Whenever an episode of lower back pain strikes, we question, “What brought this on?” Our mind wanders to the physical things we have done over the last few days, which many times are not out of the ordinary, and in fact, frankly innocent sounding when that sharp, shooting pain starts when bending over to pick up our keys or the bathroom wastebasket. Surely, our lower back is not so weak that picking up a trivial object would inflict such pain and injury. “Okay, well, it must have been the way I was sleeping,” is a common story that many people share about their episodes of lower back pain. Could there be something we are overlooking that is making our lower backs so angry? Rarely do we make the connection that our current emotional state or years of accumulated negative emotions may be triggering our lower back pain, sending us into a tailspin. What is the link, and what can we do to determine if our emotions are behind our lower back pain? This survival, or defense response, is perfectly designed to be activated for short bursts of time. The problem arises when our mental and emotional state triggers this response for weeks, months or years at a time. When the body is in defense physiology, muscles tighten up, heart rate and blood pressure increase, cortisol increases in chronic situations, immune function decreases, blood sugar is unstable, digestion slows down, and blood is diverted from our core to our extremities. Prolonged defense physiology sets the stage for all types of “mysterious” pain, ailments, and chronic, life-threatening conditions. Plug in these facts and discover the perfect storm for an “angry” back flare-up. Morter, M.T. (1997). Dynamic Health: Using Your Own Beliefs, Thoughts and Memory to Create a Healthy Body. BEST Research. ISBN-10:0944994091. This finding, which was demonstrated successfully on breast cancer cells, was recently published in peer reviewed journal, Stem Cells. Despite decades of cancer research, cancer remains a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for 7.6 million deaths in 2008, and breast cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer deaths each year. In Singapore, more than 1,400 women are diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 300 die as a result of breast cancer each year. The high fatality rate of cancer is partially attributed to the invasive ability of malignant tumors to spread throughout the human body, and the ineffectiveness of conventional therapies to eradicate the cancer cells. A team of researchers led by IBN Group Leader, Dr Shu Wang, has made a landmark discovery that neural stem cells (NSCs) derived from human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells could be used to treat breast cancer. The effectiveness of using NSCs, which originate from the central nervous system, to treat brain tumors has been investigated in previous studies. This is the first study that demonstrates that iPS cell-derived NSCs could also target tumors outside the central nervous system, to treat both primary and secondary tumors. To test the efficiency of NSCs in targeting and treating breast cancer, the researchers injected NSCs loaded with a suicide gene (herpes simplex virus thymidine) into mice bearing breast tumors. They did this using baculoviral vectors or gene carriers engineered from an insect virus (baculovirus), which does not replicate in human cells, making the carriers less harmful for clinical use. A prodrug (ganciclovir), which would activate the suicide gene to kill the cancerous cells upon contact, was subsequently injected into the mice. A dual-colored whole body imaging technology was then used to track the distribution and migration of the iPS-NSCs. The imaging results revealed that the iPS-NSCs homed in on the breast tumors in the mice, and also accumulated in various organs infiltrated by the cancer cells such as the lung, stomach and bone. The survival of the tumor-bearing mice was prolonged from 34 days to 39 days. This data supports and explains how engineered iPS-NSCs are able to effectively seek out and inhibit tumor growth and proliferation. Dr Shu Wang shared, “We have demonstrated that tumor-targeting neural stem cells may be derived from human iPS cells, and that these cells may be used in combination with a therapeutic gene to cripple tumor growth. This is a significant finding for stem cell-based cancer therapy, and we will continue to improve and optimize our neural stem cell system by preventing any unwanted activation of the therapeutic gene in non-tumor regions and minimizing possible side effects.” “IBN’s expertise in generating human stem cells from iPS cells and our novel use of insect virus carriers for gene delivery have paved the way for the development of innovative stem cell-based therapies. With their two-pronged attack on tumors using genetically engineered neural stem cells, our researchers have discovered a promising alternative to conventional cancer treatment,” added Professor Jackie. Y. Ying, IBN Executive Director. Compared to collecting and expanding primary cells from individual patients, IBN’s approach of using iPS cells to derive NSCs is less laborious and suitable for large-scale manufacture of uniform batches of cellular products for repeated patient treatments. Importantly, this approach will help eliminate variability in the quality of the cellular products, thus facilitating reliable comparative analysis of clinical outcomes. Additionally, these iPS cell-derived NSCs are derived from adult cells, which bypass the sensitive ethical issue surrounding the use of human embryos, and since iPS cells are developed from a patient’s own cells, the likelihood of immune rejection would be reduced. The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore. Tapping into the power of natural ingredients for safer treatment is the next frontier in the battle against cancer. A recent breakthrough from HKPolyU uses tiger milk mushroom to prepare anti-tumor nanoparticles is bringing us one step closer. Cancer is a word dreaded by many. Many cancers are deadly and difficult to treat while conventional remedies such as chemotherapy often cause physical and emotional sides effects, giving struggling patients more harm just as the cancer. What if cancer-killing drugs can become more natural and in harmony with our body? Tapping into the power of natural ingredients for safer treatment is the next frontier in the battle against cancer. A recent breakthrough from PolyU’s Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology using tiger milk mushroom to prepare anti-tumor nanoparticles is bringing us one step closer. A natural compound found in mushrooms may hold the key to a new class of cancer drugs. In Tiger Milk mushrooms from Africa, Dr Wong Ka-hing, Associate Director of the Food Safety and Technology Research Centre, has discovered a polysaccharide-protein complex (PSP) which can turn selenium, a common nutrient, into new cancer therapy to benefit millions of breast cancer patients around the world. Selenium is a trace mineral essential for good health. Health benefits include boosting immune systems against viral infections. Staple foods and vegetables in our diet such as rice, wheat, potatoes, broccolis and onions are great sources of antioxidant. In nano-size, selenium was found to have potent anti-cancer effect in the laboratory. However, efficacy diminished as the nanoparticles fell back into bigger aggregates which suppressed the up-take into cancer cells. Finding new ways or compounds to halt the rebinding process is harder than it seems. Literally, it is quite like searching for a needle in a haystack. The use of mushroom PSP as stabilizing force is a significant breakthrough. Combined with cutting-edge nanotechnology, Dr Wong and his team successfully made selenium nanoparticles to destroy breast cancer cells. “Lab-test results were exciting. Our selenium nanoparticles were found to have remarkable inhibition effect on the growth of human breast cancer cells by triggering the cells into self-destruction. The next stage will be tests on animals,” Dr Wong said. The research is still in a very early phase. But if successful, it could lead to a new drug much less toxic and more reliable, capable of killing cancer cells while leaving healthy tissues unharmed, which could mean fewer agonizing side-effects, greater comfort and better chances of recovery. Dr Wong also planned on developing a dietary supplement as auxiliary cancer treatments. Scientists around the world have been looking into the therapeutic value of produces such as fish oil, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and green tea. For safe human consumption, a natural ingredient must be effective against cancer in low concentration. Dr Wong’s work has advanced medicine with a working tool for boosting the effectiveness of natural cancer killing compounds. “Mushroom PSP has striking effects on controlling selenium nanoparticles,” Dr. Wong added, “and a better understanding of this mechanism may help us find the next suitable compounds and make better nano-medicines for a whole host of cancers.” Tiger Milk, similar to Chinese mushrooms we have in dishes and soups mushroom, is a common foodstuff in Africa, and the groundbreaking biomedical research opens door to making cancer drug from 100% natural ingredients. The drug development process is equally natural and green because all it takes are room temperature and water, which is little waste and without much power consumption. Holding new promise for beating cancer, this research has won Dr Wong the Young Investigator Award at the 2011 International Conference of Food Factors and the Gold Medal in 40th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva. We invite you to listen to the audio version of Three Steps To Happiness: Healing Through Joy. It has been a long labor of love for us to produce, as well as an enormous spiritual journey for me, the narrator. You see, it is my first narration and a task that I took on without any real rational thought. Narrating Three Steps changed my life. When I began, my voice was cold and rigid, without expression. However, I was determined to succeed. I have, perhaps read Three Steps 20 times or more during the course of producing the audio book. Each time, some new nugget of wisdom would leap out at me and little by little, the truth of this book changed my life. It allowed me realize the myriads of emotions that had accompanied me over the years that needed to be felt, and then to be let go of. I have learned to do this and it has changed me. I think that rather than cold and rigid, you will find that I tell story of how to find happiness and joy with warmth and expression that you will enjoy listening to. Irmina and I met Jacob and Laurie for the first time just after Christmas 2011. We both came away realizing that Three Steps wasn’t just another self-help book, but rather the road map by which Jacob lives his life. It is evident that he has created a life full of love, happiness and joy that is his natural self. During our time producing the audio version of Three Steps, this road map has taken us on a wonderful journey of discovering who we truly are and has led us to happiness and joy. Whether you read the e-book, listen to our audio version, or both, Irmina and I assure you that you are setting out on a wonderful journey from which you will never look back. Like we were talking before, all health problems can lead to a vicious cycle of negative thoughts. Ancient Cultures have long believed: that our thoughts and emotions can directly influence our health and well-being. In fact, we now frequently hear them refer to the mind’s ability to heal the body. They provide great examples of how we don’t have to suffer if we take control of our physical as well as our mental/emotional healing. How does the mind affect our health? Let talk about that again. Scientists now accept that critical, self-limiting thoughts can have an impact on our health by weakening our immune systems. Studies have shown a connection between feelings of anxiety, irritation and anger with high blood pressure; chronic grief and cancer; depression and heart attack. It’s easy to realize that emotions can play a big role in allergies and sinusitis if they can contribute to heart disease and cancer. Once we accept this, we can become better self healers and manage our thoughts and emotions to improve our health. So, what are allergies and how to stop suffering from them? Allergies are a reaction to a particular substance which on contact causes the body to react by activating histamines and other defenses in the immune system. Our negative emotions, irritation, and not accepting some aspect of our reality creates the reaction to the ‘invading substance’ that creates the toxin that causes our suffering. So, once more, if we are keeping an irritation and not accepting some event in our mind, it may cause us to experience allergies. Peace, happiness and satisfaction occur when we do not allow negative thoughts to creep in and will result in elimination of all our allergies. There are ways to prevent negative thoughts: As there are seven bodies, so there are also seven chakras, energy centers, and each chakra is connected in a special way with its corresponding body. 1. The Physical Body and The Muladhar Chakra The chakra of the physical body is the muladhar. This is the first chakra and it has an integral connection with the physical body. The muladhar chakra has two possibilities. Its first potentiality is a natural one that is given to us with birth; its other possibility is obtainable by meditation. The basic natural possibility of this chakra is the sex urge of the physical body. The very first question that arises in the mind of the seeker is what to do in regard to this central principle. Now there is another possibility of this chakra, and that is brahmacharya, celibacy, which is attainable through meditation. Sex is the natural possibility and brahmacharya is its transformation. The more the mind is focused upon and gripped by sexual desire, the more difficult it will be to reach its ultimate potential of brahmacharya. Now this means that we can utilize the situation given to us by nature in two ways. We can live in the condition that nature has placed us in – but then the process of spiritual growth cannot begin – or we transform this state. The only danger in the path of transformation is that there is the possibility that we may begin to fight with our natural center. What is the real danger in the path of a seeker? The first obstacle is that if the meditator indulges only in nature′s order of things he cannot rise to the ultimate possibility of his physical body and he stagnates at the starting point. On the one hand there is a need; on the other hand there is a suppression which causes the meditator to fight the sex urge. Suppression is an obstacle on the path of meditation. This is the obstacle of the first chakra. Transformation cannot come about with suppression. If suppression is an obstruction, what is the solution? Understanding will then solve the matter. Transformation takes place within as you begin to understand sex. There is a reason for this. All elements of nature lie blind and unconscious within us. If we become conscious of them, transformation begins. Awareness is the alchemy; awareness is the alchemy of changing them, of transforming them. If a person becomes awake toward his sexual desires with his total feelings and his total understanding, then brahmacharya will begin to take birth within him in place of sex. Unless a person reaches brahmacharya in his first body it is difficult to work on the potentiality of other centers. 2. The Etheric Body and The Swadhisthan Chakra The second body, as I said, is the emotional or the etheric body. The second body is connected to the second chakra – the swadhishthan chakra. This too has two possibilities. Basically, its natural potential is fear, hate, anger, and violence. All these are conditions obtained from the natural potential of the swadhishthan chakra. If a person stagnates at the second body, then the directly opposite conditions of transformation – love, compassion, fearlessness, friendliness – do not take place. The obstacle on the meditator′s path in the second chakra is hate, anger and violence, and the question is of their transformation. Here too the same mistake is made. One person can give vent to his anger; another can suppress his anger. One can just be fearful; another can suppress his fear and make a show of courage. But neither of these will lead to transformation. When there is fear it has to be accepted; there is no use hiding or suppressing it. If there is violence within there is no use in covering it with the mantle of nonviolence. Shouting slogans of nonviolence will bring no change in the state of violence within. It remains violence. It is a condition given to us by nature in the second body. It has its uses just as there is meaning to sex. Through sex alone other physical bodies can be given birth. Before one physical body falls, nature has made provisions for the birth of another. Fear, violence, anger, are all necessary on the second plane; otherwise man could not survive, could not protect himself. Fear protects him, anger involves him in struggle against others and violence helps him to save himself from the violence of others. All these are qualities of the second body and are necessary for survival, but generally we stop here and do not go any further. If a person understands the nature of fear he attains fearlessness, and if he understands the nature of violence he attains nonviolence. Similarly, by understanding anger we develop the quality of forgiveness. In fact, anger is one side of the coin, forgiveness is the other. They each hide behind the other – but the coin has to be turned over. If we come to know one side of the coin perfectly we naturally become curious to know what is on the other side – and so the coin turns. If we hide the coin and pretend we have no fear, no violence within, we will never be able to know fearlessness and nonviolence. He who accepts the presence of fear within himself and who has investigated it fully will soon reach a place where he will want to find out what is behind fear. His curiosity will encourage him to see the other side of the coin. The moment he turns it over he becomes fearless. Similarly, violence will turn into compassion. These are the potentials of the second body. Thus, the meditator has to bring about a transformation in the qualities given to him by nature. And for this it is not necessary to go around asking others; one has to keep seeking and asking within oneself. We all know that anger and fear are impediments - because how can a coward seek truth? He will go begging for truth; he will wish that someone should give it to him without his having to go into unknown lands. 3. The Astral Body and The Manipur Chakra The third is the astral body. This also has two dimensions. Primarily, the third body revolves around doubt and thinking. If these are transformed doubt becomes trust and thinking becomes vivek, awareness. If doubts are repressed you never attain to shraddha, trust, though we are advised to suppress doubts and to believe what we hear. He who represses his doubts never attains to trust, because doubt remains present within though repressed. It will creep within like a cancer and eat up your vitality. Beliefs are implanted for fear of skepticism. We will have to understand the quality of doubt, we will have to live it and go along with it. Then one day we will reach a point where we will begin to have doubt about doubt itself. The moment we begin to doubt doubt itself, trust begins. We cannot reach to the clarity of discrimination without going through the process of thinking. There are people who do not think and people who encourage them not to think. They say, “Do not think; leave all thoughts.” He who stops thinking lands himself in ignorance and blind faith. This is not clarity. The power of discrimination is gained only after passing through the most subtle processes of thinking. What is the meaning of vivek, discrimination? Doubt is always present in thoughts. It is always indecisive. Therefore, those who think a great deal never come to a decision. It is only when they step out of the wheel of thoughts that they can decide. Decision comes from a state of clarity which is beyond thoughts. Thoughts have no connection with decision. He who is always engrossed in thoughts never reaches a decision. That is why it invariably happens that those whose life is less dominated by thoughts are very resolute, whereas those who think a great deal lack determination. There is danger from both. Those who do not think go ahead and do whatever they are determined to do, for the simple reason that they have no thought process to create doubt within. The dogmatists and the fanatics of the world are very active and energetic people; for them there is no question of doubting – they never think! If they feel that heaven is attained by killing one thousand people, they will rest only after killing one thousand people and not before. They never stop to think what they are doing so there is never any indecision on their part. A man who thinks, on the contrary, will keep on thinking instead of making any decision. If we close our doors for fear of thoughts we will be left with blind faith only. This is very dangerous and is a great obstacle in the path of the meditator. What is needed is an open-eyed discretion and thoughts that are clear, resolute, and which allow us to make decisions. This is the meaning of vivek: clarity, awareness. It means that the power of thinking is complete. It means we have passed through thoughts in such detail that all the doubts are cleared. Now only pure decision is left in its essence. The chakra pertaining to the third body is manipur. Doubt and trust are its two forms. When doubt is transformed trust is the result. But, remember, trust is not opposed or contrary to doubt. Trust is the purest and most ultimate development of it. It is the ultimate extreme of doubt, where even doubt becomes lost because here doubt begins to doubt even itself and in this way commits suicide. Then trust is born. 4. The Mental Body and The Anahat Chakra The fourth plane is the mental body or the psyche, and the fourth chakra, the anahat, is connected with the fourth body. The natural qualities of this plane are imagination and dreaming. This is what the mind is always doing: imagining and dreaming. It dreams in the night and in the daytime it daydreams. If imagination is fully developed, that is to say if it is developed to its fullest extent, in a complete way, it becomes determination, will. If dreaming develops fully it is transformed into vision – psychic vision. If a man′s ability to dream is fully developed he has only to close his eyes and he can see things. He can then see even through a wall. At first he only dreams of seeing beyond the wall; later he actually sees beyond it. Now he can only guess what you are thinking, but after the transformation he sees what you think. Vision means seeing and hearing things without the use of the usual sense organs. The limitations of time and space are no more for a person who develops vision. In dreams you travel far. If you are in Bombay you reach Calcutta. In vision also you can travel distances, but there will be a difference: in dreams you imagine you have gone, whereas in vision you actually go. The fourth, psychic body can actually be present there. As we have no idea of the ultimate possibility of this fourth body, we have discarded the ancient concept of dreams in today′s world. The ancient experience was that in dream one of the bodies of man comes out of him and goes on a journey. There was a man, Swedenborg, whom people knew as a dreamer. He used to talk of heaven and hell and that they can only exist in dreams. But one afternoon, as he slept, he began to shout, “Help! Help! My house is on fire.” People came running, but there was no fire there. They awoke him to assure him that it was only a dream and there was no danger of fire. He insisted, however, that his house was on fire. His house was three hundred miles away and it had caught fire at that time. On the second or third day news came of this disaster. His house was burnt to ashes, and it was actually burning when he cried out in his sleep. Now this is no longer a dream but a vision. The distance of three hundred miles was no longer there. This man witnessed what was happening three hundred miles away. Now scientists also agree that there are great psychic possibilities of the fourth body. Now that man has set out in space, research in this direction has become all the more important. The fact remains that no matter how reliable the instruments at man′s disposal, these cannot be relied upon completely. If the radio communication in a spaceship ceases to function the astronauts lose contact with the world for all time. They will not be able to tell us where they are or what has happened to them. So today scientists are keen to develop telepathy and vision of the psychic body to overcome this risk. If the astronauts were able to communicate directly with the power of telepathy it would be a part of the development of the fourth body. Then space travel can be safe. A lot of work has been carried out in this direction. Thirty years ago a man set out to explore the North Pole. He was equipped with all that was necessary for wireless communication. One more arrangement was also made which has not made known up until now. A psychic person whose fourth body faculties were functioning was also made to receive the transmission from the explorer. The most surprising thing was that when there was bad weather the wireless failed, but this psychic person received the news without any difficulty. When the diaries were compared later on it was found that eighty to ninety-five percent of the time the signals received by the psychic person were correct, whereas the news relayed by the radio was not available more than seventy-two percent of the time, because there were many breakdowns. Now Russia and America are both very eager, and a great deal of work is going on in the field of telepathy, clairvoyance, thought projection and thought reading. All these are the possibilities of the fourth body. To dream is its natural quality; to see the truth, to see the real, is its ultimate possibility. Anahat is the chakra of this fourth body. 5. The Spiritual Body and The Vishuddhi Chakra The fifth chakra is the vishuddhi chakra. It is located in the throat. The fifth body is the spiritual body. The vishuddhi chakra is connected to the spiritual body. The first four bodies and their chakras were split into two. The duality ends with the fifth body. As I said before, the difference between male and female lasts until the fourth body; after that it ends. If we observe very closely all duality belongs to the male and the female. Where the distance between male and female is no more, at that very point all duality ceases. The fifth body is nondual. It does not have two possibilities but only one. This is why there is not much effort for the meditator to make: because here there is nothing contrary to develop; here one has only to enter. By the time we reach the fourth body we develop so much capability and strength that it is very easy to enter the fifth body. In that case how can we tell the difference between a person who has entered the fifth body and one who has not? The difference will be that he who has entered the fifth body is completely rid of all unconsciousness. He will not actually sleep at night. That is, he sleeps but his body alone sleeps; someone within is forever awake. If he turns in sleep he knows it; if he does not he knows it. If he has covered himself with a blanket he knows it; if he has not then also he knows it. His awareness does not slacken in sleep; he is awake all the twenty-four hours. For the one who has not entered the fifth body, his state is just the opposite. In sleep he is asleep, and in the waking hours also one layer of him will be asleep. … So sleep is the innate condition before the beginning of the spiritual plane. Man is a somnambulist before he enters the fifth body, and there the quality is wakefulness. Therefore, after the growth of the fourth body we can call the individual a buddha, an awakened one. Now such a man is awake. Buddha is not the name of Gautam Siddharth but a name given him after his attainment of the fifth plane. Gautama the Buddha means Gautam who has awakened. His name remained Gautam, but that was the name of the sleeping person so gradually it dropped and only Buddha remained. This difference comes with the attainment of the fifth body. Before we enter into it, whatever we do is an unconscious action which cannot be trusted. One moment a man vows to love and cherish his loved one the whole life and the next moment he is quite capable of strangling her. The alliance which he promised for a lifetime does not last long. This poor man is not to be blamed. What is the value of promises given in sleep? In a dream I may promise, “This is a lifelong relationship.” What value is this promise? In the morning I will deny it because it was only a dream. A sleeping man cannot be trusted. This world of ours is entirely a world of sleeping people; hence, so much confusion, so many conflicts, so many quarrels, so much chaos. It is all the making of sleeping men. There is another important difference between a sleeping man and an awakened man which we should bear in mind. A sleeping man does not know who he is, so he is always striving to show others that he is this or he is that. This is his lifelong endeavor. He tries in a thousand ways to prove himself. Sometimes he climbs the ladder of politics and declares, “I am so and so.” Sometimes he builds a house and displays his wealth, or he climbs a mountain and displays his strength. He tries in all ways to prove himself. And in all these efforts he is in fact unknowingly trying to find out for himself who he is. He knows not who he is. Before crossing the fourth plane we cannot find the answer. The fifth body is called the spiritual body because there you get the answer to the quest for “Who am I?” The call of the ′I′ stops once and for all on this plane; the claim to be someone special vanishes immediately. If you say to such a person, “You are so and so,” he will laugh. All claims from his side will now stop, because now he knows. There is no longer any need to prove himself, because who he is is now a proven fact. The conflicts and problems of the individual end on the fifth plane. But this plane has its own hazards. You have come to know yourself, and this knowing is so blissful and fulfilling that you may want to terminate your journey here. You may not feel like continuing on. The hazards that were up to now were all of pain and agony; now the hazards that begin are of bliss. The fifth plane is so blissful that you will not have the heart to leave it and proceed further. Therefore, the individual who enters this plane has to be very alert about clinging to bliss so that it does not hinder him from going further. Here bliss is supreme and at the peak of its glory; it is in its profoundest depths. A great transformation comes about within one who has known himself. But this is not all; there is further to go also. 6. The Cosmic Body and The Agya Chakra So the quest up to the fifth body is to be rid of pain, hatred, violence and desires. After the fifth the search is in order to be rid of the self. So there are two things: the first is freedom from something; this is one thing and it is completed at the fifth plane. The second thing is freedom from the self, and so a completely new world starts from here. The sixth is the brahma sharira, the cosmic body, and the sixth chakra is the agya chakra. Here there is no duality. The experience of bliss becomes intense on the fifth plane and the experience of existence, of being, on the sixth. Asmita will now be lost – I am. The I in this is lost at the fifth plane and the am will go as soon as you transcend the fifth. The is-ness will be felt; tathata, suchness will be felt. Nowhere will there be the feeling of I or of am; only that which is remains. So here will be the perception of reality, of being – the perception of consciousness. But here the consciousness is free of me; it is no longer my consciousness. It is only consciousness – no longer my existence, but only existence. Some meditators stop after reaching the Brahma sharira, the cosmic body, because the state of “I am the Brahman” has come – of “Aham Brahmasmi,” when I am not and only the Brahman is. Now what more is there to seek? What is to be sought? Nothing remains to be sought. Now everything is attained. The Brahman means the total. One who stands at this point says, “The Brahman is the ultimate truth, the Brahman is the cosmic reality. There is nothing beyond.” It is possible to stop here, and seekers do stop at this stage for millions of births, because there seems to be nothing ahead. So the Brahma gyani, the one who has attained realization of the Brahman, will get stuck here; he will go no further. This is so difficult to cross because there is nothing to cross to. Everything has been covered. Does not one need a space to cross into? If I want to go outside of this room there must be some place else to go. But the room has now become so enormous, so beginningless and endless, so infinite, so boundless, that there is nowhere to go. So where will we go to search? Nothing remains to be found; everything has been covered. So the journey may halt at this stage for infinite births. So the Brahman is the ultimate obstacle – the last barrier in the ultimate quest of the seeker. Now only the being remains, but nonbeing has yet to be realized. The being, the is-ness, is known, but the nonbeing has yet to be realized – that which is not still remains to be known. Therefore, the seventh plane is the nirvana kaya, nirvanic body, and its chakra is the sahasrar. Nothing can be said in connection with this chakra. We can only continue talking at the most up to the sixth – and that too with great difficulty. Most of it will turn out to be wrong. Until the fifth body the search progresses within a very scientific method; everything can be explained. On the sixth plane the horizon begins to fade; everything seems meaningless. Hints can still be given but ultimately the pointing finger breaks and the hints too are no more because one′s own being is eliminated. So the Brahman, the absolute being, is known from the sixth body and the sixth chakra. Therefore, those who seek the Brahman will meditate on the agya chakra which is between the eyes. This chakra is connected to the cosmic body. Those who work completely on this chakra will begin to call the vast infinite expanse that they witness the third eye. This is the third eye from where they can now view the cosmic, the infinite. 7. The Nirvanic Body and The Sahasrar Chakra One more journey yet remains – the journey to nonbeing, nonexistence. Existence is only half the story: there is also nonexistence. Light is, but on the other side there is darkness. Life is one part, but there is also death. Therefore, it is necessary also to know the remaining nonexistence, the void, because the ultimate truth can only be known when both are known - existence and nonexistence. Being is known in its entirety and nonbeing is known in its entirety: then the knowing is complete. Existence is known in entirety and nonexistence is known in its entirety: then we know the whole; otherwise our experience is incomplete. There is an imperfection in brahma gyan, which is that it has not been able to know the nonbeing. Therefore, the brahma gyani denies that there is such a thing as nonexistence and calls it an illusion. He says that it does not exist. He says that to be is the truth and not to be is a falsity. There simply is no such thing, so the question of knowing it does not arise. Nirvana kaya means the shunya kaya, the void from where we jump from the being into the nonbeing. In the cosmic body something yet remains unknown. That too has to be known – what it is not to be, what it is to be completely erased. Therefore, the seventh plane in a sense is an ultimate death. Nirvana, as I told you previously, means the extinction of the flame. That which was I is extinct; that which was am is extinct. But now we have again come into being by being one with the all. Now we are the Brahman, and this too will have to be left. He who is ready to take the last jump knows the existence and also the nonexistence. All Barriers are within us So these are the seven bodies and the seven chakras, and within them lie all the means as well as the barriers. There are no barriers outside. Therefore, there is not much reason to inquire outside. If you have gone to ask someone or to understand from someone, then do not beg. To understand is one thing, to beg is another. Your search should always continue. Whatever you have heard and understood should also be made your search. Do not make it your belief or else it will be begging. You asked me something; I gave you an answer. If you have come for alms you will put this in your bag and store it away as your treasure. Then you are not a meditator but a beggar. No, what I told you should become your quest. It should accelerate your search; it should stimulate and motivate your curiosity. It should put you into greater difficulty, make you more restless and raise new questions in you, new dimensions, so that you will set out on a new path of discovery. Then you have not taken alms from me, then you have understood what I said. And if this helps you to understand yourself, then this is not begging. So go forth to know and understand; go forth to search. You are not the only one seeking; many others are also. Many have searched, many have attained. Try to know, to grasp, what has happened to such people and also what has not happened; try and understand all this. But while understanding this, do not stop trying to understand your own self. Do not think that understanding others has become your realization. Do not put faith in their experiences; do not believe them blindly. Rather, turn everything into questioning. Turn them into questions and not answers; then your journey will continue. Then it will not be begging: it will be your quest. It is your search that will take you to the last. As you penetrate within yourself you will find the two sides of each chakra. As I told you, one is given to you by nature and one you have to discover. Anger is given to you; forgiveness you have to find. Sex is given to you; brahmacharya you have to develop. Dreams you have; vision has to evolve. Your search for the opposite will continue up to the fourth chakra. From the fifth will start your search for the indivisible, for the non-dual. Try to continue your search for that which is different from what has come to you in the fifth body. When you attain bliss try to find out what there is beyond bliss. On the sixth plane you attain the Brahman, but keep inquiring, “What is there beyond the Brahman?” Then one day you will step into the seventh body, where being and nonbeing, light and darkness, life and death, occur together. That is the attainment of the ultimate… and there are no means of communicating this state. This is why our scriptures end with the fifth body, or at the most they go up to the sixth body. Those with a completely scientific turn of mind do not talk about what is after the fifth body. The cosmic reality, which is boundless and unlimited, begins from there, but mystics like the Sufis talk of the planes beyond the fifth. It is very difficult to talk of these planes because one has to contradict oneself again and again. If you go through the text of all that one Sufi has said you will say this person is mad. Sometimes he says one thing and sometimes something else. He says, “God is” and he also says, “God is not.” He says, “I have seen him” and in the same breath he says, “How can you see him? He is not an object that the eyes can see!” These mystics raise such questions that you will wonder if they are asking others or asking themselves. Mysticism starts with the sixth plane. Therefore, where there is no mysticism in a religion, know that it has finished on the fifth body. But mysticism also is not the final stage. The ultimate is the void – nothingness. The religion that ends with mysticism ends with the sixth body. The void is the ultimate, nihilism is the ultimate, because after it there is nothing more to be said. So the search for adwaita, the nondual, starts with the fifth body. All search for the opposites ends with the fourth body. All barriers are within us and they are useful, because these very obstacles when transformed become your means to go ahead. Do Not Fight, Try Your Utmost To Understand Every rock on the path can be a barrier as well as a medium. It depends entirely on what you do with it. One thing is certain: Do not fight with the rock, because then you will only break your head and the rock will not be helpful. If you fight with the rock, the rock will bar your way, because wherever we fight we stop. We have to stop near the person or thing we fight with; we cannot possibly fight from a distance. That is why if someone fights sex he has to be involved with sex just as much as another who indulges in it. In fact, many times he is closer to sex, because the one who indulges in it can get out of it someday, can transcend it. But the one who fights cannot get out of it; he keeps going around and around. If you fight anger you will become angry yourself. Your whole personality will be filled with anger and each fiber of your body will vibrate with it. You will emanate anger all around you. The stories we read of sages and ascetics like Durwasa being very angry happen because they fought with anger; thus, they could think of nothing but cursing. The personality of such a person turns into fire. These are people who have fought with rocks and are now in difficulty. They have become what they struggled against. You will read of other rishis that celestial maidens descended from heaven and corrupted them in a moment. Strange! This is only possible if a man has fought with sex; not otherwise. He has fought and fought and thus weakened himself. Then sex is secure in its own place; it is just waiting for him to break down. This sex can now burst forth from anywhere. There is little possibility of an apsara actually coming down from heaven – are such maidens on contract to harass rishis and munis? When sex is suppressed with a heavy hand, an ordinary woman becomes a celestial being. The mind projects dreams at night and thoughts in the day and it becomes completely filled with these thoughts. Then a thing which is not at all fascinating becomes bewitching. So the seeker has to beware of the tendency to fight. He should try his utmost to understand, and by trying to understand is meant understanding that which is given to him by nature. Through that which has been given to you, you will attain that which is yet to be attained. This is the starting point. If you run away from that which is the very beginning it is impossible to reach the goal. If you run away from sex in fright how will you ever reach brahmacharya? Sex was the opening given by nature and brahmacharya is the quest that has to be undertaken through this very opening. If you see in this perspective there is no need to beg from anywhere; understanding is what is required. All of existence is there for the purpose of understanding. Learn from anybody, hear everyone, and, finally, understand your own self within. “Put your heart, mind, and soul into even your smallest acts. This is the secret of success.” Nestled quietly in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Buckingham County, lies the Satchdananda Ashram, also known as Yogaville. My wife, Irmina Santaika, spent a week there last attending Sonia Sumar’s “Yoga for the Special Child”. Sonia, also known as Sivakami used yoga to help her daughter, Roberta, to overcome challenges that came with having Down’s Syndrome. Savikami eventually developed this methodology that has helped thousands of children with special needs over the years. Roberta transitioned from this life at an early age. Her life and how, with her mother’s dedicated effort, she overcame Down’s Syndrome to live a fulfilling and active life, is in itself, a story of success. Perhaps, on some unconscious level, that is what prompted Irmina to use Swami Sivananda’s quote as the caption for a photo she posted on Facebook of Savikami and I. The photo was taken when we visited Savikami at Yogaville to present her with an Icon portrait of Roberta Sumar done on a small cedar plank that Irmina had painted. Success. What is it? There are many books written about how to achieve it. Roberta Sumar’s success in overcoming Down’s is certainly a living example of it. One definition from a dictionary states that success is “The favorable or prosperous termination of anything attempted; the attainment of a proposed object; prosperous issue.” I find this a rather cold and uninspiring definition. Perhaps this is because I associate success with joy and happiness in a person’s life. Swami Sivananda says, “Put your heart, mind, and soul into even your smallest acts. This is the secret of success.” I believe that a successful individual is one who does things that bring him or her satisfaction, things that allow a person to put their heart, mind, and soul into even the smallest act associated with the overall effort. Irmina paints Byzantine Icons on small planks of cedar, praying and meditating as she works. Her art is beautiful and inspiring, successful, because there is joy in her effort. Sonia Sumar used yoga, loving moment by loving moment, to shape her daughter’s life into something vibrant and fulfilling. These are examples of success. Unless you are doing what brings joy to your soul, then it is difficult to imagine you can fully dedicate your heart, mind, and soul to the task. This can create a bit of a conundrum in our lives. As we move through life, many of us gravitate towards occupations and hobbies that we enjoy. We are generally successful at them because we naturally put our “heart, mind, and soul” into them. However, is being successful at these core activities the same as the “success” that Swami Sivananda is speaking of? I purport that it is only an element or a portion of “success”. There are meals to cook, grass to cut, dishes to clean, basements that flood, and a list of life’s interruptions and chores that flows along indefinitely. You have to put your heart, mind, and soul into even these smallest that they may be performed successfully. If not, your success is limited to only a portion of your life, resulting in only partial satisfaction in life. This results in us finding dissatisfaction with aspects of our lives, and can rob us of joy and happiness. How to fix this? We fix this by a change of perspective. It is necessary to realize that these smallest acts, such as cleaning dishes after the evening meal, have an important role in our life. We need to respect these chores and treat them with the same regard that we have for those things that excite us. Though I’m not a Zen master by any stretch of the imagination, I believe it would be accurate to say that we must reach a state of Zen in all aspects of our living and breathing. We must find joy each living moment regardless of the task before us so that we can put our hearts, minds, and souls into even the smallest act. Luke 16:10-12 New International Version (NIV) 10 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. 11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? 12 And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?” Dr Maas asks: Do you need an alarm clock in order to wake up in the morning? Do you hit the snooze button a few times before finally getting out of bed? Do you sleep extra hours on the weekend? If so, consider yourself one of millions of chronically sleep-deprived people. In the last century we have reduced our sleep time by 20 percent, and this has serious consequences. At least 63 million American adults are moderately to severely sleep deprived. Sleep deprivation costs America more than 100 billion dollars annually. Nearly every high school and college student is seriously sleep deprived; they need 9 1/2 hours of sleep to be fully alert, yet average six. Forty million Americans suffer from one or more of the 81 known sleep disorders. We have become a nation of walking zombies. Many people assume they are good sleepers when they fall asleep immediately when they get into bed. This is a sure indication of sleep deprivation. The well-rested person takes 15 to 20 minutes to fall asleep. When you don’t get adequate sleep, you’re likely to experience: If that isn’t convincing enough, new studies show that chronic sleep deprivation is one of the biggest predictors of obesity. Your quantity and quality of sleep, in part, dictates the hormonal activity linked to your appetite. Two hormones, leptin and ghrelin control hunger. When you are sleep deprived leptin levels drop dramatically and ghrelin levels rise causing voracious appetites. Such over eating can cause obesity. This explains what doctors have been seeing for decades—people who are chronically sleep deprived often find themselves putting on weight. People who sleep six hours a night are 23 percent more likely to be obese than those sleeping seven to nine hours per night. Making sure you get at least 8 hours of sleep would keep you away from the refrigerator and help you maintain your weight. One study found that too little sleep causes viral infections to rise. In another, sleep researchers tested people who only get 6 hours of sleep at night, which is what 70 percent of what the population at large gets. They found an increase in cytokines that invade and eat the heart. This means that chronic sleep deprivation slowly weakens your heart and heightens your chances of suffering from a heart attack. So much evidence pointing the importance of sleep should alert us to the consequences of too little sleep. Unfortunately, we don’t value sleep in our society. We fail to recognize the nearly linear relationship between sleep deprivation and daytime alertness. It takes one hour of sleep to produce two hours of wakefulness. And after 15.8 hours of wakefulness our cognitive abilities are dramatically reduced. In fact, when 8 hour sleepers increase their sleep by one hour there is a 25 percent increase in alertness. SLEEP, CANCER AND OBESITY Dr. Maas says we do not understand the need for sleep and the consequences of sleep deprivation. He says the human body has limits as to what it can endure without rest and sadly most of us are grossly exceeding those limits. In fact, 74% sleep less than the recommended eight hours during the work week which makes us moderately to seriously sleep deprived. Sleep loss is cumulative and it can have devastating effects. Some of the reasons he cites for a sleep deprivation crisis in America include: a workaholic society, numerous distractions (like late-nite TV and the internet), and a 24/7 society. Sleep is a necessity, not a luxury. Dr. Maas says new studies show that how well you sleep may determine how well your body fights cancer. Sleep problems affect two hormones that influence cancer cells. One is cortisol which regulates the immune system and releases certain natural killer cells that help the body battle cancer. Cortisol levels typically peak at dawn, after hours of sleep and decline through the day. Cortisol is the stress hormone triggered during times of anxiety and may play a role in the development and worsening of cancer and other illnesses. The other hormone is melatonin which is produced by the brain during sleep. Melatonin may have antioxidant properties that help prevent damage to cells that lead to cancer. Many of us have been sleepy for such a long time that we don’t know what it’s like to feel wide awake. Only when we’re exhausted and/or fall asleep at inappropriate times are we seriously reminded of the body’s fundamental need for sleep. “If you sleep more on weekends, need an alarm clock or can easily fall asleep within 5 minutes, you are sleep deprived,” says Dr. Maas. The process of sleep restores, rejuvenates, and energizes the body and brain. Sleeping has profound effects on your life in terms of alertness, energy, mood, body weight, perception, memory, thinking, reaction time, productivity, performance, communication skills, creativity, safety and good health. SLEEP STRATEGIES Dr. Maas says there are 4 golden rules for a great night’s sleep. Determine your sleep requirement and meet it every night, maintain a regular sleep/wake schedule, get continuous sleep and make up for lost sleep (power nap). Try avoiding sleeping pills. If you are still having trouble falling asleep, consider the following: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Sports Medicine recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most days of the week in order to maintain and improve optimal health. This recommendation is especially important for older Americans, who can be less likely to fulfill this requirement, yet are more at risk for chronic diseases associated with aging. Gardening is a very popular leisure activity for adults aged 65 or older in the United States. A recent study conducted by Sin-Ae Park, Candice Shoemaker, and Mark Haub of Kansas State University, set out to determine if gardening enables older adults to meet the physical activity recommendation set forth by the CDC and the ACSM. A previous study concluded that gardening results in improvement in mental health and depression for participants. Researchers were now interested in finding out if gardening can offer subjects the same positive health benefits that regular physical activity (such as jogging, swimming, or weight training) provides. Gardening was expected to influence whole-body bone mineral density because it included weight-bearing motions such as pushing a mower, digging holes, pulling weeds, carrying soil, and other tasks required use muscle groups in the entire body. The study was conducted on 14 gardeners aged 63-86 years. Measurements taken by researchers included heart rate, oxygen intake and energy expenditure, and the participants also kept weekly logs of their gardening activity. The study also sought to determine the average amount of time that gardeners spent at their task per week. Subjects reported, on average, gardening about 33 hours per week during May, but averaged only 15 hours per week in June and July. Older adults are at a higher risk for a sedentary lifestyle, which is one of the factors of increased risk of decline of muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, balance, and cardiopulmonary health. One of the factors cited that makes these adults less likely to participate in physical activity is boredom during exercising. The variety of tasks associated with gardening is one reason older adults are more likely to stick with their regimen; gardening tasks change throughout the season and different activities are involved in daily chores. The researchers concluded that gardening is a great way for older adults to meet the physical activity recommendations set forth by the CDC and the ACSM. One limit the study found was the seasonal nature of gardening. In climates where there are defined seasons, time spent gardening or maintaining a yard in winter is less than in the warm growing season. Continued research is needed to investigate the healthful benefits of gardening in all the regions of the United States. Once I was asked the question: “Do the Vedas teach vegetarianism?” The answer is, there is no Veda without the mention of ahimsa (non-violence). “Ahimsa paramo dharmaha” means that the greatest dharma one can embrace is ahimsa. Saint Ramalinga Swamigal always said, “If you want the golden key to unlock the heaven, please be kind to all life. No saint, no sage and no scripture has ever recommended himsa (violence).” That’s why the Patanjali Yoga Sutras and all scriptures teach us ahimsa. Reduce the hurt and reduce the violence as much as possible. Whatever you get in your life, whatever you receive in your life, let the source be love – it should come with love. Your money should come with love. Your clothing should come with love. Your food should come with love, not violence. It all should be a love offering. Unfortunately a non-vegetarian diet never comes to us with love. Have you ever heard of an animal coming to you with love and saying, “Here, please, take my thigh and make your soup”? No. The animals don’t offer their body parts to us this way; they even try to escape. They hate us because we cause violence to them. Non-vegetarian food is not a love-filled food. Even if you offer nice food – wholesome, clean and healthy food – to somebody with hatred in the mind, that food becomes poison to that person. Whatever we eat goes to make up the body and the mind. When a mother is in an angry mood and nurses the baby with her milk, the baby will fall sick. Why? The anger goes through the milk. We are born vegetarians. Our human body is made to run on vegetarian fuel. If a car is made to run on gasoline and you put crude oil into it, it will choke and the engine will cough. It is made for gasoline, not for crude oil. Our body is made for vegetarian diet. Our intestines are much longer than the non-vegetarian animals. Our tongues are different; we don’t have claws or fangs. Compare our features to those of the non-vegetarian animals and those of the herbivorous animals. Our features are more like the goat, cow and deer. Non-vegetarian food is not our natural food. In order for our bodies to digest meat, we have to cook it a lot. Even then it is not easily digestible, whereas fruits and other vegetables can be eaten raw. We don’t even need to have a kitchen to be vegetarian, but we have to cook meat. Meat affects the body. In the medical science now they are proving it. Meat leaves a lot of toxins, a lot of cholesterol. It leaves a lot of decayed matter. See for yourself: cut a piece of meat and leave it outside the refrigerator and, at the same time, break a carrot and leave it there. After some time, the meat will have a foul smell because it is decaying, but the vegetables will only dehydrate. There are so many reasons for a vegetarian diet. Consider the mental attitude of the different animals and that will also show you something. All the herbivorous animals are peaceful. They are just left alone. They roam around easily, with eyes full of love. Carnivorous animals have to be caged. Even in the cage, they roam around restlessly. You can see a marked difference in the mental attitude. You can see physical differences as well. You can poke your nose into the mouth of a goat and you will never find a bad smell. But if you even go near the cage of a tiger, lion or fox, it smells awful. Why? Their excreta. Why should it have a bad odor? Because what goes in comes out. Ask a meat-eater to raise the arm up and you get an awful smell; but not in the one who is a vegetarian. Ask any engineer how they mesure power – they mesure in horse-power. A motor is measured by horse-power and not tiger-power or lion-power. Why? If you have a tiger-power motor you cannot control it. Horse-power you can harness and control. Even an elephant has so much strength. It’s the strongest animal. But people invent various arguments and say that a tiger can kill an elephant. What does that mean? The tiger has killing power, but the elephant has pulling power. What do you need: killing power or pulling power? Sattvic strength and energy is what we need, not rajasic energy. That is what Gandhiji meant when he spoke about “soul power.” That is sattvic energy. That is the kind of strength that we want to cultivate. A non-vegetarian diet is not conducive to cleanliness of body and strength of mind. If you want a clean body and a strong mind; if you want a tranquil body and a tranquil mind, then vegetarian food is the best. When you clean the mirror of the body-mind well, it will reflect your true nature, the divine in you. To realize God you need a clean body and a peaceful mind. When you keep your body and mind clean, in a sattvic condition and a tranquil state, then you will experience God-realization.
1. The Physical Dimension involves firstly, the natural world consisting of incorporated matter, and secondly, the use of the five physical senses: eyes for sight, ears for sound, nose for smell, taste buds for taste, and nerves for touch and feel. 2. The Emotional Dimension involves the soul and the ego; both of these experiencing stimuli in a spectrum of feelings that range from pain to pleasure. The word itself suggests “a moving”, and this implies forces which have direction. While they can both be taught, fear becomes primarily an instinctive emotion while love becomes essentially intuitive. Affections and desires can become soulish, ego-driven, excessively emotional impulses. 3. The Intellectual Dimension brings together both conscious and unconscious aspects of the mind which is designed to coordinate physical functions and sustain mental activities by means of logic, reason, knowledge, and belief. 4. The Social Dimension provides for communication and association between individuals and groups. The effect of people upon one another, their behaviour, the development or breakdown of their relationships, the requirements of their communities and their organisation as a society, their culture, and the environment they exist in, and generate; all these give rise to the social dimension into which the other dimensions mesh. 5. The Spiritual Dimension is the breath of life in humanity that is capable of God-consciousness, and of communication with God, as different from the soul which is self-conscious, and the body which is world-conscious. It has been said that mankind has an inborn desire to worship someone or something, and as history shows, there is much debate about who or what this should be. It could be said of those who deny their spiritual dimension, that they worship their own opinion. There are many ways of expressing a heart-felt conviction that God is worth worshipping, but for a Christian, singing. His truth and uttering His praises, praying sincerely, preaching His gospel, giving and serving, fellowshipping with other believers, and living in obedience to His revealed will, are evidence of such a commitment. Interactions: Ideally there should be balance and harmony between these five interactive dimensions, not in there being equal giftings, talents and abilities in all dimensions, but in each responding and cooperating with the other in ways that are mutually beneficial. Temperaments and tendencies vary from person to person. Some are more physical, some more emotional; some are more intellectual, some are more social, and some are more spiritual than others. Any excess in one area will place stress on the others unless compensated for. The biblical wisdom and knowledge that produces a happy interaction of all five dimensions, and the heavenly resources available through the spiritual, 5 dimension, are able to prevent negative emotions such as hatred, bitterness, self-pity, lust, greed, envy, and jealousy, from ruling a life in ways that bring psychosomatic and mental illness, burn-out and despair, destruction, defeat, disorder and tragedy. Galatians 6:8 “For he that sows to his flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption: but he that sows to the Spirit, shall from the Spirit reap life everlasting.” Matthew 7:7 “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and the door shall be opened to you:” Your gut is densely lined with neuro-peptides and receptors that exchange emotional information. The pancreas alone releases 20 emotionally laden peptides. These emotionally charged peptides regulate assimilation and storage of nutrients. They also help transmit information about being full or hungry to the brain. Comfort foods are eaten either to achieve a feeling or maintain a feeling. They can even be an addictive response providing endorphins and exogenous opioids to the brain. From the University of Texas Counseling and Mental Health Center web site: 1. Emotional hunger comes on suddenly; physical hunger occurs gradually. 2. When you are eating to fill a void that isn’t related to an empty stomach, you crave a specific food, such as pizza or ice cream, and only that food will meet your need. When you eat because you are actually hungry, you’re open to options. 3. Emotional hunger feels like it needs to be satisfied instantly with the food you crave; physical hunger can wait. 4. Even when you are full, if you’re eating to satisfy an emotional need, you’re more likely to keep eating. When you’re eating because you’re hungry, you’re more likely to stop when you’re full. 5. Emotional eating can leave behind feelings of guilt; eating when you are physically hungry does not. According to the University of MD 75% of all overeating is due to emotions. * Eat when you are hungry and not when you are sad or angry. Never eat because of an emotional feeling you are trying to bury. * Reduce carb intake, especially the refined carbs that are also called “comfort foods,” which release short-term, feel-good neuro chemicals to the body and brain. * When you feel hungry, try drinking some water to see if the sensation goes away. If it is indeed hunger, then you have a good start on your digestion with the water you just imbibed! * Eat slow and relaxed. This will give you more time to chew the food, mix it with enzymes from the saliva and improve your overall digestion by giving the brain more time to keep up with the peptide signals that tell you when you have eaten enough. * Take a brisk walk with the arms swinging, jumping jacks or bicycling. Doing complex math problem or spelling words backwards, counting backwards and skip-counting can help logics take control when you are emotional. Eat like a king for breakfast, a prince for lunch and a pauper for supper. It comes down to a battle for the mind. Eat for the purpose of supporting a healthy body and mind. Eating for emotional fulfillment leaves you where you started emotionally, and maybe a bit too full. Join the Forum discussion on this postNaturalNews.com
“Why is my lower back so angry?”
Thursday, November 08, 2012
by: Kelly Pepper, D.C.
The link with our emotional body
Taking a deeper look at this association, we must understand how emotions affect our bodies. Any time we experience an emotion, whether it is positive or negative, our nervous system processes this feeling with associated past experiences. Our mind then evaluates this emotion, categorizes it as either fight/flight or business as usual, and triggers the alarm if it senses a need for survival. This survival response activates the body to assume a posture of defense physiology. Much of this processing is occurring at the subconscious level in various parts of our brains including the amygdala, the hippocampus, the cerebellum and the hypothalamus. It is not necessary to know all of these neuroanatomical locations your brain has already made a response to before you are consciously aware of it. Each emotion also drives a unique signature of hormones and neurotransmitters to be produced. Positive emotions typically create a blend of health enhancing chemicals, while negative emotions create a blend of disease promoting chemicals.Survival activation and deactivation
Other assessments of the body in chronic defense physiology include classic signs such as breathing with the shoulders instead of through the abdomen, shoulders elevated to the ears when “relaxed,” and dilated pupils. Heart rate variability (HRV), a technologically advanced non-invasive assessment of heart rhythm performed by both natural and conventional healthcare providers, can be measured to determine output of the autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for triggering the fight or flight response. Bio Energetic Synchronization Technique (B.E.S.T.), performed by natural healthcare providers, is a technique used to identify a body in defense physiology due to emotional stress. The aberrant emotional pattern can be determined, neutralized, and “updated.” This allows the nervous system to disengage the inappropriately timed defense response, letting the body return to a natural state of self-healing.
Sources for this article include
Pert, Candace. (1999), Molecules Of Emotion: The Science Between Mind-Body MedicineScribner ISBN 0-684-84634-9
Sarno, John E. (2006).The Divided Mind: The Epidemic of Mindbody Disorders. Harper Paperbacks. ISBN0-06-085178-3.
About the author:
Kelly Pepper, D.C., is a mother of six, an avid reader, eclectic cook, home manager, and untiring sleuth to natural living. She gathers her experience to share with children of all ages. She is currently working on a wellness book series for children ages 4-7. She and her husband own Affinity Health Professionals
![[Reuse options]](http://license.icopyright.net/images/icopy-w.png){kind=small}
ScienceDaily (Apr. 20, 2012) — Could engineered human stem cells hold the key to cancer survival? Scientists at the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN), the world’s first bioengineering and nanotechnology research institute, have discovered that neural stem cells possess the innate ability to target tumor cells outside the central nervous system.
If I were asked, “What is the first major cause of most illness?”, I would have to say incomplete digestion. If your food does not break down through the enzymes provided by fresh and raw food in your body, then putrefaction (rotting and decay) will take place. The result? Your body absorbs its own toxic waste before it can be eliminated.Have you ever tried doing two things at once? I know I have, and still do, and if you are anything like me these tasks are usually rushed and incomplete. The same applies to your digestive process. If you combine the wrong foods together in a single meal, your body is required to process incompatible food substances at the same time. This results in “incomplete digestion”, discomfort, and putrefaction. Eating your meals as if they were a smorgasbord can only lead to disaster.
ScienceDaily (Aug. 6, 2012)
“Preparation of Anti-Tumor Nanoparticles Using Tiger Milk Mushroom”
Jacob Teitelbaum, MD is a board certified internist and Medical Director of the Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centers. He is the best-selling author of From Fatigued to Fantastic! (Avery Penguin), Pain Free 1-2-3 (McGraw-Hill), and his latest Beat Sugar Addiction NOW! (Fair Winds). He is also the author of landmark published research on effective treatments for chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia. One of the most frequently quoted integrative medical authorities in the world, Dr. Teitelbaum appears often as a guest on programs such as Oprah and Friends with Dr. Mehmet Oz, CNN, Fox News Channel and local news and talk shows nationwide. Dr. Teitelbaum knows CFS and fibromyalgia as an insider. He contracted chronic fatigue syndrome while attending medical school and had to drop out for a year to recover. In the ensuing 30 years, he has dedicated his career to finding effective treatment. His website, http://www.endfatigue.com, provides resources for those seeking help with CFS and fibromyalgia, including a free patented software tool that can analyze chronic fatigue symptoms to help patients and their physicians determine the best course of treatment. The website also provides information and treatment advice covering general “health A-Z” topics from the perspective of integrative medicine. As a leading expert and researcher in chronic fatigue and pain, Dr. Teitelbaum has helped thousands worldwide to regain their energy, overcome pain and start enjoying their lives again.
Artwork by Irmina Santaika
Narrated by Ronald Stiles
Why do I have allergies? Is there a way to stop suffering from them?
Nutritional whole in one: Grains newly popular for taste and health benefits
provided by: Detroit Free Press
3-1-12 6:09 AM EST
Eating more whole grains, the USDA says, can help reduce the risk of certain diseases. Folks at the Harvard School of Public Health take it a step further, saying that whole grains should fill up the entire quarter of our plates.
Whole grains include barley, corn, oats, rice, rye and wheat (bulgur, farro and spelt are wheat grains). They contain the entire kernel with its nutritional parts: the bran (outer layer), endosperm (inner) and germ.
Fortunately, finding whole grains is easier than ever as more and more products contain 100 percent whole grains. And some very old grains are being reintroduced to new generations.
Grains such as amaranth, farro and quinoa are called ancient grains because the strains have been around for thousands of years.
Not only are they showing up in more recipes, they’re becoming more widely available on grocery store shelves.
“The focus on eating more whole grains has meant that there are even more options to the consumer,” said Bethany Thayer, wellness director at Henry Ford Health System in Detroit and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “We are not limited to whole wheat. You have whole-grain options like farro and spelt.”
It takes a conscious effort to make sure half of the grains you consume are whole.
Don’t be swayed by what’s on the front of the package. “You need to look at the ingredients list,” Thayer said. The first ingredient should be a whole grain, such as whole wheat, whole rye or quinoa.
“Increasing whole grains can be as easy as swapping out enriched flour with whole-wheat flour in your recipes,” Thayer said. “Depending on the recipe, you may want to mix half enriched flour with half whole-wheat flour.
When you have a choice, opt for whole grains.
“For breakfast, choose whole-grain cereals such as Wheaties, oatmeal or whole-grain toast. For lunch, make your sandwich with whole-grain bread, and at dinner choose a brown rice pilaf or whole-grain pasta,” said Kathleen Poore, registered dietitian and a program specialist with the Ann Arbor VA Health System. “And choose popcorn for a tasty whole-grain snack.”
ANCIENT GRAINS
These three so-called ancient grains are gaining new lives.
AMARANTH
What it is: These tiny yellowish seeds were a staple of the Aztecs. Not a true grain, it has the nutritional profile of a cereal grain.
Best nutritional aspect: Gluten-free, rich in vitamin B and a source of vitamin E, high in protein and a source of good fat.
To cook: For 1 cup amaranth use 2 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes until fluffy.
Best uses: Pilafs, hot cereals, cold salads. Use amaranth flour in breads, cookies and pancakes.
FARRO
What it is: A whole- wheat grain originally cultivated in the Middle East, it is known as the grain consumed by the Roman Empire. It has a nutty flavor and chewy texture.
Best nutritional aspect: High in protein, vitamins and antioxidants. Twice the fiber of wheat.
To cook: Farro is generally sold pearled, meaning some of the hull is removed so it cooks quicker. Soak unpearled farro overnight to soften the hull. For 1 cup farro, use 3 cups water. Bring to boil, cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes.
Best uses: In cold salads or in side dishes mixed with roasted vegetables. Use like Arborio rice to make risotto or soups.
QUINOA
What it is: A South America native, quinoa (KEEN-wah) consists of tiny, disc-shaped grains. It has the highest protein of any grain and a nutty flavor. Not a true grain, it has the nutritional profile of a cereal grain. You can buy quinoa in regular, red, black or mixed styles.
Best nutrition aspect: Known as a complete grain because of its high protein, high calcium and high amino acids. A 1/2 cup serving has 5 grams of fiber.
To cook: Rinse quinoa well in a fine strainer with cold water. Bring 1 cup quinoa to a boil in 2 cups of water. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until tender and liquid is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. A half-cup serving has 5 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein.
Best uses: Cold vegetable salads, including potato salads, and soups. In side dishes, add other vegetables, including roasted asparagus and squash.
Sources: www.wholegrainscouncil.org; “The New Whole Grains Cookbook” by Robin Asbell (Chronicle Books, $19.95).
READ THE LABEL
The Whole Grains Council introduced a 100 percent Whole Grain stamp years ago that’s on thousands of products. But it’s still important to read the ingredient list.
Products that have the 100 percent stamp offer 47 grams or more of whole grains per serving.
The organization’s stamp without the 100 percent signals a product with 8 grams or more of whole grains per serving.
The recommendation is to eat 48 grams or more of whole grains.
A product may not have a stamp but might carry other phrases about the amount of whole grains, such as:
Good source: At least 8 grams of whole grains per serving.
Excellent source: at least 16 grams per serving.
Whole grains include wheat, corn, rice, oats, farro, barley, quinoa, spelt and rye.
All field-grown grains contain the following three parts:
Bran: The protective outer shell that is high in fiber and B vitamins
Endosperm: Contains starch, protein, and some vitamins and minerals
Germ: The seed for a new plant. It contains some B vitamins, some protein, minerals, and healthy oils.
When you consume white flour, also known as enriched flour, you are only consuming the endosperm. Whereas whole grain flour contains all three important parts, and therefore provides you with extra protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
When the bran, endosperm, and germ are all included, the following are considered whole grains:
Amaranth, Barley, Brown and Colored Rice, Buckwheat, Bulgur, Corn and Whole Cornmeal, Emmer, Farro, Grano (lightly pearled wheat), Kamut Grain, Millet, Oatmeal and Whole Oats, Popcorn, Quinoa, Sorghum, Spelt, Triticale, Whole Rye, Whole or Cracked Wheat, Wheat Berries, and Wild Rice.
Health Benefits
People whole eat grains reduce serious health risk. The risk of heart disease drops 25-36% Risk of type 2 diabetes drops 21-27% Risk of digestive cancers drops 21-43% Risk of stroke drops 37%
Eating whole grains regularly has been found to control weight, reduce dangerous belly fat that is a great contributor to heart problems and other diseases, and drop blood pressure. Kids who consume whole grains regularly have a lower risk of obesity and diabetes, have lower cholesterol levels, reduce their risk of asthma, feel fuller and more satisfied, and may have a significant decrease in acne.
Why are whole grains so healthy?
Whole grains contain 3-5 times the vitamins and minerals found in refined grains. Corn has almost twice the antioxidants of apples, and wheat and oats almost equal the antioxidants of broccoli. Whole grain products offer a high amount of fiber ranging from 1g to 4g per serving. They provide you with long lasting energy, which helps to curb cravings throughout the day.
How much grain is recommended?
In a 100% whole grain food, the following counts as one serving:
½ cup of cooked pasta ½ cup of cooked rice 1 slice of bread 1 cup of ready-to-eat cereal ½ cup of cooked cereal
Depending on age and activity level, the USDA recommends 6-11 servings of grain per day. Most Americans consume enough grains, but at least ½ of those grains need to be whole grains.
Common whole grains described:
Barley
One of the oldest cultivated grains. Has a tough hull, which is difficult to remove with out losing some bran. Pearled barely is not technically a whole grain, but is still high in fiber. Look for hulled barely or one of the new varieties of hull-less barely. The fiber in barely is especially healthy, and may lower cholesterol levels.
*Cooking Tip* Simmer 1 part barley in 4 parts water for 30 to 40 minutes
Buckwheat
Buckwheat is not considered a grain, but has been adopted into the whole grain family due to its nutrients, nutty flavor, and appearance. Buckwheat is the only grain with high levels of the antioxidant rutin. Studies have shown that rutin improves circulation and prevents LDL (bad) cholesterol from blocking blood vessels.
*Cooking Tip* Simmer 1 part buckwheat in 2 parts water for 15 minutes.
Bulgur
Bulgur is created when wheat kernels are dried, cracked, then sorted by size. Often used as a base for many Middle Eastern dishes. Convenient because it only takes approximately ten minutes to cook. The speedy cook time makes it ideal for creating side dishes or salads. Contains more fiber than corn, quinoa, oats, millet, and buckwheat. It has a mild flavor which makes it ideal for those new to whole grain use.
*Cooking Tip* Pour 1 ½ cups boiling water over 1 cup bulgur and let stand for 30 minutes.
Oats
Oats have a natural sweetness, which makes them a popular whole grain Ideal for a breakfast cereal Unlike most other grains, the bran and germ of oats are almost never removed during processing. Most oats in the US are flattened and steamed to create “Old Fashioned,” quick, or instant oats. For those who enjoy chewier nuttier texture, steel-cut oats will be more delightful. Studies have shown that oats contain a special fiber called beta-glucan, which is especially effective in lowering cholesterol. Research has also found that oats contain a unique antioxidant that protects blood vessels from the damaging effects of LDL (bad) cholesterol.
*Cooking Tip* Simmer 1 part oats in 2 parts water for 10 minutes and let stand for 2 minutes.
Rice
The removal of the bran and germ during refinement causes white rice to be removed from the whole grain category. Wholegrain rice is usually brown, but can also be found in a variety of colors. Brown rice is lower in fiber than most other whole grains, but is rich in other nutrients. Rice is one of the most easily digested grains, which makes it ideal for those on a restricted diet who are gluten-intolerant.
*Cooking Tip* Simmer 1 part rice in 2 parts water for 15 to 20 minutes.
Rye
Rye is an unusual grain because of the high level of fiber in the endosperm In other grains, typically, high levels of fiber will be found in the bran. Because of this, bran is a great choice for diabetics. The type of fiber in rye provides a rapid feeling of fullness, making it a great choice for those who are trying to lose weight.
*Cooking Tip for Rye Berries* Soak overnight, then simmer 1 part rye berries in 4 parts water for 1 hour.
Corn
Corn is often dismissed at a nutrient poor starch and a second rate grain/vegetable. However, research is now finding that corn is the most antioxidant-rich grain. Corn has twice the antioxidant activity of apples To find whole grain cornmeal, avoid labels that say “de-germinated”.
*Cooking Tip for Cornmeal* Simmer 1 part cornmeal in 4 parts water for 30 minutes.
Wheat
This is the grain that dominates the grain scene, due to its high level of gluten. Gluten is the stretchy protein that allows bakers to give rise to their products. Therefore, without some wheat, it would be nearly impossible to give a satisfying rise to bread dough. This grain is widely used in pasta and breads, but can also be cooked as a breakfast cereal, or used as an excellent side dish.
*Cooking Tips* Wheat berries: Soak overnight, then simmer 1 part wheat berries in 3 parts water for 2 hours.
Wheat, cracked: Simmer 1 part cracked wheat in 2 parts water for 25 minutes.
Wild Rice
Tends to be high price and strong flavor. Because of this, wild rice is usually mixed with other rice or grains. Wild rice has twice the protein and fiber of brown rice, but less iron and calcium.
*Cooking Tip* Simmer 1 part rice in 3 parts water for 45 minutes to 60 minutes.
Less common whole grains described:
Amaranth
This whole grain was a staple of the Aztec culture, and is becoming more popular in today’s culture. Has a peppery taste At 16%, has a higher level of protein than most other grains It is popular in cereal, breads, muffins, crackers, bread, and pancakes
*Cooking Tips* Simmer 1 part amaranth in 3 parts water for 20 to 25 minutes.
Farro/Emmer
Emmer is an ancient strand of wheat that is especially popular in gourmet cooking. Semolina flour, made from emmer, is used for special soups and other dishes. This whole grain has also been known for making the best pasta. Can be found at your local Italian grocer.
Millet
This grain is not common in the United States. Commonly served in India, China, South America, Russia, and the Himalayas. This grain is often toasted or mixed with other grains before used in cooking. Can be white, gray, yellow, or red.
*Cooking Tips* Simmer 1 part millet in 2 parts water for 25 to 30 minutes.
Quinoa
Quinoa comes from the Incas in the Andes. It cooks in approximately 10-12 minutes, making it a great fluffy side dish It is ideal for incorporating into soups, salads, and baked goods such as processed cereal flakes. Most quinoa should be rinsed before use to avoid a slightly bitter taste. Quinoa is abundant in complete protein, containing all of the essential amino acids that our bodies cannot produce on their own.
*Cooking Tip* Rinse before using. Simmer 1 part quinoa in 2 parts water for 30 to 40 minutes.
Spelt
Spelt was widely cultivated until the use of fertilizers and mechanical harvesting became more prevalent. This whole grain can be used to replace common wheat in most recipes. The health benefit is that it contains more protein than most forms of wheat.
Teff
Teff grains are extremely small and are approximately 1/150 of the size of wheat kernels. All teff is whole grain because it is simply too small to mill. This grain is widely popular in Ethiopia, India, and Australia, but is now becoming more well known for its sweet molasses-like flavor and for versatility. Teff has over twice the iron of other grains and three times the calcium.
Triticale
Triticale is a hybrid of durum wheat and rye. Today, about 80% of triticale is grown in Europe, and is able to be grown without commercial fertilizers and pesticides, making it ideal for organic and sustainable farming.
OSHO
“In Search of the Miraculous”
Volume 2 – chapter 4
“The Seven Bodies And Seven Chakras”
By Ronald Stiles, written for VilNews
/Swami Sivananda
by Dr. James Maas
“Fight Cancer in Your Sleep!”
CBN.com – Dr. James Maas is a pioneer in the field of sleep. For over 35 years, he has conducted on-going research on the psychophysiology of sleep. He explores sleep and the connection to health and the human body.
ScienceDaily (Dec. 29, 2008)
“Gardening Provides Recommended Physical Activity For Older Adults”
“Why be a Vegetarian?”
by Sri Swami Satchidananda
Article from the Spring 2009 issue of Integral Yoga magazine
Wiki Answers.com
“What five interactive dimensions characterise the life of a human being?”
Interactive Dimensions of Human Life:
1. Physical
2. Emotional
3. Intellectual
4. Social
5. Spiritual
NaturalNews.com
“Emotional eating”
Saturday, August 04, 2012
by: Craig Stellpflug
Eating can be a highly emotional process because food does more than just fill our stomachs. While eating to satisfy hunger is a normal function, emotional eating can be a self-defeating and destructive force in someone’s life. Emotional eating is to eat for a reason other than hunger.
We are programmed early on in life to attach different emotions with different food. We lavish sweet rewards upon a child for good behavior. When a child is sad what do we give them? Cookies or cake? Punishment can be equated to hunger when the child is forced to miss a meal because of bad behavior. We program our kids to respond to foods at an early age and then set a pattern for comfort through foods that are re-enforced throughout life.Gut reactions
In university studies it was found that people tend to eat popcorn, pizza or steak when they are happy, ice cream, cookies and cake when they are sad, and potato chips when they are bored. Studies also show that depressed people tend to eat twice as much at a snack session than happy people, which links depression to obesity.Five differences between emotional eating and normal hunger:
Eating tips
psychcentral.com
wired.com
About the author:
Craig Stellpflug is a Cancer Nutrition Specialist, Lifestyle Coach and Neuro Development Consultant at Healing Pathways Medical Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ. healingpathwayscancerclinic.com With 17 years of clinical experience working with both brain disorders and cancer, Craig has seen first-hand the devastating effects of vaccines and pharmaceuticals on the human body and has come to the conclusion that a natural lifestyle and natural remedies are the true answers to health and vibrant living. You can find his daily health blog at blog.realhealthtalk.com and his articles and radio show archives at realhealthtalk.com
Published: Tuesday, April 10, 2012 – 09:35 in Health & Medicine
People who received frequent dental x-rays in the past have an increased risk of developing the most commonly diagnosed primary brain tumor in the United States. That is the finding of a study published early online in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society. Although dental x-rays are necessary in many cases, these findings suggest that moderate use of this form of imaging may be of benefit to some patients. Ionizing radiation is the primary environmental risk factor for developing meningioma, which is the most frequently diagnosed primary brain tumor in the United States. Dental x-rays are the most common artificial source of exposure to ionizing radiation for individuals living in the United States.
To examine the link between dental x-rays and the risk of developing meningioma, Elizabeth Claus, MD, PhD, of the Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, and her colleagues studied information from 1,433 patients who were diagnosed with the disease between the ages of ages 20 and 79 years and were residents of the states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, North Carolina, the San Francisco Bay Area, and eight counties in Houston, Texas, between May 1, 2006 and April 28, 2011. The investigators also studied information from a control group of 1,350 individuals who had similar characteristics but who had not been diagnosed with a meningioma.
Over a lifetime, patients with meningioma were more than twice as likely as controls to report having ever had a bitewing exam, which uses an x-ray film held in place by a tab between the teeth. Individuals who reported receiving bitewing exams on a yearly or more frequent basis were 1.4 to 1.9 times as likely to develop meningioma as controls. (Risks differed depending on the age at which the exams were done).
An increased risk of meningioma was also linked with panorex exams (which are taken outside of the mouth and show all of the teeth on one film) taken at a young age or on a yearly or more frequent basis. Individuals who reported receiving these exams when they were younger than 10 years old had a 4.9 times increased risk of developing meningioma. Those who reported receiving them on a yearly or more frequent basis were 2.7 to 3.0 times (depending on age) as likely to develop meningioma as controls.
The researchers noted that today’s dental patients are exposed to lower doses of radiation than in the past. Nonetheless, “the study presents an ideal opportunity in public health to increase awareness regarding the optimal use of dental x-rays, which unlike many risk factors is modifiable,” said Dr.. Claus. “Specifically, the American Dental Association’s guidelines for heathy persons suggest that children receive 1 x-ray every 1-2 years, teens receive 1 x-ray every 1.5-3 years, and adults receive 1 x-ray every 2-3 years. Widespread dissemination of this information allows for increased dialogue between patients and their health care providers,” she added. A 2006 statement by the American Dental Association highlights the need for dentists to examine the risks and benefits of dental x-rays and confirms that there is little evidence to support the use of dental x-rays of all teeth in patients who do not experience any symptoms.
A Mantra is a word or series of words chanted aloud or silently to invoke spiritual qualities. Chanting is used as a spiritual tool in virtually every cultural and religious tradition. In the yogic tradition a mantra is a Sanskrit word that has special powers to transform mind, body and spirit. Translated, mantra means, “that which when reflected upon gives liberation.”
During a Mantra Yoga session, words or phrases are chanted thoughtfully and with attention to bring a physical effect. Mantras are specifically made to produce a certain intent and vibration to promote a certain state of meditation.
Like prayer and affirmation the repetitious use of mantra can have powerful effects on the mind, body, spirit and emotions. Mentally, mantra meditation increases concentration, and improves memory and focus. Physically, mantra meditation lowers the heart rate, reduces blood pressure, and activates the relaxation response to allow healing and rejuvenation to occur. Mantra meditation builds self-confidence and self-empowerment, reduces stress and balances the emotions. Spiritually, mantras are said to dissolve one’s bad karma, produce jnana (wisdom) and are considered one of the many yogic paths towards self-realization.
They are normally chanted until the mind, body, and emotions are transcended and the subconscious is revealed.
Aad Guray Nameh Mantra
Aad Guray Nameh, Jugaad Guray Nameh, Sat Guray Nameh, Siri Guroo Dayvay Nameh
Translation:
I bow to the primal Guru
I bow to the truth that has existed throughout the ages
I bow to True Wisdom
I bow to the Great Divine Wisdom
More Information:
This is a mantra of protection and is recited to invoke the protective energy of the universe. Yogi Bhajan taught that this mantra should always be chanted 3 times in a row. This mantra is chanted after tuning in to a class with the Adi Mantra.
Many people chant this mantra when they need extra protection. It is part of the “triple mantra”, and is often spoken before driving a car to create a protective energy around the those in the car.
Translation:
Ong = the sound of creation, the infinite
Namo = bowing or paying reverence to
Guru Dev = the unseen, invisible
I bow to the subtle divine wisdom, the divine teacher within
More Information:
This mantra is chanted before practicing Kundalini Yoga to “tune in” to the yogic vibration and open your higher consciousness to receive the teachings.
Adi Shakti Mantra
Sarab Shakti, Sarab Shakti, Sarab Shakti, Namo Namo
Pritham Bhagvati, Pritham Bhagvati, Pritham Bhagvati, Namo Namo
Kundalini Mata Shakti, Mata Shakti, Namo Namo
Translation:
I bow to (or call on) the primal power.
I bow to (or call on) the all encompassing power and energy.
I bow to (or call on) that through which God creates.
I bow to (or call on) the creative power of the Kundalini, the Divine Mother Power.
More Information:
The Adi Shakti Mantra tunes one into the frequency of the Divine Mother, and to the primal protective, generating energy. It is said that chanting it eliminates fears and fulfills desires, and it powerful for awakening Kundalini & suspending the mind in bliss.
Amitayus Mantra
Bagalamukhi Mantra paralyze external foes: those who wish to do you harm to you in some way, especially in the form of speech and written word: she stops the negative speech and harmful intentions of others towards you. Therefore this mantra is traditionally used to stop those filing a wrongful and undeserved lawsuit against you; malicious gossip; slander; libel; bad behaviors of rude and aggressive neighbors, etc.
Chotay Pad Mantra
Translation:
Sat Narayan is True Sustainer,
Wahe Guru is indescribable Wisdom,
Hari Narayan is creative sustenance
Sat Nam is True Identity.
More Information:
This Mantra is chanted to create inner peace so one can project outer peace, happiness and good fortune. Narayan is the aspect of Infinity that relates to the water element. This mantra helps you “go with the flow” and takes you beyond the world to the experience of Infinity.
Daimoku Mantra
Tara is the feminine form of Om. Om personified as a Goddess.
Reciting this Mantra solves all problems and takes you out of any difficult situations that you may be in. It saves you, takes you out of all your troubles. Use this Mantra during emergencies.
Hare Krishna Mantra
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare
Translation:
O Lord, take away all my sorrows, pains and shortcomings and give me Bliss and Joy.
More Information:
This mantra is made up of only three words : ‘Hare’, Krishna and ‘Rama‘. ‘Krishna’ and ‘Rama’ are the name of Lord Vishnu – one of the mythological God in the trinity of Gods Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. It is said that in every yug (era) Vishnu takes incarnation on earth to establish the law of truth and righteousness.
The word Hare has come from ‘Haran‘ which means to take way or to end. So when one says Hare Krishna, he requests the God (the supreme consciousness) to take away his sorrows, his shortcomings, his failures and pains.
This Hare Krishna Mantra is actually a little prayer to God for taking away all the sorrows, pains and shortcomings of the chanter and provide him bliss and joy.
Om Hari Om
Translation:
‘Hari’ means ‘the remover’. ‘Om’ is the primordial cosmic vibration from which sprang the entire cosmos and all creation.
More Information:
‘Hari Om’ is a universal mantra that removes suffering. This mantra contains within itself the cosmic vibration. Through Hari Om meditation, prana moves from one energy centre to the other. This is the most most powerful and provenly effective mantra which heals the liver and all
liver related illnesses.
Shanti Mantra
Sarveshaam shantir bhavatu
Sarveshaam poornam bhavatu
Sarveshaam mangalam bhavatu
Sarve bhavantu sukhinah
Sarve santu niraamayaah
Sarve bhadraani pashyantu
Maakaschit duhkha bhaag bhavet
Translation:
Auspiciousness (swasti) be unto all; peace (shanti) be unto all;
fullness (poornam) be unto all; prosperity (mangalam) be unto all.
May all be happy! (sukhinah)
May all be free from disabilities! (niraamayaah)
May all look (pashyantu)to the good of others!
May none suffer from sorrow! (duhkha)
More Information:
The “sarveshaam mantra” is one of the peace or shanti mantras which may be used to invoke harmony and tranquility in the environment in which puja or prayers are performed. This shanti mantra may be repeated three or eleven times, as time permits. The mantra may perhaps be used as a closing prayer for the puja, to bless all those in attendance.
Suniai sidh
(Also known as: Siri Gaitri Mantra)
Ra Ma Da Sa Sa Say So Hung
Translation:
Ra – Sun
Ma – Moon
Daa – Earth
Saa – Impersonal Infinity
Saa Say – Totality of Infinity
So – Personal sense of merger and identity
Hung – The infinite, vibrating and real.
More Information:
This mantra taps into the energies of the sun, moon, earth, and the Infinite Spirit to bring deep healing. It can be chanted to heal the self or to send healing energy to anyone you wish.
Twameva Mata
Twameva Bandhu, Cha Sakha Twameva.
Twameva Vidya, Dravinum Twameva.
Twameva Sarvam Mama Deva Deva.
Translation:
O Lord,
You are my Mother, my Father, my Brother, and my Friend.
You are my Wisdom and my only Wealth.
You are my own Light of Lights.
More Information:
This mantra is usually recited at the conclusion of a prayer session,
meditation, or religious function.
Vajra Guru Mantra
VAJRA is the sublime essence of the indestructible family
GURU is the sublime essence of the jewel family
PEMA is the sublime essence of the lotus family
SIDDHI is the sublime essence of the activity family
HUNG is the sublime essence of the transcendent family
More Information:
OM is the perfect splendor and richness of sambhoghakaya
AH is the total unchanging perfection of dharmakaya, the manifest body of absolute reality
HUNG perfects the presence of Guru Padmasambhava as the nirmanakaya, the manifest body of emanation
VAJRA perfects all the heruka deities of the mandalas
GURU refers to the root and transmission gurus and the holders of intrinsic awareness
PEMA perfects the assembly of dakas and dakinis
SIDDHI is the life force of all the wealth deities and the guardians of the treasure teachings
HUNG is the life force of the dharmapalas, the protective deities
OM AH HUNG VAJRA GURU PEMA SIDDHI HUNG
OM AH HUNG purify obscurations arising from the three mental poisons: desire/attachment, aversion, and ignorance
VAJRA purifies obscurations which stem from anger
GURU purifies obscurations which stem from pride
PEMA purifies obscurations which stem from desire/attachment
SIDDHI purifies obscurations which stem from envy/jealousy
HUNG in a general way purifies obscurations which stem from all emotional afflictions
OM AH HUNG defeats the army of the five mental poisons
VAJRA defeats anger
GURU defeats pride
PEMA defeats desire/attachment
SIDDHI defeats envy and jealousy
HUNG defeats the armies of gods, demons and humans
OM AH HUNG VAJRA GURU PEMA SIDDHI HUNG
OM AH HUNG brings about the spiritual accomplishments or siddhis
VAJRA brings about the siddhi of peaceful and wrathful deities
GURU brings about the siddhi of the awareness-holders and the lineage gurus
PEMA brings about the siddhi of the dakas and dakinis and dharma protectors
SIDDHI brings about the mundane and supreme siddhis
HUNG brings about the siddhi of accomplishing whatever one wishes
OM AH HUNG VAJRA GURU PEMA SIDDHI HUNG
OM AH HUNG transfers consciousness to the pure realms of experience
VAJRA transfers consciousness to the eastern pure realm of Manifest Joy
GURU transfers consciousness to the southern pure realm of Glory & Splendor
PEMA transfers consciousness to the western pure realm of Great Bliss
SIDDHI transfers consciousness to the northern pure realm of Excellent Activity
HUNG transfers consciousness to the central pure realm of Unwavering
Welcome to the *Healing Art* Community
Ronald Stiles and Irmina Santaika have created the *Healing Art* website to cultivate a community of like believers in the many and diverse areas that make up natural and holistic healing. It is a non-religious, non-secular forum for similar minds and kindred spirits to share their knowledge and ideas, as well as to learn and grow.
*Healing Art* website articles present different opinions about illness, healing and wellness of various health and spiritual authors. These authors often have differing views that are reflected in their works. We do not endorse any of the articles and believe that each of us must make their own choice. We recommend taking time to truly listentoour bodies, which can lead us to greater overall wellness.
If you have an interest in participating on our website, please ask to register you on our website. Those who live in the Virginia Beach, VA area and wish to meet us, please contact us using our contact form.
Irmina Santaika
Registravimosi forma yra laikinai ishjungta.
Vilnius Time
London Time
Virginia Beach Time