34medical schools, establishment of 21, 22medicinal plants, active constituents
14–16, 17
cultivation of 35as food & medicines 11–12growing 286–87harvesting & processing 288–89plant chemicals 10–11, 26, 28, 31plant names 55value of whole plants 11, 31see also individual plants
medicine man see shamanistic medicinemedieval folk healing 20–21Melaleuca, M. alternifolia  13, 14, 26, 46, 47,
112
M. leu
cadendron 112, 234
M. linariifolia 112M. viridiflora 112, 234
Melia azedarach 70melilot 15, 234Melilotus officinalis syn. M. arvensis 15, 234melissa 113Melissa officinalis 13, 113, 286Membryanthemum spp. 44–45memory failing 319menopausal problems 316menstrual problems 301, 315Mentha, M. aquatica 114
M. arvensis 235M. haplocalyx 234–35M. x piperita 30, 114, 286M. pulegium 48, 71, 235M. spicata 114, 235
Menyanthes trifoliata 235mercury poisoning 24mescaline 230mesquite 48metabolism, weakened in old age 319metallic poisons 24Mexican poppy 171mezereon 200migraine 309milfoil 56milk thistle 34, 72, 137milk vetch 68milkwort 252Milletta reticulata 235mind-altering remedies, South American 52–53minerals 16miner’s lettuce 236–37mistletoe 13, 18, 283Mitchella repens 235–36Momordica, M. charantia 48–49, 236
M. cochinchinensis 236
Monarda, M. didyma 236
M. punctata 236
monkshood 160monsonia 236Monsonia ovata 236Montia perfoliata 236–37Moreton Bay chestnut tree 31morinda 237Morinda, M. citrifolia 237
M. officinalis 237
morning glory 49, 223morning sickness 317morphine 10, 11, 26, 28, 86, 244Morus, M. alba 40, 237–38
M. nigra 238
motherwort 227motion sickness 306mouse-ear hawkweed 220mouth problems see mouth ulcers;
oral thrush; toothache
mouth ulcers 306mouthwashes 97, 112, 122, 297mucilaginous herbs 16mugwort 173muira puama 258mullein 47, 281Murraya, M. koenigii 238
M. paniculata 238
Musa spp. 238muscle aches 311, 312muscle tension 308musculoskeletal problems 312–13musculoskeletal system, effect of herbs 13Myddfai, Physicians of 21, 141, 170,
173, 200
Myrica, M. cerifera 238
M. gale 14, 238–39
Myristica fragrans 22, 37, 115Myroxylon pereirae syn. M. balsamum var. pereirae 239
myrrh 19, 44, 85myrtle 36, 239Myrtus communis 36, 239
N
nan wu wei zi (schisandra) 133nasturtium 52Nasturtium officinale 239National Institute of Medical Herbalists
16, 27, 336
Native American medicine 25, 26–27,
49–50
see also Central American medicine;
shamanistic medicine; South American medicine
Natural History (Pliny the Elder) see Pliny
the Elder
naturopathy 27nausea & vomiting 306, 317
US_323-331_Index_General.indd   328 26/02/16   4:43 pm329 general indexneem 70
neem oil 70, 161
Nepeta, N. cataria  239–40
N. glechoma see Glechoma hederacea
Nerium oleander  19
neroli oil (bitter orange oil) 190–91
nerve & stress-related problems  308–
309, 319
nervine herbs, action of 13
nervine tonics 57, 106, 131, 135
nervous exhaustion 308–309, 319
nervous system, effect of herbs 12, 13
nettle 33, 63, 146
nettle rash  303
neuralgia  308
New Zealand medicine 47
niaouli 234
Nicotiana tabacum  49, 69, 110, 182, 240
Nigella, N. damascena  240
N. sativa  240
night sweats  316
night-blooming cereus 268–69
nikkar nut 180–81
niu bang zi (burdock) 65
noni 237
North American medicine 48–51
see also Native American medicine
northern prickly ash 153
“nosebleed” (yarrow) 56
nosebleeds 310
notoginseng 243
Notopterygium incisium  41, 240
notopterygium root 240
nutmeg 22, 37, 115
“nutmeg butter” 115
nux vomica 273
Nymphaea, N. alba  240–41
N. lotus  240–41
N. odorata  240
O
oats 11–12, 13, 175
Ocimum, O. basilicum  116, 241
O. basilicum var. minimum  241
O. tenuiflorum  syn. O. sanctum 37,
116, 286
Oenothera biennis  30, 51, 179, 241
oil of Cade 225
oils, essential 297, 299
infused 294
ointments 295
older adults  319
Olea europaea  241–42
oleander 19
olive 241–42
omega-3 oils 109
onion 11, 59, 164
Ononis spinosa  242
Operculina turpethum  242
Ophelia chirata see Suvertia chirata
opium poppy 10, 21, 26, 28, 46, 47,
244
Opuntia ficus-indica  47, 242
oral thrush  314
oregano 242–43
oregon grape  177
Origanum, O. majorana  syn. Majorana
hortensis  242
O. vulgare 242–43
Orthosiphon aristata  243
osteopathy 27, 51
Oswego tea 236
over-the-counter medicines 17, 35
overactivity,  insomnia and 309nervous exhaustion and 309
P
Pacific yew 31, 275
Paeonia, P. lactiflora syn. P. albiflora  42, 117, 243
P. officinalis  20, 117, 243
P. suffructicosa  117
pain relief 11, 21, 86, 96, 97, 103, 114,
122, 155
palas 180
pale catechu 280
palpitations 302
Panax, P. ginseng  12, 13, 21, 40, 42, 43, 68,
79, 83, 118, 124, 127, 243
P. notoginseng  118, 243
P. quinquefolium 118, 243–44
panic attacks  302, 308
Papaver, P. rhoeas  244
P. somniferum  10, 11, 21, 26, 28, 46, 244
papaya 11, 183
paprika 74
papyrus 199
Paracelsus 23–24, 30
pareira 52, 189
Parietaria officinalis  syn. P. diffusa  245
Parkinson, John 108
parsley 246
parsley piert 170
partridge berry 235–36
passiflora 119
Passiflora, P. incarnata  119
P. quadrangularis  119
pass


 insomnia, an xiety, fear,
constipation, bloating, arthritis, food sensitivities and all er gies, and
depletion, amon g other issues. S omeone with a balanced V ata d emonstrates
more of  the desirable qualities of V ata, which are creativity, enthusiasm,
softness and balanced movement. V ata governs the other doshas so it is always a good idea to keep this dosha
in balance. W oody Allen is a perfect exam ple of someone with V ata constitution. A
chipmunk is another one. (Every time I see one, I call it a V a ta-deranged
creature. )Due to their creative nature, those with V ata constitution, tend to hop from
project to project continuously looking for stimulation. Like their
predominant elements, Ether and Air, they don’ t like routines, schedules or
discipline. They want to do wh atever they want, whenever, which makes
them fe el easily overwhelmed. This leads to worry, anxiety and other
challenges. The natural tendency for V ata is to enjoy things and foods that
are close  to their nature. They l ove running, and enjoy V ata foods such as
salads, crackers, cold and raw foods, soft drinks, and popcorn, and they tend
to eat on the run. Like incr eases like  and too much of these foods create a
V ata imbalance with some or all of the issues mentioned previously. Understanding o ur constitution helps us understand our nature and what’ s
needed t o get back to balance. O ur deeper understanding and our awareness
can help lead us  back to balanc e. In spite of the natural tendency of V ata
people to eat lig htly and flit from  one activity to another, they need routine,
discipline and warm, cooked, and oily foods in order to ge t back into
balance. For them to enjoy their free and creative nature, they need an
anchor, boundaries and disciplin e in their lives. Otherwise, they  will end up
expressing their most undesira ble qualities. Foods that pacify V ata are
discussed below. Shar on came to me experiencing high anxiety and fear. She loved being
physically active  and enjoyed dancing and running. She ate healthily, or so
she thought: lots of salads wer e  always on her menu. She had r ecently lost
her husb and and  she had becom e mor e fearful of being alone. Shar on was
very thin and sh e had a small build (the hallmarks of a V ata c onstitution). W ith her  activiti es and eating (r unning and dancing ar e V ata activities, and
salads ar e V ata foods) she was  cr eating an imbalance that cr eated mor e
fear and  anxiety  in the wake of her husband passing away. I r e commended
that she stop ru nning and enr oll in Y oga. I also r ecommended that she eat
mor e cooked, warm and oily foods. She also learned meditation. V ata
people need lots of security, boundaries and love. I suggested that she join
some meet-up gr oups to meet people. She followed all of my
r ecommendations diligently (this is not always the case with my clients!). At
one of her appo intments, she asked if it was okay that she was feeling so
happy a nd that anxiety was now her e to be found. That turned out to be her
last appointment. She loved Y oga so much that she is now teaching it.P I T T A  C O N S T I T U T I O N
Those with Pitta constitution h ave a medium build and are muscular and
athletic. Fire and W ater pred ominate in their constitutions. When in
balance, these types are sharp, generous, social, focused and they have big
personalities.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        I can share many stories with
you abo ut healing myself and my son without doctors and now know, in no
uncertain terms,  that doctors do n’ t know the best option for you, as they
only present one option. It is up to us to choose what’ s best for us. Healing is not a glamorous or a romantic journey; in fact it can shake you to
your core. But it is empowering. And the results are nothing short of
miraculous. The  well-meaning doctor took my power away by making me
believe sur gery was the only option. He had an opportunity to educate me,
give me  options, and inform me of the aftermath of the sur gery, and I would
have walked away equipped with information on which t o base my
decision. Instead, he decided for me and used my pain as an opportunity to
sell only  what he had to of fer. He left me confused and disempowered. This
is a norm al ever yday occurrence  in the medical world. So, before you rush
to a quick fix and hand your h ealth over to someone else, think long and
hard. Ask around, look around and get the answers you need. Feeling confused is a sign to pause and wait until the confusion lifts. Y ou
will know when something is ri ght for you. Y ou need to trust t hat. One of
the skills I teach my clients is to trust in their own wisdom. W e all know our
truth; we just need to trust it and rely on it. T aking the easy way out is
actually much harder than doing  what’ s right for you. I had to endure a lot
of pain during my recovery but I was okay with it because that is what Ichose to do. Wh en we take cha r ge of our own health, something sparks in
us; our internal fire and our inner knowing. W e come alive and become a
force to be reckoned with. Don’ t  let anyone tell you otherwise. After it is all
said and  done, it is ultimately yo ur life, your health and your responsibility. Anything less than that will leave you open to be victimized. T H E  F R E S H,  H O T,  C O O K I E  T R A P
During the writing of this book, I went out for dinner with my good friend,
Sherry, and we talked about the subject of my book. She shared with me
something that I thought was very timely and needed to be in the book. It
turned o ut to be the inspiration b ehind this chapter. Here is what she shared. In the college town of Ann Arbor, MI, these “insomnia cookies” ar e all the
talk. As the name would suggest, they ar e tar geted to the inso mniacs and
ar e deliv er ed “fr esh and hot” to college kids in the middle of the night, like
at 3:00 a. m. I  checke d the company’ s website before writing this. The menu
of fers nothing but varieties of cookies like Sugar Rush, T riple Chocolate,
Cookie Cake. Etc., and the pac kaging is quite enticing and attractive. On
the surfa ce, this is no big deal; you can get cookies from any where. But
here is why this is a big deal:
Insomnia or the inability to sleep  is an illness that needs treating as it results
in other  illnesses such as ch ronic fatigue or adrenal fatigue, mental
disorders, depres sion and anxiety, to name a few. Proper sleep is  essential to
the healthy functioning of all of  the other biorhthyms of our body, and lack
of p roper sleep m akes everythin g worse. All college kids stay up during the
night and do du mb things, but now they can do dumber things and get
themselves even sicker just at the touch of a button. There is an opportunity
to te ach these k ids about healthy habits, alternative options a nd the long
term ef f ects of their actions, but instead someone takes this opportunity to
make money of f of these young people and lead them to a sicker lifestyle. By selling cookies to these kids, they are promoting insomnia  and future
illness. S ugar is a highly addictive substance which now the kids can get by
staying awake. This is why it is  of utmost importance that we wake up to
our own responsibility in creating the health and the life we desire. And
lastly, w e must beware of the lure of “hot and fresh. ” Crap serv ed “hot and
fresh” remains crap. My adult clients who struggle w ith food addictions and poor eating habits
typically ate and lived like that when they were young. Some 30  years later,
their way of living in their younger years has resulted in multiple health
issues th at they can no longer i gnore. They struggle with their health and
can’ t seem to do what’ s healthy, even when they know what to do. The
sugar addiction of our youth can leave traces of memory that can get
activated in your adult life. These formerly “insomniac kids” ca n end up as
adults who will struggle to s tay healthy, and this will mean missed
opportunities fo r them to grow and to live their dreams. What s eems like a
“norm


 the only way to escape it. A m etahuman is someone whose personality is based on higher
values; not just peak experie nces, but love and self-worth. After
finishing this book I was delighted to find that Maslow had
actually used the term metahuman  i n exac tly this  way. (He didn ’t
associate it with comic book superheroes, and neither do I. While
fantasy metahumans are persecuted as freaks and threats to
society, this is a connotation to be avoided completely.) It’s all well and good to consider certain experiences so exalted
that they seem divine, which is where Maslow placed metahuman. It w as a n impo rtant step to d eclare that aspiring to reach God or
eternal peace and love is just  as real as driving in a nail. But I will
argue th at becoming metahu man is an urgent necessity. It is the
only way out of the illusions that play out in our lives as inner
suffering, confusion, and conflict. T h e  F a n t a s y  o f  E v e r y d a y  L i f e
Everyone woul d agree that it  is better to live in reality th an in
fantasy. So it will come as a shock that you have been living in a
fantasy all your life. It’s an all-embracing illusion you bou ght into
from e arliest childhood. Even the most practical, hard headed
person is immersed in fantas y all the time. I don’t mean f lights of
fancy or erotic fantasies or  dreams of getting rich ov ernight. Nothing you perceive is as it seems. Everything is an illusion from
the ground up.Take out your smartphone an d look at any photo you’ve saved
on it. The image is several inches across, whether the photo is of
the Gra nd Can yon, a mouse, or a microbe. Your eyes are a bout as
far apa rt as the screen of a smartphone, but you perceive the
Grand Canyon, a mouse, and a microbe as hugely differen t in size. How do we au tomatically adjust the size of what appears on a
smartphone? N o one knows, and this becomes even more puzzling
when you consider that the r etina at the back of the eye is curved
and the  image projected on it is upside down. Why doesn’t the
world look as distorted as in a funhouse mirror? You cou ld shrug your shoulders and ascribe the whole my stery
to the brain, w hich massages the raw data reaching the eye and
gives us  a realistic picture of the world. But this only deep ens the
illusion. When  we say that our eyes respond to “visible light,” we
conveniently s kip over the f act that the elementary particles of
light—photons—are invisible. A photon has no radiance, luster,
color, or any o ther characteristic we associate with light. Like a
Geiger counter that clicks madly in the presence of high levels of
radioactivity and emits only a few clicks at low levels, the retina
“clicks” madly when millions of photons trigger the rods and cones
that line it and clicks faintly when light levels are low (which we
call darkness). Either way, everything you t hink you see has been processed
inside your brain, in a specific region known as the visual cortex,
which i s totally dark. A flashb ulb blinding you in the eye is just as
black in the br ain as the faintest glimmer of stars at night. Nor do
the sign als reaching the visual cortex form pictures, much less 3-D
images. The picture you take  to be a snapshot of the wo rld was
fabricated by your mind. In the same fa shion, the other four senses are just “clicks” on
the surf ace of other kinds of c ells. There is no explanation for why
the ner ve endings in your no se should turn the bombardment of
molecules floating around int o the scent of a rose or the stink of a
garbage dump. The entire three-dimensional world is bas ed on a
magic trick no one can explai n, but it is certainly not a true  picture
of reality. The whole thing is mind-made. A neuro scientist would stop and correct me, claiming that the
world w e perc eive is brain-made instead. A few simple e xamplesdisprove this contention, h owever. As far as your brain is
concerned, the  letters on this page are black specks, no different
from sp ecks you might scatter randomly with flecks of i nk off a
brush. B efore you learned to read the alphabet, letters were only
meaningless sp ecks, while after you learned to read they became
meaningful. Y et you had the same brain from three y ears old
onward, as far as processing information goes. The mind learns to
read, n ot the brain. Likewis e, anything you see around you—an
elm tre e, a Belgian chocolate bar, a church, or a cem etery—
acquires meaning because your mind gives it meaning. Another example: When children who were born blind are
given si ght through medical means, they are baffled by things we
take for  grante d. A cow in the distance looks the same size to them
as a cat close u p. Stairs look p ainted on the wall; their own  shadow
is a mys terious black patch th at insists on following them around. What such children have missed—and need to catch up with—is
the lea rning curve by which we all learned to shape o rdinary
reality. (So discomfiting is the visible world that newly sighted
children and adults often pre fer to sit in the dark to regain a sense
of comfort.) The lea rning curve is necessary to make your way in the w orld,
but you have adapted yourself in strange and unexpected ways. Take pe rspective. If you are lying in bed and someone touches
your shoulder to wake you up, you don’t see the person having a
very wi de body  with a small head on top. But take a photo from a
position lying in bed and re ality is revealed. The person’s torso,
being le vel with your eyes, i s unnaturally wide, while the head,
being farther away, is unnaturally small. Likewise, when you are
talking to someone right nex t to you, his nose is swollen out of
proportion, and if you compare it to a photo, his eyes might be
bigger than the hand resting in his lap. We automatically block out how things really look in
perspective, and through an act of mind we adjust the data. The
data reaching your eye reports that the room you are sitting in has
walls that converge closer to gether at the far end, but you know
that the  room is square, so you adjust the data accordin gly. You
know that a n ose is smaller than a hand, requiring a  similar
adjustment.What causes real shock is that everything  yo u perceive is
adjusted. Floating molecules in the garden are adjusted into
fragrances. Vi brating airwa ves are adjusted into sounds you
recognize and identify. There is no escaping that we live in a mind-
made world. This is both the glory and the peril of being human. Walking the streets of Lon don two hundred years ago, the
visionary poet William Blake lamented over what he saw:
[I] mark in every face I meet
Marks of weakness, marks of woe. In every cry of every man,
In every infant’s cry of fear,
In every voice: in every ban,
The mind-forged manacles I hear
It’s a woeful picture, still bei ng repeated today. Humans have
wandered into every kind of suffering and hardship out of  a deep-
seated b elief that we are destined to lead such an existence. There
is n o al ternative until you accept that what the mind has made, it
can unmake. W e l c o m e  t o  t h e  H o u s e  o f  I l l u s i o n s
While participating in the everyday world, it isn’t possible to
see beyond the illusion. Goin g beyond is needed, which is why the
shift to metahuman is needed. The only way an illusion can be all-
encompassing is if everythin g about it is deceptive, fooling us
about t he big things and th e little things alike. That’s the case
here. The human mind has constructed everything to su it itself
from th e groun d up. In a sense, this book was written simply to
convince you that your personal reality is totally mind-made, and
not just by you r mind alone. Having spent a lifetime ada pting tothe artificial reality you inher ited as a child, you have to un dertake
a journey to discover the difference between reality and illusion. To a nyone who accepts the ph ysical world “out there” as t otally
real, the notion of a mind-made world seems absurd. It’s one thing
to be struck by  an idea, but quite another to be struck by lightning. The difference  is so obvious that you’d distrust anyone w ho told
you that the two events were the same


. Gross lists 484 complete recover-
ies, 163 partial recoveries and 31 failures for 68o cases of disease under care. This indicates a recovery rate of 71.2 per cent, a partial recovery rate of 24.2 per
cent, and a failure rate of 4.6 per cent. Dr. Gross reported that a considerable
number of patients did not remain in the sanatorium long enough to fast a suffi-
cient duration of time or as often as recommended when more than one fast was
required. This was considered largely responsible for many of the patients who
improved, but did not fully recover, or patients who were not helped at all. The
emotional states and cooperation extended by different patients also varied con-
siderably and affected the final outcome of the fasts. In addition, there was not al-
ways continued contact with patients long after leaving the sanatorium, so some
benefits, which are derived months after the fast, could not be recorded. Taking all
of these factors into account, the successes attained were quite remarkable. The
important data covering these cases is displayed in full in the chart which follows. TABLE 2
Disease Number Cas Cases Cas
 Case Recov-Im- Not
Dyspepsia 21 18 3 0
Pyorrhea 20 8 12 0
Asthma 19 16 0 3
Eczema 18 11 4 3
Benign Tu-18 14 3 1
Insomnia 17 13 2 2   19 Ulcers 14 8 2 4
Diabetes 14 12 0 2
Kidney Dis-12 10 0 2
Sinusitis 12 9 0 3
Gallstones 11 6 0 5
Anemia 11 7 0 4
Gonorrhea 8 8 0 0
Poliomyelitis 8 6 0 2
Appendicitis 6 6 0 0
Epilepsy 5 3 0 2
Acne 5 3 0 2
Multiple 4 0 2 2
Tuberculosis 2 2 0 0
Dr. William L. Esser has observed several thousand fasting cases under con-
trolled conditions at his Florida sanitarium. Although detailed data for all of these
cases has not been published, Dr. Esser has furnished statistical information per-
taining to a sampling of 155 patients, upon which very careful records were kept. Among these patients, a total of 31 different types of disease were treated. These
included, among others, ulcers, tumors, tuberculosis, sinusitis, pyorrhea, Parkin-
son's disease, heart disease, cancer, insomnia, gallstones, epilepsy, colitis, hay
fever, bronchitis, asthma and arthritis. The length the shortest fast was five days;
that of the longest fast was 55 days. In many cases the length of the fasts was re-
stricted by time and financial limitations, with only about 20 per cent the patients
remaining in the sanatorium long enough to as long as recommended. 20 Of the 155 patients, 113 were completely restored to health; 31 were partially
recovered, and 12 patients were not helped at all. Thus the rate of complete re-
covery was 71 per cent; of partial recovery, 20 per cent, and of failure, 9 per cent. In new of the character of diseases treated, this represents a very high degree of
efficiency, as compared to other therapeutic measures. Sinclair collected statistics of people who had fasted without professional super-
vision. In some cases their diseases were diagnosed by physicians but the fasts
were usually undertaken on the patients' own initiative. The fasts covered 117
people; the total number of fasts taken was 277, and the average number of days
per fast was six. Ninety of the fasts exceeded four days in length, and six were 30
days or longer. Many of the fasts lasted only a few days. One hundred of the 117 people reported complete recovery or some benefit
from fasting, indicating a total percentage of slightly more than 85 per cent who
were helped. A total of 116 diseases, of 30 different types, were listed as com-
pletely or partially remedied. As some of the people suffered from more than one
disease, the number of diseases helped was higher than the number of patients. Of those who were not helped, about half had fasted only a few days and some of
the rest gave wrong breaking of the fast as the reason for the failure. The thera-
peutic record of fasting can be further seen in considering the use of this measure
in the treatment of a number of specific diseases. Prognosis in the case of many eye diseases is good if fasting is employed. Nu-
merous cases of visual defects have been completely remedied by fasting, though
some mechanical defects cannot be corrected of course, and certain eye ailments
require aid which fasting cannot give. When the muscles of the eyes suffer from a
lack of tone, strength, flexibility, suppleness and coordination, special eye exer-
cises will give more benefit than fasting, though fasting may be used to supple-  21 ment this treatment. Among the eye conditions for which fasting is often a specific remedy are cata-
ract, congestion of the conjunctiva, catarrhal and granular conjunctivitis, glaucoma,
iritis, keratitis and stye. Early cataract generally disappears on the fast; advanced
cases may disappear, but recovery is much less certain. Dr. Shelton records one
case in which blindness of one eye (due to cataract) completely disappeared on a
fast of 18 days. Dr. Gerald Benesh reports equal success in treating a complete
cataract, which yielded to a 21 day fast. The forms of conjunctivitis require only
cleanliness and fasting for recovery, with short fasts in acute cases and long fasts
in chronic cases. When glaucoma exists, the hardness of the eye tends to disap-
pear, with the excessive fluid being absorbed, on fasts of two or three weeks in du-
ration. In advanced cases, when complete atrophy is present, the prognosis is not
favorable, with blindness the usual result. Iritis, keratitis and stye need only fast-
ing, cleanliness and rest, with recovery the general rule unless previous
suppressive treatment leaves permanent damage to sight. Respiratory ailments respond quickly to the fast. Hay fever improves in virtually
all cases without any change of climate. Patients with catarrh recover on the fast,
although eliminations may increase temporarily on the early days of the fast. Pol-
yps, which may be present, are absorbed; the thickened membranes return to
their normal thickness, though the atrophied structures of advanced catarrh cannot
he rebuilt. Sinusitis responds readily to the fast; only a few days of fasting will
bring relief in some cases; in others long fasts may be necessary. Chronic laryngi-
tis yields quickly to the fast. Chronic cases of asthma usually attain much relief
within just a few days of fasting, with complete recovery in a matter of weeks. Those asthmatics who are unable to sleep lying in bed and consequently sleep in
a sitting position are usually relieved sufficiently within 36 hours without food to   22 sleep in bed. Dr. Benesh refers to different patients recovering from severe and
longstanding asthma on fasts of different duration. One case required two fasts of
15 and 21 days; another responded to several short fasts of 2, 5, 6 and 7 days;
the third fasted 26 days, and two fasts of 23 and 26 days were necessary in the
most advanced case. Of the hundreds of asthmatics treated by Dr. Shelton with
fasting, only three failed to recover. Congestion of the lungs is rapidly and safely
remedied in all cases through fasting, and bronchitis responds equally well to
treatment. The most important respiratory disease, tuberculosis of the lungs, has
often been treated with the fast. In the vast majority of cases the prognosis is very
favorable. While fasting, the tubercular cough usually becomes very mild or alto-
gether disappears. In some cases much improvement occurs on the fast, followed
by complete recovery during a period of proper nutrition with adequate fresh air
and careful exposure to sunlight. A short fasting period is usually given preference
in tuberculosis cases because of the difficulty some patients have had in gaining
weight after long fasts. Yet, a number of patients have recovered during long fasts
and then rapidly returned to normal weight. It is possible that the difficulties which
occurred in other cases were due to poor control of the dietary after fasting. Various forms of goiter have been helped by fasting. When simple goiter exists,
the enlargement tends to subside to normal during the course of the fast. If the
disease has reached the stage where the soft goiter becomes a form of tumor,
called an adenoma, improvement or recovery is still possible without surgery, al-
though a longer period of abstinence may be required. Even when the goiter dis-
plays rapidly developing evidences of toxicity, as in exophthalmic goiter, there is
positive hope for the patient. Dr. Weger stated that "almost without exception, ex-
ophthalmic goiter is curable without surgery." Dr. Tilden also pointed


	follow	a
roughly	24-hour	cycle. These	are	produced	by	natural	factors	in	the	body	and
respond	to	signals	from	the	environment. The	main	external	signal	affecting
circadian	rhythms	is	light,	which	influences	the	turning	on	and	off	of	an
organism’s	internal	clock. Circadian	rhythms	influence	sleep	patterns,	hormone
release,	body	temperature,	and	other	important	bodily	functions,	while
abnormal
circadian	rhythms	have	been	associated	with	sleep	disorders,	obesity,
diabetes,	depression,	bipolar	disorder,	and	seasonal	affective	disorder. 1Circadian	rhythms	are	important	for	us	to	consider	in	promoting	Peak
Beauty	Sleep. If	we	live	in	tune	with	our	natural	body	clocks	and	circadian
rhythms,	we	will	naturally	be	more	active	in	the	morning	and	wind	down	in	the
evening. An	ideal	time	to	work	out,	for	instance,	is	in	the	morning,	around	the
rising	light	and	rising	energy,	or	in	the	middle	of	the	day,	in	the	peak	of
sunlight,	as	opposed	to	late	in	the	evening,	when	the	sun	is	naturally
descending,	indicating	a	return	inward	toward	relaxation. Late	workouts	can	be
overly	stimulating	and	wake	you	up	rather	than	bring	you	closer	to	sleep. The	brain’s	electrical	response	to	rhythmic	sensory	stimulation,	such	as
pulses	of	sound	or	light,
2
	synchronizes	with	the	natural,	rhythmic	changes	in
our	environment. Our	health,	down	to	the	minute	cellular	level,	depends	on
the	degree	to	which	we	are	in	harmony	with	the	natural	cycles	of	daytime	and
nighttime. Even	basic	functions	in	our	body	that	we	often	take	for	granted,
such	as	our	blood	pressure,
immune	system	functions,	and	cellular	growth,	all
depend	on	our	rhythmic	melatonin	cycle. This	in	turn	depends	on	syncing	up
properly	with	nature’s	rhythms. We	are,	after	all,	inseparably	one	with	nature. Artificial	Light:	Friend	or	Foe. When	you	consider	the	fact	that
Thomas	Edison	successfully	tested	the	first
electric	lamp	in	1879,
3
	you	might	be	a	little	jolted	(pun	intended)	to	realize	that
artificial	lights	haven’t	been	around	very	long	in	the	broad	scope	of	human
evolution. While	the	benefits	of	electricity	are	enormous	and	obvious,	it	has
also	introduced	a	set	of	health	and	beauty	issues. This	is	due	to	the	fact	that
artificial	lighting	allows	us	to	experience	daytime	around	the	clock	if	we	wish,
making	us	completely	out	of	tune	with	the	natural	rhythms	of	the	planet. The	body’s	master	clock	is	made	up	of	about	20,000	neurons,	with	sleep
signals	traveling	from	the	pons,	an	area	at	the	base	of	the	brain,	to	the	thalamus
and	then	on	to	the	thinking	part	of	the	brain,	the	cortex. 4
	The	pineal	gland
produces	melatonin,	a	hormone	that	communicates	to	the	body	information
about	light	levels	in	the	outside	world. The	light	seen	by	your	eyes	influences
how	your	brain
interprets	this	information. When	your	body	clock	senses	a
decrease	in	light,	ideally	in	the	evenings,	it	signals	your	brain	to	produce	more
melatonin	to	induce	drowsiness	and	sleep. But	now	we	are	in	an	age	where	we	are	exposed	to	numerous	new	assailants
on	our	inner	sleep	mechanism,	including	illuminated	smartphones,	tablets,	e-
readers,	and	laptops. We	use	these	devices	often	right	in	our	beds	and	directly
before	bedtime	with	increasing	frequency. The	eye	is	registering	daytime	levels
of	light	later	and	later	at	night. A
National	Sleep	Foundation	survey	found	thatnine	out	of	ten	Americans	reported	using	a	technological	device	in	the	hours
before	bed. 5
	With	the	increased	light	stimulation	to	our	brains,	hormones,	and
entire	being,	how	can	we	expect	the	body	to	maintain	normal	sleep	patterns. The	result	is	that	we’ve	lost	the	connection	to	our
natural	rhythms	and	the
cycles	of	the	environment	around	us. It’s	important	to	refoster	that	connection. While	your	life	might	be	extremely	busy	and	hectic,	shifting	your	schedule	as
much	as	possible	toward	going	to	bed	closer	to	sunset	and	waking	up	closer	to
sunrise	will	help	you	align	and	synergize	with	the	higher	power	of	universal
nature. Closer
	is	the	key	word	here,	as	it	might	seem	impossible	in	modern	life
to	go	to	bed	at	sunset	and	rise	right	at	sunrise. But	start	with	the	baby	step	of
going	to	bed	half	an	hour	earlier	and	waking	up	half	an	hour	earlier. Also	try	at
least	eating	dinner	earlier,	closer	to	sunset,	which	is	also	helpful	for	syncing
closer	to	natural	rhythms. Yin	and	Yang:	How	the	Day	Affects	the	Night
Exposure	to	natural	light	during	the	day	is	important	as	a	contrast	to	the	dark
cycles	of	the	night. This	helps	promote	overall	healthy	sleep	and	waking	cycles. If	you	want	to	have	a	peaceful	nightly	rhythm	of	sleeping,	you	have	to	also
balance	the	opposite,	the	daylight. It’s	important	to	have	exposure	to	natural
light	on	a	regular	basis. Just	as	our	sleep	rhythms	have	become	corrupted	by
artificial	light	exposure	long	after	daylight	has	naturally	reduced,	so	our	daily
rhythms	have	been	worn	away	by	minimized	exposure	to	natural	light. Most	of
us	spend	the	vast	majority	of	our	days	indoors	under	artificial	lights. The	neurotransmitter	in	our	brain	called	serotonin	increases	with	the	light	of
each	day. Serotonin	influences	daily	and	nightly	rhythms,	memory,	appetite,
and	so	on—in	essence,	all	the	factors	that	play	a	part	in	our	internal	rhythms. The	amount	of	melatonin	made	available	to	the	body	in	response	to	the
darkness	of	the	night	actually	depends	on	the	concentration	of	serotonin
secreted	in	response	to	the	natural	light	we	are	exposed	to	during	the	day. Serotonin	is	broken	down	into	melatonin,	so	there	is	a	beautifully	coordinated,
natural	rhythm	present	between	the	cycles	of	serotonin	and	melatonin,	which
depend	on	each	other	and	are	controlled	by	a	changing	environment. The	Importance	of
Color
Clearly,	avoiding	artificial	light	around	bedtime	is	important	for	Peak	Beauty
Sleep,	but	interestingly,	it	turns	out	that	not	all	light	is	created	equal. In	fact,
using	light	color	strategically	might	be	helpful	in	smoothing	out	nervous-system	activity. 6
	Research	on	the	“color	temperature”	of	light	and	its	effects	on
the	brain	suggests	that	the	“temperature”	of	the	light	is	more	important	than	its
brightness. This	means	that	on	a	color	spectrum,	yellow-white	through	red
lights	(which	are	considered	low-color-temperature	lights)	have	a	far	less
detrimental	effect	on	our	systems	than	the	blue	lights	on	the	other	end	of	the
spectrum. Research	has	now	pinpointed	that	electronics	emanate	blue	light,	which
affects	the	brain	more	strongly	than	other	colors	and,	in	particular,	disturbs	our
sleep. In	other	words,	reducing	light	all	around	can	be	very	helpful,	but	it’s
critical	to	reduce	blue	light	specifically. Unfortunately,	blue	light	is	emitted
strongly	and	consistently	from	many	different	electronic	devices. Using	these
devices	near


 are all entitled to have all that we can, you start
actively treating yourself and others in this fashion. This princip le applies to
the acquisition of wealth, personal happiness, health, intellectual pursuits,
and everything else. It relates to the ancient Biblical promise “To him that
hath, shall more be given.” It truly works. This universe is an
incomprehensibly large enterprise, too big for any of us to begin to
comprehend from the perspective of our limited bodies. Abund ance reigns
everywhere. The only limits we have are those that we encourage with our
belief in those limits. YOU ARE IT  ALL  ALREADY

You are already whole, already complete. You are not going to get it all, you
are it all already! Give this some serious personal consideration. If you are
not enjoying your life right now, with what you have accum ulated, with
your current state of health, and in your present job and relationships, you
will not apprecia te and enjoy new or different life conditions. Our ability to
enjoy life comes from how we choose to process life, rather than from
externals. Nothi ng outside of ourselves has the power to bestow  happiness
or fulfillment on us. What determ ines the quality of our life is our choice to
be fulfilled or not, based upon how we think, how we view ourselves and
our place in the universe. Conse quently, if you are a person who needs more
in order to feel complete, then you will still feel incomplete when you have
acquired more. Thinking in terms of the abund ance principle means believing an inner
dialogue: “I love who I am and what I have attracted to myself up until
now. I do not need another thing or even one tiny change in order to be
happy or complete. I know in my heart that I am not going to get it all, but
that I truly am it all already. The universe is endless, I am the universe, and
therefore I am without boundaries.”Creating and believing your own affirmations demonstrates your
readiness to tune in to abundance. There is the story of a man who went to a
guru asking for the essentials he needed to have perfect happiness and
success for the remainder of his life. The guru left him with nothing,
implying that he already had everything that he needed. Happiness and
success are inner processes that we bring to life undertakings,  rather than
something we get from “out there.”
When we operate from the principle of scarcity, we generally believe, “If
only I had something else, then I would have a lock on happiness and
success.” A close look at this logic shows that what we are really saying is:
“I am not complete right now. In some way I lack what I need. When I get
that, then I will be complete.” If that is our belief, then we are relying on a
disabled incomp lete person. This kind of scarcity thinking assumes that we
are not yet complete, happy, loving, total human beings, that we do not
already have the missing pieces in abundance within ourselves. Thus we
operate from a thinking proces s of deficiency, and end up trapped in the
belief that “I’ve got to have more before I can be happy.” This is the very
thing that keeps us from tuning in to the abundance that is everywhere. You are it all already. You already possess exactly what you need for
happiness, success, fulfillment, and all of the lofty general goals that so
many of us aspire to. If our basic needs are met, and we have food, water,
and air, then we have within us the ability to be blissfully happy. As Gandhi
said, “God comes to the hungry in the form of food.”
We can value and celebrate the magnificent miracle that we are. We can
process everyth ing that comes our way without judgment. Our world is
abundant and endless, and how we think about it is totally our choice. Even
in a prison, our corner of freedom is still how we choose to think. No one
can take that away. Ever! Once we know this, we can relate to abundance as
the watchword of our entire existence. Yes, indeed, you are it all. Everything that it takes to have abundance in
your life, you already are. Tune your antenna in to making it all work for
you. YOU CANNOT  OWN ANYTHING! Abundance is not something that we acquire. It is something we tune into. This thought is paramount to making the abundance principle function inour lives. Keep in mind that there is an infinite supply of energy in the
universe, and that everything, including your very form and all of your
accumulations, is essentially energy. Everything vibrates. We call that
vibration energy, and our universe is infinite in its supply of energy. This
energy is what constitutes aliveness. The energy that each of us emits is determined by our thoughts and how
we choose to process our world. Process it through eyes that see only
scarcity and that is what will expand. Process it through eyes that see
unlimited abund ance, and that is what expands. If we need to own things,
like it or not, we are filtering our universe through scarcity eyes. Our need
to own and possess things is a reflection of our belief that we do not have
enough. Our need to accumulat e and own literally keeps us from tuning in
to the abundance that is there right in front of our “lack-filled eyes.”
All the things we think we absolutely must have in order to be happier
are indic ations that we are contr olled from without, rather than from within. This assumption  leads to believing that we are incomplete and lacking
somehow, and that we can complete that incompleteness by having more
things. An endle ss trap! One that we can never escape as long as we think
that ownership of something is going to fill the void. How can you possibly own anything? Think for a moment about all of
the possessions that you have in your dream—the cars, boats, money, toys,
or whatever you possess while you are in your dreaming body. When you
awaken, you immediately realize that all of those possessions were
illusions, and you only needed that temporarily for the dream. Now try to
put this whole thing into perspective in relationship to the dream that you
are now in, which lasts eighty or ninety years. Imagine yourself  awakening
and being able to look back at all of your possessions. How could you ever
have owned anything at all? The best, I mean the very best, that we can do
is to have temporary possession of our toys for a tiny speck of time, and
then, like it or not, we awaken and realize that they are of no use. Since the
major part of our living is in the astral dimension of thought, things are of
no use in this state of formlessness. If we have a void it is because we are thinking nothingness thoughts, and
that kind of thinking always broadens the emptiness. We can expand in a
more satisfying way, by focusing on completeness, and realizing that we
cannot own anything, ever. This does not preclude taking great pleasure in
anything that we accumulate or take title to temporarily. But remember, justas nothing in our universe is ever formed, neither are we. Everything is
always in a state of trans-formation, including the title that we hold to our
property, all of our toys, our family, our money, everything. All in
transition. All circulating, landi ng in our lap for us to enjoy momentarily
and then get it recirculating. Once we internalize this notion of not being
able to own anything, ironically  it frees us to have anything that we choose,
without being attached to ownin g or possessing it. We soon discover the joy
of passing it along and sharing it. The paradox is, of course, that when we stop chasing and accumulating,
we find all that we ever wanted or needed is available. The fear of not
having enough prevents many from seeing that they already are enough. We
cannot own anything, and a lifetime spent believing in scarcity and lack is a
violation of the universal principle of abundance. A life of abundance does not mean a life of accumulating, but instead
developing a spiritual sense of awe at the “limitlessness” of it all. Take, for
example, your very own body. It is a portrait of unlimited abundance,
capable of extraordinary accomplishments, and restricted only by thoughts
which focus on its limits. Your brain with its trillions of cells can direct
your body to sleep or dance, to meditate or create, to build airplanes and
submarines. You—yes, you and the body you inhabit—are an example of
exquisite abunda nce and perfection. Its possibilities are indeed endless. Its
existence as a self-sustaining entity is so much a miracle that it boggles our
mind even to consider how it got here, and how it all stays alive, and thinks,
and dreams, and so on through an endless catalogue of miracles. You yourself are abundance in action. But the body that you call you
cannot own anything or take anything with it when you leave it. That body
functions by forces and energy that transcend accumulations. All of the
“stuf f” of your life has arrived to serve you, rather than to make you a
servant to the stuff. Try keepin g this principle in mind as you read on. Everything that was “owned” by someone only a few years ago is now
serving someon e


 within it. These un
dulations weave under the radiating spokes of the primary
force, creating flower-like oscillations of varying diameters
which swirl about the vortex. Each of the resultant "petals"
has a distinct predominant color, and resembles the shim
mering gleam of moonlight on placid waters. The chakras vary in size and brightness in different people. Furthermore, sometimes the distinct development of some
chakras over the others within the same person is clearly
visible. If an individual has certain superior traits which are
related to a given center, that center is not only enlarged but
also radiant, surrounded by brilliant golden rays. 193
Leadbeater divides the chakras into lower, middle, and
higher groups, termed the physiological, the personal, and
the spiritual, respectively. Those in the physiological
group - the first and second chakras - have relatively few
spokes and serve primarily as receptors to two principle
forces which enter the physical body. These two forces are
the "serpent fire," which comes from the earth, and vitality,
which emanates from the sun. The middle group consists of
the personal chakras, the third, fourth and fifth. The third
chakra receives forces emanating from the lower astral level
which enters man through his personality. In the case of the
fourth chakra, the forces come from the higher astral; in the
case of the fifth, they enter from the lower mental realms. All
these centers seem to be connected with certain ganglia in
the body. The sixth and seventh centers - the "spiritual"
chakras - are activated only after a certain degree of spiritual
growth has been realized. Leadbeater is of the opinion that the various petals of these
chakras are not necessarily related to the development of
moral qualities, contrary to the view presented in the
Dhayanabindu Upanishad. He had met persons in whom
these centers were fully awakened even though their moral
development was relatively low, while the centers of others
who had attained considerable mental and spiritual develop
ment were scarcely vitalized. To explain this seeming contradiction, Leadbeater puts
forward a working hypothesis concerning the interrelation
ship between moral development and heightened activity of
the chakras. According to him, the spokes around a given
center differ in character due to subdivisions in the incom
ing primary force, which cause each spoke to radiate its own
particular influence. In this process, the secondary forces
passing through each spoke are modified by its influence and
exhibit a variation of hue. Thus, each of the different petals
manifests different radiations. A given moral quality may be
indicated by a certain shade of color, which increases in 194
luminousity and vibrational energy when that moral quality
is strengthened. In other words, the conditions of individual
petals, rather than the size or brilliance of the entire chakra,
more accurately reflects moral development. Judging from
this, the condition of each center and its constituent petals
seems to be related to the interaction between the incoming
primary force and the spokes it generates. Leadbeater describes the individual chakras as follows: 195
THE FORCE-CENTRES
ENGLISH NAME
Root or Basic Chakra
Spleen or Splenic Chakra
Navel or Umbilical Chakra
Heart or Cardiac Chakra
Throat or Laryngeal Chakra
Brow or Frontal Chakra
Crown or Coronal Chakra SANSKRIT NAME
Muladhara
•
Manipura
Anahata
Vishuddha
Ajna
Sahasrara SITUATION
At the base of the spine
Over the spleen
At the navel, over the solar plexus
Over the heart
At the front of the throat
In the space between the eyebrows
On the top of the head
TAHLI I
The Root (Muladhara) Chakra
The first chakra is located at the base of the spine. It ex
hibits a primary force radiating in four spokes, producing the
effect of quadrants of alternating red and orange hues. It
becomes a fiery orange-red when strongly activated. The Spleen Chakra
The second chakra originates in the spleen and is mainly
concerned with the specialization, subdivision, and disper
sion of the vitality obtained from the sun. Once absorbed,
this vitality is again emitted in six undulations, each
radiating a glowing color of the vital force, viz. red, orange,
yellow, green, blue, and violet. The Navel (Manipura) Chakra
The third center is located at the navel or solar plexus. Receiving ten radiations from the primary force, it is thus
comprised of ten undulations. Its predominant colors are
varying shades of red and green. This chakra is closely con
nected with the emotions of the individual. 196
The Heart (Anahata) Chakra
The fourth center is located at the heart. It exhibits twelve
spokes, and glows a golden color. The Throat (Vishuddhi) Chakra
The fifth chakra, placed at the larynx, has sixteen spokes,
and it displays alternating shades of blue and green, produc
ing the effect of silvery, gleaming water. The Brow (Ajna) Chakra
The sixth center, located between the eyebrows, is divided
into two halves: pink mixed with yellow on one side, a
purplish-blue on the other. Leadbeater notes that whereas
the Indian scriptures describe the ajna chakra as having only
two petals, he himself perceived that each half of the chakra
is subdivided into 48 undulations, making a total of 96. In this connection, the sudden leap from the 16 spokes of
the throat chakra to 96 here is noteworthy. Although the fac
tors which determine the number of spokes are unknown, it
is clear that they each represent a variation of the primal
force. Thus, as we enter the higher spiritual realms which
transcend the conventional bounds of human experience, we
encounter complex, multiple manifestations of the primary
force which cannot be easily labeled. The Crown (Sahasrara) Chakra
The seventh center, known as the crown or coronal
chakra, is located at the top of the head. It is usually the last
chakra to be awakened. Normally, it is nothing but a depres
sion in the etheric body which allows the divine force to
enter freely. However, as a person progresses in his spiritual
development and begins to receive divine light, the chakra 197
reverses itself, becoming a channel of radiation rather than
reception. It emanates swift vibrations of various prismatic
hues, among which violet predominates. The Indian scrip
tures describe the sahasrara as thousand-petalled;
Leadbeater is in virtual agreement, saying that it manifests
960 manifestations of the divine force. A unique feature of
this chakra is a smaller whirlpool of energy at its center,
consisting of twelve undulations of white and gold. The sahasrara chakra is often seen in Oriental representa
tions of dieties and holy men, such as the statue of the Bud
dha at Borobudur in Java. The chakra is also sometimes
depicted in Christian mythology: for example, the crowns
worn by the twenty-four elders which they forever cast down
before the throne of God. In Leadbeater's opinion, it is not proper to identify the
chakras with the nerve plexuses, because they are not
physical entities in the usual sense. Rather, they act as in
termediary conduits between the physical and astral bodies. However, each chakra is closely related to a specific nerve
plexus. The figure p. 198 shows the location of the chakras
in etheric double, and their corresponding positions in the
spine ganglia. The "blossoms" exist on the surface of the
etheric double; the stems act as channels to distribute vitali
ty to the ganglia and spine. From these centers, vivifying
energy circulates to the various internal organs. The table below indicates the placement of each chakra in
relation to the ganglia. For example, the heart chakra is
located on the surface of the etheric double over the heart; its
spinal counterpart is at the eighth cervical, and is closely
connected to the cardiac, pulmonary, and coronary plex
uses. The chakra is thus closely related to the functioning of
the lungs, as well as the heart. As we saw in Chapter V, the Upanishads state that prana,
the vital force, is absorbed through the digestive and
breathing processes, and is distributed throughout the body
along the nadis. The chakras help to distribute and channel 198
the prana along the nadi system. Furthermore, prana (or
vayu) is traditionally subdivided into five or ten categories,
each individual variety being associated with a specific area
of the body. THE FORCES
NAME OF
CHAKRA
Root
Muladhara
Spleen
Navel
Manipurak
Heart
Anahata
Throat
Vishuddha
Brow
Ajna POSITION ON
SURFACE
Base of spine


ty smell. He was cured in about nine m...
(2) A case of valve of the heart : Sri Chandulal B. Andani, aged
62, Retired OYSP, Nr. Anjli ·Cinema (Ahmedabad). His three
valves of the heart almost failed. He was cured in three months
!! He can now move on a scooter easily. (3) Prof. K. N. Shah, Govt. Arts College, Gandhinagar was suffering
from cough and rheumetism and was ared in forty days by urine
therapy. (4) Smt. Shntaben Khajuria, aged 30, residing in a hut near Vadaj,
pluresy and she was cured in 15 days. ·
(5) Prof. Dhanesh Tripathi, aged 51, Sarkhej was suffering form
high B.P. and was cured in two months. (6) Sri. Natvarlal A. Bhavsar, aged 65, living in Meghaninagar,... Ahmedapad was suffering from Asthma & diabetes, was cured
· in about two to th~ee months. (7) Sri. Pravin Bhavsar, ag~d 65, Ahmedabad was a sufferer from
s:liabetes.and was cured in two and half mo·nths. (6r' :Sri. S. ~. Gadani, aged 55, Khadia, Ahmedabad had frozen
shoulders and was cured in three months. Some More Important Cases
(From Hindi· Edition, 1996)
(1) Sri.· Amritbhia N. Vadia's, Son aged 1 \i was notkeeping normal
health and ~as suffering from cold and its after effects. He was
cured of synus etc. in 15 days. (2) Sri. Bharatbhai of Anand was cured of his cancer of alimentary
passage in 4 months and was saved from operation. (3) Sri. Zawarbhai of Gokuldhai colony ·in Dasakroy, Dist. Ahmedabad cured of his skin disease in few days. (4) Sri Tarachand Singh of Rajsthan found relief in breathing trouble
in a month or so and he is advised to continue uri'ne therpy for
tumour in the throat. (5) Smt. Chhayaben H. Yagnik of Vasundhara Society at
Bhavangar, aged 26, had a problem of falling hair has much
relief and is advised to continue the cure. (6) Sri. Gosai Rajugiri Bhapatgiri, Post-Kankach Taluka-Lilia in
Dist. :Amreli has much relief in his breathing trouble. (7) Sir Samatritram, Post Village Paresa of Gojipur has found relief
in pain of the body and has complete cure of his stomach pain,
-and finds more vigour in the body. (8) Sri Koely Roy, 96 N, Block E, New Alipore, Culeutta-700 053,
was sufferer of Ashtma and was fully cured by this therapy
(1994) THE BASIC IDEA OF
URINE THERAPY
Sky, Air, Water, Earth and Fire
are the five basic elements. This world
and the human body are made of the
same elements. God or Nature has
given well proportioned body to every
human being, and in every healthy
body, the five elements are present illl
due proportion.. The disturbance m
proportion IS caused by folly of th~
man, ·and to regain health. the balance
should be restored. The power to restore this, is
contained in one's own urine. As earth
depends on sea, so the body depends
on its urine for its proper functions. Just as water has the power to contain
all the elements, so the urine has
power to contain all the elements of
the body. This is the power or capacity
to restore the lost health of the body. -Raojibhai M. Patel<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        We put more
emphasis on Natura-Urine Therapy and give most importance to the
additional concepts described in this chapter later. Our address is
like this : Sri Mohanbhai Desai & Dr. S. M. Desai, 5, Shital Chhaya
Apartment, Suke. ti:. r Society, Nr. Nilam Hotel, University Area,
Navrangpura, Ahmedabad-380 009; Phone : 467158
Real Approach : Our approach to the recovery of health is the
well-known motto of prevention is better than cure. Sri Ravajibhai
had also the same approach and he too believed that self~cure is
the best cure and Natura-Urine therapy is the best and easiest
self-cure. This does not mean that all other path'ies are useless. Every
pathy has its own place in human life. The best approach to the
whole of the medical world is an integral and comprehensive
approach. The most practical approach to all pathies should be like
this. First use must be made of Natura-Urine Therapy along with
homly innocent medices like sodabycarb, Triphala, Trikatu,
Amritbinda, Fenugreek etc, if they are necessary for curg vata pitta
& cough. Most of the diseases can be cured by this and thE. n only
in serious cases, one must resort to Homeopathy. If. not helped by
this, one can then resort to Ayurveda and lastly to Allopathy and
surgery wh~n surgery becomes a must. All self-cur-ers must at least know the fundamentals principles of
all therapies. Natura-Urine therapy has the fundamental principle
of the c. learafl(:e of all Toxins in the body., Ayu. rved pu,t emphasis
on the removal dmuctJs or mala in the body by natural means and
herbal medicines. Homeopathy uses innocent like-cures like
me~icines. Biochemistry medicines are supplementing the salts
wh1ch are not there in the deceased Body. Allolopathy believes in
germ theo~y qnd kills germs along wi~h niany vital things in the body. Al1olopath1c sutgety is wonderful no doubt but it is musused due
to-the professionalism. So one must start with Naturo~Urine Therapy. It can cure almost all diseases if used well along with observing all
musts described in this chapter later on. E~ension of Naturopathy : In all cases of urine therapy the
~nnCiples are the same as shown in this book. The real emphasis
IS on the removal of all toxins. The first and foremost principle of
Naturopathy is this :all diseases are due to the accummulation of
toxins in any part of the body or in any system of t~e body su<;h
as blood sy~tem, nerve system or alimentary system etc. Ayurveda
has also satd thousands of years before that mala is cause of all
diseases. Urine therapy fully acc~pts this basic principle of Toxins
and it insists that urine is the best remedy to remove all toxins in
any. part o~ the body or in any _system of the body. From this point
of v1ew, unne therapy is a part of Naturopathy or is a fine extension
of Nauropathy. Unique Therapy: Urine therapy is well d~scribed in Ayurved and
Dabar Tantra. But recent research in urine therapy is really an
advancement. and it is specially so in the present context of the
popularity and failure of Allelopathic medicines and wrong and
professional misuse of the present wonderful art and science of
surgery. Accupressure, Magnet therapy Homeopathy etc. are sure cures
no doubt but they are additional aids only. They cannot substitute
Naturophathy and cannot evade the first law of removal of toxins. They are very good aids in removing toxins and so they can be very
good additio~s to urine therapy and Naturopathy but they can never
be the substitutes for them. So urine therapy is unique in its own
way. laws are active form of God : Most important thing in
Naturopathy and. Urine Therapy is that they emphasis on the
Cibservation of all laws of good health. Even hearty prayers cannot
help i. e. -even God would never help if laws of good health are
transgressed. God surely helps at once to those who observe fully
all laws of good health because laws are active form if God. Such
laws·are control of food, control our tongue, living natural life, use
of sunshine, pure air, required exercise etc. Only after observing all
laws of health one can get rid of all diseases by prayer and urine
therapy. Prayer is a must in any therapy. The form of prayer requires
pure heart, clean head and clean behaviour. This is the real addion
in urine therapy noy·-a-days and this can do wonders in the use of
urine th~rapy
A few more concepts are musts. The life of the most people has become so much complicated
and


	checked	with	an
expert,	they	perfectly	matched	the	actual	construction. Swann	was	vague
about	how	he	had	changed	the	magnetic	input	that	the	machine	was	built	to
measure. It	turned	out	that	if	he	merely	thought	about	the	SQUID,	not	trying
to	change	it	at	all,	the	recording	device	showed	alterations	in	the	surrounding
magnetic	field. P
EOPLE	WHO	ARE
	skeptical	of	psychic	abilities	ignore	countless	studies
demonstrating	that	ordinary	thought	can	actually	affect	the	world. This	is
particularly	important	if	mind	is	a	field. I	once	participated	in	a	controlled
experiment	in	which	a	subject	sitting	in	an	isolated	room	(the	sender)	would
intermittently	look	at	a	visual	image,	while	I	(the	receiver)	would	press	a
button	every	time	I	sensed	that	this	was	happening. My	accuracy,	like	most
people’s,	was	far	above	average. (The	British	biologist	Rupert	Sheldrake,	who
more	than	anyone	has	tried	to	explain	how	mind	extends	beyond	the	body,	has
done	similar	experiments. He	has	tested,	for	example,	whether	we	can
actually	sense	when	someone	is	staring	at	us	behind	our	backs. Those
experiments	have	shown	a	greater	than	random	outcome	as	well. ) In	a	long	series	of	experiments	in	the	Sixties,	an	FBI	expert	named	Cleve
Backster	hooked	plants	up	to	polygraphs,	knowing	that	lie	detectors	work	by
measuring	changes	of	moisture	on	the	skin	surface. In	his	own	words,	here’s
what	happened	next. Then	at	thirteen	minutes,	fifty-five	seconds	chart	time,	the
imagery	entered	my	mind	of	burning	the	leaf	I	was	testing. I
didn’t	verbalize,	I	didn’t	touch	the	plant,	I	didn’t	touch	the
equipment. The	only	new	thing	that	could	have	been	a	stimulus
for	the	plant	was	the	mental	image. Yet	the	plant	went	wild. The	pen	jumped	right	off	the	top	of	the	chart. This	first	startling	observation	in	February	1966	led	to	a	host	of	follow-
ups	as	Backster	measured	responses	to	cigarette	smoke,	negative	thoughts,
and	strong	emotions;	it	turned	out	that	houseplants	register	how	people	feel
around	them. The	most	remarkable	finding,	perhaps,	was	that	if	Backsterhooked	up	a	pair	of	plants	and	injured	one	plant	in	a	separate	room,	the	other
plant	registered	the	same	disturbance	in	electrical	activity	as	if	it	had	been
injured	itself. The	polygraph	needle	jumped	even	though	the	two	plants	had
no	physical	connection,	and	it	kept	jumping	even	when	the	plants	were
separated	by	a	greater	distance. One	can’t	help	but	be	reminded	of	the	various
studies	in	which	identical	twins	sense	what	is	happening	to	each	other	at	a
distance,	to	the	point	that	one	particular	twin	knew	the	instant	his	brother	was
electrocuted	climbing	a	telephone	pole	and	testified	to	actually	feeling	the
pain	himself. Are	human	twins	paired	through	the	same	complementarity	that
bonds	electrons	in	deep	space. To	say	that	consciousness	is	a	field	creates	only	the	outline	of	a	proof. Nobody	has	accounted	for	the	gap,	and	without	that,	consciousness	remains
totally	mysterious;	in	fact,	so	do	fields. The	gap	is	the	empty	space	between
events;	it	contains	nothing	but	itself,	and
yet
	it	seems	that	everything	comes
out	of	it. When	we	look	at	DNA	we	are	told	by	geneticists	that	life	emerges
not	from	the	bits	of	amino	acids	strung	on	the	double	helix,	but	from	the
space	between	them. These	spaces	are	little	understood,	but	they	play	a
mysterious	role	in	the	sequence	of	genes. In	physical	terms	the	DNA	of
gorillas	and	humans	differs	by	less	than	1%;	the	gaps	between	visible	matter
create	the	unbridgeable	gulf	between	gorillas	and	humans. In	the	gap	the
source	of	consciousness	must	be	revealed. Sat	Chit	Ananda
The	Vedic	rishis	followed	the	mind	into	the	gap	and	declared	that	three	primal
qualities	were	the	foundation	of	existence:
Sat	Chit	Ananda. These	are	usually
translated	as	a	single	phrase,	“eternal	bliss	consciousness,”	or	individually	as
Sat	(existence,	truth,	reality)	Chit	(mind,	awareness)	Ananda	(bliss). But	these
definitions	don’t	help	us	much,	since	they	assume	an	understanding	of	what
we	mean	in	English	by	reality,	truth,	bliss,	and	existence. These	are	far	from
settled. If	you	say,	“It	was	blissful	going	to	Aruba	for	Christmas. It	changed
my	whole	reality,”	your	words	have	meaning	in	everyday	life,	but	they
haven’t	described	Sat	Chit	Ananda. If	we	unfold	what	the	rishis	meant,	they	were	referring	to	an	experience,
which	can	be	summarized	as	follows:	Every	thought	you	have,	as	well	as
every	object	you	see	in	the	world,	is	a	vibration	of	the	universe—the	Sanskrit
term	is
shubda. Shubda	creates	light,	sound,	touch,	taste,	and	every	other
quality. In	dreams	you	can	also	see,	hear,	touch,	taste,	and	smell,	but	those
vibrations	are	subtler. They	don’t	have	the	same	feeling	as	concrete	reality. When	you	go	beyond	the	subtle	qualities	of	the	mind,	shubda	becomes	so
faint	that	the	mind	loses	all	experience	of	an	outside	reality,	even	shadowy
wisps	of	memory. Eventually	it	experiences	only	itself,	and	there	aren’t	anyvibrations	at	all. You	are	at	the	source. The	threshold	of	the	source	is	silence. But	you	must	step	over	the
threshold	into	the	room	where	reality	is	born. There	you	find	that	the	raw
materials	are	threefold. Creation	springs	from	existence	(Sat),	consciousness
(Chit),	and	the	potential	for	vibrations	to	arise	(Ananda). These	three	are	the
most	real	things	in	the	universe	because	everything	else	that	we	call	real
comes	from	them. It’s	this	experience	of	the	source,	a	state	beginning	beyond	silence,	that
the	Vedic	rishis	considered	the	field	of	all	fields—what	physicists	call	the
ground	state	or	vacuum	state. Being	pregnant	with	every	possible	flicker	of
energy	in	the	universe,	the	vacuum	state	still	isn’t	Sat	Chit	Ananda. It	has	no
mind,	no	bliss. It	cannot	be	experienced	subjectively. By	leaving	these	factors
out,	physics	leaves	out	the	physicist,	who	pretends	that	he	isn’t	part	of	the
field. John	Wheeler,	an	eminent	Princeton	physicist,	decades	ago	pointed	out
this	flaw:	as	we	make	models	of	the	universe,	he	said,	we	act	like	someone
with	his	nose	pressed	against	the	window	of	a	bakery,	looking	at	everything
on	display	from	the	outside. But	there	is	no	window	separating	the	observer
from	the	universe;	we	are	not	outside	what	we	see. Wheeler’s	suggestion	that	we	must	find	a	science	that	combines
subjectivity	and	objectivity	has	been	meagerly	pursued,	because	science
remains	stubbornly	objective,	and


�e logic behind this is, the leaves should sustain heat for duration of time
without burning the herb inside. e leaves are tied with a thread and covered
with a thick layer of clean mud. is is made into bolus shape. After dryingthis under sunlight completely, it is subjected to mild re from all the sides till
the ball turns to red hot. en the bolus is left for cooling. Later the herb is
collected from inside the bolus after breaking it open and the juice is extracted
by pressing. Putapaka Method in Short –
e herb S cut into small pieces S covered with a big leaves of trees like
palasha/banyan S rolled into a ball, tied with threads, wrapped with mud
layer (Multani mitti smeared on cloth) S Dry S burn S take out the herbs
S squeeze S juice extract. Dose
24 ml of juice which are extracted by the 1st and 2nd method as they are guru
(heavy) for digestion. 48 ml of juice which are extracted using heat. (3rd and 4th method) as they
undergo digestion easily. Prakshepa – Extra Ingredients Added for Enhanced Benets
Based on requirement, to the Swarasa, honey, white Jaggery, Kshara, cumin
seed powder, black salt, ghee, oil or herbal powders can be added in a dose of 6
grams. Example of Putapaka Swarasa – Vasa (Adhatoda vasica)
e Putapaka Swarasa extracted from Vasa – Adhatoda vasica, is adminsitered
along with honey, is useful in the treatment of
Raktapitta – bleeding disorders
Kasa – cough, cold
Jwara – fever
Kshaya – emaciation, depletion of body tissues•Analysis of Diﬀerent Methods of Swarasa Preparation
By using the 1st method, the active principles can be obtained by extracting the
juice of the plant. But in plants which are soft, the 2nd method is followed. Here, by soaking the plant in water overnight, the active ingredients which are
in the part of the plant gets soaked in water. e next morning when the plant
is macerated, the principle is released due to the mechanical force. In dry herbs, since the above 2 methods are not suﬃcient to extract the
principles, the 3rd method is followed. By boiling the part of the plant in water,
it is exposed to a quantum of heat for a suﬃcient time, due to which the active
principles are released into the water when the water is reduced. But
precaution should be taken that plants having volatile principles are not
subjected to this method as exposure to the heat may destroy the principles
present. Examples – clove buds should not be subjected for this method to extract
active principles. e 4th method is adopted when suﬃcient quantity of fresh juice cannot be
extracted by mechanical force from a fresh plant. By putapaka method the
plant becomes soft after exposure to heat and extracting the juice is
comparatively easier. e above methods give a clear indication that the word swarasa is not only
fresh juice of a plant but also the extraction of the active principles into liquid
media like water. Uses of Swarasa: Swarasa is used for many purposes in the eld of Ayurveda. Depending upon the herb from which it is prepared, based upon the disease in
which it is given, based upon the preparation of a medicine like tablet etc the
uses varies. As medicine. Example – Tulasi swarasa (juice of leaves of Holy Basil –
Tulsi).•
•As bhavana dravya. (Medium of binding agent or grinding and
enhancing the property of the formulation). Example – during
preparation of chitrakadi tablet, pomegranate fruit juice is used for
grinding the herbal powders. As co-drink. Example – fresh ginger juice is advised as a co drink with
a fever tablet called Tribhuvana keerti rasa. e Shelf Life of Swarasa: 4–6 hours.1. 2. 3. 4. 5.12. Amla Juice Benets,
How to Make? Self Made or
Market? Side Effects
Y
Amla – Indian gooseberry can be consumed in many ways. Amla juice is one
of the easiest ways to consume it. ere are many market available readymade
juices but you can prepare it by yourself as well. How to Prepare Amla Juice Easily from Fresh Amla
Amla fruit
Dry Coconut scraper or just a knife to cut amla into small pieces
Mortar and pestle or a simple crusher
Tea lter
Tablespoon
Steps Involved:
Take one fresh Awla fruit. Wash in w ater. Grate it (or scrape it) as you would grate dry coconut using coconut scraper. is will give you coarse powder of fresh amla fruit. If you do not have coconut scraper, you can cut amla fruit using a knife into
very small pieces.Take amla coarse powder in mortar and crush it with pestle. To crush it
further. is makes the juice extraction a lot easier. Take these crushed small pieces of amla in the tea lter. Press it very hard using the big spoon. e amla juice will be collected at the bottom of vessel. You can press the amla powder for 4–5 times to extract maximum juice out
of it. When you taste the leftover amla powder after pressing, you can observe that
it has lost its original taste. is indicates that the crushing and pressing of
amla fruit is done well. It indicates that most of the nutrients of amla are transferred into the juice. One 15 grams fruit of amla may yield 10–15 m l of amla juice. What if fresh amla fruit is not available? As per traditional Ayurvedic reference mentioned in Madhyama Khanda
Section, Swarasa chapter of Sharangdhara Samhita, below mentioned herbal
tea method can be followed to extract juice, when fresh herb is not available. One teaspoon (5 grams) of dried amla powder is added with half a cup (100
ml) of water. is is boiled in mild re and reduced to quarter a cup. Filtered. Dose of Amla Juice
If prepared from fresh fruit, 10–15 m l, once a day. If prepared from dry powder herbal tea method, then quarter a cup or 50 ml
per day. Market available amla juice 10–15 ml, mixed with double quantity of water,
once a day before or after food.Amla – Medicinal Qualities
Qualities – heavy, coolant. Taste – Has ve tastes. – sour, sweet, bitter, astringent and pungent (all the ve
tastes, excluding salt). Sour is the dominant taste. Vipaka (taste conversion after digestion): Sweet
Veerya (potency): Cold. Eﬀect on Tridosha: It balances all the three Doshas. Benets of Amla Juice
It carries all the benets of Amla fruit. By the virtue of the sourness it addresses the increased vata and by the virtue
of the cold potency and sweetish taste it appeases the aggravated pitta. e aggravated kapha gets addressed by the qualities of dryness and
astringent taste. Gooseberry fruits are benecial in patients with urinary ailments like
dysuria, urinary tract disorders. It relieves the constipated bowels when taken regularly. e gooseberries act
as a tonic in maintaining the vision, physical strength, complexion of skin, and
eroticism. It is one of the intelligence promoter widely used in the form of anti ageing
treatment. e fresh and raw juice fruits of Amalaki are cold in potency, tastier to
drink, sweetish in taste, alleviates kapha Dosha, reduces fever and burning
sensation. It promotes the virility and increases the lifespan of the individual
when taken in the prescribed format of dosages and rasayana therapy modality. Side Eﬀects of Amla JuiceIn some people, it may cause or worsen dry skin problem and dryness of
mouth. It may worsen cold, cough/asthma in some patients. ey can add 1–2
grams of ginger/pepper powder to the juice. It is safe to take self made amla juice during pregnancy, lactation and in
children. Seek your doctor’s advice, for its usage during pregnancy and lactation, if
you are using market available product (contains preservatives). Shelf Life of Amla Juice
Readymade market amla juice such as Patanjali can be stored up to 1 year from
the date of manufacturing. e Amla juice prepared at home needs to be consumed within 6–8 h ours of
time. If kept in refrigerator (not generally recommended), it can be stored for 1–2
days time. Market Available A


’simportant to know that isolated, chem ical replicas of vitamins or minerals
or phytonutrients can’t come close to offering the com plex and interactive
array of nutrients in whole foods. Although food scientists have ident iﬁed
many key components of food, there are still unident iﬁed nutrients in
foods, and all nutrients work together to provide a total heal thy and
balanced diet. The American Dietetic Association recogni zes that a small num ber of
people may require supplements becaus e the speci ﬁc nutrients they need
are hard to get in adequate amounts in their diets. Thes e groups  of peopl e
are
 Pregnant women and nursing mothers
 Strict vegans or vegetarians
 People with food allergies or intolerances
 Seniors
Bottom line: Unless you fall into a group at risk, take pure veget able and
fruit juices in place of a multivitamin pill; make a lunch or dinner  smoothie
instead of a meal replacement liquid product ; design your own sports
juices that replace lost ﬂuids and minerals and that include foods  high in
sodium and whisk in 1 teaspoon of pow dered turmeric to reduce post-
exercise pain; eat a whole-food diet; avoid fast food,  reﬁned foods, and
empty calorie snacks. Drink the Rainbow: How to Make
Sur e Y ou Get the Nutrients Y ou
NeedThe Greek physician Hippocrates (460 b.c.–c. 370 b.c.) said, “Let
your food be your medicine.” But that was centuries ago. How
can you let your food be your medicine today? The U.S. Surgeon
General, Canada’s Food Guide, the United Kingdom Food
Standards Agency, the Australian Government’s Department of
Health and Aging, and the National Cancer Institute all agree:
Eating more fruits and vegetables will reduce the risk of
cancer and other modern diseases. Science shows that fruits and vegetables contain all the
vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and other phytonutrients that help
prevent cancer, heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, osteoporosis,
and stroke. We know now what Hippocrates claimed: that what
you eat becomes your body and what you drink becomes your
blood; that your food is your medicine. Finding it hard to cut out the “bad” foods you’ve come to eat
without thinking? Try squeezing them out. Snack on fresh fruits
and vegetables (or drinks made from them) and nuts and seeds. Fill at least half of your mealtime plate with more fruits,
vegetables, and legumes, and let whole grains, organic meats,
nuts, seeds, and milk products ﬁll the other half. You shouldn’t
have room for anything else. The message is clear: For a healthy body, eat a whole-food diet
that consists of fresh organic fruits, vegetables, lentils, legumes,
herbs, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and small amounts of meat
and low-fat dairy products. Using fresh, organic vegetables and
fruits in juices and smoothies helps to increase the number of
servings of fresh fruits and vegetables in your daily diet. The best way to make sure you’re getting the vitamins
and minerals you need is by drinking the rainbow. Fruits
and vegetables come in a rainbow of colors — red, orange,
yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet — and it’s easy to get
optimum nutrients from the food you eat by including one
or more foods in each color every day. Here are examples
of places where you can get all the colors of the rainbow:
 Red: Beets, cherries, cranberries, pink grapefruit,
pomegranates, raspberries, red cabbage, red grapes, red
peppers, red potatoes, rhubarb, strawberries, tomatoes,
watermelon
 Orange: Apricots, cantaloupe, carrots, mangoes,
nectarines, orange peppers, papayas, persimmons,
pumpkins, squash, sweet potatoes
 Yellow: Citrus fruit, corn, grapefruit, peaches, pears,
pineapple, rutabaga, yellow peppers, yellow summer
squash, yellow tomatoes, yellow watermelon
 Green: Asparagus, avocadoes, beet greens, broccoli,
Brussels sprouts, collard greens, cucumbers, green beans,
green cabbage, green grapes, green peppers, honeydew
melon, kale, kiwi, limes, mustard greens, peas, spinach,
Swiss chard, turnip greens, zucchini
 Blue: Blueberries, concord grapes
 Indigo: Blackberries, dates, elderberries, ﬁgs, plums,
prunes, raisins
 Violet: Eggplant, plums, purple grapes
 White: Bananas, cauliﬂower, garlic, ginger, jicama,
mushrooms, onions, parsnips, potatoes, turnipsChapter 7
Juicing and Smoothies for the Outside
In This Chapter
 Looking younger, feeling better
 Improving your skin
 Building healthy hair and nails
 Shedding extra pounds
Beauty is more than skin deep. In fact, it reaches right down to the
molecules and cells of your body. Organs and blood, bone and ﬂesh
— vibrant good looks radiate outward from them. When all the body’s
systems, especially the organs of elimination and digestion, are
working at their best, it’s reﬂected in your skin, eyes, nails, and hair. You glow with a clean and honest beauty that has nothing to do with
perfect features, artful makeup, or the right clothes. Vibrant, healthy good looks are your natural reward from what you
choose to eat and drink and the exercise you get on a daily basis. In
this chapter, I call on science to explain the factors that contribute to
aging so that you can understand how consuming fresh fruits and
vegetables actually saves your body from the ravages of time. Glowing skin, bright eyes, shining hair, and strong nails are the other
beneﬁts of smoothies and juices that I explore. Are you hoping to lose
weight? This chapter helps you to achieve optimum health and
weight by taking you through the practical steps you need to take in
order to achieve realistic goals. Looking your best on the outside may spur you to learn more about
juicing and blending for the inside. It’s all connected, so keep reading
to Chapter 8. Looking Y oungerWe all know what happens in aging — the loss of strength and energy,
the slowing of the mental processes and memory, the graying hair,
and changes to the skeleton and skin — but do you understand what
aging actually is? Here are a couple of things to consider before you
submit to the general theory that you can’t win the ﬁght against
aging:
 From about the time we reach puberty, we begin to age. Aging is
a continuous process that can be slowed but not stopped. Why
not concentrate on slowing the process, protecting the cells
against damage, and staying healthy longer? Aging is a progressive process that gets worse with time,
accumulating and compounding. Why not protect the immune
system so that the body isn’t weakened, and so that cells are
strong and the domino effect of cell destruction is not allowed to
open the door to fatal diseases? Maybe you can’t win, but you can deﬁnitely score some points and
enjoy the game. What exactly is aging? It could be that the body is designed to age
and there is a biological timeline that our bodies follow. Or maybe
changes in hormones control aging. Or maybe the immune system is
programmed to decline over time, leaving people more susceptible to
diseases. Other aging theories assert that, like electronic products
and car engines, cells and tissues simply wear out. Others reason that
the faster an organism uses oxygen, the shorter it lives. All these
theories may contribute in a large or small part to aging. Science has proved that molecules known as free radicals cause
damage to cells, and this destruction leaves them vulnerable to
disease and premature aging. There is no doubt that your body is continually undergoing complex
biochemical functions, reactions, and changes and that time is
exacting a toll. The one thing that you can do to counteract them and
protect the cells, the immune system, and other vital organs is to feed
them the high-quality nutrients they need to stay toxin-free and
functioning at optimal levels.Juices and smoothies allow you to absorb the nutrients from fruits
and vegetables. This is important because, as you age, your digestive
function diminishes or is impaired by toxins or years of poor food
choices. The nutrients in juices and smoothies pass directly into your
blood because they’ve been broken down, or “pre-digested,” so that
they don’t put any strain on your digestive system. Vitamin C is necessary for the synthesis of collagen, which in turn
keeps all your tissues (including your skin) in tip-top condition. Vitamin A found in the deep red, orange, and green fruits and
vegetables is converted to retinol by the body. Retinol protects the
surface of the eye, or the cornea, and is essential for good vision. And
it just so happens that the fruits and vegetables high in vitamins C
and A are also high in antioxidants. F o c u s i n g  o n  f r e e  r a d i c a l  d a m a g e
Free radicals are highly unstable molecules that are dangerous
because they lack an electron, which causes them to latch on to other
molecules in the body in order to


 stopped breathing.  introduction“In addition to the gift of touch for
the individual, reflexology provides
a very real message for the body.” introduction a few Playful moments  with an
infant’s feet or hands can lead to a
lifetime of good results.The rescue unit was called. Kevin attempted
mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, but with no
results. He commented, “I don’t know CPR
(cardiopulmonary resuscitation). What should I
do?” Barbara replied, “Do what you know. Go for
the feet.” Kevin applied pressure to the adrenal
reﬂex area and the pituitary reﬂex area. At that
point, the woman sat upright in the wheelchair
and began swinging her feet. As Kevin attempted
to get the foot pedals out of the way so she
would not injure herself, he asked, “Mrs. W, Mrs.
W, do you know who I am?” She replied, “Yes,
you’re a jackass.” The others started laughing. They knew she was back; she always talked like
that. (Mrs. W lived another two years.) (Note: The pituitary reﬂex area, the traditional
reﬂexology revival reﬂex area, is located in the
big toe. A primary neuron travels from the
big toe all the way to the brain stem, where it
synapses for the ﬁrst time in an area responsible
for autonomic control of movement, respiration,
and acceleration of heart rate.) your  oPPortunity
While your reﬂexology work may never provide
the drama of the above story, it will offer you the
opportunity to interact with the body. The feet
and hands provide windows of opportunity to,
as it were, reach into the body and communicate
with the internal organs and muscular system. The net result of reﬂexology application is a “Millions of people all over the
globe have used the techniques of
reflexology to make a difference to
the health and well-being of another.”
resetting of the body’s natural balancing act. A systematic pattern of applying pressure
techniques to the hand or foot interrupts stress,
relieves conditions, and teaches the body how
to behave in a better, healthier manner. Reﬂexive
responses such as locomotion, alertness, and
body awareness can be inﬂuenced through the
application of reﬂexology technique. Millions of people all over the globe have
used the techniques of reﬂexology to make a
difference to the health and well-being of
another. The popularity of the technique is due
10 introductionreflexology can be fun  so making a game
of reflexology application is entertaining and
beneficial for adults and children alike.to the simple, straightforward method that it
provides for helping other people. The goal of this book is to give you the
information you need to make an impact on
well-being using the techniques of reflexology. Although we can describe all sorts of things
to you, the particular role you choose for
reﬂexology to play in your life is up to you. Whether your goal is to add reﬂexology to your
library of natural health tools or to apply
reﬂexology yourself, this book will guide you
through your use of reﬂexology to:
 work with the hands or feet
 impact stress or a health concern
 rejuvenate a tired hand or foot
 help yourself or another
 apply self-help hands-on techniques and
those that utilize toolstenets of reflexology
The basic tenets of reﬂexology are simple. In the
following chapters of this book, you will learn
about them in more detail. Reﬂexology zone and
referral maps will show you where to apply
techniques. Descriptions are included to guide
you through how to apply the techniques, how
long to apply them, and how often. We will
show you how to utilize patterns of techniques
to address health concerns. You will ﬁnd
information about special aspects of working
with infants, children, teenagers, men, women,
pregnant women, and elderly people. It is perhaps the ultimate use of reﬂexology

to bring people together, working toward a
common health goal or as an act of friendship. As you embark on your reﬂexology path,
remember that every journey starts with a single
step. We encourage you to take that ﬁrst step. it only takes a moment  to get
started with reflexology and to enhance
your life, as well as someone else’s. introduction    11In this chapter,  we focus on a whole range
of health concerns, from asthma to sore throat,
with illustrated techniques and reflex areas
appropriate to each. In-depth advice is presented to
show you how to address health targets with this
safe and convenient adjunct to medical treatment.Health concernsChapter 6Focusing your efforts  in reflexology will
help you to make any necessary improvements to
your own health or that of friends and relatives. A targeted mini-session allows you to address a
specific health concern, promote relaxation, provide
comfort in a hospital setting, aid recovery from
injury, ease pain, or apply first aid. In this chapter,
you’ll learn how to maximize your time and effort
by using the best technique for your needs.Mini-sessions for
getting resultsChapter 4Reflexology is the application  of pressure
techniques to the hands and feet to affect another
part of the body. These techniques stimulate
pressure sensors, triggering relaxation response
throughout the body. Reflexology encourages good
health, promoting relaxation, easing pain,
preventing disease, and improving quality of life. In
this chapter you will find out about its history, its
principles, and how it works. The principles
of reflexologyChapter 1Ancient egypt
Among the world’s oldest depictions of medical
practices are the pictographs of hand and foot
reflexology dating from the 6th Dynasty that
were discovered at the Tomb of the Physician in
Saqqara. These detailed pictographs also show
other common medical practices of the time,
offering the clearest evidence of healing work on
the feet in ancient history. Most intriguing to
reflexologists is the translation of the hieroglyph,
“Do not let it be painful,” and “I do as you say,”
since similar interchanges take place in
reflexology practices today. The neighboring
Tomb of Khentika, dating from the same era,
includes similar pictographs with hieroglyphs
stating, “Make these pleasant, dear one, and I
shall act for your praise.”
 At the Temple of Amon at Karnak there is a
depiction of a healer tending the feet of soldiers
at the battle of Qadesh. This famous military
campaign of 1274 bce involved a long march
and, presumably, many footsore soldiers. The
hieroglyph carved on an obelisk commemorates
it as a military victory for Rameses II, who
reigned 1279—1213 bce, though in reality there
was no clear victory and Rameses failed to gain
the territory he wanted. The history of reflexology
From ancient times  to the present day, working the feet has been used by
humankind as a means of maintaining good health and well-being. Although
the exact principles and techniques of its early use are no longer known, artifacts
discovered by archeologists indicate that reflexology has been developed as an
aid to health by many societies around the globe, from South America to Egypt,
Japan, China, and throughout Asia. 14 the principles of reflexologyHistorians record that the Roman military leader
Mark Antony (83—30 bce) rubbed the
feet of the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra VII (69—30
bce). Emperor Augustus (63—14 bce) writes of
Antony’s pathetic enslavement, “He even
massaged her feet at dinner parties.” To a
reflexologist, the image of Antony working on
his lover’s feet conjures up an image of one
person reaching out to another, bypassing words. Ancient chinA
No such relics record the history of healing work
on the feet in ancient China. Some Chinese
practitioners, however, date Chinese reflexology
practices to the rule of the legendary Emperor
Huang Ti (2704—2596 bce) and his book The
Medical Classic of the Yellow Emperor. The text is
said to include the “Examining Foot Method.”
During the Han Dynasty, which lasted from
206 bce to 220 ce, the “Examining Foot Method”
was investigated and systematized by
a famous physician and termed the “Tao of Foot “Among the world’s oldest depictions
of medical practices are pictographs
of hand and foot reflexology.“the history of reflexology 15Center” in the text Hua Tuo Mi Ji. Reflexology
work reportedly flourished during the Tang
Dynasty (618-907 ce), at which time it also
spread to Japan. Further early history in China is sketchy, as
such work apparently fell out of favor over the
years−as did many other components of
traditional Chinese medicine. Failure to record
reflexology work in writing as well as the
destruction of those written works that did exist