blood pressure and my urine to see how muchfat I am burning. They weigh me, and I get a B12 shot.
It’s been easy to stay on the diet and I’ve lost 60 pounds. T oday
I don’t wake up with headaches any more—a miracle! Mydiarrhea’s gone, no headaches, no asthma, and I have energy now.People tell me all the time that I look slimmer.
I really believe that the natural hormones have helped me the
most. I’m able to control my eating now because I understandwhen and why I get hungry. Candy and caffeine just don’t seemimportant to me anymore. I’m also not scared of getting out ofcontrol when I get to my goal weight. I used to be afraid ofreaching my goal weight, thinking I would just gain it all backand then some, just like before. I now rely on the nutritionalcounselors at Dr. Platt’s office because they always have goodadvice for me. They remind me that I’m going to be introducingcarbohydrates one at a time, slowly, and that they will monitor theeffects on me. I haven’t reached my goal weight yet, but I alreadyfeel successful
.
CHILDBIRTH AND HEADACHES
Shirley’s headaches began after she gave birth to her first child.
That’s because pregnancy and birth cause vast hormonalshifts in some women. Hormones affect every aspect of184 THE MIRACLE OF BIO-IDENTICAL HORMONES  pregnancy. The most obvious example is women with low
progesterone and high estrogen suffering from morningsickness and miscarriages.
During the second trimester, the placenta begins producing
copious quantities of progesterone. Progesterone is thefeel-good hormone, and that’s why we have the cliché of the“radiant” expectant mother as she nears childbirth. However,after a woman delivers, her progesterone level suddenlyplummets. At this point the cliché reverses itself: postpartumdepression is a common occurrence. In Shirley’s case, hernormally low progesterone levels sank even further after shegave birth, bringing on the headaches.
She’d already had symptoms of asthma as a result of her low
progesterone, and naturally those symptoms got worse after thebirth of her child. Shirley reports feeling that her asthma gotworse as her weight increased. This is not surprising, since themost likely cause of her asthma was a high estrogen levelassociated with low progesterone. The more fat cells a personhas, usually the higher their estrogen levels. This, by the way,could be the reason for the higher incidence of breast cancerin obese women.
Shirley’s feeling that it was harder and harder to control
her weight through dieting as she aged is something manypeople can identify with. People in their 40s often becomealarmed at how stubbornly fat clings to their bodies.Throughout their teens, 20s, and 30s, they were able to forcethemselves to shed a few pounds when they got desperateenough, but now nothing seems to work.
In Shirley’s case, this was doubly true because she was
over-producing insulin. Anyone who responds well to ahigh-protein diet is over-producing insulin. The most commonreason why people over-produce insulin is that they are not185 DOCT ORS DON’T ALWAYS LISTEN producing enough progesterone, and as we get older
progesterone levels decrease. This means that in middle ageour bodies will produce more insulin. And insulin, as I’vesaid again and again, is the fat-storing hormone.
SIGNS OF ESTROGEN DOMINANCE
Shirley’s medical profile told me in many different ways that she
was suffering from estrogen dominance. Very often, troublewith one’s gallbladder is a complication of estrogen dominance.The menstrual migraines were caused by estrogen. Herpear-shaped body type is the classic body type for someoneover-producing estrogen.
MERIDIA FOR WEIGHT LOSS
—A FOOL’S ERRAND
Shirley was prescribed Meridia to help her lose weight. This was
an error. Meridia is, in most cases, completely ineffective forsignificant weight loss.
Meridia is a combination of an SSRI (selective serotonin
reuptake inhibitor) and an NRI (norepinephrine reuptakeinhibitor). It was originally developed as an anti-depressant.When Phen/Fen was taken off the market, the manufacturersof Meridia decided to promote it for weight loss becauseMeridia affects the same neurotransmitters that Phen/Fen did.
When the manufacturers of Meridia initially tried to get the
drug approved by the FDA, it was rejected. It caused too manyproblems with elevated blood pressure. So they cut the dosagein half to reduce the blood pressure problem. Needless to say,Meridia’s effectiveness for weight loss went down as well.
The whole approach to weight loss in conventional186 THE MIRACLE OF BIO-IDENTICAL HORMONES  medicine has been predicated on the theory that people eat too
much and that’s why they have a weight problem. The medicalcommunity, in my view, has been remiss in not addressing thetrue factors that cause weight gain.
Meridia might be of some benefit in maintaining weight
loss because it can reduce severe cravings for food. However, itdoes not address getting rid of fat. The great majority ofover-weight people have hormone problems: primarily, toomuch insulin, too much estrogen, and an under-active thyroid.They cannot start burning fat until their hormones havebeen adjusted.
PREMARIN/PROVERA
—THE UNQUESTIONED PROTOCOL
Shirley confesses that when she challenged her doctor about
prescribing Premarin, she was chided for doing so. This is verycommon. Estrogen is the one hormone gynecologists knowabout and believe in, and Premarin is a formulation they’re veryfamiliar with. It’s common for gynecologists to look askance atany question concerning Premarin’s effectiveness.
Premarin is one of the largest-selling estrogen preparations
in the world—although sales dropped to half what they hadbeen after release of the Women’s Health Initiative in 2002.This is a drop of 10 million prescriptions per year—resultingin a decrease of 14,000 cases of breast cancer per year. At theturn of the last century, the incidence of breast cancer wasabout one case per 94 women; the present rate is about one inevery seven or eight women. This increase may be attributableto our friend estrogen.
I have had women patients come back to me and report that
their doctors forbade them to take the natural bio-identical187 DOCT ORS DON’T ALWAYS LISTEN progesterone I had prescribed and sternly insisted that they
continue their estrogen replacement therapy. I’ve heard ofdoctors who told women to throw their progesterone creamin the trash.
Some time ago, I had a 59-year-old woman in my office.
When she was 52 she was started on Premarin and Provera. Byage 58 she had contracted breast cancer and they removedboth breasts. The doctors then prescribed what is called anE


 young again is a symbol of the deeper desire
to remai n new. Babies and young children have no problem with this. By
putting yourself back into the most childlike mindset you can imagine, you
open the way for learning, as Almaas puts it, that “we are the pleasure, we
are the joy, we are the most profound significance and the highest value.”
6. Being self-r eferral
The highest state of consciousness available to us is unity, which erases
the distinction between observ er and observed. In unity, everything you
once thought was “out there” is seen to be part of yourself. What prevents
this expe rience is a false sense of self built from images of past experience.
Self-image is necessary to a very limited extent; you have to know your
identity and profession and other technical matters. But most people weight
their self-image with a multitude  of opinions, beliefs, likes and dislikes, and
other extraneous baggage. To get rid of this baggage and reexperience
yourself as a free, uncluttered person, you have to work at stripping away
the crusted varnish of self-image.
Your action plan can take many different directions in accomplishing this
goal.
• You can take up a new activity that is totally incongruous with your
self-image. Take up aerobic dancing if you are a gray-flanneled business
executive, or weight lifting if you’re a housewife. Expose yourself to people
and situations that challenge you to grow beyond old habits.
• Volunteer to work with the homeless or the disabled. Being confronted
with people who are very different from you, learning to overcome yourinnate fear and resistance to them, and finally seeing yourself in them is a
powerful way to find your common humanity.
• Write your autobiography. Putting down every detail of your life as
candidly and honestly as possible will help you detach from ingrained
attitudes by showing you wher e they came from. The act of writing also
forces you to articulate things you normally take for granted, such as how
you feel about your parents and your career. Be as detailed and explicit as
possible. Conce ntrate on how you felt at every period of your life. Don’ t
justify your actions or make yourself out to be better than you are. If you
find it difficult to express yourself, try to unlock the flow of words by
writing about yourself in the third person: “John was dominated by a father
he both loved and feared,” rather than, “I was dominated by a father I both
loved and feared.”
• Resolv e to take one step every day to correct some behavior that you
know isn’t an expression of the real you. For example, you may be an
habitual people- pleaser who always says what other people like to hear. The
next time you find yourself falling into that trap, say what you really feel.
The situation doesn’ t have to be dramatic or earthshaking. Someone might
remark, “The bus is always late, isn’t it?” or, “Things are really running
down around here.” Instead of chiming in to agree with their complaint,
state how you actually feel about things. On the other hand, if you are
always outspoke n and tend to feel that others should listen to you, stop
yourself and listen to them for a change. These simple exercises can
actually be quite challenging; you need to learn to lower your social facade,
and the more you practice, the less critical you will find it is to wear the
mask.
• Expand  your efforts in meditat ion, Yoga, creative visualization, or other
inner disciplines that take you outside your confined awareness. These
practices are useful to everyone, but if you truly dedicate yourself to them,
you will walk even faster down the road to discovering the Self.
7. Practicing nonattachment
To be unattached means that you are free from outside influences that
overshadow your real self. This lesson isn’t one our culture teaches us.Modern people place a high value on being committed, excited, passionate,
deeply involved, and so forth, and they fail to realize that these qualities are
not the opposite  of nonattachment. To be committed to a relationship, for
example, ultimately means to have enough love and understanding to let the
other person be who he or she wants to be. Being passionate  about your
work means giving yourself the creative space to approach it from all
angles, finding new directions and opportunities. These new opportunities
can only come from your inner creative core, which you will not be able to
contact if you are immersed in and overwhelmed by the details of your
work.
The paradox is that to get the most passion from life, you must be able to
stand back and be yourself. Passion and commitment, love and dedication,
self-worth and fulfillment—all are born in Being; they are qualities of the
essential self that blossom when  you are free from narrow attachments. For
most of us, the person who loved us most dearly was our mother, but if you
reflect on it, this love often implied power and control. As a child you had
to do what your mother said or her love might be withdrawn. “I’m your
mother, you have to pay attention to me” is the opposite of “I love you, and
my greatest happiness is to see you become what you want.” The first
statement may come from love, but it is not a love that easily permits
freedom.
Finding your freedom is necessary, and it involves letting go of
expectations, preconceived outcomes, and egotistical points of view.
Consider two mothers, each standing in the aisle of a supermarket trying to
handle an upset child who is crying loudly and attracting attention. One
mother is angry and embarrasse d; her primary motive is to stop the child
from making a scene, but of course this doesn’ t work with small children.
When they are upset, they are upset. Their feelings are their world, and
making a scene in the market doesn’t mean anything to them. So when the
mother commands, “All right, stop crying. I mean it, stop right now,” the
child knows that his feelings aren’ t really being heard and therefore he isn’t
being allowed to really exist. The mother just wants a result ; she wants
things to turn out a certain way.
The second mother, on the other hand, sees that her child is genuinely
upset, and she doesn’ t care about how she looks to others. She isn’ t thinkingabout the situation as it af fects her; instead, she feels for her child and wants
him to be happy again. She says things such as, “What’ s wrong? Did
something scare you? It’s all right, I’m here.” The words she uses are not
the critic al thing—she might just pick up and caress her child for a moment.
The child’ s quantum mechanica l body senses that his feelings  have been
understood. Therefore, there is no threat, because his mother ’s intention is
to heal, not merely to end a disagreeable situation.
Your quantum mechanical body  has all the sensitivity of a child’ s, and
you can use that sensitivity to get back to your true self, which exists above
and beyond the troubling circum stances of your life. Again, the matter of
self-image is involved. Being oriented to your true self, not to your self-
image, is the most basic healing attitude anyone can take. When you are
oriented to the self, you use your feelings, your needs, and your values as a
jumping-of f point for finding that level of your being where feelings, needs,
and values are already fulfille d. This self doesn’ t exist in action, yet
paradoxically you can find it through action.
It will appear as a silent witness that stands back from activity simply to
observe and appreciate what is going on. Soldiers in battle and daredevil
adventurers often feel themselves becoming peaceful, unattached observers
completely divorced from the frantic activity around them. Speaking for
myself, I’ve found that moment s of nonattachment are characterized by the
following:
•  I am present with my body.
•  My breathing becomes very refined, approaching stillness.
•  Mental activity has calmed down.
•  I feel no threat; there is a certainty of belonging.
•  I perceive my inner world as an open space with no boundaries;
awareness exten ds in all directions rather than being focused on
specific thoughts.
•  Self-a cceptance flows out into the environment. Things “out there”
seem intimate to me, an extension of myself.
This experience of unity is also my working definition of love. For most of
us love is an emotion that comes and goes; we feel it intensely at times,
while at other times we don’t feel it at all. But the essence of love isn’t afeeling—it is a state of being. Or to be more exact, it is the state in which
you are in contact with Being. Someone who is truly experiencing love
feels tremendously real and alive, with no desire to do anything except exist
within the fulfill ment of love. Love’s greatest action is simply to be, which
is no action. That is why love is a supreme state of nonattachm ent and yet
the most satisfying state.
For your action plan to succeed,  you need to find an outlet for your love,
a place where you can give it freely. The more openly you experience love,
on what ever terms, the closer you will come to finding its essence. Love


yp.,Stap.
afterdentaltreatment:Am.,Hyp.,Stap.
childbirth:Stap.
episiotomy:Hep-s.,Hyp.,Sil.,Stap.
nails:Led.
splinter:Hyp.,Led.,Sil.
surgery:Am.,Hyp.,Sil.,Stap.
InsectbitesseeBites/Stings
InsomniaAco.,Ars.,Bell.,Bell-p.,Calc-c,Calc-p.,
Cham.,Cocc,Coff.,Con.,Kali-c,Kali-p.,
Mag-c,Mag-m.,Nat-c,Nat-m.,Nit-ac,
Nux-v.,Op.,Pho-ac,Phos.,Puis.,Rhus-t.,
Sep.,Sil.,Sul.
Dreams
anxious:Aco.,Ars.,Calc-c,Cocc,Kali-c,
Nat-c,Nat-m.,Nit-ac,Phos.,Puis.
nightmares:Ars.,Cocc,Con.,Kali-c,Sil.,
Sul.
vivid:Sil.,Sul.
unpleasant:Sul.
vivid:Nat-m.Sleep:
disturbed:Sul.
restless:Aco.,Ars.,Bell.,Cocc,Puis.,
Rhus-t.,Sil.,Sul.
unrefreshing:Mag-c.,Mag-m.,Nit-ac,
Pho-ac,Sul.
Sleepless:Pho-ac.
aftermidnight:Pho-ac,Rhus-t.,Sil.
after2a.m.:Nit-ac.
after3.a.m.:Bell-p.,Mag-c,Nux-v.
afterwaking:Sil.
beforemidnight:Con.,Kali-c
Waking:
around3a.m.:Nux-v.,Sep.
difficult:Calc-p.
early:Nat-c,Nux-v.
frequent:Pho-ac,Puis.,Sul.
fromcold:Puis.
late:Calc-p.,Nux-v.,Sul.
With:
emptyfeelinginpitofstomach:Kali-p.
grindingofteeth:Bell.
sleepiness: Bell.,Cliam.,Op.,Phos.,Puis.,
Sep.
Better:
shortnaps:Sul.
Worse:
around1-2a.m.:Kali-c
after2a.m.:Nit-ac
after3a.m.:Bell-p.,Sep.
after3,4,or5a.m.:Sul.
aftermidnight:Ars.,Sil.
beforemidnight:Calc-c,Calc-p.,Kali-c,
Puis.
Causes:
alcohol:Nux-v.
anxiety:Ars.,Cocc,Kali-p.
coffee:Nux-v.
excitement:Kali-p.,Nux-v.
grief:Nat-m.
mentalstrain:Kali-p.,Nux-v.
nervousexhaustion:Kali-p.
over-activemind:Ars.,Calc<.,Coff.,Nux-v.,
Puis.
over-excitement: Coff.
overwork:Nux-v.
repeatingthoughts:Puis.
shock:Ars.
worry:Calc-c
Introspective (seealsoBroody;Morose;
Uncommunicative) Cocc,Ign.,Nat-c,Puis.
IntrovertedNat-m.
Irritable(seealsoAngry)Ant-c,Ap.,Ars.,Bry.,
Carb-v.,Caust.,Cham.,Cina,Ferr-m.,Hep-s.,
Kali-c,Kali-s.,Lye,Mag-c,Nat-c,Nat-m.,
Nit-ac,Nux-v.,Petr.,Pho-ac,Phos.,Puis.,
INTERNALREPERTORY Jointpain•187
Rhe.,Rhus-t.,Sep.,Sil.,Stap.,Sul.,Sul-ac,
Ver-a.,Zinc.
Children:Cham.,Cina,Mag-c.
Beforestools:Bor.
Onwaking:Lye
JealousAp.,Lach.,Puis.
JointpainAp.,Am.,Bell-p.,Bty.,Calc-c.,Calc-p.,
Caul.,Caust.,Cham.,Colch.,Dulc,Ferr-m.,
Heps.,Kali-b.,Kali-c.,Kalis.,Led.,Lye.,
Mercs.,Nit-ac.,Puis.,Rhod.,Rhus-t.,Sul.
Feetcold:Kalis.
Joints:
icycold:Led.
hot:Led.
stiff:Led.
Pains:
aching:Rhus-t.
acute:Colch.
alternatingwith:
indigestion: Kali-b.
cough:Kali-b.
arms:Ferr-m.,Kali-c,Rhod.
upper:Ferr-m.
inback:Caust.
bones:Nit-ac,Puis.,Ruta.
burning:Ap.,Caust.,Mercs.,Sul.
cramping:Calc-c.
drawing:Rhod.
feet:Colch.,Led.,Ruta.
fingers:Heps.
flyaround:Caul.
gnawing:Caust.
hands:Colch.,Led.,Ruta.
hips:Heps.,Kali-c,Kalis.
right:Led.
irregular:Caul.
injoints:Caust.,Puis.
legs:Kali-c,Kalis.,Nit-ac,Rhod.
lowerback:Ruta.
inneck:Caust.
partslainon:Ruta.
pressing:Caust.
pulling:Heps.,Puis.
shoulders:Ferr-m.,Heps.,Kali-c,Rhod.
left:Led.
insmalljoints:Caul.
inonespot:Kali-b.
sore/bruised:Am.,Heps.,Kali-b.,Kali-c,
Puis.,Rhus-t.,Ruta.
shooting:Rhus-t.
splinter-like: Nit-ac.
stinging:Ap.
stitching:Bry.,Caust.,Ferr-m.,Kali-c,Nit-ac.
tearing:Caust.,Colch.,Ferr-m.,Heps.,
Kali-c,Lye,Mercs.,Nit-ac,Rhod.,
Rhus-t.,Sul.violent:Cham.
wandering:Kali-b.,Kalis.,Puis.
With:
heaviness:Rhus-t.
lameness:Rhus-t.,Ruta.
numbness:Cham.
restlesslegs:Kali-c.
stiffness:Caust.,Rhus-t.
swelling:Ap.,Bry.,Colch.
weaknessofarms:Kali-c.
Better:
afteracommoncold:Led.
coldcompresses:Led.,Puis.
coldbathing:Led.
continuedmovement:Rhus-t.
freshair:Kalis.,Puis.
gentlemovement:Ferr-m.,Puis.
heat:Caust.,Heps.,Rhus-t.
movement:Dulc,Kali-c,Kalis.,Lye,
Rhod.
pressure:Bry.
completerest:Bry.
stretchingoutlimb:Rhod.
uncovering:Led.
walking:Kali-c,Kalis.,Lye,Puis.,Rhus-t.
warmcompresses:Rhus-t.
warmth:Caust.,Colch.
warmthofbed:Caust.,Lye,Rhus-t.
Worse:
around2-3a.m.:Kali-c.
inbed:Mercs.
beginningtomove:Ferr-m.,Lye,Puis.,
Rhus-t.
bendingarmbackwards:Ferr-m.
changeofweather:Rhod.
gettingchilled:Rhus-t.
cold:Bry.,Calc-p.,Colch.,Heps.
dampweather:Rhus-t.
drycold:Caust.
cold,wetweather:Calc-p.,Colch.
afteracommoncold:Puis.
duringafever:Lye,Rhus-t.
gettingupfromsitting:Caust.
heat:Kalis.,Led.,Puis.
liftingarmup:Ferr-m.
lyingonthepainfulpart:Kali-c.
night:Dulc,Led.,Mercs.,Nit-ac,Rhus-t.
slightestmovement:Bry.
movement:Colch.,Led.
sittingdown:Dulc,Lye,Rhus-t.,Rhod.
stormyweather:Rhod.
summer:Kalis.
touch:Am.
walking:Ruta.,Sul.
warmweather:Colch.
warmthofbed:Led.,Puis.,Sul.
J
188Jumpy INTERNALREPERTORY
wetweather:Calc-c,Mercs.,Puis.,Rhod.
wine:Led.
Causes:
gettingchilledafterbeingveryhot:Bell-p.
gettingcold:Dulc,Heps.
damp:Dulc.
wetweather:Calc-r.
Jumpy(seealsoAnxious;Restless)Bar-c,Bor.,
Kali-c,Kali-p.,Nat-c,Nats.,Phos.,Sil.
LabourpainsCaul.,Cham.,Cimi.,Gels.,Kali-c,
Puis.,Sep.
Pains:
inback:Gels.,Kali-c,Puis.
distressing:Cham.,Gels.,Kali-c,Sep.
flyingaround:Cimi.
ineffectual:Caul.,Kali-c,Puis.
irregular:Caul.,Puis.
severe:Cham.,Sep.
sore,bruised:Cimi.
stop:Caul.,Cimi.,Kali-c,Puis.
unbearable:Cham.
weak:Cimi.,Gels.,Kali-c,Puis.
With:
exhaustionandtrembling:Caul.
Lackofself-confidence (seealsoShy)Bar-c.,Lye
Sil.
LaryngitisseeSorethroat
LazySul.
LethargicseeApathetic;Exhaustion;Sluggish
Likes
boiledeggs:Calc-c.
breadandbutter:Mercs.
chocolate:Phos.,Lye
colddrinks:Aco.,Bry.,Cham.,Chin.,C


naga  does not, however, reduce  blood pressure.Parts Used
Key Preparations & Their Uses
■ Dental hygiene In Andalusia
in Spain, the largest and best-quality visnaga seeds were employed to clean the teeth. The high value given to the herb in general was reflected in the saying: “Oro, plata, visnaga, o nada!” (Gold, silver, visnaga, or nothing!).Visnaga, with its aromatic, bitter scent and flavor, has
greater medicinal than culinary value. It is an effective muscle relaxant and has been used for many centuries
to alleviate the excruciating pain of kidney stones. Scientific research has confirmed the validity of this traditional
use. Visnaga contains khellin, from which particularly
safe pharmaceutical drugs for the treatment of asthma  have been derived.
  RCautions T ake only under professional supervision. Long-term use produces
symptoms such as nausea, headaches, and insomnia. Subject to legal restrictions
in some countries.
Powder  is prescribed by doctors and
medical herbalists to relieve angina.Infusion alleviates asthma,
bronchitis, and kidney stones.Seeds Seeds from the fruit of the fresh plant are
collected in late summer and dried for use  in infusions and powders.
Fresh plant
in fruit
US_062-063_Ammi_Angelica.indd   62 26/02/16   3:58 pm63 key medicinal plantsAngelic A sinensis
Angelica sinensis  syn. A. polymorpha  (Apiaceae)
Dong Quai, Chinese Angelica, Dang Gui (Chinese)
Habitat & Cultivation
Dong quai  is native to China
and Japan, where it is now cultivated.
The best rhizomes are in Gansu
province in China. Seed is sown
in spring and the rhizomes are
lifted in autumn.
Related Species
American angelica ( A. atropurpurea )
has similar properties, though it is
less aromatic. European angelica
(A. archangelica, p. 168) is a warming
tonic herb for digestion and
circulation, but does not have the
same tonic action as dong quai.
Key Constituents
■ Volatile oil (ligustilide,
 sesquiterpenes, carvacrol)
■ Coumarins
■ Phytosterols
■ Polyacetylenes
■ Ferulic acid
Key Actions
■ Tonic
■ Anti-inflammatory
■ Antispasmodic■ Thins blood
■ Promotes menstrual flow
Research
■ Gynecology  Research in
China from the 1970s has shown
that the herb helps to regulate
uterine contractions, which may
explain its benefit for period pain.
■ Circulation  The root can help
to normalize heart function and
has been shown to thin the blood.
It may therefore interact with
anticoagulant medicines.
Traditional &
Current Uses
■ Blood tonic  Famous in China as
a tonic, dong quai  is taken for
“deficient blood” conditions, anemia,
and for the symptoms of anemia
due to blood loss—a pale complexion,
palpitations, and lowered vitality.
■ Women’s health  Dong quai
regulates the menstrual cycle, relieves
period pain and cramps, and
is an ideal tonic for women with heavy
menstruation who risk becoming
anemic. However, as it stimulates
menstrual bleeding, other tonic herbs
such as nettle ( Urtica dioica, p. 146)
are best taken during menstruation if
the flow is heavy. It is also a uterine
tonic, and helps infertility.
■ Circulation  Dong quai
is a “warming” herb, improving the
circulation to the abdomen and
to the hands and feet. It strengthens
the digestion and is also useful in the
treatment of abscesses and boils.
Self-help Uses
■ Aiding conception, p. 316.
■ Menstrual problems, p. 315.Dong quai
A stout, erect
perennial growing to
61⁄2 ft (2 m), with large
bright green leaves
and hollow stems.
Dong quai  has attractive clusters
of white flowers in summer.Parts Used
Key Preparations & Their Uses
 QCautions Do not take during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. Should not be
used for heavy menstrual bleeding, bleeding disorders, and diarrhea. May interact
with prescribed blood-thinning medication.In China, dong quai  is the main tonic herb for
conditions suffered by women. It is taken on a daily
basis by millions of women as an invigorating tonic,
helping to regulate menstruation and tonify the blood.
It also improves the circulation. Dong quai  has a sweet,
pungent aroma that is very distinctive, and in China it
is often used in cooking, which is the best way to take
it as a blood tonic.Rhizome is large
and brownish on
the outside and
white insideRhizome is valued for
its medicinal properties
and is often used
in cooking.
Sliced dried
rhizome
Chopped rhizome
is commonly added
to soups in China.Tonic wine Make with dong quai  and other tonic
or bitter herbs ( see p. 293). To improve vitality,
drink a 3⁄4 cup (150 ml) daily.
Tincture  (to make, p. 292).
For period pain, take 1⁄2 tsp
with water up to 4 times
a day. Infusion  For poor
circulation, infuse
1 tsp with 3⁄4 cup
(150 ml) water
(see p. 291). Drink
3⁄4–11⁄4 cups (150–
300 ml) a day.
Decoction (to make, p. 291). For anemia, take 3⁄4 cup (150 ml) 2–3 times a day.
Tablets T ake as a general female tonic.
US_062-063_Ammi_Angelica.indd   63 17/03/16   4:00 pm
64Apium grA veolenskey medicinal plantsApium graveolens (Apiaceae)
CeleryCelery
A biennial with a ridged shiny stem, glossy leaves, and small flowers, growing to about 20 in (50 cm).
Celery is an important medicinal herb
as well as a vegetable.
Habitat & Cultivation
Native to Britain and other European
countries, celery is found growing wild along the English and Welsh coasts, and in marshlands. Widely grown as a vegetable, cultivated celery is less fragrant than the  wild variety. It is propagated from seed in spring and harvested
from midsummer to autumn.
Related Species
Celeriac (A. graveolens var. rapaceum) is a “turnip-rooted” variety of celery. A medicinal food, it has some of the same qualities as celery.
Key Constituents
■ Volatile oil (1.5–3%) containing
 limonene (60–70%), phthalides,   and beta-selinene
■ Coumarins
■ Furanocoumarins (bergapten)
■ Flavonoids (apiin)
Key Actions
■ Antirheumatic
■ Carminative
■ Antispasmodic■ Diuretic
■ Lowers blood pressure
■ Urinary antiseptic
■ Anti-inflammatory
Research
■ Volatile oil Research in the 1970s
and 1980s showed that the volatile oil has a calming effect on the central nervous system.
■ Other research A 1995 study in
India found the seeds to have marked liver-protective activity. Extracts of the seeds may also lower blood fat levels. Iranian laboratory research from 2013 found that celery seed had a marked effect in lowering high blood pressure.
Traditional &
Current Uses
■ Ancient herb Records show
that celery has been cultivated
for at least 3,000 years, notably in
pharaonic Egypt, and it was known
in China in the 5th century bce. Throughout history, celery has been used as a food, and at various times both the whole plant and the seeds have been taken medicinally.
■ Cleansing properties Today,
the seeds are used for treating rheumatic conditions and gout.  They help the kidneys dispose of urates and other waste products, and work to reduce acidity in the body as a whole. The seeds are useful in arthritis, helping to  detoxify the body and improve  the circulation of blood to the muscles and joints.
■ Diuretic Celery seeds have
a mildly diuretic and significantly antiseptic action. They are an effective treatment for cystitis, helping to disinfect the bladder and urinary tubules.
■ Nutritious drink Celery and
organic carrot juice make a nutritious, cleansing drink that is good for many chronic illnesses.
■ Other uses Celery seeds are Parts Used
Key Preparations
& Their Uses
beneficial for chest problems such  as asthma and bronchitis, and, in combination with other herbs, can help to reduce blood pressure.
Self-help Uses
■ Arthritis, p. 313.
■ Gout, p. 313.More familiar as a vegetable than as a medicine, celery
stems and seeds have long been taken for urinary,


 is used as
a diuretic and to prevent kidney and bladder stones. It is of value in a range of urinary system problems, including stones, gout, and cystitis. For excess fluid retention, spiny restharrow is best taken as a short-term treatment, in the form of an infusion.Medicinal Actions & Uses  Mainly used
as a culinary herb, sweet marjoram is also medicinally valuable due to its stimulant and antispasmodic properties. Like oregano
(O. vulgare, following entry), it treats flatulence,  colic, and respiratory problems, but it appears
to have a stronger effect on the nervous system than its wild cousin. Sweet marjoram is a good general tonic, helping to relieve anxiety,headaches, and insomnia. The herb is also thought to lower sexual drive.
Cautions  Do not take as a medicine during
pregnancy. Do not take sweet marjoram essential oil internally.
Origanum majorana
syn. Majorana hortensis (Lamiaceae)
Sweet Marjoram
Description  Woody perennial herb growing
to 20 in (50 cm). Has aromatic oval leaves and
pinkish-white flowers emerging from the  upper leaf axils.
Habitat & Cultivation  Sweet marjoram is
native to countries bordering the Mediterranean.  It is much cultivated as a culinary herb, and for its essential oil.
Parts Used  Aerial parts, essential oil.
Constituents  Sweet marjoram
contains about 3% volatile oil (comprising sabinene hydrate, sabinene, linalool, carvacrol, and other terpenes), flavonoids, caffeic and rosmarinic acid, and triterpenoids.
History & Folklore  In 1597, the
herbalist John Gerard made this assessment: “Sweet marjoram is a remedy against cold diseases of the braine and head, being taken anyway
to your best liking; put up into the nostrils it  provokes sneesing, and draweth forth much baggage flegme; it easeth the toothache being chewed in the mouth.”Origanum vulgare (Lamiaceae)
Oregano,
Wild Marjoram
Description  Upright perennial herb
growing to about 32 in (80 cm). Has square
red stems, elliptical leaves, and clusters of deep
pink flowers.
Habitat & Cultivation  Oregano is native
to Europe and naturalized in the Middle East.
The plant thrives in chalky soils close to the sea.  It is gathered when in flower in summer.
Oregano’s essential oil, well
diluted, is a traditional remedy for toothache.Operculina turpethum
(Convolvulaceae)
Turpeth
Description  Twining climber with white tuberous
roots, hairy, oval leaves, white funnel-shaped
flowers, and round fruit.
Habitat & Cultivation  Native to tropical India,
turpeth is now found in tropical regions around the world. The root is unearthed throughout the year.
Part Used  Root.
Constituents  Turpeth root contains turpethin
resin (approximately 4%) and a volatile oil.
History & Folklore  Turpeth has been used
for several thousand years as a purgative in Ayurvedic medicine.
Medicinal Actions & Uses  Turpeth root is
chiefly used in small doses to clear the bowels. It  is sometimes known as “Indian jalap,” and is used  in much the same way as this plant (Ipomoea purga, p. 223), though its action is slower and less drastic. In Ayurvedic medicine, turpeth is prescribed
with picrorrhiza (Picrorrhiza kurroa, p. 248) to
treat jaundice.
Cautions  T ake only under professional supervision.
Do not take during pregnancy.Prickly pear fruit
US_224-245_Jasmine_Harmala.indd   242 26/02/16   12:47 pm243 Other medicinal plantsPanax quinquefolium
Peony  is named after Paean, the physician of the Greek gods.Paeonia officinalis (Paeoniaceae)
Peony
Description  Perennial growing to 2 ft (60 cm).
Has a tuberous root, upright stems, oval to lance-
shaped leaflets, and attractive large red, red-purple
or white flowers.
Habitat & Cultivation  A native of southern
Europe, peony grows in mountain woodlands
and is widely cultivated. The root is unearthed
in autumn.
Part Used  Root.
Constituents  Peony is thought to contain
alkaloids, tannins, saponins, flavonoids and
triterpenoids, and a volatile oil.
History & Folklore  Since the time of
Hippocrates (470–377 bce), peony has been
used to treat epilepsy. Ibn el Beitar, a medieval
Arab physician, recommended a necklace of peony
seeds to ward off epilepsy in children. Mrs. Grieve,
the author of A Modern Herbal  (1931), recounted
how “in ancient times, peony was thought to be
of divine origin, an emanation from the moon, and
to shine during the night protecting the shepherds
and their flocks.”Panax notoginseng (Araliaceae)
Notoginseng,
San Qi (Chinese)
Description  Deciduous perennial with an erect
stem growing to 3 ft (1 m), compound leaves, small
greenish flowers, and small, berrylike fruit.
Habitat & Cultivation  Native to China,
notoginseng is now rare in the wild. It is cultivated
commercially in southern and central China. The
root is unearthed before flowering or after
the fruit has ripened.
Part Used  Root.
Constituents  Notoginseng contains steroidal
saponins, polysaccharides, and a flavonoid.
History & Folklore  Despite its importance as
a tonic, notoginseng was only recorded in Chinese
herbal medicine in 1578, in the Compendium of
Materia Medica  by Li Shizen. He described the
root as being “more valuable than gold.”
Medicinal Actions & Uses  Like ginseng
(P. ginseng, p. 118), notoginseng is a tonic that
supports the function of the adrenal glands,
in particular the production of corticosteroids
and male sex hormones. Notoginseng also helps to
improve blood flow through the coronary arteries,
thus finding use as a treatment for arteriosclerosis,
high blood pressure, and angina. Notoginseng
treats internal bleeding of almost any kind. The
herb may also be applied externally as a poultice
to help speed the healing of wounds and bruises.
Research  Clinical studies have confirmed
notoginseng’s longstanding reputation as a means
to arrest bleeding. A Chinese trial indicated that
the herb hastens blood clotting. Another clinical
trial and extensive scientific studies, again in
China, associated the herb with positive
improvements in coronary circulation, in lessening
the symptoms of angina, and in the reduction of
blood pressure levels. In common with other
ginseng-type herbs, notoginseng has been shown
to enhance physical performance.
Caution  Do not take during pregnancy.
Panax quinquefolium (Araliaceae)
American Ginseng
Description  Deciduous perennial growing to
about 1 ft (30 cm). Has a smooth stem, leaves
with oblong to oval leaflets, small greenish
flowers, and kidney-shaped scarlet-red berries.
Habitat & Cultivation  American ginseng
is native to North America and the Himalayas.
A woodland plant, it is rarely seen in the wild due
to overharvesting. It is cultivated in Wisconsin,
China, and France. The root is gathered in autumn.
Part Used Root.Parts Used  Aerial parts, essential oil.
Constituents  Oregano contains a volatile oil
(comprising carvacrol, thymol, beta-bisabolene,
caryophyllene, linalool, and borneol), tannins, resin,
sterols, and flavonoids. Both carvacrol and thymol
are antibacterial and antifungal.
History & Folklore  Esteemed by the ancient
Greeks, oregano was considered a cure-all in
medieval times. It was one of the medicinal
plants cultivated by early New England settlers.
Medicinal Actions & Uses  Oregano and
its oil are strongly antiseptic with potent activity
against many bacteria and fungi, notably E. coli
and Candida  strains. It can aid many acute and
chronic infections affecting the gastrointestinal
and respiratory tracts, especially gastroenteritis,
dysentery, bronchitis, coughs, and tonsillitis.
Both herb and oil inhibit the gut flora (bacteria
naturally occurring within the gut) and have an
important role to play in gut dysbiosis, a condition
where the presence of harmful gut bacteria leads
to symptoms such as gas, bloating, and abdominal
discomfort. The diluted oil can be applied to
toothache or painful joints.
Cautions Do not take as a medicine during