- Pranic Therapy Part IV
- By: G Kumar
Astrologer and Epistemologist
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.
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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) and 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 and
this predominance of one humour makes Ayurveda classify the body
under three types: Vata type, Pitta type and 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
and identifying the body type, Ayurvedic doctors prescribe medicine
and diet. |
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Attributes of Nature are these!
Know then that Being and Nature both
Hath no beginning; that all qualities
Are Nature-born!
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 and 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 and 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 and 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 and 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 and 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 and environment
produce far more acid than is healthy. The human body is alkaline
by design and 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 and aging. If you have an acidic
body, you become energyless, exhausted physically and mentally
and you lose the radiance and shine of skin and hair.
Grains,sugar, dairy, animal or
vegetarian protein and oils yield an acid ash while fruits, sea
vegetables, vegetables quality water and herbs yield an alkaline
ash You should consume 20% of your food daily, by weight from
the acid ash-forming foods and 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 and 20% acidity
for optimum health.
The effects of having an alkaline
body
1) we are calm and 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 and tendons of the specific focal point of tension in
you.
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 and 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! |
