abhimukti magazine
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Self Discovery MagazineTRANSCRIPT
4 Abhimukti
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8 Abhimukti JANUARY 2011
meditationwhat is it?
By Heal thAndYoga.com
An ordinary person may con-
sider meditation as a worship or
prayer. But it is not so. Meditation
means awareness. Whatever you
do with awareness is meditation.
"Watching your breath" is medita-
tion; listening to the birds is medi-
tation. As long as these activities
are free from any other distraction
to the mind, it is effective medita-
tion.
Meditation is not a technique
but a way of life. Meditation
means an understanding of the
thought process. It describes a state
of consciousness, when the mind
is free of scattered thoughts and
various patterns. The meditator re-
alizes that all the activity of the
mind is reduced to one.
A Tibetan Lama was being
monitored on a brain scan ma-
chine by a scientist wishing to test
physiological functions during
deep meditation. The scientist said
- "Very good Sir. The machine
shows that you are able to go very
deep in brain relaxation, and that
validates your meditation". "No",
said the Lama, "This (pointing to
his brain) validates the machine!".
These days it is commonly un-
derstood to mean some form of
spiritual practice where one sits
down with eyes closed and empties
the mind to attain inner peace, re-
laxation or even an experience of
God. Some people use the term as
"my gardening is my meditation"
or for jogging or art or music,
hence creating confusion or mis-
understanding.
The word meditation, is de-
rived from two Latin words : med-
itari (to think, to dwell upon, to
exercise the mind) and mederi (to
heal). Its Sanskrit derivation
'medha' means wisdom.
Many years ago meditation was
considered something just not
meant for modern people, but now
it has become very popular with
all types of people. Published sci-
“Meditation is not atechnique but away of life”
entific and medical evidence has
proved its benefits, but it still needs
to be much understood.
Traditionally, the classical yoga
texts, describe that to attain true
states of meditation one must go
through several stages. After the
necessary preparation of personal
and social code, physical position,
breath control, and relaxation
come the more advanced stages of
concentration, contempla-
tion, and then ultimately
absorption. But that does
not mean that one must
perfect any one stage be-
fore moving onto the
next. The Integral yoga
approach is simulta-
neous applica-
tion of a little
of all stages to-
gether.
Commonly
today, people
can mean
any one of these stages when they
refer to the term meditation. Some
schools only teach concentration
techniques, some relaxation, and
others teach free form contempla-
tive activities like just sitting and
awaiting absorption. Some call it
meditation without giving cre-
dence to yoga for fear of being
branded 'eastern'. But yoga is not
something eastern or western as it
is universal in its approach and
application.
With regular practice
of a balanced series of
techniques, the energy of
the body and mind can be
liberated and the quality
of consciousness can
be expanded. This is
not a subjective
claim but is now
being investigated
by scientists and
being shown as
empirical fact.
SELF DISCOVERY
10 Abhimukti JANUARY 2011
ayurvedaIndia’s traditional, natural system of medicine
By www.Holis ticOnl ine.com
Ayurveda is India’s traditional,
natural system of medicine that
has been practiced for more than
5,000 years. Ayurveda is a Sanskrit
word that literally translated
means "science of life" or "prac-
tices of longevity." Ayurveda was
the system of health care con-
ceived and developed by the seers
(rishis) and natural scientists
through centuries of observations,
experiments, discussions, and
meditations. For several thousand
years their teachings were
passed on orally from
teacher to student; about the
fifth to sixth century BC,
elaborately detailed texts
were written in Sanskrit, the
ancient language of India.
For many years Ayurveda
flourished and was used by
rich and poor alike in India
and Southeast Asia.
Manuscript page from
Atharva-Veda, earliest Indian text
(approx. 1500 BC) with much
medical information, one of sev-
eral Vedas (meaning "knowledge"),
upon which Ayurvedic medical
practice is based on. Ayurvedic
manuals were written by Charaka,
Sushruta, and Vagbhata that give
detailed descriptions of the various
practices. Charaka listed 500 hun-
dred remedies and Sushruta over
700 vegetable medicines.
Ayurveda emphasizes prevention
of disease, rejuvenation of our
body systems, and extension of life
span. The profound premise and
promise of Ayurveda is that
through certain practices, not only
can we prevent heart disease and
make our headaches go away, but
we can also better understand our-
selves and the world around us,
“Ayurveda provides anintegrated approach topreventing and treat-
ing illness throughlifestyle interventions
and natural therapies”
live a long healthy life in balance
and harmony, achieve our fullest
potential, and express our true
inner nature on a daily basis.
Ayurveda provides an inte-
grated approach to preventing and
treating illness through lifestyle
interventions and natural thera-
pies. It is based on the view that
the elements, forces, and princi-
ples that comprise all of nature -
and that holds it together and
make it function - are also seen in
human beings. In Ayurveda, the
mind (or consciousness) and the
body (or physical mass) not only
influence each other - they are
each other. Together they form the
mind-body. The universal con-
sciousness is an intelligent, aware
ocean of energy that gives rise to
the physical world we perceive
through our five senses.
Ayurvedic philosophy and
practices link us to every
aspect of ourselves and
remind us that we are
in union with every as-
pect of nature, each
other, and the entire
universe.
There can be no
mental health without
physical health, and vice versa. In
Ayurveda, symptoms and diseases
that could be categorized as men-
tal thoughts or feelings are just as
important as symptoms and dis-
eases of the physical body. Both
are due to imbalances within a
person, and both are treated by
restoring the natural balance men-
tally and physically. In Ayurveda
your whole life and lifestyle must
be in harmony before you can
enjoy true well being. Lifestyle
interventions are a major
Ayurvedic preventive and thera-
peutic approach.
ayurveda MEDICINE
12 Abhimukti JANUARY 2011
In India, Ayurvedic
practitioners receive state-
recognized, institutionalized
training in parallel to their
physician counterparts. The
research base is growing con-
cerning the physiological ef-
fects of meditative techniques
and yoga postures in Indian
medical literature and West-
ern psychological literature.
Published studies have docu-
mented reductions in cardio-
vascular disease risk factors,
including blood pressure,
cholesterol, and reaction to
stress, in individuals who
practice Ayurvedic methods.
Laboratory and clinical
studies on Ayurvedic herbal
preparations and other thera-
pies have shown them to have
a range of potentially benefi-
cial effects for preventing and
treating certain cancers, treat-
ing infectious disease, treating
diabetes, promoting health,
and treating aging. Mecha-
nisms underlying these effects
may include free-radical
scavenging effects, immune
system modulation, brain
neurotransmitter modulation,
and hormonal effects.
14 Abhimukti JANUARY 2011
autobiographyof a yogi
Autobiography of a Yogi is not
an ordinary book. It is a spiritual
treasure. To read its message of
hope to all truth seekers is to begin
a great adventure.
Paramahansa Yogananda was
born on January 5, 1893, in
Gorakhpur, India. His original
name was Mukunda
Lal Ghosh. He hailed
from a well-to-do
Bengali family. From
his early childhood,
his parents were well
aware of the spiritual
significance of his
birth. As a boy he
was driven by an in-
tense urge to seek the
Divine and develop a friendly atti-
tude towards God in all his forms
and aspects.
He went through many per-
sonal experiences that strength-
ened his faith in the Divine and
propelled him to find a Guru who
would help him reach the Highest
Truth. At the age of 17 he met
Swami Yukteswar Giri and became
his disciple. He spent the next ten
years under the guidance of his
Guru, practicing Kriya Yoga and
exploring the inner worlds. To
prepare him for his future mission
in the western world, his Guru en-
couraged him to join a college and
receive modern education.
After he completed his educa-
tion in 1915, Swami Yukteswar
initiated him into monk hood and
gave him the name Yogananda.
The Swami became very popular
both in the east and the west
through his teachings and his
speeches. His Autobiography of a
Yogi, which was published in
1943, attracted the attention of
many. After spreading the message
of love in many parts of the world
Only rarely does a sage ofParamhansa Yogananda's staturewrite a firsthand account of his lifeexperiences. Followers of many re-ligious traditions have come to rec-ognize Autobiography of a Yogi asa masterpiece of spiritual literature.
and proving beyond doubt that
through sustained self efforts
human beings can ascend to
extraordinary transcendental
heights, he passed away on
March 7, 1952.
It has been said that due to his
extraordinary spiritual powers, his
body did not suffer any decay even
twenty long days after his death, a
fact which was recorded officially
by the doctors.
Abhimukti magazine is proud
to recommend His Autobiograph-
ical work. This book has pro-
found spiritual significance for
any one interested in spiritual
matters, irrespective of caste
and creed. It narrates in
great detail the first hand
experiences of sri Yo-
gananda and his encoun-
ters with the higher
worlds and divine beings.
Sri Yogananda proved
beyond doubt that any one
with devotion, determina-
tion and concentration can
transcend human limita-
tions and experience the
divine and establish one-
self in the divine con-
sciousness. Any one who
reads his experiences
with a deep faith in the spiritual
possibilities of human existence,
is bound to be influenced by the
powerful vibrations this book
brings into his or her conscious-
ness. Be prepared for an incredible
journey into the deeper recesses of
our own consciousness.
Autobiography of a Yogi
ISBN 1-56589-212-7
autobiography
Only rarely does a sage ofParamhansa Yogananda's staturewrite a firsthand account of his lifeexperiences. Followers of many re-ligious traditions have come to rec-ognize Autobiography of a Yogi asa masterpiece of spiritual literature.
SELF DISCOVERY BOOKS
18 Abhimukti JANUARY 2011
chinese herbal medicines for the
common coldBy Joel Harvey Schreck
www.acupuncture.com
We've all heard it said “We can
land spaceships on Mars, but can't
even cure the common cold.” The
cold seems to be a humbling curse
that is mankind's burden forever.
Despite the frustrations of science,
some people claim to cure a cold
with an amazing variety of stuff
like garlic, ginger, zinc, and
vitamin C. These never worked
for me. I found that once my
cold started, I was in for a week
of suffering.
That is, until an acquaintance
gave me a vial of Chinese pills and
told me to take them if I felt a cold
coming on. A few days later, I
awoke with a sore throat. Before
leaving for work, I remembered
the pills and took them. That
evening, I realized that my
budding cold had vanished, gone
without a trace. What was
that stuff?
The stuff tuned out to be Yin
Chiao. Was this a fluke? How
could no one know about this? As
it turns out, it was no fluke. Since
that day, Yin Chiao and similar
Chinese remedies have ended
most of my colds. Perhaps medical
science hasn't cured the
common cold, but it appears
that Chinese herbalists did it
hundreds of years ago. The
formula for Yin Chiao was
first published in the
eighteenth century. It's hard
to understand why it would take
the West so long to discover
them. I imagine if bad news
travels quickly, good news must
travel slowly.
Different ideas, no matter how
good, are met with resistance.
That’s why it took us about a thou-
sand years to discover Chinese
food. With pharmaceutical cold
medicines proving to be harmful,
Different ideas, nomatter how good, aremet with resistance.
let's hope it doesn't take another
thousand years to discover Chi-
nese herbal medicine. Not only are
they safer, but Chinese herbs are
simply more effective. When you
discover them, you'll never even
think about drugs for colds or vis-
iting the doctor for a cold. When
Western civilization discovers
them, it could turn our medical es-
tablishment upside down, easing
suffering and preventing millions
of needless trips to the doctor.
This might be bad news for doc-
tors, but it's very good news for
everyone else.
Though ancient Chinese
herbalists knew nothing about
germs, they knew that respiratory
diseases were caused by exterior
wind evils. Evils that caused seri-
ous diseases like in-
fluenza and measles
were called wind-
heat evils. Common
colds were caused by
wind-cold evils.
Our bodies are pro-
tected from wind evils by
defensive energy, known as wei
qi. With adequate wei qi, you can
be exposed to disease without get-
ting sick. Herbs such as astragalus
can be used to boost the wei qi,
protecting us from invaders. They
block the entry of wind evils.
Expelling these evils requires
herbs that release exterior condi-
tions. Some of these are ginger,
mint, kudzu root, and many oth-
ers. Some of these herbs protect
against wind-heat evils; others de-
fend against wind-cold invaders.
These herbs are rarely taken alone,
but are combined in formulas that
greatly increase their potency.
Some of the most popular Chinese
MEDICINE
cold formulas appear to work on
any kind of wind invasion, hot or
cold. However, I have found that
certain formulas work better on
different parts of the body.
For example, colds originating
in the throat seem to respond best
to Yin Chiao, which is taken at the
first sign of cold. Keep them
with you during cold season; the
sooner you take them, the better
they work. Yin Chiao contains
remarkably simple and safe herbs.
They are: honeysuckle, forsythia,
balloon flower, peppermint,
edible burdock, crested grass,
schizonepeta, fermented soybean,
and Chinese licorice root.
For colds that begin in the nose,
I prefer Gan Mao Ling. Use it alone
or combine it with Yin Chiao when
nasal or sinus congestion is present
at the onset. Gan mao ling con-
tains: Ilex Root, Chrysanthemum
Flower, Vitex Herb, Isatis Root, and
honeysuckle flower.
To relieve colds which are too
far developed to stop, or to relieve
colds that begin with body aches,
fever, and chills, I believe the best
remedy is Zong Gan Ling which
contains: kudzu root, hairy holly
root, vervain, woad root, worm-
wood, gypsum, and notopterygi.
Preventing a cold requires a differ-
ent formula altogether, one that
strengthens the body's defensive
energy. The most famous of these
formulas is called Yu Ping Feng
San, or otherwise known as, Jade
Windscreen or Jade Shield. This
formula is used to build defensive
energy (wei qi) and protect against
cold, flu, and other invasions. Jade
Screen contains astragalus,
Atractylodis, and Siler.
Many of these formulas are avail-
able in natural food stores, partic-
ularly on the West Coast. If you
can't find them at your local health
food store, you can certainly find
them on the web. I strongly suggest
that you try them. They will open
your eyes to the potency and relia-
bility of Chinese herbals. And un-
like many of the drugs at your
drugstore, all of these are safe for
children.
Remember that a mere hun-
dred years ago, no one in the West
had even heard of Chinese food.
Today there are Chinese restau-
rants everywhere. I can assure
you that Chinese cold medicines
work, and will become as valuable
to our culture in the 21st century
as Chinese food became in the
20th century.
20 Abhimukti JANUARY 2011
22 Abhimukti JANUARY 2011
7-day detox programIn working with so many
women and men over the years,
Dr. Etti formulated a therapeutic
program that, slowly but surely,
proved its effectiveness and ulti-
mately led to the 7-day detoxifica-
tion program that has won so
many adherents today. Through
this program, Dr. Etti has
helped bring about a
transformation in the way
people eat, think and
function, resulting in a
healthier, more capable
and more self-fulfilled in-
dividual.
As a doctor of holistic
health, Dr. Etti compre-
hends that a true transformation
occurs only when a perfect bal-
ance of all modalities of body and
mind is achieved. As any missing
ingredient from a gourmet recipe
will result in an imperfect dish,
any key element lacking in one's
being will cause an imbalance at
one's core that can have an adverse
effect on so many levels. Dr. Etti's
7-day Detox works because the
program encompasses every facet
of our lives, from our daily bodily
demands and mental concerns to
deeper matters of the mind and
soul. While so many years have
gone into its development, it is,
nonetheless, a simple program to
put into practice, one that can eas-
ily be incorporated into everyday
life. Nearly everyone who uses the
program loves it; many use the
word 'fun' to describe how easy
and enjoyable it is to make the pro-
gram part of one's life.
The basis for the Detox is a
Juice Cleansing that removes your
body's toxins. This is combined
with Body Movement and Dance
that reconnects you with your
essence and brings to the surface
an energy that one may not realize
he or she possesses. Then, Healing
Meditation helps you discover
“Dr. Etti's 7-day Detox worksbecause the program encom-
passes every facet of our lives,from our daily bodily demandsand mental concerns to deepermatters of the mind and soul”
your authentic self and Inspiring
Dialogues with Dr. Etti provide
you a supportive environment to
shed your layers and enable your
emotional being to reveal itself. Fi-
nally the Closing Breakfast Cere-
mony concludes the 7-day journey
and you walk away a very differ-
ent person, unencumbered by the
physical and mental strife that ac-
companied you to the studio a
week prior.
It is an amazing, transforming
process that will continue to re-
ward long after you have returned
home; in many cases, it becomes
part of a new, more vital, more ca-
pable YOU.
Dr. Etti offers a total health ex-
perience through her personalized
detox programs. As a psychother-
apist, dancer and a Doctor of Ho-
listic Nutrition, she uses a variety
of modalities to make healthful,
dynamic living more accessible to
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Want to learn more visit her Ho-
listic Health Studio located in
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9383. Visit her on the web at
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7-day HEALTH
yogaunderstanding the basics
Yoga is becoming an ever
growing activity among Ameri-
cans. This ancient Eastern spiritual
practice was created about five
thousand years ago and incorpo-
rates meditation and Eastern
philosophical practices.
Techniques for experiencing
higher states of consciousness in
meditation were developed by
the shramanic traditions and in
the Upanishadic traditions of an-
cient times.
The Buddhist texts are proba-
bly the earliest texts describing
meditation techniques. They de-
scribe meditative practices and
states that existed before the Bud-
dha, as well as those first devel-
oped within Buddhism. In Hindu
literature, the term "yoga" first oc-
curs in the Katha Upanishad,
where it refers to control of the
senses and the cessation of mental
activity leading to a supreme state.
The goals of yoga are varied
and depending on an individuals
philosophical perspective they
range from improving health to
achieving Liberation. Within Jain-
ism and the monist schools of Ad-
vaita Vedanta and Shaivism, the
goal of yoga takes the form of
Liberation, which is freedom from
all worldly suffering and the cycle
of birth and death (Samsara),
at which point there is a realiza-
tion of identity with the Supreme
Brahman.
In the Mahabharata, the goal
of yoga is variously described as
entering the world of Brahma, as
Brahman, or as perceiving the
Brahman or Atman that pervades
all things.
For the bhakti schools of Vaish-
navism, bhakti or service to
Svayam Bhagavan itself may be the
ultimate goal of the yoga process,
where the goal is to enjoy an eter-
nal relationship with Vishnu.
In our modern world yoga can
be defined as a way of connecting
our true inner self with the uni-
versal consciousness that manifests
the space we live in. A union with
the very essence of creation.
26 Abhimukti JANUARY 2011
by wavesofexpression.com
The word chakra is Sanskrit for
wheel or disk and relates to the en-
ergy channels running through
the human body. They are the
openings for life energy to flow
into and out of our AURA. Each
chakra transmits and receives life-
force energy often called chi, qi, or
prana. There are also many minor
chakras, called meridians. Chakras
are vertically aligned from the base
of the spine to the crown of the
head. They correlate to levels of
consciousness, elemental blue-
prints, developmental stages of life,
colors, sounds, and body func-
tions. Chakras can be blocked by
discordant energy and cleared by
light and love. Close your eyes and
take in the earth's energy up
through your feet, and try to
feel this elemental energy sparking
each chakra up through the top of
your head. If one or more of your
chakras is out of balance or
blocked, you will probably feel it.
Ask your High Self to clear and
balance your chakras.
The first CHAKRA (tail-
bone) is RED and it rep-
resents the element earth.
It is related to our survival in-
stincts, our sense of grounding
and connection to our bodies,
our heritage, and the physical
plane. The first chakra is the root
chakra, and the organs it governs
involve physical body support; the
base of the spine, legs, bones, feet,
and the immune system.
The second CHAKRA (re-
productive center) is OR-
ANGE and its energy
relates to the element water, and to
emotions and sexuality, connecting
us through feeling, desire, sensa-
tion, and movement. The second
chakra governs the sexual organs,
large intestine, lower vertebrae,
pelvis, appendix, bladder, and the
hip area.
The third CHAKRA (solar
plexus) is YELLOW and
its energy element is fire.
It rules our personal power, will,
ego, self-esteem and autonomy, as
chakrasthe seven basic energy channels
well as our metabolism. The
organs it governs are the abdomen,
stomach, upper intestines, liver,
gallbladder, kidney, pancreas,
adrenal glands, spleen, and
middle spine.
The fourth CHAKRA
(heart) is GREEN and it
represents the element
air. It involves energy related to
love, forgiveness, and compassion.
It integrates the duality of mind
and body, male and female, inner
and outer worlds, separateness and
unity. A clear fourth chakra en-
ables deep love, compassion, peace
and balance. The organs involved
are the heart and circulatory sys-
tem, lungs, shoulders and arms,
ribs/breasts, diaphragm, and thy-
mus gland.
The fifth CHAKRA
(throat) is BLUE and rep-
resents sound. Its ener-
gies relate to will and
self-expression, communication
and creativity. Here we experience
the world through language. The
organs affected by the fifth chakra
are the throat, thyroid, trachea,
neck vertebrae, mouth, teeth and
gums, esophagus, parathyroid, and
hypothalamus.
The sixth CHAKRA (third
eye) is PURPLE and its el-
ement is light. It is re-
lated to the act of seeing, both
physically and intuitively, allowing
insight and wisdom. It governs
the brain, nervous system, eyes,
ears, nose pineal gland, and pitu-
itary gland.
The seventh CHAKRA
(crown) is WHITE and its
energy relates to spiritu-
ality. It is our connection to the
universe, to the divine place of all-
knowing. A clear crown chakra al-
lows us to tap into pure Source, to
knowledge, wisdom, understand-
ing, spiritual connection, and bliss.
Organs involved with the crown
chakra are the muscular system,
the skeletal system, and the skin.
SELF DISCOVERY
30 Abhimukti JANUARY 2011
urantia111:1.5 Mortal mind is a
temporary intellect system loaned
to human beings for use during a
material lifetime, and as they use
this mind, they are either accept-
ing or rejecting the potential of
eternal existence. Mind is about all
you have of universe reality that is
subject to your will, and the soul –
the morontia self – will faithfully
portray the harvest of the tempo-
ral decisions which the mortal self
is making. Human consciousness
rests gently upon the electrochem-
ical mechanism below and deli-
cately touches the spirit-morontia
energy system above. Of neither of
these two systems is the human
being ever completely conscious in
his mortal life; therefore must he
work in mind, of which he is con-
scious. And it is not so much what
mind comprehends as what mind
desires to comprehend that insures
survival; it is not so much what
mind is like as what mind is striv-
ing to be like that constitutes spirit
identification. It is not so much
that man is conscious of God as
that man yearns for God that re-
sults in universe ascension. What
you are today is not so important
as what you are becoming day by
day and in eternity.
Mind is the cosmic instrument
on which the human will can play
the discords of destruction, or
upon which this same human will
can bring forth the exquisite
melodies of God identification and
consequent eternal survival. The
Adjuster bestowed upon man is, in
the last analysis, impervious to evil
and incapable of sin, but mortal
mind can actually be twisted, dis-
torted, and rendered evil and ugly
by the sinful machinations of a
perverse and self-seeking human
will. Likewise can this mind be
made noble, beautiful, true, and
good – actually great – in accor-
dance with the spirit-illuminated
will of a God-knowing human.
The Urantia Book offers a clear
and concise integration of science,
philosophy, and religion. Those
who read and study it believe that
The Urantia Book has the capacity
to make a significant contribution
to the religious and philosophical
thinking of people worldwide.
BOOK QUOTES