to balance the light and dark within as we move

art on the street as it appears on any sidewalk.
this one this morning after yoga.
"to balance the light and dark within as we move from posture to posture"

Chakra Rising Wave Series 1 - 7

Took this shot yesterday of the installation of "Chakra Rising Wave Series 1 - 7" at Organic Yoga in Wilmington, NC. Thankyou(s) to Lorrie and Eric Wagner for the opportunity and for hanging them. 

Each panel w/loops on bamboo rods can be viewed more clearly on my archival website http://www.greenartstudio.com/galleryrising.html. I did these in 2008. They are 18" x 23" and done with beeswax and eco-friendly pigments on Khadi papers. This is the first time they have been hung for show vertically, thanks to the high ceilings at this wonderful yoga space.

Shakti

 from:
 http://www.sanatansociety.org/hindu_gods_and_goddesses/shakti.htm

The Hindu Goddess Shakti
Shakti is also named Devi, Parvati, Durga, Kali and many other names.

"Shakti is the divine force, manifesting to destroy demonic forces and restore balance."

feminine and masculine balance in our brain, the left and the right, the with in and the with out...

"Every God in Hinduism has his Shakti and without that energy they have no power. Lakshmi is the energy of Vishnu. Parvati is energy of Shiva. Shakti is also called Devi or mahadevi, assuming different roles as Sati, Parvati, Durga and Kali.

So Shakti is the mother goddess, the source of all, the universal principle of energy, power or creativity. The worship of Shakti as this energy is the main objective of Tantra Yoga. Shakti is inseparable from the one who beholds her, the Shakti-man, the masculine principle or Universal father. Shakti-man is called Brahman by the writers of the Upanishads. In the Tantric tradition he is called Shiva.

The play of female energy has no beginning and no end. Although it is restless, the energy moves through alternating periods of motion and rest, during which order is re-established. Tantra believes that as long as the phenomenal world exists, it is the Universal mother who is the creator, preserver and destroyer. Thus Shakti should be worshipped as an aspect of the divine.

The motivating force behind this eternal play that creates the illusionary world of phenomena is the power of desire. This desire is present in the one who is without attributes, the nameless and formless aspect of the divine."

 enThanks to my students/teachers

Wholistic Co-Creative Healing

 

a self/other cathartic writing of ...a processing transformation...

  Moved this past winter in shifts, in a flash, drove to/from the northeast to visit family/friends and dropped from the ladder of the loft I was constructing. Was returning to my bed after taking a leak around 2:30AM am in the dark and the mattress I was gripped onto to pull myself up shifted. Letting go... and landed in a crouching position. One of my favorite yoga positions. The damage done. Acumulatively into the now with a sprained rt knee, strained right sacroilliac joint, stressed already stressed/never repaired dislocated left shoulder and severe bodily misalignment from compensating from the injuries had me down. Wholistic injury! Coming back up, leg stretches and twists are still shaky. Lots of stretching/restrengthening rehab to go and bionic dental surgery scheduled for the summer.
  Many thanks for all the wonderful support I have received from 2 amazing physical therapists, several Reiki practitioners, an acupuncturist for depression; compromised liver, a fantastic alignment masseuse, an Ayurvedic dietary & herbal counsel for my prostate cancer combined with my own herbal protocol, making art, astrology, 3 different restorative yoga instructors, all the many guides, friends and family (particularly some of my Mom's great genes and encouragement that keep me trucking on!) and my own persistence and still learning self love/respect and accepting myself as a spiritual being in a human body. Toward healing Wholisticly. Tomorrow will start seeing a Network Chiropractic for more continuous healing work - enThanks all!
Love/Peace/Co-Creativity in healing to I/WE/ALL.

"Infinity"

Infinity

Beeswax, natural pigment

on Lotka paper

45” x 14”

is hanging at Harmony Yoga, 5201 Oleander Dr., Wilmington, NC.

a progressing transformation note 6

progressing transformation  ©Greg Patch

some finishing touches added/subtracted, am looking at hanging methods for display at Porters Neck Yoga & Spa 2 weeks prior to the Solstice art ceremony/performance 6/21. This art piece will undergo a transformation within a Fire Ceremony/Celebration. Look for announcements from PNY&S and other participants; yoga, art, music, etc. ...and more to follow as with all transformation.

A Renewed Analysis of Coffea Arabica

http://acupunkyoga.wordpress.com/acupuncture/coffee-and-chinese-medicine/

Coffee and Chinese Medicine

The Coffee Report

A Renewed Analysis of Coffea Arabica

By Jeff Levin

Coffee is the second largest legal trade item in the world next to oil. This fact alone shows us humanity’s love for coffee and the powerful effect of this beverage. There is no doubt that coffee is as enjoyable as it is addictive. As America’s most popular drug it is important to understand its benefits and drawbacks to people’s health.

Looking at the history of coffee creates the context in which we can study and further understand this drink. From its discovery by Ethiopians to its present worldwide status, coffee has been fraught with controversy in medical communities. While some early doctors claimed it to be the ultimate cure all, others blamed it for being the source of all illness. Early Arabian physicians cautioned people of its powerful effects and cringed at the thought of it exiting their controlled pharmacopoeia to enter the cafes of everyday people. As coffee entered Europe, vintners and brewers saw it as a threat to their livelihood and had their private doctors make claims that coffee was extremely detrimental to one’s health.

Some physicians, such as Sir William Harvey, credited with the discovery of circulation, were big fans of coffee. In regards to coffee he said that, “This little fruit is the source of happiness and wit.” On his deathbed he bequeathed his 56 pound stash of coffee to his friends at the London College of Physicians to make toasts in his honor. One of the most significant contributions to our medical knowledge of coffee was Dr. Sylvestre Dufour’s isolation of the caffeine molecule as the primary active ingredient in coffee. He was also the first to observe that coffee helped some people but not others: it is neither universally good nor bad, but beneficial when appropriate. Unfortunately, we have not advanced very far beyond these two discoveries. We don’t know much of what coffee does beyond its caffeine component, and we don’t know why it works well for some but not others.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) offers a great insight in its classification of herbs and their use in relation to people’s specific constitutions. It affords us a new way to look at coffee as a medicinal herb and how to apply its use in the most beneficial way to particular individuals. At this time, coffee is nearly non-existent in Chinese Medicine pharmacopeias, and the little writing there is about coffee is mostly prohibitory, discussing only coffee’s ill effects and none of its possible benefits.

Since analysis of the medicinal properties of herbs in TCM is largely a process of experience, it is not surprising that the TCM view of coffee is faulty and incomplete. The history of coffee shows that China has had little experience with it. Though coffee was grown in India since 17^th century and thoroughly described in Ayervedic medicine, it wasn’t grown in China until 200 years later. Only in very recent years has it been widely available and used. Given the lack of empirical knowledge of coffee in TCM, it is important to re-evaluate coffee as a Chinese herb. This is possible by looking at discoveries that have been made in Western medicine about the functions, contraindications, and benefits of coffee and translating these into TCM terms.

Coffee enhances the function of the Central Nervous System and increases cognitive performance by intercepting a chemical called adencine which slows down nerves and causes sleepiness. In addition, diuresis is increased due to increased blood flow to the Kidneys. Coffee increases the body’s capacity for work and exercise by 15-20%: increasing the heart rate and acting as a mild analgesic. Coronary blood flow and metabolic rate are increased as well as smooth muscle being relaxed. From this information we can begin our translation of coffee into TCM.

Coffee is yang in nature. It creates heat as it moves, invigorates, and disperses. Western medicine cautions coffee use for people with anxiety, arrhythmia, and insomnia which are easily translated into a caution (or even contraindication) for those who suffer from Heart Heat. Coffee definitely moves Qi and Blood. Its ability to increase the metabolism has applications to combating Dampness with its dispersing nature. It both ascends Qi, giving us a lift of spirit, and descends Qi in its actions of diuresis, increased peristalsis, and bronchiodilation. These last two functions show coffee’s connection to the metal element: it acts on the Lungs and the Large Intestine.

Like many other powerful herbs in the TCM pharmacopoeia, coffee has a dark side. Study’s show that more than 5 cups a day can raise LDL cholesterol (Stagnation, Phlegm, or Damp. However, another study showed that heavy coffee drinkers consume 24% more saturated fats which could be the underlying cause of the increased cholesterol). The rise in cholesterol was worse when boiling the coffee which, from a culinary perspective, shouldn’t be done as it ruins the taste of the brew. One to two cups is enough to relax the lower esophageal sphincter and stimulate gastric secretion (Stomach Heat).

On the flipside, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition says that coffee can be beneficial if less that 4 cups (approximately 400mg of caffeine) per day are consumed. An international study shows that coffee drinkers suffer from asthma 25% less than non coffee drinkers. This is further confirmed by a Study at UCLA that showed a 15% increase in breathing capacity after drinking coffee. These facts reinforce the idea the coffee can descend Lung Qi. It reduces the risk of colon cancer as it moves Qi and Blood in the Large Intestine. Coffee also decreases alcohol induced liver cirrhosis by 80% due to an unknown ingredient. This reconfirms the idea that coffee powerfully moves blood and enters the liver as well as the large intestine and lung.

The current consensus is that coffee depletes the kidney essence. However, some new information indicates the assumption might have been made in error. Coffee contains anti-bacterial compounds that slow tooth decay (at the expense of yellow teeth).  Recent studies have shown that coffee can help prevent Parkinson disease and Alzheimer disease. Since tooth decay, Parkinson and Alzheimer are related to a lack of kidney essence and marrow, it would be better stated that coffee actually nourishes the essence as it greatly benefits the CNS. It also has been shown to benefit Type 2 diabetes due to a chemical unrelated to caffeine: another indication that kidney’s benefit from coffee

 Coffee is currently the largest source of anti-oxidants in the American diet which, sadly, says more about the American diet than coffee. These anti-oxidants, though decreased in darker roasted coffee, act as an anti-inflammatory when taken in low doses. However, in large doses, coffee acts as an inflammatory. This last insight is interesting in terms of the temperature of coffee: cool in low doses, but warm in higher doses. Similar to other herbs, some properties are dependant on quantity and preparation methods

Sir William Harvey would be interested to know that the debate about coffee’s effects on the cardiovascular system rages on. Many studies show that coffee’s effect on hypertension is all over the map: some people blood pressure increases, in others, it decreases, and in some there is no change. This brings us back to Dr. Dufour’s 17^th century insight that coffee affects different people in various ways. This could be explained by a recent study showing that certain people are genetically programmed to break down caffeine slower, but doesn’t add much insight in terms of how to prescribe coffee from a TCM point of view.

Although many of the effects of coffee are attributed to its caffeine component, there are over 300 other alkaloids in coffee that have effects unknown, one of which is responsible for its benefit to the liver. Decaffeinated coffee has some of these benefits, but most decaf is made by soaking the coffee in methylene chloride. This solvent is believed to be toxic but is largely untested. Residual amounts of methylene chloride remain in the coffee, but only in 25 parts per million, not enough to worry the FDA.

All of this new information helps us re-evaluate coffee’s role in TCM. With a renewed intelligence about the functions of this powerful herb, practitioners of TCM may be better able to guide their clients about healthy ways to imbibe coffee to help many of the major diseases described here as well as other minor imbalances.

In conclusion, as we continue to enjoy our high quality coffee, further discovering and describing its effects from our own experience, we will be better able to present it as an herb with greater wisdom.  By engaging in this 500 year long debate about coffee and health, we increase our collective knowledge, and, if we do this after imbibing a moderate amount of coffee, we will increase our cognitive capacity to do so.

Bibliography:

Bakalar, Nicholas (June 13^th 2006) Easing Liver Damage With a Dose of Coffee. New York Times, p.D6

Coughlin, Dr. James R. Coffee and Your Health.  www.coffeescience.org

Davids, Kenneth (1979). Coffee: A Guide to Buying, Brewing and Enjoying. San Francisco: 101 Publications

Dharmananda, Subhuti Coffee in China and the Analysis of Coffee According to Traditional Chinese Medicine.  www.itmonline.org

Flaws, Bob. (1997) The Tao of Healthy Eating. Boulder, Colorado: Blue Poppy Press

Werbach, M.R. (1987) Nutritional Influences on Illness, Sourcebook of Clinical Research. New Canaan, Connecticut: Keats Publishing

Seasonal Ayurveda

ayurvedic notes from John Immel of Joyful Belly in Asheville,

NC. www.joyfulbelly.com

John Immel writes on many seasonal approaches to Ayurvedic 

lifestyles.

April Showers & Body Moisture

Along with showers and springtime flowers, the buildup of congestion in the body peaks during the month of April. The body continues to metabolize and release winter fats from the skin. Warmer temperatures moisturize the skin. A warm day mixed with a heavy carbohydrate meal could be a challenging cocktail for your constitution. Simply put, the body has a hard time dealing with heavy foods on warm spring days. Instead of enriching the blood, the body wants to "lighten up" for summer by burning off excess. 

There are many signs of springtime congestion. Excess saliva, mucus buildup in the sinuses, achy flu-like symptoms, and a sore patch in the back of the throat are all likely signs that your whole system is congested from "rich spring blood." Spring emotions tend to vacillate as quickly as the weather between grief over loss, to the joy of rebirth and renewal. 

As the thermometer rises in April, we transition away from spices. Instead, "Eat beansand greens" for a healthy balance of astringent and bitter tastes. Foods with astringent taste make the tongue feel like sandpaper. Astringent taste restores tone and firmness to tissues. Bitter taste detoxifies the liver. Hummus Spiced with Cumin, served on a bed of arugula, is a perfect combination for April weather wetness. 

Beans are high in potassium, a diuretic that drains these excess fluids from the body. In Ayurvedic terms, potassium has dry quality and astringent taste. It’s action is the opposite to sodium in our body, relieving water retention. Parsley comes from the Greek "rock celery" is also a strong diuretic effect that flushes excess water from the tissues. The dry quality of beans and parsley can aggravate Vata.

Beans: The Musical Fruit

Beans are also high in saponins, a natural insect repellent that is also a protein digestion inhibitor. These saponins are difficult to digest and cause noxious gas. Since the primary site of protein digestion is the stomach, people who have gas after eating beans may also have an upper GI deficiency. 

Beans that are cooked properly are easier to digest. Soak beans overnight then strain before cooking. Then slowly cook beans for a long time, skimming any suds (the saponins) off the surface. Saponins are water-soluble. Changing the water several times during the cooking process reduces their concentration. Adding a small square of kombu or sea kelp to the beans can also improve digestibility. Kelp helps to break the beans down into smaller and easier to digest particles. Serve beans soft and spicy. If beans still give you gas, choose an easier bean like green beans or sweet peas. Lastly, buy canned beans instead of dried. Because canning companies recognize that gas affects their bottom line, they are invested in cooking methods that result in a fart-free product.

Beans for Fiber & Cholesterol

If your body is not aggravated by dryness, and you can digest beans without gas, they are an essential food for cleansing in the spring. Not only reducing water weight, they are high in soluble and insoluble fiber. The fiber is chickpeas is nearly 75% insoluble which remains undigested until it reaches the colon. This significantly bulks up stools for a satisfying morning elimination. As with many high fiber foods, beans have been shown to reduce cholesterol, perhaps because of its flushing effect on the gall bladder. The high protein content in beans helps rebuild muscle tissue as winter hibernation yields to outdoor activities and projects. 

Throat Chakra Vishuddha

the changing of the background colors on my blog from green/heart chakra to blue/throat chakra.  


from http://www.llewellyn.com/encyclopedia/article/256

Visuddha - The Throat Chakra

THIS ARTICLE WAS WRITTEN BY ANODEA JUDITH ON MAY 30, 2002

Element: Sound 
Color: Bright Blue 
Verb: I speak 
Attributes: Sound, vibration, communication, creativity 

Chakra 5 is located in the region of the neck and shoulders and is the center of communication and creativity. Its color is a bright turquoise blue, mixing the deep indigo of the sixth chakra with the green of the heart. Its lotus has 16 petals, upon which are inscribed all the vowels of the Sanskrit language. Vowels are generally thought to represent spirit, while consonants give the edges and definitions which define matter. As we enter chakra 5, we are crossing deeper into the realms of mind and spirit. 

This lotus is called Visuddha, which means "purification." To successfully reach and open the fifth chakra, the body must attain a certain level of purification, which helps to achieve the sensitivity needed for the subtler levels of the upper chakra. 

Classically, the element associated with this level is ether, or akasha, meaning "spirit," as well as the element of sound. Sound is a rhythmic vibration of air molecules as they are impacted by matter in movement. If I clap my hands, the sound that reaches you is from the air I have displaced. All sound is a vibration, and all things, living and nonliving, have a unique vibration. At this level, we do not see the world as individual things or their activities but as a complex interwoven net of energies with characteristic vibrational rhythms. 

The Hindus believe that the universe itself is made of sound. Mother Kali, the destroyer, is said to have the power to remove the letters of the alphabet from the petals of the chakras when she chooses to destroy the world. Without sound and language, there is no form. 

Sound waves are subject to a principle called resonance, also known as "rhythm entrainment" or "sympathetic vibration." Resonance is what occurs when sound waves of similar frequency meet—they lock into phase, with their vibrations oscillating at the same time. That which is in phase tends to remain in phase; hence, the interlocking of vibrational waves creates the ongoing harmony and substance that we experience in the world. Our breathing, heart rate, brain waves, and sleeping and eating patterns are all rhythmic activities that "entrain" or connect us with the world around us. When we are feeling harmonious with our surroundings, then our internal rhythms are resonating within ourselves. This resonance will, in turn, call other wave forms into harmony with it, bringing strength and integrity to the organism. 

From sound we get communication. Communication is the activity and function of the fifth chakra. Here we have language, a complex pattern of sound and rhythm, through which we symbolize the physical world around us. Through symbol, we have a more efficient way of dealing with the world. I can describe my car, but I can’t bring it into the room with me. I can call New York without actually going there. Our minds work with symbols. We think in words, as well as image and sensory memory. The world of the upper chakras is symbolic of the world below. 

Communication is a rhythmic activity. The more resonant our own internal rhythms, the more easily and pleasantly we will communicate. Studies have shown that regardless of the content of words used, listeners and speakers enter into a rhythm entrainment as they converse. It is believed that understanding occurs only when entrainment can take place. 

Communication involves both listening and speaking. If one’s fifth chakra is closed down, then there is fear of expressing oneself, fear of speaking one’s truth, or excessive shyness. The voice itself is timid and the words are few. If the chakra is too open, we are so busy expressing that we forget to listen, or our voice is dissonant, and we are unable to enter into resonance with those around us. 

Ideally, the fifth chakra should be connected to the self—to all the other chakras above and below—to visions of the mind and the feelings from body with equal ease. 

Chanting is an activity that increases the overall resonance of our being, allowing all our internal systems to enter into a rhythmic harmony. When chanting is practiced as a group activity, it enhances resonance and communication with the group as a whole. From Zen monasteries to rock concerts, this is a powerful tool for enhancing collective consciousness. 

The fifth chakra is also a center of creativity, another form of symbolic communication. As we open up this center, we open up our creative potential. The greater our resonance within, the greater the power within our creations. 

Chakra 1 Rising Wave

Chakra 1 Rising Wave      12" x 12"     Beeswax & natural pigment on Khadi paper  

Chakra 1 Rising Wave is the first of seven in this Series. Chakras, the body's 7 energy centers, connect each of us with our environment on physical, mental and spiritual levels. The 7 Chakra System is the more commonly recognized in western cultures. In these works I use pure colors with the coiled lines of Kundalini. 

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kundalini

Kundalini literally means coiled. In yoga, a "corporeal energy"^[1] - an unconscious, instinctive or libidinal force or Shakti, lies coiled at the base of the spine.^[2][3][4] It is envisioned either as a goddess or else as a sleeping serpent, hence a number of English renderings of the term such as 'serpent power'. The kundalini resides in the sacrum bone in three and a half coils and has been described as a residual power of pure desire.

The first Chakra is considered the root or sacral chakra. It is located at the lowest area corresponding to the spine in our sacral pelvic area. It is associated with connecting us to Earth and aids with maintaining our stability, sense of security, sensuality and sexuality

Atlas Shrugged I/We can't afford the luxury of that fantasy.

                                        
                                   Atlas Shrugged   I/We can't afford the luxury of that fantasy.    
                                   7 3/4" x 3 3/4" x 3"    
                                   Beeswax & natural pigment on found brick & mortar
                                   2010


This piece sat on my porch for a couple years as a washed up brick & mortar. Originally it spoke to me as a work of art by nature. Then I began to see images coming out of it. 3 Rising Orbs tickled my fancy for a few months. I brought it inside to my studio and had it on my table to listen more closely. Then I saw Atlas, shrugging, and saying to me we must be with Earth, Gaia. If not, well, we are a shrug away.
This comes comes along with a week of intense yoga shoulder asanas to work/play the shrug out of my shoulders!

proposing Global Wholidays w/Self Gifting Day

                     Global Wholiday                                           Greg Patch


Am proposing that we as one people/tribe begin celebrating Global Wholidays. To start we each celebrate Self Gifting Day. A day in which we each give ourselves a gift in recognition of self love. Peace begins at home. Love for others begins in our own hearts. Self esteem roots in our own hearts. Waking in the morning and recognizing our place on Earth begins by opening our own eyes.
This idea came to me (am sure it has come to others!) after my culminating Full Moon Yoga on Sat. We/the class met at Gypsy Sun in Surf City before we went out to practice. I was drawn to a shelf in the shop where I realized this carved stone heart. After Desiree's Anusara (Heart) workshop I knew this piece was special for me and I purchased it. Not at all expensive, about $17.oo US! It is my new visual mantra or affirmation. This day could come on the day 180' on the calendar from our own birthday, it could be a day we each recognize as special in our personal growth, or for any of assorted reasonings. Happy Self Gifting Day!

Anusara Yoga with Desiree Rumbaugh

Am enJoy with two 3 hr Anusara yoga workshops with Desiree Rumbaugh that I attended the 24th and 25th in Wilmington NC. Desiree brings one/all to our/their limit and gently, honestly and playfully allows one/all to move on to our next level of growth with yoga.

from her website - http://www.desireerumbaugh.com/biography.htm

About Anusara

Founded by John Friend in 1997, Anusara Yoga® is a powerful hatha yoga system that unifies a Tantric philosophy of intrinsic Goodness with Universal Principles of Alignment™. Anusara's remarkable popularity is due in large part to its uplifting philosophy, epitomized by a "celebration of the heart," that looks for the good in all people and all things. - John Friend
 

I feel blessed and fortunate to be a part of the worldwide Anusara community started by John Friend.
I had the great good fortune of meeting John in the fall of 1993. He was teaching a small workshop (25 people) in the Phoenix area and I had just moved back there (to my home town) from the LA area. He was certified in Iyengar yoga at that time and he helped me prepare and obtain my Iyengar certification in 1994. In 1997, when he founded Anusara, I chose to follow that path.

Anusara philosophy is a perfect fit for me. John has been patient and unrelenting, urging me to see my own power and light. As I have learned over the years to believe in myself and look for the good in myself and others, I have seen and experienced miracles.
I have found my true calling, traveling all over the world sharing the transformational healing power of Anusara. I am inspired everywhere I go and I have met incredible people.
Like John, my vision is to spread the word that yoga can really and truly help us as humans, to connect with our True Divine nature and thereby find real and lasting peace and even joy in life. It is my experience and opinion that no other person or thing can give us any kind of guarantee that they will always be there for us. We must develop a relationship with our higher Self----that is the only security.

I realize that hatha yoga is probably only going to be appealing to those with strong “warrior” type natures. Yet, at the same time, I have met many people who have that nature, but just don’t know how to develop it. The Anusara method of Hatha yoga is unsurpassed in its ability to reduce fear, increase personal empowerment and open people up to experiencing their uniqueness and freedom.

Because we as Anusara teachers are so rigorously trained, we are able to help those with complicated therapeutic needs. In addition, the requirements for Anusara certification require that we search ourselves deeply and completely surrender to the practice and the search for our True Self.

Teaching Anusara yoga is like throwing pebbles into a body of water. Each person who is touched at this level, in turn, reaches out through their family, friends and their work and lifts the vibration of a few others. Multiply this by hundreds of thousands and we are really making a difference in the world.

Happy Birthday Desiree!


My heart is exploding with gratitude and passion. Tonite will be going to a Full Moon Yoga celebration on the beach for a culmination of 6 yoga practices in 6 days . Each practice was 1 1/2 - 3 hrs. A most intensive week of yoga for me. Large thanks to all my teachers/students. 


Namaste within/out!

Turmeric

http://www.dharmaayurveda.com/article/2304.html?a

Turmeric - secret ayurvedic recipes

Gelbwurz oder TURMERIC oder Curcuma Longa    [Sanskrit - Haridra]

Turmeric is truly one of the marvellous medicinal spices in the world. 

Its been extensively used since centuries, as an ingredient in cooking.   Its popularly believed that turmeric was used in cooking for its detox properties to neutralise any toxins if present in the food preparation.

Benefits

Potent antioxidant. The antioxidant activity of turmeric is mainly associated with its phenolic fraction, curcuminoids, which act as free radical scavengers as well as inhibitors of leukotrienes and prostaglandin synthesis. 

Powerful antiinflammatory agent. The antiinflammatory activity has been claimed to be comparable to NSAID's such as indomethacin, producing significant improvement in clinical trials involving individuals with rheumatoid arthritis. 

Lowers Total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol while increasing HDL cholesterol. 

Reduces blood sugar level in diabetics 

An anticoagulant that inhibits platelet aggregation 

Liver protective and tonic 

Boosts stomach defences against acid 

Known to have varied anticancer activity. A powerful antagonist of numerous cancer causing agents.

Turmeric is being used in Ayurveda since centuries as an internal medicine for a variety of conditions ranging from allergy to diabetes, and as an external application for beauty as well as in skin disorders and arthritis.

A few simple turmeric remedies

Allergies      Ground Turmeric and Ground Curry leaves one heaped teaspoon each to be taken together early morning in empty stomach for 3 to 6 weeks. Proven very effective in chronic allergic rhinitis.

Bronchitis    Half a teaspoon of turmeric powder in half a glass of warm milk taken two or three times daily is an effective home remedy. Acts best when taken in empty stomach.

Throat irritation    Take a pinch of turmeric with little salt at bed time. Dont swallow, leave it in the tongue and let it slowly work its way down.

Diarrhoea     Take one spoon of turmeric juice with equal amount of honey. Or boil half glass water with one tsp turmeric powder and mix with one tsp honey.

Ring worm    Apply juice of raw turmeric on the affected part few times daily.

Sinusitis     Dip a dry rhizome of turmeric in coconut or neem oil and burn. Put off the flame and inhale the smoke through each nostril three times. Repeat for 3 to 7 days. Very effective remedy even in severe sinusitis. [You can use a small sheet of paper to make a funnel and keep small end in one nostril to inhale the smoke with the other nostril closed.]

Diabetes    Half glass of indian gooseberry juice with one spoon of turmeric is very beneficial in diabetes. 

Leucoderma     Turmeric mixed with mustard oil is a popular folk remedy for leucoderma. About 500gm of turmeric should be pounded and soaked in 8 litres of water overnight. It should be boiled in the morning till only one litre of water is left, and then be strained and mixed with 500ml mustard oil. This mixture should be heated till only the oil is left. It should then be strained and preserved in a bottle. This mixture should be applied on the white patches every morning and evening for a few months 

Source: Dr..Jayaprakash

from http://yogainmyschool.com/2010/03/26/john-friends-yogic-prescription-for-health/

John Friend’s Yogic Prescription for Health

On Monday, March 8th John Friend, founder ofAnusaraYoga and pre-eminent yoga teacher, gave a lecture at USC, Health Science Campus, entitled “Yogic Prescription for Health.” This was the first lecture of a series to bridge the gap between western medicine and homeopathy. Having grown up with a homeopathic Grandmother, I find western and eastern medicine wonderfully complementary. Each can build off of the strengths of the other.

Friend underlined how yoga can assist western medicine by working on balancing the whole person, increasing mobility, and cultivating a positive, loving attitude. He said: A patient’s mental state is now acknowledged as a key contributor to physical health. Yoga helps develop a positive, strong-willed attitude.

Natacha Sagalovsky Lovering was able to attend the event and graciously shared her notes with Yoga In My School. Our favourite concept was:John stresses that there is a pulsating consciousness that underlies everything that is physical, our bodies (and everything in this physical world) are made up of an energy that is supremely intelligent, that is orderly and that doesn’t want us to suffer, it is benevolent. Our body knows where proper alignment is, and how to heal itself if we give it space and help it pulsate. Bend over, twist, move around – get your blood, cerebrospinal fluid and lymph system moving – increase your vitality so that the cells and organs in your body can pulsate. Stand up straight, give your spine a healthy curve, don’t collapse into your lungs and heart, they need space! Cultivate a positive and life affirming attitude, and never underestimate the power of a caring look, a loving touch, a sweet smile, kind words and humor.