iberately—	without
trying	to	deceive	the	patient—to	benefit	health	and	performance. Imagine	the
potential	gains	if	modern	health	care	included	an	educational	and	“coaching”
dimension	as	part	of	a	more	comprehensive	approach	to	healing. This	rarely
happens. Modern	health	care	focuses	almost	exclusively	on	diagnosing	and
treating	the	physical	body,	usually	with	drugs	or	surgery,	and	typically	fails	to
consider	the	behavioral,	emotional,	perceptual,	learning,	cognitive	and	spiritual
factors	that	may	be	playing	a	significant	role	in	becoming	sick	or	well. Believing	that	you	“have”	a	disease	and	playing	the	role	of	a	“sick	person”	is
the	way	to	stay	sick. By	contrast,	being	healthy	means	believing	that	you	are
getting	well	and	staying	well;	it	means	“playing	the	role”	of	health. Every
thought	has	a	physical	effect	on	your	cells. Negative	thoughts,	particularly	about
disease	and	death,	can	literally	kill	you. An	Infection	of	Negative	Thoughts
Although	we	used	to	think	of	mind	and	body	as	entirely	separate,	the	last
twenty-five	years	of	scientific	research	have	taught	us	a	great	deal	about	the
dimensions	of	mind	and	body	and	how,	together,	they	establish	body-wide
communication	networks. Our	bodies	create	chemical	messengers	(neuropep-
tides,	neurotransmitters	and	hormones)	that	allow	the	body	to	communicate	with
itself,	to	self-regulate,	to	adapt. Through	these	chemical	messengers	the	cells
know	when	and	what	to	do. Cells	throughout	the	body	(not	just	in	the	brain)	both
create	and	are	affected	by	these	chemical	messengers. All	cells	are	in	constant
contact	with	one	another,	whether	they	are	brain	cells,	muscle	cells,	nerve	cells
or	any	other	kind. Every	thought	and	emotion	triggers	the	release	of	chemical	messengers
throughout	the	body;	in	other	words,	there	is	no	such	thing	as	“just	a	thought.”
Every	thought	has	a	physical	consequence,	for	better	or	worse. Feelings	of
anger,	apathy,	gloom	and	resentment	weaken	the	immune	system	and	damage
health. Positive	thoughts	of	love,	compassion,	joy,	humor	and	the	like	support
good	physical	health. It	takes	some	effort	and	discipline,	especially	on	the	bad	days,	to	keep	an	open
and	positive	mindset,	but	the	health	benefits	definitely	make	it	worthwhile. The
goal	of	this	chapter	is	to	explain	how	psychology	affects	health	at	the	cellular
level	and	to	identify	some	of	the	most	important	psychological	concepts,	as	well
as	some	of	the	most	common	(and	self-destructive)	mistakes. The	goal	is	to	help
you	improve	your	psychological	pathway—one	of	the	major	avenues	betweenhealth	and	disease. Minds	Need	Reprogramming
Our	minds	are	rather	like	computers:	Whether	intended	or	unintended,	they	do
what	they	have	been	programmed	to	do. A	big	part	of	using	the	psychological
pathway	to	stay	healthy	is	the	ability	to	recognize	your	current	programming	and
to	learn	new	programs—new	thoughts,	attitudes	and	behavior	patterns. As	demonstrated	by	my	clients	Lisa	and	Ruth,	some	people	find	it	hard	to
develop	the	will	to	change	old	patterns. For	these	two	women,	habitual	thinking
and	imagery	created	their	destiny. They	were	in	reach	of	health,	but	let	it	go. Why? Not	because	they	lacked	the	necessary	information,	the	problem	most
people	face,	but	because	their	strategies	for	achieving	short-term	security	had
been	tried	and	proven,	and	were	too	difficult	to	unlearn. Negative	health	programming	can	come	from	a	visit	to	the	doctor. Even	the
sight	of	a	physician	can	cause	blood	pressure	to	rise;	the	effect	is	called	“white-
coat	hypertension.”	The	stress	resulting	from	the	diagnosis	of	a	grave	disease
can	do	serious	damage,	precisely	like	voodoo	or	a	witch’s	hex. A	1991	study	in
the
Medical	Journal	of	Australia
concluded	that	negative	suggestions	from
physicians	and	caregivers	were	significant	negative	factors	in	cancer	recovery. Deepak	Chopra,	M.D.,	made	a	similar	observation	in	his	book,
Creating	Health:
“I	have	frequently	observed	that	a	rapid	progression	of	symptoms	and	then	death
from	cancer	occurred
after
the	diagnosis	of	cancer	was	made. It	is	almost	as	if
the	patient	was	dying	from	the	diagnosis	and	not	from	the	disease.”
Physicians	must	exercise	great	care	not	to	create	negative	expectations. We
need	support	and	reassurance	from	our	physicians	and	caregivers. We	need	them
to	believe	in	us	and	to	help	us	through	our	processes	of	healing	and	recovery. Certainly,	we	expect	honesty	from	them,	but	we	do	not	need	discouraging
remarks	and	ominous	statistics	about	our	slim	chances	for	survival	(as	I	was	told
that	nothing	more	could	be	done	for	me,	before	I	saved	my	own	life). Regardless	of	what	your	health	practitioner	says	or	does,	getting	well	and
staying	well	is	your	responsibility. Taking	that	responsibility	actually	helps
make	you	healthier. Unfortunately,	most	patients	relinquish	this	responsibility	to
their	doctor. They	play	a	passive	role	of	bystander	or	victim;	they	think	of	the
health-care	provider	as	their	problem	solver. Patients’	positive	attitudes	toward	their	health	or	disease	help	to	make	them
not	only	informed	but	also	empowered. Approaching	health	care	with	the	belief
that	you,	as	the	patient,	are	in	charge	can	vitalize	your	efforts. You	ask	morequestions. You	feel	more	control	over	the	outcome. As	Bernie	Siegel,	M.D.,
reminds	us	in
Love,	Medicine	&	Miracles,
the	patient	must	be	the	primary	source
of	healing. “Exceptional	patients,”	he	wrote,	“refuse	to	be	victims. They	educate
themselves	and	become	specialists	in	their	own	care. They	question	the	doctor
because	they	want	to	understand	their	treatment	and	participate	in	it. They
demand	dignity,	personhood,	and	control,	no	matter	what	the	course	of	disease.”
There	is	nothing	wrong	with	going	to	the	doctor—so	long	as	you	realize	that
your	health	is	your	responsibility,	not	your	doctor’s	or	anyone	else’s. Because
belief	in	your	own	health	makes	a	critical	difference,	you	need	to	work	with
professionals	who	acknowledge	how	essential	this	outlook	is. You	need
caregivers	to	support	you	in	your	efforts	to	participate,	and	who	can	assist	you	in
educating	yourself	productively,	rather	than	hinder	you,	which	is	often	the	case. Often,	psychological	healing	is	thought	to	be	unimportant	to	treatment	in
modern	health	care,	but	the	miracle	is	precisely	the	opposite. Unfortunately,
modern	medicine	overlooks	the	whole	person. “Fixing”	only	the	physical	body,
as	if	it	were	a	separate	entity,	is	to	overlook	the	complex	weave	of	physiological,
psychological	and	spiritual	dimensions	that	define	human	beings—including
you,	your	tissues	and	all	of	your	cells. The	standard	approach	is	not	good
enough. Healthy	Mind,	Healthy	Immune	System
Negative	behaviors,	thoughts,	emotions	and	stress	can	adversely


 body's functions including the ageing process. Energy flows
from the Universal Energy Field through the chakras into the energy systems within our
bodies, including the Meridian System. Our bodies contain seven major chakras or energy centers and 122 minor chakras. The
major chakras are located at th e base of the spine (Root Chakra), at the navel (Sacral
Chakra), in the solar plexus (Solar Plexus Chakra), within your heart (Heart Chakra),
within the throat (Throat Chakra), at the center of your forehead (Brow or Third Eye
Chakra), and at the top of yo ur head (Crown Chakra). These chakras are linked together
with all other energy systems in the body and various layers of the auras. The Speed of the chakra spin is a key to vibrant health. The other keys to vibrant health
that relates to the chakra is ens uring they are clear of negative energy and that they are
perfectly shaped and not distorted. The Five Rites speed up the spinning of the chakras, coordinate their spin so they are in
complete harmony, distribute pure prana energy to the endocrine system, and in turn to
all organs and processes in the body. This is one of the major requirements for vibrant
health, rejuvenation and youthfulness. The Five Rites Exercise Program
This program is often described as a modified yoga program. Simply put, yoga is a
science that unites the body, mind and spirit. Today this is often called Mind/ Body
Healing. The author of the book believes that yoga was brought to Tibet from India in
the 11th or 12th century and that Tibetan monks over time developed modified these
exercises and developed an effective program of exercises that western society now calls
the "Five Tibetan Rites". The rugged mountainous conditions these monks live in may
well account for their particular emphasis on vigor. Many of the yoga exercises and
practices being taught in the western world today are very new. The "Five Tibetan Rites"
are exactly what the ancient Tibetans developed over many centuries of time. Therefore
it's very important to do the "Five Tibetan Rites" exactly as they are presented without
altering the form or sequence to achieve some of the benefits accrued to these "Rites". "Five Tibetan Rites" Exercise Program
The following instructions and photographs for the "Five Rites" and other preparatory
exercises as taken from the book Ancient Secret of the Fountain of Youth, Book 2. I will
show the exact Five Rights exercises, a group of exercises for those who need to develop
flexibility and strength before beginning to do the "Five Rites", and a set of warm -up
exercises. I strongly re commend you purchase the book since it provides detailed
information about methodology, concerns and benefits not included in this article. SPECIAL CAUTION: Spinning and stretching through the following exercises can
aggravate certain health conditions suc h as any type of heart problem, multiple
sclerosis, Parkinsons's Disease, severe arthritis of the spine, uncontrolled high
blood pressure, a hyperthyroid condition, or vertigo. Problems may also be caused
if you are taking drugs that cause dizziness. Pleas e consult your physician prior to
beginning these exercises if you have any difficult health issues or if you have any
other concerns. The Five Tibetan Rites
Rite #1  Stand erect with arms outstretched
horizontal to the floor, palms facing down. Your arms should be in line with your
shoulders. Spin around clockwise until you
become slightly dizzy. Gradually increase
number of spins from 1 spin to 21 spins. Breathing:  Inhale and exhale deeply as
you do the spins. Rite #2
Lie flat on the floor, face up. Fully
extend your arms Along your sides and
place the palms of your hands against
the floor, keeping fingers close
together. Then raise your head off the
floor tucking your chin into your chest. As you do this, lift your legs, knees
straight, into a vertic al position. If
possible, extend the legs over the body
towards your head. Do not let the knees
bend. Then slowly lower the legs and
head to the floor, always Keeping the
knees straight. Allow the muscles to
relax, and repeat. Breathing:  Breathe in deeply as you
lift your head and legs and exhale as
you lower your head and legs. Rite #3
Kneel on the floor with the body erect. The hands should be placed on the
backs of your thigh muscles. Incline the
head and neck forward, tucking your
chin in against your chest. Then throw
the head and neck backward, arching
the spine. Your toes should be  curled
under through this exercise. As you
arch, you will brace your arms and
hands against the thighs for support. After the arching return your body to an
erect position and begin the rite all over
again. Breathing:  Inhale as you arch the spine
and exh ale as you return to an erect
position. Rite #4
Sit down on the floor with your
legs straight out in front of you
and your feet about 12" apart. With the trunk of the body
erect, place the palms of your
hands on the floor alongside
your buttocks. Then tuck the
chin forward against the chest. Now drop the head backward as
far as it will go. At the same
time raise your body so that the
knees bend while the arms
remain straight. Then tense
every muscle in your body. Finally let the muscles relax as
you return to your original
sitting position. Rest before
repeating this Rite. Breathing:  Breathe in as you
raise up, hold your breath as
you tense the muscles, and
breathe out fully as you come
down. Rite #5
Lie down with your face down to the fl oor. You
will be supported by the hands palms down
against the floor and the toes in the flexed
position. Throughout this rite, the hands and feet
should be kept straight. Start with your arms
perpendicular to the Floor, and the spine arched,
so that the b ody Is in a sagging position. Now
throw the head back as far as possible. The,
bending at the hips, bring the body up into an
inverted "V". At the same time, bring the chin
forward, Tucking it against the chest. Breathing:  Breathe in deeply as you raise t he
body, and exhale fully as you lower the body. Exercises In Preparation For Doing the Five Tibetan Rites
The following group of exercises has been developed as a preparation for doing the Five
Rites,  or as an alternative when you are unable to do any of the Five Rites. Doing these
exercises will help you strengthen and become more flexible to be able to do the Five
Rites as they have been described above. Do these alternative exercises in the sequence  from one to five and when possible,
substitute the Five Rite exercise into this alternative program until you have fully
integrated the Five Rites. As with the Five Rites, begin by doing two or three of each exercise daily, until you are
able to do 10 eac h day. Once you are able to do ten of these alternatives, you should be
ready to begin doing the Five Rite exercises themselves. Alternative (for Rite#1) Exercise #1
Stand with your feet about 12
inches apart. Extend your arms
palms down until your ar ms are
level with your shoulders. Swing your arms to the right,
letting your slapping your left
hand against your right
shoulder, with your right hand
slapping against the small of
your back. Then swing your
arms in the opposite direction,
having your righ t hand slap
against your left shoulder and
the back of your left hand slap
against the small of your back. As you swing back and forth
allow your torso and legs to
follow the movement. Allow
your heels to lift from the floor
but do not allow either foot to
completely leave the floor. As
you swing right turn your head
right, and turn your head left as
you swing to the left. Breathing:  Breathe in rhythm
to your swinging Movement. Alternative (for Rite #2) Exercise #2
Lie down on the floor and
elevate your head and shoulders
propping up on your elbows
keeping your forearms flat on
the floor, palms facing down. Keeping your legs straight, hold
them off the floor For 20 or 30
seconds. Breathing:  Inhale as you raise
your legs, breathe in and out
normally while holding your
legs up, and exhale as you
lower your legs. Alternative ( for Rite #3) Exercise #3
Stand with your back to the wall and your feet 12 - 18 inches apart. Without moving
your feet bend forward from the hips so that your buttocks rest against the wall. Slide
downward, bending your knees as you go. Keep sliding down until your thighs are
horizontal, as if you were sitting in a chair. Hold this position for 15 seconds and then
slide back up. Breathing:  Begin to exhale as you slide down to the chair position and inhale when
slide


 sandalwood
paste placed on the third eye or ginger paste on the tem-
ples. Other important points are the heart, particularly in
the center of the chest or the center of the back opposite it,
the region of the chest (for lung disorders), the solar plexus
(for digestive disorders or to strengthen the will), the
navel, and the point of the sex center below the navel (for
sexual debility). On such places we may not smell the oils,
but they will affect various organs, systems or chakras by
their penetrating nature. Ayurveda recognizes various sen-
sitive points (mannas), mainly in these areas of the body,
which can be treated through aroma therapy. Internally, oils are derived indirectly from herbal teas,
taken from the plant parts that contain the oils, like flow-
ers or leaves. Essential oils can be made into alcohol tinc-
tures, of which 10-30 drops can be taken internally with
wann water. Aromatic herbs can also be taken as powders
(though in powdered fonn their shelf life may not be very
long). Taken internally in the proper medium, aromatic oils
stimulate the mind and nervous system through the
tongue and sense of taste. For this reason, it is best to taste
the herbs and hold them in our mouths a minute before
swallowing them. In this way aromatic herbs can work
directly on the Prana in the head, just as when they are
inhaled. Flower Fragrances and Spicy Oils
Aromatic oils are essentially of two basic types: flower
fragrances and spicy oils. Flower fragrances, like rose or
jasmine, are usually sweet in taste and cooling in energy. Ayurveda and the Mind
Some are bitter-sweet, like jasmine or chrysanthemum. Generally flower fragrances decrease Pitta and Vata but
increase Kapha. They elevate the emotions and both calm
and gladden the heart, stimulating the heart chakra. They
increase Ojas, the underlying energy reserve of the body
and mind, though in a mild way. Many of them, like jas-
mine and gardenia, strengthen the immune system and in
their cleansing action have natural antibiotic properties. Flowers are an important part of anti-Pitta therapy because
they reduce hot emotions like irritability and anger and
clear heat and fire from the head. Spicy oils, like cinnamon or musk, are usually pungent
in taste and warming in energy. They decrease Kapha and
Vata but can increase Pitta. They clear the head, sinuses
and lungs, stimulate the mind and senses and increase
Tejas, clarity and power of perception. They improve nerve
function and many are analgesic (stop pain), like camphor
and mint. They help open the third eye, activate both the
circulatory and digestive systems and clear the channels. Such aromas are an important part of anti-Kapha therapy. Aromas which are purely pungent, like camphor or
sage, are best for Kapha. Those which are pungent and
sweet, like cinnamon, ginger or cardamom, are better for
Vata. Some bitter spicy oils also exist, like wormwood and
vetivert. They are good for Pitta and often possess refrig-
erant (strongly cooling) properties. As fragrant oils are light and strong in smell, in excess
they can aggravate Vata. They can cause feelings of light-
headedness, ungroundedness and hypersensitivity. They
are generally good for Vata only in the right dosage — one
that is not too high. Subtle Therapies 221 /C\
Oils for the Three Biological Humors
VATA: Warming and pleasant oils are best, but not
too stimulating. Strongly pungent oils like musk or
cinnamon are balanced with sweet and calming oils
like sandalwood or rose. Best oils are sandalw'ood,
lotus flower, frankincense, plumeria, cinnamon, and
basil. These are good for Vata conditions of fear, anx-
iety, insomnia or tremors. PITTA: Cool and pleasant oils are best, mainly
flower essences, though some cool spices or bitter
aromatics are useful. Best are sandalwood, rose,
vetivert, lemon grass, lotus, lavender, lily, saffron,
champak, gardenia, honeysuckle, and iris. These are
good for Pitta conditions of irritability, anger, or
mental conflict. KAPHA: Hot spicy oils are best. These include
essential oils and resins like camphor, cinnamon,
heena, cloves, musk, sage, thyme, cedar, frankin-
cense and myrrh. These are good for Kapha condi-
tions of attachment, depression, and mental stagna-
tion. Sweet flowers like rose or jasmine should be
avoided, as well as too much sandalwood, because
these can increase Kapha. 223
14. The Healing Power of Mantra
ound has a tremendous power to condition our
consciousness for good or for ill. In fact, most con-
ditioning occurs through the medium of sound,
particularly as words, from which derives the education
that structures our minds. Whether as words or music, no
other sensory potential has such a capacity to affect us. Sound moves the mind and heart, influencing us on sub-
conscious, conscious and superconscious levels. It can reach
deep inside and touch our core desires and aspirations. Our conditioning is nothing but the sound patterns to
which we have accustomed our minds. To reprogram the
mind, to remove its negative conditioning and replace it
with one that is beneficial — which is the essence of psy-
chological healing — the therapeutic use of sound is the
central tool. Mantra is not only a sensory tool for healing
the mind by using the power of sound and linking it with
meaning and feeling, but it also affects the very nature of
the mind and is part of the mind itself. As human beings, we are primarily creatures of speech. Our words are our main means of communication and
expression. The words we take in link us to the psycho-
logical patterns in others and the collective urges of soci-
ety. Our words also draw up the energies and ideas latent
in our psyche. Through words, our minds come together
and information of all types is transmitted from which our
action in life proceeds. s Ayurveda and the Mind
Sound is the sense quality that belongs to the element
of ether, the seed element from which the other elements
spring. Through sound, all the elements and senses can be
harmonized and controlled. Sound is the basis of our
bondage to the external world and also the means of free-
ing ourselves from it. Sound controls consciousness, which
shapes itself in the form of articulate sounds or words. As
ether is based upon the gross form of sound, consciousness,
which is like space, consists of the subtle form of sound,
which is thought or meaning. Speech pervades all the elements, sense organs and
functions of the mind. There is nothing that we contact
with the mind or senses that we cannot express through
speech. Speech is the very power of the mind to express
itself; it is the power of knowledge to reveal what it knows. Speech pervades the universe, which itself is the manifes-
tation of the Divine word. Different sound formations make up the different func-
tions of the mind. The sound vibration of impressions and
information make up the outer mind (Manas). The sound
vibration of abstract knowledge, principles and ideals sus-
tains intelligence (Buddhi). The sound vibration of our
deepest feelings and intuition makes up the inner mind or
consciousness (Chitta). The ultimate source of sound is the
spiritual heart or center of consciousness, our true Self
(Atman) from which the eternal sound or Divine Word
ever arises. To change our sound patterns changes the
vibratory structure of our consciousness. Mantra
There are many ways to use sound in healing, from
counseling itself, which is largely verbal, to music. How-
ever, in Ayurvedic healing, the most important sound The Healing Power of Mantra
therapy is mantra. Mantra means that which saves, trayati,
the mind, Manas. Mantra is the main and most direct
Ayurvedic tool for healing the mind, from its deepest lay-
ers to its surface actions.66
Mantras are specially energized sounds or words. They
may be simple single sounds like OM or special phrases or
prayers intoned or sung in various ways. Mantras are
repeated in a regular manner in order to empower them
and turn them into tools of psychological transformation. All conditioning through words is a kind of mantra. Any key word or phrase that we repeat, memorize and hold
deep inside ourselves is a kind of mantra. When we repeat
a thought of anger or hatred for another person, it is a dark
or Tamasic mantra. When we repeat our desires for success
and achievement, it is a Rajasic or disturbed mantra. Such
mantras do not heal the mind but perpetuate its patterns
of ignorance and agitation. For truly healing the mind, Sattvic mantras, which aim
at dissolving the ego and promoting self-awareness, are
required. These are mantras bom of


 to shine at all times. The
sun appears to be the source of light, but it is really a reflection of the true
light, which is God or spirit. The highest ener gy is spirit, which gives light
to the material world including the sun. Remember that this true light is
always shining just as the sun shines perpetually, even when you don’ t see
it. Then you can open yourself to accessing the divine light in what appears
to be darkness, which can never truly exist. The nullifier of that darkness is
always shining and available to you whenever you choose. It’ s as simple as
remembering that light and dark cannot coexist. The power of light is that
darkness must absolutely vanish when you bring in light.BRINGING IN LIGHT
I suggest that you view yourself as a being of light, a fast moving ener gy
system that has the capacity to make darkness disappear. You are the carrier
of this light. Y ou radiate this light wherever you go and you are able to help
yourself and others triumph over darkness. In addition to thinking of light as a fast moving ener gy vibration, I would
like you to consider light as an attitude. That is, you can choose to either
think light or think dark. When you are thinking light you bring to any set
of problems an uncontaminated clarity that can dissolve dif ficulties. Perhaps you have heard someone talk of surrounding a friend or loved one
with white light in times of perceived potential darkness. These comments
reflect an awareness that light is protective and pure, and that it can protect
someone from dangerous or harmful ener gies. Putting white light around a
loved one is another way of sending loving thoughts and trusting in the
energetic thoughts to assist in keeping the person safe. These are thoughts
of light, wherein you choose to think of a loving light, visualizing it being
sent by you to do the work of spirit. Intuitively we know that thoughts of
light will dispel darkness just as surely as turning on a light switch will
illuminate a dark room. This line from the Saint Francis prayer signifies for me the four components
of light that you can bring to any situation where darkness is the problem. These four ingredients are:
1. Purity. Light implies purity. When you are able to bring purity to that
which is impure you are fulfilling the wish of Saint Francis along with
bringing a spiritual solution to the problem. Purity as applied to the physical
realm means a clean, clear, unpolluted, unadulterated presence as in pure
water, pure air, pure blood, or pure food. The process of purification
eliminates the problems of disease, foul air or bacteria. This is also true
with our thoughts and behaviors in the presence of impurities. Problems exist for us when we allow ourselves to have debased thoughts. When our thoughts become impure they create contamination in our livesand in the lives of those around us. Conflicts arise when we move into the
lower frequencies of drunkenness, lust, unclean living, violence, substance
abuse, profanity, and the like. A purified presence is just like light, where
all adulterants are removed and what is left is the purity of the light, or the
absence of the dark. By bringing this sense of purification into the areas
where impurities reside, you are able to af fect a spiritual solution to the
problems of an unclean or muddied mind. Recently I happened to be in a park at night where a lar ge collection of
young people was gathered for a high school graduation celebration. It
became apparent that drinking and drug use were taking their toll on the
young adults. Soon the profanity and threats of physical fighting won out
and the young people were squaring of f to do battle. I thought of this line
from the Saint Francis prayer. I saw darkness in the form of impurity
everywhere running rampant. So, I began to walk into the center of this bur geoning melee, consciously
radiating thoughts of light, saying nothing but just surrounding the entire
commotion with light. In a matter of moments the young people began to
disperse and the violent threats subsided. It was clear to me that it was
possible to send pure loving light into this low ener gy and that it impacted
the young people without them even being aware of what I was doing. Y ou
can access the purity of your soul, bringing your senior partner ’s
unconditional loving pure light to the presence of any impurity. By
radiating that kind of pure light outward you can af fect those around you. When you enter the space of those who live, breathe, and practice thinking
light thoughts, you can feel the lighter ener gy in the room. As Patanjali
suggested, all living creatures cease to feel enmity in the presence of those
who are steadfast in their abstention from having harmful, impure thoughts. This is bringing light to the presence of darkness, and the more you decide
to practice it, the more you will be an emissary of light. Impure thinking
and behavior cannot stand up to the power of your pure light, any more than
darkness can stand up to the presence of light. 2. Morality. The light represents treating ourselves and others from a
perspective of the golden rule. Let me do the right thing and in so doing Ibring light to bear on darkness. When someone feels mistreated, hurt, lost,
or just plain alone in their misery it is as if they have a black cloud hovering
above their head.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>Summarize the following text section accurately and concisely. Maintain specific details and numerical information, and use anti-repetition mechanisms:

        She told a friend of mine who asked
what he could do for her, “Get up at four A. M., and go out onto the streets of
Phoenix, and find someone who is living there who believes he is alone,
and convince him that he is not. ”
Those who live in squalor, and have lost their way, who are ravaged by
addictions and feelings of hopelessness, believe they are alone. They have
seemingly lost their soul and need to find a spiritual base. That base is love,
which is the only permanent power in the universe. It is the central
ingredient in healing and in all harmony. Recognize and realize the power
of love and its dominion over all things, and you and others will be restored
to a fearless place. Make a list of all your problems and see if you can find
one that is not rooted in fear that you are separate from spirit. The next time you feel yourself experiencing fear, think of yourself as a part
of this perfect love and watch what happens inside of you where the fear
was residing. The love will supplant that fear. This is the beginning of
bringing faith to the presence of doubt. The simple inner recognition of
your ability in any moment to move love in where you felt separated from
your source. I have used this technique when I have been in a space of strong
disagreement with my wife. Right in the midst of feeling exasperated while
defending my position, as she works equally hard at defending her own, I
have been able to stop and realize that the feeling of hurt comes from a kind
of fear that I am all alone in this dispute. In a brief second I can dispel that
fear and get my ego out of the way by inviting love onto the scene. I have a
knowing that I am never alone and that love will cast out fear and resolve
feelings of hurt. Saint Francis beckons us to know, where there is doubt let
there be faith to dissolve the doubt. HAVING THA T KNOWING
Rabindranath T agore, the brilliant Indian poet, once said, “Faith is the bird
that sings when the dawn is still dark. ” It is a knowing within that in any
moment of darkness, light is on the way. No one can oblige you to have this
faith which, like love, cannot be forced. When you force love, you create
resistance and even hate. T rying to compel faith leads most often to doubt
and disbelief. If you are not ready, no amount of forcing will allow you to
see light in the midst of your darkness. But if you are ready, you will know
faith regardless of what may appear to you. I will relate to you how I came
to have this knowing which once and for all banished doubt from my mind. I heard a story once that just seemed to make sense to me. From that
moment on I have replaced all my doubts with faith. At one time I seriously
questioned the existence of God and a spiritual solution to problems. I was
more of an agnostic, pragmatic kind of person, who felt if I couldn’ t see it,
touch it, feel it, or smell it, then it didn’ t apply. This story seemed to clear it
all up for me. It was a simple story highlighting the absurdity of a perfectly
functioning universe without an underlying intelligence. In this story you are asked to imagine what it would be like to see a
junkyard filled with millions of pieces of random junk: wires strewn about,
bits of metal, tires, cushions, electrical machinery, screws and bolts, glass,
toilet seats, and everything else you can imagine, lying about haphazardly. Suddenly a gigantic wind blows through this messy junkyard and the pieces
of junk are thrown up into the air, colliding with each other, flying and
crashing here and there. Just


. Florida
"I laughed when I first heard about this therapy and didn't take it seriously. My
main concern at the time was about  my full-blown case of  AIDS that had just been
diagnosed  and  the  Kaposi's  sarcoma  lesión  (cancer)  in  my  mouth  that  was
supposed to spread throughout my body. But I decided to try the therapy topically
on my vicious case of */ringworm and not only did the ringworm condition totally
disappear after a few weeks, but the dry, cracked and painful skin all around my
toes and foot had totally changed. New skin had grown in and was as soft as a
baby's. It had a beautiful new color and just did not appear to be my own skin. I  then  tried  the  therapy  internally  each  day  and  over  the  next  7  months  the
Kaposi's lesions became increasingly smaller until they disappeared totally. The
mouth ulcers and genital herpes that used to plague me have not returned even
once. I have NEVER felt better in my life.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>
Q: Who is the author of the book "YOUR OWN PERFECT MEDICINE"?,
A: Martha M. Christy
Q: What is the main focus of the book "YOUR OWN PERFECT MEDICINE"?,
A: The book discusses the use of urine as a natural medicine.
Q: What is the author's personal experience with health issues?,
A: The author, Martha Christy, suffered from chronic health issues, including chronic pain, fatigue, and various allergies, and was unable to find relief through conventional medicine.
Q: What is the main theme of the book "YOUR OWN PERFECT MEDICINE"?,
A: The book reveals the medical community's lack of knowledge about the medical use of urine, despite extensive research and studies.
Q: What is the author's goal in writing this book?,
A: The author aims to provide the general public with information about the medical use of urine, which has been extensively researched and proven to be effective in treating various diseases and disorders.<|eot_id|><|begin_of_text|>And  there  has been even  less  interest  in the  interactive  effects  of
environmental agents or of long-term behavioral patterns on health"
The seemingly enormous healing power of new synthetic drugs  appeared to make
common sense natural approaches to medicine obsolete. Now that we had miracle
antibiotics that could apparently cure everything and powerful pain relievers and
new, fantastic surgical techniques, who needed outmoded, unsophisticated natural
medical approaches like urine therapy or nutrition or homeopathy or herbs? As  the  twentieth  century  progressed,  people  didn't  treat  themselves  at  home
anymore with time-honored natural remedies. It you got sick, instead of treating
yourself with more rest, better food and a simple traditional natural medicine, you
went to the doctor or the drug store to buy whatever'miracle' drug  was popular at
the time, or you had an operation. In our century, drug companies, and the medical researchers they hired, took the
job of making and experimenting with medicines away from doctors and the public
and withdrew into their laboratories. In  scientific  seclusion,  far  removed  from  the  world  of  the  doctor-patient
relationship,  researchers  experimented  with  chemical  compounds  and  isolated
medically active ingredients in natural substances such as previously well-known
herbs or urine, and then formulated drugs from these elements. In the case of urine therapy, urine was used in its natural form, or as simple urea in
numerous  clinical  tests  throughout  our  century,  but  these  studies  were  never
36publicized,  because,  for the  most  part,  the  use  of  natural  medicines had  been
discontinued in medical practice in favor of patented drugs and surgery. With  our  new  system  of  modem  medicine,  people  no  longer  felt  that  it  was
necessary or important for them to know how their bodies worked or how to treat
themselves with simple methods at home. Most consumers felt that the knowledge
of the body and how to heal it was best left in the hands of scientists and trained
doctors  and  surgeons  who  knew  so  much  more  than  we  did  about  how  to
manipulate and alter the body and defeat disease. In this scenario, the use of urine therapy wasn't important to the public. No one
talked about it or shared the information with their family and friends as they had
in days gone by. And even though modem researchers were discovering amazing
things  about  urine  therapy,  these  discoveries  were  kept  within  the  walls  of
academic research and were never or rarely shared with the public. But  were  we  right  to  abandon  traditional  and  common  sense  approaches  to
healing? Should natural healing methods like urine therapy have a place in our
lives or should we just continue to completely surrender our personal health-care
needs and concerns to doctors and medical researchers? Are chemical drugs and
surgery really  the answer to all  our health problems? As most of us are aware
today — they're not. No  matter  how  many  incredible  discoveries  medical  science  may  have  made
during the twentieth century, millions of us are sick or even crippledby illness
today. Our doctors don't know what to do. Our scientists continue to tell us that
science, drugs and surgery will cure us, but they don't. As The Betrayal of Health points out, our modern miracle medicine is not the
miracle we thought it was:
"As  the  infectious  diseases  became  less  and  less  prevalent,  and  the  chronic
diseases advanced to the forefront of illness, cracks have begun to appear in the
fortress of allopathic medicine. The methods that had produced the successes of
Jenner, Pasteur, Koch, Fleming and Salk no longer seemed to be working. Further
flaws in, and abuses of, modern  medical techniques have become all too apparent. 37The unqualified successes of earlier decades have come up against the failures of
modern medicine. The epidemic of chronic illness in the United States, particularly  arterial disease
and  cancer,  is the  stellar embarrassment  of  medicine and  its high-technology
weapons. These degenerative illnesses — far from being bull's eye illnesses — are complex
dysfunctions of bodily systems that must be approached systematically. With them, the model of specific cause/specific medical intervention simply isn't
working. What is worse, many interventions, from prescription drugs to expensive
surgery, cause more harm than good when they are overused or abused by doctors
and patients. Ironically, the wonder drugs of the last century may never have worked as well as
we  thought. Medical  historians  report  that  the  dramatic  improvements  in
morbidity and mortality rates in the past hundred years were not exclusively, nor
even mainly, due to doctors' intervention. The great health improvements  of the nineteenth century were not the result of
medical interventions per se, but of basic improvements in  nutritional and living
conditions that coincided with (and often preceded) these interventions." So even though we believed that drugs and medical science alone were  responsible
for saving us from smallpox and typhoid and other terrible diseases, this was never
true. The truth was that we got fewer infectious diseases in the twentieth century
because  we had better living conditions. For the first time in history, we had
widespread modem sanitation, clean water and more and better food distribution
than  ever  before. In  the  modem  environment  of  civilized  nations,  infectious
diseases disappeared because the breeding grounds for germs, such as open sewers,
contaminated water supplies and malnourished bodies were largely eliminated. But medical science undeservedly took and received the greatest credit and public
acclaim for these tremendous health improvements. And the medical community
today is still trying to convince us that no matter what goes wrong with our bodies,
the solution will always be found within the realm of drugs and surgery. 38It is true that drugs and surgery can be extremely effective  for critical care, health
emergencies,  structural  deformities  or  accident  cases,  but  these  aggressive
therapies should never have developed into everyday medical approaches that we
automatically  resort  to  almost  immediately  for  every  imaginable  illness  we
contract. Western culture made a grave error when it eliminated all natural approaches to
health in favor of drugs and surgery. Natural healing methods that gently stimulate
and support the immune system without dangerous side effects have advantages
that drugs and surgery can't offer. And it wasn't that traditional natural health
therapies, such as urine therapy, hadn't worked in the past – it was simply that
historically they weren't always applied within the context of good nutrition and
sanitation and proper health practices because this knowledge wasn't available in
the centuries preceding ours. And  as  Beasely  points  out,  it  was  extremely  ironic  that  even  though  modem
science has proven the importance and impact of such common sense factors as
diet and relaxation on health, the medical community and consumers have almost
completely ignored these


 them? Shall we
withdraw from a similar situation in the future with greater fear, or shall we
transcend this crisis and master it once and for all? Do we choose hope or
discouragement? Can we use the experience as an opportunity to learn how
to share, or shall we withdraw into a shell of fear and bitterness? Every
emotional experience is an opportunity to go up or down. Which do we
choose? That is the confrontation. W e have the opportunity to choose whether we want to hang on or let
go of emotional upsets. W e can look at the cost of hanging on to them. Do
we want to pay the price? Are we willing to accept the feelings? W e can
look at the benefits of letting go of them. The choice we make will
determine our future. What kind of a future do we want? W ill we choose to
be healed, or will we become one of the walking wounded? In making this choice, it is well to look at the payof f we get from
hanging on to the residuals of a painful experience. What are the
satisfactions we are getting? How little are we willing to settle for? Anger. Hatred. Self-pity. Resentments. They all have their cheap little payof f, that
little inner satisfaction. Let’ s not pretend that it’ s not there. There is a weird,
quirky pleasure when we hang on to pain. It certainly satisfies our
unconscious need for the alleviation of guilt through punishment. W e get to
feel miserable and rotten. The question then arises, “But for how long?”
T ake, for example, a man who had not spoken to his brother for twenty-
three years. Neither of them could remember what the incident was about; it
had been long for gotten. But they were in the habit of not speaking, and so
for twenty-three years they paid the price of missing each other ’ s company,
af fection, togetherness in family matters, and all the shared experiences and
love they could have had. When the man learned about the mechanism of
surrender, he began to let go of his feelings about his brother. Suddenly, he
broke out in tears of grief, realizing all that had been lost over the years. By
for giving his brother, he triggered a similar response in the brother, and the
two were reunited. Then, one of the brothers flashed back on the incident. It
had been an ar gument over a pair of tennis shoes. Over one pair of tennis
shoes they had paid a price extending over twenty-three years! Had the man
not learned the technique of letting go, he might well have gone to his gravewith the same resentment. So the question is, “How long do we want to go
on suf fering? When are we willing to give it up? When is enough enough?”
The part of us that wants to cling to negative emotions is our smallness. It is the part of us that is mean, petty, selfish, competitive, cheap, conniving,
mistrusting, vindictive, judgmental, diminished, weak, guilty, ashamed, and
vain. It has little ener gy; it is depleting, demeaning, and leads to the
lowering of self-respect. It is the small part of us that accounts for our own
self-hatred, unending guilt, and seeking for punishment, sickness, and
disease. Is that the part with which we want to identify? Is that the part we
want to ener gize? Is that the way we want to see ourselves? Because if
that’ s the way we see ourselves, that’ s the way others will see us. The world can only see us as we see ourselves. Are we willing to pay
those consequences? If we see ourselves as cheap and petty, it’ s unlikely
that we’ll be at the top of the company list for a raise. The price of holding on to smallness can be demonstrated with muscle
testing. The procedure is fairly simple (Hawkins, [1995], 2012). Hold in
mind a mean, petty thought and have someone press down on your arm
while you resist; notice the ef fect. Now choose the exact opposite view. Picture yourself as being generous, for giving, loving, and experiencing your
inner greatness. Instantly, there will be an enormous increase in muscle
strength indicating a sur ge of positive bio-ener gy. Smallness brings
weakness, sickness, disease, and death. Do you really want that? Letting go
of negative feelings can be accompanied by another very healthy maneuver
which will greatly assist your inner transformation, and that is to stop
resisting the positive emotions. Enhancing Positive Emotions
The corollary to letting go of negative feelings is to stop resisting the
positive ones. Everything in the universe has its opposite; therefore, in the
mind, every negative feeling has its counterpart between smallness and
greatness, whether we are constantly aware of its existence at any given
moment or not. A good and very illuminating exercise is to sit down and look at the
feeling that is directly opposite the negative one that we are experiencing
and begin to let go resisting it. Let’ s say, for instance, that a friend’ s
birthday is coming up and we are feeling resentful and stingy; therefore, we
just can’ t seem to get out to shop for a present, and the day is getting closer.The exact opposite feelings are those of for giveness and generosity. W e just
start looking for the feeling of for giveness within ourselves and stop
resisting it. As we keep letting go of our resistance to being a for giving
person, it is often surprising that it will come up with a sur ge. W e will begin
to recognize that part of our nature has always been willing and wanting to
for give, but we didn’ t dare chance it. W e thought we might appear foolish. W e thought we were punishing the other person by holding the resentment,
but we have actually been suppressing love. In the beginning, we may not
consciously feel this specifically about our friend, but we will begin to
notice that we do have this aspect to our personality. As we keep
surrendering our resistance to love, we will notice that within ourselves
there is something that wants to express itself through sharing and giving,
letting the past go and burying the hatchet. There is a desire to make a
friendly gesture; we want to heal the separation, to repair the wound, to
make good the wrong, to express gratitude, and to take a chance on being
thought a fool. The purpose of this exercise is to locate within ourselves that which
can only be described as greatness. Greatness is the courage to overcome
obstacles. It is the willingness to move to a higher level of love. It is the
acceptance of others’ humanness and having compassion for their suf fering
by putting ourselves in their shoes. Out of the for giveness of others come
self-for giveness and the relief of guilt. The real payof f we get is when we
let go of our negativity and choose to be loving; we are the ones who
benefit. W e are the ones who gain from the real payof f. W ith this increased
awareness of who we really are comes the progressive invulnerability to
pain. Once we compassionately accept our own humanness and that of
others, we are no longer subject to humiliation, for true humility is a part of
greatness. Out of the recognition of who we really are comes the desire to seek
that which is uplifting. Out of it arises a new meaning and context for life. When that inner emptiness, due to lack of self-worth, is replaced by true
self-love, self-respect and esteem, we no longer have to seek it in the world,
for that source of happiness is within ourselves. It dawns on us that it
cannot be supplied by the world anyway. No amount of riches can
compensate for an inner feeling of poverty. W e all know of the many
multimillionaires who try to compensate for their inner sense of hollowness
and lack of inner worth. Once we have contacted this inner Self, this innergreatness, this inner completion, contentment, and true sense of happiness,
we have transcended the world. The world is now a place to enjoy, and we
are no longer run by it. W e are no longer at the ef fect of it. When we utilize these techniques of relinquishing the negative and
surrendering resistance to the positive, sooner or later we come into a
sudden, comprehensive awareness of our true dimension. Once this has
been experienced, it will never be for gotten. The world will never
intimidate us again as it once did. There may be continued compliance with
the ways of the world out of sheer habit, but the inner drivenness, the inner
vulnerability, and the inner doubt is now gone. Outwardly, the behavior may
appear the same but, inwardly, the causes for it are now totally dif ferent. The end result of the conscious handling of emotions is invulnerability and
imperturbability. Our inner nature is now bullet proof. W e are able to go
through life with balance and grace. CHAPTER
4
A P A T H Y  A N D  D E P R E S S I O N
Apathy is the belief, “I can’ t.” It is the feeling that we cannot do anything


 used as medication in Ayurveda medi
cine, especially for the mencaffy ill"
The following are two prescriptions in which
reference is made to the use of urine: Gyu-zh~ from Chapter 77
(on exorcising spirits)
"All these elemental spirits are swiftly liberated
by the use of an edible ointment and snuff called
"medicine butter." It is compounded of
the three chief fruits [Chebulic myrobalan-arura,
Be/eric myrobalan, Emblic myrobalan], sandal
wood, saffron crocu~ bya-kri, the three hots [ginger,
long pepper, black pepper], cardamom, barberry,
pine, Fanacetum sibiricum, Holarrhena anti
dysenterica, pu-shel-rtsi [khus-khus or orchidlt
white mustard, Indian valerian, juniper, lavender,
Piper chaba, Costus speciosu~ hellebore, white
aconite, spang-ma, realgar, the "six urines"." (From: Tibetan Buddhist Medicine and Psychiatry,
Terry Clifford, Samuel Weiser Inc., York Beach
USA 1984, p. 181-182.) Gyu-zhi, from Chapter 78
"For disturbance from poison, rely upon a tablet
, made of
dpa-ser, white aconite, red aconite, re-ral, turmeric,
"fragrant water" [urine]." (From: Tibetan Buddhist Medicine and Psychiatry,
Terry Clifford, Samuel Weiser Inc., York Beach
USA 1984, p. 188.) In an accompanying note this is further explained:
"Mix the powder of the above with red cow's urine. The cow must have been inside a house for seven
days and should have had clean grass to eat. The
urine should be taken at sunrise, then strained and
then boiled with the powder until it yields a thick
paste. Urine, especially that of a healthy and clean
The History of Urine Therapy in the East 39 person or animal, is believed to be an excellent
antiseptic and anti-toxin. It can be applied directly
to an open wound to prevent infection if nothing
else is available. Here it is used to counter an
internal toxic reaction. " (From: Tibetan Buddhist Medicine and Psychiatry,
Terry Clifford, Samuel Weiser Inc., York Beach
USA 1984, p. 190-191.) Clifford writes the following on the use of urine in
Ayurveda and Tibetan medicine in general:
"As for the inclusion of substances such as blood
and urine in medicine~ it may strike the modern
mind as disgusting and outrageous. But such
substances are found in traditional medicines
around the world, including China, and sometimes
turn ou( under scientific investigation, to have some
merit. Urine, for example, has recently been found
to contain substances that act as powerful mental
Partial representation of a Tibetan Thangka, which
'demonstrates' how one may diagnose illnesses by
examining (looking at) someone's urine. 40 Nectar of Immortality and emotional tranquillizers without any of the
side-effects of manufactured chemical tranquillizers
-according to Danish scientists." (From: Tibetan Buddhist Medicine and Psychiatry,
Terry Clifford, Samuel Weiser Inc., York Beach
USA 1984, p. 209.) Tibetan doctors who visit the West even today can
make extremely precise diagnoses based upon a sin·
gleglance at a fresh glass of the patient's urine. They
also advise those who work with precious stones
to urinate on the stones. This protects the stone
and makes it entirely the possession of the person
who works with it or wears it. A thin layer of body
specific information, as it were, covers the stone. In his bestseller Seven Years in Tibet: My Life With
the Dalai Lama,.the Austrian mountain climbei
Heinrich Harrer describes how he was interned in
India during World War Two, subsequently fled to
Tibet and after numerous adventures befriended
and became the teacher of the Dalai Lama. During
his travels throughout Tibet, he learned the Tibetan
customs and traditions, and heard about the use ol
urine as medicine. As a 'normal' Westerner, Harrel
was quite sceptical about this method:
"All things which had served for the personal use
of the Dalai Lama were regarded as the best
remedies against illness or charms against evil
spirits. People used to compete for the cakes and
fruits which I used to bring home with me from His
Holiness's kitchen, and Icould not give my friends
greater pleasure than by sharing these things with
them. They would eat them immediately and were
convinced that there wasn't anything which would protect them better than these. But that was still relatively harmless. I had much
less understanding for tlze fact that people would
drink the urine of the living Buddha -something
which was wanted most of all but nevertheless only
rarely given out. The Dalai Lama himself would
only shake his head and he did not like it when
someone asked for it. But he alone was not able to
go against all these customs and consequently he
did not bother too much about it. And then again,
in India one could always see people in the streets
drinking the urine of holy cows." (From: Sieben jahre Tibet: Mein Leben am Hofe des
Dalai Lama, Heinrich Harrer, Ullstein, Frankfurt/
M-Berlin, p. 387, author's translation)
"We found that the people had more con(t"dence in
the laying-on of hands and faith-healing than in
the ministration of the monks of the schools of
medicine. The Lamas often smear their patients
with their holy spittle. Tsampa, butter and the
urine of some saintly man are made into a sort of
gruel and administered to the sick." (From: Seven Years in Tibet, Heinrich Harrer,
Granada, i..ondon 1984)
Nowadays urine therapy is promoted in Taiwan by
a Urine therapy Hotline. According to a newspaper
article I received from I ia, some 200,000 Taiwan
ese drink their o n urine daily. The monks in ci Buddhist monastery in the north
ofT aiwan also pr~rndte urine therapy. The twenty
monks and approximately 2,000 followers at this
monastery faithfully practise urine therapy. Fur
thermore, they distribute brochures in Buddhist bookstores and restaurants. Another Buddhist in
Taiwan recently published a book (not yet trans
lated) entitled, 'The Magic Golden Water Cure', a
collection of stories of people who were seriously
ill and who recovered by drinking urine. Urine therapy is also being used on an increas
inglywider scale in Korea and Japan. In Japan, more
than two million people use urine therapy. I recently
got hold of a Japanese book on urine therapy of
which the title (in translation) reads 'Information
Water': The Memory of Water Containing Enormous
Healing Power. In his book Cancer Cures In Twelve Ways, A.A.
Cordero discusses the alleged positive effects of
urine therapy in the treatment of cancer. Cordero,
from the Philippines, refers to the following com
ments from a Swedish doctor practising traditional
medicine. As the conclusion to this chapter, this
serves as an excellent illustration of the interaction
between the history of urine therapy in the West
and in the East:
"In explaining the virtues of urine in health, Dr.
Karl A.B. Helm Y Strand from Europe explained:
"Your God Father in Heaven as Creator had given
you at your time of birth to this green earth a very
precious birth gift in the form of two royal medical
factories and these are your own two kidneys. These
kidneys produce just for you and not for anyone
else the best medicine at any moment in your
life for any disease which can hit you. And if you
are clever enough to receive the gift of these two
royal factories then your body benefits. Don't forget
to take advantage of your own birth gift of your
The History of Urine Therapy in the East 41 precious machine. When yoJ feel you are going to
be sick or when already sick ·drink it every day,
morning noon and afternoon. You can always with
this drink meet every disease besetting you. In the beginning before you are fully acquainted
to taking your own urine, I recommend you to mix
it in a glass half and half with either clear spring
water or natural alkaline water. It has a good taste. It is a good drink for your ailments."" (From: Cancer Cures in Twelve Ways, A.A.
Cordero, Science of Nature Healing Centre,
1983, p. 400.) 42 Nectar of Immortality 23m, 24m" 25th Feb '96 lFfl, Sac Suru
.at Kala A-c.l.u:l:em:y Halt. PMJ!m, Goa. O;ganiSOO b~t':
WATER OF UFE FOUNDATION (INDIA)
Mf1•mted io t.mne Thm apy. fedarattot'l:
East and West coming together to share thei.r experiences


 once (whether it be a situation as dif ficult as trying
to work at multiple jobs and still have time to parent or something as simple
as eating while watching TV), then you miss out on the actual experience  of
your life, and thus feel empty and dissatisfied no matter what you do. When
you are engaging in activities to satisfy your senses from a disconnected
place within yourself, you will likely choose things that only bring
momentary happiness and lead you to feeling even more disconnected than
before. You’ll overeat because you aren’ t allowing yourself to fully taste what
you’re eating. In the same way, you’ll oversleep if you aren’ t being
rejuvenated from your sleep. If you don’ t allow yourself to be nourished by
what you allow into your senses then your senses are constantly craving
more (more sex, more TV, more food, more sound, sight, taste, touch,
smell). You then overindulge, which dulls your senses, meaning that you
need more in order to satiate. Though in that disconnected state, you will
never, ever be satisfied. As always, it’ s an inner shift that is necessary—the movement from a
distracted way of existing to a more connected way of being  in your life. When you are connected to yourself, you make choices that nourish
rather than deplete you, and you are present enough to actually allow
yourself to be nourished by whatever it is that you choose. You become
present enough to not only touch, but feel; not only eat, but taste ; not only
listen, but hear; not only smell, but savor ; not only look, but see. When you
become present to what you are experiencing in the moment—chewing
each bite, tasting it fully—you become present enough to know  when
you’ve had enough. In that way, you are able to maintain balance, and thus
an ideal experience of health. Brahmacharya acknowledges that if the senses are not regulated, they
drive your life, your decisions, your relationships, your everything. They
end up controlling you. Without trying to starve the senses, yoga guides you
toward a lifestyle where you reestablish your Self as the driver, choosing
sensory impressions that serve to uplift your experience of life, bringing
you closer to your true nature.Sensory impressions (things that you see, hear, touch, taste, smell) serve
if they reconnect and remind you of who you really are. They distract when
they bind you into the maelstrom of false identification with the body,
mind, and emotions. What are you allowing in? It takes willpower and
discipline to choose what serves, rather than what would feel (taste, touch,
sound, smell) good right now. The yoga scriptures say that, of all sensory pleasures, sexual desire is
the hardest to regulate. You can see that sex has the incredible ability to
create families, though if not regulated—you controlling it, rather than it
controlling you—it can also destroy them. Because the sexual act is so
powerful—do you know of any other activity in the world that holds the
power to create life?!—A yurveda encourages you to regulate it. Then,
rather than being an impulse that needs to be tended to whenever the desire
comes, it is something that you enter into with more consciousness and
intention. Yoga guides you toward sense control (or regulation) so that you can
stay balanced. If you have already eaten to your full satisfaction when the
dessert comes out, you know it would be best for you to not eat any. But the
tongue might say otherwise! You might eat the dessert anyway and end up
feeling sick. In the same way, overindulgence in any sensual activity will
lead to disharmony and depletion. Through regulation, however, you gain
the ability to discern what actually serves you in the long run from what
would serve your senses immediately. APARIGRAHA
Aparigraha  is nonattachment, nonpossessiveness or nongrasping: loving
completely with the willingness to let go, because all things (material) must
pass. Aparigraha is not an attitude of cold-heartedness. Nor is it detachment,
and thus disengagement. It is not “this is temporary, so why be attached?”
Rather, it is the understanding that matter is always changing; form is
always changing. It’ s the realization that the body we have is temporary, butwhile it is here, we should take care of it. It’ s awareness that the forms our
relationships take are temporary and seeing that as a reason to love that
much more deeply while we can. Rather than making you detached or aloof, being aware of the reality of
impermanence helps you to engage more deeply with life and to love more
fully in relationships; it invites you to generate gratitude for the multitude
of blessings that are here, now. You stop getting caught up or burdened by
“what ifs?” “should haves,” and “might bes.” You instead show up in love. You do your best, without focusing on results. You love and live from a
deeper place, not swayed by circumstance (the highs and the lows) because
all of it keeps changing. What stays the same? The soul. You. Simple Practices to Uplift
Become conscious of the impressions that you are allowing
in through your senses, and as much as possible, allow
them to be light and uplifting. What type of music are you
listening to? What movies are you watching? What type of
food are you eating? All these things have a huge ef fect on
your consciousness, so choose things that bring joy and
clarity. Meditate daily. Mantra meditation is powerful; it is one of
the fastest and easiest ways to uplift the mind. (See this
page.) Start a gentle yoga and pranayama practice to settle
your thoughts and become grounded in your body. Think about the qualities you would like this little soul to
embody. Make a list! Be as detailed as possible. How canyou embody these qualities more? You will begin to attract
this soul into your life. The universal character of anyone on any religious or spiritual path—
if they are really doing it right, in a deep meaningful way—is that
they are going to have common characters and values that are
universal: compassion, honesty, self-control, generosity, wisdom,
insight. Whether one is a Christian or a Muslim or a Jew or a Hindu
or whatever, these are the common values we find in the scriptures
and in the lives of the saints. The realized people—a saint could be a
mother with three children, or a monk who is traveling around and
preaching. —Radhanath Swami, author, spiritual teacher, and activist
THE FIVE NIYAMAS
The niyamas are about self-regulation—they are positive duties that help
you maintain a conducive environment in which to grow. Their practice
harnesses the ener gy generated from the cultivation of the yamas. SAUCHAM
Saucham  is cleanliness and purity. It is said that how a person keeps their
home reveals the inner workings of their mind. A clean and clear mind
cannot live in a cluttered or dirty home. A cluttered and busy mind is not
likely to live in a tidy and clean home! Cleanliness in your mind, body, and
surroundings creates the most conducive environment for conscious living
and Self-realization. Purify. Meditate to clear the mental clutter that has accumulated for
years and years (and lifetimes) of preference, of false conditionings andidentifications, of memories (generally the extremes of what you loved and
what you wish never happened). Purify the mind and, naturally, your life
will start to clean itself up. Your relationships, your closet, your perceptions
will all become clearer. If your mind is too messy for meditating, then first clean your drawers,
then your house, then your car, then start to clean up your diet. Assure that
you are showering at least every morning. Upgrade your lifestyle choices. Prioritize self-care. It is amazing how more space in your closet creates
more space in your mind, which creates more space in your life. Then, meditate. Not just to meditate, but to change the way you live, the
way you love, the way you consume, the way you eat, and what you listen
to. You will notice that it all af fects the state of your mind, which in turn
creates your entire experience of life. Again, purify. Then you can
experience things as they are rather than through the dusty lens created by
your past. SANTOSHA
Santosha  means contentment or satisfaction. Your mind tells you that you’ll
be happy when the world outside of you is the way that you want it to be,
and that you’ll be sad when the world outside of you is not the way that you
want it to be. In this way, your happiness is completely controlled by
something outside of you—something that you have absolutely no control
over—and your other emotions follow suit. You swing back and forth and up and down on the mental and emotional
seesaw, because you are so caught up with this identification with your
mind. Thoughts like “I’ll be happy if…” or “I’ll be happy when…” can
come up in your mind; happiness stays elusive, always one step ahead of
where you are now, and you never feel satisfied.


 without food for forty -two days. One of my purposes in writing this chapter is to dissipate the fiction
that the fasts that Dr. Tanner undertook were made in order to attract notorietyófor the mere sake of advertisement Th ey were not. Naturally these fasts attracted attention, and such periods of abstention from food still would attract attention were they b rought to
public notice. But Dr. Tanner had another object in view, and it is best expressed in his own words as conta ined in a personal letter
dated December 28, 1911. He says: "I really believe that I am entitled to be called the father of therapeutic fasting in this country, for away back i n 1877 I had
given up hopes of ever regaining what might be called normal heal th. I was then in Minneapolis in the practice of my profession,
and, after a strenuous time with a patient critically ill, I virtually collapsed. I was at such a low ebb physically and ment ally at the
time that I did not care whether I lived or died, and I  determined that, since my drugs gave me no relief, I would starve myself to
death ere I again would suffer the physical misery that had been mine for months preceding. I accordingly told Dr. Moyer, my
Page 3 of  72 consulting companion, that I would not again eat food until I was dead or recovered in health." It will be remembered that Dr.
Tanner was a fully accredited doctor of medicine. The facts as recorded are these. On the 15th of July, 1877, Dr. Henry S Tanner was called in consultation with Dr. A. Moyer o f
Minn eapolis, Minnesota, to attend a critical case that detained them late into the night. The next day Dr. Tanner felt ill and di d not
leave his room. During the day he drank some milk, as he did on the day following. But this was the last food taken by him un til
August 29th following, a period of forty -two days. Both Dr. Tanner and Dr. Moyer concurred in the opinion that from the
viewpoint of medical diagnostics the symptoms in the case were those of low gastric fever. During "treatment" Dr. Tanner
occupied a room in the home of Dr. Moyer, and he was not at any time confined to his bed. He took during the entire forty -two
days of abstinence nothing but water into his stomach, but of this he drank freely when thirsty. At the end of ten days of fasting the symp toms of his disorder disappeared; he gained in strength, and in every way showed
physical and mental improvement. Dr. Moyer, however, frequently remonstrated with Dr. Tanner for pursuing what he, Dr. Moyer,
believed to be a suicidal course, but Dr. Tanner persisted, and we have in the small volume, Forty Days Without Food, a record of
the full fast from Dr. Moyer's pen. The latter says, after detailing the daily experiences of his "patient" for forty days:

"The case continued until I became alarmed, and I  strenuously urged Dr. Tanner to allay his gastric irritation by taking milk, which
he finally consented to do. The next forenoon --that of the forty -second day of fasting --he ate a cracker and drank some lemonade,
but this his stomach rejected." In the lig ht of more recent knowledge of the therapeutics of fasting this experience was to be
expected. But later on the same day Dr. Tanner went downtown, and, coming home within half an hour, said to Dr. Moyer, "Well,
Doctor, I think I have finished affairs for g ood. I not only have taken a pint of milk, but have eaten five pears and half a good -sized
watermelon. " No records were kept either by Dr. Tanner or Dr. Moyer of the phenomena of this fast. The only data extant deal with the prom pt
and general relief of  symptoms of distress, all of which vanished by the tenth day of fasting, and there is mention made that Dr.
Tanner had no passage from the bowels from the 15th of July until the 31st of August, an interval of 47 days. To carry out a fast
today in this man ner would be deemed a bid for disaster, hence the record made by Dr. Tanner in this, his first essay into
prolonged abstinence from food for health's sake, is thus rendered the more remarkable. The fast in question was commenced with a view of relieving an inflammation of the stomach, and it was continued after the active
symptoms had subsided in order to test the worth of scientific teachings as to the time a human being might live without food. No
plan had been arranged, for, as stated, decision to fast  came suddenly; neither was there any intention of bringing the matter to
public attention. But the outcome of Dr. Tanner's experiment was so surprising and so successful from the therapeutic viewpoint that Dr. Moyer
was unable to remain silent, and he t old a few of his friends, among whom was a reporter of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. This
virtually necessitated a public statement of the facts, which called wide -spread attention to Dr. Tanner, and newspapers throughout
the country were soon publishing art icles and interviews, many of which attempted to throw doubt upon the doctor's veracity. Medical men especially, almost to a man, when questioned upon the subject, stated that such a fast was a physical impossibili ty,
and medical journals published such st atements as scientific facts. These attacks upon Dr. Tanner's probity he believed were likely to affect his professional reputation, and he thereupon deter mined
to speak for himself. This he did through the columns of the Pioneer Press in an article iter ating what has been related, together
with other announcements and arguments that need not here be quoted. For some time after publication of this communication considerable interest was shown, especially in the Middle West, upon th e
subject of fasting, not, however, because of its therapeutic possibilities, but because of the doubt that a human being might emulate
the Christ and perform in the flesh a miracle. For Christ's fast of forty days and nights was then as now by orthodox believe rs
numbered among  miraculous events. Dr. Tanner went further than this in later years, and, as he says in a letter to the author of date February 23, 1912: "My se cond fast,
publicly given, was called the 'Great American Sensation', and its novel incidents were wired to t he ends of the telegraphic world. My advisers planned for me wisely. My object was not money, but to relieve myself of the odium unjustly heaped upon me by the
medical enemies of all righteousness. Right triumphed, and the very javelins of hate hurled at m e, in their recoil held up the
medical profession to the derision of the world. Every prediction of failure was nullified, and I came off conqueror and more  than
conqueror, in spite of the medical Goliaths arrayed against truth." This statement was made by Dr. Tanner thirty -two years after he underwent his famous second fast in the City of New York. The
fast began on June 28,1880, and ended at noon, August 6,1880, full forty days. To go into the controversies that this public demonstration occasioned wo uld be futile here. It is sufficient to say that Dr. Tanner
Page 4 of  72 successfully vindicated his cause, and that he proved his contention that mere man might refrain from eating for forty days a nd still
live. In addition, he showed that the physical state of his bo dy was materially improved by his experience, and that the therapeutic
value of abstinence from food was an established fact. As a result of this test Dr. Tanner's name became a household word, an d to
this day in works not allied at all to the subject refe rences are met with the good old doctor as their theme. Dr. Henry S. Tanner was born in England in 1831. He died in San Diego, California, in comparative obscurity in 1919. Eighty -
eight years of life, most of which was devoted to contending with the orth odox members of his profession! Yet he never lost his
mental poise nor his well developed sense of humor. Nor did he ever descend to the meannesses of petty controversy, although
outspoken to the end. Throughout his practice, and he was always actively eng aged in the work of his profession, he decried the
use of drugs, depending entirely upon natural therapy. When his purse was full, his funds were at the disposal of those in ne ed, and
his whole personality was one that carried with it and expressed the Gol den Rule. Dr. Tanner, from 1877 on, employed the fast in his practice. He slightly antedates Dr. Edward Hooker Dewey in this regard, bu t he
did not, as did Dr. Dewey, make of his knowledge the basis of a cult, the foundation of a school. When in 1911 t he author was persecuted by the political members of the orthodox branch of medicine, and was accused of having
caused the death of one of her fasting patients by starvation, Dr. Tanner rose to the occasion, as evidenced in the following  letter:
"Our local  papers have published matter in regard to you professionally. As I am the father of fasting, I'm an interested party in
your welfare. If I can be of service, command me,


INKS CONSUMED
IN AMERICA IS A SOFT DRINK!Let’s talk about filtration and distillation. FILTERS:
  Regardless of the process or the technology behind it,
the
main
 purpose of these devices is to produce the cleanest, purest
,
healthiest
 water possible. The most commonly used method
for cleaning
up tap water is the carbon block filter which removes
the water’s
 bad
taste, smell, chlorine, nitrates and many chemicals. It is
,
 indeed
,
 the most
economical form of water treatment available
; however
, it comes with
several serious drawbacks:



It does not remove all chemicals present;


Chemicals can build up in the filter to dangerous concentrations
which end up in your body if you don
’
t change the  filter
regularly;


A carbon filter is a breeding ground for bacteria and germs;


The filter can develop channeling from water taking the path of
least resistance. Therefore, unfiltered water can pass
straight through the
filter, unobstructed. The second most popular and effective filter system is reverse osmosis. The RO process involves a special membrane which most pollutants
cannot pass through, in addition to prefiltering and post-filtering, to ensure
that 99% of the pollutants are removed. The most effective process of rem
oving everything from the water,
including bacteria and cysts
,
 is steam distillation – along with
a post
-
carbon filter to catch any resid
ual volatile gases that escape
with the
steam. Because distilled water is pure, clean H
2
O and
has a
 pH of 7
(neutral on the pH scale of 1 to 14 with “1” being
acid and
 “14” alkaline), it
is used in science and medical
laboratories and
 research facilities
including biology and chemistry
lab
s due
 to
its pure neutral qualities. Unlike with RO and distillation, filtration and the ionizers do not remove the
hardness or inorgan
ic minerals from the water. According to Dr. Charles Mayo of the Mayo Clinic and the American
Medical Association, Harvard Medical School, along with many doctors
and  nutritional experts, have determine
d that very few of the minerals
found
 in water are
organic
,
 nor are they chelated
or
able  to be absorbed
easily
by our cells and tissues. Consequently,
 they contribute to many
ailments and
diseases related
 to the intestinal tract. They also contribute to
kidney stones
, gall stones, hardening of the arteries and plaque buildup
in
the
 colon. Dr. Charles M
ayo, Founder of the Mayo Clinic, said,
“
water
hardness
”
 is the underlying cause of many, if not all, of
the diseases
resulting from poisons in the intestinal tract. These (hard minerals) pass from the intestinal walls and get into the
lymphatic system, which delivers all of its products to the blood which, in
turn, distributes to all parts of the body. This is the cause of much human
disease. Since the ionizers and filters do not remove the minerals from the
water (including chemicals and other toxins), advocates, manufacturers
and sales associates malign the use of reverse osmosis and the distillation
process. They claim that the minerals in water are good for you and that these two
processes remove the
“
valuable
”
 minerals. They also go so far as to say
that because reverse osmosis and distilled water is so pure, they will leach
good minerals from your body, depleting the supply. Promoters of alkaline
water even say that distilled water is an acidic which causes it to dissolve
even more minerals. Distilled has a pH of 7 (neutral). The alkaline water industry is now extremely profitable and has become so
by making false medical claims that
this
water can cure a myriad of
diseases and prevent many others. In order to support their claim that
alkaline water is superior to any other purified water, they must find fault
with the two purest and healthiest water purification processes available. The main reason for the popularity of the alkaline water machine is
because of the exorbitant profits and the fact that it is sold through multi-
level marketing (MLM). Each machine retails at between $2,000 and
$5,000.Can clean water and dirty water both flow from the same spring? There are medical doctors such as Dr. Joseph Mercola and Dr. Zoltan
Rona who also promote an MLM water filter for the whole house, shower
or sink, prompting both of them to claim that,
“
drinking pure, clean, healthy
distilled water
 will result in early death. ”
 This is not only a false claim, it
would cause anyone with common sense to question the scientific
knowledge and medical judgment and reliability of these doctors or any
other
“
nutritional
experts. “The
 next time you hear anyone claim that:



The minerals found in water are totally beneficial to our body
’
s
health;


Distilled water is acidic;


Distilled water will leach valuable minerals and nutrients from
your body; or


“
Early death will come from drinking distilled water
,
”
Ask them, i
f these claims were true, why would the government allow tens
of thousands of naval sailors to continuously drink distilled water found on
all Navy ship
s for well of over five decades? Also ask, “Why would the Mayo Clinic and many other hospitals, medical
centers and clinics recommend distilled water to their patients
? ”

 Dr. Andrew Weil, M.D., nominated as one of Newsweek
’
s
“
top 100 most
influential people in the world,
”
 states that,
“
the minerals that the body
needs come from our food, not from our water, and the pH of foods or
water does not have an effect on the body
’
s pH.”

Dr. Andrew Weil also
states
 that
,
“
the minerals
that the

body needs come
from our
 food, not from
our water
, and the pH
of foods
 or water does not
have an
 effect on the body
’
s pH.” Alkaline water machines
and their
product, alkaline water,
are “
bogus. ”

Dr. Weil continues,
 “
Don
’
t buy a machine or the
alkaline water
; save your
money. Whether you
’
re drinking distilled
water with
 a pH of 7 or
orange
juice
 with a pH of 5.5 or alkaline
water with
 a pH of 8.0, when
these reach
the stomach, their pH
is changed
 immediately to the pH
the body
requires.”

If we were to
 drink something extremely acidic,
the duodenum
 wouldneutralize the
 acid. And if it is extremely alkaline
, the
 stomach will
produce
additional
 acid to neutralize it.”

The distillation process involves turning
water into steam,
leaving behind
 all of the pollutants, then capturing the
steam, cooling it
, converting
 it back to a liquid free of pollutants. This is
how
mother nature
 has been purifying water since this planet was created.The Hydrological Cycle

The hydrological
 cycle is the process of water being heated by the sun
,
evaporating
 and collecting in the atmosphere in
 the form of clouds
; cooling
,
condensing, and falling back to earth as
pure (
distilled) water free of
pollutants which were left on the
earth
’
s surface
. Drinking Unpolluted WaterThe Hunza people living in the Himalayan
Mountains
are
 known
to
live for
well over 100 years. They experience
 few diseases and little
or no
sickness,
are extremely
 health
y, vibrant and strong. It has b
een
determined that, in addition to eating homegrown  fruits and  vegetabl
es
and hormone-free meat, their source  of  drinking water is melted glacier
ice
 (distilled water). These glaciers were formed thousands of years ago (before the
atmosphere was polluted) as
a result
 of pure rain and
snow (
distilled
water). This
author
has been drinking one to one-and-a-half gallons of
distill
ed
water daily
 for
over 40 years
, in ad
dition to fasting (
not eating any
food)
for a minimum

of 21
 days per year. As a result, I am in perfect
health
and free

of sickness
 and disease. So for those of you who have a
desire
to argue, feel
 free. But,

“
a man with an experience is not at the mercy
of a

man [
or doctor
] with
 an argument.”

CHAPTER 2
Distilled Water –
Simple Yet Misunderstood

 O
ne of the very first signs of dehydration is fatigue and lack of energy…
80% of all Americans are dehydrated to some degree. Our body
’
s cry for more water is usually mistaken for a hunger for food;
so we end


 around the mouth
D
___ headaches from prolonged thinking, excessive worrying, conict,
or disappointment D
___ prolapse of the veins in the rectum (hemorrhoids) or legs
(varicosities) D
___ dryness of the nose, throat, skin, or hair E
___ dry, scaly pimples, especi ally on the cheeks, beside the nose, or
on the upper back E
___ lack of perspiration even when hot E
___ itching from dryness E
___ scanty urine E
___ lack of mucus secretions E
___ many enlarged or hard lymph nodes, especially along the sides
of the neck or under the jaw E
___ large pores on the face, nose, and upper back E
___ many moles or warts E
___ frequent sneezing or coughing due to changes in air temperature
or moisture E
___ wrinkling or shrinking of the skin or mucous membranes E
___ skin that feels tight or cracks easily E
___ congestion of the nose, sinuses, or larynx E
___ frontal headaches due to dryness or congestion with mucus E
___ pain in the head or chest due to disappointment or loss E
___ shallow breathing E
___ many small varicose veins E
___ nasal or intestinal polyps E
___ thin, delicate skin E___ dry, painful, ssures or cracks of the nostrils, lips, or corners of
the mouth E
Use these questions and/or  the statements on the questionnaire to
make ve statem ents about yourself that you feel are accurate in
describing who you are. These statements, along with the map, can
be used to identify yourself according to the Five-Phase  model. 1. What concept, metaphor, or principle is at the center of your life,
and how does it motivate you? 2. What do you desire from life, and what are you seeking to
accomplish, create, assist, and support? 3. What circumstances would provide you with the optimum
conditions for satisfying your needs and fulllin g your
expectations? 4. What values and virtues do you admire and strive to engender in
yourself and others? 5. What are the fundamenta l activities and behaviors that express
your deepest intentions? 6. What do you feel is the particular talent and perspectiv e that you
bring to any relationship or endeavor? 7. What do you want from other people and from yourself? 8. What is it about your work or job that is most satisfying, most
frustrating, most dicult, most easy? 9. What are your most trying dilemmas, conicts, and
contradictions? Self-Assessment Prole
DETERMINING  YOUR TYPE
Some people rightly identify with the characteristics of many types. But the object of this self-ass essment process is to dierentiate and
make choices. When decidin g which clothes to wear, you usually
have many garments to choose from but select one outt based on
how it ts and whether it truly suits you. Similarly, you have to try
on dierent archetypes to see if they t.But unlike clothing, you can no more change your type than you
can your parents. Your organizing force, like your blood type, is
with you for life. You can alter your hair color and your weight, but
not your height or chromosomes. You can raise your hemoglobin,
but it is to no avail to wish your blood were AB-positive  when you
were born O-negative. In deliberating upon your type, it’s not what you do that matters,
but how and why you do it. Evie, Ed, and Susanne all spend a great
deal of time cooking. Evie manages a restaurant, Ed teaches cooking
classes and writes cookbooks, and Susanne frequently feeds her
large extended family, inviting close friends for dinners. Evie describes her attractio n to this work: “I thrive on the
challenge of getting my sta to function at a hum— everything
planned just right so that the energy and the product are in a ow. I
enjoy the constant demand for problem-solving—when it gets too
easy, I get bored.”
When Ed is asked what he likes about food, he oers a frugal,
droll reply: “I like eating it.” Then he continues to say that what
concerns him is the form: “People seem to think I cut vegetables in
interesting ways. I like to take ingredients and combine them in just
the right way. I don’t really  care whether anybody else likes it or
not. It’s impor tant to me to have room to move around and a clean
and orderly space in which to work.”
Susanne, on the other hand, cooks specically to please her
diners: “What I love is looking down a long table full of people I
care about and having them feel good about eating food I’ve
prepared specially for them.”
Evie is a Wood  type, Ed is Metal, and Susanne is Earth. Evie is also
a perfe ctionist (a Metal  charac teristic) and often feeds her friends
(Earth ); Ed takes pleasure in getting things done (Wood ); and
Susanne works as a graphic designer, spending most of her time
doing solitary, creative work (Water ). Each embodies traits of all the
Phases  but is most motivated and characterized by one. YEARNING  TO BE ANOTHERKosta is a large, friendly, eshy philosophy professor who is
extremely nurturing, sometimes to the point of neglectin g his own
needs. At times dissatised with his Earth  nature, he wishes he were
more like Achilles, the mythical warrior, rather than Ferdinand the
Bull, who is content to sit quietly and smell the owers. He struggles
to bolster the rude will and determination needed for him to ght
for himself and what he cares about. Madeline is an intense doctor, a self-directed loner, a Water  type
who wishes she were more like Kosta, soft, connected, communal,
and easy to know and love. She would like to change her nature in
order to escape her limitations and fulll her longings. Some of you will be sure of your type, others will resist
identication, especially with that which most represents you. Often
this is because you are attem pting to develop neglected  aspects of
your character. It is appropriate for you to want to cultivate the
power of polar Phases  that will give you greater scope and stability. During times of growth or stress it is possible to confuse that which
you are striving for with that which you are. In these examples it is
the ke relationships that are at play—Kosta is seeking to develop his
Wood  aspect to compensate for the overbearing inuence of Earth,
while Madeline  needs to cultivate Earth  to expand her Water  nature. Kosta and Madeline demonstrate the inclination to reach for and
embody what counterbalanc es them. It is the stabilizing power of
the ke relationships that restrains and counterbalances us. UNDERSTANDING  SHENG AND  KE
When Murray, a strident and assertive Wood  type, needs to restore
himself, he retreats from projects and commitments like a reclusive
Water  type, preferrin g to spend hours in solitary reading, studying,
and going to the movies. When he is feeling at his peak, he burns
hot like a amboyant Fire type, open, charismatic, demonstrative,
and exciting, a magical communicator and teacher. Murray
illustrates how when the organizing Phase  (Wood ) is in collapse, it
gravitates toward its parent (Water ), and in exaggeration, it becomeslike its child (Fire). In times of vulnerability as well as in times of
being overcha rged, it can be a Phase  on the sheng  sequence that
masquerades as our type. Ke implies tension, while sheng implies capacity. The sheng  triad
maintains our resources, our potential. Without tension, potential
has no spring, no motivating impulse, no egress; and without
potential, motivation has no foundation, no source, no utility. Equilibrium is the outcome of poise between opposing force s as well
as sustenance of vital reserve s. When the organizing pattern we call
our type is harmonic, there is a satisfying complementari ty between
the nurturance of our potential and the intensity that brings it forth. Tension without adequate potential (reserve) leads to exhaustion,
and potential without the essential ignition of intensity and striving
(tension) leads to stultication and inertia. Usually the rst problems people experience are a result of ke
sequence con ict, which is an escalation of tension between the
primary Phase, the one it controls, and the one that controls it. This
is how the exaggerated  pattern develops. When the equilibrating
mechanism of the organism has been overwhelmed by exaggeration,
collapse  ensues, and problems along the sheng  sequence tend to
become more apparent. We tend to dene each type in terms of the ke triad. For this
reason we see harmonizing the relationships between Earth  and
Water  (Spleen-Kidney ), Wood  and Earth  (Liver-Spleen ), Metal  and
Wood  (Lung-Liver ), Fire and Metal  (Heart-Lung ), and Water