Dream Dictionary Balance

Panchkarma Basic Principles

Panchakarma consists of medicated emesis (vamana) to remove excess kapha, therapeutic purgation (viracana) to clear excess pitta, medicated enema (vasti) to eject excess vata, nasal drops or snuffs (nasya) for diseases of the head & neck and bloodletting (raktamokshana) in case of blood disorders. Five purification procedures for removing accumulated toxins and other waste material in the body.

As the humors and tissues are related closely to each other, this discharge procedure affects the tissues indirectly by the strong elimination of related humor. For example, the pronounced elimination of kapha by herb induced emesis causes an effect on the nutrient tissue fluid pool, containing water and electrolytes, plasma, muscle, fat. Or the large release of pitta by selective purgation similarly causes an indirect effect on the total colouring material in the body or blood. Vasti is somewhat different, as it is meant to nullify excess vata and contains warm oleation substances. During its long contact with the membrane of the large intestine, it separates layers of faecal matter and thus enhances better absorption, which is responsible for the ultimate nourishment of all tissues. Nasya in turn cleans the sinus and thereby improves the function of sense organs.

Physical and mental diseases occur due to the vitation of somatic doshas vata, pitta and kapha and due to mental doshas Rajas and Tamas. Volitional transgression, effect of time and senses are the three primary causes responsible for vitation of biological and mental doshas. Food, drinks & environmental factors with similar properties to the doshas vitiates them and cause disease. Panchakarma's purificatory therapies balance out the three doshas, acting both as a curative and a preventive measure.

(See also: Panchkarma , Ayurveda, Ayurvedic Dictionary, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

REFLEXOLOGY

Reflexology works on the principle that there are reflexes in the feet and hands that correspond to all the body organs and systems. It is a term that refers to the stimulation of the microsystems of the hands, feet or ears to have an effect on all the glands, organs and other parts of the body.

A microsystem is one part of the body that contains a reflection of the whole body. It is believed that there are at least fifteen microsystems in the human body. By applying pressure to the reflexes, one can bring the body back into a homeostasis or balance. Generally no implements are used in reflexology, only the therapist's hands. When an ill child or elderly parent is feeling nauseous, has a fever or other discomforts, a purposeful foot rub or hand rub can work wonders.

(See also: REFLEXOLOGY , Alternative Health, Holistic Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Microbiotics - A branch of Zen philosophy that advocates a diet that balances Yin (negative) and Yang (positive) foods to overcome disease and keep in good health. From the Greek roots makros (long) and bios (life). Certain foods are considered yin (eg, sugar or honey), while others are yang (eg, eggs and meat). Brown rice and other grains are in the middle, and diets are planned around these grains with a balance of yin and yang foods accompanying it. Some food faddists, taking macrobiotics to an extreme, have eliminated all foods except brown rice and, thereby, suffered nutritional deficiencies.

(See also: Microbiotics , Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Shirodhara: A treatment of warm oil poured gently on the forehead to balance the mind and nervous system.

(See also: Shirodhara ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

OSTARA (O-star-ah) - Also Eostra (Yo-stra). The Sabbat observed at the Vernal Equinox and often referred to simply as the “Spring Equinox”. This Sabbat celebrates balance and life renewed, but it was not a Sabbat for the Old Celts until the Saxons brought it to their attention around C.E. 600. Ostara is named for the Teutonic Goddess Eostre and is symbolized by the egg. (CMM)

(See also: OSTARA , Wiccan Pagan, Paganism, Pagan Dictionary)

Unikite: Unikite is a combination of salmon pink feldspar and green epidote, and is an opaque stone. It is named after the Unikite Mountains between North Carolina and Tennessee, where it is found.

The pink in unikite speaks to the heart chakra to awaken the love within. The green lends it healing qualities to any hurts which have been sustained. The pink in unikite is a deeper shade of pink and is more grounding than that found in rose quartz. This stone has a leveling affect, and helps to balance the emotional aspects of the body. It is an earthy, peaceful stone.

(See also: Unikite , Magic, Shamanism, Paganism, Wicca)

RELEXOLOGY

Also known as ZONE THERAPY, is the practice of massaging the feet, where it is understood all the energy meridians of the body are represented, together with many nerve endings that also relate to much of the body and organs. The hand and ears are regarded in the same way. In either case, specific areas on the hands, feet and ears correspond to specific areas of the body and organs. In this sense, there is a similarity in philosophy to acupuncture and acupressure.

Massaging of the feet in a particular way helps to break up crystalline deposits that “block” the meridian energy flow, which affects the corresponding part of the body or organ. It is a relaxing experience, and helps the body to regain its balance and good health.

(See also: RELEXOLOGY , Alternative Health, Holistic Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Moonstone: Moonstone is a translucent, light toned gem of many hues, or else is colorless, with a milky-blue sheen. It is the most important gemstone of the feldspar group. It is composed of potassium feldspar. Feldspars are silicates of aluminum and either potassium, sodium or calcium. It comes from Ceylon or Brazil.

Moonstone is a receptive stone. It helps you to balance and soothe your emotions so you don’t have to react from an emotional state. It helps your Higher Self control your emotions so you can grow more spiritually. Moonstones help you experience calmness and peace of mind.

These stones help women’s hormonal and emotional equilibrium, and they help men become more in tune with the feminine side of themselves. The moonstone can act as a magical link so that your guides can communicate with you easier to know what your life path really is. The moonstone can hold charges in it, and may need to be cleansed occasionally.

(See also: Moonstone , Magic, Shamanism, Paganism, Wicca)

Rhodonite: Rhodonite is an attractive rose pink stone with black veinings. It is composed of manganese metasilicate. The name comes from its color (Greek for rose). It is found in Canada, Mexico, and the U.S.

Rhodonite is good for mental unrest and confusion, anxious forebodings and incoherence. It fends off unwanted influences from the etheric planes. It is good for psychically sensitive people who would prefer to be left in peace. It relieves anxiety, stress, promotes mental balance, and mental clarity. Rhodonite helps one deal with sensitivity, self-esteem, and become more self-confident. On the physical level, it is good for the skeletal system.

(See also: Rhodonite , Magic, Shamanism, Paganism, Wicca)

papa: (Sanskrit) "Wickedness; sin, crime."

1)    Bad or evil.

2)    Wrongful action.

3)    Demerit earned through wrongdoing.

Papa includes all forms of wrongdoing, from the simplest infraction to the most heinous crime, such as premeditated murder. Each act of papa carries its karmic consequence, karmaphala, "fruit of action," for which scriptures delineate specific penance for expiation.

Those who have awakened psychic sight can clearly see papa in the inner subconscious aura as a colorful, sticky, astral substance. Papa is seen as dark unrelated colors, whereas its counterpart, punya, is seen as pastels. The color arrangements are not unlike modern art murals. Papa colors can produce disease, depression, loneliness and such, but can be dissolved through penance (prayashchitta), austerity (tapas) and good deeds (sukritya).

There are specific consequences, karmaphala, "fruit of action," that result from each type of transgression of dharma. For example, a man who steals from his neighbors creates a cosmic debt which may be repaid later by having his own possessions taken away.

There are also specific penances, prayashchitta, that can be performed for atonement and the accrual of punya (merit) to balance out the papa, the negative karma of the wrongful act. Such disciplines are provided in the various Dharma Shastras and prescribed by knowing preceptors, panditas, shastris, swamis, yogis and village elders according to the varna and education of the individual. For example, the Laws of Manu give several types of penance for the crime of murder, including

1)    making a forest hut and subsisting there on alms for twelve years and using a human skull as one's emblem; or

2)    walking 100 yojanas (900 miles), while reciting the Vedas, eating little and remaining continent.

A contemporary example: if a man fells a large healthy tree, he may atone by planting ten trees and ensuring that at least one grows to replace it. The degree of papa accrued from an action depends on various factors, including the karma, dharma and spiritual advancement of the individual, the intent or motivation, as well as the time and place of the action (for example, unvirtuous deeds carry great demerit when performed in holy places). Papa is the opposite of punya (merit, virtue).

See: evil, karma, penance, punya, sin.

(See also: Papa , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Reiki:

Reiki is believed to have begun in Tibet several thousand years ago. Seers in the Orient studied energies and developed a system of sounds and symbols for universal healing energies. Various healing systems, which crossed many different cultures, emerged from this single root system. Unfortunately, the original source itself was forgotten.

Reiki practitioners channel energy in a particular pattern to heal and harmonize. Unlike other healing therapies based on the premise of a human energy field, reiki seeks to restore order to the body whose vital energy has become unbalanced.

Reiki energy has several basic effects: it brings about deep relaxation, destroys energy blockages, detoxifies the system, provides new vitality in the form of healing universal life energy, and increases the vibrational frequency of the body.

The laying of hands is used in Reiki therapy also as in spiritual healing. There is a difference though. In spiritual healing, a person with a strong energy field places his or her hands above a particular part of the recipient’s body in order to release energy into it. So, here the healer is the one who is sending out the energy. In Reiki, however, the healer places the hands above the recipient; however, it is the recipient that draws the energy as needed. Thus, in this case, the individual being healed takes an active part in the healing process as opposed to having a passive part in spiritual healing. The individual takes responsibility for his or her healing. The recipient identifies the needs and caters to them by drawing energy as needed.

Although there are a few positions in which the practitioner is in contact with the patient (such as cradling the head), most Reiki treatments do not involve actual touching. The practitioner holds his or her hands a few inches or farther away from the patient’s body and manipulates the energy field from there.

(See also: Reiki , Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

ACUPRESSURE

Acupressure is an ancient healing art that uses the fingers to press key points on the surface of the skin to stimulate the body’s natural self-curative abilities. When these points are pressed, they release muscular tension and promote the circulation of blood and the body’s life force (sometimes known as qi or chi) to aid healing.

Acupuncture and acupressure use the same points, but acupuncture employs needles, while acupressure uses the gentle, but firm pressure of hands (and even feet). There is a large amount of scientific data demonstrating why and how acupuncture is effective. But acupressure, the older of the two traditions, was neglected after the Chinese developed more technical methods for stimulating points with needles and electricity.

Acupressure, however, continues to be the most effective method for self-treatment of tension-related ailments by using the power and sensitivity of the human hand. Foremost among the advantages of acupressure’s healing touch is that it is safe to do on yourself and others - even if you’ve never done it before - so long as you follow the instructions and pay attention to the cautions. The only pieces of equipment needed are your own two hands. You can practice acupressure therapy anytime, anywhere.

Acupressure can be effective in helping relieve headaches, eye strain, sinus problems, neck pain, backaches, arthritis, muscle aches, tension due to stress, ulcer pain, menstrual cramps, lower backaches, constipation, and indigestion. Self-acupressure can also be used to relieve anxiety and get better sleep at night. There are also great advantages to using acupressure as a way to balance the body and maintain good health.

The healing touch of acupressure reduces tension, increases circulation, and enables the body to relax deeply. By relieving stress, acupressure strengthens resistance to disease and promotes wellness. In acupressure, local symptoms are considered an expression of the condition of the body as a whole. A tension headache, for instance, may be rooted in the shoulder and neck area. Thus, acupressure focuses on relieving pain and discomfort, as well as responding to tension, before it develops into a disease - before the constrictions and imbalances can do further damage.

The origins of acupressure are as ancient as the instinctive impulse to hold your forehead or temples when you have a headache. Everyone at one time or another has used their hands spontaneously to hold tense or painful places on the body. More than 5,000 years ago, the Chinese discovered that pressing certain points on the body relieved pain where it occurred and also benefited other parts of the body more remote from the pain and the pressure point. Gradually, they found other locations that not only alleviated pain, but also influenced the functioning of certain internal organs. (Definition in part from the book Acupressure’s Potent Points, by Michael Reed Gach, director of the Acupressure Institute.)

(See also: ACUPRESSURE , Alternative Health, Massage, Bodywork, Body Mind and Soul)

Ritucharya

Given that the term prakriti denotes both body constitution and nature, it is only expected that with the changing seasons of nature there will be corresponding effects on the bhutas and thereby the doshas of the constitution. Cold, dry weather for instance enhances vata, hot humid climate increases pitta, while cold, wet weather aggravates kapha.

To avoid such continued aggravation leading to imbalance of the doshas, Ayurveda prescribes a seasonal routine to preserve the doshic balance as the seasons change. For each season therefore, there is a unique diet (ahar), a distinct mode of living (vihara) and routine living (karya). These keep your doshas in a state of equilibrium and help you cope with the stresses and strains of changing seasons.

In Ayurvedic literature the year is divided into six ritus (seasons) – varsha (monsoon), sharada (autumn), hemanta (winter), shishira (late winter), girshma (summer) and vasanta (spring). The effects of these ritus on the three doshas and the suggested lifestyle for each is as indicated below:

Monsoon:

Diet

·  Digestive power weakens and bodily vata is aggravated.

·  It is advisable therefore to be moderate in your diet.

·  Come rains, tuck into astringent, bitter and pungent food along with wheat & rice.

·  Never forget to boil & cool your water. And if possible, add a little honey.

Conduct

·  Go for oil massages and regular baths.

·  Do not indulge in daytime sleeping.

·  Avoid moving in the sun, and excessive physical exercise

·  Do not indulgence in excessive sex.

Autumn:

Diet

Yummy dishes with astringent, bitter or sweet tastes are for you to enjoy.

Have lots of rice, barley, wheat, along with curd, cabbage, cheese, milk.

Avoid meat, yoghurt.

Conduct

·  This is the right time to go through purgation & blood letting treatment. (for detail see Panchkarma)

·  Avoid excessive sunbathing

·  Do not expose yourself to easterly winds.

Winter:

Diet

·  Dig into piping hot, oily, sour & salty food along with rice. Also plenty of cow’s milk & cane juice.

·  Drink warm water and it will improve your life span.

·  Avoid light food to pacify vata.

Conduct

·  Don’t expose yourself to cold.

·  Go for an invigorating oil massage followed by tepid water bath.

·  Cover your body with sufficient warm wraps

·  Indulge in intense sexual pleasure.

Spring:

Diet

·  Kapha that has already accumulated is liquidified by the heat and disturbs your digestive system.

·  Avoid heavy, oily, sour & sweet food & drinks that may aggravate kapha.

·  Take in barley, wheat, rice, scrup, & bitter vegetables.

·  Go for vigorous exercises, and oil massages.

·  Cut down your smoking habit.

• Avoid day-time naps.

Summer:

Diet

·  Take in plenty of fluids. Avoid dehydration.

·  Avoid food with pungent, acid & salt tastes.

·  Tuck into sweet, cold & oily foods. Meat of birds & animals are good for you.

·  Avoid excessive physical exercises & excessive sex.

·  Avoid sunlight and harmful UV rays.

·  Enjoy the cool breeze of your garden & fragrance of flowers.

• Try to take a short nap.

(See also: Ritucharya , Ayurveda, Ayurvedic Dictionary, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

TAI CHI

Tai Chi (pronounced tie-chee) emphasizes complete relaxation, and is essentially a form of mediation, or what has been called "meditation in motion." Unlike the hard martial arts, Tai Chi is characterized by soft, slow, flowing movements that emphasize force, rather than brute strength. Though it is soft, slow, and flowing, the movements are executed precisely. 

Tai Chi history is not well documented; however, aspects of it date back at least 2000 years B.C. in ancient India. In the 13th century A.D., a Taoist (pronounced DOW-ist) monk, Chang Sang Feng, developed what is known as Tai Chi. Then Tai Chi came to be associated with different families in China, and each family’s name designated a different style of Tai Chi. The Chen family developed the Tai Chi style upon which all other modern styles are based. A man by the name of Yang, who studied with the Chen family, later modified the Chen style, thus developing the Yang style of Tai Chi Chuan. The Yang style is the most common traditional style of Tai Chi Chuan practiced today. The Yang style has three different forms that are practiced: Simplified form, short form, and long form.

Chi is an ancient Chinese concept that designates a form of energy. The term literally means "breath," as does the ancient Greek word from which we get the word "spirit." According to the philosophy of Tai Chi, this energy, which flows throughout every body, can become blocked. Tai Chi philosophy states that illness is due to the flow of the chi through the body becoming blocked. The Chinese recognize several means for freeing up the flow of chi. Two of the more commonly known forms in this country are acupuncture and Tai Chi.

Tai Chi, as also used as form of meditation to develop self-understanding. Learning to control oneself enables one to deal with others. This self-control can come about through two principal notions found in the Tao Te Ching (pronounced DOW tay ching) and I Ching (pronounced EE- ching). These two notions are the fundamental concepts of yin and yang. The philosophy of Taoism (DOW-ism) understands everything in terms of these two opposing principles. Though these two principles are seen as opposites, the one necessarily merges into the other, creating the natural balance of self and world, hence the classic symbol of Tai Chi . The Tai Chi form is meant to enable one to bring the principles of yin and yang back into their fundamental, natural harmony. The ultimate effect of this harmony, according to Taoism and Tai Chi, is one's physical and spiritual well-being.

(See also: TAI CHI , Alternative Health, Holistic Health, Body Mind and Soul)

ST. JOHN

St. John’s neuromuscular therapy seeks out the cause of pain, focusing on creating a balance between the muscular and nervous systems.

This bodywork focuses on five basic principles - biomechanics, ischemis, trigger points, postural distortion, and nerve entrapment and compression - that are important factors in the body’s physical homeostasis. Also, attention is given to hormonal balance, nutrition, and elimination of toxins. This therapy is used to treat soft-tissue pain throughout most of the body.

(See also: ST. JOHN , Alternative Health, Massage, Bodywork, Body Mind and Soul)

ONSEN TECHNIQUE

Onsen is a Japanese word meaning at rest or at peace. It is a state of mind, but can also be a state of body. Developer Richard Phaigh translated it to mean balance, particularly length and strength balance in soft tissue, to form the basis of this new protocol.

Onsen includes three key components - muscle energy technique, post-isometric relaxation, and transverse friction massage.

(See also: ONSEN TECHNIQUE , Alternative Health, Massage, Bodywork, Body Mind and Soul)

The purpose of Feng Shui is to restore balance and create harmony. There are times we cannot bring in a Feng Shui practitioner to assist us in this right away. Here are some fundamental principles to guide you and support your balance and harmony until the practitioner arrives.

Read more here: » Feng Shui: Emergency Feng Shui Treatment

Health is a key factor in the human evolutionary process. Health is not just physical fitness or absence of disease. In ancient India, the term health had a much wider connotation; it was something that went beyond physical and mental dimensions. The spiritual dimension reinforces and also uplifts the physical and mental dimensions of health.

Read more here: » Mind, Body, Spirit: Strike a Balance

This article have much info about the upcomning Venus Transit and it also includes actual prayers you can use at the Venus Transit.

Read more here: » Venus Transit: Opening the doorway to the Heart of Venus

Balancing and Charging the Chakras

The energy of your body will not be balanced and free flowing if you do not have good emotional balance, good physical health, and good relationships with your surroundings and yourself.

Almost no one is ever perfectly balanced. If you could do this, you would be able to rise from the dead, have a body transformed into a cosmic molecular structure and commune with the gods as an equal.

Read more here: » Chakra Balancing: Balancing and Charging the Chakras

Our existence can be broadly divided into three categories - thinking, feeling and being conscious. The common link between all three is our attention. When we respond to something, physical or mental, consciously or unconsciously, we take our attention to the related part of the body. When we think, our attention is in the brain and when we carry out habitual activities, it is probably in the spinal cord.

(See also: Sudarshan Kriya , Faith and Belief, Spiritual Guidance, God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Sudarshan Kriya: Balance Body & Mind With Sudarshan Kriya Yoga  

There has been a tremendous upsurge in the acceptance and consequently, the practice of ancient sciences such as Vaastu Shastra, Feng Shui, astrology and many other alternative healing systems. However, the questions that comes to mind are Ð

-       Are these as relevant today as they were thousands of years ago?

-       Do todayÕs practitioners understand the basic principles of these sciences?

-       Is there a method of verifying the effects of these interventions?

(See also: Feng Shui , Vaastu Shastra, Sacred Geometry, Sacred Space)

Read more here: » Feng Shui: How To Balance Your Energies