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Om Aham Mani Information Service |
Health and Diet |
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Why are people sick, mentally disturbed, not Self-realized, unfulfilled, and unhappy? Whether we are physically sick or mentally disturbed, usually there is something missing or out of balance. Therefore, a wise approach in healing tries to reestablish this balance, otherwise healing is questionable or short-lived. Some systems that strive to find balance include:
In regards to finding balance, our Western approach to healing has still a lot to learn. Often without a chance of healing, pharmaceuticals are the remedies of choice. Quite a few of these chemicals are known to mask only the symptoms of one disease while producing additional problems with more symptoms that have to be treated by more of these chemicals. This has lead to bizarre pictures of treatment where older people were sometimes digesting up to 50 different prescriptions a day for all kinds of health problems. As a result, some of these people had to be hospitalized while others have died as a result of unwanted side-effects. The constantly growing costs are no more than an observable sign of an imbalance in our health system. To properly treat
a disease it is important to know what is missing or out of balance. Ayurveda,
for example, tries to reestablish a balance of the three basic types of
the human constitution which are called Kapha, Pitta, and Vata.
Traditional Chinese
Medicine seeks to restore the flow of Qi by balancing the Yin and Yang. Yogis know this supreme
energy, called Qi, as Kundalini and Yin and Yang as Ida and Pingala. Everything
in the Universe exists because of the two opposite forces and the universal
balancing act. Thus, the mixture
of positive and negative forces, shape everything from the atom to our
character and health. If we desire a warm temperature we have to balance
hot and cold. In order to feel healthy we might have to either add or
subtract a vitamin, mineral or amino-acid. Most important is the precise
knowledge of what is missing or unbalanced. In regards to the
right vitamin or mineral level, we are now seeing more and more test kits
made available which will make it a lot easier in the future to gain this
precise knowledge. Not always is it as "simple" as adding nutrients or
addressing some other physiological aspect. Indeed, sometimes it is "all-in-our-head". Studies prove the
relationship between emotional imbalance and disease. One study, I know
of, shows that emotions have an impact on our immune system by reducing,
for example, secretory immunoglobulin A, which is part of our first line
of defense. Here, finding the right balance may involve psychotherapy,
the change of a vacation, health restoring rest, a loyal pet, nurturing
relationships, soothing music, art, sports, the experience of nature,
or Yoga. As Yogis, we are
trying to gain balance in various ways. Hatha Yoga and Kriya Yoga attempt
to balance the currents Ida and Pingala with their own Pranayama (breathing)
techniques. Jnana Yoga balances directly the mind and ignores the Pranayama
techniques which give Hatha Yoga supernatural strength, but only because
of the knowledge that breathing will automatically follow the thinking
process. Observation shows:
Perfect mental balance is not of permanent value if it is achieved by any outside event, no matter how satisfying the event may have been at the time. Perfect mental balance is only achieved when the mind is still, because it is this very Stillness that is revealing our own true Self, the silent observer. Since the Self is by nature blissful and happy, abiding in this condition of pure Beingness is the only balancing act that will restore permanent happiness.
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