All the basic forces in the Universe - visible and invisible - are but



different manifestations of that Unitary Power which the Vedists

call Prana. Using this Vital Energy to heal is called Pranic Therapy.

This article is a continuation of the earlier article Pranic Therapy Part

III.

The Ayurvedic Model

The system of Indian Holisitc medicine, Ayurveda postulates a different

view of the human personality. Based on the Sankhya school of Indian

philosophy, Ayurveda conceives life as the interplay of three Life-

principles called humours ( which correspond to the three attributes

of Nature - Sattwa, Rajas and thamas ).These are Vata ( wind), Pitta

( bile) & kapha ( phlegm). In the healthy person these three doshas

are in a state of perfect equilibrium. Illness arises when this balance

is lost. Ayurveda holds that every person has in him a tendency to have

one of the three humours dominate his psychophysical system & this

predominance of one humour makes Ayurveda classify the body under

three types: Vata type, Pitta type & Kapha type. ( This is parallel to the

Vedantic model which classifies individual minds as Sattwa dominant,

Tamas dominant and Rajas dominant ). Taking this predominance of

one of the humours into consideration & identifying the body type,

Ayurvedic doctors prescribe medicine & diet.

Attributes of Nature are these!

Know then that Being and Nature both

Hath no beginning; that all qualities

Are Nature-born!

2. Regulation of Food, Sleep and Exercise

" Food is medicine; Medicine is food " said Hippocrates. "Food is

Brahman. Food was verily born before all creatures: therefore it is

called the medicine for all" declares the Upanishads. By stating that

food is the root cause of all ills & illnesses Vedanta have formulated

one of the foundational principles of holistic health. At least half the

ailments of man can be traced directly or indirectly to the problems

of food.

Regulation of food is not easy, because it is an addiction like alcohol.

Problems like obesity,higher cholesterol level & irritable bowel syndrome

crop up if food is not controlled. By controlling food, the whole body

comes under control. "When taste is conquered everything is conquered "

averrs Vedanta. What really matters is not how much we eat but how

much of what we eat is transformed into bioenergy & the building

materials of life. Sir William Osler pointed out many years ago " Only

a small percentage of what we eat nourishes us; the balance goes to

waste and loss of energy".

In holistic health, food should be revered & a proper attitude towards

food should be developed. " Be thankful for all food, for food is

Brahman " said Vivekananda.

Six hours have been prescribed for all even though requirement of

sleep varies from person to person

Research studies have indicated that even moderate levels of exercise

bolster the immune system.

No amount of sleep is sufficient for unwinding the mind for it is always

tense state under the stressful conditions of modern life. Antidotes to

stress include yogic techniques like Meditation, prayer, cultivation

of the Witness attitude & practice of absolute self-surrender to the Divine,

which enable us to avoid a lot of unnecessary stress.

Acid-Alkaline Balance - Key Indicator of Health

Foods either leave an acid ash or an alkaline ash. Maximum health is in

an alkaline body. The average 20th century diet, stress, pace,

lifestyle & environment produce far more acid than is healthy. The human

body is alkaline by design & acidic by function, which means that your

body's health is dependent upon it being alkaline.

The original source of stress is known as a stressor. Most of the stressors

in todays' society ( cigarette smoke, alcohol, stress itself, bad diet,

coffee, sodas, pharmaceuticals) all produce an acid state in the body.

All cancerous states are acid states of long duration.

Research indicates that 90% of our general population is far too acidic,

which leads to a variety of negative health effects. Over time, being

acidic is the main cause of degenerative diseases & aging. If you have

an acidic body, you become energyless, exhausted physically & mentally

and you lose the radiance and shine of skin & hair.

Grains,sugar, dairy, animal or vegetarian protein & oils yield an acid

ash while fruits, sea vegetables, vegetables quality water & herbs

yield an alkaline ash You should consume 20% of your food daily,

by weight from the acid ash-forming foods & 80% , from the

alkaline ash-forming foods.

pH ( standing for 'potential of Hydrogen' ) is a measure of the relative

acidity or alkalinity of a solution. The scale of pH ranges from 1 to 14.

14 is totally alkaline and zero is acidic. The middle of this line is 7,

neutral. Quality water has a Ph of 7 and you should maintain this level.

It is ideal to incorporate 2 glasses of lime juice along with the 8-12

glasses of water which is taken daily . A diet of 80% alkaline ash

foods is ideal. We have to maintain this ratio - 80 % alkalinity & 20%

acidity for optimum health.

The effects of having an alkaline body

1) we are calm & collected

2) we have high energy level

3) our sleep patterns are deep

4) we have less colds and flus than normal

5) the immune system is fortified

6) the body has good absorption/assimilation/digestion.

Yoga Physical Exercises for Relaxation

Doing nothing or simply lying down is not relaxation. The muscles when

stretched bring in relaxation as it frees them from the tense condition.

Some of the yogic Asanas are highly effective because they can relax

the muscles.

There will be focal point in the body which reflects the mental tension

which one finds oneself in. That focal point of mental tension should

be identified and you can choose that type of yogic exercise which

will relax the muscles & tendons of the specific focal point of tension

in you.

More information about Transcendental Philosophy & Yoga can be had from http://www.astrologiavedica.com/html/yogamain.htm

Regulation of Breath

"Breathlessness is deathlessness " averrs Yoga. Regulation of breath gives

tremendous relaxation.Pranayama, without the help of a bona fide Master,

can lead to serious complications. What is needed is the practice of

breathing deeply ( as deeply as possible ) through both the nostrils & then

slowly breathing out ( without breath retention ). This kind of regulated

deep breathing can be done at any time, even in your office.

Psychosomatic pain can be alleviated by these simple yogic techniques

more effectively than allopathic pills or tablets. Here we employ the

internal pharmacy of Skill power in lieu of the external pharmacy of Pill

Power!