GHEE - Ayurveda's Elixir of Life!

In Ayurveda, cow's milk & Ghee (clarified butter) is believed to be the best for human consumption. It is full of nutritive qualities. Ayurveda considers it a Rasayana, a rejuvenating and longevity-promoting food. Ghee is traditionally made by heating butter until it becomes a golden liquid. Read more

Relevence of Ayurveda in today’s life

The diseases pertaining to life science are neither contagious nor influenced by genetics. These diseases breed in exhausted bodies that are out-of-shape due to unhealthy and frenzied lifestyles. These diseases involve both mind and body and hence holistic approach of Ayurveda is essential in bringing about well being and good health and plays a major role in treating diseases prevalent in today’s world.

The advantages of holistic treatments for combating heart diseases, diabetes and cancer, as in Ayurvedic literature has already been proven and accepted in countries like Japan, Singapore and Finland.

Ayurveda emphasizes that an individual should adopt healthy habits like regular routine schedule for sleep, proper cleansing practices, body massage, meditation, regular physical exercises, yoga, good clothing habits, a balanced diet depending on the weather, adequate intake of fluids, avoiding anger and stress and maintaining healthy relationships, sex life that is socially permissible and self education.

The holistic approach of Ayurveda involves usage of drug, behavioral changes and diet in tackling problems of mind and body to ensure vitality and good health. In Ayurveda, an illness is treated by four main procedures; cleansing (Samshodhana), Palliation (Samshamana), rejuvenation (Rasayana) and spiritual and psychological healing (Satvavajaya). When there is an imbalance of doshas, the lifestyles and dietary managements that are based on these doshas get disturbed.

Indian guru makes peace angels of Iraqi youths

MUMBAI (Reuters) - An Indian spiritual guru is teaching yoga and meditation to a group of war-weary Iraqis, whom he hopes will extend their new-found inner peace to their nation.
The 55 men and women — chosen by the Iraqi government — live on an expansive spiritual retreat in southern India and will follow an intensive meditation and rhythmic breathing regime for a month to learn about an alternative lifestyle.

Waking up at five every morning, they participate in yoga classes, meditate, help in the kitchen and take part in spiritual discussions, public speaking classes and spiritual singing as part of their physical, mental, emotional and social development.

Under the tutelage of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, one of the world’s most popular spiritual leaders, the youngsters also learn about leadership qualities so that when they go back they can lead their local communities.

Kama Yogi - Sexual dysfunction may take many forms.

Sexual dysfunction may take many forms. The most common problems are Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder (low not allowed drive) and Penile Erectile Dysfunction (difficulties in achieving and maintaining an erection).

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the key causes of sexual dysfunction is due to rapid urbanization, increased consumption of energy-dense foods high in saturated fats and sugars and depression.

When a man finds himself unable to get and maintain a sufficient erection due to physical causes, it can cause depression and anxiety.

By the same token, when a man finds he suffers ED only in certain circumstances, physiological factors may be the source of the problem. While psychological factors can play a big role in sexual problems, studies have suggested that 20 - 50% of men with erectile dysfunction have some organic basis for their problem.

Sexual dysfunction may range from mild (low not allowed drive, weak erections, lack of energy, slow and weak ejaculation) to severe (total inability to achieve erection and complete lack of sexual desire). In many cases, sexual dysfunction or sluggish sexual responses may be caused by poor systemic health, stress, the build up of toxins and unhealthy lifestyles.

In a way, sexual health can be seen as a sort of ‘barometer’ of overall systemic and psychological health.

Men who are healthy, fit and confident about themselves and about life usually report a vigorous and satisfying not allowed life, no matter what their age.

Practitioners of Ayurveda have many centuries of knowledge regarding the use of herbal medicines and holistic techniques to treat a wide variety of medical problems and to promote optimum health and functioning. In this respect, certain Yoga techniques practices have been identified as having the ability to improve sexual functioning and overall systemic health.

Traditionally, Yoga is the divine science, a gift of God to his creation. When man has reached a certain stage of evolution, Yoga is "revealed" to a few great saints who are empowered to transmit it to qualified pupils and through them to successive generations.

The earliest archaeological evidence for the practice of yoga is afforded by drawings of men in the posture of yogic meditation excavated in the Indus valley - dating from at least 3000 BC! The earliest literary evidence is found in references to the practice of Yoga in the Vedas, the oldest books in the world, parts of which were composed in Northern India not later the 2500 BC; it is widely believed by scholars that Yoga existed and was handed down orally for thousands of years before that.

India Herbs has a seasoned group of Ayurvedic doctors specialized in Vajikarana, one of the eight major specialties of Ayurveda (the ancient science dealing with medicine).

Vajikarana is "a process or a drug, which make a man sexually as strong as a horse and able to copulate for long and frequently with many wives and partners. " India Herbs' Vajikarana scientists have integrated a series of yogic techniques and practices based on millennia old wisdom to reignite inert bodily functions caused by stress and energy deprivation.

The KAMA YOGI eBook contains simple and effective methods, coupled with adherence to simple advice on diet, exercise, mental training, and relaxation that will treat the whole person - the mind , body and spirit in order to create the balance that will address the causes of low libido and male sexual dysfunction as well as ensuring optimum overall health through safe and natural means.

Results: The KAMAYOGI eBook is a clear and step-by-step practical guide with photos to help you to increase your psycho-sexual power and improve your not allowed life.

YOGA's healing power is very strong - so powerful that men who are impotent can regain their potency as they realized their overall health potential. Order the

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Kama Yogi

YOUR BODY IS YOUR TEMPLE! Maintain It Through Proven Ancient Practices for Sexual Enhancement! CHARAKA, THE AUTHOR OF ANCIENT AYURVEDIC TEXTS, WROTE . . .

"The healthy life has three main pillars - a balanced diet, mental hygiene, and a healthy not allowed life. " Kama Yogi's Powerful Techniques Give Significant, Invigorating, and Enduring Results! If you want to enjoy extraordinary not allowed and reduced chance of low not allowed drive and lack of vigor, vitality, and raw sexual energy, there is proven help available. India's men and women have been reaping the powerful benefits of YOGA for the past 5,000 years!

The 63-page Kama Yogi eBook with 165 color photographs offers a set of ancient spiritual practices geared towards the attainment of sexual vigor, improved vitality, and increased libido.

It will help you: Intensify Your Orgasms. Elevate Your not allowed Drive. Enhance Your Sexual Pleasure. Harden & Prolong Your Erections. Acquire Flexibility for Lovemaking. Satisfy Desires & Be Fulfilled. Kama Yogi is a product of: 5000 years of Yogic wisdom. Tantra and Kundalini principles. Proven Yoga postures. Time-tested Meditation techniques. Focus on physical & spiritual sexuality.

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Keeping the Genitourinary Tract

Keeping the Genitourinary Tractin Balance

Urinate when you feel the need. Avoid holding in urine.

Drink at least 8 glasses of water each day.

Eat sweet, juicy fruits (daily if possible).

Avoid drinking coffee and alcohol, and stay away from spicy foods.

Avoid exposure to cigarettes, chemicals, water and air pollution, and other environmental toxins.

Women should wipe from the front to the back after using the restroom. This helps to prevent bacteria from the colon from entering the bladder.

Cleanse the genital area before sexual intercourse. Urinating after sexual intercourse can also help avoid infection.

Avoid bubble baths, feminine hygiene sprays and scented douches. These can irritate the urethra.

Avoid eating foods that are old or contain preservatives and chemicals — including leftovers, fermented foods, non-organic foods, canned foods, and packaged foods. These overload the liver and make it less effective in screening out toxins.

Avoid cold drinks, which reduce the digestive fire.

Stress can upset the normal functions of the body. The Transcendental Meditation® program has been shown in over 600 scientific studies to be the most highly effective technique for reducing both mental and physical stress.

For free ayurvedic recipes, self-care guides, podcasts and newsletters, be sure to visit www.mapi.com.

Breathe: Ayurvedic Tips for Healthy Lungs

The respiratory system is an intricate and delicate network of channels that carry prana (the vital life-force) and oxygen. The lungs are the organs that receive the prana and oxygen that we breathe in through our nose and mouth. In Ayurveda, the lungs and the stomach are important sites of kapha dosha, the force in the body which is governed by the elements of water and earth. Most disorders of the respiratory system are a result of imbalanced kapha dosha. Mucus or phlegm is produced in the stomach and accumulates in the lungs.

It can then be distributed to other sites in the respiratory tract manifesting as imbalances. Although accumulation of mucus does not inherently mean that a respiratory imbalance will develop, it is indicative of low agni, or digestive fire. Low agni is among the common causes of respiratory imbalances and very often, the treatment protocol involves enkindling the digestive fire so that digestion can operate more optimally. Other causes of lung imbalances include:

• Improper diet
• Polluted air
• Seasonal changes
• Poor posture
• Lack of exercise
• Excessive grief and attachment

Although there can be an imbalance of the other doshas, vata and pitta, resulting in more asthmatic (vata) and infectious (pitta) conditions, people with excess kapha and kapha predominate constitutions are generally more susceptible to imbalances involving excess mucus.

Common manifestations are:

• Colds and flu
• Congestion
• Bronchitis
• Pneumonia
• Swollen glands or lymphatic congestion

Sore Throat Ayurveda offers ways to bring an increased dosha back into balance through diet, lifestyle and herbal supplements.DietFollow a kapha reducing diet. Guidelines can be found by clicking this link: http://www.banyanbotanicals.com/constitutions/balancing_kapha.htmlHere are some simple tips to follow:

• Avoid heavy, dense foods such as meat and cheese.
• Avoid fatty, fried foods.
• Eliminate dairy.
• Sip hot water with lemon and honey with meals and throughout the day.
• Include warm digestive spices in your diet such as ginger, cloves, cardamom and black pepper.
• Do not overeat or drink in excess.

Have your mid-day meal be the largest, eating a lighter breakfast and dinner. HerbsBanyan's Lung Formula blends pippali, licorice, cane sugar and other herbs to nourish and support healthy respiration. This formula supports healthy lung function.

Take 1-2 tablets, once or twice daily, or as directed by your health practitioner. In the case of low digestive fire, an appetite stimulant and digestive aid such as Trikatu can be taken.LifestyleThe key lifestyle tip to balancing kapha and maintaining good lung health is exercise. Kapha dosha can be very stubborn, dense and sticky.

Warming the body through exercise helps to liquefy this substance, bringing it back to the digestive tract in order to be eliminated. When exercising, the breathing rate increases to meet the body's demand for more oxygen. This helps to expand lung capacity, keeping them functioning optimally. Other daily lifestyle practices that can help keep the respiratory tract clear are:

Nasya oil - lubricates the nasal passages and supports uncongested breathing
Neti pot - removes mucus and pollution from the nasal passages Meditation Meditation reduces stress, calms the mind and is an effective practice to help dissolve negative emotions that can be detrimental to your health. The calming and relaxating effect of meditation can help to regulate breathing patterns, improving lung function.

Sit quietly, firmly rooted, focusing on the crown of your head and your breath.
Bring your awareness to the natural rhythm of your breath.

Notice the gentle inhalation, exhalation and the short pause of retention in between.
If the mind begins to wander, invite it back to the breath.

Allow thoughts to ebb and flow with the breath, staying perfectly present to each moment.

Practice meditating 10-20 minutes every day. YogaRegular practice of yoga improves posture and keeps the body's channels open and free flowing. Linking breath and movement is an optimal way to invite space and increase vitality within the body's tissues and organs. Asana or postures that move the rib cage and stretch the intercostal muscles help to keep lungs healthy. By bringing more flexibility into the ribs, back and shoulders, the lungs can expand more fully.

To also keep kapha dosha in check, practice yoga asanas more vigorously. Sun Salutations, Suryanamaskar, or any continuously linked yoga practice including many standing postures can help to raise the heart rate and improve lung function.PranayamaYogic breathwork or pranayama is an excellent way to revitalize prana within the body.

Pranayama is a practice in controlling the breath. Pranayama cleanses and strengthens the physical body while calming and clearing the mind. It is important to practice with the proper posture to allow the breath to move freely in the body. Pranayama may be the ultimate tool to help support healthy lung function. It conditions the diaphragm while helping to more fully oxygenate the blood. Try alternate nostril breathing to balance the breath and support the lungs.

Position the right hand (you may choose to alternate with each practice) in vishnu mudra by folding the index finger and third finger inwards to lightly touch at the base of the thumb. Your pinkie finger rests by the side of the ring finger. You will alternately use your thumb to close your right nostril and your ring and pinkie fingers, working as one, to close your left. Rest your left hand comfortably in your lap. The breath should never feel forced. Envision the breath as a light thread of silk, lengthening effortlessly with each inhalation and exhalation.
Keeping the breath relaxed, subtle and light:

Close the left nostril and exhale completely through the right.
Inhale fully, through the right nostril.

Close right nostril and exhale through the left nostril.
Inhale through left nostril.

Close left nostril and exhale through right nostril.

This is one round. Begin a slow and regular practice of 5-10 rounds. Rest after your practice and notice how you are feeling. Once comfortable with this practice, you can begin mentally counting to four on your inhalation, pause at the space between the breath and then count to four as you exhale so that the length of your inhalation and exhalation are equal.

Seven Ways to Make Every Day Feel Like a Holiday

All work and no play may make Jack a very dull boy, but can too much work actually make Jack sick? According to a wide array of research, the answer is a resounding YES.
Take the study published in Psychosomatic Medicine in 2000. Researchers analyzed data from 12,000 men between the ages of 35 and 57 who were prone to heart disease. The thirteen percent who reported skipping their vacations the previous year had a much higher risk of death than those who took their vacations.

In another study published in Occupational Medicine, workers in a medium-sized manufacturing firm reported fewer physical ailments immediately after a vacation, and the results still held five weeks afterwards.

According to Maharishi Ayurveda, these results are not surprising. Maharishi Ayurveda takes the concept of balancing activity and rest seriously, advising us to include adequate rest and rejuvenation in the cycles of each season and as part of every single day. This is essential for preventing ill-health in body, mind and emotions.

Here are seven ways to incorporate more rest and relaxation into your schedule throughout the year.
Stop straining. Since all disease, according to Maharishi Ayurveda, starts with misuse, overuse or lack of use of the mind, body or senses, it's important not to strain. If you feel exhausted at night after work, or if you feel overly anxious or depressed due to work, you are either doing too much or are doing work that is not suitable for you. Take steps to lighten your workload. If it's the nature of the work itself that is causing you strain, you might want to seriously consider making a change.

Don't slight sleep. It's when you're tired that you tend to overwork. When you're rested you can finish the work without strain and still have energy and time left over for the rest of your life. Research shows that workers who get less than six hours of sleep a night are prone to costly accidents, poor concentration and poor performance. Sleep is also important for producing ojas, the biochemical equivalent of bliss.

Without it depression, anxiety and anger increase.

The quality of sleep is just as important as number of hours. If you have trouble sleeping, try going to bed earlier, before 10:00. This usually creates a deeper sleep. Prepare for deep sleep by avoiding TV and computers in the evening. Take Blissful Sleep to aid in falling asleep, or Deep Rest if you wake up tossing and turning in the night.
Spend time in pure enjoyment every day. Everyone needs a little vacation time built into every single day. If you work on the job, and then come home to endless work there, you're setting up a situation for ill-health, unhappiness and fast aging. Your children will appreciate you more if you take time to play a game with them after dinner, or share a favorite hobby.

If you're on the computer all day, try to schedule real events in the evening, such as walking with friends, painting a picture, or playing a musical instrument. Sharing your life with family and friends rejuvenates the mind and heart in a way that nothing else can. One way to boost your capacity for enjoyment is to practice the Transcendental Meditation® program every day. By allowing the mind to bathe itself in the infinite reservoir of bliss and intelligence that is found at the basis of thinking, you begin to infuse bliss into every activity. Over time practitioners find that life itself becomes blissful, and that no activity is a strain. This is true enjoyment--when every moment of life becomes a celebration.

Structure work breaks. Even while you're working, it's actually more productive to take breaks each hour. A 2000 study in the journal Ergonomics suggested that taking frequent work breaks is the only way to prevent neck and shoulder discomfort due to repetitive work on the computer. Another study showed that the only effective way to reduce Repetitive Strain Injury for computer workers was to institute frequent work breaks away from the keyboard. Breaks are also essential for preventing eyestrain. The most effective break you can take is walking outside and breathing fresh air. Stretch and bend if you can, or walk briskly. This will infuse your brain with oxygen and give you a moment to appreciate the beautiful summer weather.

Schedule rest and rejuvenation between the seasons. One important preventive measure offered by Maharishi Ayurveda is to take time to rest and rejuvenate at the end of each season. The purification procedures of Maharishi Panchakarma are designed to gently cleanse the colon, tissues and microchannels of the body of impurities that have built up during the previous season. This gives the body a chance to enter the new season with maximum flexibility and high immune strength. It also prevents imbalances from remaining in the system. By restoring balance each season, disease is prevented from happening.

Even if you can't do Maharishi Panchakarma every season, you can eat lightly for two weeks during the weeks when the seasons are changing. Favor warm soups, dhals, fresh vegetables and whole grains. This will give your digestion a chance to rest and purify toxins. You can also take Elim-Tox or Elim-Tox-O to purify the liver, Genitrac to purify the urinary system, and Herbal Cleanse to purify the large intestine. Together these products give your body the rest and rejuvenation it needs to create only good health in the coming season.

Take regular vacations. Even if you live a balanced lifestyle, with frequent breaks and adequate time for relaxation each day, it's important to give your mind a complete break once or twice a year. This is especially important if your work is taxing. A change of scenery, away from cell phone, beeper and computer, provides a certain deeper type of rest that is essential for mind and body. It's also healthy for families to spend leisure time together, to forge deeper bonds and share happy times together. Vacations don't need to be expensive--you can camp out, stay with relatives, swap homes. Be creative. The main point is to experience a change of pace, get some deep rest, and allow your mind and body to really take a break. Often, taking a break provides new insights, perspectives and creativity once you return.

Boost your bliss power. Feeling happy is a normal state of mind. If you are fatigued, anxious, or depressed, it's time to take steps to remove the underlying cause. For relief from anxiety, try giving yourself a daily abhyanga, or ayurvedic oil massage. Use Relaxation Massage Oil, and then soak in a tub with Relaxing Therapeutic Bath Salts containing Lavender, Bergamot, Rosemary and Peppermint.

Listen to the soothing rhythms of Gandharva Veda music, and after your bath apply Youthful Skin Advanced Lipid Support, an extraordinary moisturizing lotion that contains herbs and oils that replenish and renew not only your skin but your emotions as well. Take Worry Free or Stress Free Mind to treat the underlying cause of anxiety and to build resistance to day-to-day stress. If your emotions are out of kilter and you feel frustrated or angry on a daily basis, try Cooling Pitta Aroma Oil or light aBlissful Heart aroma Candle.

Massage with Cool Sensation Massage Oil, and bathe with Soothing Therapeutic Bath Salts, which contain a mixture of Patchouli, Vetiver and Cypress to cool body, mind and emotions. Take Blissful Joy or Stress-Free Emotions tablets to give a positive lift to your emotional health. Just making a few changes can put you back on track and help build the inner resources that make every day feel like a holiday.

Maharishi Ayurveda Products International, Inc.

Ayurveda Body Cleanse Tips

Our bodies were not meant to be toxic dumps. Yet, improper digestion, high levels of stress, and pollutants such as chemicals in the air we breathe, the water we drink or wash with, and the foods we eat, continuously create toxins in the body. If not flushed out on a regular basis, ayurveda contends that this toxic build-up can eventually manifest as disorders. And as we grow older, the body's inbuilt mechanisms for eliminating impurities tend to be less efficient, thus stressing the need for periodic internal cleansing therapy.

Three Kinds of Toxins
Ayurveda describes three kinds of toxins. The most common type is ama, which is the sticky waste-product of digestion that builds up in the digestive tract when your digestion is either weak or overloaded with the wrong foods.
If ama is not cleared from the body and continues to build up, eventually it can leave the digestive tract and start circulating through the body. Once it settles in a specific area, over time ama becomes reactive and mixes with the subdoshas, the dhatus (body tissues), or malas (waste products such as urine). When it mixes with these parts of the physiology, it becomes amavisha, a more reactive, toxic type of ama.

The third type of toxins are what we would call environmental toxins today. Environmental toxins come from outside the body and include pesticides and chemical fertilizers in food, as well as preservatives, additives and genetically engineered foods. Food that has "gone bad" and is filled with harmful bacteria also falls in this category. Other garavisha toxins include arsenic, lead, asbestos, chemicals in detergents and household supplies, poisons, air and water pollution, chemicals and synthetics in clothing, and recreational drugs.
Amavisha and garavisha types of toxins are best handled by an ayurvedic physician, but there are a number of things you can do on an ongoing basis to prevent ama from building up in your body.

Signs That You May Have an Ama Build-Up
If you experience a heavy feeling in your body, if your joints are stiff, if your tongue is coated when you wake up in the morning, if you have an unpleasant body odor, if you feel dull and sleepy after eating, if your mind is foggy, you may have a build-up of ama in the body. Diarrhea, constipation, joint pain, sadness, dullness, lowered immunity, frequent bouts of colds and flu are all health problems that can be caused by ama.
Ama clogs the channels of circulation in the body, preventing the unrestricted flow of nutrients to the cells and organs. Or it can clog the channels that carry waste from the cells and tissues, resulting in a toxic build-up.

How Ama is Created: Diet and Lifestyle Factors
Ama is the waste product of incomplete digestion, so any dietary or lifestyle habits that disrupt digestion can cause ama.

If you eat foods that are too heavy to digest, such as fried foods, hard cheeses, meats, leftovers, junk foods, processed foods, and rich desserts, these can overload your digestion and cause ama to form. Cold foods and drinks -- such as ice cream, ice-cold water and foods straight from the refrigerator -- also are hard to digest, since cold temperatures put out the digestive fire.

How much food and the type of food you can easily digest depends on your digestive capacity. Digestion can be weak, strong, or irregular, depending on your body type or imbalances:

If your digestion is weak or dull (a characteristic associated with Kapha dosha), and you eat too much food or food that is too heavy for your digestive system, you'll form ama.

Someone with a strong digestion (associated with Pitta dosha) will be able to eat larger quantities and richer foods without forming ama. A person with an irregular digestion (associated with Vata body type) will find that their appetite and digestive ability fluctuates -- sometimes it's strong and sometimes weak.
You need to adjust your eating and habits to suit your digestive type. Digestion also fluctuates according to the seasons, and if you don't adjust your diet and lifestyle when the weather changes, you may form ama. For detailed information on foods and eating habits for each body type and the seasons, visit the foods section)

Digestion can also be weakened by poor eating habits. For instance, not eating at the same time every day, not eating the main meal at noon when the digestion is stronger, skipping meals or eating between meals can all throw the digestion out of balance.

An irregular daily routine can also disrupt your digestion and cause ama. Mental, emotional and physical stress is another cause of incomplete digestion and ama. If you've ever tried eating when you're upset, and felt the stomach pains afterwards, you know why this is so. In general, any time go against your own nature, or fall out of harmony with natural law, your digestion will reflect that and create ama.

An Ama-Reducing Diet
If a person has simple ama, it's generally possible to remove it from the body by enhancing or balancing agni, the digestive fire. First of all, it's important to begin an ama -reducing diet. This is a simple diet, consisting of warm, freshly-cooked whole foods that are light, easy to digest, and are suitable for the person's body type and season.

The ama -reducing diet includes fresh, organic vegetables; sweet, juicy fruits; whole grains such as quinoa, cous cous, rye, barley, amaranth, millet and rice; and easily digested proteins such as mung dhal or lentil soup. Lassi -- a drink made in the blender with one part freshly made yogurt, four parts water, and salt or honey for flavor -- is an excellent digestion -- booster to drink after a meal because it contains acidophilus, a friendly bacteria that aids digestion. Cooked leafy greens such as chard and kale are especially good for improving elimination and helping to detoxify the body.

The vegetables and grains should be cooked with tasty spices that are suitable for your body type and the season, such as Vata, Pitta or Kapha Churna from Ayurveda. Avoid all of the foods that we mentioned earlier as a cause of ama -- fried foods, heavy foods such as aged cheese, meat, rich desserts -- anything that is difficult to digest should be left out of your diet. Avoid eating or drinking anything cold.

Drinking warm water throughout the day is a good way to flush out ama and toxins of all kinds, especially if you add detoxifying spices to make a tea.

Detoxifying Tea
Boil two quarts of water in the morning. Add 1/4 t. whole cumin, 1/2 t. whole coriander, 1/2 t. whole fennel and let steep for ten minutes with the lid on. Strain out the spices and pour water into a thermos and sip throughout the day. Start fresh by making a new batch of tea each morning.

Lifestyle
TipsThe most important thing is to eat your main meal at noon, when the sun is strongest and the digestive fire reflects that strength. If you eat too much at night, or eat heavy foods such as meat or cheese then, the food will sit in your stomach and create ama. Eat light at night and your food will be easily digested before you go to sleep.

It's also important to eat all three meals at the same time every day. If your body gets used to a regular routine, the digestive juices will start to ready themselves before the meal, and will be more efficient in digesting. If you eat at all different times, your digestion will be thrown off.

Don't snack between meals unless you are actually hungry, and wait until the food is digested before eating a meal. If your digestion is already occupied with digesting and you add new food on top of that, the result is ama, the sour, undigested waste product of undigested food.

Other aspects of the ayurvedic routine are also important. Going to sleep before 10 p.m. is essential, because then during the Pitta time of night (10-2) your digestion has a chance to cleanse and rejuvenate itself. If you stay up, you'll probably feel hungry about midnight and will want to eat, which will tax the digestion and create ama.

Waking up before 6 a.m. is recommended, as if you sleep late into the Kapha time of the morning (6-10 a.m.), the channels of your body will become clogged with ama and you'll feel dull and tired.

Daily exercise that is suitable for your body type will stimulate digestion and help cleanse the body of toxins. It's also important to manage your stress, and to have a job that your enjoy and is not too taxing for your body type. Everyone can benefit from spending time each day practicing the Transcendental Meditation® program to remove mental, emotional and physical stress.

Herbs That Heal: Espically for Internal Cleansing
Ayurveda offers a range of detoxification products. For all types of toxins, the first and foremost treatment is to improve elimination. Digest Tone is an excellent herbal formula for supporting regular bowel movements. Taking two to five tablets of Triphala before going to bed will help purification.

Genitrac helps flush out ama from the genito-urinary tract. It targets the genito-urinary channels to help eliminate toxins through the urine.

Elim-Tox and Elim-Tox-O are both effective in removing toxins from the liver, blood, sweat glands and elimination system. For example, Elim-Tox contains Indian Sarsaparilla, Red Sandalwood, Vetiver and Neem Leaf to enhance purification of toxins through the sweat glands and skin. Other herbs support elimination through the urinary tract by balancing lubrication (Shleshaka Kapha) and the downward energy in the body (Apana Vata).

Another group of herbs contained in Elim-Tox, including Psyllium Seed, Rose Petals, Licorice Root, Turpeth Root, Tinospora Cordifolia and Chebulic Myrobalans, support elimination of toxins by lubricating the digestive tract and supporting the process of elimination through urine and stool.

Elim-Tox is faster acting, but if a person has a Pitta imbalance, Elim-Tox-O is safer because it first pacifies the reactivity of Pitta dosha before flushing out the toxins.

Liver balance is good for strengthening liver function, and the liver plays a critical role in filtering impurities. Radiant Skin is good for keeping the skin clear -- it enhances digestion and helps keep the blood pure.

Spring is Ideal for Cleansing
Many people feel the signs of ama build-up in spring more than at other times of year, because the toxins that are already in the body start to display their symptoms then. The reason is that if you don't follow the proper seasonal diet and routine during the first two months of winter (November and December), the body can accumulate more toxins then. The channels become clogged, and at the same time because of the cold temperatures, ama gets stuck or "frozen" in the walls of the channels.

At this point there will not be as many symptoms of ama. But during the second two months of winter, January and February, there is a slight warming effect, because the sun is starting to gain in strength and is moving toward its zenith in June, even though it's still cold out. By the time spring comes and it really is warmer outside, the frozen ama starts to melt, and as it flows into the body's channels, the channels become flooded with toxins.

Because these toxins are naturally melting in spring, it's the best time to detoxify. The body is already in the mode of eliminating toxins, so it's a good time to support the body in that role.
To detoxify in the spring, The Council of Ayurveda Physicians recommends that for two months, you take Elim-Tox or Elim-Tox-O, take Triphala or Herbal Cleanse, drink plenty of the Detoxification Tea mentioned earlier, follow the ama -reducing diet, and follow the ama -reducing ayurvedic routine mentioned earlier.

Keeping your body cleansed and free of toxins is a matter of following the ayurvedic diet and routine suitable for your body type and imbalances throughout the year, and following an ama -reducing diet daily routine in spring or any time that your feel a toxic build-up. In this way you can take care of these three areas of the body -- strengthening the digestion, cleansing the liver, and cleansing the bowel. If you do this, over time you will find that less and less toxins build up in your body, and you will enjoy the energy, clarity and lightness of a toxin-free body, mind and emotions.

Ayurveda Heart Haelth Balance

Q: In modern medicine, we think of the heart in its physical sense, pumping gallons of blood each hour. What is the perspective of Ayurveda on the heart?

A: This is an excellent question, because it points directly to the difference between Ayurveda and modern medicine. While modern medicine studies and treats the physical heart, Ayurveda does this but much more. Ayurveda recognizes that there are actually two aspects to the heart: the physical organ that pumps the blood and the emotional aspect that experiences joy, love, and sorrow.

In fact, Ayurveda even goes beyond this to the deeper, more subtle elements. For example, the ayurvedic texts say that prana, the life force, is seated in the heart. One ayurvedic text, the Bhavprakash, describes the heart as a lotus flower with the petals pointing downwards.

At night, when you are sleeping, the petals are closed. During the day, when you are active, the petals are open. The lotus petals are reflective of the essential energy of the heart.

The heart is also the seat of the subtle, life-sustaining substances ojas and soma. Ojas is the material equivalent of immunity and bliss. It circulates throughout the body, giving luster to the skin, clarity to the mind and balance to the emotions. A special kind of ojas, known as the essential ojas, is stored in the heart. Eight drops of essential ojas reside in the heart as long as the person lives.

Soma is the first expression of consciousness itself, the first subtle expression of nature's intelligence in material form. Soma sustains the body, mind and emotions from the side of consciousness, while ojas is a more material expression of soma.

For the health of the heart, then, it is necessary to support the intelligence of nature expressed in soma and ojas, and to support the mental, emotional and physical aspects of the heart.
Q: That's fascinating. Can you tell us something about the doshas that govern the heart?

A: Yes. The main subdoshas that govern the health of the heart are Vyana Vata, which is seated in the heart and governs the beating of the heart and the circulation of blood throughout the body; Sadhaka Pitta, which governs the emotions and their effect on heart functioning; and Avalambaka Kapha, which governs the structure, stability and strength of the heart.

Other subdoshas are also involved in heart health, such as Prana Vata, which governs the mind. When, due to mental stress, Prana Vata is out of balance, it can impact the health of the heart. Udana Vata, which governs the chest and throat area, is also involved in keeping the heart healthy.

Q: What are the factors that can cause an imbalance in the heart?

A: To keep the heart running in a healthy way, all of these subdoshas I just described must be kept in balance. You must also do what is necessary to keep ojas in balance and to nourish the production of ojas in the body.

Also, the life energy, or prana, is maintained by a delicate balance between soma and agni. Agni is the principle of nature that governs the digestive and metabolic functions in the body. Because it involves heat, it is associated with the energy of the sun. You could say that the sun's energy takes the form of agni in the human body.

Soma, on the other hand, is cooling and associated with the cooling, nourishing influence of the moon. In terms of heart health, soma soothes the emotions and mind and builds a strong heart.

When you say that a person has a flowing heart, you are talking about the influence of soma.

There needs to be a balance between these two influences for the heart to be healthy.

Unfortunately, our modern, fast-paced life inevitably tips the scale in favor of agni and diminishes soma. The nourishing, soothing influence of soma is diminished when people are under pressure at work, when they are rushing around, when they don't get enough sleep, when they are overexposed to electromagnetic influences, when they drink impure water, breathe impure air, and when they eat "fast" foods or chemical-laden foods. You could say that modern life causes soma to waste away.

This is seen literally in the doshas. The fast pace of life aggravates both Vata and Pitta dosha. In terms of the heart, Sadhaka Pitta, when out of balance, becomes overheated and literally burns soma. Vyana Vata, when hyperactive, dries soma. Both doshas affect ojas in a similar way. Too much aggravation of Vata and Pitta dosha can dry up Avalambaka Kapha also.

Most serious heart imbalance is caused by mental and emotional stress (in ayurvedic terms Vata and Pitta aggravation). If a person consistently eats the wrong types of fats, or a diet that is too high in fat, the likelihood of an imbalance in heart health and function increases.

So to protect the heart, it's important to understand what kinds of dietary and lifestyle choices cause Vyana Vata and Sadhaka Pitta to become imbalanced and the soma and ojas to be diminished. Once you know what these are, you should avoid those things. You should support the production of soma and ojas in the body with your diet and lifestyle.

Q: So mental and emotional stress are really detrimental to the well-being of the heart. Can you elaborate on that?

A: Yes. Mental and emotional stress build up over time, and they cause adrenaline and other toxic hormones to be overproduced and that can damage the fine fabrics of the heart.

It's true that the buildup of cholesterol and plaque in the arteries, due to eating a diet of improper fatty foods, is a major problem. And certainly a Kapha imbalance, when excessive ama is being produced and clogs the arteries, can contribute to heart damage. This type of simple blockage is caused by Kapha dosha.

But what many people don't realize is that mental stress, or Prana Vata imbalance, can cause the digestive agni to be sometimes high, sometimes low. This variability can also lead to the build-up of ama, and eventually plaque in the arteries. Mental stress also affects Vyana Vata, and if it continues over time it can lead to circulatory problems and cardiovascular imbalance stemming from stress.

And if there is an emotional imbalance, that also can cause weakness in the digestion. When Pitta dosha starts to escalate due to emotional stress, a whole imbalanced enzymatic reaction can take place, causing an over-reactive response along with the build-up of amavisha, a more Pitta-related, reactive kind of toxin in the cardio area. This situation creates blockages in the channels of the heart, and can result in quicker, sharper pain as associated with hyperactive anginic reaction.

Q: What is the Ayurveda perspective on the other Major known risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure?

A: According to Ayurveda, high blood pressure is one symptom of an imbalance in the heart, but the underlying causes could be very different in different people. One person may have a Vyana Vata imbalance, aggravated by a Vata-aggravating diet and lifestyle. Taxing the mind with too much mental work or too much mental stress aggravates Prana Vata as well, and the result of both Vyana and Prana Vata aggravation is Vata-predominant high blood pressure and other Vata-related heart problems.

Other contributing factors might be not getting enough sleep, working late at night, watching TV late at night, constantly dividing the mind by doing two things at once (such as talking on the phone and cooking or driving), constantly rushing from one thing to the next, feeling pressure of time, exercising too much for your body type.

Dietary causes might include eating too many dry, light or raw foods, having an irregular meal time, skipping too many meals, eating while standing up, eating while doing business or talking on the phone, and in general not eating enough.

Q: There must be Pitta-related causes for high blood pressure and heart imbalance then.
A: Yes, Sadhaka Pitta aggravation can cause faster, more reactive changes in the heart area. Sometimes it is related to toxins from food that accumulate in the liver (which is also a seat of Pitta in the body).

When Sadhaka Pitta is aggravated, people lose their capacity to cope with emotional challenges, and then their blood pressure also goes up. Some lifestyle habits that might cause this to happen are going to bed late, watching disturbing movies, and exposing their heart to too much emotional stress. As for diet, eating too many spicy, hot foods such as chilies and jalapeno peppers can aggravate Pitta dosha. Too much of sour foods such as ketchup, mustard, vinegar-based salad dressings or sour oranges, grapes or lemons; and highly salty foods such as chips, cheeses and most processed foods should also be avoided. In general, foods that are not "intelligent"--such as processed foods, non-organic foods grown with chemicals and pesticides--overtax the liver and cause Pitta to go out of balance.

Q: Tell us more about Kapha-related causes for high blood pressure and heart imbalance?
A: If digestion is weak and ama, the waste-product of digestion has been present in the body for a long time, it can spread to the fat tissue and mix with Avalambaka Kapha in the heart region. This kind of ama imbalance blocks the pranavahi srotas, the channels that circulate oxygen throughout the body. This causes high blood pressure also.

In this kind of situation, it's extremely important for the person to examine their diet and switch to healthier fats, such as ghee (clarified butter) and olive oil, in moderation. It is the unhealthy fats, the fats found in red meat and the transfats such as hydrogenated vegetable oil found in almost all packaged foods, that cause this kind of ama /Kapha imbalance.

Sugar in the diet is also an important factor. If the person is eating too much refined sugar in packaged sweets, he or she will need to stop. There are healthier sweeteners you can use if you have Kapha-related high blood pressure or heart imbalance. Honey is actually a sweet that reduces Kapha dosha. It's important not to cook it though, as this releases toxins in an otherwise pure and light food.

Other foods to avoid are hard cheeses, whole milk, and butter. In this situation, it's important to monitor your cholesterol levels.

For this person, it's essential to exercise every day (If you have heart problems, be sure to check with your doctor before beginning a new exercise program). You can start with something as simple and gentle as walking for half an hour and then start to build up. The important thing is to do it every day and as vigorously as you can comfortably sustain.

Be sure not to sleep during the day or late in the morning if you have this type of Kapha-related high blood pressure. Sleeping late clogs the channels further, so make a habit of rising before 6:00 a.m. Sitting too much and not having enough mental stimulation can contribute to this imbalance, so try to keep some variety in your diet and stimulation in your life.

In this case, all three factors are causing the high blood pressure, because Vyana Vata is drying the soma and disturbing the production of ojas, and Pitta is trying to burn both the soma and the ojas, and Kapha is blocking the channels. This person should follow the dietary

recommendations to pacify Kapha dosha and open the channels. It is essential that the arteries be clear of ama and blockage, because even if a Kapha-predominant person has more ojas or soma, the soma cannot reach the targeted areas of the heart to give it support as and when needed if the channels are blocked.

Q: So how do you prevent these problems of heart imbalance and high blood pressure?
A: Of course, if you have high blood pressure, you should follow your doctor's advice. But an Ayurvedic physician could also help you to determine which type of doshic imbalance is at the root of your problem. Once you determine whether your blood pressure is due to Vata, Pitta or Kapha imbalance, then it is important to stop practicing those behaviors or eating that diet.
There is a term in Ayurveda for this: nidaan parivarjan. Nidaan means the causal factors, and parivarjan means "to get rid of. So what I am recommending here is to get rid of the causal factors. I think you can see that until you do that, no amount of medicine that you take is going to help.

I've included a chart that gives the dietary and lifestyle choices to avoid and to favor for each type of imbalance. People who have a certain body type or imbalance will need to be more careful to avoid the things that aggravate their body type or imbalance. It's also important to avoid the aggravating factors during certain seasons. For instance, in summer, or Pitta season, when the weather is hot and humid, it's essential to avoid spicy, sour foods and to avoid getting overheated physically, emotionally and mentally. Drink plenty of water; eat sweet, juicy fruits; eat cooling vegetables such as asparagus, zucchini, yellow squash, lauki squash, and broccoli -- all of these are ideal for cardiac health. In the hot season, keep in mind that you should always be doing something to rehydrate and cool your mind and emotions, such as eating sweet juicy fruits -- watermelon, for instance.

Chart:
Lifestyle Factors that Aggravate Vyana Vata
Too much mental work
Using the mind for things it is unsuited for
Too much TV, especially at night
Working at night
Staying awake after 10:00 p.m.
Sleep problems
Constantly doing two things at once
Rushing around
Feeling pressured on the job or at home
Cold, dry, windy weather
Dietary Factors that Aggravate Vyana Vata
Eating too much if light, dry and pungent foods
Eating at a different time every day
Eating too fast
Skipping meals
Eating while working or talking on the phone
Eating while standing up
Eating while in the car
Cold foods and drinks
Dietary Factors that Pacify Vyana Vata
Eat more unctuous, freshly cooked, warm foods
Avoid cold foods and drinks
Eat more sweet, sour and salty tastes, in moderate amounts
Eat less astringent, bitter and pungent tastes
Eat home-cooked meals
Avoid leftover, packaged, canned, frozen, processed or fast foods
Eat in a settled, quiet atmosphere
Focus on your food when you eat
Turn off the telephone and TV when you eat
Lifestyle Factors that Pacify Vyana Vata
Spend your evenings relaxing with family and friends
Go to bed before 10:00 p.m.
Turn off your cell phone when driving, cooking or eating
Focus on one activity at a time
Spend time enjoying every day
Reduce your mental work load
Stop doing work that strains your mind
Do mild exercise every day, such as taking a walk or stretching exercises like yoga.
Stay warm and use a humidifier during winter
Ayurvedic Products to Pacify Vyana Vata:
Cardio Support
Worry Free tablets and aroma
Blissful Sleep
Vata Churna (use it to cook with) and Vata Tea

Lifestyle Factors that Aggravate Sadhaka Pitta
Exposing yourself to emotional stress
Pressured situations at work or at home
Overexerting or exercising in the hot sun
Associating with people who are habitually angry or critical
Staying awake after 10:00 at night
Exposure to hot weather
Dietary Factors that Aggravate Sadhaka Pitta
Skipping or delaying meals
Eating too much spicy, salty and sour foods
Eating foods that are made with chemicals, preservatives, or were grown with chemical fertilizers
Eating in a hurry
Eating while distracted
Snacking during the Pitta time of night, between 10:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m.
Lifestyle Factors that Pacify Sadhaka Pitta
Avoid emotional confrontations
Associate with people who are loving and uncritical
Go to bed before 10:00 p.m., the Pitta time of night
Plan time to appreciate beauty in your environment
Create a home environment that is pleasing and restful to the senses
Avoid watching TV at night, especially any violent movies or shows
Exercise every day, but avoid exerting in the noonday sun
Choose cooling sports such as swimming
Keep your living environment cool, especially at night
Dietary Factors that Pacify Sadhaka Pitta
Eat more sweet, and moderate amounts of bitter and astringent foods
Eat a cooked sweet, juicy pear for breakfast
Eat sweet, juicy pears as snacks when you feel hungry
Eat organic, fresh foods
Avoid delaying or skipping meals Drink plenty of pure water throughout the day
Avoid ketchup, mustard, salad dressings and other foods made with vinegar
Products to Pacify Sadhaka Pitta
Cardio Support
Blissful Joy tablets (1 tablet a day if taking in conjunction with Cardio Support)
Blissful Heart aroma
Deep Rest
Rose Petal Preserve
Pitta Churna and Pitta Tea

Lifestyle Factors that Aggravate Avalambaka Kapha
Sleeping during the day, after 6:00 a.m.
Not exercising
Lack of mental stimulation
Cool, wet weather
Dietary Factors that Aggravate Avalambaka Kapha
Food that is too rich and high in fat
Food that is too sweet, sour and salty
Cold foods and drinks
Snacking before the previous meal is digested
Eating while standing up
Eating leftovers, packaged foods, processed foods, fast foods
Lifestyle Factors that Pacify Avalambaka Kapha
Wake up early, well before 6:00 a.m.
Exercise for at least 1/2 hour daily
Try new activities in your free time
Stay warm and dry during the rainy season
Dietary Factors that Pacify Avalambaka Kapha
Favor the bitter, astringent and pungent tastes
Eat less of the sweet, sour and salty foods
Avoid heavy desserts. Have a piece of fruit instead.
Eat cooked apples or pears for breakfast
Eat fresh foods cooked with small amounts of ghee or olive oil
Avoid all processed foods as they contain unhealthy fats
Avoid leftovers
Avoid hydrogenated vegetable oils
Eat warm, cooked, light, easily digestible foods
Avoid cold foods and drinks
Products to Pacify Avalambaka Kapha
Elim-Tox-O
Kapha Churna (cook with it) and Kapha Tea
Q: Are there special foods that support the heart?
A: Yes. There are some foods that are especially nourishing to the heart. These include mature pomegranate fruit or juice; asparagus; any sweet, juicy, seasonal fruits; Rose Petal Preserve (especially for pacifying Pitta or Vata-induced heart problems); sweet lassi; avocado; and leafy greens cooked with the Heart Healthy Heart Spice Mixture.
Healthy Heart Spice Mixture
1 part ground turmeric
2 parts ground cumin
3 parts ground coriander
4 parts ground fennel
Mix the spices and store in an airtight jar. When it is time to cook the meal, steam the vegetables. Melt a small amount of ghee in the pan, and add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of the spice mixture per serving. Saute the spices until the flavor is released. Add the vegetables, saute lightly, add salt and pepper to taste, and serve immediately. If you have constipation, be sure to cleanse the bowels by eating fruits, vegetables and grains with fiber, eating a stewed apple or pear with prunes or figs each morning for breakfast. By cleansing the bowel you maintain the digestive fire and enhance digestion and assimilation. This is an excellent breakfast for people with Sadhaka Pitta imbalance, and Prana and Vyana Vata imbalance. Sweet lassi (a drink made by blending 1/4 c. yogurt and 3/4 c. water along with honey) is also good for people with weak digestion.
Q: Should the pomegranate juice be made fresh?
A: Yes, that is better. In that case take the seeds and put them in a juicer. Whether you eat the fresh fruit or the juice, be sure the fruit is mature.
Or, if you cannot get fresh pomegranate, you can purchase an organic juice that is pure juice, without corn syrup. It is not the same as eating fresh pomegranate juice, which is actually a nectar for the heart, but it has value if you can't get the fresh fruit.
Q: What about the use of green tea to help the heart?
A: Research shows that green tea is good for the heart, due to the flavanoids that it contains. Flavanoids act as antioxidants, and one research study showed that men who drank several cups of green tea had significantly lower total serum cholesterol levels than those who drank two or less cups.
However, you should be sure to drink fresh tea, not bottled or iced tea. Black tea also has some good effects, but green tea has less caffeine and therefore is healthier, especially for people with Vata or Pitta constitutions or imbalances who should avoid caffeine. Green tea also is not processed, and therefore is more natural and safe than processed black teas.
Q: Can you talk about the foods you should avoid for heart health? Obviously, eating too much of fatty foods is a bad idea.
A: Fats are actually essential to smooth and lubricate the channels of the heart and brain. But the important thing is to eat good quality of fat--as I mentioned earlier, you'll want to eat ghee and olive oil in moderation and with spices, as these are the healthiest fats. Ghee, the traditional clarified butter recommended by Ayurveda, is healthy because it contains approximately eight percent lower saturated fatty acids than other oils and fats, which makes it more easily digestible. Its rate of absorption is measured at 96%, which makes it the most absorbable of all oils and fats. Ghee increases the potency of certain herbs by carrying the active components to the interior of the cells where they have the most benefit.
These lower saturated fatty acids are the most edible fat and are not found in any other edible oil or fat. It also contains the antioxidants beta-carotene and Vitamin E. One-half to one teaspoonful of ghee in food increases digestive power and also assists in assimilation of food and antioxidants.
Cholesterol in the blood stream, by itself, actually serves many important functions critical for health. It is only when cholesterol is damaged by free radicals that it becomes dangerous to the heart. Pure ghee actually protects the heart from free radical damage, making it a perfect source of essential fatty acids.
Ghee also balances Vata and Pitta, and is thus good for preventing mental and emotional stress on the heart.Of course, if you are on a low-cholesterol diet prescribed by a doctor, you should check with him or her before eating ghee.
Q: Earlier you mentioned that emotional and mental stress are the main factors in creating a heart imbalance. How can we create a healthy heart by improving our emotional health?
A: Yes, this is an important area to discuss because today a lot of cardiac problems are caused by emotional challenges.
Besides practicing the Transcendental Meditation program to help lower blood pressure, reverse arterial blockage and enhance resistance to all kinds of stress, it's important to follow the Pitta-pacifying dietary and lifestyle guidelines mentioned earlier to increase ojas, which supports bliss, contentment, vitality and longevity. Eating plenty of sweet juicy fruits is important for emotional health. Start the day with a stewed pear for breakfast, and you can even carry a pear with you to eat whenever you start to feel frustrated, angry, or upset.
In addition, it's important to actively seek the positive in life. While ojas creates bliss and emotional balance, there are also behaviors, called Behavioral Rasayanas, that cultivate ojas in the body. Some Behavioral Rasayanas include practicing Transcendental Meditation; staying in the company of wise people; keeping a regular routine and pure diet; getting enough sleep; eschewing alcohol, cigarettes and drugs; cultivating a calm attitude; adhering to the teachings of your religion; and speaking the truth. Each day offers opportunities to enjoy--it is up to you to seek out the activities and people that bring you true happiness and contentment. This is essential for the health of your heart; it's essential for your life.
Q: You've effectively made the point that a person must first change whatever lifestyle or dietary mistakes are causing the problem, otherwise no herb or medicine will work. Assuming that that is being done, what kind of herbal supplements does Ayurveda offer?
A: I'm glad you asked that. We now have a new formula for cardiac health, called Cardio Support. Cardio Support contains three stellar herbs for supporting the heart. The principal herb Arjuna is renowned in Ayurveda for its ability to pacify Sadhaka Pitta, and thus balance the emotions, and to nourish the physical heart as well.
Ashwagandha helps enhance natural resistance to stress and promotes better sleep. Guggul, the third herb, has been shown to help balance cholesterol by purifying the fat tissues.
This Cardio Support formula is especially designed with the modern American lifestyle in mind, to support the heart amidst the challenges of modern life. It protects the life force by enhancing both ojas and agni in the heart, and by enhancing the level of soma. It is particularly targeted to protect the heart against the pressured lifestyle, the impurities in the food, and the electromagnetic overexposure that most people experience in America today.
This formula is excellent for long-term Sadhaka Pitta imbalances, which in turn affect the life-energy of the heart. It also balances the effects of electromagnetic energy from the environment, and helps balance Vyana Vata and Prana Vata. It is designed to help the average person support the heart physically and emotionally.
Q: Can you tell us something about these herbs and their traditional uses?
A: Certainly. Arjuna is a divine herb that has a fascinating history. The herb is named after Arjuna, the archer-hero of the Bhagavad Gita, which is part of the larger epic called the Mahabharata. At the start of the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna, the most fully developed and respected man of his age, is faced with a terrible dilemma: whether to fight on the side of good, even if that meant fighting against his own cousins and his beloved teacher. This emotional strain completely immobilizes him, and it is only after Lord Krishna reveals the nature of the eternal, imperishable reality of life that Arjuna is able to recover his emotional strength, to "take heart," so to speak, to save the world from destruction.
Legend has it that Lord Brahma, the Creator, witnessed Arjuna's emotional dilemma, and reasoned, "If this could happen to the great Arjuna, what of the lesser mortals who find themselves unable to cope with emotional strain?" Thus was born the powerful herb Arjuna, which, it is said, can live for several hundred years in ideal conditions.
Arjuna is a great restorative and soothes both the emotional and the physical heart. It calms Sadhaka Pitta and slows down the release of toxic hormones. It is a divine plant that has the special ability to balance all three doshas--Vata, Pitta and Kapha.
It is ideal for the heart because its prabhava (its ultimate action) is to support the heart. This type of heart-supporting herb is known as hridya in Ayurveda, and Arjuna is the foremost hridya herb. Its virya, or energy is cooling and sweet, which supports soma and pacifies Sadhaka Pitta.
At the same time, Arjuna's qualities (gunas) are light and dry, which helps to clear blockages from the arteries. Now usually if an herb has qualities of light and dry it is also pungent, like chilies. But this divine plant has exactly the right combination of qualities to make it the most supportive to the heart--its light and dry qualities help it to clear the blockages caused by Avalambaka Kapha imbalance, but at the same time it is cooling and balancing to Sadhaka Pitta and enhances soma.
This is ideal for modern life, because today so many people are under stress and eating Pitta aggravating food, which diminishes soma and ojas. At the same time they are eating harmful fats, which creates the additional risk factor of ama and clogging of the arteries. All of these factors combined put the heart at great peril. But Arjuna is exactly designed by nature to keep Kapha in balance while also supporting soma production and Sadhaka Pitta balance.
There is one caveat about taking Arjuna. It should never be taken alone as a tablet, because its light and dry qualities make it aggravating to Vata. It needs, instead, to be combined with other herbs that pacify Vata, such as Guggul. This shows the importance of combining herbs in the right proportions, as they are combined in Ayurvedic formulas, in order to avoid negative side effects.
But when Arjuna is taken in Cardio Support with other herbs to balance its effects and to enhance absorption, it enhances fat metabolization, rids the body of toxins and supports the cardiac muscle. By nurturing the cardiac muscle, it provides good flow and rhythm to the pumping muscles and supports the entire cardiac system with its specific hridya effect. It supports and nourishes the heart physically and emotionally. It gives more strength to the heart so people can tolerate emotional challenges. These are the traditional benefits of Arjuna as mentioned in the Ayurvedic texts.
Other herbs in Cardio Support that support the actions of Arjuna in pacifying Sadhaka Pitta are Cabbage Rose, Licorice, Shatavari, Mica Bhasma, Indian Tinospora, Corallium rubrum and Sugar Cane.

Q: That's quite amazing. Can you tell us if modern research has validated these ancient benefits of Arjuna?

A: It's very interesting that modern research has validated the effects of this potent herb. In one research study, Arjuna was given one group of patients, the antioxidant Vitamin E was given another group, and another group received placebo pills.

The results showed that Arjuna had comparable antioxidant action as Vitamin E, but at the same time significantly decreased total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. A study showed that Arjuna caused 50% reduction in anginal episodes in patients with stable angina pectoris. The herb had an insignificant effect on patients with unstable angina pectoris.

Q: What are some of the other major herbs in Cardio Support?
A: Ashwagandha helps balance Vyana Vata. Ashwagandha also balances Prana Vata, helping promote happiness in the face of mental or emotional stress. It nourishes the mind-body connection and helps coordinate the mind and sense, which is essential for a good quality of sleep. It also increases the quality and quantity of ojas, the master coordinator of all the actions of mind and body. It helps pure consciousness to "slide" into the physiology. As with all herbs, Ashwagandha should not be taken alone but should be combined with cooling herbs such as licorice to balance its heating effects and protect the heart. Cardio Support does include licorice to balance this heating effect. Other herbs contained in Cardio Support that help balance Vyana Vata are Boerhavia, Mica Bhasma, Licorice, Holy Basil, and Malabar Nut Tree.
Guggul, the third most important herb in Cardio Support, also helps balance Vyana Vata. Its main action, though, is to support Avalambaka Kapha. It is famous for lowering cholesterol and protecting against cardiovascular disease. It rids the channels of ama and purifies the fat tissue. This is, of course, very necessary for keeping the heart healthy.
Some of the modern research studies on Guggul are very interesting. One study published in Cardiovascular Drug Therapy in 1994 showed that in patients with hypercholesterolemia who were fed a diet enriched with fruits and vegetables, the administration of Guggul significantly reduced total cholesterol levels by 11.7%, LDL by 12.5%, triglycerides by 12%, and total cholesterol/high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol ratio by 11.1%. The placebo group, who ate the same diet but received no Guggul, showed no change. The researchers concluded that the combined effect of diet and guggul at 36 weeks was as great as the reported lipid-lowering effect of modern drugs.Finally, both ojas and soma are supported by special herbs in the Cardio Health formula. Shilajit, Zinc Bhasma, Mica Bhasma and Licorice promote ojas; and the combination of Shatavari, Holy Basil, Corallium rubrum, Indian Tinospora and Sacred Lotus promotes soma.
Q: Who should take Cardio Support?
A: That's a good question. Cardio Support can certainly be taken by someone who already has an imbalance in the heart, as long as your doctor approves. It is also excellent as a preventive for people who have a history of heart problems in their family. Sometimes people just feel uneasy in the heart, but when they have the doctor check it with tests, nothing shows up. In that case no medication would be prescribed, but you could still take this product to help strengthen the heart.
Sometimes an individual is living a high-stress life, with emotional or mental strain, and the person knows it is bad for the heart. But they don't feel they can change. In this case it would be good to protect the heart with Cardio Support.
Q: What are some other products that Ayurveda offers for heart health?
A: In addition to taking Cardio Support, if someone has an Avalambaka Kapha imbalance and has accumulated ama in the fat tissue, it's important to take Elim-Tox-O to help remove it.
If someone is experiencing a lot of emotional upsets, Blissful Joy is recommended to help further pacify Sadhaka Pitta. Blissful Joy is really the best product for emotional heart health and to help create healthier relationships. Blissful Joy also has the heart-supporting herb Arjuna, combined with other herbs that also target Sadhaka Pitta. The rose is very soothing for emotions so anyone with a Sadhaka Pitta imbalance should also take Rose Petal Preserve.
To explain the difference between the two products: Blissful Joy focuses only on the emotional aspect of the heart. Cardio Support also support the emotional heart, but it goes beyond the emotions to also support the deeper, life giving energy of soma. It supports the structure of the heart, protects also from day-to-day mental stress, and gives life-giving strength to the heart. If you have emotional stress on the heart, it would be wise to take both products together.
For day-to-day mental stress, it's best to take Worry Free along with Cardio Support to help balance Prana Vata and create more resilience to stress in daily living. It's very necessary for cardiac health that one's heart and mind work together in a very coordinated way. So if an individual has both problems--imbalance in mind and emotions-- they should take both Blissful Joy and Worry Free. They should also add Elim-Tox-O if ama is present in the fat tissue.
If you are having problems with sleep, choose Blissful Sleep or Deep Rest depending on the kind of sleep problems you are experiencing. Blissful Sleep is for people who have overactive minds and have trouble falling asleep (usually caused by a Vata imbalance), Deep Rest is for people who wake up feeling energetic between two and four a.m. (usually caused by a Pitta imbalance).
Q: Is there any modern research that supports the Ayurveda perspective on cardio health?
A: That's a good question, because there is quite a bit of research on Ayurveda approaches and the health of the heart.
First of all, the Transcendental Meditation program alone is extremely effective in keeping the heart healthy. Research conducted at the NIH-affiliated Center for Natural Medicine and Prevention at University of Management, which has been published in the National Heart Association Journals Hypertension and Stroke, shows that high blood pressure and atherosclerosis can be lowered or reduced dramatically through the Transcendental Meditation program.
Secondly, there is impressive research on the effects of Amrit Kalash on cardiac health. Amrit has been found to be the most effective scavenger of free radicals, the oxidizing rogue molecules that cause oxidized LDL cholesterol and plaques to build up in the artery walls. Research shows that Amrit Kalash strongly protects low-density lipoprotein (LDL) from free radical attack. One clinical study at Ohio State University showed that Amrit Kalash increased resistance to oxidation of LDL in hyperlipidemic patients.
Q: Thank you. That was very enlightening. Do you have anything you'd like to add?
A: The heart is the home of the vital life force in the body. The enemies of the healthy heart all work silently: you don't see the effects of mental and emotional stress tearing at the fibers of your heart. You don't see the arteries clogging up with ama. And by the time you do become aware of it, much damage has already been done. So it's very important that you always take care of your heart, emotionally and physically. Try to always maintain your heart in peak condition, to enjoy a long and happy life.
REFERENCESResearch on Arjuna and Its Effects on Cardiovascular Health
Gupta R, Singhal S, Goyle A, Sharma VN., "Antioxidant and hypocholesterolaemic effects of Terminalia arjuna tree-bark powder: a randomized placebo-controlled trial," J Assoc Physicians India, 2001 Feb;49:231-5
Dwivedi S, Agarwal MP, "Antianginal and cardioprotective effects of Terminalia arjuna, an indigenous drug, in coronary artery disease,"
Research on Guggul and Its Effects on Cardiovascular Health
Singh RB, Niaz MA, Ghosh S., "Hypolipidemic and antioxidant effects of Commiphora mukul as an adjunct to dietary therapy in patients with hypercholesterolemia,"Cardiovasc Drugs Ther 1994 Aug;8(4):659-64.
Nityanand S, Srivastava JS, Asthana OP. Clinical trials with gugulipid, a new hypolipidaemic agent," J Assoc Physicians India, 1989 May;37(5):323-8.
Research on the Transcendental Meditation Technique and Cardiovascular Health
R.H. Schneider, M.D., et al., "A Randomized Controlled Trial of Stress Reduction for Hypertension in Older African Americans," Hypertension, vol. 26 (1995), pp. 820-827.
A. Castillo-Richmond, M.D., et al, "Effects of Stress Reduction on Cartoid Atherosclerosis in Hypertensive African Americans," Stroke, vol. 31 (2000), pp. 568-573.
C.N. Alexander et al., "A Trial of Stress Reduction for Hypertension in Older African Americans (Part II): Gender and Risk Subgroup Analysis, "Hypertension, vol. 28 (1996), pp. 228-237.
R.H. Schneider, M.D. et al., "Lower Lipid Peroxide Levels in Practitioners of the Transcendental Meditation Program," Psychosomatic Medicine, vol. 60 (1998), pp. 38-41.
Research on Amrit Kalash and Its Effects on Cardiovascular Health
H.M. Sharma et al., "Inhibition of Human Low-Density Lipoprotein Oxidation in Vitro by Amrit Kalash and Coffee Substitute," Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior, vol. 43 (1992), pp. 1175-1182.
Sundaram V, Hanna AN, Lubow G, Falko J, Sharma HM, "Increased resistance of human LDL to oxidation in hyperlipidemic patients supplemented with oral herbal mixture MAK-4," 1995, Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology 9 (3): A141 (abstract).
S.C. Bondy, et al., "Antioxidant Properties of Two Ayurvedic Herbal Preparations (MAK-4 and MAK-5)," Biochemical Archives, vol. 10 (1994), pp. 25-31.
H.M. Sharma et al., "Amrit Kalash Prevents Human Platelet Aggregation," Clinca and Terapia Cardiovascolare, vol. 8, no. 3 (1989), pp. 227-230.
A.N. Hanna et al., "Effect of Herbal Mixtures MAK-4 and MAK -5 on Susceptibility of Human LDL to Oxidation," Complementary Medicine International, vol. 3, no. 3 (May/June 1996), pp. 28-36.
Dwivedi C, Sharma HM, Dobrowski S, Engineer FN 1991, "Inhibitory effects of Maharshi-4 and Maharishi-5 on microsomoal lipid peroxidation," Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior 39: 649-652.
Sharma HM, Hanna AN, Kauffman EM, Newman HAI, "Inhibition of human low-density lipoprotein oxidation in vitro by Ayurvedaa herbal mixtures," Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior 43: 1175-1182.
Research on Green Tea and Cardiovascular Health
Kono S, Shinchi K, Ikeda N, Yanai F, Imanishi K. Green tea consumption and serum lipid profiles: a cross-sectional study in northern Kyushu, Japan," Prev Med 1992 Jul;21(4):526-31.

Keeping Well When Monsoon Dwells

In this issue In this issue

:. Sharing Thoughts - Congratulations to Winner of Ayurveda Quiz & Question for this month

:. Health Tips - Keeping Well When Monsoon Dwells

:. Specially for you - Suggestions for Dry Skin

Exclusive Offer for Panchkarma Treatments @ lowest rates

This is an humanitarian service to the society

:. Health Tips : Keeping Well When Monsoon Dwells .... Cont.....

Walking in dirty water during rainy season leads to numerous fungal infections which affect toes and nails. Diabetic patients have to take a special care about their feet. Always keep your feet dry and clean. Avoid walking in dirty water. Keep your shoes, socks and raincoats dry and clean. Drying clothes with fumes of loban and dry neem leaves is recommended in ayurvedic texts.
Precautions have to be taken to prevent dampness and growth of fungus (mold) on and around the house where asthmatic patients live. Avoid fumigation in case of asthmatic patients.

Ayurvedic Tips to increase body immunity and preventing diseases of monsoon.
1. The digestive system gets weakened due to dehydration in summer. This leads to low digestive power. This is further weakened by vitiation of doshas and dhatus due to monsoon. Hence following diets which increase power of digestion and strengthen the digestive system would be beneficial in rainy season. Light foods prepared out of old barley, rice and wheat.
Sour and salted soups of vegetables. Drinking boiled and cooled water mixed with little honey. Consuming little quantity of wine prepared out of grapes. Adding ginger and green gram in daily diet. Eating warm food.
2. Avoid the following ; Sleeping in daytime. Over physical exertion. Over exposure to sun.
3. Always keep the surrounding dry and clean. Do not allow water to get accumulated around.
4. Keep your body warm as viruses attack immediately when body temperature goes down.
5. Do not enter air conditioned room with wet hair and damp cloths.
6. Dry your feet and webs with soft dry cloth whenever they are wet.
7. Wash vegetables with clean water and steam them well to kill germs.
8. Avoid eating uncooked foods and salads.
9. Drink plenty of water and keep your body well hydrated.
10. Do not allow kids to play in stagnant polluted water filled puddles.
(Cont…..)

Published with consent of author Dr. Savitha Suri, doctor@ayurhelp.com


This article is copy righted. The author Dr.SavithaSuri is an Ayurvedic Physician and web master of http://www.ayurhelp.com/
http://www.ayurhelp.com/articles/mansoon_care.htm


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:: Thank you very much for overwhelming response to this unbelieving Genuine Panchkarma treatment package offer. Please no more inquiries for September and October. Registration is open for November, December 2006 and January 2007 only. For more details and conditions, pl email to info@ayulink.com

:: Health & Disease Treatment suggestions for Depression (Dr. Shah's views)

Hello Doctor
I am 24 years old. I suffered from dryness problem on my face. I want to clear my face. I have some red marks, open pores too. Please guide me to make my skin soft, lustrous and good quality. Thank you.

My suggestions for dry skin are; First and most important is Diet, some good habits and Meditation or Pranayam. Avoid Junk food, canned food and improper food to your body constitution. To much sour or vata aggravating food can make skin dry. Avoid constipation too. Than second is good habits, like wash your face with little warm water 2-3 times a day. Every day morning, do massage with Amlaki oil or sesame oil. If you can find out good quality saffron oil (Ayurvedic name is Kumkumadi oil) you can add few drops of that in massage on face. After massage have hot water steam on face. Meditation and Relaxation is also having positive effect on the skin. Individual diet and activity counseling needs further more details about body physiology.

THIS IS A HOUSE MAGAZINE FROM
Dr. Prerak Shah, "PRERAK – The Holistic Medical Center".

:: Disclaimer: All details, thoughts and opinions shared by the writers in this monthly, are their own and does not necessarily reflect the views of the editor or management of this monthly. This monthly is meant only for information purpose and it is not intended to replace the services of a health practitioner licensed in the diagnosis or treatment of illness or disease. Any application of the material in this text is at the reader's discretion and sole responsibility. For all health concerns you are advised to consult with a duly licensed health practitioner We do not claim for any authenticity of the matter :: For old issues of Ayulink, visit http://www.blogger.com/www.healthstores.com/ayurveda Courtesy : The Health stores Co., CA, USA. :: Please send your articles in simple English, and abstract (not more then 150 words). :: You have received this mail because you have registered with us or your friend or business associate has recommended your name.
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:: FREE AYURVEDA COUNSELING Please ask your health problems or any other questions related to Ayurveda at prerakayu@hotmail.com
* This mail is not a spam. Our contact information. Dr. Prerak Shah, Silver Spring, Behind Xavier's Ladies Hostel, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad - 380009, Gujarat, INDIA. Phone / Fax : 91-79-26446025 E-mail : info@ayulink.com <mailto:ayulink@hotmail.com> Website : http://www.blogger.com/www.ayulink.com <http://www.healthstores.com/ayurveda> :: That's all for this month. Wish you happy days ahead ::

What are the major types of complementary and alternative medicine?

NCCAM classifies Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) therapies into five categories, or domains:

1. Alternative Medical Systems Alternative medical systems are built upon complete systems of theory and practice. Often, these systems have evolved apart from and earlier than the conventional medical approach used in the United States. Examples of alternative medical systems that have developed in Western cultures include homeopathic medicine and naturopathic medicine. Examples of systems that have developed in non-Western cultures include traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda.

2. Mind-Body Interventions Mind-body medicine uses a variety of techniques designed to enhance the mind's capacity to affect bodily function and symptoms. Some techniques that were considered CAM in the past have become mainstream (for example, patient support groups and cognitive-behavioral therapy). Other mind-body techniques are still considered CAM, including meditation, prayer, mental healing, and therapies that use creative outlets such as art, music, or dance.

3. Biologically Based Therapies Biologically based therapies in CAM use substances found in nature, such as herbs, foods, and vitamins. Some examples include dietary supplements,3 herbal products, and the use of other so-called natural but as yet scientifically unproven therapies (for example, using shark cartilage to treat cancer).

4. Manipulative and Body-Based Methods Manipulative and body-based methods in CAM are based on manipulation and/or movement of one or more parts of the body. Some examples include chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation, and massage.

5. Energy Therapies Energy therapies involve the use of energy fields. They are of two types: -- Biofield therapies are intended to affect energy fields that purportedly surround and penetrate the human body. The existence of such fields has not yet been scientifically proven. Some forms of energy therapy manipulate biofields by applying pressure and/or manipulating the body by placing the hands in, or through, these fields. Examples include qi gong, Reiki, and Therapeutic Touch. -- Bioelectromagnetic-based therapies involve the unconventional use of electromagnetic fields, such as pulsed fields, magnetic fields, or alternating-current or direct-current fields.

NCCAM, National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, Maryland 20892 USA
E-mail: info@nccam.nih.gov

Keep Those Bouts With Stress Short

One of the little-discussed aspects of stress management among conventional medical "experts" that I talk about often here on my Web site: You can't eliminate stress entirely, nor would you want to do so. Getting rid of stress isn't the answer either, because if you didn't experience it at all, you'd probably be dead.
That pretty much mirrors the views of one Stanford neuroscientist interviewed this week by the Washington Post (free text link below). The notion anyone can or should or eliminate stress from their lives, is a fallacy. The key, according to the Stanford expert, is not letting those stressful episodes last too long.
Riding a roller coaster or watching a scary movie -- both short-term propositions -- can be invigorating. Holding onto stress for days, however, isn't healthy for your brain or the rest of your body. In fact, ongoing stress damages the hippocampus, central in the brain to memory and learning. Moreover, neurons in the prefrontal cortex begin to shrivel under constant stress too.
Surprisingly, the neuroscientist also agrees that a more natural solution -- meditation -- can refocus your mind and help you better understand where the stress comes from than taking a drug.

.
Washington Post December 13, 2005

Sound and Light Therapy - Photons

Presented at the Neural Therapy Workshop on Sound and Light Therapy, Seattle, WA, February, 20-22, 2003. Photons and Phonons: Theoretical Concepts of Biophysics and Potential Therapeutic Applications W. John Martin, M.D., Ph.D. Center for Complex Infectious Diseases and the BioPhysics Institute 3328 Stevens Ave., Rosemead, CA 91770 (626) 572-7288 Introduction Life forms comprise lipid membrane-bound, nucleic acid containing, chemically complex and metabolically active, discrete entities that progressively reproduce to yield further copies of essentially the same life form.

The complex chemicals in living organisms are called “organic”, in contrast to “inorganic” chemicals in non-living environments. Life requires the initial transformation of inorganic to organic chemicals. These chemicals are then progressively modified by metabolic processes occurring in the living cells that comprise various living organisms. Metabolic co-operation among different life forms is a common occurrence.

It allows for an extensive overall network of balancing and supportive chemical exchanges that lead to an eventual re-conversion of organic molecules back into simple inorganic chemicals. The science of biochemistry is concerned primarily with the complex interactions between organic molecules that create and sustain life.

Biochemical abnormalities can be equated with specific diseases that potentially are correctable by the addition or subtraction of chemicals with drugs. For many diseases this chemical or pharmaceutical approach is effective and certainly sufficient to maintain reasonable wellbeing. Organic molecules possess other properties that are related to how they interact within the various types of energy fields that have been identified by physicists.

Biophysics primarily deals with these interactions and also with the requirement for energy from the sun in the initial transformation of inorganic to organic molecules. While far less well defined than biochemical methods, the potential of physics to reverse disease processes and to enhance wellbeing hold enormous promise for mankind.

Unfortunately, progress in medical biophysics has been impeded by the muddled thinking, exaggerated claims and patient exploitation practiced by many present and past proponents of this “alternative” approach to medicine.

The purpose of this review is to provide a summary of basic principles of energy physics and to illustrate how some of these principles are currently being used in medicine. The article concludes with a discussion of some of the advances expected in the field of biophysics, especially following the recent discovery of alternate cellular energy (ACE)-pigments.

The Originating Source of Biological Energy The process of capturing energy from sunlight and utilizing the energy to transform simple to complex molecules is known as photosynthesis. A portion of the sun’s energy is converted, (or transduced), to chemical energy that becomes incorporated into, and stored within, organic molecules.

The best studied example of photosynthesis is sunlight induced formation of glucose (a type of carbohydrate) from carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O), with the release of oxygen (O2). This form of photosynthesis only occurs in plants and certain bacteria that contain chlorophyll, a specific light energy absorbing, magnesium containing, organic molecule. Specifically, the sun’s energy is used to activate electrons (defined below) that can be transferred to other molecules involved in carbon fixation Transferred electrons are replaced with electrons obtained from the hydrogen atom of water with the release of oxygen from the water molecule.

Nitrogen (N2) from the atmosphere is incorporated into organic molecules through the interaction of “nitrogen fixing” bacteria, some of which interact with the roots of certain types of plants. It requires an abundant source of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) plus hydrogen. ATP is a molecule with three phosphate (P) chemical groups, the last of which is bound by a high energy chemical bond.

ATP is mainly synthesized (produced) from adenosine diphosphate (ADP) by the oxidation of glucose which, as described above, is supplied to living organisms via photosynthesis. C6H12O6 + 6 O2 + ADP + P → 6 CO2 + 6 H2O + ATP Nitrogen fixation leads mainly to the production of ammonia (NH3).

This reaction is mediated by an iron protein and a molybdenum-iron protein molecular complex termed nitrogenase as follows: N2 + 8H + 16 ATP → 2NH3 + H2 + 16ADP + 16 P Nitrogen is a component of the amino acids that make up proteins, and of the nucleic acids that make up DNA and RNA nucleic acids.

Less well understood pathways exist for the assimilation of other minerals including, iron, sulfur, calcium, cobalt, manganese, molybdenum and magnesium, into organic molecules. Types of Energies The sun’s energy is in the form of electromagnetic radiation. Energy can exist in other forms, including electrical, magnetic, electromagnetic, kinetic, gravity, chemical and others. It can also exist as matter, according to the classical equation of Einstein: Energy (E) = Mass (m) x c (speed of light)2.

Energy can be a static force localized to a given area, although constantly extending an influence on its surroundings, or as a moving entity, changing its location as a function of time. The nature of the so called “ether” through which energies communicate is presently unknown. It can be perceived as a pervasive elastic (deformable) fabric interconnecting the entire universe of major galaxies as well as filling the void separating all known particles of mass and all expressions of energies.

Of special importance, the “ether” can apparently provide for restricted directional coupling between separated energy sources and can facilitate highly selective processes of energy transfers and energy transductions (conversions). Electrical Energy The fundamental essence of electrical energy is largely unknown and it is still described by its effects, rather than by its underlying nature. Electric charge can be equated with different types of particles present in the mass component (atoms) of all known chemical compounds.

The simplest atom is that of hydrogen, a major element of the sun. The hydrogen atom comprises a central core (or nucleus) with an electrically positively charged particle, called a proton, and an outer negatively charged energy shell, containing a much smaller particle termed an electron. The proton itself comprises various energy bound sub-atomic entities, termed quarks. The nuclei of all other atoms contain an additional type of particle that is uncharged and is called a neutron. It too is comprised of three quarks.

Static and Moving Charge A static (stationary) electrical charge is expressed as either a positive or a negative electromotive force and measured as volts. A negative charge is essentially an excess of electrons, while a region of positive charge has more protons than electrons. If electrons are able to move between the charged regions they will do so in the direction of negative to positive charge.

This movement of electrons constitutes an electrical current. It can be measured as amps and is directly proportional to the voltage difference between the charges, and inversely proportional to the relative degree of resistance being exerted against the flow of the electrons. By alternating the positioning of the positively and negatively charged regions, it is possible to create an alternating current that will have a frequency of change per second of time, which is expressed as Hertz. The flow of current can also be discontinuous and occur in pulses at regular or irregular intervals Chemical Energy Atoms combine to form molecules by sharing and/or exchanging electrons, bringing their atoms into closer proximity than when they existed as individual atoms. Electrical attraction leads to chemical bonding.

This conversion typically requires considerable energy which may also be needed for the chemical bond to be subsequently disrupted. There are approximately 92 naturally occurring major atoms, ranging from the simplest, which is the hydrogen atom, to uranium. The 92 primary atoms or elements can be distinguished according to the number of protons and neutrons that are present. Minor variations may also occur among the isotopes of certain atoms which differ solely in the number of neutrons. Uncharged atoms have an equal number of protons and electrons.

Loss of one or more electrons will create a positively charged atom. Conversely, a gain of one or more electrons will yield a negatively charged atom. The energy of an electron determines its average orbiting position relative to the nucleus of the atom. As the number of electrons increases, pairs of electrons are progressively positioned further from the nucleus at higher energy levels. Single, or unpaired, electrons can exert magnetic and other effects that are normally cancelled when they function in pairs. Magnetic Energy Magnetic force also has two facets, but unlike electricity, they cannot be separated. Magnetic energy is a property of a moving charge.

It can occur, for example, with an unpaired spinning electron. The electron spinning occurs in three distinct forms i) very rapid directional spinning on its own axis, ii) much slower rotational spin about that axis (precision), and iii) overall orbiting orientation with regards to comparable unpaired electrons in adjoining atoms. Electron pairs have opposing spin and this probably explains how they neutralize each other’s externally radiated effects. Interactions between certain types of atoms with unpaired electrons can lead to selective alignments such that the combined energies of the unpaired electrons lead to an externally discernable magnetic field. Longitudinally moving electrical charges also provide a surrounding magnetic field.

Conversely, a magnetic field will induce a moving force on an electric charge. Magnetic force is expressed in units of attraction and is typically measured as Gauss or Tesla, where 1,000 Gauss is 1 Tesla. Electricity induced magnetic energy can be static or in the form of regular fluctuating pulses induced by using an alternative current flow. Electromagnetic Energy Electromagnetic radiation from the sun is a moving force, comprising entities called photons. These energy packets are released from hydrogen fusion reactions occurring within the sun.

The movement of photons is accompanied by regularly fluctuating positive and negative electrical and magnetic fields which act transversely to the direction of the traveling photon and at right angles to each other. The frequency of synchronized electrical and magnetic fluctuation is directly proportional to the energy of the photon.

The speed of photon travel (speed of light) is essentially constant for all photons, although influenced by the nature of the material through which the photons are passing. The speed of light in space is 186,280 miles per second, and slightly slower in air. Since the speed is constant, the frequency of each fluctuating cycle per second of time (Hertz), is directly related to energy content measured in electron volts, and inversely related to the distance traveled in air during each complete cycle, expressed as the wavelength. Photons with wavelengths from approximately 400 to 700 nanometers (10-9 meters) in air comprise visible white light, which is a composite of the spectrum of colors seen in a rainbow. Higher energy photons include ultraviolet radiation, X-rays and gamma rays. Lower energy photons include infrared radiation and radio-waves.

A Figure showing the relationships between energy levels, frequency and wavelengths of the various manifestations of electromagnetic radiation is shown below. Kinetic (Movement) Energy The energy of movement can be found in the regular to and fro motion of an object. This motion can exert pressure on adjacent molecules. Vibrations tend to lose intensity over time, whereas the term oscillation applies to a more continuing repetition of the movement. They can be measured as both displacement distance (intensity) and rapidity of change (frequency per second or Hertz).

Objects tend to have a natural frequency at which they will vibrate if struck. Moreover, both the intensity and rate of vibration of an object and of its component molecules can usually be increased by the absorption of electromagnetic radiation, especially at frequencies in the infrared range. Conversely, an object with a higher rate of vibration will tend to emit photons of infrared frequencies to its surroundings. This emitted energy is detectable as heat.

Vibration energy can also be propagated between different locations by the progressive back and forth displacement of adjacent molecules. This compression/expansion of molecules occurs at speeds largely determined by the density of the molecules being vibrated. For air the speed of vibrations within the frequency range of approximately 20 to 5 million Hertz is approximately 335 miles per second (far less than the speed of light). Oscillation energy can also travel within and between molecules and is less constrained by the intervening medium.

The term “phonon” is primarily used to describe the energy packets that mediate the transfer of molecular oscillation energy along the lattice structures that comprise crystals and other tightly organized groups of interacting molecules. Phonon mediated intra- and intermolecular oscillations can also be transmitted via the “ether” and can exist as coupled directional energy exchanges.

Harmonics With every frequency, whether vibrational, or oscillatory, there are accompanying higher frequencies that reflect a subdivision of the primary frequency. These higher frequencies are termed harmonics and can be 2, 3, 4, 5, etc., times the primary frequency, typically with progressively diminishing intensity. Moreover, each periodicity of vibration can be additive, such that a final frequency is a summation contributed to by the primary frequency, harmonic frequencies and various additional combinations of the entire set of frequencies. Harmonics, additive frequencies and summations of energy levels also apply to electromagnetic radiation.

Infra- and Ultrasounds Oscillations and vibrations below and above the range of human hearing (20-approximately 15,000 Hertz) are called infrasound and ultrasound, respectively. At certain levels these frequencies can no longer be transmitted via the movement of air molecules. Gravity waves that can cause an attraction between objects in direct proportion to their mass may be part of an infrasound form of oscillation that is transmissible through the “ether.” Other Components of Mass and of Energy Other presumed particles and energy packets exist that are beyond the scope of this review.

They include positrons (an electron–like particle with a positive charge), neutrinos (a nearly mass-less particle without a charge), tachyons (a hypothetical particle larger than neutrons) and various forms of dark matter, dark energy and anti-matter. It is not difficult to envision the creation of circuits of these various energy forms analogous to the electron flow of electricity. Probably the biggest hurdle to overcome is a precise definition of what constitutes the “ether” that interconnects all of the various energy sources.

Energy Summation and Modulation As with harmonics, pooling occurs with each particular form of energy such that what actually is transmitted is an overall summation (and averaging) of all of the individual components. This is seen for example with a beam of white light which is a composite of traveling photons, with different wavelengths ranging from approximately 400-700 nm. At any point of time, the adjacent photons will typically be at different phases with regards to their fluctuating electromagnetic activity.

The electromagnetic effects on the “ether” will be an averaging of all of positive and negative influences. Opposing positive and negative effects will cancel the lesser of the two, while “coherent” or “in phase” effects will be additive. Similarly, with sound waves, the actual vibrations of air particles results from the combined effects of many interactive pressures and expansions.

Radio-waves passing through the environment are yet a further example of mixtures of energies at different frequencies and intensities. Information carried on a radio-wave can be in the form of either slight alterations (modulations) in frequency or intensity (amplitude) of a main “carrier” signal emitted from the radio station. Additional sources of radiation are being constantly introduced into man’s environment with uncertain biological effects. Energy Reception and Detection In spite of their complexities it is, nevertheless, possible to extract individual energy levels (wavelengths of light, sound or radio-waves) from a composite mixture using physical and biological means. For example, the speed of light is slowed as it passed from air though glass.

This slowing effect is directly related to the wavelength, and thus is more pronounced on red, rather than blue light. By angling the light through a prism, white sunlight can be “refracted” into a spectrum of rainbow colors. Biological discriminations are typically based on a cellular receptor system which can selectively respond to a particular form of energy that is fluctuating at a precisely time rate. In many systems, the amount of absorbed energy corresponds to the difference between two alternative states of the receptor. This property can be assessed by determining which part of a broad spectrum of energy is selectively absorbed by a particular biological system.

With sensitive enough instruments, it is theoretically possible to detect and quantify the specific energy emitted from a receptor as it passes from a higher to a lower energy state. Rather than absorbing energy, certain structures can simply reflect or deflect its direction of travel. This can apply to the whole spectrum of the energy or to only parts of the energy spectrum.

Thus, for example, the color of an object simple reflects the remaining spectrum of wavelengths of white light that are not absorbed by the object. These wavelengths are reflected from an opaque object but pass through a transparent object. Energy Transduction A fundamental concept, first enunciated by Newton, is the strict conservation of energy. Thus energy is not removed from existence, although it can be stored in the form of mass. In a wide variety of ways, energy can be converted (transduced) between different forms.

As an initial event, energy has to be absorbed to become converted into another form. As discussed above, energy absorption can be a highly selective process occurring only when the amount and type of absorbed energy exactly corresponds to the difference in energy levels between two alternative energy states of a receptor. Seemingly the absorbed energy has to continue to function and cannot be placed into an object or situation where it is inactive. In the new situation, however, it can assume another form and this change is referred to as transduction.

Prominent examples of energy transduction include: Absorption of a photon of light to elevate the energy and orbiting position of an electron. As expected, the differential energy levels of several molecules, such as chlorophyll, correspond to specific wavelengths present in visible light.

The higher energies of photons of X-rays and gamma rays can so elevate the energy of an electrons in many molecules that the electrons are emitted from the molecules leaving an excess of positive charge. Because of this property, X-rays and gamma rays are termed ionizing radiations. They can also directly damage the nuclei of atoms. Other examples of energy transduction include the exchange of energy between an infrared photon and molecular vibration; added sound-induced pressure on a molecule and creation of an electric current (piezoelectric effect); orientation of a charged molecule in response to a magnetic field, etc. Biological Examples of Energy Transduction.

Energy transductions play critical roles in effecting and regulating many biological processes. Prominent examples of energy transduction in biological systems include the following: Absorption of photons to elevate the energy levels of electrons in chlorophyll with the subsequent transfer of these electrons to the photosynthesis process. With certain other pigments, the light-photon-absorbing electrons simply return to their baseline state with the re-emission of photons of somewhat lower energy than those originally absorbed.

The re-emitted light is known as fluorescence. The energy difference between the absorbed and emitted photons is made up by either additional vibratory energy of the absorbing pigment or added release of photons in the infrared (heat) range. Light induced fluorescence of chlorophyll in a plant is a sign of cell damage affecting the normal channeling of photon-activated electrons into photosynthesis. Specialized cells in the eye contain a light-photon sensing molecule called rhodopsin which, like chlorophyll, can absorb photons with energy levels corresponding to visible light.

This energy is converted into a chemical reaction within a class of so called G-binding proteins that eventually trigger an electrical reaction that is passed along the cell membrane into the brain. Specialized cells in the ear can respond to vibrations of frequencies in the range of 20 to 15,000 Hertz and transmit the signal to the brain where is perceived as sound. Speech is the induced vibration of air mediated by the muscular constriction of vocal cords during exhalation.

There are various sensors in the skin and other organs that respond to pressure, vibration, infrared radiation (heat) and to changes in proton and electron concentrations (pH). Other striking examples of specialized energy transmitting and/or reception among animals include radar (an abbreviation for Radio Detection And Ranging) in bats, Sonar (an abbreviation for sound navigation and ranging) in whales; electric sensors in the Australian platypus, magnetic field guided navigation in birds, light flashing in fireflies, etc. Normal cells have an electrical energy across their lipid cell membrane. It is due to a relative predominance of negatively charged ions insufficiently counterbalanced by cations (predominantly K+), and an excess of cations (predominantly Na+) outside of the cell. This negative charge can be temporarily abrogated by allowing for transient Na+ input into the cell.

This process can occur in a progressive manner along nerve cells allowing for the transmission of an electrical signal. The brain is awash in multiple oscillatory electrical circuits, grouped according to their frequency range and other associations. The more prominent are beta waves, from 14 to 20 Hz, which are found in our normal waking state of mind. Alpha waves, from 8 to 13 Hz, can become prominent during daydreaming or meditation. Theta waves are from 4 to 7 Hz, and also occur in states of deep meditation. Delta waves, from 0.5 to 3 Hz, are especially seen in deep sleep.

The heart also displays rhythmically oscillating electrical activity, as can many muscle groups. It is reasonable to expect that the body’s energy fields would be interactive and able to exert global effects on many cell types throughout the body. Individual proteins within a cell can also oscillate in response to the passage of electrons that can cause molecular contractions and relaxations depending upon their distance from a proton rich region. Other proteins can be in a state of flux as they carry on such functions as transport, repetitive movements, intermolecular binding and chemical change.

The movement of electrically charged free electrons, atoms and molecules can create magnetic fields that can potentially affect other areas of a cell as well as neighboring cells. Different molecules can respond in unison with coupled oscillations and other forms of energy transfer. Energy bonding of related molecules can yield relatively large functional units. Distinct molecules, including different polymers, can also physically associate, but usually in a more easily reversible manner. The types of associations can include the formation of liquid crystals with separate regions for donating and accepting electrons.

Chemical Versus Physical Properties of Molecules The above considerations allow for interesting distinctions to be made between the chemical and physical properties of organic molecules. Principally, the chemical reactivity of a molecule is viewed as being mainly related to arrangements of outer electrons on accessible atoms. While there is an enormous potential for specificity and for precise discrimination, the activity is essentially confined to individual interacting molecules. Physical interactions, on the other hand, can involve series of linked molecules that function as a whole, rather than individually.

The complex entities can exert and can respond to electrical, magnetic, electromagnetic, oscillatory and other energy forms, that can act at varying distances throughout an organism, and even between organisms. While there may not be the fine discrimination of precise chemical reactions, there can be an overall coordinating influence affecting an entire set of cellular structures. As biophysics grows as a scientific discipline, sensitive instrumentations will become available to pursue the modes of non-chemical energy communications within living organisms. At the present time, energy methods are proving to be particularly useful in medical diagnostics.

Diagnostic Uses of Energy Emitting and/or Recording Devices Structural information on internal organs of the human body is routinely obtained using various imaging techniques, based on differential absorption or reflection of particular forms of energies. Prominent examples include X-rays, ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET). X-rays are differentially absorbed by tissue components; bone being highest and air filled cavity spaces the lowest.

Ultrasounds are reflected back from regions of transitions of tissue densities and can effectively outline various organs. Ultrasounds can also be used to assess rates of blood flow through major arteries and veins. With MRI, the water molecules in tissues are aligned with a powerful magnetic field. This orientation is periodically modulated by the application of pulsed radio-waves and the rates of return to the magnet induced orientation of different regions of an organ measured. Sensitive methods are being developed to apply diagnostic imaging to histological tissue sections and to individual cells, obtained for example, by fine needle aspirates.

Energy recordings of electrical activity emanating from the brain (EEG) and heart (EKG) are also commonly monitored to assess the functioning of these organs. Similarly, nerve conduction times and induced muscle activity can be electrically recorded. Thermography can be used to highlight areas of abnormally high or low release of infrared photons. The measurements of electrostatic fields surrounding an individual or the conductance of an applied electric impulse between different regions of the body are occasionally used but are of unproven diagnostic.

Accepted Therapeutic Uses of Externally Applied Energy. The detrimental effects on cell viability of high levels of ionizing radiations can be used to retard the growth, and even to eliminate cancers. Externally applied electrical currents are routinely used to overcome a lack of normal cardiac rhythm. The brain is also the target of electrical and magnetic energies in electroshock and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), respectively.

Both with the heart and brain, the external energy is mainly being used to allow for a recovery of the underlying normal electrical rhythm. Ultrasounds are used to induce vibrations and mechanical fragmentations of renal and gall bladder stones (lipotripsy). Radiofrequency induced heat is used in cauterizing instruments to control minor blood leakage in surgery. Light is used to chemically transform elevated levels of lipid soluble, to water soluble, bilirubin in newborn infants with jaundice. It is also being used to activate the toxicity of light sensitive materials introduced into tumor cells (photodynamic therapy).

Biological Effects of Low Level Energy In spite of this potential sensitivity to external energy fields, there is little clear documentation of reproducible, quantifiable and beneficial biological effects of relatively low level electromagnetic, electrical, magnetic or sound energies in human physiology. In pursuing such studies, one may need to separate those who are normal (in whom there may well be no effect) from those with an energy treatable disorder. Limited data from Dr. Becker suggest a role for low level electrical stimulation in the healing of bone fractures. Other data indicate potential pain relief from both electrical e.g. TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) machine and pulsed magnetic energies e.g. Magnetic Molecular Energizing and PAP-IMI machines.

The reduction in tissue swelling with these and other modalities is consistent with an enhancement of lymphatic draining. Seasonal affective disorder is seemingly due to diminished sunshine and can be partially corrected using full spectrum light. Given the intrinsic sensitivity of the brain to environmental and interpersonal influences, it is not surprising that claims are commonly made to the effects of sound, aromas, magnets, vibrations, light, etc., on mood, thinking abilities (cognition), and stress levels.

EEG neurofeedback provides a potential qualitative method to determine whether changes are actually occurring in the brain’s electrical circuitry as a result of such stimuli. Healers can be particularly convincing in their belief systems that not uncommonly include the notion of being a conduit for spiritual energy from God. Most of the claims made by alternative medical practitioners and healers are judged by rational observers to be flawed.

This is because the claims lack a rational scientific foundation and because they are not substantiated by objective, double-blinded studies. The first defect is usually answered by claiming that science is not sufficiently advanced to provide a meaningful explanation. The second defect is generally one of unwillingness to perform the studies, with the issue of cost being paramount. Government regulatory efforts to protect the public (possibly with undue encouragement from the pharmaceutical industry) also act as a deterrent for mainstream medical practitioners to become affiliated with proponents of energy medicine.

The Future of Energy Medicine In spite of these shortcomings, there is an exciting future for energy medicine. Research work is pointing towards the existence of an alternative cellular energy (ACE)-pigments that can capture external energy sources, even more so than chlorophyll. ACE-pigments have been identified in patients infected with atypically structured, non-inflammation inducing (stealth-adapted) viruses. Studies have shown these pigments to be responsive to sound, light and magnetic energies.

Their discovery has given a new impetus to improving the methods of energy delivery and to the establishment of well conducted clinical trials. Potential natural sources for ACE-pigments are being explored and experiments ranging from tissue regeneration, wound healing, metabolic resuscitation of viral infected cells and, energy induced destruction of cancer cells are either underway, or in the planning stage.

A brief review of some of these energy delivery systems to be used for targeting and/or activating ACE pigments is as follows: Sound: ACE-pigments were shown to vibrate at specific frequencies. They could also be vibrated using various forms of traditional music. A feature of many of the recordings shown to be particularly active is the broad range and relative intensity of the many harmonics present in the music.

Even with single instruments, one can observe potential benefits in creating harmonics with a 7 verses a 5 string violin, or a 12 versus a 6 string guitar. The delivery of vibrations outside of the range of hearing may be desirable to avoid over stimulation of the auditory responses. These include ELF (extremely low frequencies) and ultrasounds beyond 15,000 Hertz, but typically still less that those used in ultrasound imaging. Light: The pioneer in this field of therapy was undoubtedly Dr. Royal Raymond Rife.

As early as the 1930’s he was able to electrically excite certain gases using impulses set at varying frequencies (and their harmonics). Using sensitive microscopic techniques he observed fluorescence in different microorganisms. By applying selected frequencies to such organisms, he could identify a mortal oscillatory frequency (MOR) for several types of bacteria. More importantly, he observed beneficial effects in patients exposed to light emissions arriving at defined frequencies.

Newer light sources now exist including LASER (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) and powerful LED’s (Light Emitting Diodes). An issue of relatively poor transmission of visible light through the body can be addressed using the principle of rapid firing of better penetrating lower energies photons that can achieve multiple hits on the same target, so as to achieve the energy level of visible light. Magnet: A PAP-IMI device for ultra-short pulsed magnetic impulses is proving useful in pain relief and accelerated healing.

Especially with the development of the MRI, powerful magnets with 5 or more Tesla strength are becoming available for experimental clinical therapeutic use. Conclusions The opportunity clearly exists to evaluate various biophysics modalities in well designed experimental and clinical studies.

Basic tissue and microbial culture methods provide ready sources of life forms to test the importance of energy-based parameters. Solid conclusions from such studies can be applied to multi-cellular organisms, including plants, animals and humans. Improved instrumentation will allow for more objective findings, both at the molecular level and at the level of the whole organism. Critical experiments can be conducted to evaluate specific hypotheses and to refine precise mechanisms of action. It this approach is taken, it is very likely that biophysics will become a powerful adjunct to the practice of medicine and to the well being of mankind.
For further information, please refer to the web site http://www.biophysicsinstitute.com/