Pranic Therapy IV

Pranic Therapy Part IV

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!