Pranic Therapy Part IV

The basic forces in the Universe - visible and invisible - are but different manifestations of that Unitary Power which the Vedists call Prana. Using this Vital Energy to heal is called Pranic Therapy.

This article is a continuation of the earlier article Pranic Therapy PartIII.

The Ayurvedic Model

The system of Indian Holisitc medicine, Ayurveda postulates a differentview of the human personality. Based on the Sankhya school of Indian philosophy, Ayurveda conceives life as the interplay of three Life-principles called humours ( which correspond to the three attributes of Nature - Sattwa, Rajas and thamas ).These are Vata ( wind), Pitta( bile) & kapha ( phlegm). In the healthy person these three doshas are in a state of perfect equilibrium. Illness arises when this balanceis lost. Ayurveda holds that every person has in him a tendency to haveone of the three humours dominate his psychophysical system & this predominance of one humour makes Ayurveda classify the body underthree types: Vata type, Pitta type & Kapha type. ( This is parallel to the Vedantic Model which classifies individual minds as Sattwa dominant,Tamas dominant and Rajas dominant ). Taking this predominance of one of the humours into consideration & identifying the body type,
Ayurvedic doctors prescribe medicine & diet.

Attributes of Nature are these!
Know then that Being and Nature both
Hath no beginning; that all qualities
Are Nature-born!

2. Regulation of Food, Sleep and Exercise" Food is medicine; Medicine is food " said Hippocrates. "Food is
Brahman. Food was verily born before all creatures: therefore it iscalled the medicine for all" declares the Upanishads. By stating thatfood is the root cause of all ills & illnesses Vedanta have formulatedone of the foundational principles of holistic health. At least half theailments of man can be traced directly or indirectly to the problems
of food.

Regulation of food is not easy, because it is an addiction like alcohol.Problems like obesity, higher cholesterol level & irritable bowel syndrome crop up if food is not controlled. By controlling food, the whole bodycomes under control. "When taste is conquered everything is conquered "averrs Vedanta. What really matters is not how much we eat but how much of what we eat is transformed into bioenergy & the building materials of life. Sir William Osler pointed out many years ago " Only a small percentage of what we eat nourishes us; the balance goes to waste and loss of energy".In holistic health, food should be revered & a proper attitude towardsfood should be developed. " Be thankful for all food, for food is Brahman " said Vivekananda.

Six hours have been prescribed for all even though requirement ofsleep varies from person to person

Research studies have indicated that even moderate levels of exercisebolster the immune system.

No amount of sleep is sufficient for unwinding the mind for it is alaystense state under the stressful conditions of modern life. Antidotes to stress include yogic techniques like Meditation, prayer, cultivationof the Witness attitude & practice of absolute self-surrender to the Divine,which enable us to avoid a lot of unnecessary stress.
Acid-Alkaline Balance - Key Indicator of Health

Foods either leave an acid ash or an alkaline ash. Maximum health is inan alkaline body. The average 20th century diet, stress, pace, lifestyle & environment produce far more acid than is healthy. The human
body is alkaline by design & acidic by function, which means that yourbody's health is dependent upon it being alkaline.

The original source of stress is known as a stressor. Most of the stressorsin todays' society ( cigarette smoke, alcohol, stress itself, bad diet, coffee, sodas, pharmaceuticals) all produce an acid state in the body.All cancerous states are acid states of long duration.

Research indicates that 90% of our general population is far too acidic,which leads to a variety of negative health effects. Over time, being acidic is the main cause of degenerative diseases & aging. If you havean acidic body, you become energyless, exhausted physically & mentally and you lose the radiance and shine of skin & hair.

Grains, sugar, dairy, animal or vegetarian protein & oils yield an acidash while fruits, sea vegetables, vegetables quality water & herbs yield an alkaline ash You should consume 20% of your food daily,by weight from the acid ash-forming foods & 80% , from the alkaline ash-forming foods.

pH ( standing for 'potential of Hydrogen' ) is a measure of the relative acidity or alkalinity of a solution. The scale of pH ranges from 1 to 14.14 is totally alkaline and zero is acidic. The middle of this line is 7,neutral. Quality water has a Ph of 7 and you should maintain this level.

It is ideal to incorporate 2 glasses of lime juice along with the 8-12glasses of water which is taken daily . A diet of 80% alkaline ash foods is ideal. We have to maintain this ratio - 80 % alkalinity & 20%acidity for optimum health.

The effects of having an alkaline body

1) we are calm & collected
2) we have high energy level
3) our sleep patterns are deep
4) we have less colds and flus than normal
5) the immune system is fortified
6) the body has good absorption/assimilation/digestion.

Yoga Physical Exercises for Relaxation

Doing nothing or simply lying down is not relaxation. The muscles whenstretched bring in relaxation as it frees them from the tense condition. Some of the yogic Asanas are highly effective because they can relax
the muscles.

There will be focal point in the body which reflects the mental tensionwhich one finds oneself in. That focal point of mental tension should be identified and you can choose that type of yogic exercise whichwill relax the muscles & tendons of the specific focal point of tension
in you.

Regulation of Breath

"Breathlessness is deathlessness " averrs Yoga. Regulation of breath givestremendous relaxation.Pranayama, without the help of a bona fide Master,can lead to serious complications. What is needed is the practice of
breathing deeply ( as deeply as possible ) through both the nostrils & thenslowly breathing out ( without breath retention ). This kind of regulated deep breathing can be done at any time, even in your office.

Psychosomatic pain can be alleviated by these simple yogic techniquesmore effectively than allopathic pills or tablets. Here we employ the internal pharmacy of Skill power in lieu of the external pharmacy of Pill
Power!