WELLNESS NEWS MARCH 2010

the yoga

issue

Vol. 25 No. 3. MARCH 2010

wellness newsonline magazine of the Cancer Support Association

environment, wellness and healing

Cancer Support Association of Western Australia Inc.

Patron – His Excellency Dr. Ken Michael AC, Governor of Western Australia

THE YOGIC DIET EATING TO SUPPORT

YOUR WAY OF LIFE

AMLATHEANCIENT INDIAN

WONDERFRUIT!

THE WELLNESS SCALE

TAKE THE WELLNESS QUIZ AND ESTABLISH A

WELLNESS ROUTINE

TO LIVE AND LIVE MORE FULLYHEALTH AND PROSPERITY ARISE FROM ATTUNING ONESELF TO THE FLOW OF LIFE

5 WAYS TO REVERSE CANCER USING BIKRAM ‘HOT’ YOGA

MENDING MINDFULLY PRACTICING MEDITAION BOOSTS THE IMMUNE SYSTEM

BONUS: HEALING MEDITATION TRANSCRIPT

news team...

monthly online magazine of the Cancer Support Association

of Western Australia Inc.

Editor Mandy [email protected]

Editorial Consultant Dr. Peter Daale

Wellness News e-magazine is published online and distributed free to members of the Cancer Support Association and subscribers.

Wellness News magazine is dedicated entirely to environment, wellness and healing. The magazine is for people with cancer or serious health issues; for people who are well and want to maintain their good health naturally; and for complementary, alternative and integrative health professionals.

Please enjoy your Wellness experience!

wellness news

editorial...

One day seminars for people living with cancer and their carers with a special focus

on accessing key cancer information online, nutrition, and meditation. Held on the first

Friday of every month. Upcoming 2010 dates: 7th May; 4th June, 2nd July from

9.30am-4.30pm.

To book phone CSA 9384 3544NEW CSA members

can attend free!

one day cancer wellness workshop

MEETING THE CHALLENGE!

Life Changing Information for people with cancer presented by Dr. Peter Daale, Paul Alexander

& Michael Sandford

The secret of health for both mind and body is

not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles but to

live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.

~ Buddha

Dear Readers,

If you spend time in nature and observe the animals and the trees you will realise that unhappiness, and depression, do not exist in the natural world. Have you ever seen an animal in its natural habitat depressed? Have you ever seen a sombre bird, an anxious insect, or an unhappy tree?

Just like the animals in the natural world, we are essentially joyful. Just like animals in captivity some of us have become a little disconnected from this ‘inner’ joy. Even so, it doesn’t matter what our outside circumstances are, this inner joy is always present ! If only we could look within and realise this – we would be less dependent on outside stimulus to make us happy, we would be less concerned with ‘becoming’ something (healthy, thin, wealthy, wise – whatever it is we are not but think we should be) and more content with who we are right now and more willing to enjoy our lives just as they are.

The ancient art of yoga teaches us to accept ourselves in the present moment just as we are, to be centred, and grounded in our own wisdom and knowledge.

Complicated? Not at all. It’s just a matter of ‘letting go’ of inner obstacles (thoughts and worries) and not concerning ourselves with external obstacles (other people’s judgements and actions). ‘Letting go’ is an inward process – we sit quietly and let all the unhappy thoughts, fears, anxieties arise and then we choose – to let

them go. Try this simple exercise: take a deep breath in and then as you breathe out imagine you release these stresses, thoughts, fears, anxieties. Continue to do this until you feel empty and then, eventually, you will glimpse it, you will realise it, you will become it – beyond all these things you are joy!

I realised early on that yoga suited me as a spiritual path and lifestyle. Yoga provides a positive and inspiring framework to live within, and provides many tools for self-healing. I know, from my own experience that when practiced diligently yoga has the power to heal.

Other people who do not have this degree of faith in yoga may find that yoga practices do not heal. That’s fine, they will of course choose a different path. It makes little difference what path you choose, what really counts is your faith, your firm belief in whatever it is you choose to do, and your resolve to live life fully, to be happy, to heal, and to make the world a better place through your involvement in it.

It is faith which will ultimately empower you, and lead you to succeed at your goals. Particularly in the context of health and healing – with complete faith in whatever course of action you take it is likely you will succeed.

With faith miracles are possible! ✦

Love and peace this month, Mandy

in this edition...features

TO LIVE AND LIVE MORE FULLY Health and prosperity arise from attuning oneself to the flow of life

6

14 YOUR DAILY WELLNESS ROUTINE

8 5 WAYS TO RECVERSE CANCER using Bikram ‘Hot’Yoga

QUIZ Where are you on the Wellness Scale? Take our quiz

regular

24

5 IN THE NEWS New test for breast cancer promises no false positives or negatives

20 RECIPES Vegetarian Yoga recipes from the Sivananda Vedanta Centres

EDITORIAL The yoga way 2

THE YOGA DIET Eating to support your way of life

24 AMLA the wonderfruit of Ayurveda

16

A weekly group held every Tuesday at CSA from 10am – 12noon. Anyone who’s life has been affected by cancer

or other life threatening illnesses is welcome to attend.

Rita Artelaris

Pauline Gugiatti

Do not stand at my grave and weep. I am not there. I do not sleep. I am a thousand winds that blow. I am the diamond glints on snow. I am the sunlight on ripened grain. I am the gentle autumn rain...

In fond memory of those who have shared part of their journey with us...

Stephanie Adams’ active life came to a screeching halt last year when she was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 27.

Two surgeries, including a mastectomy, and endless chemotherapy treatments later, her once sky-high energy level and athleticism were gone.

“It was very hard for me to do my everyday normal activities, yet alone going out running and snowboarding like I used to,” said Stephanie.

After finishing chemotherapy, Stephanie was looking for a way to return to her normal self. With regular exercise programs too arduous for her weakened condition, Stephanie decided to try yoga.

“I can’t go out and do pushups, I can’t go out and run and work out my upper body like I used to,” she said. “[But] yoga allows me to slowly work my strength back up to where my body used to be.”

Stephanie held back tears as she thought about the days before cancer sidetracked her life.

“Yoga has gotten me out of cancer land,” she said. “Just having something to come to – and it not being about cancer but it’s about building yourself and getting well – is really nice.”

Now cancer free, Stephanie is slowly regaining her strength through yoga classes. ✦

How yoga got me out of cancer land...

Fnd out about the cancer healing benefits of yoga at the CSA yoga classes with Sydel Weinstein on Tuesdays.

Cancer survivor Stephanie Adams, 28, participates in yoga classes to regain her fitness

The Cancer Support Association of Western Australia Inc is a non-profit charitable organisation which was established in 1984.

CSA’s key intention is to help people become informed, empowered and supported on their cancer and wellness journeys. CSA encourages an integrative, well-informed understanding of health and treatment options and strategies, and is committed to supporting all people, regardless of their treatment choices.

CSA supports individuals who are living with cancer, their families, carers and the wider community through the services we provide, as well as through our widely distributed publications and unique cancer information website.

CSA’s workshops, courses, groups, and complementary therapies are advertised throughout this publication and are held at CSA’s premises in Cottesloe unless otherwise stated.

About the Cancer Support Association

of WA Inc

March 2010MONDAYMeditation Made Easy .................................................................................10.00 – 11.30am Ongoing Lessons with Bavali Hill. FREE FOR MEMBERS (non-members $5) No bookings necessary.

TUESDAYYoga with Sydel Weinstein ($10 / $5 members) ...................................... 9.30 – 10.30am

Wellness and Healing Open Support Group ............................... 10.00 – 12.00noon with Dr. Angela Ebert

Carer’s Wellness and Healing .............................................................. 10.00 – 12.00noonOpen Support Group (1st and 3rd Tues)

Reiki Clinic .....................................................................................................12.15pm – 1.30pm

WEDNESDAYLaughter Yoga with Kimmie O’Meara ($3.00) ...................................11.00am – 12.00pm

Grief and Loss Open Support Group ................................................... 1.00pm – 3.00pmlast Wednesday of each month

Chinese Medical Healthcare Qigong ($10/$5 members) ........... 1.30pm – 3.00pmwith Master Andrew Tem-Foo Lim

FRIDAYMeeting the Challenge 1 Day Seminar ................................................9.30am – 4.30pm 1ST FRIDAY OF THE MONTH with Dr. Peter Daale (and others).

DAILYWellness Counselling and Information Sessions with Dr. Peter Daale ........................................................................................... by appointment

General Counselling with Dr. Angela Ebert ..................................................by appointment Phone direct on 0414 916 724 or 9450 6724 or email [email protected]

CSA weekly program...

Please phone CSA on 9384 3544 or check our website for further information. We can help you with information packs, course prices, confirm course times and make bookings.

Phone CSA reception for more details on 9384 3544. Bookings not necessary.

at CSA with Master Andrew Lim

Every Wednesday from 1:30pm to 3pm in the Sun Room at CSA. Cost $5.00 (CSA members) or $10.00 per class

Magazine of the Cancer Support Association of WA September 2008www.cancersupportwa.org.auCancer Support Association

March 2010 5WELLNESS NEWS

in the news...

New test for breast cancer promises no false

positives or negatives By Dr. Nan Fuchs

Don’t be surprised if some day in the near future your dentist suggests he tests you for breast cancer.

Researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Centre (Houston, TX), along with scientists at several cancer research centres, recently made a huge discovery. They found that women with breast cancer carry different proteins than women who have no malignancy. In fact, they found that women who are healthy, have breast cancer, or have a benign tumour all carry different proteins.

What’s more, these researchers found a very easy, non-invasive way to figure out which proteins you carry. That’s because we carry these proteins in our saliva. This means that a simple saliva test could show whether or not you have breast cancer. And the test is so simple your dentist could do it the next time you get your teeth cleaned.

How accurate is the test? It’s so accurate that this new test could completely eliminate false positive and false negative results.

This group of researchers, headed by Dr. Charles Streckfus, an expert on human saliva and molecular epidemiology, recently compared the saliva from each of the three groups of people. They found 130 proteins – 49 of which were different between healthy patients and people with tumours. Some of these proteins were unique to benign breast tumours.

Mammograms can find tumours, but they can’t tell you whether or not these tumours are malignant. This test can.

The researchers are hopeful that they can develop a diagnostic test that can detect a cancer even before a tumour is formed.

Dr. Catherine M Flaitz, dean of the UT Dental Branch at Houston, is hopeful. ‘Dentistry has entered an exciting new era. On every front, our researchers are exploring links between oral health and the overall health of patients, often with astonishing findings. We’re working to bring those discoveries out of the lab and into the real world of dentists’ and physicians’ offices.’”

Ask your dentist, ladies. Here’s the reference to this study:

Charles F. Streckfus; et al, “Breast Cancer Related Proteins Are Present in Saliva and Are Modulated Secondary to Ductal Carcinoma In Situ of the Breast.” Cancer Investigation, Published online on 10 January 2008. ✦

Article from “Women’s Health Alert” by You can subscribe to this free e-mail letter at: WomensHealthLetter.com

Facilitated by Cathy Brown. Starts: Wednesday, 5th May 2010. 10am to 12.30pm weekly at CSA

The Gawler Foundation 12 Week

Cancer Self-Help Programme

Cancer, Healing & Wellbeing

www.cancersupportwa.org.au

Cost: $350 per person. Bookings: reception

ON THE PROGRAMME YOU WILL LEARN TO:• Activate your potential

for healing• Relax effortlessly and

meditate deeply• Develop and sustain a

positive state of mind• Understand the role of

nutrition and healthy diet for healing

• Develop strategies to manage pain and fear

• Find meaning and purpose in life

WEEKLY TOPICS INCLUDE:Week 1: Introduction and Meditation 1Week 2: Meditation 2Week 3: Mind Training 1Week 4: Food 1Week 5: Food 2Week 6: Pain ManagementWeek 7: HealingWeek 8: Causes and solutions for cancerWeek 9: Mind Training 2Week 10: Living and DyingWeek 11: Healthy EmotionsWeek 12: Health and Wellbeing

“Cancer is a challenge – something you can conquer. Use it to make changes in your life – the things you have always been going to do. Do them now and change them now. Be

open to things you may never have explored before.”


WELLNESS NEWS

environment • wellness • healing

March 20106

In a famous Zen story, a student asks his master ‘What is enlightenment?’ The master throws the student off the boat, holds his head under water for a long time before releasing him, and then asks, ‘What do you want now?’ ‘Air!’ gasps the student, and so answers his own question.

‘Air’ is the root of the Chinese word ‘chi’ and the Sanskrit word ‘prana’. In the West, ‘air’ or ‘breath’ is the literal meaning of the words ‘psyche’ and ‘soul’. Aristotle described the soul as the ‘anima’, or that which animates body and mind. The soul, or the lifeforce, is that which enables us to breathe and continue breathing, as well as that which governs the higher functions of consciousness.

The lifeforce infuses every cell of our bodies. It is phenomenally complex, subtle and intelligent, and yet we barely notice it. How would you describe the actual feeling of being alive, for example? Familiarity makes us blind to it, and it operates mostly below the level of consciousness anyway. We detect the lifeforce, if at all, as a fluctuating network of mostly pre-conscious sensations in our bodies, or as subtle feelings of pleasure or pain. If our attention is continually occupied with external matters, we may barely notice it at all.

Because it is so hard to identify, many traditions regard the lifeforce as a spiritual energy that is virtually independent of matter. This approach leads to some very durable myths. Christianity divorces the soul from the biology of life, and so imagines it as being immortal. Similarly, many Asians believe in reincarnation, and regard their individual lives and bodies as being disposable.

The practical Chinese, however, saw life as being far more important than metaphysics. They knew that without life you have nothing. As a result, Chinese thought hardly ever divorces the mind from the body. Whereas Westerners tend to locate the soul in the brain, the Chinese locate it in the ‘hara’, which is the body’s centre of gravity. The Laughing Buddha has a huge belly because it demonstrates his well-rounded heart and soul. He is holy because he is ‘whole’. His mind is fully integrated with his body.

We naturally associate chi with health, and with the ways to enhance that vitality that is essential for every aspect of life. In fact, improving our health is not an occasional matter. Deep within us, the process never stops. The Dutch philosopher Spinoza said the essential nature of all living beings is the relentless urge to survive and prosper.

To live& live more fully!

“To see a world in a grain of sand and a heaven in a wild flower, to hold Infinity in the palm of your hand and eternity in an hour” William Blake.

By Eric Harrison



To survive means that we will do everything we can to get the air, water and calories we need for yet another day. Once we’ve satisfied the basics, however, we look for More, Much More. Once we’ve got enough, we seek what is more than enough. We also want to prosper. We first want to live, and then to live more fully.

The body is not content with merely surviving. It also seeks out optimum health, which is another matter altogether. Similarly, to have enough money and be content is good, but to be rich and exuberant is even better. Every living creature understands this principle. It is hardwired into the nervous systems of even the simplest brains.

In practice, the instincts for survival and excess often compete with each other. On one hand we want health, balance and comfort, that is, we want to go to sleep when we are tired. On the other hand, we also want to feel alive and stimulated, so we stay up late, talking or watching television. We want both survival and vitality, peace and stimulation, balance and ecstasy.

The Chinese yin-yang symbol illustrates this principle well. The universe and all the living beings within it function by constantly oscillating between opposing poles – light and dark, growth and decay, and so on. This means that good things are never static or fixed. They always rely on the harmonious interplay of opposites.

The Chinese traditionally see health and prosperity as a matter of attuning oneself to the rhythmic flow of the universe, as it manifests in the moment. Chinese medicine is all about harmonising the flow of chi, and balancing the yin/yang processes in the body.

Maintaining chi is very similar to what Western medicine calls ‘homeostatic balance’. Every second of the day, a vast ensemble of processes within us is striving for balance and optimal functioning. They govern the ongoing dramas of immune function, hormonal secretions, blood pressure and acidity, muscular contractions and release, the use of proteins, lipids and carbohydrates, and the satisfaction of basic appetites. Most of this is beyond our perception or direct control. We tend to feel it, instead, at the level of pleasure or pain, energy or fatigue, hunger or satiety.

Our bodies always know exactly what we need for perfect homeostatic balance in the moment. They know the correct readings for blood sugar, hormonal levels, temperature control and so on. No matter how sick or out of balance we are, our minds still hold an inner template of perfection. The great stress researcher Herbert Benson called this template ‘remembered wellness’. The chi is continually adjusting itself towards that inner balance, however unachievable it may be at any moment.

Once we accept that optimal health is about optimal balance, it is easy to understand why we rarely feel as good as we might. Clever as the body is, it still can’t give us perfect health if our minds are on a different track, eating, drinking and staying up late at night. We commonly do things that derange that balance, and have usually been doing so for years.

I’m now approaching 60, and in my work I see hundreds of people who are about my age. Most of them are not diagnosably sick, but hardly any of them seems completely well either. Both Chinese and Western medicine clearly identify the core problem. We can survive while leading the kinds of lives that we do, but we can’t expect to feel healthy and mentally vibrant while doing so.

Optimal health demands an optimal balance. Your body knows how much sleep and rest it needs. Is it getting it? We know that something as simple as poor sleep often contributes to anxiety, depression, overeating, poor immune function and premature ageing. The body also needs the right amounts of the right food, no more, and probably three to four hours of physical activity each day for optimum health. How far are you from that ideal?

Of course, managing health and lifestyle still has to be an individual solution. What suits the majority is unlikely to be perfect for us unless we are the statistical average in all respects. We can only find real balance by attuning to our personal requirements in this moment, which are bound to be slightly different even from yesterday and tomorrow.

Nor can we be healthy by simply attending to the body. The good routine, the pills, the gym work, the diets, the books and the medical interventions will have little lasting effect without awareness of our mental and emotional requirements as well.

In fact, the only guaranteed way to optimal health is to develop the habit of continuous self observation, or what is sometimes called ‘mindfulness’. This may explain why research shows that meditators are usually much healthier than the average population.

When we meditate, we typically sit and do virtually nothing, while noticing our passing thoughts, emotions and body sensations. In time, we get a gut feeling for both stress and inner balance, and we understand what causes them. This awareness almost miraculously dissolves the stress and enhances balance, and the effect continues long after the meditation is over. We become more conscious of that inner template of health that Benson called ‘remembered wellness’.

To be healthy, I need to get a clear picture of what optimal health actually feels like, for me at my age and with my history. So what is the feeling of health? The Chinese are adamant that ill health is about rigidity and blockage, while health is about softness and flow.

When we relax, the body returns to homeostatic balance. The tension, rigidity, blockages and pain that are signs of ill health start to dissolve. As the body softens, the ‘energy’ starts to flow. The breath becomes more fluid. There is an increasing sense of warmth and openness, comfort and space in the body. The body gently hums and tingles. We also notice that certain thoughts and emotions enhance this feeling of ‘good energy’, and others inhibit it.

Our bodies always have a clear image of what perfect balance is, in the moment. If we can also get a good mental picture of this, we can consciously adjust our behaviour towards it, as much as external factors permit. We will be able to eat, rest, work or play, be alone or be sociable, exactly as much as we need to in any day. We do have that choice.

It’s all a matter of listening to the messages of the body. The chi (or prana or soul or lifeforce or whatever we choose to call it) can be our constant online guide, if we wish. It is our internal doctor, physiotherapist, dietician, surgeon and personal trainer all in one. ✦

From: NOVA Magazine. NOVA is Australia’s leading holistic journal, and is available online: www.novamagazine.com.au. Eric Harrison runs the Perth Meditation Centre in Western Australia: www.perthmeditationcentre.com.au.

Meditation Made Easyweekly meditation classes with Bavali HillEvery Monday at CSA from 10am to 11.30am. Newcomers welcome.Cost: Free for CSA Members, $5 for non-members. No booking necessary.


WELLNESS NEWS


March 20108

Have you heard of Bikram yoga?You have probably heard of Bikram yoga. The name is familiar perhaps because there’s a Bikram yoga studio near you, or because you’ve seen the founder Bikram Choudhury on television. Or perhaps you’re a already a dedicated Bikram yoga student.

Bikram yoga is a unique form of yoga because it is practiced in high heat and humidity. Entering the room feels like arriving at Kualar Lumpur airport. Before you even begin to stretch during the warm-up poses, you’re already sweating buckets. A series of challenging poses gives you the opportunity to stretch every muscle of your body. By the end of the class, you are not only well-stretched and limber, but also feel surprisingly clean.

During each pose, the yoga instructor will often inform you of several illnesses that can be relieved by that particular pose. However, rarely does an instructor mention cancer. Why not? It’s just too controversial. Only qualified healthcare practitioners will talk about such a devastating and complex disease.

But the question still remains: Can Bikram yoga actually prevent cancer? Although there are no guarantees, yoga can definitely reduce many of the risk factors of cancer.

Put another way, yoga can reverse cancer processes. By the end of this article, you will fully understand what benefits you can expect each time you enter the studio. This knowledge will help you make great healthcare decisions even outside the yoga studio. It can literally change your life.

Will cancer impact your life?Is understanding cancer important? Absolutely. Cancer impacts almost all of us, directly or indirectly. It currently strikes almost 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women, and is the leading cause of death in the United States. Cancer incidence has risen 24% in the past three decades.

Most people wait until cancer strikes before doing anything about it. Then, after receiving the dreaded diagnosis, they frantically jump into a treatment program with highly toxic and dangerous side effects. Those who survive treatment must contend with the possibility of a recurrence. Indeed, the need for cancer prevention has never been higher than right now. But it’s not hard to do. In fact, it’s quite simple to dramatically decrease your risks. From my experience as a physician and consultant, the key to prevention lies with simple changes in the mindset that anybody can do.

For starters, most people think that cancer just sneaks up on them and “gets” them. What they don’t realise is that cancer only grows within an “environment” that supports it. Just as a mosquito will only lay eggs on stagnant dirty water, and never on fresh moving water, cancer will only grow in certain bodily environments.

Here’s another perspective: There is a reason why the cancer is there. It’s not about bad luck; it’s not about fate; it’s not about thinking bad thoughts. These ideas dis-empower the innately powerful person that we all have within us. So why would cancer show up in someone’s life?

By Dr. Joel Evans Brame

Reverse

using

Yoga

Cancer

5 ways to

Bikram

While the health benefits of practising yoga have been known for millenia, a new system of yoga practiced in a heated, humid environment is proving a

powerful cancer reversal and cancer prevention tool.



continued on next page...

The Iceberg: What lies beneath the surface CAN hurt youThere is an excellent metaphor that describes cancer. This metaphor is the iceberg. Imagine yourself onboard an ocean liner in northern lands, much like the Titanic. Off in the distance, you spot an iceberg jutting out of the water. The massive piece of ice appears to be a hundred feet tall.

Now let me ask you this: Are you seeing the whole iceberg? Most people have learned that the answer to the question is “No.” You are only seeing literally the tip of the iceberg. The vast majority of the iceberg is in fact underneath the water. You won’t be able to see it unless you put on a wetsuit and go exploring underneath the surface!

What does this have to do with cancer? The tumour that one sees in a mammogram, CT scan, or other test is like the tip of the iceberg above the water. One can see and/or feel a tumour. However, underneath the surface lies a massive process that has culminated in the tumour. This process is called “cancer.”

To continue the metaphor, suppose you were to chop off the tip of the iceberg so that you could no longer see it. Is the iceberg gone? Of course not.

Similarly, to destroy the tumour using chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery does not mean that all the cancer processes are gone. Instead, they would continue to grow and push upward, until another tumour eventually surfaces.

Most importantly for you right now, the opportunities to reverse the cancer process are endless and always available. For those actively trying to fight a tumour, they can also reverse the cancer processes that would lead to a recurrence. Some people develop a tumour twice, three times, four times, or more. What has happened to them? The underlying processes were never reversed.

To restate, removing the tumour and reversing the cancer are two very different issues. Most people only focus on the first. A simultaneous focus on the latter will simply produce better results in the long run. Length and quality of life improve dramatically, and the financial savings really make a difference.

So, how can one reverse cancer processes? For this article, I will discuss a way to reverse many of the processes at the same time. It is a secret gem hidden from the Western culture for a long time, and has only recently been put together in a scientific way. What is it called? Bikram yoga.

But wait…Will my body environment grow cancer?

Well, to begin, let’s identify the five basic characteristics of a cancerous body:1. It is highly “acidic”. 2. It lacks oxygen. 3. It is full of toxic substances. 4.It has poor immunity. 5. It is disconnected from the “central processing unit” of the body, the overall master control switch.

Does this sound healthy to you? These are five processes of cancer. They can culminate in a tumour. Bikram yoga can help reverse them.

Reduces AcidityFirst, acidity. The work of many holistic professionals from around the world has shown that an imbalance of pH within the body is dangerous. In a toxic or stressful lifestyle, the body becomes excessively acidic. Just as many fungi love an acidic environment in which to live, so does cancer.

Bikram yoga greatly contributes to removing acids from the body. This happens through several routes. The lungs are a powerful vehicle for eliminating dangerous acids within the body. In chemical terms, they are called volatile acids, which means they can diffuse into air. The deep breathing techniques throughout yoga helps to clear out many of these volatile acids.

The kidneys are a major route of eliminating acids. This is easily demonstrated by testing the pH of a first-morning urine sample. In other words, upon waking one can use a pH strip (available at most pharmacies and supplement shops) to test the pH of their first urination of the day. The vast majority of the time, this urine is highly acidic. It often falls around 5.0-5.5 (below 7.0 is acidic). Ideally, you would want the urine pH to be above 5.5. The more acidic the body, the more acids will be eliminated from the kidneys (except in cases of kidney failure). A higher urine pH reflects less acid buildup.

Because Bikram yoga increases metabolism and heart rate (and possibly glomerular filtration rate), the kidneys will clear out more acids. In addition, the extra water you drink during and after class

The biggest part of reversing cancer

processes is consistent action. It’s not about

taking massive steps. It’s about little steps

done over and over again. As motivational

guru Tony Robbins states, “Ordinary efforts

consistently applied yield extraordinary

results.”

using Cancer

ways to

Bikram


WELLNESS NEWS


March 201010

...from previous page

helps to flush out additional acids.

Another major route of acid elimination is through the skin, via sweat. Bikram yoga induces more sweating than almost any other form of exercise! It is comparable to the native American sweat lodge. When I go to class, I always notice that my sweat feels more acidic in the first half, and more like water in the second half. Imagine how the body must feel to have released so many stored-up acidic toxins.

Removal of these acids creates a more alkaline environment within the body. Thus, Bikram yoga is one of the most powerful ways to reverse the cancer process within the body. It is especially important if you have high risk factors, are battling an active cancer, or trying to prevent a recurrence. If you are currently dealing with an active cancer, be sure to discuss your yoga plans with your healthcare professional.

Re-oxygenates the bodySecond, oxygenation. In the 1960’s Otto Warburg discovered many years ago that proper oxygenation plays a major role in health. Within the walls of a tumour lie billions of cancerous cells that cannot stand oxygen; in fact, they may die in the presence of oxygen. This discovery quickly prompted many alternative cancer treatments aimed at reversing cancer. They include hyperbaric oxygen chambers, ozone therapy, and the mineral germanium.

Even if one does not brave the alternative cancer treatment world, he/she can still take advantage of many lifestyle strategies to bring more oxygen into the tissues. One of the best ways to re-oxygenate the body is through Bikram yoga.

From the Pranayama breathing at the beginning, all the way to “fire breathing” at the end, yoga instructors will always tell you to focus on your breath. At the beginning, I found this almost impossible. I was too busy trying to listen to their crazy instructions about bending body parts in ways I did not know was possible. Or sometimes I found my mind wandering to subjects like grocery lists. But once the instructions became familiar, I was able to have moments where I only focused on breath.

Long deep inhales, followed by full exhales, helps to move “stagnant air” out of the lungs. In essence, it moves out acids and makes room for oxygen to come inside. Once inside, the oxygen quickly diffuses into the blood, to be carried throughout the body. The improved oxygenation promotes aerobic metabolism, rather than dangerous anaerobic metabolism.

Strong levels of oxygen promote a healthy environment within the body—an environment in which cancer cannot grow. Bikram’s breathing exercises are not just for fun; they have a deep and powerful impact on health.

A Remarkable DetoxificationThird, cancer grows amidst a body full of toxins. As mentioned earlier, cancer can only grow in a toxic environment. What types of toxins create a cancerprone environment? Acids, carcinogens, pesticides, heavy metals, synthetic food chemicals (such as aspartame), artificial colors, preservatives, artificial sweeteners, medical drugs, toxins from bacterial/fungal infections, and much more.

To prevent these toxins from accumulating, the body has five major routes of detoxification: intestines, liver, kidneys, lungs, and skin. Incredibly, Bikram yoga activates all five of these routes.

In the Wind Removing pose, the person lies on the floor face-up and brings the knees to the chest. It’s one of my favorite poses. While you

are in this pose, the instructor may tell you that you are stimulating the ascending,transverse, and descending portions of the large intestine. This helps to move those built-up toxins out of your body.

Other poses involve compressing your internal organs, such as the “Japanese ham sandwich” pose and Half Tortoise pose. This compression stimulates the organs of detoxification, including the liver and intestines.

When we take a deep breath in, the liver becomes “squished” by the diaphragm (a muscle that lies beneath the lungs and helps facilitate breathing). To explain the physiology of this action would be beyond the scope of this article. However, it is important to note that the liver is similar to a huge sponge. Every time you inhale, your liver receives a “massage” from the diaphragm. During Bikram yoga, with its hundreds of deep breaths every class, the liver gets a long massage, helping it to detoxify the toxins that can potentially contribute to cancer processes.

Why does the level of humidity in the yoga room matter? You’ve probably noticed that two different air qualities need to be controlled during Bikram yoga: temperature and humidity. Most people are aware that an increase in humidity results in an increased sensation of heat in the room. This is easily understood when comparing 100 degree weather in humid Bali versus dry central Australia. So the increased humidity in the room makes it seem hotter (feels like a giant steam room), but there’s another advantage that readily helps to prevent cancer.

The act of heating up the skin for a period of time causes a release of toxins from the skin. These toxins include fat-soluble toxins and heavy metals, both of which can be carcinogenic. If you sweat while in dry air, what happens?

The sweat evaporates and cools down your skin. This defeats the purpose of detoxification. You need the skin to stay hot. In Bikram yoga, the humidity in the room slows the evaporation of your sweat. Thus your skin stays heated for longer periods of time. This creates additional detoxification benefits in the skin not found in dry yoga classes.

Yes, the sweating dripping down your face during poses may be distracting, but you are inducing a massive detoxification. Through Bikram yoga, you can drip yourself to health!

Some people have a body loaded of heavy metals, many of which can contribute to cancer processes. Examples of these heavy metals include mercury (from fish, teeth fillings), aluminum (from pots/pans, canned foods,canned drinks, deodorants), cadmium, lead, and more. Elimination of such heavy metals can support the immune system and liver function.

How does one eliminate heavy metals? There are many tools available today, such as chelation therapy, infrared saunas, and more. However, the easiest way is through sweating. Sweat is a major route of elimination for heavy metals. If you have ever found your yoga towel to be darker in color after a class, you could have just released a substantial of heavy metals through your sweat. Your towel may be dirty, but your body will be happier.

Bolstering the immune systemFourth, cancer grows within an immune deficiency. You may be surprised to know that the human body produces cancerous cells every day. Yes, your DNA makes plenty of mistakes every day, leading to abnormal cells. Luckily,the immune system is capable of destroying any abnormal cell that may arise.

However, when the immune system is deficient, abnormal cells



will have the opportunity to “slip under the radar.” If left unchecked, these cells can eventually proliferate. One of the most dangerous cancer processes is a deficient immune system. How can Bikram yoga remedy this problem?

First, let’s review a few basic facts about the immune system itself. Roughly 75% of the immune system is found in the intestines. The immune system has one function: to separate “me” and “not me.” That which is “not me” needs to be destroyed and removed. That which is “me” can stay.

In the digestive tract, the food you just ate reaches a barrier: the intestinal wall. Your intestinal cells must make a decision right then and there: to accept this nutrient as “me” or refuse it. The nutrients that build your whole body have to undergo this strict examination at the level of the intestine. Here’s the problem: if the digestive system is damaged, there is a breach in this system.

The immune layer within the intestinal walls cannot do its job. Pieces of “not me” substances can pass right into the blood stream. This puts tremendous stress on the whole body, and weakens important parts of the immune system.

Bikram yoga helps to restore the immune system in several ways. It helps stimulate the passage of food through the digestive tract (called peristalsis). This is accomplished through mechanical and hormonal means. Mechanically, the twisting of the abdomen during many yoga poses helps to move food along the digestive tract. In addition, the relaxation aspects between poses

helps to trigger hormones and nerve cells that increase digestion and peristalsis. The “dead body pose” at the middle and end of the class is extremely powerful in restoring the digestive tract’s functions. Therefore, immunity throughout body is improved, and cancer processes are reversed.

Bikram yoga also helps the immune system through detoxification. When a toxic burden exists within the body, the immune system struggles to deal with it. This is similar to having a hidden infection within a tooth that causes havoc on the immune system for years. Releasing those toxins frees the immune system to continue its surveillance function looking for cancerous cells.

Re-Connecting the Mind with the BodyFifth, a disconnected mind and body can contribute to cancer risk factors. While this area is poorly understood from a hardcore research perspective, clinicians across the world see supportive evidence over and over again.

In another article called “The Messages of Cancer”*, I elaborate on how control of the mind and emotions can impact the outcome in cancer. When we lose awareness of our feelings and thoughts, due to a busy and stressful lifestyle,cancerous processes become available to support tumour growth. Please note that I am not, and never will, say that specific thoughts cause cancer. I am only saying that a disconnection between the mind and body will create conditions which may allow cancer to grow, if other risk factors are also present.

All types of yoga, including Bikram, help greatly with improving the connection between mind and body. There are several ways this works.

First, as you continue with classes, you become more sensitive and aware of your body. You will notice subtle changes that you might not have noticed before. For instance, you may notice that you feel different if you miss class for a week or two. As you become more in tune with your body, you begin to recognize when something feels “off.” In the case of cancerous processes, you will become an expert at “early detection.” Just like a mammogram, PSA test for the prostate, or a colonoscopy, you will become a human barometer for your own body. The more you practice yoga, the better you become at noticing subtle changes within.

Second, many of the poses elicit great emotions. For example, when I come out of Camel pose, sometimes I have an overwhelming urge to cry. Other times I want to just start laughing! It’s amazing how that particular pose really brings emotions to the surface. One of the common characteristics of cancer is the inability to connect with emotions and release them. Bikram yoga helps facilitate this releasing process. Its psychosomatic power is remarkable.

Finally, defeating cancer is not for wimps. It takes courage, strength, discipline, and tenacity. Practicing yoga helps prepare one for the necessary endurance to beat cancer. What do I mean by this?

Sometimes the hardest part of Bikram yoga is simply showing up! Just walking through the front door of the studio can be challenging on days when you don’t want to go but know you should. Then, completing 1.5 hours of intense exercise and sharp focus requires another level of discipline and challenge.

To prevent toxins from accumulating, the body

has five major routes of detoxification:

intestines, liver, kidneys, lungs, and

skin. Incredibly, yoga activates all five of

these routes..

continued on next page...


WELLNESS NEWS


March 201012

Your reward upon completion of yoga class is not a gold medal or a $1000 cash prize…it’s that you accomplished something you didn’t think you could.

This is far more empowering than any other reward. For me, accomplishing one thing motivates me to accomplish another, then another. Success can really “snowball” and take you to a higher level than you’ve ever been before.

Indeed, you feel clean after a yoga class, and inspired by your incredible accomplishment and discipline. So you go home and have a healthier meal than you ordinarily would eat. Then you feel the energy to make more significant contributions at your work. Which motivates you to improve your relationships with family and friends. And on and on. ✦

Bonus: The most important step to reverse cancerNow that we’ve covered the five primary ways Bikram yoga can reverse cancer processes, I’d like to give you a bonus. You will now learn the most important step to reverse cancer. But be warned: it’s not easy.

The biggest part of reversing cancer processes is consistent action. It’s not about taking massive steps. It’s about little steps done over and over again. As motivational guru Tony Robbins states, “Ordinary efforts consistently applied yield extraordinary results.”

Regular yoga practice can help you reach your goals, but it will also bring results you might have never imagined possible! Can Bikram yoga really reverse cancer? There are no guarantees, but it will certainly reverse many of the pathological processes that can culminate in a disease called cancer. Every person is different, and your results will be different from your neighbour’s results. But keep going on your journey, because regardless of your own outcome, you are a role model for all the other people in your life. And you never know who’s watching! Attend your yoga class on a regular basis, and feel the magic happen!

Extra Bonus: Practical Health Tips for yoga lovers1. During yoga class, make sure your breaths are as full as possible.

2. Add a little sea salt or trace elements drops to your water bottle

3. Use a glass water bottle if possible. If not, a hard plastic bottle is second best. Avoid the use of soft plastic bottles in the hot room.

4. After class, take a glass of water with a Greens powder (either a wheat grass/barley grass mix or powdered organic fruit/veggie mix). Your digestion will be at a maximum and better absorb these nutrients. ✦

* Article “The Messages of Cancer” by Joel Brame was published in the January 2010 edition of Wellness News emagazine.


Many of the poses elicit great

emotions. For example, when I come

out of Camel pose, sometimes I have

an overwhelming urge to cry. Other

times I want to just start laughing!

It’s amazing how that particular pose

really brings emotions to the surface.

One of the common characteristics of

cancer is the inability to connect with

emotions and release them. Bikram

yoga helps facilitate this releasing

process. Its psychosomatic power is

remarkable.

A gentle, holistic, relaxing class with Sydel WeinsteinTuesdays 9.30 – 10.30am. Suitable for beginners.

in the Sun Room at CSA

Dr. Joel Evans Brame is a speaker, author, and cancer prevention consultant. In 2005 he authored the book Modern World Modern Health to bring clarity to people who are confused by the count-less rows of supplements and walls of health books. An avid writer, he has written dozens of articles available on websites and newspapers. Joel also treats people in the US with cancer who want to survive and prevent recurrence. His website is: www.joelbrame.com

Make Tuesday yoga day...come along to CSA and experience the cancer healing benefits of yoga classes with Sydel Weinstein on Tuesdays...



Meditation is widely known to reduce stress and anxiety, but now science has proven that it may even help prevent illness. In a study at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, researchers found that mindfulness meditation produced lasting positive changes in both the brain and the immune system.

Mindfulness meditation is designed to teach people to be present with full awareness in the moment, intentionally and nonjudgmentally, explains Katherine Bonus, meditation instructor and manager of mindfulness programs in the integrative medicine program at the UW-Madison Hospital and Clinics.

Often recommended to ease the stress and pain of chronic disease, it can help practitioners accept thoughts and feelings as they occur and deepen awareness of positive emotions, such as compassion.

The research team, led by Richard Davidson, professor of psychology and psychiatry at UW-Madison, found that mindfulness meditation produced biological effects that improved the subjects’ resiliency. The experimental group, composed of 25 participants, received meditation training from Jon Kabat-Zinn, who developed a mindfulness-based stress-reduction program at the University of Massachusetts Medical Centre. They attended weekly meditation classes as well as one seven-hour retreat during the study; they also practiced at home for an hour a day, six days a week. Those in the control group didn’t meditate during the course of the study. The researchers then measured electrical activity in the front parts of both groups’ brains, the area that corresponds to emotion. Previous research has shown that the left side of this area becomes more active than the right side when a positive emotion is experienced, a pattern also associated with optimism. The study showed increased activity in the left side among meditators, significantly more than was seen in the control group. Those meditating also demonstrated stronger immune function than those in the control group. All the participants received a flu vaccine at the end of the eight-week study period. Then, at four and eight weeks after the shot was given, their blood was tested to measure the levels of antibodies they had produced against the vaccine.

While everyone who participated in the study had an increased number of antibodies, the meditators had a significantly greater increase than the control group. “The changes were subtle, but statistically it was significant,” says Dan Muller, M.D., head of the immunology core of UW – Madison’s Mind-Body Centre, which conducted the study’s blood analysis. “It was startling that such a short intervention could produce a change.” Plans for more research on the impact of meditation are underway. Davidson and his team are currently working with a group of people who have been practicing meditation for more than 30 years; they are also preparing to conduct a study on the impact of mindfulness meditation on people with specific health conditions. ✦

from Yoga Journal’s website: www.yogajournal.com

Mending A recent study suggests that practicing meditation can boost the immune system.

By Heidi Kotansky

Sit in a comfortable position

Start to imagine that your body is slowly filling with light, starting from the feet and slowly moving upwards

As the light is moving up your body – feel that this light is relaxing the muscles and your mind.

Now imagine that any areas of disease or pain in your body is surrounded by a dark shadow which represents the unhealthy area.

“I feel the light moving upwards until my entire body is filled with light and every muscle of my body is feeling relaxed. “

Now feel that your body of light is radiating the light out from your eyes, the light is shining as if a torch is shinning out from your eyes.

Now feel that you are directing the light towards any area of the body that is giving you pain or discomfort, represented as a shadow on your body.

Feel that you are sending extra light to this area that is in pain or discomfort.

Imagine that the diseased or painful areas have dark shadows surrounding it.

Now feel that you are shinning a loving healing light to the diseased or painful areas so that the darkness is removed.

“I radiate my shining light to my body and fill my bodies with this warm healing light.

I now radiate this healing light to the world.

I begin to feel that this healing light is returning me to health and vitality

Perfect health is available to me now. “

Mindfully

Healing Meditation


WELLNESS NEWS


March 201014

We live in a quick-fix culture where we are constantly told by advertisements that a pill or miracle cure is going to fix all our woes. Whether it is stress, anxiety, or poor health, our current culture focuses far too much on the elusive after-the-fact miracle “cure” instead of prevention. Yet, if we simply focused on improving our daily habits, our health and well-being would improve dramatically. This is where a daily wellness routine is essential.There are four main components to a successful wellness routine: Exercise; Nutrition; Spiritual Practice; Rest and Relaxation.

your daily Wellness

routine By Stephanie Brail



ExerciseWith obesity rates soaring, it is clear that exercise is a devalued commodity in our society. Yet, exercise is proven to improve health, alleviate depression and anxiety, and reduce stress. Various experts will suggest varying exercise guidelines to meet every week, such as 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise three times per week minimum. Whatever weekly exercise goals you set, they should be in addition to, not a replacement for, your daily exercise.

Your daily exercise should be doable and not require you to take a fitness class to accomplish. This type of exercise is more about moving your body than giving yourself the most challenging workout of your life. Examples of a daily exercise routine include:

• Taking a walk around the neighbourhood in the morning or after work.

• Performing a simple yoga or qi-gong exercise in the morning or evening.

• Riding your bike to the park.• Dancing to your favourite music in the comfort of your living

room.

The important thing to remember is that you need to move your body each and every day to stay healthy and happy. Don’t make exercise in to a huge obstacle to overcome. Find a way to fit more movement into your daily life and your body will thank you for it.

NutritionDiet and nutrition can be an overwhelming subject. Unless you are one of those people who enjoys counting calories and spending hours in food preparation, adjusting your diet may seem impossible. Try coming up with a moderate diet that provides leeway and space for those moments when you have a chocolate craving. Rather than rigidly trying to subtract specific foods from your diet, add nutritious, healthy options to your existing plate.

For example, if you have a hard time giving up pasta, then add more vegetables to your pasta dishes. Don’t try to go cold turkey on the pasta.

The most important thing to remember with food is moderation. Even if you ate processed foods constantly, you would not become obese unless you overate and neglected to exercise. This is not to suggest that you go on an all-processed foods diet, but to postulate that the simplest way to lose weight is to simply eat less of whatever it is your are consuming. From there, slowly work in healthier options as you shift your diet into one that is more nutritious and life giving.

Spiritual PracticeDaily spiritual practice is the positive habit of connecting with a higher power or ideal, whether that is God, nature, or the mystery of the universe. You do not have to be a spiritual person to have a

spiritual practice. Atheists, for example, might engage in a spiritual practice that consists of mindful journal writing each morning.

The purpose of daily spiritual practice is to disengage from the petty irritations and distractions of life and open the mind and spirit to see the bigger picture. A daily spiritual practice should nurture, uplift, and inspire.

Examples of daily spiritual practice include:• Prayer • Journaling• Meditation • Creativity (art, music, writing)

The benefits of a daily spiritual practice are cumulative and over time will lead to more peace of mind and a greater ability to handle life’s challenges.

Rest and RelaxationIn our harried world, the benefits of rest cannot be overstated. Too often we are running on fumes – too little sleep and too much activity. Sleep deprivation has been associated with all sorts of problems, from anxiety and depression to unsafe driving. Some scientists are studying a possible link between sleep deprivation and obesity (the theory is that sleep deprivation disrupts the production of important hormones).

Make sure you allow for adequate sleep time in your schedule. If your work environment allows it, take a cat nap in the afternoon to refresh.

Relaxation is also important. Your mind needs rest and play. If all you did was work from the beginning to the end of the day, you would become less effective overall due to the stress. Spend time relaxing every day, even if it’s just a half an hour to read a favourite book or partake in a hobby.

Putting It All TogetherThe key to creating a daily wellness routine is to make it simple and not a rigid, inflexible structure that is difficult to maintain. A fluid set of guidelines is often much easier to implement than a hard-set schedule.

Consider making a set of daily guidelines rather than rigid rules to follow. For example:

Each day, I will walk for 20 minutes, eat a little healthier, sleep a little more, and do something nurturing for myself by relaxing and writing in my journal.

Be flexible. There will be days when things are hectic or family and work obligations come up that make it difficult to do everything in your routine. Don’t beat yourself up for not following through all the time. When you expect perfection, you are more likely to skip the routine altogether and keep putting it off for that mythological day in the future when things “clear up.”

Things will never “clear up.” Your life will always be hectic and have its shares of ups and downs and surprises (both good and bad). The time to start your daily wellness routine is today, not tomorrow. By taking baby steps, you are creating a future of better health and well-being for yourself. ✦

Stephanie Brail is a wellness coach, healer and hypnotherapist.


WELLNESS NEWS


March 201016

The Yoga Diet

Modern Eating HabitsIn modern times the attitude towards food has become a generally perverse and dysfunctional one. We now eat, for more than any other reason, to satisfy our cravings. No longer is food seen primarily as a source of sustenance – as building blocks for health and as fuel for engaging constructively in life.

Nowadays all manner of substances, inedible, semi-edible and sometimes even downright repulsive pass as ‘food’. What we put into our mouths depends not so much on its nutritional value as it does on its ability to satisfy our yearnings and ‘tastes’.

The Yoga DietNot only is ‘what one eats’ a point of consideration for the yogi, but so also are how much one eats and the manner in which one eats. And so, the yoga diet reflects a mindfulness of these factors too.

Watching some people devour a plate of food can make one wonder just how far, if at all, we humans have evolved from the animal kingdom. Overeating has become a big problem in modern culture. People now stuff themselves beyond the point of full, eat when they are not hungry and often eat foods in combinations and in manners that wreak havoc on the digestive process.

Many people habitually eat in crowded, noisy environments and in social atmospheres where alcoholic and decadent flavourings upholding the theme of the experience. By and large there is scarcely a concern now-a-days for where food comes from, or for who prepares what we put into our mouths.

Most do not even give a second thought about these things. But all of these things are important to the yogi.

Purity of FoodDiet plays an important factor in keeping the body and mind clean. Besides the cleanliness that must be observed in its preparation, we must also study the purity of the elements that food offers us.

Food represents sustenance – a primary support for life itself. In Vedic culture, food is considered as an aspect of Brahman (the absolute, or God). This is why the yogis eat with the feeling that their food is an offering or gift from nature.

The yoga practitioner (yogi) understands the

nutritional components of food, yet also takes into

consideration many other aspects of foods which

may not be apparent to the Western nutritionist.

In this way, many foods that the Western ‘health-

food movement’ considers to be healthy, may not

quite fit the bill for the yogic lifestyle.

Of course, we all understand the importance

of good physical health and its impact on daily

life. And most people understand the role that

food plays in the health of our bodies. The yogis

have always known the superior benefits that

a vegetarian diet brings on this front, which is

reflected in the yoga diet.

But in spite of all the evidence on the physical

level, the motivation in yoga for vegetarianism

resides on several other grounds as well. Thus,

when we look at the yoga diet, there are a number

of other considerations.

To speak of the Yoga Life, we are turning our

minds and our attitudes toward an alternate way

of living. Alternate, because it is indeed “different”

in many ways than the approach to life that the

vast majority in our society takes today… and

those differences are quite noticeable when it

comes to the yoga diet.



The Yogic Way to EatWhere to EatIn modern culture little attention is paid to the process of eating or the settings within which one chooses to eat... or even the company with whom one shares their meal.

All of these things are important to the yogi.

When the yogi eats, he/she does so in quite a particular manner, which serves many important functions for health and spiritual evolution…

As mentioned earlier, the preparation of the food is very import to the yogi. In ideal circumstances, one would want to prepare one’s own meal, making the act a mindful meditation – keeping the mind filled with higher thoughts throughout the cooking process.

In this way, the yogi ensures that his/her food is clean, free from negativity, and infused with higher thought.

Before the MealBefore eating, the food is offered to God. In this yogic custom a special prayer or mantra is recited.

You may already have a similar custom within your family or religion, where the food is blessed, or thanks given, which is also in keeping with this yogic ideal. If not, you can simply take a moment ‘inside of yourself’, or aloud, to think about where your food comes from, and to give thanks to nature (God, the Divine, etc.) for having provided you with the food.

This ritualistic habit prepares the mind and makes the process of eating a divine and sacred event, and not merely a task for fulfilling one’s physical hunger. Likewise, one should conclude their meal with another gesture or moment of appreciation and thanks.

Eating Your FoodIn the same fashion, food should be eaten mindfully. Each and every bit of food (and drink too) should be taken with a feeling of joy and appreciation.

In this way, the yogi chews his/her food slowly and attentively, completely masticating each bite to the point where it hardly needs swallowing.

This is in stark contrast to the manner in which many people eat today, where the food hardly hits the teeth and tongue before it is gulped down the throat and another fork-full stuffed in! This ‘hasty eating’ leads to one of the greatest diseases in modern culture today, which is...Over-Eating.

... Before the stomach has even registered that a sufficient quantity of food has been taken in to satisfy the body’s nutritional needs, an ‘over-amount’ of food has already been piled into it. Most people feel the affects of this about 10 or 15 minutes after a meal as a sensation of being ‘stuffed’.

So also then, saints consider that each swallow gives them the power to serve God. With this level of mind, any food becomes pure. But this is a higher state of mindfulness that the average person has yet to realise.

And until one reaches this steadfast level of mind, the yogis have established some dietary rules for guidance. Those basic rules all revolve around a wholesome, nurturing vegetarian diet

Sattva and the TriGunasIn yoga, the vegetarian diet is referred to as sattva (or sattvic). Sattva is the basic, clear quality that allows for untainted perception to occur. Together with rajas (turbulent) and tamas (dull, inert), we find the yogic concept of the Tri-Gunas, or ‘three elemental forces of nature’, a concept which lies at the foundation of yoga philosophy.

Sattva brings about internalization of the mind, the movement of the consciousness inward, and a unification of the head and heart... and so it is the quality of sattva which the yogi is constantly concerned with cultivating.

The yogis understand full well that what we eat affects the state of our mind, from the perspective of these primary qualities of nature. And so, a pro-sattvic diet, is an essential component of the yoga life. A vegetarian diet, rich in fresh, natural, whole, non-spicy and chemically un-altered foods is a sattvic diet.

Extremely spicy, hot foods, stimulating food and drink, unrefined sugars and alcoholic beverages are ‘rajasic’, stimulating the passions, cravings and uncontrolled desires of the lower animal brain, distracting the mind and inhibiting it from elevated thought and profound understanding.

Meat, meat and dairy products, fried foods, stale and junk food are ‘tamasic’, creating dullness and inertness within the mind... a mental environment that is not conducive to higher thought and perception, as well as a body that is susceptible to disease.

Sattvic people have the greatest freedom from disease, and a mental state conducive to higher though and deeper understanding. And so the yoga diet should be essentially sattvic.

Food PreparationLikewise, the elements of sattva, tamas and rajas are infused into the food that we eat during its preparation. So the place where one’s food is made, and more so, the energetic environment and the mental state of the person who prepares the food is very important to the yogi.

If the person cooking your food is angry, depressed, stressed or of a perverse mindset, then this rajasic and tamasic energy is invariably infused into the food.

We have all experienced the heavenly taste of a home-cooked meal prepared with love and kindness – food infused with the quality of sattva by the one who prepared it. I once knew an old Indian man who had not taken a morsel of food for over 60 years that was not prepared by the loving hands of his dear, sweet wife!

One cannot expect this from eating food in a restaurant, where the kitchen is usually hidden from public view, and the typical environment within it is hectic and less than nurturing and compassionate. continued on next page...


WELLNESS NEWS


March 201018

When one chews slowly and eats slower, the stomach is able to relay the message to the brain that it is no longer hungry once a sufficient amount of food is consumed.

As with all other areas of yoga, the yoga diet teaches restraint of the lifestyles and habits that are not conducive to health and wellbeing. A considerable amount of obesity, much of which results from the disease of over-eating, can be combated entirely if people would just learn to ‘slow down’ and ‘chew their food’!

The Dining ExperienceAll of the abovementioned points about food and eating habits revolve around a singular notion of of the yoga diet... approaching the ingestion of our food as a ‘blessed and sacred act’.

In this way, the yogi partakes in a meal within a calm environment, with a quiet mind – be that eating alone within peaceful, natural surroundings, or in the company of a small few who nurture and respect the act of eating in the same way.

This is all quite distinct from the way in which most people eat today. Our dinning environments are usually loud and full of activity. Indeed, meals have become the focal point of our social lives.

Even within the family, the dinner table is the place of active conversation, animation and political debate. Televisions and loud music playing in the background, laughing and carrying on with all manner of conversation and discussion, coupled with alcohol, decadent sweets and much in the category of improper foods, all combine to make the eating experience a physically and spiritually unhealthy event that leaves one with indigestion and an ultimate lack of nourishment on all levels.

None of these things are in keeping with the principles of yoga or the yoga diet.

Yoga Diet and Meal TimeThe appropriate time for eating is during the daytime. The energy of digestion is the positive, warm, solar, yang energy of daytime, as opposed to the negative, cooling, lunar, yin energy of night.

Therefore, the yogi always takes his/her meals after the sun has risen and before it has set, which is again often inconsistent with the habits of the modern person who regularly eats well into the night (and goes to bed with undigested food still in the stomach)… an extremely tamasic event.

Why is this so bad for health? … In the state of sleep, the metabolism slows down and the body ‘shifts’ into a state of repair and rejuvenation. This state is not conducive to digesting and assimilating food properly, and so the habit of eating late and going to bed ‘full’ leads to further digestive troubles, also becoming a factor leading to unhealthy weight gain.

This habit also inhibits proper deep sleep, causes excess sleep and makes one wake up tired and sluggish. There is a saying in the West that one should “not go to bed hungry”. The yogis would say: “one should never go to bed full!”

Additionally, the yoga diet involves a modest breakfast and makes lunch the primary meal of the day. And the yogi eats sparingly and light, if at all for the evening meal, perhaps even taking only some light fruits and tea...

What to Do About All This?Many students feel overwhelmed when I present this full spectrum of the yogic approach to food to them, and understandably so, as quite often it is in complete contrast with all the food habits which they have cultivated throughout their entire lives. Hence, some may feel that all this is simply too much to ask, or too big a change to make.

It’s true that when it comes to food, we are entering an area where we have our greatest attachments, and mere logic and reason alone stands little hope of influence on the average person. Many of you simply cannot imagine being a person who eats like a yogi. You simply don’t want to do it! So don’t!

If meat is a staple of your diet; if you regularly drink alcohol; eat decadent deserts and snacks; often take meals in crowded places amidst vibrant social and political settings; eat late and at erratic times; and often feast well beyond the point of physical necessity... then it would be foolish to think that tomorrow you would want to start eating exactly as I have outlined here...

.... or that it would even be possible for you to do so! Even if you succeeded for a day, how much longer would this new resolve really last?

I have given you many points of change for the better in this essay. Taken individually, you can hopefully see the logical value in each of them. Some of you may have the strength of will to change everything, just like that! – the same as the rare chain-smoker who goes ‘cold turkey’ one day and never looks back.

But for most, a gradual approach is the only way. When beneficial feelings, increased health and vibrancy, calmness and harmony start


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LAST WEDNESDAY OF EACH MONTHThis open support group is for anyone experiencing grief as a result of losing a loved one to cancer. Join us for an opportunity to share these feelings with others in a safe and compassionate space.



to encroach into your being from certain changes in eating habits, then this will be the fuel to stimulate further change.

It is like this throughout all of what we endeavour to do in yoga. A step-by-step approach ultimately takes one to a place that they could not fathom reaching from the start... Lasting change happens gradually, step by step.

So if you eat meat daily, then don’t stop eating meat. Just stop eating meat ‘daily’. Try to eat it 3 or 4 times a week; then when this becomes habit, cut back to once or twice a week, and so on and so on, until meat no longer become an essential craving in the diet and you can quite easily drop it all together if you like.

Likewise for all the other directives outlined in this article…If you drink alcohol daily, lessen the amount. If you crave junk food and sweets…cut back.

Along with each reduction of rajasic and tamasic foods and habits, inject sattva – enlivening, lightening, fresh and wholesome foods, and nurturing, loving and divine qualities into the entire dining experience ... and slowly, over time, you’ll notice profound transformations in your life that you may never have thought could be related to, or even associated with the habit of eating.

The Yoga Diet Elevates Your State of MindIf you are experiencing lower, depressed agitated or distracted states of mind, remember that the food you eat can have a definite and sometimes even immediate affect on how you feel.

Some Recommendations for a Sattvic Yoga Diet1.Try to each fresh, leafy greens in great quantity. These should be included in every meal, and are best eaten at the end of the meal. These vegetables contain many essential mineral for metabolism such as iron, potassium, magnesium, zinc, calcium and chromium. A yoga diets high in these foods forms a foundation for combating disease.

2.Vegetables that grow beneath the ground should be used sparingly, with the exception of carrots.

3.All fruits and vegetables should be taken fresh whenever possible. They are packed with nutrients, providing vitamin C, beta-carotene, riboflavin and other vitamins, iron, calcium and fibre. Use tomatoes and over-ripe bananas sparingly.

4.Avoid canned or preserved foods.

5.The yoga diet includes a regular variety of nuts. These, however, should be boiled or steamed, and not fried or roasted.

6.Legumes, which is another name for beans, peas and lentils, are all good sources of fibre, protein, iron, calcium, zinc and B vitamins.

7.Soymilk and soya products are an excellent source of B vitamins and calcium and should be included in the daily yoga diet.

8.Make plentiful use of pumpkins, cucumbers, gourds, squash and other vine-grown foods.

9.Avoid fried foods!

10.Whole grains are rich in fibre and other complex carbohydrates, as well as protein, B vitamins and zinc.

11.Drink a lot of (pure) water daily. Water (not cold!) may be taken with meals, but in small quantities and should not be used to “wash down” the food.

Experiment with eliminating foods that depress and agitate the mind, and eat more of the sattvic foods that lighten, energize and elevate the consciousness.

Unfortunately, I cannot teach you all there is to know about vegetarianism abd the yogic diet here in this short essay, but the following provides some very broad, but basic essential for the yoga diet:

Learn more about the yoga diet and the yoga lifestyle online at: www.discover-yoga-online.com. Article courtesy of International Yogalayam.


WELLNESS NEWS


March 201020

yogic vegetarian recipes fromyoga recipes

Lentils in Molasses

Email your healing recipes and food news to the editor: [email protected]

Types of vegetariansTrue Vegetarian: Eats nothing from an animal, fresh or processed.

Lacto-Vegetarian: Includes dairy products in their diet.

Ovo-Vegetarian: The only animal product in this diet is eggs.

Pesco-Vegetarian: Includes fish, chicken, eggs and dairy products, no red meat.

Ingredients 3 large or 4 small bananas1/2 cup of oil1/2 cup of honey1 tsp of vanilla1 tsp. of salt1 tsp. of baking soda1/2 tsp. of mace1-3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour1 cup chopped walnuts (Optional)

MethodIn a blender or food mill, puree the bananas to a smooth and creamy texture. Add to them the oil, honey, vanilla and mix well. Add in the remaining ingredients, making sure you don’t overstir. Spoon mixture into a greased loaf pan and bake at 175 degrees C, for a large loaf, 45-60 minutes (45 for moist, 60 for dry and crusty) and 35-40 minutes for 2 small ones. (Makes 1-2 loaves)

Recipes from: www.sivananda.org

Ingredients 2 cups lentils4 cups water1 bay leaf3/4 cup tomato paste3 tbsp. molasses2 tsp. sugar or honey1/2 tsp. ginger powder1/2 mustard powder1/2 chili powder1 tsp. black peppersalt to taste

MethodCook lentils in water with bay leaf for 45 minutes, making sure that the lentil stay whole. When cooked, add the rest of the ingredients and stir well. Simmer for another 15 minutes and then serve hot.

Banana Bread

the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres

“Nothing will benefit human health and increase the

chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution

to a vegetarian diet.”

Albert Einstein



Ingredients 2 tbs. or oil1 tsp. of basil1/4 tsp. of black pepper1 tsp. of cumin powder2 tsp. of salt1/2 tsp. of ginger powder6 cups of water3 cups of split peas1/2 cup of carrots1/2 cup of celery1/2 cup of green peppers1/2 cup of potatoes1 tsp. of honey1 tbs. of lemon juice.

MethodOver low heat, saute spices in oil for a few minutes. Add in the chopped vegetables and stir well to coat them. Now add the water, split peas, honey and lemon juice. Bering to a boil and them simmer for one hour or longer, if you want a creamy consistency. (Makes 7 cups).

Split Pea Soup

This very nutritious drink is a real tonic which can be taken as a breakfast. The almonds are excellent for the brain. The dry fruits with provide you with plenty of energy to go through the morning. Soaking retains all their qualities while making them easily digestible.

Ingredients 5 almonds1 big dry fig1 or 2 dates; a few nuts (e.g. cashew or pistachios)a few filaments of Saffrona few drops of rose water

MethodThe night before, soak the almonds in one bowl and the rest of the ingredients separately.In the morning peel the almonds – this will be made easier after the overnight soaking. Take off the pit from the dates and mix all the ingredients in the mixer, adding the saffron, the soaking water and extra water if needed to adjust the consistency (it should remain quite thick). Add a few drops of rose water before serving. (serves 1)

Power Drink

What is a vegan?Veganism is a type of vegetarian diet that excludes meat, eggs, dairy products and all other animal-derived ingredients. Many vegans also do not eat foods that are processed using animal products, such as refined white sugar and some wines. Most vegans also avoid the use of all products tested on animals, as well as animal-derived non-food products, such as leather, fur and wool.

These are very popular with yoga students who like to have a nutritious cookie after class. They are good for you, they are filling, and they taste SOOOOO good.

Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients 3 1/2 cups oatmeal2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour1/2 cup raisins1 cup ground almonds or hazelnuts

3/4 cup oil1 1/2 cups honey3/4 cup milk1/4 tsp. Salt3/4 tsp. Nutmeg1 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon1 tbsp. baking powder

MethodMix wet ingredients. Mix and sift all dry ingredients (except nuts) into the wet ones. Now add the ground nuts. Shape cookies 2 to 3 inches onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 175 degrees C for 15-20 minutes.

Books

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MEMBERS RRP Body and Hair Cleanser (1 Litre) 12.75 15.00Sensitive Body and Hair Cleanser (1 Litre) 11.70 13.80Hair Conditioner (375ml) 14.20 16.70Moisturiser Lavender (250 ml) 15.70 18.50Disinfectant (1 Litre) 9.80 11.50Dishwashing Liquid (1 Litre) 8.90 10.40Dishwasher Powder (1 Kg) 13.90 16.30Fabric Conditioner (1 Litre) 8.60 10.10Laundry Liquid(1 Litre) 10.10 11.90Laundry Powder (1 Kg) 13.60 16.00Laundry Powder (5 Kg) 50.10 58.90Fruit and Vegetable Wash 8.20 9.60Oven and Barbeque Cleaner (1 Litre) 12.70 14.90Vigor All Purpose Cleaner (1 Litre) 9.00 10.50 Delicate Wash (1 litre) 8.50 9.90Cloth Moth Trap 10.20 12.00Pantry Moth trap 11.10 13.00insect and Roach Trap 6.50 7.60Pet Sensitive (1 Litre) 19.50 23.00

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• All these items are available by personal collection or by mail order. • Payment can be made by cheque or credit card. • Postage is $5.00 for the first item, then $2.50 per subsequent item in the order.• Please phone CSA on 9384 3544 to order, OR POST OR FAX THE ORDER FORM BELOW. • OR log on to the secure Wellness Shop website: www.wellnessshop.com.au.

The online shop stocks the entire catalogue listed here and you can pay easily and securely with your credit card.

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wellness quiz

________ Your number of points

Here is a quick quiz that will help you see how healthy your lifestyle really is! The

statements below are about practices that directly boost your health and wellbeing.

Circle the ones that you are already doing, and give yourself one point for every point you answer yes to. Then add up your score.

1. I exercise for one hour every day. (Give yourself

two points if you have a personal trainer)

2. I restrict my coffee intake to one cup a day

3. I eat three pieces of fruit per day. (Give yourself

two points if they are organic)

4. I enjoy five serves of vegetables every day.

(Two points for you if they are organic)

5. I eat seafood at least four times a week.

6. I eat legumes in some form almost every day.

(Legumes are beans like baked beans, chick peas,

lentils etc)

7. I moderate my alcohol intake to an average of

one glass a day, and in small quantities at a

time.

8. My holidays are planned so that I can take

regular time out away from my usual routine.

9. I meditate, do tai chi, or undertake some form

of spiritual exercise every day.

10. I visit my health practitioner regularly to keep

my health in peak condition.

11. I get about eight hours of good sleep every night

and wake refreshed.

12.My weight is within the healthy range for my

height.

13. I regularly learn new skills to keep my mind active.

14. I have a period of unstructured relaxation time

every week.

Where are you on theWellness Scale?

Quiz compiled by Olwen Anderson who is an accredited

naturopath based in NSW.

Results12 points or more: Well done! You are most likely already in great health and doing better than most people in your age group. You are the sort of person who focuses on preventative health and maximising your wellbeing.

5 to 11 points: You might want to consider taking more steps to improve your health to prevent any longterm degeneration in your health. You could enlist the support of appropriate health practitioners to address specific issues.

0 to 4 points: Take a look at some of the responses where you said no. If you want to feel better than you presently do, you could incorporate some new health practices into your life. You have probably been forced to read this column by a loved one who is concerned about your wellbeing!

This quiz is general of course, but might help you gain some insight into where the gaps are between how you are feeling now and how healthy you would really like to feel.



A rsearch team discovered that when amla is taken regularly as a dietary supplement, it counteracts the toxic effects of prolonged exposure to environmental heavy metals, such as lead, aluminium, and nickel. These metals are prevalent in the environment of industrialized countries. In the studies the pro-oxidant or oxygen radical scavenger qualities of amla suggest that it is also very effective in lowering the risk of many cancers. Other studies indicate that it is much more effective than Vitamin C as it reduces chromosomal abnormalities. Amla juice has twenty times more vitamin C than orange juice, and natural tannins prevent oxidation of the vitamin content in a dry condition – in other words, it is heat stable. Studies indicate that the naturally occurring vitamin C is easier for the body to absorb than synthetic vitamin C. This and other studies indicate that naturally occurring vitamin C may be ten times beneficial to the body than synthetic vitamins. The Vitamin C content of amla is between 625 mg – 1814 mg per 100 grams!

Other studies show that amla increases red blood cell count as well as hemoglobin percentages, and patients started their anabolic phase (metabolic processes involved in protein synthesis) sooner. The dried fruit reduced cholesterol levels, indicating that amla is safe to consume on a long term basis.

Amla reduces unwanted fat because it increases total protein levels; this is due to its ability to create a positive nitrogen balance and it also significantly reduces the levels of free fatty acids. In addition, amla, in a raw or natural form, reduces cholesterol and cholesterol induced atherosclerosis (Obstruction of the arteries), making it a useful natural product to fight against obesity. One study shows that it prevented atheroma (degeneration of the artery walls due to fat and scar tissue). Furthermore, amla has exhibited considerable effect in inhibiting the HIV virus which ultimately results in the disease AIDS.

Therefore, one can draw the conclusion that amla is good for almost everyone on a regular basis. It reduces and eliminates the risk of environmental pollutants, normalizes cholesterol, reduces unwanted fat, cures ulcers, reduces or prevents cancer, has the highest content of vitamin C than any natural source, detoxifies the body, regulates digestion, has inhibiting effects against the HIV virus, promotes metabolic function. The only thing that could possibly be better than amla as a daily herbal supplement is the Triphala formula, of which amla constitutes one third. ✦

From the Chakrapani newsletter: AyurvedaNews, Vol 10 Issue I. For information on Ayurveda and to subscribe: chakrapaniayurveda.com. Dr. Mita Kotecha Ph.D. (Ayu) is Associate Professor in the Department of Dravyaguna at the National Institute of Ayurveda, Jaipur (India). * Triphala is widely available from health food stores in Australia.

AMLAWhere to get AMLA

with Kimmy O’MearaAt the CSA every Wednesday morning 11.00am to 12.00pm (note: new time for 2010) Cost: CSA Members $3; Others $5. For enquiries phone CSA on 9384 3544.

CSA Laughter ClubHE WHO LAUGHS LASTS!

Wellness Scale?

Skin diseasesIt promotes glow on skin.

It delays wrinkles and loosening of skin.

Amla is used to treat skin disorders, respiratory infections, and premature ageing.

Hair ProblemsIt stimulates hair follicles thus promoting hair growth and also improves texture of the hair.

Amla act as natural hair conditioner and provides good nourishment and also helps in normalizing blood supply.

It prevents premature graying of hair and dandruff.

General HealthIt acts as an effective natural cure for indigestion, acidity, constipation, gastric troubles, and flatulence.

Amla is useful in haemorrhage, diarrhoea, dysentery, and has therapeutic value in treating diabetes

It is helpful in improving liver function.

Amla has anti-bacterial and astringent properties that help prevent infection and help in the healing of ulcers

It helps in lowering cholesterol and blood sugar level.

It has very good results in chronic cough, childhood and allergic asthma and tuberculosis.

It provides nourishment to the nerves and is helpful in paralytic conditions.

It also works as brain tonic and helps with alertness and memory.

It also acts as an anti-inflammatory agent thereby suppressing pain and swelling.

Amla finds great application in improving eyesight.

It also improves general health, weakness and makes our body’s immune system strong therefore helping to fight diseases.

Health benefits of Amla

the wonder fruit of Ayurveda

By Dr. Mita Kotecha Ph.D. (Ayu)

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Wellness News magazine is published by the Cancer Support Association of WA Inc (CSA). Wellness magazine contains a diverse selection of articles and information on subjects related to cancer, wellness and healing. The contents of this magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the CSA and should be not be construed as medical advice. CSA encourages readers to be discerning with information presented and when making treatment, dietary and lifestyle choices. © Copyright of all articles and images remains with individual contributors.

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WELLNESS NEWS MARCH 2010

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