Saturday, August 24, 2024

RAW FOOD VS COOKED FOOD

Article By Dr. Ish Kumar Sachdeva, Faculty & Senior Consultant at Sector 12, Noida, NDDY, Naturopathy Practitioner Since 2010 (+91 - 9818479606).


Now The Big Question Is : Which One is Best and Healthy ?
There are Lot of Arguments !

Note: all material is property of Dr. Ish Kr. Sachdeva, Sector 12, Noida. Copy is Strictly Prohibited.

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INDEX

        Page No.       Chapters                                                                Page No.

    1. Why only "Raw Food" -              ................................    
      (Or Combination of Raw / Cooked Food ?)

    2. Why it is highly recommended for Indians ? ...........    
    3. Why should human only need organic Vegetarian / Raw Food ........ 
    4. Effect of Raw food on Human & Animal Health ............................. 
    5. Human Nature, Psychology, Physiology, Spiritual Health & Relation between Modern Human vs. Raw Vegetarian Food   ................................................... 
    6. Which Vegetable should be eaten Raw & Which can't ? ................. 
    7. Raw / Cooked food for Hospitalized Patient, Pregnant Women / After Surgery Patients 
      (which food is recommended ?)
    8. Effect of raw food on human behaviour (Human psychology vs raw food)...
    9. Raw Food According to Your Country / Region (Seasonal Vegetables / 
      Un-seasonal vegetables Risk on Health.
    10. Sprouted Food vs. Vegetables - Scientific Selection.
    11. Anti-Oxidents in Raw Food (Role of Anti-Oxidents in Human Health).
      which anti oxident highly recommended, mixture of Anti-Oxidents.
    12. Cooked food - Root Cause of almost all common human disorders / disease.
    13. Effect of Raw food on Digestion.
    14. Cooked Food Like An Addiction. Non-Organic Spices, Artificial Flavours, Chemical Aroma, Processed Food Cause of Cancer.
    15. Importance of Raw Food In Various Diseases.
    16. Effect of Uncooked Food on The Digestive System.
    17. Proper use of Fruits and Their Juices in Various Diseases.
    18. Fasting along with Uncooked Food & Fruit Vegetable Juice.
    19. How to Detox The Body with Uncooked Vegetarian Food.
    20. Proper Way of Fasting.
    21. Various Culture and Proof of Un-cooked vs Cooked Food Research.


ABSTRACT

  • प्रारंभिक इंसान या प्राचीन इंसान जब वह कच्चा खाना खता था - तब तक वह बहुत स्वस्थ अवं बिमारिओं से रहित था, जैसे ही इंसान ने खूब पका हुआ तथा मसालेदार अप्राकृतिक, खुशबु युक्त, खाना खाना शुरू किया, तब से इंसान तरह तरह की बिमारिओं से ग्रसित हुआ है 
    (Early man or ancient man used to eat raw food - till then he was very healthy and disease free, as soon as man started eating cooked and spicy food with unnatural smell, since then man has been suffering from various diseases).
    .
  • आपके आसपास जितने भी प्राणी जगत हैं, जितने भी शाकाहारी जानवर आपने आज तक देखे हैं - उनमे से शायद ही किसी को लाइफस्टाइल बीमारी से ग्रसित देखा होगा, मन्युष्य को छोड़ कर लगभग सभी जानवर / प्राणी जगत लगभग १००% स्वस्थ है, क्या आपने कभी सोचा है ? की प्राणी जगत के सभी जानवर जो खास तौर पर जंगल में रहते हैं वह बीमार क्यों नहीं पड़ते ? क्यों की वह सभी जो भी कहते हैं वह अपक्व आहार है 
    (All the animals around you, all the vegetarian animals you have seen till date - hardly anyone of them has been seen suffering from a lifestyle disease, except humans, almost all animals / animal kingdom are almost 100% healthy, have you ever wondered? Why do all the animals of the animal kingdom, especially those living in the forest, not fall sick? Because whatever they eat is unripe / un-cooked food).
    .





Friday, September 19, 2014

How to Cure Diabetes Naturally (Treating Diabetes Naturally): Natural Way to Cure Diabetes:


CALL NATUROPATHY EXPERT : +91 - 9818479606

Every One Want to Know !!!!.......... How to Cure Diabetes Naturally ? (Below are some natural remedies and some Yogic Asanas to Cure and Eliminate Diabetese from Your Devine Body ... Permanently.

Q. What is Diabetes in the context of Naturopathy ? 
Ans.  According to Naturopathy and Yogic Science..... Any disease arise due to negligence to live Natural Life !!

Sunday, August 5, 2012

HUMAN BEING A COMBINATION OF THREE ELEMENTS, THREE ELEMENTS THEORY, FIVE ELEMENT THEORY OF LIFE, THREE ELEMENT THEORY OF LIFE vs. FIVE ELEMENT THEORY OF LIFE, HUMAN BODY MADE UP OF FIVE ELEMENTS :

ACCORDING TO THE FIVE ELEMENT THEORY OF HUMAN BODY :

According to Lord Shiva : Five Elements of Life(s) are :
  1. Fire (Agni)   -Indicates Electron, Proton, Energy.
  2. Water (Jal)   -Indicates Liquid State of Human Body.
  3. Air (Vayu)    -Indicates Gaseous State of Human Body 
                   (Atomosphere).
  4. Space(Aakash)-Represents- Empty Space/Universe in Human Body.
  5. Soil (Mitti)  -Indicates The Elemental State of Human Body.

ACCORDING TO THREE ELEMENTAL STATE OF HUMAN BODY : 

HUMAN BEING AS A COMBINATION OF THREE ELEMENTS :
[Based On Satsang of Sant Sri Asaramji Bapu] : Human body is a combination of folliwing three element :.
  1. Animalistic element,
  2. Human element and
  3. Divine element.
Animalistic element, of course, animal like behaviour meaning indiscriminate eating habits, disregarding parents, and the social norms. Just like cattle, which is governed by whims and fancies of the mind.  This is animalistic element. Human element, of course humanistic behaviour, meaning to have appropriate mode of living, good morals and ethical values, to keep good company, to respect parents and Guru (Teachers).
Divine element- when one comes in contact with Saints (Good Person or Plesant Human Being)  and Satguru (True Friend or Teacher or Guide) and undergoes spiritual practises doing Sadhana (Practicing God), Jap (Speaking God or Spiritual Lessons), Dhyaana (Meditation), austerities, fasting etc., the divine element develops.
A self-willed person has more of a animalistic element. Whether he is your son or a brother, but he would harass you because of increased animalistic element. As animal kicks every now and then, dog barks on the slightest provocation, likewise, one with animalastic element will lose his temper, develop love and harted (Raga-devesa) on petty subjects.  He is always in pursuit of satisfying his animalistic Vasanas (sensous) desires.
He would develop Raga towards the things which fulful Vasanas and develop Dvesa towards the obstruction in satisfying Vasanas. In fulfuilling Vasanas if one meets a obstacle from a person of stronger stature, fear grips him, resistance from peers will incite him to compete and interference from weaker persons sould make him angry.  Thus the inherent divine energy in human beings is wasted in Raga-devesa, fear, anger, struggle, and rivalry.
There are people who are diligent in performing their own duties and have more of a human element. They pay less importance to Raga-dvesa, and even if it develops they take care of it. Inspite of having developed human element, if his animalistic element dominates over the former, he is born as an animal in his next life. For example, King Nrg. although he had humanistic element, because of predominant animalistic element he had to remain in a well as a chameleon.
If one has predominant humanistic element, after death he will again get a human body, and if one persists in developing divine element along with human element, he leads a happy and peaceful life over here and after death he will go to God's adobe. But if he completely develops divine element then he would be worshipped like God in this very life.
There are also many such intellects who do not believe in God and they fritter away all their intelligence in amassing bodily conforts and luxuries.  Such intellects consider themselves to be superior, and other to be inferior, though theyt themselves are also beseiged by lowly thoughts, because they consider the body, which is heading towards death every moment, to be 'I' and its status, prestige, and power to be 'mine'.  But, those gullible fools do not realize that, just as a mouse can not escape from the clutches of a cat, likewise, none can escape the jaws of death. Nobody knows when it will swallow.
American newspapers reported that Abraham Lincoon's ghost was seen in White House. Abraham Lincoln was a humanist. Had he developed his divine element also, he would not have become a ghost.
After death some people become ghosts.  At the time of death, one with predominant animalistic element becomes devoid of consciousness.  Just after death subtle body remains in that surrounding for a 1.25 mahurt (approx. 2 hours) in non-cognitive and unconscious state. Because of Vasanas the Jiva(Life / Human) tries to re-enter the body but it cannot. Then teh subtle body takes re-birth according to its Vasanas. Suppose you are feeling thirsty, hungry, and sleepy at the same time, then you will fulfull the strongest desire first.  Likewise, after death, the Jive(Life/ Human) takes re-birth according to animalistic or humanistic desire whichever is stronger.
Very much akin to, after dispersal of a gathering, a drunked would rush to a bar, gambler to a casino, a gentelman to his duties, and a spiritual aspirant would engage himself in spiritual practices or go to an Ashram(Holy Place in Hindu Culture). Similarly Jiva(Life / Human) goes to different YONI(different forms of life like animal, human, bacteria, virus ... etc)
Assuming someone has desire to indulge sensual plasure of the body and at that moment if he meets with death then a according to karma(our holy duties) and vasna(our animalistic behavours), the jiva eventually, through the medium of moonlight or rainfall, gets into foodgrain or fruit, etc., which is subsequently eaten by humans or other living beings. Jiava finds mother's womb according to its Vasna, or else the jiva will find its way to a gutter.  What a powerful man he was but now his condition is deplorable! After many such failed journeys, if the circumstances become favourable, it finds an opportunity to stay in womb and subsequently takes birth.  Again he performes karmas in accordance with his desires and creates many new desires.

To recapitulate, both the animalastic and humanistic elements lie dormant in everyone.

That way, the jiva gets power from the Divine element, but because it does not contemplate on the divine element, sometimes it goes to pasu yoni (animal mode/form re-borth in hindu culture) sometimes to manusya yoni (re-birth as a human), and sometimes by gentle and pious behaviour it goes to deva yoni (demigod) and comes back to a lower yoni after enjoying the fruits of meritus (punya).

Fortunate, indeed, is one who takes shelter in God's name to develop divine element and does sadhana to achieve the SUPREM LORD, and does benevolent works for mankind.  He serves neither for heaven nor fame, but just to please God. Benevolent works help in developing antar-atma (inneer self) and enhances atmabala (Power of Self). Divine element assists us and rightly inspires us.  Thus, one who strives hard to awaken divine element and remains alert is intelligent in human world. Fortunate is he who performs benevolent works to develop the divine element for getting divine inspiration, knowledge, meditation, and peace.

Friday, May 25, 2012

YOGA FOR LOWER BACK PAIN (BACKACHE), YOGA FOR BACK PAIN, YOG ASANAS FOR BACK PAIN, YOGA EXERCISE FOR BACKACHE (ACCUTE BACKACHE or CHRONIC BACKACHE)

YOGA FOR BACK PAIN (BACKACHE) 

Yoga for Lower Back Pain : Cat Cow Yoga Pose for Lower Back Pain:

NOTE : PLEASE CONSULT WITH DOCTOR or YOGA SPECIALIST BEFORE DOING ANY OR ALL EXERCISES.

Yoga Workout Beginners Lower Back Stretch Home Exercise Routine :


Indian Girl Explaining Yoga for Backache :

Yoga and the Problem Back:

If you have a back problem, it's best to get an okay from your doctor before trying yoga. Back pain is often the result of a biomechanical imbalance in spinal structures. Your doctor can advise you of: •Any movements to avoid :

•The most productive level of challenge
•Safety modifications
•Effects of interaction between exercise and your medications

What a Good Yoga Teacher Can Do:

Once you have had this conversation with your doctor, tell your yoga teacher about it. A good teacher will be able to respond to your medical limitations with the use of props (special aids) and modifications, allowing your experience with yoga to be safe and beneficial.
Unless you are a professional rehabilitation specialist, it is imperative to find a qualified yoga teacher. Do not try to teach yourself!

Balance Is Key:

Doing yoga cultivates a balance between the flexibility and strength of the muscles of the body, often the real culprit in back pain. Most people are tight in key areas affecting the spine - in the hips and shoulders, for example. A system like yoga, which releases muscle tension, can improve back pain. While the emphasis is on stretching and flexibility, yoga also develops muscle strength.

Types of Yoga Suitable for Back Pain Sufferers:

There are a variety of yoga styles out there, ranging from gentle to vigorous. Also, some styles emphasize spirituality and emotions, while others, most notably hatha yoga, focus more on physical postures. For persons with back pain, a hatha yoga style is a good place to start, particularly classes that emphasize rest and restoration. Styles such as kundalini, ashtanga and bikram are specialized and challenging - not a good choice for back pain sufferers. A good rule of thumb: Gentle is better.

Alignment and Body Awareness - The Hallmarks of Hatha Yoga:

As a whole-body system, yoga develops body awareness and places emphasis on alignment. This means that the proper location of each body part (feet, knees, hips, spine, shoulder, head) affects all the others. Like Pilates, yoga emphasizes core work, although yoga has less abdominal strength development.

Don't Try - Modify! An Introduction to Props:

You may be wondering, "Will I be able to do yoga without creating more pain?" Most yoga classes utilize props. Props help bring the pose to you, when tight or weak muscles cannot fully bring you into the pose.
Relax, Deeply:
Yoga incorporates breathing techniques that can lead to stress relief and help you get through the challenge of the stretch. Often, yoga classes have a spiritual basis, offering techniques and the environment in which to work on deeper levels of healing and pain resolution.

Talk to the Prospective Yoga Teacher:

Talking to your prospective yoga teacher can help you determine which class is right for you. Probe to find out how skilled the teacher is with back and neck pain, and learn how challenging the class is.
Some yoga teachers are big on manual adjustments, including stretching. In most cases, adjustments are helpful, but you may need to forgo them to avoid aggravating your pain. Discuss this with the yoga teacher before the class starts, to avoid an unwanted surprise.

Special Focus Yoga Classes:

Many yoga studios offer special focus classes, for example:• Prenatal yoga
•Yoga for multiple sclerosis
•Yoga for athletes
Find out if there are any classes geared toward students with back pain. You may be in luck.

Conditions Helped by Yoga:

By its very nature, yoga is well suited to address back problems arising from postural alignment conditions.
Examples of conditions particularly suitable for yoga include (but are not limited to):
• Kyphosis
•Scoliosis
•Lordosis
With modifications and a gentle, prudent approach, beginner yoga can benefit those with other conditions as well, for example (but not limited to): •Stenosis
•Problems with the intervertebral disk
•Nerve root issues

Yoga for Back Pain Research Studies :

In the fall of 2011, two studies helped our understanding of the way yoga might be used for back pain relief. In Britain, a three-year study involving 313 participants and multiple instructors delivered a standardized program for chronic back pain sufferers. The yoga participants scored much better than the control group in all areas (pain, pain self-efficacy) except general health.
The other study, from the United States, compared yoga to an equivalent amount of stretching. This was a "comparative effectiveness study," and it found that for people who have mild to moderate back pain without sciatica, stretching did just as well as yoga. The study showed overall how valuable movement is in the healing process, said Debbie Turczan, M.S.P.T., a therapeutic yoga teacher and a clinical specialist in physical therapy, New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York City.
"Yoga teaches us to respect where our bodies are, rather than comparing our current abilities to what we used to be able to do or what someone else can do," she said.
Yoga for back pain can be quite a winner, but you must respect the limits placed on you by your pain. This necessarily involves "listening" to your body, a skill you will undoubtedly cultivate as a student of this ancient system.
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Sources:
K.J. Sherman, D.C. Cherkin, J. Erro, D.L. Miglioretti, and R.A. Deyo. Comparison of Yoga, Exercise, and Education for the Treatment of Chronic Low Back Pain. Annals of Internal Medicine Vol 143 Issue 12 pp1-18. Dec 20 2005.http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/143/12/I-18
Sherman KJ, Cherkin DC, Wellman RD, Cook AJ, Hawkes RJ, Delaney K, Deyo RA. A Randomized Trial Comparing Yoga, Stretching, and a Self-care Book for Chronic Low Back Pain. Arch Intern Med. 2011 Oct 24. [Epub ahead of print] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Sherman%20KJ%2C%20Cherkin%20DC%2C%20Wellman%20RD%2C%20et%20al.%20A%20randomized%20trial%20comparing%20yoga%2C
Tilbrook HE, Cox H, Hewitt CE, Kang'ombe AR, Chuang LH, Jayakody S, Aplin JD, Semlyen A, Trewhela A, Watt I, Torgerson DJ . Yoga for chronic low back pain: a randomized trial. Ann Intern Med. 2011 Nov 1;155(9):569-78. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22041945

yoga for back pain, yoga for spinal problems, yog asanas for backache, backache yoga, yog, asan, backache, yoga, online yoga for back pain, backpain relief, exercise for back pain, backache exercise.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Is Your Alarm Clock Making You Fat ? MODERN LIFE VS. NATURAL LIFE

As if you needed another reason to despise your alarm clock. A new study suggests that, by disrupting your body's normal rhythms, your buzzing, blaring friend could be making you overweight.
The study concerns a phenomenon called "social jetlag." That's the extent to which our natural sleep patterns are out of synch with our school or work schedules. Take the weekends: many of us wake up hours later than we do during the week, only to resume our early schedules come Monday morning. It's enough to make your body feel like it's spending the weekend in one time zone and the week in another.
But is social jetlag actually bad for your health? To investigate, chronobiologist Till Roenneberg at the University of Munich in Germany and colleagues compiled data from tens of thousands of responses to an internet survey on sleep patterns and other behaviors. Previous work with such data has already yielded some clues. "We have shown that if you live against your body clock, you're more likely to smoke, to drink alcohol, and drink far more coffee," says Roenneberg.

In the new study, the team measured the social jetlag of people ages 16 to 65 by calculating how offset sleep times were on workdays and non-workdays. They then constructed a mathematical model that gauged how well biological factors, such as age, gender, sleep duration, and social jet lag could predict body weight. They found that the first three factors were important predictors of body weight for all people. In addition, for people who are already on the heavy side, greater social jet lag corresponded to greater body weight. However, social jet lag was not a good predictor for people with normal body weights, the team reports online today in Current Biology.

The researchers also found that people of all ages awoke and went to bed an average of 20 minutes later between 2002 and 2010. Work and school times have remained the same, meaning that social jetlag has increased during this period. Roenneberg says people are spending much less time outside, which gives their bodies less exposure to natural light that helps set biological rhythms for an earlier sleep schedule.

He adds that our social schedules likely influence our eating schedules: on workdays, people may eat breakfast while their bodies still think it's night. "Eating at the wrong time hits your entire digestive system at the wrong time, so it cannot efficiently do its job," he says, which may explain the link with obesity. The findings have particular relevance for teenagers, who naturally sleep much longer and later than their school schedules allow, and thus suffer more social jetlag than other age groups.

While previous studies have shown a link between sleep duration and obesity, the new work highlights the importance of sleep timing, says Kristen Knutson, a sleep researcher at the University of Chicago in Illinois. "We've known for a while that shift workers are associated with increased health risks, and shift workers have extreme variability in their sleep timing between workdays and non-workdays," Knutson says. "This paper suggests it's not just the extreme cases of irregular bed times, but even a more modest difference between weekends and weekdays of an hour or two seems to be associated with health outcomes like obesity."

While our bodies can adjust and recover from travel jetlag, social jetlag is a chronic problem that reemerges at the start of each workweek, says Nathaniel Watson, a genetic epidemiologist at the University of Washington, Seattle. "The message might be to try to make your sleep patterns more consistent," he says. "This is further evidence that we'd all feel better and be healthier if we would go to sleep when we're tired and we would wake up spontaneously when we're rested."

If only life were that simple.

Sunday, May 6, 2012

GENERAL RULES OF NATUROPATHY OR NATURAL LIVING, TREATMENT (AND EVEN FOR A HEALTHY MAN)

GENERAL RULES OF NATURAL LIVING FOR A HEALTHY MAN & FOR TREATMENT:

  1. DAILY WATER INTAKE : At least two liters of Water should be taken every day.
    .
  2. The INTERVAL BETWEEN MEALS AND TREAMENT :  and the treatment should be at least 3 hours after eating and at least one hour before it. Only in exceptional circumstances, the rule could be relaxed on doctor's advice.
    .
  3. CLEAN AND PURE WATER FOR TREATMENT : It is highly advisable to take clean and pure water must be used for treatment.
    .
  4. DON'T RE-USE THE WATER : Water once used for treatment should not be reused.
    .
  5. CLEAN PACKS : Linen and packs should be throughly washed in hot water and dried before they are used for treatments.
    .
  6. VENTILATED ROOKS : The treatment rooms should be well ventilated, clean and comfortably warm.  Direct exposure to breeze should be prevented while the patient is undergoing treatment.
    .
  7. FOR WEAK PATIENTS : or patient suffering from heart disease, high BP, fever and extreme exhaustion should not take prolonged hot or cold water treatments, steam and sauna baths. If prescribed by the doctor, they shoudl take these under the supervision of a trained nurse / naturopath.
    .
  8. While undergoing HYDROPATHIC TREATMENTS the temprature and duration of the application should be strictly observed to obtain the desired effects. Un-necessary prolonging of the treatment in the belief of securing better result is, in fact, harmful.
    .
  9. Before and after taking COLD WATER TREATMENTS patients should not walk barefoot on wet ground or wet grass and should not be exposed to cold air.  They should wear slippers to protect their feet.
    .
  10. AFTER COLD WATER TREATMENTS patients should quickly dry themselves and undertake moderate exercises such as Yogasanas, Suryanamaskars, Pranayama etc. If the patients are not in a position to do asanas or exercise - they are advised to take a brisk walk for arround 20 minutes or If they are too weak to do even that, they should eover themselves with a blanket until the reaction of the treatment is completed - arround / approx 30 minutes.
  11. COLD WATER TREATMENTS : should be discontinued immediately if the aptient feels chill. Even a second more may cause nausea, giddiness etc. Sometimes, this may also cause a condition known as Hydrotherapic fever.
    .
  12. BATH AFTER COLD WATER :  After Cold Water Treatments bath should be taken only after an interval of 30 - to - 45 minutes.
    .
  13. HOT WATER TREATMENTS : while taking hot water treatments - necessary precautions mentioned in the concerned treatment procedure should be taken for better results.  If they are ignored, they might prove dangerous.  After taking hot water treatments, a quick cold shower is a must.
    .
  14. DRINKING WATER BEFORE HOT WATER TREATMENT : Before taking any HOT WATER TREATMENT, the patient should drink one or two glasses of cold water.  The head should always be protected witha  wet towel to keep the brain cool; otherwise the patient may feel giddy, nauseous and may even faint.  Terminate the treatment as soon as the patient shows the slightest indication of giddiness or weakness/ exhaustion.
    .
  15. MENSTURAL PERIOD & TREATMENT : Avoid all Abdominal or mostly avoid all Hot Water or Blood Circulation Boosting Treatments. If looks necessary, they mayu take enema, cold water bath and other minor treatments only on doctor's / naturopath's advice.
    .
  16. PREGNANCY and TREATMENT : till the completion of third month, comen can take cold hip bath (if all things are normal), and thereafter only cold towel packs are advised.  Other treatments should be taken only under a Naturopath / Doctor's advice (if you feel any confusion ask your naturopath / doctor about this as pregnancy period is very sensitive period).
    .
  17. HEALING CRISES DURING TREATMENT : Sometime - during the treatment a healing crises may occur.  It generally consists of aggravation of the diseas, fever, skin trouble, diarrhoea, dysentery etc. In such case, one need not be alarmed since it is nothing but vigorous action of body to eleminate the disease - producing morbid matter.  Durinng the prdiod of crises, treatment and diet should be strictly adhered to and complete bed rest taken.  The body will be relieve3d for all unwanted morbid matter and gets revitalised and rejuvenated soon..
For Further Detrails and Books Contact
INSTITUTE OF NATUROPATHY & YOGIC SCIENCES
(A charitable Hospital)
Jindal Nagar, Tumkur Road,
Banglore - 560 073, INDIA
Phone : 8394926 - 28,  8398337 - 38,
Grams: INYS : Fax:080 - 8396339,
Telex: 0845 - 5005 JIND IN

or for Other Books on Naturopathy : Contact : http://jindalnaturecure.org

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Svetasvatara Upanishad (Yoga and Meditation Articles)

Svetasvatara Upanishad   ---- Om. Shanti - Shanti - Shanti

Introduction

Lesson - I

  1. Rishis Munis, discoursing on Brahman, ask: Is Brahman the cause? Whence are we born? By what do we live ? Where do we dwell at the end ? Please tell us, O ye who know Brahman, under whose guidance we abide, whether in pleasure or in pain.
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  2. Should time, or nature, or necessity, or chance, or the elements be regarded as the cause? Or he who is called the purusha, the living self?
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  3. The sages, absorbed in meditation through one—pointedness of mind, discovered the creative power, belonging to the Lord Himself and hidden in its own Gunas. That non—dual Lord rules over all those causes—time, the self and the rest.
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  4. The sages saw the wheel of Brahaman, which has one felly, a triple tire, sixteen end—parts, fifty spokes with twenty counter—spokes and six sets of eight; whose one rope is manifold; which moves on three different roads; and whose illusion arises from two causes.
    .
  5. We meditate on the River whose five currents are the five organs of perception, which is made impetuous and winding by the five elements, whose waves are the five organs of actions and whose fountain—head is the mind, the source of the five forms of perception. This River has five whirlpools and its rapids are the fivefold misery; and lastly, it has fifty branches and five pain—bearing obstructions.
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  6. In this great Brahma—Wheel, in which all things abide and finally rest, the swan wanders about so long as it thinks the self is different from the Controller. When blessed by Him the self attains Immortality.
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  7. It is the Supreme Brahaman alone untouched by phenomena that is proclaimed in the Upanishads. In It is established the triad of the enjoyer, the object and the Lord who is the Controller. This Brahaman is the immutable foundation; It is imperishable. The sages, having realized Brahman to be the essence of phenomena, become devoted to Him. Completely merged in Brahman, they attain freedom from rebirth.
    .
  8. The Lord, Isa, supports all this which has been joined together—the perishable and the imperishable, the manifest, the effect and the unmanifest, the cause. The same Lord, the Supreme Self, devoid of Lordship, becomes bound because of assuming the attitude of the enjoyer. The jiva again realizes the Supreme Self and is freed from all fetters.
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  9. The Supreme Lord appears as Isvara, omniscient and omnipotent and as the jiva, of limited knowledge and power, both unborn. But this does not deny the phenomenal universe; for there exists further the unborn prakriti, which creates the ideas of the enjoyer, enjoyment and the object. Atman is infinite and all—pervading and therefore devoid of agency. When the seeker knows all these three to be Brahaman, he is freed from his fetters.
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  10. Prakriti is perishable. Hara, the Lord, is immortal and imperishable. The non—dual Supreme Self rules both prakriti and the individual soul. Through constant meditation on Him, by union with Him, by the knowledge of identity with Him, one attains, in the end, cessation of the illusion of phenomena.
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  11. When the Lord is known all fetters fall off; with the cessation of miseries, birth and death come to an end. From meditation on Him there arises, after the dissolution of the body, the third state, that of universal lordship. And lastly, the aspirant, transcending that state also, abides in the complete Bliss of Brahaman.
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  12. The enjoyer (jiva), the objects of enjoyment and the Ruler (Isvara)—the triad described by the knowers of Brahaman—all this is nothing but Brahman. This Brahman alone, which abides eternally within the self, should be known. Beyond It, truly, there is nothing else to be known.  
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  13. The visible form of fire, while it lies latent in its source, the fire—wood, is not perceived; yet there is no destruction of its subtle form. That very fire can be brought out again by means of persistent rubbing of the wood, its source. In like manner, Atman, which exists in two states, like fire, can be grasped in this very body by means of Om.
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  14. By making the body the lower piece of wood and Om the upper piece and through the practice of the friction of meditation, one perceives the luminous Self, hidden like the fire in the wood.
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  15. As oil exists in sesame seeds, butter in milk, water in river— beds and fire in wood, so the Self is realized as existing within the self, when a man looks for It by means of truthfulness and austerity—when he looks for the Self, which pervades all things as butter pervades milk and whose roots are Self— Knowledge and austerity. That is the Brahaman taught by the Upanishad; yea, that is the Brahaman taught by the Upanishads.
Lellos No : II

1 May the sun, at the commencement of yoga, join our minds and other organs to the Supreme Self so that we may attain the Knowledge of Reality. May He, also, support the body, the highest material entity, through the powers of the deities who control the senses.
2 Having received the blessings of the divine Sun and with minds joined to the Supreme Self, we exert ourselves, to the best of our power, toward meditation, by which we shall attain Heaven (Brahaman).
3 May the Sun bestow favour upon the senses and the mind by joining them with the Self, so that the senses may be directed toward the Blissful Brahaman and may reveal, by means of Knowledge, the mighty and radiant Brahaman.
4 It is the duty of those brahmins who fix their minds and senses on the Supreme Self to utter such lofty invocations to the divine Sun, omnipresent, mighty and omniscient. For He, all— witnessing and non—dual, is the dispenser of sacrifices.
5 O senses and O deities who favour them! Through salutations I unite myself with the eternal Brahaman, who is your source. Let this prayer sung by me, who follow the right path of the Sun, go forth in all directions. May the sons of the Immortal, who occupy celestial positions, hear it!
6 If sacrifices are performed without first propitiating the Sun, then the mind becomes attached to sacrifices in which fire is kindled by the rubbing of the pieces of fire—wood, the oblations are offered to the deity Vayu and the soma juice is drunk excessively.
7 Serve the eternal Brahaman with the blessings of the Sun, the cause of the universe. Be absorbed, through samadhi, in the eternal Brahaman. Thus your work will not bind you.
8 The wise man should hold his body steady, with the three upper parts erect, turn his senses, with the help of the mind, toward the heart and by means of the raft of Brahaman cross the fearful torrents of the world.

9 The yogi of well regulated endeavours should control the pranas; when they are quieted he should breathe out through the nostrils. Then let him undistractedly restrain his mind, as a charioteer restrains his vicious horses.

10 Let yoga be practised within a cave protected from the high wind, or in a place which is level, pure and free from pebbles, gravel and fire, undisturbed by the noise of water or of market—booths and which is delightful to the mind and not offensive to the eye.

11 When yoga is practised, the forms which appear first and which gradually manifest Brahaman are those or snow—flakes, smoke, sun, wind, fire, fire—flies, lightning, crystal and the moon.

12 When earth, water fire, air and akasa arise, that is to say, when the five attributes of the elements, mentioned in the books on yoga, become manifest then the yogi's body becomes purified by the fire of yoga and he is free from illness, old age and death.

13 The precursors of perfection in yoga, they say, are lightness and healthiness of the body, absence of desire, clear complexion, pleasantness of voice, sweet odour and slight excretions.

14 As gold covered by earth shines bright after it has been purified, so also the yogi, realising the truth of Atman, becomes one with the non—dual Atman, attains the goal and is free from grief

15 And when the yogi beholds the real nature of Brahaman, through the Knowledge of the Self, radiant as a lamp, then, having known the unborn and immutable Lord, who is untouched by ignorance and its effects, he is freed from all fetters.

16 He indeed, the Lord, who pervades all regions, was the first to be born and it is He who dwells in the womb of the universe. It is He, again, who is born as a child and He will be born in the future, He stands behind all persons and His face is everywhere.

17 The Self—luminous Lord, who is fire, who is in water, who has entered into the whole world, who is in plants, who is in trees— to that Lord let there be adoration! Yea, let there be adoration!

Lellos No : III

1 The non—dual Ensnarer rules by His powers. Remaining one and the same, He rules by His powers all the worlds during their manifestation and continued existence. They who know this become immortal.

2 Rudra is truly one; for the knowers of Brahaman do not admit the existence of a second, He alone rules all the worlds by His powers. He dwells as the inner Self of every living being. After having created all the worlds, He, their Protector, takes them back into Himself at the end of time.

3 His eyes are everywhere, His faces everywhere, His arms everywhere, everywhere His feet. He it is who endows men with arms, birds with feet and wings and men likewise with feet. Having produced heaven and earth, He remains as their non—dual manifester.

4 He, the omniscient Rudra, the creator of the gods and the bestower of their powers, the support of the universe, He who, in the beginning, gave birth to Hiranyagarbha—may He endow us with clear intellect!

5 O Rudra, Thou who dwellest in the body and bestowest happiness! Look upon us with that most blessed form of Thine, which is auspicious, unterrifying and all good.

6 O Dweller in the body and Bestower of happiness, make benign that arrow which Thou holdest in Thy hand ready to shoot, O Protector of the body! Do not injure man or the world!

7 The Supreme Lord is higher than Virat, beyond Hiranyagarbha. He is vast and is hidden in the bodies of all living beings. By knowing Him who alone pervades the universe, men become immortal.

8 I know the great Purusha, who is luminous, like the sun and beyond darkness. Only by knowing Him does one pass over death; there is no other way to the Supreme Goal.

9 The whole universe is filled by the Purusha, to whom there is nothing superior, from whom there is nothing different, than whom there is nothing either smaller or greater; who stands alone, motionless as a tree, established in His own glory.

10 That which is farthest from this world is without form and without affliction They who know It become immortal; but others, indeed, suffer pain.

11 All faces are His faces; all heads, His heads; all necks, His necks. He dwells in the hearts of all beings. He is the all— pervading Bhagavan. Therefore He is the omnipresent and benign Lord.

12 He, indeed, is the great Purusha, the Lord of creation, preservation and destruction, who inspires the mind to attain the state of stainlessness. He is the Ruler and the Light that is imperishable.

13 The Purusha, no bigger than a thumb, is the inner Self, ever seated in the heart of man. He is known by the mind, which controls knowledge and is perceived in the heart. They who know Him become immortal.

14 The Purusha with a thousand heads, a thousand eyes, a thousand feet, compasses the earth on all sides and extends beyond it by ten fingers' breadth.

15 The Purusha alone is all this—what has been and what will be. He is also the Lord of Immortality and of whatever grows by food.

16 His hands and feet are everywhere; His eyes, heads and faces are everywhere; His ears are everywhere; He exists compassing all.

17 Himself devoid of senses, He shines through the functions of the senses. He is the capable ruler of all; He is the refuge of all. He is great.

18 The Swan, the ruler of the whole world, of all that is moving and all that is motionless, becomes the embodied self and dwelling in the city of nine gates, flies outward.

19 Grasping without hands, hasting without feet, It sees without eyes, It hears without ears. It knows what is to be known, but no one knows It. They call It the First, the Great, the Full.

20 The Self, smaller than the small, greater than the great, is hidden in the hearts of creatures. The wise, by the grace of the Creator, behold the Lord, majestic and desireless and become free from grief.

21 I know this undecaying, primeval One, the Self of all things, which exists everywhere, being all—pervading and which the wise declare to be free from birth. The teachers of Brahaman, indeed, speak of It as eternal.

Lellos No : IV


1 He, the One and Undifferentiated, who by the manifold application of His powers produces, in the beginning, different objects for a hidden purpose and, in the end, withdraws the universe into Himself, is indeed the self—luminous—May He endow us with clear intellect!

2 That Supreme Self is Agni (Fire); It is Aditya (Sun); It is Vayu (Wind); It is Chandrama (Moon). That Self is the luminous stars; It is Hiranyagarbha; It is water; It is Virat.

3 Thou art woman, Thou art man; Thou art youth and maiden too. Thou as an old man totterest along on a staff; it is Thou alone who, when born, assumest diverse forms.

4 Thou art the dark—blue bee; Thou art the green parrot with red eyes; Thou art the thunder—cloud, the seasons and the seas. Thou art beginningless and all—pervading. From Thee all the worlds are born.

5 There is one unborn prakriti—red, white and black—which gives birth to many creatures like itself. An unborn individual soul becomes attached to it and enjoys it, while another unborn individual soul leaves it after his enjoyment is completed.

6 Two birds, united always and known by the same name, closely cling to the same tree. One of them eats the sweet fruit; the other looks on without eating.

7 Seated on the same tree, the jiva moans, bewildered by its impotence. But when it beholds the other, the Lord worshipped by all and His glory, it becomes free from grief.

8 Of what use are the Vedas to him who does not know that indestructible Substance, that akasa—like Brahaman, which is greater than the unmanifest and wherein the Vedas and all the gods are sheltered? Only those who know It attain bliss.

9 The sacred verses, the offerings (yajna), the sacrifices (kratu), the penances (vrata), the past, the future and all that the Vedas declare, have been produced from the imperishable Brahaman. Brahaman projects the universe through the power of Its maya. Again, in that universe Brahaman as the jiva is entangled through maya.

10 Know, then, that prakriti is maya and that Great God is the Lord of maya. The whole universe is filled with objects which are parts of His being.

11 By truly realising Him who, though non—dual, dwells in prakriti, both in its primary and in its secondary aspect and in Whom this whole world comes together and dissolves—by truly realising Him Who is the Lord, the bestower of blessings, the Adorable God, one attains the supreme peace.

12 He, the creator of the gods and the bestower of their powers, the Support of the universe, Rudra the omniscient, who at the beginning gave birth to Hiranyagarbha—may He endow us with clear intellect!

13 He who is the sovereign of the gods, in whom the worlds find their support, who rules over all two—footed and four—footed beings—let us serve that God, radiant and blissful, with an oblation.

14 By realising Him who is subtler than the subtlest who dwells in the midst of the chaos, who is the Creator of all things and is endowed with many forms, who is the non—dual Pervader of the universe and all good—by realising Him one attains the supreme peace.

15 It is He who, in proper time, becomes the custodian of the universe and the sovereign of all; who conceals Himself in all beings as their inner Witness; and in whom the sages and the deities are united. Verily, by knowing Him one cuts asunder the fetters of death.

16 He who knows Brahaman, who is all Bliss, extremely subtle, like the film that rises to the surface of clarified butter and is hidden in all beings—he who knows the radiant Deity, the sole Pervader of the universe, is released from all his fetters.

17 The Maker of all things, self—luminous and all—pervading, He dwells always in the hearts of men. He is revealed by the negative teachings of the Vedanta, discriminative wisdom and the Knowledge of Unity based upon reflection. They who know Him become immortal.

18 When there is no darkness of ignorance, there is no day or night, neither being nor non—being; the pure Brahaman alone exists. That immutable Reality is the meaning of "That"; It is adored by the Sun. From It has proceeded the ancient wisdom.

19 No one can grasp Him above, across, or in the middle. There is no likeness of Him. His name is Great Glory (Mahad Yasah).

20 His form is not an object of vision; no one beholds Him with the eyes. They who, through pure intellect and the Knowledge of Unity based upon reflection, realise Him as abiding in the heart become immortal.

21 It is because Thou, O Lord, art birthless, that some rare souls, frightened by birth and death, take refuge in Thee. O Rudra, may Thy benign face protect me for ever!

22 O Rudra, do not, in Thy wrath, destroy our children and grand—children. Do not destroy our lives; do not destroy our cows or horses; do not destroy our strong servants. For we invoke Thee always, with oblations, for our protection.

Lellos No : V

1 In the Immutable, infinite Supreme Brahaman remain hidden the two: knowledge and ignorance. Ignorance leads to worldliness and knowledge, to Immortality. Brahaman, who controls both knowledge and ignorance, is different from both.

2 He, the non—dual Brahaman, who rules over every position; who controls all forms and all sources; who, in the beginning, filled with knowledge the omniscient Hiranyagarbha, His own creation, whom He beheld when He (Hiranyagarbha) was produced—He is other than both knowledge and ignorance.

3 At the time of the creation the Lord spreads out individual nets in various ways and then at the time of the cosmic dissolution withdraws them into the great prakriti. Again the all— pervading Deity creates the aggregates of body and senses, both individual and collective and their controllers also and thus exercises His overlordship.

4 As the sun shines, illumining all the quarters—above, below and across—so also God, self—resplendent, adorable and non—dual, controls all objects, which themselves possess the nature of a cause.

5—6 He who is the cause of all and who enables all things to function according to their nature; who brings to maturity all that can be ripened; who, being non—dual, rules over the whole universe and engages the Gunas in their respective functions—He is concealed in the Upanishads, the secret part of the Vedas. Brahma knew Him who can be known only from the evidence of the Vedas. The gods and seers of olden times who knew Him became Brahaman and attained Immortality.

7 Endowed with Gunas, the jiva performs action, seeking its fruit; and again, it reaps the fruit of what it has done. Assuming all forms and led by the three Gunas, the jiva, ruler of the pranas, roams about following the three paths, according to its deeds.

8 Of the size of a thumb, but brilliant, like the sun, the jiva possesses both volition and egoism. It is endowed with the qualities of both buddhi and Atman. Therefore it is seen as another entity, inferior and small as the point of a goad.

9 Know the embodied soul to be a part of the hundredth part of the point of a hair divided a hundred times; and yet it is infinite.

10 It is not female, it is not male, nor is it neuter. whatever body it takes, with that it becomes united.

11 By means of desires, contact, attachment and delusion, the embodied soul assumes, successively, diverse forms in various places, according to its deeds, just as the body grows when food and drink are poured into it.

12 The embodied soul, by means of good and evil deeds committed by itself, assumes many forms, coarse and fine. By virtue of its actions and also of such characteristics of the mind as knowledge and desire, it assumes another body for the enjoyment of suitable objects.

13 He who knows the Lord, who is without beginning or end, who stands in the midst of the chaos of the world, who is the Creator of all things and is endowed with many forms—he who knows the radiant Deity, the sole Pervader of the universe, is released from all his fetters.

14 Those who know Him who can be realised by the pure heart, who is called incorporeal, who is the cause of creation and destruction, who is all good and the creator of the sixteen parts—those who know the luminous Lord are freed from embodiment.

Lellos No : VI

1 Some learned men speak of the inherent nature of things and some speak of time, as the cause of the universe. They all, indeed, are deluded. It is the greatness of the self—luminous Lord that causes the Wheel of Brahaman to revolve.

2 He by whom the whole universe is constantly pervaded is the Knower, the Author of time. He is sinless and omniscient, It is at His command that the work which is called earth, water, fire, air and akasa appears as the universe. All this should be reflected upon by the wise.

3 The yogi who first performs actions and then turns away from them and who practises one, two, three, or eight disciplines, unites one principle with another principle and with the help of virtues cultivated by the self and of subtle tendencies attains Liberation in course of time.

4 He who attains purity of heart by performing actions as an offering to the Lord and merges prakriti and all its effects in Brahaman, realises his true Self and thereby transcends phenomena. In the absence of maya, both collective and individual, all his past actions are destroyed. After the destruction of the prarabdha karma he attains final Liberation.

5 The Great Lord is the beginning, the cause which unites the soul with the body; He is above the three kinds of time and is seen to be without parts. After having worshipped that adorable God dwelling in the heart, who is of many forms and is the true source of all things, man attains final Liberation.

6 He from whom this universe proceeds is higher and other than all forms of the Tree of the World and of time. When one knows Him who is the indweller, the bringer of good, the destroyer of evil, the Lord of powers, the immortal support of all, one attains final Liberation.

7 We know Him who is the Supreme Lord of lords, the Supreme Deity of deities, the Ruler of rulers; who is higher than the imperishable prakriti and is the self—luminous, adorable Lord of the world.

8 He is without a body or organs; none like unto Him is seen, or better than He. The Vedas speak of His exalted power, which is innate and capable of producing diverse effects and also of His omniscience and might.

9 He has no master in the world, no ruler, nor is there even a sign of Him by which He can be inferred. He is the cause, the Lord of the lord of the organs; and He is without progenitor or controller.

10 May the non—dual Lord, who, by the power of His maya, covered Himself, like a spider, with threads drawn from primal matter, merge us in Brahaman!

11 The non—dual and resplendent Lord is hidden in all beings. All—pervading, the inmost Self of all creatures, the impeller to actions, abiding in all things, He is the Witness, the Animator and the Absolute, free from Gunas.

12 There is a non—dual Ruler of the actionless many; He makes the one seed manifold. Eternal happiness belongs to the wise, who perceive Him within themselves—and not to others.

13 He is the Eternal among the eternal, the Conscious among the conscious and though non—dual, fulfils the desires of many. He who has known Him, the luminous Lord, the Great Cause, to be realised by Knowledge (Samkhya) and yoga, is freed from all fetters.

14 The sun does not shine there, nor the moon and the stars, nor these lightnings—much less this fire. He shining, everything shines after Him. By his light all this is lighted.

15 In this universe the Swan, the Supreme Self alone exists. It is He who, as fire, abides in the water. Only by knowing Him does one pass over death, There is no other way to reach the Supreme Goal.

16 He who is the support of both the unmanifested prakriti and the jiva, who is the Lord of the three Gunas and who is the cause of bondage, existence and Liberation from samsara, is verily the Creator of the universe, the Knower, the inmost Self of all things and their Source—the omniscient Lord, the Author of time, the Possessor of virtues, the Knower of everything.

17 He who constantly rules the world is verily the cause of bondage and Liberation. Established in His own glory, He is the Immortal, the Embodiment of Consciousness, the omnipresent Protector of the universe. There is no one else able to rule it.

18 Seeking Liberation, I take refuge in the Lord, the revealer of Self—Knowledge, who in the beginning created Brahma and delivered the Vedas to Him.

19—20 When men shall roll up space as if it were a piece of hide, then there will be an end of misery without one’s cultivating the Knowledge of the Lord, who is without parts, without actions, tranquil, blameless, unattached, the supreme bridge to Immortality, an like a fire that has consumed all its fuel.

21 Through the power of austerity and through the grace of the Lord, the sage Svetasvatara realised Brahaman and proclaimed the highly sacred Knowledge, supremely cherished by the company of seers, to sannyasins of the most advanced stage.

22 The profound mystery in the Vedanta was taught in the previous cycle. It should not be given to one whose passions have not been subdued, nor to one who is not a son or a disciple.

23 If these truths have been told to a high—minded person who feels the highest devotion for God and for his guru as for God, then they will surely shine forth as inner experiences—then, indeed, they will shine forth.

End of Svetasvatara Upanishad

The Peace Chant

Om. That is full; this is full. This fullness has been projected from that fullness. When this fullness merges in that fullness, all that remains is fullness.

Om. Peace! Peace! Peace!

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Does the internet rewire your brain? EFFECT OF COMPUTERS ON BRAIN !! (HEALTH - INTERNET - AND MENTAL HEALTH)

Does the internet rewire your brain?

Being online does change your brain, but so does making a cup of tea. A better question to ask is what parts of the brain are regular internet users using.

In this modern age it has brought with a new set of worries. As well as watching our weight and worrying about our souls and mental health, we now have to worry about our brain and fitness too – if you believe the headlines. Is instant messaging eroding the attention centres of our brains? 
Are (Social Medias) Facebook, Twitter, Orkut and other social media tools preventing you from forming normal / simple human bonds? And don't forget email – apparently it releases the same addictive neurochemicals as crack cocaine! amazing !!
Plenty of folk have been quick to capitalise on this neuro-anxiety level. Amazon's virtual shelves groan with brain-training books and games. (I confess I am not entirely innocent myself). Now you can fight the cognitive flab, these games promise, if you work that grey matter like a muscle.
Socially-dysfunctional, email addicts – part human, part smartphone?
Fear not, there is some good news from neuroscience. But first, it is my duty to tell you the bad news. You may want to put down your phone and take note, this is the important a little bit!.
Here the truth is that everything you do changes your brain. Everything. Every little thought or experience plays a role in the constant wiring and rewiring of your neural networks. So there is no escape. Yes, the internet is rewiring your brain. But so is watching television. And having a cup of tea. Or not having a cup of tea. Or thinking about the washing on Tuesdays. Your life, however you live it, leaves traces in the brain.

Brain Workout :    Worrying about the internet is just the latest in a long line of fears society has had about the changes technologies might bring. People worried about books when they first became popularly available. In Ancient Greece, Socrates worried about the effect of writing, saying it would erode young people's ability to remember. The same thing happened with television and telephones. These technologies did change us, and the way we live our lives, but nothing like the doom-mongers predicted would stem from them.
But is the internet affecting our brains in a different, more extraordinary way? There is little evidence to suggest harm. Here we are, millions of us, including me and you, right now, using the internet, and we seem okay. Some people worry that, even though we cannot see any ill-effects of the internet on our minds, there might be something hidden going on. I am not so worried about this, and I'll tell you why

We regularly do things that have a profound effect on our brains – such as reading or competitive sports – with little thought for our brain fitness. When scientists look at people who have spent thousands of hours on an activity they often see changes in the brain. Taxi drivers, famously, have a larger hippocampus, a part of the brain recruited for navigation. Musicians’ brains devote more neural territory to brain regions needed for playing their instruments. So much so, in fact, that if you look at the motor cortex of string players you see bulges on one side (because the fine motor control for playing a violin, for example, is only on one hand), whereas the motor cortex of keyboard players bulges on both sides(because piano playing requires fine control of both hands).
So practice definitely can change our brains. By accepting this notion, though, we replace a vague worry about the internet with a specific worry: if we use the internet regularly, what are we practicing?
Get a Life :    In the absence of any substantial evidence, I would hazard a guess that the majority of internet use is either information search or communication, using email and social media. If this is so, using the internet should affect our brains so that we are better at these things. Probably this is already happening, part of a general cultural change which involves us getting better and better at dealing with abstract information.
Internet use would only be a worry if it was getting in the way of us practicing some other life skill. If Facebook stopped people seeing their friends face to face that could have a harmful effect. But the evidence suggests this is not the case. If anything, people with more active internet lives have more active “meat-space” lives. Most of us are using the internet as a compliment to other ways of communicating, not as a substitute.
So there is no magic extra risk from the internet. Like TV before it, and reading before that, it gives us a way of practicing certain things. Practice will change our brains, just like any habit. The important thing is that we are part of this process, it is not just something that happens to us. You can decide how much time you want to put into finding pictures of funny cats, bantering on Facebook or fitting your thoughts into 140 characters. There will be no sudden damage done to your brain, or great surprises for your brain fitness. You would be a fool to think that the internet will provide all the exercise your brain needs, but you would also be a fool to pass up the opportunities it offers. And those pictures of funny cats.
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TREATMENT OF FEAR, DIPRESSION, STRESS, THROUGH YOGA AND MEDITATION, YOGA AND MEDITATION AS A PSYCHOTHERAPY

TREATMENT OF FEAR, DIPRESSION, STRESS, THROUGH YOGA AND MEDITATION, YOGA AND MEDITATION AS A PSYCHOTHERAPY

Yoga Psychotherapy around the world Dr. Ganesh Shankar - Head - Department of Human Consciousness and Yogic Science
University of Sagar, Sagar-470003 (M.P.) India

Throughout Yoga’s long history, there have been many misconceptions which shrouded it in mystery until proper scientific research began in the beginning of 20thcentury. In India, people became aware of the need to revive old traditions and sciences which might otherwise die out and scientific research into Yoga was one of the areas which generated a lot of interest. Many western scholars too realized the utility of Yoga and made efforts to study its significance from scientific point of view. They made some longitudinal studies in this area and their research findings are available to us for further work in this area Kuvalyananda, 1925, 1928; Behanan, K.T.,1937; Bagchi,B.K.& Wenger,M.A. 1957; Hirai. T,1960; de Vries,H.A.1961; Giri, C, 1966; Wallace,R.K.1970; Joseph C and et al,1987; Meti, B.L. and et al, 1989; Joseph, S and et al,1993; Meti,B.L.1995). Swami Kuvalyananda reported sub-atmospheric pressure in the various internal cavities during Uddian Bandha and its extension of Nauli. He also took X rays to demonstrate the movements of the diaphragm during Uddiyana Bandha. A pupil of his, Behanana, undertook further research leading to a doctoral thesis of Yale University in 1937. He estimated the oxygen consumption during Pranayama practice and reported an increase during Ujjai, Bhastrika and Kapapbhati. He also brought different types of Pranayama on to kymographic record. The ability of Yogis to voluntarily stop the beating of the heart was considered- a fascinating feat, and aroused the interest of scientists in India and elsewhere. In 1936 an article by the French cardiologist, Brosse, reported studies on subjects of both Hatha and Raj Yoga, the former showing the more significant results.

Bagchi and Wenger (1957) studied practitioners of RajYoga in India. They found a lower respiratory rate and raised G.S.R (Galvanic Skin Resistance) with no consistent alterations 
in heart rate or blood pressure during meditation. During Meditation, the EEG showed an increase in alpha wave amplitude and activity and in some of the Yogis there was a loss of 
the alpha blocking response to all external stimuli. Around 1960, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi introduced Transcendental Meditation to the world. This technique is neither a religion nor 
a way of life. It is a natural effortless technique, which aims at improving all aspects of life. 

Adapted from ancient Indian technique, it gained in popularity and has spread all over the 
world. In 1968, R.K.Wallace undertook an investigation of physiological effects of TM, for 
his doctoral thesis, entitled, “The physiological effects of TM: A proposed fourth major 
state of consciousness”. In this as well as in later studies by him (Wallace et al,1971) the 
practice of TM was found to be associated with changes in the EEG. In some of the subjects during Meditation, there was an increase in alpha wave amplitude, associated with a slowing of the frequency. In some cases, there were brief periods of about 2.5. seconds during which theta waves predominated. There was also an increase in GSR, decrease in heart rate, decrease in oxygen consumption and carbondioxide elimination, along with a reduction in both rate and volume of respiration. Blood lactate levels were also reduced after Meditation. This led to TM being called a “Wakeful Hypometabolic State”. The changes were interpreted a signs of a functional trophotropic state, chiefly mediated by increased parasympathetic and decreased sympathetic discharge, rather like other assimilatory processes such as sleep and digestion. Kasamatsu (1973) categorised the EEG changes in Zen meditation as four stages. The first is the appearance of alpha rhythm in spite of the eyes being open. In the second stage, there is an increase in amplitude of persistent alpha frequency and finally, in the fourth stage the appearance of rhythmic theta train was observed. During the last 3-6 decades, the Hatha Yogic practices have been evaluated for their efficacy in the management of diabetes and found useful (Udupa & 
Singh, 1972; Malkote, 1973; Sahay, 1986; Gore, 1988). One may wonder how Yoga can effect all these responses. The practice of Asanas may send a volley of nerve impulses from muscles and joints, spine and other receptors located on the surface as well as inside the viscera. It can influence the haemodynamic mechanism improving blood circulation to vital organs like brain, heart, lungs, liver, kidney, pancreas etc. it may also act through the neuro-endocrine axis. Scientists like Anand,B.K. (1961) strongly feel that Yogic practices may modulate the cerebral corticolimbic system of the brain and strengthen the inhibitory components of the nervous 
system. More documentary evidences are required to consolidate these claims and assumptions. Whatever be the mechanism involved, it is established beyond doubt that regular practice of Yoga certainly has many beneficial effects on the human physiology, biochemistry and psychology.
It is true that Yoga is ancient. Infact, its origin is shrouded in antiquity. No one 
really knows when Yoga was first developed or who gave it to man. There are many 
historical conjectures which even suggest that the Gods themselves taught Yoga to man. 
The fact is that Yogic practices were unknown even in the Vedic times, and references to 
Yoga abound in the Vedas, in particular the Rig - Veda, and in the Upanishads and 
Bhagawad Gita. That they only prove how ancient Yoga is and consequently how much 
they evolved it , is the growth of Indian culture. Indian Rishis of old, recognised the 
unalterable fact of life, namely that man is not a mere body, not a mere mind, but a bodymind complex in which one reacts on the other end in which one can not be separated from 
each other. No modern educationist or thinker could possibly disagree with such a 
comprehensive view of man. Yoga even emphasizes that mind influences the body more 
than the body influences the mind. The knowledge of Yogic practices was handed down 
through the ages from generation to generation by word of mouth and by example through 
unbroken chain of devoted Guru- Chela relationship untill around 200 years before the 
Christian era or over 2000 years age, Patanjali, the founder of what is known as classic 
Yoga or Patanjala Yoga first systematised and codified the then existing knowledge of 
Yoga into 194 aphorism or sayings and gave it to the world the Yoga sutras.
The Yoga system of Patanjali which is also known as Raj Yoga, is a world view, a 
way of life and a set of practices for regulation of mind to achieve the highest goal of Yoga 
i.e. Kaivalya. The celebrated text, Yoga sutra of Patanjali virtually presents a psychological 
system. Gardner Murphy once remarked that the systematic development of Yoga by 
Patanjali “constitute one of the great psychological achievements of all times”(Murphy & 
Murphy,1968).
Patanjali has prescribed an eight fold path for achieving the goal of Kaivalya. 
Ashtanga Yoga involves: Yama (restraints), Niyama (discipline), Asana (body 
attitude/postures), Pranayama (breath regulation), Pratyhara (detachment of sensory 
activity from the external objects), Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (Yogic Meditation) 
and Samadhi (spiritual absorption). Patanjali describes the first five limbs as the external 
form of Yoga and that they are preparatory, the last three as internal and essential aspects. 
The foundations of Yoga practice lie in Abhyasa (practice) and Vairagya (detachment). The 
Yamas are : Ahimsa (non-injury), Satya (non-lying), Asteya (non-stealing), Brahamacharya 
(sexual abstinence) Aparigraha (non-posession). The Niyamas are : sauch (cleanliness), 
Santosh (contentment), Tapas (asceticism), Swadhyaya (self study) and Ishwarpranidhan 
(devotion to God). Asana is a body posture that is stable and comfortable. Patanjali devotes only one verse to it. The important point about asana is that it gives the body stability 
reducing physical effort to a minimum which may be distraction to meditation. Pranayama 
is a discipline of respiration. Patanjali devotes only three verses to it. It is the arrest of the 
movement of inhalation and exhalation which is practised after mastering the asana. 
Pratyahara, the withdrawl senses from external objects is the final stage of the external 
Yoga. The core of Yoga practice lies in Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (Yogic 
meditation) and Samadhi (absorption). Concentration involves attention to a single object 
or place, external or internal, like a lamp, the space between the eye brows, the tip of the 
nose or thought (like God or mantra). The continuous concentration is called Ekagrata (on a 
single point). When the mind flows towards the object of concentration uninterruptedly and 
effortlessly, it is the stage of meditation when it happens for a prolonged period of time, it 
leads to Samadhi. Samadhi is a state of absorption in which the subject/object distinction is 
lost. The state of Samadhi is believed to be characterised by the comprehension of the true 
nature of reality which ultimately emancipates the individual. A variety of stages in 
Samadhi have been described by Patanjali. In modern times, the meditative practices like 
Trancendental Meditation (T.M. of Mahesh Yogi,1963), Benson,s technique (Benson,1975) 
and Carrington,s clininically standardized Meditation (Carrignton,1977) among others are 
based on the system of Patanjali.
Hatha Yoga:
Techniques of Yoga have been practised for thousands of years mainly for the sake 
of the final goal of liberation from the cycle of rebirths and the pain associated with it. 
These techniques were intended to influence the mind more than the body. With the 
Hathayogis who flourished in comparatively later times in the history of Yoga (may be 
about the 15
th
century A.D.), there was greater emphasis on the body. Their ultimate aim 
was also the same namely, attainment of the state of Samadhi. But their means were more 
suited to the abilities of the common man. Gorksha Shataka of Gorakhnath (Briggs,1973) 
of 10
th
century A.D.; Gherands Samhita of 12
th
century (Vasu,1974), Hatha Yoga Pradipika 
of Swatmarama (Brahmanda,1989) of 15
th
century are three important texts of Hatha Yoga 
school. Hatha Yoga as a holistic system does not consists of mere Kriyas, Asanas, 
Pranayamas, Bandhas, Mudras and Meditation etc. but lays great stress on control of diet 
social attitude and personal habits so as to bring about beneficial changes in the whole of 
the metabolic process. It is truly a integrated approach, treating man as a whole 
(Kuvalyananda & Vinekar,1971).
Asana:
These are certain special pattern of postures that stabilizes the mind and body. Their 
aim is to establish proper rhythm in the neromuscular tonic impulses and to improve the 
general tone of the muscles. Asana, as a preventive medicine can be used for avoiding the 
causation of postural deformities like cervical spondylosis (by Bhujanga/ Dhanura/Matsya/ 
Ustrasana etc.), lordosis (Hala/Pawanmukta/ Paschimottan asana etc.). Asanas can be used 
for release of physical stress resulted from day-today negative emotions of behavioural 
pattern. This will help to avoid psychosomatic or psychological disorders like hypertension, 
gastric acidity, depression neurosis etc. The regular correct practice of Asanas also help to 
prevent constipation, arthritis, asthma, diabetes, obesity etc.

Pranayama : These are practices to control respiratory impulses which form one of the main 
channels of the flow of the autonomic nerve currents. Pranayama have important role in 
prevention of the diseases. The various diseases caused by disturbed homeostatic state of autonomic nervous system like obesity, hypertension, hyperthyirodism, diabetes, gastric 
acidity etc. can be prevented by Nadishodhan Pranayama, Bhastrika Pranayama etc. The 
imbalaced state of Doshas caused Suryabhedan and Bhastrika Pranayamas. The intensity 
of psychosomatic ailments can be prevented by restoring the normal rhythmic breathing.

Bandhas and Mudras : In these practices one tries to consciously control certain semi-voluntary and involuntary muscles in the body. These influence the activity of the autonomic nervous 
system which functions as a whole. These tone up the internal organs, decongest them and 
stimulate their healthy functioning.

Shatakarma: These are purificatory processes usually classified into six divisions, each of which 
consists of many sub-sections. They bring in control over the autonomic nervous system. 
Neti is an important means to develop resistance against environmental offending factors 
like temperature, dust, pollen grains, humidity and other particles to prevent the respiratory 
disorder, for example, the Neti in the evening by the labourer working at flour mills, cotton 
textiles mills mines, dusty roads, harvesting rains in the fields, libraries etc. can wash out 
the inhaled particles and thereby preventing their decay and decomposition in nasal passage 
and Pharynz for viral and bacterial infection. The use of neti helps also in development of 
resistance against seasonal change by using water of different temperature in Neti lota 
during the period of change of season as it would increase the adaptability of inner lining of 
nasal passage for vaso-constriction and dilution in response to temperature variation of 
environment. Similarly, one can prevent digestive disorders by the use of Shankhprakhshalana at time of start of new season, Basti once in a month, daily practice of Nauli etc. in case of dyspepsia, the Vaman Dhouti/Vyaghra Dhoti will be useful to prevent intensity of digestive disorder. The regular practice of Tratak and Kapalbhati can be used to prevent the eye and respiratory disorders respectively. 

Meditation : It involves mental practice from initial withdrawal of the senses to the complete 
oblivion of the external environment. There are innumerable states and practices which 
could be included under this head. Meditation is a great tranquilliser. The regular practice 
of meditation by any of the various techniques, the inherent defence mechanism to fight 
with external physical, mental, emotional and environmental factors for causation of 
diseases can be developed. The meditation provides physical and mental resting pause to 
restore and revitalize the bodily organs for their normal functioning. Meditation practices 
have been widely used to counteract the day-today stress and strains of modern life. 
Therefore, the Meditation can be used for prevention of psychological and psychosomatic 
disorders like depression anxiety, neurosis, hypertension, asthma, arthritis, angina etc. 

Swara Yogic And Dietary Norms: Various norms of SwaraYoga and Yoga dietetics also helps in prevention of diseases. 

Some important norms are:  The moderation of diet, intake of meal during Surya Swara, observance of sequence • while taking food; viz. Sweet articles taken firstly, sour and saline in middle and pungent and astringent lastly; helps in digestion avoids causation of digestive disorder. 
Taking water after ½ to ¾ hrs of meals, avoiding sweet dishes at the end of meals, taking hot potency articles during Chandra Swara and cold potency articles in Surya Swara also prevents the causation of disease in respect of digestive disorders, respiratory disorders etc. Sleeping by keeping the head in geographical south direction and lying on lift side of •the body helps to maintain health and prevents the causation of cardiovascular ailments especially. Taking bath during the Surya Swara also prevents the causation common colds, • digestive disorders arthritis etc. 

Avoidig the intake of betel during Surya Swara prevents the diseases of bile’s and pitta Doshas like hypertension, acidity etc.

Conclusion: Indian tradition, Scientific research and clinical experience all point out that Yoga 
practices are probably the most important and effective self-help tools available to man. It appears that the Indian practitioners of psychotherapy, who have been looking for a conceptual framework and a set of procedures which are not alien but intimate to the Indian mind would definitely find an alternative in Yoga. The importance of Yoga is coming into light in the west in the comparative analysis of different systems by psychologists to find out meaningful answers to some problems of life. We seem to be very close to a behavior technology and self reliance in the domain of Yoga. The main principle of Yoga therapy is that it seems to establish the homeostasis in the organism as a whole. As yet, however, it has not been established exactly how this is accomplished. But when proper investigation along scientific lines has been set up in several places throughout the world, Yoga therapy will be properly recognized as a valid form of treatment. The doors of Yoga therapy have already been knocked and opened up. Only earnest research and therapeutic pursuits by scientists and clinicians may perfect the ages old Yoga and make it more and more refined and suitable to people all over the world.

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