 S ECRET
T r eat Y ourself As If Y ou Alr eady Ar e What Y ou’d Like to Be
T HE  N INTH  S ECRETT r easur e Y our Divinity
T HE  T ENTH  S ECRET
W isdom Is A voiding All Thoughts That W eaken Y ou
About the Author
T ake sips of this pur e wine
being pour ed. Don’ t mind that
you’ve been given a dirty cup. — Rumi
Arrange whatever
pieces come your way. — V ir ginia W oolfI n t r o d u c t i o n
There’ s never a day that goes b y that I don’ t think about God. More than
thinking, I experience the presence of God in most of my waking moments. It’ s a feeling of contentment an d satisfaction that’ s beyond anything that I
might convey in a book. I’ve co me to know the peace of Spirit in my life,
and because of this knowing, all of my concerns, problems,
accomplishments, and accumulations diminish in importance. In this short
book, I will elaborate on ten principles to success and inner peac e, which, if
mastered and practiced on a daily basis, will also guide you t o this same
sense of tranquility. I’ve ofte n been asked to speak a t high schools and colleges over the past
three decades. Frequently, my readers encourage me to writ e to young
adults e mbarking on the journey of adulthood and provide them with my
“secrets” for being successful and happy. The ten secrets in this book are what I talk or write about when I have the
opportunity to speak to young people. However, they’re valuable for
anyone who has decided to consciously  be on their life path. Each of us
makes that choice depending on our individual time clock. Fo r some, it’ s
early in young adulthood; and fo r others, it happens in the middle or mature
years. The secrets apply whethe r you’re just beginning your li fe path, are
nearing the end of it, or are on the path in any way. Most bo oks of this sort, as well as graduation speeches, stress the
importance of hard work, dedication, financial planning, relationship
strategies, choosing the right career, listening to one’ s elders, being
respectful of the rules, setting realistic goals, living a healthy lifestyle, and
being in  a state of gratitude. This is good advice and certainly be nefits those
who choose to listen to and apply this wisdom. It is my experience,
however, both as a lifelong teacher and a father of eight childre n ranging in
age from 11 to 33, that this kind of advice by itself leads one to  wondering,
Is that all ther e is? So, I have no advice on goal setting, putting your nose to the grindstone,
planning your financial future, listening to us older folks, respecting your
culture, and so o n. In fact, I’ve almost always listened to my ow n impulses,paying the price for taking the road “least traveled” and resisting
enculturation, so  it would be somewhat hypocritical of me to now tell you
to d o what I say and follow my rules. Instead, what I of fer you are ten
secrets that allow your spirit to guide you. In my experience working with  a variety of people over several decades,
far t oo many in dividuals choose to be anonymous members o f the pack,
therefore suf fer ing from the inner remorse that makes them feel like
failures, filled with conflict and resentment and wondering what the
meaning of life is. So, I’ve written this book in th e hopes that it will help you avoid those
feelings of inadequacy and help you feel the peace of God that truly defines
success. Read these secrets with an open heart. Apply the ones that resonate
with you, and discard those that don’ t.
When you feel peaceful and su ccessful, you want to extend and export
that peace and love. The violen ce, hatred, prejudice, and judgment in our
world suggests that we have mil es to go to reach a world of inner and outer
peace. I send you love and all gr een lights. —  W ayne W. DyerT h e  F i r s t  S e c r e t
I wish to say what I think and feel
today, with the proviso that tomorrow
perhaps I shall cantradict it all. —Ralph W aldo Emerson
I always entertain
great hopes. —Robert Frost
H a v e  a  M i n d
T h a t  i s  O p e n  t o
E v e r y t h i n g  a n d
A t t a c h e d  t o
N o t h i n g1
T h e  F i r s t  S e c r e t
Have a Mind
That Is Open
to Everythin
and Attached
to Nothing
Having a mind that is open to everything and attached to nothing sounds
easy until you think about how much conditioning has taken place in your
life, and how many of your current thoughts were influenced by  geography,
the r eligious beliefs of your ancestors, the color of your skin, t he shape of
your eyes, t he political or ientation of your parents, your size, your gender,
the schools that were selected for you, and the vocation of your great-
grandparents, to  list only some possibilities. Y ou showed up he re as a tiny
infant capable of an infinite number of potentialities. Many of your choices
remain unexplored because of a hopefully well-intentioned c onditioning
program design ed to make you fit the culture of your caretakers. Y ou
probably had next to no oppo rtunity to disagree with the c ultural and
societal arrangements made for your life. There may have been some adults who encouraged you to have an open
mind, but if you’re honest with yourself, you know that your philosophy of
life, you r religio us beliefs, your manner of dress, and your language are a
function of what your tribe (and it’ s heritage) determined was right for you. If you made any fuss about going against this preordained conditioning, you
probably heard even stronger vo ices insisting that you get back  in line and
do things the way they have “always been done.” Fitting in superseded
having a mind that was open to new ideas. If your parents were Jewish, it’ s unlikely that you were raised to honor
and resp ect the Muslim religion, and vice versa. If both your p arents were
Republicans, it’ s improbable th at you heard the virtues of the Democratic
Party extolled. Whatever the re asons our ancestors may have had for nothaving open minds, it’ s true that they inhabited a much less populated world
than we do. In today’ s overpopu lated world, we simply cannot continue to
live with  those old styles of cl osed-mindedness. I ur ge you to open your
mind to all  p ossibi lities, to resist any ef fo rts to be pigeonholed, and to
refuse to allow pessimism into your consciousness. Having a m ind that is
open to everything and attached to nothing seems to me to be one of the
most basic principles that you can adopt to contribute to ind ividual and
world peace. No One Knows
Enough to Be a
Pessimist
Find an opportunity to observe a tiny little green sprout emer ging from a
seed. When you do, allow yourself to feel the awe of what you’re seeing. A
famous poet named Rumi observed, “Sell your cleverness and purchase
bewilderment.” The scene of an emer ging sprout represents the beginning
of life. No one on this planet has even a tiny clue as to how  all of this
works. What is that creative spark that causes the life to sp rout? What
created the observer, the consciousness, the observation, and perception
itself? The questions are endless. A short while ago, Earthlings in the space program were moving a tiny
vehicle on Mars via remote control. Invisible signals took ten  minutes to
travel through space and arrived  to make right turns and instruct a scoop to
pick up some Martian real estate to examine. W e all marvel at such
technological fe ats. But think ab out it for a moment. In an endle ss universe,
Mars, o ur close st neighbor, is the equivalent of moving a billionth of an
inch across the p age you’re reading! W e move a little vehicle on a neighbor
next door and we’re so impressed with ourselves. There ar e billion s and billions o f planets, objects, and stars in our galaxy
alone, and there are uncountable billions of galaxies out there. W e are a
speck in an incomprehensibly vast universe that has no end to it. Think
about this: If we found the end, would there be a wall at the edge of theuniverse? If so, who built it? Even more perplexing, what’ s on the other
side of the wall, and how thick is it? How can  anyon e be a pessimist in a world where we know so little? A
heart starts beating inside a mother ’ s womb a few weeks after


RENCH CUISINE
Cr eamy Asparagus Soup
Spinach, Leek, and Potato T art
Braised Gr een Beans Amandine
Swiss Char d and Arugula with Lemon T arragon Dr essing
Poached Pears with Blackberries

Creamy Asparagus Soup
2 teaspoons ghee
2 lar ge leeks, chopped
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Braggs Liquid Amino Acid or tamari sauce
¼ pound white potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 tablespoon tarragon
1 teaspoon thyme
¾ pound asparagus, discard bottom 1½ inch and cut into
1-inch pieces
4–6 cups vegetable stock or to cover potatoes in pot
½ teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

In a lar ge soup pot, heat the ghee. Sauté th e leeks and add pepper and Braggs. Contin ue to simmer
the le eks. Add the potatoes, tarragon, and thyme. Sauté until the potatoes are browned. Add the
asparagus pieces and cover the vegetables with vegetable stock. Simmer until the potatoes are tender. Puree the soup into a smooth consistency  by using either a handheld blender, standard blender, or
food processor. Garnish soup with nutmeg and parsley. Spinach, Leek, and Potato T art
Crust
1½ cups or ganic unbleached white flour or whole wheat
pastry flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup butter (or soy mar garine), chilled and cut into pieces
1 teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar
¼ cup water, chilled

Place the “S” blade in the food processor. Put the flour and salt in the bottom of t he processor. T urn on the machine and begin to drop the butter pieces into the flour mixture, a few  at a time. Once
all th e butter is in the food processor, switch to “pulse” and pulse the dough un til the mixture
resembles a coarse m eal. Add the lemon juice and pulse 3 to 4 times. T urn the food processor to “on”
and s lowly drizzle th e water into the mixture until stif f dough begins to form. T urn  the dough out
onto a floured countertop. Bring the dough  together with your hands and form into a flat, round disk. Roll o ut the dough evenly, using a rolling pin. Gently place the rolled dough into a sprayed 9- or 10-
inch tart pan. Using your fingers, begin to press the dough toward the outer edges and create a ½-inch
edge along the wall of the tart pan. Place the tart in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble. Filling
2 teaspoons ghee or olive oil
4 medium-size red potatoes, sliced very thinly in rounds
2 lar ge leeks, sliced thinly in rounds
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon basil, dried
1 teaspoon sage, dried
2 teaspoons Braggs Liquid Amino Acid or tamari sauce
4 packed cups spinach, or ganic, or one 10-ounce package
frozen, defrosted and chopped
1 teaspoon dill, dried
1 teaspoon marjoram, dried
One 10-ounce package silken tofu, low-fat, firm or extra
firm
¼–½ cup vegetable stock
1 tablespoon arrowroot dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
 In a lar ge sauté pan, heat 1 teaspoon of ghee. Lightly sauté potatoes until just browned on both
sides. Remove from the pan and set aside. Heat another teaspoon of ghee in the sauté  pan and put the
leeks, pepp er, basil, sage, and 1 teaspoon Braggs into sauté. T ry to keep the leeks in rings. Sauté until
golden bro wn. Remove from pan and set aside. If you are using fresh spinach, hea t the sauté pan
again and briefly sauté the spinach until wilted. Remove from the heat. In a mixing bowl, place the
cooked or defrosted s pinach. Add the herb s and toss together. In a blender, begin to blend the tofu,
adding the stock slowly as the tofu becomes smooth. Add the arrowroot that has been dissolved and
the re maining teaspoon of Braggs. Blend u ntil a light, smooth consistency is achieved. If the mixture
is too thick, add a little more stock. Add ½ cup of the tofu mix to the spinach. Mix together well. T o assemble: Place the sautéed lee ks on the bottom of t he refrigerated tart pan, spread a layer of
the spinach mixture on top of the leeks. Pour the tofu mixture on top of the spinach. This layer should
just cover the spinach and be about ¼ inch thick. Reserve any extra for another use. Arrange the
potatoes on top of the casserole in a circular or rectangular design. Sprinkle paprika, dill, and nutmeg
on top of t he tart for color. Bake at 350 de grees for 35 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out
clean from the middle of the tart and the potatoes are golden brown. Braised Green Beans Amandine
1 teaspoon ghee
2 lar ge handfuls green beans, fresh and or ganic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
¼ cup almonds, sliced and toasted in the oven
vegetable stock

In a sauté pan, heat the ghee and add the green beans. Add the cumin and continue to simmer. If
the beans get too dry add 1 teaspoon of v egetable stock. Simmer until the green beans are almost
tender. Just before serving add the balsamic vinegar. T oss the green beans around in  the pan to coat
with the vinegar. Sprinkle the almonds on top of the individual portion or in the serving bowl. Swiss Chard and Arugula with Lemon T arragon Dressing
1 bunch red swiss chard, washed
1 cup arugula, cleaned and stems removed
¼ cup vegetable stock
2 tablespoons Lemon T arragon Dressing
Heat a dry sauté pan and add the chard and the arugula. Allow the greens to wilt. Only add stock to
the pa n if it is too hot and the greens begin to brown. T oss the finished greens w ith the Lemon
T arragon Dressing. Lemon T arragon Dressing
¼ cup parsley, chopped
1 green onion, chopped
¼ cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon tarragon
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon Braggs Liquid Amino Acid
¼ cup apple juice
¼ cup olive oil

Combine everything but oil in a blender. Slowly add the oil as the blender continues to run. Continue to blend until the dressing begins to thicken slightly. Poached Pears with Blackberries
1 can apple juice concentrate, or ganic
2 Bosc or D’Anjou pears, cut in half, peeled, and cored
½ teaspoon cloves, whole
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons cranberries, dried
One 10-ounce package blackberries, frozen and or ganic,
or 1 box, fresh in season
1–2 tablespoons maple syrup
Cinnamon or nutmeg for garnish

Heat the apple juice concentrate in a sau té pan. Add the pears, cloves, cinnamon sticks, lemon
juice, and the cranbe rries. Allow the pears to simmer in the juice until the pears a re tender. If the
liquid is absorbed and the pears become uncovered, add more apple juice or water. T he pears need to
remain sub mer ged. In  a separate heated sauté pan, place the blackberries and begin to sauté. Reduceheat and allow the blackberries to break down and create juice. Add a little apple juice if needed to
create som e liquid. Add the maple syrup just before serving. Adjust the amount by th e tartness or the
sweetness of the berries. T o serve: Remove the pears from the liquid (reserve the liquid for another
use). Place  a pear in the middle of a desse rt plate. Spoon on the berries and some of the juice from
the berry sauté. T o garnish, sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg. AMERICAN BISTRO CUISINE
Carr ot Coriander Soup
Roasted V egetable Barley Risotto
Cranberry and Sweet Potato Chutney
Or ganic Field Gr eens with Apple V inaigr ette
Cocoa T ofu Mousse with Almond Praline

Carrot Coriander Soup
1 teaspoon ghee
1 cup leeks, chopped
1 tablespoon ginger, fresh, chopped
1 teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon red chili flakes
1 tablespoon Braggs Liquid Amino Acid or tamari sauce
3 cups carrots, cubed
¼ cup golden raisins, chopped
2 teaspoons coriander, dried
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon asafetida
4–5 cups vegetable stock
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup low-fat coconut milk
2 tablespoons cilantro or parsley

In a soup pot, heat up  the ghee and add the leeks and the ginger. Add the pepper, chili  flakes, and 1
teaspoon of Braggs. Add the carrots and the raisins. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the coriander,
cumin, asa fetida and the rest of the Braggs. Continue to sauté


 way that abalance is established until the soul reaches a harmon ious state
wherein there  are no more extremes. This balancing in future
incarnations always applies to all aspects of the personality. In order
to approach this harmony to some extent at least, the proper
balance between reason, emotion, and will has to be achieved. The erotic experience often mingles with the sexual urge, but it
does not alway s have to be that way. These three forces— love, eros,
and sex—often appear completely separately, while sometimes two
mingle, such as eros and sex, or eros and love to the extent the soul is
capable of love, or sex and a semblance of love. Only in the ideal case
do all three forces mingle harmoniously. The Sex Force
The sex force is the creative force on any level of existence. In the
highest sphere s, the same sex force creates spiritual life, spiritual
ideas, and spiritual concepts  and principles. On the lower planes,
the pure and unspiritualized sex force creates life as it manifests in
that particular sphere; it creates the outer shell or vehicle of the
entity destined to live in that sphere. The pure sex force is utterly selsh. Sex without eros and without
love is referred to as animalistic. Pure sex as the reproductive force
exists in all living creatures: animals, plants, and minerals. Eros
begins with the stage of development where the soul is incarnated
as a human being. And pure love is to be found in the higher
spiritual realm s. This does not mean that eros and sex no longer
exist in beings of higher development, but rather that all three blend
in harmoniously, are rened, and become less and less selsh. Nor
do I mean that a human being should not try to achieve a
harmonious blend of all three forces. In rare cases, eros alone, without sex and love, exists for a limited
time. This is usually referred  to as platonic love. But sooner or later
with the somewhat healthy person, eros and sex will mingle. The
sex force, instead of being suppressed, is taken up by the erotic forceand both ow in one current. The more the three forces remain
separate, the unhealthier the personality is. Another frequ ent combinati on, particularly in relation ships of
long standing, is the coexistence of genuine love with sex, but without
eros. Althou gh love cannot be perfect unless all three forces blend
together, there is a certain amount of aection, companionship,
fondness, mutual respect, and a sex relationship that is crudely
sexual without the erotic spark, which evaporated some  time ago. When eros is missing, the sexual relationship must eventually suer. Now this is the problem with most marriages, my friends. There is
hardly a huma n being who is not puzzled by the question of what to
do in a relatio nship to maintain the spark that seems to evaporate
the more habit  and familiarity with one another set in. You may not
have posed the question in terms of three distinct force s, yet you
know and sense that somet hing goes out of a marriage that was
present at the beginning; that spark is actually eros. You nd
yourself in a vicious circle and think that marriage is a hopeless
proposition. No, my friends, it is not, even if you cannot as yet
attain the ideal. The Ideal Partnership of Love
In the ideal partnership of love between two people, all three
forces have to be represented. With love you do not seem to have
much diculty, for in most cases one would not marry if there did
not exist at least the willingness to love. I will not discuss at this
point the extreme cases where this is not so. I am focusing on a
relationship where the choice is a mature one and yet the partners
cannot get around the pitfall of becoming bound by time and habit,
because elusive eros has disappeared. With sex it is very much the
same. The sex force is present in most healthy human beings and
may only begin to fade—particularly with women—when eros has
left. Men may then seek eros elsewhere. For the sexual relationship
must eventually suer unless eros is maintained.How can you keep eros? That is the big question, my dear ones. Eros can be maintained only if it is used as a bridge to true
partnership in love in the highest sense. How is this done? The Search for the Other Soul
Let us rst look for the main element in the erotic force. When
you analyze it, you will nd that it is the adventure, the search for
the knowledge of the other soul. This desire lives in every created
spirit. The inherent life-force must nally bring the entity  out of its
separation. Eros strengthens the curiosity to know the other being. As long as there is somethin g new to nd in the other soul and as
long as you reveal yourself, eros will live. The moment you believe
you have found all there is to nd, and have revealed all there is to
reveal, eros will leave. It is as simple as that with eros. But where
your great error comes in is that you believe there is a limit to the
revealing of any soul, yours or another’s. When  a certain point of
usually quite supercial revelation is reached, you are under the
impression that this is all there is, and you settle down to a placid
life without further searching. Eros has carrie d you this far with its strong impact. But after this
point, your will to further search the unlimited depths of the other
person and voluntarily reveal and share your own inward search
determines whether you have used eros as a bridge  to love. This, in
turn, is always  determined by your will to learn how to love. Only
in this way will you maintain  the spark of eros in your love. Only in
this way will you continue to nd the other and let yourself be
found. There is no limit, for the soul is endless and eterna l: A whole
lifetime would  not suce to know it. There can never be a point
when you know the other soul entirely, nor when you are known
entirely. The soul is alive, and nothing that is alive remains static. It
has the capacity to reveal even deeper layers that already exist. The
soul is also in constant change and movement as anything spiritual
is by its very nature. Spirit means life and life means change. Since
soul is spirit, the soul can never be known utterly. If people had thewisdom, they would realize that and make of marriage the
marvelous journey of adven ture it is supposed to be, instead of
simply being carried as far as you are taken by the rst momentum
of eros. You should use this potent momentum of eros as the initial
thrust it is, and then nd through it the urge to go on further under
your own steam. Then you will have brought eros into true love in
marriage. The Pitfalls of Marriage
Marriage is intended by God for human beings, and its divine
purpose is not merely procreation. That is only one aspect. The
spiritual idea of marriage is to enable the soul to reveal itself and to
be constantly on the search for the other to discover forever new
vistas of the other being. The more this happens, the happier the
marriage will be, the more rmly and safely it will be rooted, and
the less it will be in danger of an unhappy ending. Then it will fulll
its spiritual purpose. In practice, however, marria ge hardly ever works that way. You
reach a certain state of familiarity and habit and you think you
know the other. It does not even occur to you that the other does
not know you by any means. He or she may know certain facets of
your being, but that is all. This search for the other being, as well as
for self-revelation, requires inner activity and alertness. But since
people are often tempted into inner inactivity, while outer activity
may be all the stronger as an overcompensation, they are being
lured to sink into a state of restfulness, cherishing the delusion of
already knowing each other fully. This is the pitfall. It is the
beginning of the end at worst, or at best a compromise leaving you
with a gnawing, unfullled longing. At this point the relationship
turns static. It is no longer alive even though it may have some very
pleasant featu res. Habit is a great temptress, pulling one toward
sluggishness and inertia, so that one does not have to try and work
or be alert any more.Two people may arrange an apparently satisfactory relationship,
and as the years go by they face two possibilities. The rst is that
either one or both partners become openly and consciously
dissatised. For the soul needs to surge ahead, to nd and to be
found, so as to dissolve separateness, regardless of how much the
other side of the personality fears union and is tempted by inertia. This dissatisfac tion is either conscious—although in most instances
the real reason for it is ignored—or it is unconscious. In either case,
the dissatisfact ion is stronger than the temptation


 fered i n water, it works best if clients give themselves up enti rely
to the therapist by relaxing completely. Such yo gic stretching is of fered at other venues in India and
overseas: Essentially, the body is being assisted into yoga  asanas
and stret ches wi thout having to make any ef fort itself. It has all  the
benefits of yoga, but much less of the hard work. Another “bow pose” angle. Stretching arms to work on the triceps. pranayama  Therapeutic Breathing
Exercises
T aken from the word  prana  meaning “vital ener gy” or “life
force” and  ayama  that means “control” or
“extension/expansion”,  pranayama  comprises a series of
breathing exercises that c alm the mind, improve the
condition of the abdominal and chest area, and eliminate
toxins from the body. Orig inally expounded by Patanjali
(see page 100), it is all about the expansion of the vital force
through regulated breathing processes. Regular  pranayama  practitioners report that they are calm and
balanced, their minds are focus ed and they have increased vita lity
and longevity. According to Patanjali,  pranayama  awakens the
brain and the cerebrospinal nerve centers enabling them to reach
their highest potential. Be this true or not, research suggests that it is
beneficial in treating a range of stress-related disorders and it
relieves symptoms of asthma. All the exercises follow a sequence of inhalation (puraka ),
holding (kumbhaka ) and  ex halation (rechaka ). The main focus is
on c orrecting bad breathing habits and concentrating on the here
and now. Inhalations should be deep, complete and focused, filling
the l ungs completely, while exhalations are slow, deep and uniform. Ideally, the latter should take twice as long as the former, and at the
end of a  rechaka  the lungs should be emptied to the maximum
extent, t heir tiss ues contracting as much as possible. In the case ofkumbhaka, the re is no question of speed o r movement: it is simply
stopping all breath by holding al l the respiratory apparatus tight and
still. There are a number of  pranayama  exercises and all should be
practiced in a si tting posture. Choose from the half a dozen sit ting
postures laid down by Patanjali:  the simplest, least strenuous on e is
swastikasana, bu t more advanced yoga prac titioners may prefer
the lotus  positio n or  padmasana, t he traditional recommendation
for  pranayama. Sessions usually start with a prayer or a simple  om. Practitioners are encouraged to sit in a relaxed posture, with spine
straight and shoulders relaxed. After a couple of such introduc tory
exhalations, the hands are rubbed together to stimulate the
circulation, and a gentle self-ma ssage is given to the face and b ack
of the neck. Before the breathing session begins in earnest, it is
recommended th at the process known as  kapala bhati  takes place. Kapal  is a Sanskrit word for “forehead”, while  bhati  means
“lighting” or “glowing”. It is a  kirya  or cleansing process that is
practiced in a m editative posture with spine and neck erect, and
eyes closed. A session of rapid breathing, with active and forceful
exhalation follow ed by passive inhalation, it has no  kumbhaka  or
holding of breath stage. All the nerves reverberate during this
exercise, you may even sweat  profusely and, on the exhalat ion,
most people experience a flapping movement in the abdomen. Shreyas Retreat runs regular  pranayama  sessions in conjunction with yoga. They
always start with the practice of palming. During this, hands are rubbed together to
stimulate circulation  and a gentle self-massage is given to the face and back of
the neck. Nadhi sodhana  or “alternate nostril breating”, a very particular  pranayama
practice, calms the mind, balances the mental state and stimulates both sides ofthe brain as both nostrils flow freely. As  kapala bhati  is an  ext remely dynamic experie nce, it should
only be done for about a minute, as this is enough time to give a
massaging ef fec t to the inner or gans as well as balance and
strengthen the nervous system. It also helps set up the lungs and
entire respiratory tract for the breathing exercises to follow. Vhastrika  is often the firs t exercise: T ranslating as “bellows
breath”, it is a breathing techni que used by yogis to build ene r gy,
tone the respiratory muscles and induce a feeling of alertness and
mental c larity. As suggested by the name, the breath imitates the
action of a bellows. Essentially a method of controlled hyper -
ventilation, it comprises a seri es of inhalation/holding/exhalation
sequences that focus on the thoracic and chest region. Ac tive
inhalation with chest out and shoulders rising slightly is follo wed
by holding, then active exhalation to bring the chest back in. These
sequences help promote proper diaphragmatic breathing, oxygenate
the blood and pur ge the lungs of residual carbon dioxide. Vhastrika  which translates as “bellows breath” follows a sequence of
inhalation/holding/ exhalation that is effectively a controlled form of hyper-
ventilation. As such, it should not be repeated too many times. Alternate nostr il breathing or  nadhi sodhana  is another
technique. Nadhi  is th e word for “psychic pass age”, a specific
pathway through which  prana  flows, and  sodhana  is
“purification”, so this sequence is designed to facilitate smooth f low
of  prana. It sho uld not  be practiced if the nasal passages are
blocked; in fact, in any  pranayama  series, if the breath feels
forced, stop immediately. In  nadhi sodhana, th e flow of breath is controlled by either the
thumb or the rin g finger of the right hand in what is known as  the
nasika mudra  (see photo of hand position on page 1 15). First of
all, the right nostril is blocked with the thumb, and air is slowly
exhaled through  the left nostri l. When the lungs are comple tely
empty, the practitioner inhales slowly through the left nostril, then
closes the nostril with the ring finger. He or she then exhales
completely out of the right nost ril, inhales through the right nos tril,
and blocks again with the thumb. It is a good idea to mentally count
five seconds for each inhalation and six seconds for everyexhalation. The whole process should be repeated a few times for
maximum benefit. Another technique is  uddiyana bandha  (uddiyana  means a
“jump upward”,  bandha  is a “lock”). Basically, it means the
contraction of particular muscle s in the body that are locked or held
tightly in a certain position. There are four main  bandhas
associated with  pranayama ;  the other three are  jalandhara
bandha  (bending the neck forward and setting the chin below the
throat),  mula bandha  (contraction of the anal sphinct ers and the
pelvic floor) and  jilva bandha  (holding the tongue on the roof of
the mouth). In  uddiyana bandha, the thoracic diaphragm is moved to an
extreme upward position, held, then released. Practitioners sit in the
lotus position with hands in the  chin  mudra (index finger touching
the thumb and o ther three fingers relaxed), and focus on the lo wer
abdominal sectio n of the body. The sequence is as follows: Breathe
out completely, contract the lowest  chakra  at the bottom of the
spine, su ck in the abdomen, lock  in the chin with the chest, and hold
the breath. Keep steady for as long as is comfortable, then release
from the chin and abdomen, and exhale. Uddiyana bandha  can
take qui te a time to master and novices should never exceed t heir
individual capacity. In general,  pranayama  modifies normal breathing processes
considerably, th ereby creating substantial internal pressures and
stretches. Added  to this, is the n eed to keep the whole body focused
from top to bott om, thereby releasing any held tension and str ess. Pranayama  classes are of fered at many venues throughout India
and elsewhere and many find it a wonderful exercise before a
meditation session. Shavasana  or “corpse  posture” is traditionally the final posture in a hatha yoga
session. Designed to engender deep relaxation, it is a good finale for  pranayama
too. meditation
Rooted in many of the world’ s great religions, meditation
has been used as a


:
autumn-dryness. Negative  emotions:  sadness,  grief,  sorro w.
Positive em otions:  righteo usness,  surrend er letting- go, emptiness. Parts of  the body : chest,  inner  arms, thumbs. Senses:  nose- smell,
mucous, skin,  touch. (2) Kidneys
    Associated  organ : bladde r, Element: water, Season:  winter,
Negative  emotion:  fear. Positive  emotions:  gentleness,  alertness,
stillness. Parts  of the bod y: side of foot,  inner  legs,  chest. Senses:
ears-  hearin g, bones. (3) Liver
   Associated  organ:  gall bladder,  Element: wood. Season:  spring. Negative  emotions:  anger,  aggressio n. Positive  emotions:  kindness,
self-expansio n, identit y Parts  of the bod y: inner  legs,  groin,
diaphra gm, ribs. Senses:  eyes-sight,  tears. (4) Heart
   Associated  organ:  small intestine. Element: fire. Season:
summer, Negative  emotions:  impatience,  arrog ance,  hastiness,
cruelty, violence. Positive  emotions:  joy, honor  sincerity  creativity,
enthusiasm, spirit,  radiance,  light. Parts of  the body : armpits, inner
arms. Senses:  tongue -taste,  speech. (5) Sp leen
    Associated  organs : pancre as, stom ach. Element: earth. Season:
Indian  sum mer, Negative  emotions: w orry, sympathy  pity. Positive
emotions:  fairness,  com passion,  centeri ng, music-making. Parts
of the  body: neck. Senses:  mouth-taste,  appetite. (6) Triple  Warmer (Circulation  Sex)
    There  is no  element,  season  or emotion  associated  with the
Triple Warmer. The Triple W armer refers  to the three  energ y centers
of the  body:
- 168  -Chapter  VI
   The upper  level:  brain,  heart,  lungs. Property : hot. The mi ddle level: liver  kidney s, stomach, pancreas,  spleen. Property : warm. The lo wer level:  large  and small intestines,  bladde r sexual
organs. Property : cool. The ma in goal  of the organs’  orgasm is to  strengthe n, satisf y
and restore  the organs  to their  natural  state in order  to gener ate
good  virtue  and healing  for ourselves  and others. B. Organs’ Orgasm Practice  Step-By-S tep
    Once  you have  practiced  the steps  above  and have  beco me
successful  in mo ving the arous ed sexual Chi  in the  Microcosmic
Orbit,  you can begin  to mo ve this  orgas m ener gy into the organs. Remember as  you follo w the steps  below, always move the  Chi in
the Microcosmic Orbit  first before  continuin g.
    (1)  Once  the sexual  energy  is arous ed, inhale  and pull up the
left and  right  anus  to dra w the energy  to the  left and  right  ovaries. Circulate  the energ y in the  Microcosmic Orbit,  and then  drop the
sexual  Chi into  the ovaries. (2)  When you begin  to feel the  sexual  energ y in the  ovaries,
move it to the left  and right  kidney s. Wrap the  orgasm ic energy :
now highl y refined  by all of the  organs  and glands,  with all of the
combined  virtues  of those  organs  into com passion  energ y. Feel
the kidney s bathe  in this  healing,  creative  and revitalizing  energy. The actual  sensation  of a kidney s’ orgas m is differe nt from any thing
else. In fact,  as y ou bring  the com passion  energ y to each  orga n,
each  will have  a different  type of orgasmic feeling  that is be yond
words. It is greate r than  anything you have  ever  experienc ed. The
organs’  orgasms have  a longer- lasting  orgas mic feeling,  bringing
good  health,  fulfill ment, joy  and happiness. This kind  of joy and
fulfillment com es onl y from  the sexual,  creative,  and generative
qualities  of the com passion  ener gy that fills the  organs. Every  time you move the  orgasmic energ y in the  Microc osmic
Orbit,  pull it up  to the ovaries,  then  to the left  and right  kidney s, and
proceed,  moving the  energ y up to:
    (3)  the spleen  (on the left) and the liver  (on the right):
    (4)  the left and right  lungs:  and
    (5)  the left and right  sides of  the brain. (6)  When you have  beco me proficient  in the Microcosmic Orbit
- 169  -Orgasmic Upward Draw
and moving the  energ y to the  left and right  organs,  contract  the
middle anus  to bring  the sexual  energy  to the cervix:
    (7)  the aorta  and venacava:
    (8)  the pancre as: and
    (9)  the heart. Be very  careful  moving the  energ y to the  heart
because  problems can be  created  here. Be careful  in the  beginni ng
not to dra w too much sexual  Chi into  the heart. (10)  Next take  the ener gy to the thymus  gland. This is very
important  for wome n because  when this center  is re juvenat ed, the
sexual  energy  will be able  to increase  a great  deal  with the
assistance  of that gland,  thereb y increasing  the assistance  of the
other  glands. (11)  Next bring  the energ y to the  thyroid and parathy roid glands:
    (12)  then to the  pituitar y gland:
    (13)  to the  pineal  gland;  and
    (14)  up to  the crow n.
    (15)  A final  refinement  to reme mber is that  the lower contraction
is not  centered  In the  stom ach or abdominal  region. You must not
tighten  your stomach m uscles during  the Orgas mic Dra w as this
will draw Chi away from  the Micr ocosmic Orbit. We must
concentrat e on the front  of the undertru nk, i.e., the vagina,  perine um,
and urogenit al diaphr agm. Our  goal  is to so  train  these  muscles
that by using  them  we can flood  the body with restorative  energy. Directing  power from  the lo wer trunk  toward the center  of the bod y
pours  energ y into the navel region. Since  ovary  and egg energ y,
like the  blood,  tend  to follow  the Chi energy, the navel,  in effect,
grips  the ovary  and egg energ y and pulls it up  into the body  through
the spine. Therefo re, if yo u contract  the urogenit al diaphr agm as if
you were holding  in a bladderf ul of urine,  you will lock the passages
so tightl y that no internal  urge  can burst  through  the sealing  rings
of mu scle. M ake sure  that there  is no  infection  in the  urinar y tract
which can cause  infection  in the  bladder  when you stop  the urine. C. Daily Practice
    Nothing  will com e of nothing. You must spend  time in practice
to reap  the benefits. An ounce  of practice  is wo rth a ton  of theor y.
Modem life, it seem s, affords  little tim e for anything but acquirin g
and spending. You must be  willing to surrend er some ti me to
advance. The practice  must become part  of your daily  routine. You
will make some progress  if yo u do the  exercise  more often  than
- 170  -Chapter  VI
not. If, ho wever you practice  as regula rly as getting  out of bed  in
the morning,  progress  will be swift, Chi will begin  to build  in your
upper  body, and you will be able  to collect  it at your navel. Once  you have  mastered  this techniq ue, it requires  only  a few
minutes each  day to bring  the sexual  Chi to all  the orga ns and
glands  with simply a few Orgas mic Dra ws. After a


1 hour
1 baking potato
1 large onion, peeledbeet, diced and cookedyogurtdill1 tsp. flaxseed oil (optional)
Scrub the potato and place whole into a casserole dish with a large,
peeled onion. Add a little water and bake until both are cooked. Chopthe cooked onion and put into a saucepan with the diced, cooked beet.Heat through. Split open the potato and fill with the onion and beetmixture. Mix together the yogurt, dill and flaxseed oil (if using the flax-seed oil, wait until the potato is no longer steaming) and drizzle over thetop. Serve with a green salad. Baked Potato with Onion
Preparation time: 15 minutesCooking time: 1-1/2 hours
1 baking potato
1 onioncooked beetyogurtdill$PPLCPPL5IF(FSTPO8BZ
Bake the potato in its skin. Slice the onion and cook gently until begin-
ning to soften. Dice the beet, add to the onion and warm through.When the potato is cooked, split it open and spoon in the beet mixture.Top with dollops of yogurt and sprinkle with dill. Serve with a greensalad. Baked Tomatoes
Preparation time: 10 minutesCooking time: 20 minutesServes 2
1 lb. tomatoes
1 clove garlic1 medium onionbread crumbs (or a handful of rolled oats)dillflaxseed oil
Slice the tomatoes and put into a baking dish. Crush the garlic, chop the
onion and sprinkle over the tomatoes. Cover with bread crumbs (orrolled oats) and bake for about 20 minutes at 325° F (170° C). Justbefore serving, sprinkle with dill and flaxseed oil. Beets
Bake at 300-350° F (149-177° C) or boil beets in their jackets. Beets, Cooked and Creamed
Preparation time: 15 minutesCooking time: 60-75 minutes
3 beets, cooked and chopped
6 tbsp. yogurt1 tbsp. fresh chives, snipped2 tbsp. onion, finely chopped Recipes
parsley, finely chopped
Put cooked, chopped beets into a saucepan with the yogurt, chives and
onion and heat gently. Put into serving dish and sprinkle with choppedparsley. Beets with Horseradish
Preparation time: 10 minutesCooking time: 1 to 1-1/2 hoursServes 2-4
6 beets
yogurt2 tsp. horseradishchives
Cook the beets until tender. Remove the skin and cut into quarters. Combine the yogurt and horseradish and pour over the beets. Garnishwith chopped chives and serve immediately. Bessarabian Nightmare
Preparation time: 15 minutesCooking time: 40 minutesServes 2
tomatoes
onionsred (or green) bell pepper, seededgarlic, crushedherbsflaxseed oil
Skin the tomatoes. Slice the tomatoes, onions and peppers. Arrange in
layers in an oven-proof dish. Sprinkle with crushed garlic and herbs. $PPLCPPL5IF(FSTPO8BZ
5Cook slowly, then chill and serve cold, adding a little flaxseed oil before
serving. A strange name for a delicious dish! Braised Cabbage
Preparation time: 15 minutesCooking time: 1 hourServes 2
1 lb. green cabbage
4 oz. carrots4 oz. onion2 sticks celerydill seeds
Cut the cabbage into quarters. Remove the stalk, the core and any dis-
colored leaves. Cook the cabbage in a little water in a saucepan for 10minutes. Dice the carrots, onion and celery and put into a large oven-proof dish with very little water. Place the cabbage on top. Scatter withdill seeds. Bake covered  for about 1 hour at 350° F (180° C) or until the
vegetables are tender. Braised Fennel with Orange and Tomato Sauce
Preparation time: 10 minutesCooking time: 30 minutesServes 2
1 medium head of fennel
1-1/2 lb. tomatoes1 tbsp. tomato puréejuice of 1/2 orangeherbsgreen fennel tops
Cut the fennel into quarters and remove the core. Cook gently for 8-10
minutes. Meanwhile, cook the tomatoes to a pulp and add the tomato
Recipes
5purée, orange juice and herbs. Add the fennel and cook covered for 12-
15 minutes. Garnish with fennel tops and serve. Broccoli
Bake in a covered casserole in low oven at 300° F (149° C) with onionsor a small amount of soup stock for 1-2 hours. Serve with tomato sauce. Broccoli and Herbs
Preparation time: 20 minutesCooking time: 25 minutesServes 2
2 bunches of broccoli
4-6 cloves garlic 1/2 onion sliced1/4 tsp. dill 1/4 cup soup stock
Peel the broccoli stems. Put garlic and onion in one pot and cook until
onion becomes translucent. Add cut broccoli crowns and stems, dill andsoup stock. Cook on low heat until broccoli is tender. Broccoli, Green Beans and Pears
Preparation time: 5 minutesCooking time: 20 minutesServes 2
broccoli
green beans2 pears
Dressing:
lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar)flaxseed oil$PPLCPPL5IF(FSTPO8BZ
5Gently cook the broccoli and green beans. Allow to cool. Peel and chop
the pears and put in a dish together with the broccoli and beans. Gently
toss in dressing and serve with a baked potato and a mixed green salad. Butternut Squash (Mashed)
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Serves 2
butternut squash
1 small onion
yogurt
Peel and core chunks of butternut squash. Place in pan with one small
onion. You will probably not need cooking water as the butternut
squash is a “wet” vegetable. Simmer until done. Mash with enough
yogurt to make smooth. Cabbage and Tomato Hot Pot
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Serves 2
1 small cabbage
1 onion
1 dessert apple
4 large tomatoes, skinned
yogurt
bread crumbs
parsley, chopped
Cook the cabbage gently in water until cooked but still crisp. Chop the
onion, apple and skinned tomatoes and cook gently until they form a
thick purée. Shred the cabbage and add to the purée. Turn into a casse-
role dish. Mix the yogurt with the bread crumbs and sprinkle over the
Recipes
5top. Top-brown under the broiler to heat a little. Sprinkle with chopped
parsley and serve immediately. Carrot and Leek Bake
Preparation time: 10 minutesCooking time: 1-2 hoursServes 2-4
1 lb. carrots
4 or 5 small leeks2 medium orangeshandful of raisins
Dice or slice the carrots and slice the leeks. Put into a baking dish with
the raisins. Add the juice of two oranges. Bake in a medium oven at 325°F (170° C) for 1 to 2 hours until done. If you wish, you can thicken theorange juice with corn starch to make a sauce. (Organic corn starch maybe used occasionally.) Serve with a baked potato. Carrot and Tomato Casserole
Preparation time: 15 minutesCooking time: 1 hourServes 2
8 oz. tomatoes
1/2 tbsp. chopped fresh sage (or 1/2 tsp. dried sage)2 medium onions1 lb. carrots
Slice or chop the tomatoes and put a layer into the bottom of a casserole
dish. Add some sage. Slice the onions and place a layer on top of thetomatoes. Add another sprinkling of sage. Slice the carrot and place ontop, finishing with a layer of tomato mixed with the last of the sage.Place the casserole in the oven and bake for 1 hour at 350° F (180° C)
$PPLCPPL5IF(FSTPO8BZ
until the carrots are tender. Serve with a mixed green salad and a baked
potato. Carrots and Honey
Preparation time: 10 minutesCooking time: 45 minutesServes 1-2
carrots
soup stock1/2 tsp. honey
Cut off the ends of the carrots and slice. Do not peel or scrape. Stew in a
small amount of soup stock for 45 minutes or until tender. During thelast 5 to 10 minutes of stewing, add honey for slight flavoring. Cauliflower
Preparation time: 10 minutesCooking time: 45 minutes
cauliflower
2-3 tomatoes
Break cauliflower into sections. Add tomatoes, sliced and cut into
chunks. Stew together for approximately 45 minutes (or until tender) onlow heat. Cauliflower and Carrot Sauce
Preparation time: 20


 wisdom, and undiminished vitality. I remember seeing
him bound up the stairs to a lecture podium when he was 85, and I was very
moved when a woman who had known him for many years told me, “I have
learned one thing about him—he is completely without violence. ”
The quantum worldview is not a spiritual one in its equations and
postulates, but Einstein and his colleagues were united by a mystical
reverence for their discoveries. Niels Bohr compared the wave aspect ofmatter to cosmic mind; Erwin Schrödinger ended his life believ ing that the
universe was itself a living mind (echoing Isaac Newton, who maintained
that gravity and all other force s were thoughts in the mind of God). The
truth is that probing our own spirit always brings humans to the border of
spirit in its larger sense. By putting this encounter into objective terms, the
new paradigm allows us actua lly to cross over the boundary that once
divided mind, body, and spirit. The transformation from separation to unity, from conflict to peace, is the
goal of all spiritual traditions. “Don’ t we live in the same objective world. ”
a discip le once queried his guru. “Yes,” his master replied, “but you see
yourself in the world, I see the world in myself. This minor perceptual shift
makes all the dif ference between freedom and bondage. ”
All of us are in bondage to the disorder we create by seeing ourselves as
separate and isolated. The perfect example is the Type A personality with
its driven, frustrated behavior, its constant sense of being pressured by
deadlines. Unable to relax into any kind of acceptance or flow, such a
person nurtures his past hurts as anger; this repressed turmoil gets projected
into the environment as hostility, impatience, blame, and unacknowledged
panic. Endlessly  trying to control others, such a person reacts to minor
stresses with harsh criticism of both self and others. In the act of creating so
much chaos, the Type A person, particularly in the business world, is
deluded into thinking that he or she is competing successfully. In actuality,
the level of efficient work is very low, and as frustrations mount, the
feedback the Type A personality receives from his or her extended body
creates more havoc within the physical body. Cholesterol and blood
pressure rise; the heart is subje cted to needless stressful arousal, seriously
increasing the risk of a fatal heart attack or stroke. Type A is an extreme example  of the harm created by not interacting
harmoniously with one’s extended body. As we will see, perceiv ed stress in
the environment is directly related to most of the age changes that overtake
everyone. What makes us old isn’t the stress so much as it is the perception
of stress. Someone who doesn’ t see the world “out there” as a threat can
coexist with the environment, free of the damage created by the stress
response. In many ways, the most important thing you can do to experience
a world without aging is to nurture the knowledge that the world is you. 8. Time is not absolute. The underlying r eality of all things is
eternal, and what we call time is r eally quantified eternity. Although our bodies, and the whole physical world, are a display of
constant change, there is more to reality than process. The universe was
born and is evolving. When it was born, time and space came into
existence. Befor e the instant of the Big Bang, time and space didn’ t exist as
we know them. Yet the rational mind finds it nearly impossible to ask
questions such as “What came before time. ” and “What is bigger than
space. ” Even Einstein, when he was a young physicist working out
quantum principles for the first time, held on to the old notion, embraced by
Newton, that the universe existed in a steady state—time and space were
eternal constants, never born and never dying. This steady-state version of reality is still the one our five senses report
back to us about. You cannot see or feel time as it speeds up or slows down,
even though Einstein proved that time does this; you cannot sense space as
it expands or contracts, yet this too is part of a rhythmic universe. To go
even further, to imagine those dimensionless regions where time and space
are born, requires a radical shift in perception. This shift is forced upon us
because the universe had to have some kind of timeless source—and the
same holds true for us. You perceive yourself as existing in time because your body is composed
of change; to change, one must have a flow or sequence. In this sequence
there is a before and after—before this breath was the last breath, after this
heartbeat will be the next heartbeat. But theoretically, if you had the time
and the equipme nt, you could make an EKG of all the heartbeats someone
has had in a lifetime, and by holding the printout in your hands, you would
have past, present, and future contained in one place. You could look at it
upside down or backward; you could fold it in half so that the last heartbeat
and the first one were next to each other. This kind of manipulation is what quantum physics reveals about the
most basic space-time events in Nature. As they exchange energy states,
two particles can move backward in time as easily as forward; things that
happened in the past can be altered by energy events in the future. The
whole notion of time as an arrow shooting inexorably forward has beenshattered forever in the complex geometries of quantum space, where
multidimensional strings and loops carry time in all directions and even
bring it to a halt. The only absolute left to us is the timeless, for now we realize that our
entire universe is just one incid ent springing forth out of a larger reality. What we sense as seconds, minutes, hours, days, and years are cut-up bits
of this larger reality. It is up to you, the perceiver, to cut up the timeless any
way you like; your awareness creates the time you experience. Someone
who experience s time as a scarce commodity that is constan tly slipping
away is creating a completely different personal reality from someone who
perceives that he has all the time in the world. Is your day full of time
pressure. Do you suffer the breathless, panicky symptom s of “time
sickness,” whic h the body translates into rapid or irregular heartbeat,
distorted digestive rhythms, insomnia, and high blood pressure. These
individual differences express how we perceive change, for the perception
of change creates our experience of time. When your attention is in the past or the future, you are in the field of
time, creating aging. One Indian  master who seemed remarkably young for
his age explained this by saying, “Most people spend their lives either in the
past or the future, but my life is supremely concentrated in the present. ”
When a life is concentrated in the present, it is most real, because the past
and future are not impinging upon it. At this instant, where are the past and
future. Nowhere. Only the present moment exists; past and future are
mental projections. If you can free yourself of these projections, trying
neither to relive the past nor to control the future, a space is opened for a
completely new experience—the experience of ageless body and timeless
mind. Being able to identify with a reality that is not bounded by time is
extremely important; otherwise there is no escape from the decay that time
inevitably bring s. You can catch a glimpse of timelessness with a simple
mind-body exercise: Choose a time of day when you feel relaxed and
unpressured. Sit quietly in a comfortable chair and take off your watch,
placing it nearby so that you can easily refer to it without having to lift it or
move your head very much. Now close your eyes and be aware of your
breathing. Let your attention easily follow the stream of breath going in andout of your body. Imagine your whole body rising and falling with the flow
of each breath. After a minute or two, you will be aware of warmth and
relaxation pervading your muscles. When you feel very settled and quiet inside, slowly open your eyes and
peek at the second hand of your watch. What’ s it doing. Depend ing on how
relaxed you are, the second hand will behave in different ways. For some
people, it will have stopped entirely, and this effect will last anywhere from
one to perhaps three seconds. For other people, the second hand will
hesitate for half a second, then jump into its normal ticking. Still other
people will perceive the second hand moving, but at a slower pace than
usual. Unless you have tried this little experiment, it seems very unlikely,
but once you have had the experience of seeing a watch stop, you will never
again doubt that time is a product of perception. The only time there is is
the one you are aware of. You can learn to take your awareness into the region of timele ssness at
will—meditation is the classic technique for mastering this experience. In
meditation the active mind is withdrawn to its source; just as this changing
universe had to have a source beyond change, your mind, with all its
restless activity, arises from a state of awareness beyond thought, sensation,
emotion, desire, and memory. This is a profound personal experi ence.


manyotherAmericanhomeopaths,wasa
Swedenborgian. In1846theAmericanMedicalAssociationwas
founded. Itadoptedacodeofethicswhichforbadeits
membersfromconsultinghomeopaths,andlocaland
statemedicalsocietiesweretoldtopurgethemselves
ofhomeopathsandtheirsympathisers. Nonetheless,
homeopathyhadmadeapositivemarkonorthodox
medicine-blood-lettingabated,medicaltrainingim-
provedandseveralhomeopathicremediesfoundtheir
wayintoallopathicprescribing. Publicdemandfor
homeopathictreatmentcontinued. The1860sthroughtothe1880ssawtheheydayof
Americanhomeopathy. Practitionersprovedevery
conceivableremedy,oftenatgreatcosttotheirown
health;someeveninvolvedtheirchildreninthe
provings. Hospitalsandtrainingprogrammeswere
establishedand,atitspeak,therewerefifty-six
homeopathichospitals,thirteenmentalasylums,nine
homeopathicchildren'shospitalsandfifteensanator-
iums,withthousandsoftrainedhomeopaths
throughoutthecountry. Thehomeopathictraining
collegesexcludedneitherwomennorblackpeople,as
wasthecasewiththeirallopathiccounterparts. Ashomeopathyappearedtobecomemoresettledin
theUSAbothfinanciallyandpolitically,intense
battlesdevelopedbetweenhigh-andlow-potencyprescribers. Thepuristsbecamehigh-potency prescri-
bers,centredaroundKent'steachings;therevisionists
becamelow-potencyprescriberswhomovedtowards
pathologicaldiagnosis,giving,forexample,a
homeopathicprescriptionforanulcerratherthan
treatingthepatient'sconstitution (i.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>
Q: Who is the author of the book "The Complete Homeopathy Handbook"?,
A: Miranda Castro
Q: What is the name of the first edition of Hahnemann's work that introduced the concept of "curing with similars"?,
A: The Organon
Q: According to the text, what is the goal of the book?,
A: To enable the reader to use homeopathic medicines safely and effectively at home in a variety of first-aid situations.
Q: What is the name of the second homeopath who is mentioned in the text?,
A: James Tyler Kent
Q: What is the name of the book that Miranda Castro is concerned about, in relation to the use of homeopathic medicine?,
A: The Complete Homeopathy Handbook<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Acolleagueofminetellsofasix-month-oldbaby
whowastreatedatalocalhospitalasanemergency
out-patientinastateofcollapse.Thenurseonduty
wasastudentofmycolleague'sanddiscoveredthat
themotherhadbeengivingherbabyChamomilla6
severaltimesadayforcolicsincesoonafterbirth.As
soonasthehomeopathicremedywasdiscontinued for
aperiodoftimethemuscletonereturned. Itisimportanttobeonyourguardagainstthis
over-useofhomeopathicmedicines.Readcarefully
Chapter6beforeyoustartprescribing. Confusionofthesymptompicture
Ifaremedyhasnotbeenprescribedonthewhole
personitwillworkinalimitedway,curingarestricted
numberofsymptoms.Inthesecasessomecomplaints
remainanditispossibletoendupgivingoneremedy
afteranotherinordertotryto'getrid'oftheremaining
symptoms.Intheendthewholepicturebecomesso
18•'Homeopathy isaformofherbalism' MYTHSANDMISAPPREHENSIONS
changedthatitisdifficulttofindthesimilimum(that
singleremedythatwasneededattheverybeginning). Theprofessionalhomeopathhasdifferentwaysof
dealingwiththisphenomenon inordertogetback
totheoriginalsymptompicture.Ifyoufindthatyou
areprescribingoneremedyafteranotherwithonly
limitedeffect,thendogetprofessionalhelp. Suppression
Ahomeopathicremedycancureasuperficialsymp-
tomsuchasaskineruptioninthesamewaythat,fc
example,theapplicationofaCortisonecreamcan. Thiswillonlybethecaseiftheremedyhasbeen
prescribedontheskincomplaint(singlesymptom)
withouttakingintoaccountthewholepersonandor
thecause.Theeffectistopushthediseasefurtherinto
thebody(seeLawsofCure,page15).Constitutional
treatmentwilloftencommencewiththeoriginal
symptomresurfacing.Suppression isnotcommonin
homeopathybutispossible.Inself-prescribing, ifyour
complaintdisappearsbutyoufeelmuchworsein
yourself(i.e.vourmoodsandvourenergy)thenitis
likelythatyouhavemadeapoorchoiceofremedy-
antidoteitandgetsomeprofessionaladvice. Myth:'Homeopathy isaformof
herbalism'
Inmyexperience,thisisthecommonestmythofall. Whileitiscertainlytruethataproportionofthe
remediesahomeopathusesarebasedonplants,and
though,asinhomeopathy,theherbalistprescribeson
theindividual,theprinciplesthatgovernthetwo
therapiesarequitedifferent. Manyplantshaveknownhealingproperties;herb-
alismisconcernedwiththeknownsphereofactionof
aplantbasedonitschemicalconstituentsaswellasits
knownhealingqualities.Herbalismhasexistedfor
thousandsofyears-foraslongaswehaverecords-in
someformoranotherandhasitsrootsinmother
earth.Itistheonlyformofmedicineusedbyanimals. Homeopathy,ontheotherhand,isbasedona
verydifferentsetofprinciples(seeChapter2). Homeopathicremediesarenotusedinthematerial
dose;noraretheybasedsolelyonplants,usingas
theydopoisons,metalsanddiseaseproducts. Homeopathsgenerallyprescribeoneremedyatatime
ratherthanthemixturesofplanttincturesthatherb-
alistsemploy.And,ofcourse,homeopathy inits
modernformisamere180yearsold. Myth:'Homeopathy isaformof
vaccination'
Peopleoftensavthattheyunderstandhomeopathyto
belikeavaccinationinthatthepatientisgivenasmallquantityofthediseasehealreadyhasinordertomake
himimmunetoit. Thisisnottrue.Homeopathyandvaccinationhave
similar,notthesame,conceptsandverydifferentprac-
tices.Vaccinesworkonthephysicalbodyinavery
specificway,inthattheystimulatetheimmunesys-
temdirectlytoproducespecificantibodiesas(/that
personhadcontractedthatparticulardisease;inso
doingtheyare,ofcourse,stressingtheimmunesys-
tem.Manyvaccineshavebeenknowntoproduce
permanentsideeffects.Theymustbetestedonani-
malsandthenonhumanstoverifytheirsafety,and
eventhenchildrenandadultsareoftendamagedona
physical,emotionalormentallevel. Ahomeopathicremedyworksinatotallydifferent
way,asareadingofChapter2willagainbearout. Homeopathicremediesaffecttheenergypatternsor
thevitalforceofapersonandbysodoingstimulatethe
bodytohealitself.Theyareadministered orallyina
diluted(andsafe)doseasopposedtobeingintroduced
directlvintothebloodstream,asisthecasewith
vaccination,therebybypassingthebody'snaturalde-
fencesystemandstressing itinawaythatisnotfully
understood.Homeopathicmedicinesarenottestedon
innocentanimalsanddonothavesideeffects. Myth:'Homeopathicremediesare
placebos'
Thismythcanberephrasedtoread'Youneedto
believeinitforittowork. 'Thisispatentlyridiculousto
anyonewhohasexperiencedorprescribedasuccess-
fulhomeopathiccurefor,say,aheadinjuryora
middle-earinfection. Aplaceboisanunmedicated pillwhichthepatient
believescontainssomethingthatwillcurehimorher. Double-blind trialsalwaysinvolvetheinclusionofa
controlgrouptakingaplaceboinsteadofthemedicine
beingtestedinordertoruleouttheindividual's
'suggestibility'. Itisbecausehomeopathicremediesdonotalways
workthattheyaresometimesbelievedtobeineffec-
tive,and,becauseroutineprescriptionssuchasRhus
toxicodendronforrheumatismandChamomillaforteeth-
ingbabiesarefreelyavailablefromhigh-streetchem-
ists,peoplearewronglypersuadedintothinkingthat
theyneednotconsultahomeopath(oranadequate
first-aidbook).Iftheremediesdonotworkitis
assumedthathomeopathydoesnotwork;iftheydo
workitisattributedtoaplaceboeffect-somedouble
blind! Homeopathic


heis
havingdifficultyswallowingliquidsandwhetherhot
orcolddrinkshelp.Youmayatthispointasksome
morespecificquestions.Gaugehowstronglymarked
theyarebytheresponseyouget.Anunequivocalyes
ornocounts,amaybeorasometimesdoesn't.Finish
byaskingifthereisanythingelsegoingon,justto
checkyouhaven'tmissedanythingimportant. Stresssymptoms
Alldiseaseiscausedbystress.Stresscanbephysical,
emotionalormental.Differentpeoplearesensitiveto
CASE-TAKINGQUESTIONNAIRE Stresssymptoms •229
differentstresses-sometocold,sometoheat,someto
beingtoldoff,sometomentalstrain,andsoon.The
diseasespeopledevelopwillalsovaryaccordingto
theirownparticularweaknesses.Ourpatternsofre-
spondingtostress,andoffallingill,willdependon
thelevelsofstressandvitality,andonhowweak
theimmunesystemhasbecomeasaresult.Under-
standingandtreatingthecauseisfundamental to
homeopathic practice. Itcaneventuallyhelpusto
identifytheindividualstressesthatweknowweaken
us,sothatwecanavoidthemortakeactionbeforewe
actuallyfallill. InthisbookIhaveincludedstressesinsomeofthe
complaints(wheretheyarereferredtoas'causes').For
example,somechildren(andadults)aresensitiveto
falls,iftheybangtheirheadstheysufferfrom
headaches,andsometimesirritabilityordepressionas
aresult.Under'HEADACHE,Causes,headinjury',
youwillfindNatrumsulphuricum listed.Itisvitaltobuildthissymptomintoyourpictureifitisstrongly
indicated.Argentummtncumhasdiarrhoeacausedby
anticipatoryanxiety.Onceyouknowyourpatientyou
don'tnecessarilyneedtowaitforsymptomstopre-
scribe.Ifyouhaveachildwhoisverysensitiveto
bangsontheheadandNatrumsulphuricumhascured
dramatically inthepastthengiveitautomatically
(afterArnicahasdealtwiththebruising)topreventthe
secondstageofheadachesdeveloping.GiveArgentum
mtncumtoachildwhoisstudyingforanimportant
examandwhoisbeginningtogetextremelyanxious. Ifithasworkedwellinthepastyoudon'thavetowait
forthesleeplessnessanddiarrhoeatodevelop. Ifyourprescriptiondoesnotworkthenitisposs-
iblethatyouhavemissedtherealcauseorstress. Homeopathsaremedicalsleuthsatheartandwill
delverelentlesslyuntiltheyuncoverwhatitwasthat
actuallyweakenedtheindividual,causingthemto
become ill.
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SAMPLECASES
Thefollowingtwelvecaseswillhelptobringthe
processoffirst-aidprescribingtolifeforyou.Keepin
mindthefiveimportantstepsyouneedtobefamiliar
withinordertoprescribesuccessfully:
1Checkyourcomplaintiswithinthescopeofthis
book(seepages203-26). 2Takethecase,chooseyoursymptomsandenter
themontherepertorisingchart(seepage230). 3Differentiatebetweenremedies, ifmorethanone
isindicated,byreadingthroughtheremedypic-
turesintheMateriaMedica(seepage22). 4Prescribe(seeChapter5). 5Checkthedetailedlistofcomplaintscovered
bythisbook(pages203-26)foradditionalhelpful
measuresandadvice. Case1
Anaccident/headinjury
Yourseven-yearolddaughtergoesoverthehandle-
barsofherbicycle,fallingonherheadandgrazing
thesideofitbadlyonthetarmac.Sheistemporarily
concussed.Abottleoflemonadeshewascarryinghas
smashedandcutherhand.Shecomesaroundcon-
fusedanddistressed,andtriestogetupandgohome
sayingthatshefeelsOK.Sheisdeliveredhomebya
kindlypasser-bywhotellsyouwhathashappened. ThefirstprescriptionmustbeforShock,Head
injuryandBruising.Intherepertoryyouwillfindthat
Arnicaistheonlyremedythatislistedforallthreeof
thesesymptoms.Arnicaisalsotheremedyfordelayed
shock,whentheinjuredpersonmaintainsthatevery-
thingisfine,whenitisn't.PrescribeArnicaaccording
totheurgencyofthesituation(seetheDosageChart,
page27). Nextyoushouldattendtoherwounds.Checkthe
ExternalRepertorytoseewhichlotiontousetobathehercuts.Itisessentialtoremovealltheglassfromher
hand. Consultthelistofcomplaintsonpages203-26for
theothermeasuresyouneedtotake.Youmayneedto
visityourlocalhospitalforaheadX-rayortohavethe
glassremovedifitisdeeplyembedded. If,aftertheArnicahashelpedwiththeshockand
bruisingthereisseverepaininthecuthand,especially
withshootingpainsupthearm,thenturntothe
RepertorytofindwhichremedywillhelphealInjuries
tonerveswithPains,shooting. Ifinflammation(redness)developsaroundthecuts
inthehandandyoususpectthatsomebitsofdirtor
glassmayremainthenlooktoInjuries,Cuts,in-
flamed,andSplintersintheRepertoryandreadup
theremedieslisted. Dealwithonethingatatime:giveoneremedyata
time.Youmaythenchangetoanotherremedyassoon
asitisneeded.If,forexample,thebumponherhead
goesdownaftertwodosesofArnicabutthepaininher
handisverybadthenprescribeforthat(andthe
remedyyouwillprobablyneedtogiveisHypericum-
seeRepertory)evenifitisonlyafewhoursafterher
lastdoseofArnica.Repeatthisremedyuntilthepains
abate.YoumaythenneedtogobacktoArnicaifthe
bruisestartstoswellagain.Youcanalternateremedies
ifthisiscalledfor. Case2
Anaccident/sprain
Yourelderlyaunttripsoverunevenpavingand
sprainsherankle.Sheishelpedhomeandprescribed
bedrestbyherdoctorwhoalsobandagesherbadly
swollenankle.Bythetimeyouseehersheistakingit
wellandjokingaboutherfall. Thoughshedoesn'tappeardistressed,yousus-
pectsheissufferingfromdelayedshock,soyounote
thisasapotentiallyusefulsymptom.Thenyouturnto
J
232•Examnerves SAMPLECASES
Sprains,FirstStage,withswellingintheRepertory
andyouwillfindArnicalisted.Prescribetheremedy
accordingtotheurgencyofthesituation(seethe
DosageChartpage27);inthiscaseitwillbeeverytwo
hours,asthisisafairlyseriousinjury.Arnicawillbring
downtheswellingandwillalsodealwiththeshock. NowturntotheExternalRepertoryandMateria
Medicatoseewhattoputontheankle,totreat


 than distrust. It is focusing on meeting all
others as equals with whom we share a spiritual identity. This inner
attitude of love reveals itself in action. When I accept a speaking engagement, I want to be love revealing
itself in action, generously sharing what I have been given. I find that
when I am about to address a large audience the best way for me to
get outside my ego, which is focused on its own rewards, such as
applause, making money and receiving awards, is to meditate for an
hour before my talk. The mantra I repeat during my meditation is
“How may I serve?” Over and over I say these words to myself until
they blend into a peaceful inner countenance. When I go on stage to
speak, my attention is focused on serving and is not caught by my
ego. In this state of mind I enjoy a loving guidance that supports me
in serving those who are in the audience. Service does not require that you become a Mother Teresa. You
165
WAYNE W. DYER
serve by suspending your ego and extending the love that now fills
that space. It can take a million different forms, but when practiced
with authenticity, from the heart, it makes all that has manifested
into your life appear worthwhile. The only problem that you will encounter with a service approach
to your life is in attempting to give or serve without love. The
moment that you put a condition on your service, or ask something
in return, or expect your extension of the offer to serve to be
returned with the appropriate thank-you response, you introduce |
conditional rather than unconditional love. The imposition of the
condition makes service empty. If you are going to serve, ask yourself if you can love the human
being you are serving. If you cannot, then do not give lovelessly but
simply pass and send them a silent blessing. If you feel someone is
panhandling simply out of laziness and work avoidance, and this is
your heartfelt feeling, then do not give. Service without love is obli-
gation, and it carries guilt and anger and resentment along with it. Work at being in a state of unconditional love with your service
efforts, and when love is not authentically present, acknowledge that
as well. This concludes the ninth principle of spiritual manifesting. Be willing
to take all that is attracted to you as a result of your practicing the
manifesting principles, and then turn right around and in a spirit of
gratitude and generosity devote yourself to an act of service. The more
you practice in this light, the more you will see the objects of your
desire coming to fruition regularly. There need be no conflict between
your spiritual awareness of wanting to serve and the presence of
desires within you. As Rumi observed almost a millennium ago,
“People who renounce desires often turn, suddenly, into hypocrites!”
166
Manifest Your Destiny
You do have desires, both on a material level and in terms of
becoming more spiritually loving and generous in the service of oth-
ers. There need be no conflict. I want to close this final principle with another observation by
Rumi titled “The Servant Who Loved His Prayers.” It sums up all
that I have written, not only here in this final principle on gratitude,
generosity and service, but in this entire book. Read the words care-
fully, and as you close the book and go to work on your own spiritual
manifestation program, reread this passage by Jalaluddin Rumi, who
was born in the year 1207 in the Persian Empire in what is now
called Afghanistan. It will remind you of your role in all of this, a role
that is only limited by the restrictions you place on your spiritual
awareness. The Servant Who Loved His Prayers
At dawn a certain rich man
wanted to go to the steambaths. He woke his servant, Sunqur,
“Ho! Get Moving! Get the basin
and the towels and the clay for washing
and let’s go to the baths.”
Sunqur immediately collected what was needed,
and they set out side by side along the road. As they passed the mosque, the call to prayer sounded. Sunqur loved his five-times prayer. “Please, master,
rest on this bench for a while that I may recite sura 98,
which begins,
“You who treat your slave with kindness.’”
The master sat on the bench outside while Sunqur went in. When prayers were over, and the priest and all the worshipers
167
WAYNE W. DYER
had left, still Sungqur remained inside. The master waited
and waited. Finally he yelled into the mosque,
“Sunqur,,
why don’t you come out?”
“T can’t. This clever one
won’t let me. Have a little more patience. I hear you out there.”
Seven times the master waited,
and then shouted. Sunqur’s reply was always the same,
“Not yet. He won’t let me come out yet.”
“But there’s no one
in there but you. Everyone else has left. Who makes you sit still so long?”
“The one who keeps me in here is the one
who keeps you out there. The same who will not let you in will not let me out.”
The ocean will not allow its fish out of itself. Nor does it let land animals in
where the subtle and delicate fish move. The land creatures lumber along on the ground. No cleverness can change this. There’s only one
opener for the lock of these matters. Forget your figuring. Forget your self. Listen to your Friend. When you become totally obedient to that one,
you'll be free. May you always swim in the ocean of abundance while manifesting
your own divine destiny. Listen to your friend. 168
A Summary of the Nine Principles
I would like you to see all nine principles in the same place so that you
can refer to them often as well as see how they comprise a step-by-
step program for implementing a spiritual manifestation awareness
for yourself. Each principle flows to the next, and if you apply them in
this sequential manner, I can guarantee that you will begin to view
yourself as an absolute miracle, an individual who is connected to the
universal all-pervading spirit in such a firm manner that you know
you are a co-creator of your own life and all that is attracted into it. THE NINE PRINCIPLES
ONE
Becoming Aware of Your Highest Self
This awareness helps you to view yourself as more than merely a
physical creation, which leads to.... 169
WAYNE W. DYER
Two
Trusting Yourself Is Trusting the Wisdom, That Created You
This principle establishes you as one and the same with the universal
God force, which leads to... THREE
You Are Not an Organism in an Environment: You Are an
Environorganism
This principle establishes that there is no separation between you
and anything else outside you in the material world, which leads
On ies
Four
You Can Attract to Yourself What You Desire
This principle establishes your power to attract that which you are
already connected to, which leads to... FIVE
Honoring Your Worthiness to Recéive
This principle affirms that you are worthy of all that is attracted to
your life, which leads to... SIx
Connecting to the Divine Source with Unconditional Love
This principle creates an awareness of the significance of accepting
your manifestations with absolute love, which leads to... 170
Manifest Your Destiny
SEVEN
Meditating to the Sound of Creation
This principle gives you the tools for vibrating yourself to the very
sounds that are in the world of creation. These are the tools for
attracting and manifesting, which lead to... EIGHT
Patiently Detach from the Outcome
This principle emphasizes the need for removing demands and
becoming infinitely patient, which leads to... NINE
Reacting to Your Manifestations with Gratitude and Generosity
This principle teaches the value of taming the ego and being thankful
and in service to others with your manifestations. 171
= ;
Dr. WAYNE W. DYER is the author of eleven books
| and has a doctorate in counseling psychology. He
lectures across the country to groups numbering in
the thousands and appears regularly on radio and
television. He lives with his family in southern Florida. Jacket design by Suzanne Noli
Jacket photograph © by Tina West/Graphistock
Author photograph © by Marybeth J. Hamberger
HarperCollinsPublishers “ http://www.-harpercollins.com
[Also available on cassette from HarperAudio |
be
MANIFEST YOUR OWN DESTINY TO GET
EVERYTHING YOU WANT. BING WAYNE W. DYER’S |
ASTONISHING NINE SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLES. ; > bm
ieee ee oe
Are the decisions and actions in your life controlled by your ego? Do you have an
ever-present need to defend yourself? See The First Principle.. Do you inherently trust yourself and your decisions? Are you weighed down with
troubles or unresolved issues in your life? See The Second Principle. Do you feel out of touch with your environment? Are your days more often out of
* synch than in? See The Third Principle. =~
Do you have limits in your life that prevent you from making changes or achieving
your highest goals? See The


. Research  Research into Boswellia is ongoing
and has expanded in recent years. Clinical trials
(mostly in India and Germany) indicate that
Boswellia counteracts inflammation in conditions
such as arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. The majority of trials noted that symptoms such
as pain, stiffness, and poor grip strength all
improved. There is increasing evidence that
Boswellia has marked pain-relieving activity, and
that it promotes stable blood glucose levels in
people with type 2 diabetes.Boswellia serrata
Bignonia catalpa syn. Catalpa
bignonioides (Bignoniaceae)
Catalpa
Description  Deciduous tree growing to 65 ft
(20 m). Has large oval leaves in whorls of 3, white
flowers in conical clusters, and long thin fruits
(bean pods). Habitat & Cultivation  Native to the
southeastern U.S., this tree is often planted in
gardens in southern and western Europe. Parts Used  Bark, fruit. Constituents  The bark contains catalpine,
and oxylenzoic and protocatechetic acids. History & Folklore  Catalpa bark was
formerly used as a substitute for quinine in
treating malaria. Medicinal Actions & Uses  The mildly
sedative and narcotic bark is used to treat
asthma, whooping cough, and other spasmodic
coughs in children. The distilled water of the
fruit, in combination with herbs commonly used
to treat eye problems, such as eyebright ( Euphrasia
officinalis, p. 209) and rue ( Ruta graveolens, p. 265),
makes an effective eyewash for conjunctivitis and
other eye infections. RCaution  Never use the roots, which are
highly poisonous.Borago officinalis (Boraginaceae)
Borage
Description  Hairy annual growing to 2 ft
(60 cm). Has a pulpy stem, large basal leaves, and
attractive blue flowers in summer. Habitat & Cultivation  Borage is a common
Mediterranean weed thought to originate from
southern Spain and Morocco. Often grown as a
garden herb, it is also extensively cultivated for its
seed oil. Parts Used  Aerial parts, flowers, seed oil. Constituents  Borage contains mucilage,
tannins, and pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which in
isolation are toxic to the liver. The seeds contain
up to 24% gamma-linolenic acid.in a poultice, or as an infusion. The flowers
encourage sweating and the leaves are diuretic. The seed oil is particularly rich in polyunsaturated
fats, and is superior in this respect to evening
primrose oil ( Oenothera biennis, p. 241). Borage
seed oil is used to treat premenstrual complaints,
rheumatic problems, eczema, and other chronic
skin conditions. Cautions  Due to the presence of toxic
pyrrolizidine alkaloids, there is uncertainty over
borage’s safety as a medicine. It is subject to legal
restrictions in some countries and should not be
taken internally. These restrictions and cautions
do not apply to borage seed oil. Borage’s attractive blue
flowers are traditionally
used to decorate salads. History & Folklore  The herbalist John Gerard,
writing in 1597, extols borage’s virtues, “A syrup
made of the flowers of borage comforteth
the heart, purgeth melancholy, and quieteth
the phreneticke or lunaticke person.” Gerard
also quotes the old saying, “I, Borage, bring
always courage.”
Medicinal Actions & Uses With its high
mucilage content, borage is a demulcent herb
and soothes respiratory problems. Its emollient
qualities make it helpful for sore and inflamed
skin—prepared either as freshly squeezed juice,
US_158-179_Abies_balsa_Boswe_serratta.indd   179 26/02/16   12:47 pm
180Brassica oleracea
Brassica oleracea (Brassicaceae)
Cabbage
Description  Biennial or perennial herb growing
to 8 ft (2.5 m). Has a thick stem, grey leaves, and
4-petaled yellow flowers. Within the first year,
it produces a greatly enlarged terminal bud
that develops into the familiar cabbage head
in late summer. Habitat & Cultivation  Wild cabbage is
native to coasts of the English Channel and the Mediterranean. Cultivated varieties are produced worldwide as a vegetable. Parts Used  Leaves. Constituents  Cabbage is rich in vitamins A, B1,
B2, and C.
History & Folklore  The wholesome cabbage
is one of the oldest vegetables. According to Greek
myth, the plant sprang into existence from the perspiration of Zeus. In a Greek ritual, cabbage was given to expectant mothers shortly before birth in
order to establish good breast-milk
production. The Romans used
cabbage as an antidote,
especially to alcohol, believing
it countered intoxication
and prevented or reduced a
hangover. They also used cabbage
leaves to cleanse infected wounds. It is thought to have been cultivated
in Britain from around 500 ce. One traditional method of making a cabbage poultice, still used today, is to cut out the thick midrib of a leaf and iron it, placing it while still hot on the area to be treated. Medicinal Actions & Uses  Cabbage’s best-
known medicinal use is as a poultice—the leaves
of the wild or cultivated plant are blanched, crushed,
or chopped, and applied to swellings, tumors, and painful joints. Wild cabbage leaves eaten raw or cooked aid digestion and the breakdown of toxins in the liver—so the Romans’ eating it to ease a hangover was in fact quite justified. Cabbage is also detoxifying and helpful in the long-term treatment of arthritis. The high vitamin C content of cabbage has made it useful in the prevention of scurvy. Caution  A cabbage poultice may cause blisters
if left on for several hours. Bryonia dioica syn. B. cretica
subsp. dioica (Cucurbitaceae)
White Bryony
Description  Perennial climbing vine with fleshy
taproot up to 6 in (15 cm) thick. Straggling stem
with tendrils, greenish flowers, and red berries. Habitat & Cultivation  White bryony is native to southern England and parts of Europe. The root
is dug up in autumn. Part Used  Root. Constituents  White bryony contains
cucurbitacins, glycosides, volatile oil, and tannins. The cucurbitacins kill cells and so act on tumors. History & Folklore From prehistory to
the Middle Ages, the thick roots of white bryony were cut into a human shape as a substitute (or
a counterfeit) for mandrake root (Mandragora officinarum, p. 232), which was believed to afford magical protection. The Greek physician Dioscorides (1st century ce) reports that the leaves, fruit, and root of white bryony were applied to gangrenous wounds. In medieval England, the plant was used to treat leprosy.o t h e r  m e d i c i n a l  p l a n t sRelated Species  B. alba is used in homeopathic
medicine. Black bryony (Tamus communis) is an unrelated plant with approximately similar uses. RQ Cautions  Bryony is a toxic plant. Use
only under professional supervision. Do not take during pregnancy. Butea monosperma (Fabaceae)
Palas,
Flame of the Forest,
Bengal Kino
Description  Deciduous tree growing to 49 ft
(15 m). Has 3-lobed leaves and large orange-red
flowers in clusters. Habitat & Cultivation  Palas is native to India
and Southeast Asia. It grows in forests and in open areas to altitudes of 3,900 ft (1,200 m). Parts Used  Bark, flowers, leaves, gum, and seeds. Constituents  All parts of the tree except the
seeds contain tannins. Medicinal Actions & Uses  The gum that
oozes from incisions made in palas bark is known as Bengal kino. Mildly astringent, it is used as a substitute for the kino derived from bastard teak (Pterocarpus marsupium). Bengal kino is taken as  a decoction or a tincture for acid indigestion, diarrhea, and dysentery, and used as a gargle for sore throats and as a douche for vaginitis. Early research suggests that the leaves and bark have  the potential to treat diabetes, and that the leaves exert a beneficial action on diarrhea. Caution  Do not take during pregnancy.Cabbage
White bryony has
antitumor and antirheumatic properties. Medicinal Actions & Uses  A powerful
cathartic and purgative, bryony is used with great
caution in herbal medicine today. It is principally prescribed for painful rheumatic conditions. It may be taken internally, or applied as a counterirritant, causing swelling and increased blood flow to  the area. White bryony is also given for other


 cotton ball, and plug into the ear. Teething
Herbs German chamomile (Chamomilla recutita, p. 77), slippery elm (Ulmus rubra, p. 145)Remedy Give German chamomile infusion  (see Digestive Upsets) or make a paste from slippery elm powder and the infusion, and rub on the gums. Difficulty in Sleeping
Herbs German chamomile (Chamomilla recutita, p. 77), linden (Tilia spp., p. 277)Remedy Make an infusion using either herb and
give 3/4–11/4 cups (150–300 ml) before bedtime. QSeek immediate professional
advice for:
■ Severe diarrhea or vomiting; a temperature
of 102°F (39°C); fever with convulsions;
breathing difficulties; unusual drowsiness;
high-pitched crying
 QCautions Do not give babies under 6 months any
medicine without professional advice. Do not give
honey to children under 1 year as in rare cases it can cause food poisoning. US_318-319_Infants_and_Children.indd   318 26/02/16   4:43 pm319Older Adults
Traditionally, as we age, the “fire” or qi within us glows less
brightly and our vitality slowly weakens. Many herbal medicines
are ideally suited to treating the health problems that begin when
people reach their late fifties, such as circulatory problems, weak
digestion, and poor memory. The herbs recommended here can
help to maintain good health, preventing or reducing the severity
of symptoms that are often accepted as an inevitable consequence
of aging. Self-treatment for other problems often experienced later in life, such
as arthritis, is suggested in earlier sections. Maintaining Vitality
General ConditionsGinseng
(Panax ginseng)
Many herbs help to maintain vitality. Thyme  is a much underrated herb. Recent
research has discovered that it has antiaging
and tonic properties that maintain vitality and
reduce the chance of catching colds, flu, and
other respiratory infections. Ashwagandha  is a tonic, calming herb that
may slow the aging process. It is particularly
suited to aid recovery from long-term illness. Ginseng  is well known as a remedy that
supports vitality and resistance to stress and
infection in older people. Rhodiola  has similar tonic, restorative
properties to ashwagandha and ginseng, but
enhances mental performance and has a mild
antidepressant activity. Conditions that arise through aging need patient,
long-term treatment. Ginkgo  is the oldest tree on the planet. Its
leaves maintain good circulation to the head and
brain, improving memory, concentration, and
energy levels. Evidence suggests it may reduce
the risk of a stroke. Gotu kola  has significant anti-inflammatory
activity, for example in arthritis, but is also a tonic
that helps to protect the nervous system and to
maintain memory and cognition. Garlic  has great value as a long-term dietary
supplement, helping to maintain healthy
circulation, balance blood-sugar levels, reduce
high blood pressure and fat levels in the blood,
and improve resistance to infection, especially
bronchitis. Rehmannia,  a Chinese tonic herb with
strengthening and mildly stimulant properties,
appears to lower blood pressure and blood fat
levels. It is suitable for people who have a weak
liver and metabolism. Gentian,  a bitter herb, helps the absorption
of food by maintaining digestive secretions,
which diminish with age.General Remedy
Herb Thyme ( Thymus vulgaris, p. 143)
Remedy Make a standard infusion. T ake 11/4–12/3 cups (300–450 ml) a day. Stress or Convalescence
Herb Ashwagandha ( Withania somnifera, p. 152)
Remedy T ake 1 g of the root 2–3 times a day,
either by chewing it or chopping it and mixing with
a little water. Herb Ginseng ( Panax ginseng, p. 118)
Remedy T ake 1 g 1–2 times a day for up to
3 months. Chew the fresh or dried root, cook
it in a soup, or take in tablet form. Caution  Do not take caffeine while taking ginseng. Failing Memory & Concentration
Herb Ginkgo ( Ginkgo biloba, p. 100)
Remedy T ake ginkgo tablets. These need to be
taken regularly for at least 3 months. Herb Gotu kola ( Centella asiatica, p. 76)
Remedy T ake tablets or ½ tsp tincture twice
a day. Poor Circulation & High Blood Pressure
Herb Garlic ( Allium sativum, p. 59)
Remedy T ake 1–2 raw cloves a day with food,
or take garlic tablets or capsules on a regular basis. Herb Buckwheat ( Fagopyrum esculentum,
p. 210)
Remedy Make a standard infusion and drink up
to 11/4 cup (300 ml) a day. Chronic Infections
Herbs Garlic ( Allium sativum, p. 59), echinacea
(Echinacea  spp., p. 92)
Remedy T ake 1–2 raw cloves of garlic each day
with food, or take either herb in tablet or capsule
form on a regular basis.Option If ginseng is too stimulating, take 3 g of
codonopsis ( Codonopsis pilosula, p. 83) a day in
the same way as ginseng. This has a milder, but
nonetheless tonic and strengthening, effect. Nervous Exhaustion & Stress
Herb Oats ( Avena sativa, p. 175)
Remedy Eat 25 g of oats each day (for example,
as a hot cereal). Alternatively, take 1⁄2 tsp of the
tincture twice a day. Herb Rhodiola ( Rhodiola rosea, p. 127)
Remedy T ake ½ tsp (2.5 ml) of tincture 2–3
times a day or as recommended by supplier. Weakened Liver & Metabolism
Herb Rehmannia ( Rehmannia glutinosa,
p. 125)
Remedy Chew 5 g of root 1–3 times a day, or
make a decoction with 5 g of root to 1 cup
(250 ml) of water and take 1–3 times a day. Weakened Digestion
Herb Gentian ( Gentiana lutea, p. 99)
Remedy T ake 5–10 drops of tincture with
water about 30 minutes before eating,
3 times a day. Caution  Do not take gentian if you suffer from
acid indigestion or a peptic ulcer. Arthritic Pain & Rheumatism
See Joint Pain & Stiffness, Including Arthritis
& Gout, p. 313. Note  T ake one of the remedies for a maximum of
2–3 weeks. If there is no improvement, consult an
herbal practitioner.Important Note
■ If taking conventional medication, tell your
doctor if you intend to take an herbal remedy. This is especially important for the elderly. ■ All remedies on this page need to be taken
continuously for up to 3 months. ■ If you are over 70 years of age, take 3⁄4 of
the stated dose for remedies given on other
pages in this book. Before taking any herbal remedies, see pages 290 & 298–299herbal remedies for home use
US_318-319_Infants_and_Children.indd   319 26/02/16   4:43 pm
320
Consulting an herbal Pra Ctitioner
or measuring hemoglobin levels from a drop
of blood. The herbalist will then recommend
appropriate treatment, usually involving an herbal prescription, dietary advice, and a suggested
exercise regimen. If you are already undergoing conventional treatment, the herbalist will advise you on its compatibility with herbal medicine and,
if necessary, devise a program to discontinue pharmaceutical medicines gradually. Subsequent consultations generally last about  30 minutes and are likely to take place every 4 to  6 weeks for a period of 3 months. This, of course, may vary, depending on the nature of the treatment. Safety of Herbs
Although herbal medicine is extremely safe, the
fact that it is natural does not necessarily mean it  is harmless. The best guarantee against poor treatment is to consult a well-trained practitioner who belongs to a recognized professional association and prescribes high-quality herbal medicines. Professional Training
Traditionally, herbalists learned their craft by apprenticeship. Nicholas Culpeper (1616–1654),
for example, was apprenticed to an apothecary for 10 years. Today, herbal practitioners are generally trained at a college or university, acquiring their clinical skills in herbal and, in some cases, hospital clinics. The curriculum typically includes an in-depth study of medical sciences, such as physiology, pathology, pharmacology, and botany, as well as what can be called the herbal sciences, materia medica, nutrition, and therapeutics. Modern training attempts to honor and retain the best of traditional herbal medicine, while incorporating the insights of contemporary medical