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954-762-6899 Abhimukti™ is published by Ripinto Publishing, LLC and distributed to homes, businesses, and institutions in the Broward county area. Additional copies are available at select locations throughout South Florida. 12,000 total circulation. Opinions expressed by the writers do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Ripinto Publishing, LLC. Ripinto Publishing, LLC reserves the right to edit and/or reject any editorial or advertising. 2010 © Copyright. Reproduction is prohibited without prior written authorization from Ripinto Publishing, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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what is it?
meditation
By Heal thAnd Yoga.co m An ordinary person may consider 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 meditation; listening to the birds is meditation. As long as these activities are free from any other distraction to the mind, it is effective meditation. Meditation is not a technique but a way of life. Meditation means an understanding of the thought process. It describes a state
“Meditation is not a technique but a way of life� of consciousness, when the mind is free of scattered thoughts and various patterns. The meditator realizes that all the activity of the mind is reduced to one. A Tibetan Lama was being monitored on a brain scan machine by a scientist wishing to test
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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 understood to mean some form of spiritual practice where one sits down with eyes closed and empties the mind to attain inner peace, relaxation 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 misunderstanding. The word meditation, is derived from two Latin words : meditari (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-
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SELF DISCOVERY 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, contemplation, and then ultimately absorption. But that does not mean that one must perfect any one stage before moving onto the next. The Integral yoga approach is simultaneous application of a little of all stages together. 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 contemplative activities like just sitting and awaiting absorption. Some call it meditation without giving credence 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.
ayurveda India’s traditional, natural system of me dicine By www. Ho lis ticOnl ine. com eral Vedas (meaning "knowledge"), Ayurveda is India’s traditional, upon which Ayurvedic medical natural system of medicine that practice is based on. Ayurvedic has been practiced for more than manuals were written by Charaka, 5,000 years. Ayurveda is a Sanskrit Sushruta, and Vagbhata that give word that literally translated detailed descriptions of the various means "science of life" or "pracpractices. Charaka listed 500 huntices of longevity." Ayurveda was dred remedies and Sushruta over the system of health care con700 vegetable medicines. ceived and developed by the seers Ayurveda emphasizes prevention (rishis) and natural scientists of disease, rejuvenation of our through centuries of observations, body systems, and extension of life experiments, discussions, and span. The profound premise and meditations. For several thousand promise of Ayurveda is that years their teachings were passed on orally from “Ayurveda provides an teacher to student; about the integrated approach to fifth to sixth century BC, preventing and treatelaborately detailed texts ing illness through were written in Sanskrit, the ancient language of India. lifestyle interventions For many years Ayurveda and natural therapies” flourished and was used by rich and poor alike in India and Southeast Asia. through certain practices, not only Manuscript page from can we prevent heart disease and Atharva-Veda, earliest Indian text make our headaches go away, but (approx. 1500 BC) with much we can also better understand ourmedical information, one of sev- selves and the world around us,
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MEDICINE 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 integrated approach to preventing and treating illness through lifestyle interventions and natural therapies. It is based on the view that the elements, forces, and principles 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 consciousness 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 aspect 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 mental thoughts or feelings are just as important as symptoms and diseases of the physical body. Both are due to imbalances within a person, and both are treated by restoring the natural balance mentally 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 therapeutic approach.
In India, Ayurvedic practitioners receive staterecognized, institutionalized training in parallel to their physician counterparts. The research base is growing concerning the physiological effects of meditative techniques and yoga postures in Indian medical literature and Western psychological literature. Published studies have documented reductions in cardiovascular 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 therapies have shown them to have a range of potentially beneficial effects for preventing and treating certain cancers, treating infectious disease, treating diabetes, promoting health, and treating aging. Mechanisms underlying these effects may include free-radical scavenging effects, immune system modulation, brain neurotransmitter modulation, and hormonal effects.
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autobiography of a yogi
Autobiography of a Yogi is not years under the guidance of his an ordinary book. It is a spiritual Guru, practicing Kriya Yoga and treasure. To read its message of exploring the inner worlds. To hope to all truth seekers is to begin prepare him for his future mission a great adventure. in the western world, his Guru enParamahansa Yogananda was couraged him to join a college and born on January 5, 1893, in receive modern education. Gorakhpur, India. His original After he completed his educaname was Mukunda Lal Ghosh. He hailed Only rarely does a sage of from a well-to-do Paramhansa Yogananda's stature Bengali family. From write a firsthand account of his life his early childhood, experiences. Followers of many rehis parents were well ligious traditions have come to recaware of the spiritual ognize Autobiography of a Yogi as significance of his birth. As a boy he a masterpiece of spiritual literature. was driven by an intense urge to seek the Divine and develop a friendly attition in 1915, Swami Yukteswar tude towards God in all his forms initiated him into monk hood and and aspects. gave him the name Yogananda. He went through many perThe Swami became very popular sonal experiences that strengthboth in the east and the west ened his faith in the Divine and through his teachings and his propelled him to find a Guru who speeches. His Autobiography of a would help him reach the Highest Yogi, which was published in Truth. At the age of 17 he met 1943, attracted the attention of Swami Yukteswar Giri and became many. After spreading the message his disciple. He spent the next ten of love in many parts of the world
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SELF DISCOVERY BOOKS 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 Autobiographical work. This book has profound 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 Yogananda and his encounters with the higher worlds and divine beings. Sri Yogananda proved beyond doubt that any one with devotion, determination and concentration can transcend human limitations and experience the divine and establish oneself in the divine consciousness. 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 consciousness. Be prepared for an incredible journey into the deeper recesses of our own consciousness. Autobiography of a Yogi ISBN 1-56589-212-7
chinese herbal medicines for the
common cold By Jo el Har vey Schr eck www.acupun ctur e.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
Different ideas, no matter how good, are met with resistance. 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
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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 thousand years to discover Chinese food. With pharmaceutical cold medicines proving to be harmful,
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MEDICINE let's hope it doesn't take another thousand years to discover Chinese 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 visiting the doctor for a cold. When Western civilization discovers them, it could turn our medical establishment upside down, easing suffering and preventing millions of needless trips to the doctor. This might be bad news for doctors, 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 serious diseases like influenza and measles were called windheat evils. Common colds were caused by wind-cold evils. Our bodies are protected from wind evils by defensive energy, known as wei qi. With adequate wei qi, you can be exposed to disease without getting 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 conditions. Some of these are ginger, mint, kudzu root, and many others. Some of these herbs protect against wind-heat evils; others defend 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
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 contains: 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, wormwood, gypsum, and notopterygi.
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Preventing a cold requires a different 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 available in natural food stores, particularly 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 reliability of Chinese herbals. And unlike many of the drugs at your drugstore, all of these are safe for children. Remember that a mere hundred years ago, no one in the West had even heard of Chinese food. Today there are Chinese restaurants 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.
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7-day
detox program
In working with so many demands and mental concerns to women and men over the years, deeper matters of the mind and Dr. Etti formulated a therapeutic soul. While so many years have program that, slowly but surely, gone into its development, it is, proved its effectiveness and ultinonetheless, a simple program to mately led to the 7-day detoxificaput into practice, one that can eastion program that has won so ily be incorporated into everyday many adherents today. Through life. Nearly everyone who uses the this program, Dr. Etti has helped bring about a “Dr. Etti's 7-day Detox works transformation in the way because the program encompeople eat, think and passes every facet of our lives, function, resulting in a from our daily bodily demands healthier, more capable and more self-fulfilled inand mental concerns to deeper dividual. matters of the mind and soul� As a doctor of holistic health, Dr. Etti comprehends that a true transformation program loves it; many use the occurs only when a perfect balword 'fun' to describe how easy ance of all modalities of body and and enjoyable it is to make the promind is achieved. As any missing gram part of one's life. ingredient from a gourmet recipe The basis for the Detox is a will result in an imperfect dish, Juice Cleansing that removes your any key element lacking in one's body's toxins. This is combined being will cause an imbalance at with Body Movement and Dance one's core that can have an adverse that reconnects you with your effect on so many levels. Dr. Etti's essence and brings to the surface 7-day Detox works because the an energy that one may not realize program encompasses every facet he or she possesses. Then, Healing of our lives, from our daily bodily Meditation helps you discover
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HEALTH 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. Finally the Closing Breakfast Ceremony concludes the 7-day journey and you walk away a very different person, unencumbered by the physical and mental strife that accompanied you to the studio a week prior. It is an amazing, transforming process that will continue to reward 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 experience through her personalized detox programs. As a psychotherapist, dancer and a Doctor of Holistic Nutrition, she uses a variety of modalities to make healthful, dynamic living more accessible to today's women and men.
Want to learn more visit her Holistic Health Studio located in 5700 Collins Avenue, 16M Miami Beach, FL 33140 or call 305-8619383. Visit her on the web at www.dretti.com
yoga understanding the basics Yoga is becoming an ever growing activity among Americans. This ancient Eastern spiritual practice was created about five thousand years ago and incorporates 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 ancient times. The Buddhist texts are probably the earliest texts describing meditation techniques. They describe meditative practices and states that existed before the Buddha, as well as those first developed within Buddhism. In Hindu literature, the term "yoga" first occurs 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 Jainism and the monist schools of Advaita 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 realization 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 Vaishnavism, bhakti or service to Svayam Bhagavan itself may be the ultimate goal of the yoga process, where the goal is to enjoy an eternal relationship with Vishnu. In our modern world yoga can be defined as a way of connecting our true inner self with the universal consciousness that manifests the space we live in. A union with the very essence of creation.
chakras
the seven basic energy channels
by waveso fexpr es sio n.co m The word chakra is Sanskrit for wheel or disk and relates to the energy 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 lifeforce 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 blueprints, developmental stages of life, colors, sounds, and body functions. 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.
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The first CHAKRA (tailbone) is RED and it represents the element earth. It is related to our survival instincts, 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 (reproductive center) is ORANGE and its energy relates to the element water, and to emotions and sexuality, connecting us through feeling, desire, sensation, 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
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SELF DISCOVERY 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 enables deep love, compassion, peace and balance. The organs involved are the heart and circulatory system, lungs, shoulders and arms, ribs/breasts, diaphragm, and thymus gland. The fifth CHAKRA (throat) is BLUE and represents sound. Its energies 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 element is light. It is related 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 pituitary gland. The seventh CHAKRA (crown) is WHITE and its energy relates to spirituality. It is our connection to the universe, to the divine place of allknowing. A clear crown chakra allows us to tap into pure Source, to knowledge, wisdom, understanding, spiritual connection, and bliss. Organs involved with the crown chakra are the muscular system, the skeletal system, and the skin.
urantia 1 11 : 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 accepting 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 temporal decisions which the mortal self is making. Human consciousness rests gently upon the electrochemical mechanism below and delicately 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 conscious. 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 striving 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 results in universe ascension. What
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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, distorted, 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 accordance 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. JANUARY 2011
BOOK QUOTES