| ||||
| ||||
|
Alternative Health | return to main menu | go to alternative health homepage | alternative health index & site map | |
|
|
|
|
Health in the Self
What is health? Is health the absence of disease? Is health a birth right or simply luck? According to Ayuveda, India's ancient art of healing, the meaning of health is a single word: Swastha. Swa = self + Stha = established. Thus a person is healthy when '"established in the self." Immunity is much more than T-cells, B-cells and antibodies. Health depends upon a well-integrated core of identity. Thus, health is a birth right. The Self as defined by Ayuveda is not identical to the western concept of ego. It is the power of individual identity that fosters one to have an existence apparently separate from all other beings. In Sanskrit this is called Ahamkara - literally, the "I-former." You are you and not he, she, we or they because of Ahamkara. It is the creative power that gives you your sense of "I am." Ahamkara consistently identifies with an individual body, mind, and spirit enabling them to exist together as a living being. It is the center of your awareness and from it come feelings of my: my body, my emotions, my thoughts, my personality, etc. Where there is my, there is I. Each of the millions and millions of cells that make up you has a center of awareness. Ahamkara is that center. How well your self identifies with these cells determines your resistance to disease. Just as a strong central government protects its citizens, so too a strong central identity protects the body. Because the body and mind are intimately connected, (contrary to western thought) your self-esteem is your cells' self-esteem. Without sufficient self-esteem and self-love the cells become more vulnerable to the harmful effects of stress. Stress Stress is an insidious precursor to disease. In simple terms, stress occurs every time you adapt to a new situation. Consequently, every time your environment changes you must create a new equilibrium with it to stay healthy. 'Environment' includes not only your physical space, but also your mental, emotional, social, and spiritual surroundings. Only by being centered and stable in your self can you have the adaptability to roll with life's punches and face the innumerable challenges to your well-being. It can be said, you have a body self, mind self, and spirit self. Health requires establishment in each of these selves. You need to have a sound mind, in a sound body and a healthy relationship with Universal Spirit. Vertically body, mind and spirit needs to flow in dynamic interplay. Horizontally you need to have a harmonious relationship with your family and society and your self needs to remember its debt to the one who created it. Our Being Health as defined by Ayurveda is not the mere absence of disease. Swastha is a positive state of multi-layered well-being. Each level of our being affects and reflects the others. A happy, contented mind projects health into the body. Love, trust, and compassion needs to be developed if you are to be healthy. Modern neuropsychiatry has discovered specific neuropeptides associated with joy and happiness that communicate with the body's trillions of cells. Likewise, the health of mind and emotions depend upon bodily health. Physical toxins and poor digestion impair mental digestion creating mental toxins like fear, anger, greed, attachment, envy, and judgment. The old saying 'the body is a temple of the spirit' is a factual reality. A firm (as in healthy) body 'firms-up' ahamkara and she reciprocated by projecting health into it. Establishing one self into one's self is not an egotistical attempt to become bigger, better, or more important. Over investment in self is as dangerous as its opposite. Selfishness can only lead us further away from each other and our source in Spirit. Without empathy and compassion for all other living beings, we become destructive to them and ourselves. Invest in your self so that your health and harmony act as a harmonizing influence on those around you and contributes to the health of your environment. This is Swastha. Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD specializes in: Mind, Body, Spirit healing for Individuals, Special Issues and Professional Coaching. As an inspirational leader, Dr. Neddermeyer empowers people to view life's challenges as an opportunity for Personal/Professional Growth and Spiritual Awakening.
MORE RESOURCES:
Alternative - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Bleeding Gums Bleeding gums can be one sign of periodontal disease, gingivitis, or other serious problems. Other symptoms of poor dental health may include persistent bad breath, toothache, and receding gums. How To Use Senna For Constipation Relief It is known that Egyptians used senna tea to relieve constipation. This tea is used for medium and chronic conditions of constipation. Alternative Medicine & Herbal Preparations Alternative medicine is gaining more attention every day. The idea that one can heal their body, prevent physical symptoms and even treat them - naturally - is very appealing. Revolutionary Medicine: Shockwave Therapy for Chronic Pain Sufferers Stripped from the scenes from science fiction novels and films, shockwave therapy is a newage alternative to chronic pain sufferers. Utilized not only on humans for over 25 years for urologic and orthopedic conditions, shockwave therapy has even been introduced to veterinary and equine medicine as well. 4000 Year Old Secrets of Green Tea The Chinese have known about the medicinal benefits of green tea for over 4,000 years. But recent studies are just starting to unlock these ancient secrets of green tea. How to Beat the Winter Blues Those who revel in the winter season delight in visions of family-filled holidays, ice skating and snowball fights as soon as the weather starts to turn cold. But for those who suffer from the winter blues, the winter season brings with it a promise of long, dark weeks, dreary skies and weather that keeps you indoors. Alternative Approaches to Pain Relief Pain. The great leveler. Kill Your Stuttering/Stammering Demons Apparently one percent of British people suffer from the speech impediment called stuttering. Only people who stutter can ever really know how difficult life can become when you are unable to speak fluently in all situations. How to Sense Low Levels of Asbestos in Your Daily Environment. (Part II) Most people find it difficult to believe that a tiny dust material, too small to see, can cause such havoc with the human body. As a construction worker, I may have an advantage in identifying the materials which shed this residue, but this also tends to make me more vulnerable to it's effects. Moles, Warts & Skin Tags Remedy Are you worried about your moles, warts, and skin tags? Are scared about the idea of removing them surgically using laser, knife or some acid?Moles and warts are skin infection caused by specific wart viruses, producing bumps on various parts of body or the soles of feet. Here are some remedies for removal of moles, warts and skin tags. Learn How to Do A Successful Gall Bladder Flush To do a Gall Bladder Flush you will need the following ingredients:3 quarts of apple juice, fresh or from the dairy case, not w/preservatives1 cup olive oil, cold expeller pressed is best, virgin not light.1 cup of coke (optional but makes the oil taste less annoying)1 lemon, to be juiced at mixing timeUltra Phos dropsOxymag caps or PowderPROCEDURE:1. Athlete Foot Remedies Athlete foot is a common skin infection that is caused by a fungus. The medical term for foot fungus is tinea pedis. How To Find Your Way To Healthy Longevity As the old saying goes, are you "a picture of health"? You may have a problem answering this question, but it's important to know just where you stand on this issue. I guess we all would like to be the healthiest person we can be but it's not always possible. Hypnosis Way of General Indications of Deceit When the subject is changed, he's in a better, more relaxed mood. The guilty wants the subject changed; the innocent always wants a further exchange of information. Quantum Biology and Its Uses for Aromatherapy Bel'Air has brought in cutting edge medical technology from Europe and America, in the form of "Quantum Xrriod C.I System", to allow distributors to understand their health conditions using the most advanced medical therapeutic method. Holistic Medicine Holistic Medicine involves natural treatment options like holistic nutrition, herbology, environmental medicine, energy work, mind-body medicine, anatomy, and many other holistic medicine practices.Holistic medicine allows an individual to be treated naturally and establishes a positive balance between body, mind and spirit. Preventive Medicine - Ayurveda It should not be hard for anyone to imagine that man sought medicine to maintain life and gain knowledge since the time of his being pre-hominid and eating plants while learning which ones killed him. Your puppy or kitten will show this when it goes outside for the first time and eats grass to help its gastrointestinal processes. Homeopathy: A Natural Health 101 Article What It IsIn Homeopathy, extremely dilute preparations are given to a patient to spur the patient's immune system into action and re-balance the body's "vital force". The preparations are extremely dilute--often going well beyond Avogadro's Limit--but are "succussed" or rapped firmly onto a padded surface to, as Homeopaths believe, send healing vibrationationl energy throughout the remedy. Food Combining for Indigestion I'd like to share with you some basic food combining rules as set forth by the late Dr. Herbert Shelton many years ago. Snoring: A Common Sleep Disorder Sleep consumes as much as one-third or more of the average human's life. Even if people hope for restful sleep, many types of sleep disorder reduce the quality and quantity of sleep.
|
| return to main menu | go to alternative health homepage | alternative health index & site map |
| © 2006 |
