Ayurveda – Principles & Practice
Ayurveda - Principles & Practice
Ayurveda which has been evolved around 600 BC, apart from treating ailments concentrated more in its prevention. This was followed by the Aryans & Dravidians who were inhabiting India and has been practiced ever since. In the 21st century, Ayurveda has become an indispensable branch of medicine due to its naturalistic approach, that depends on the diagnosis of ones physical base ie Vata, pitta and kabha, and to maintain a right balance.One of the important principle of Ayurveda treatment is that , treatment is given not only to the ailments or the affected part, but to the person as a whole. This creates an enviornment for purifying your body naturally, which eliminates all toxic imbalances from your body, enabling you to regain natural resistance from diseases and attain good health.Kerala's equable climate, natural abundance of forests, which caters to the demand for herbs and medicinal plants, and the cool monsoon season (June-November) are best suited for Ayurveda's curative and restorative packages. In fact, today, Kerala is the only State in India which practices this system of medicine with absolute dedication.Every object-plant, animal or human - according to the Panchabhootha Philosophy (5 elements of philosophy), is constituted of Vata, Pitta, Kapha.The concentration of these elements vary in each individual and therefore the time, place, duration and kind of treatment required to restore the balance also needs to change. This is why Ayurveda have a separate system of diagnosis and treatment for each patient. And a season for undergoing Ayurvedic programmes - the monsoon. The atmosphere remains dust-free and cool, opening the pores of the body to the maximum, making it most receptive to herbal oils and therapy.Rejuvenative Programmes
The following are the major rejuvenational therapies practacied in Ayurveda.Rasayana chikitsa
Tones up the skin and rejuvenates and strengthens all the tissues so as to achieve ideal health and longevity. Increases Ojas (primary vitality) and improves Sattva (mental clarity) and thereby increases the resistance of the body. Includes head and face creams, body massage with herbal oil or powder by hand and foot intake of rejuvenative medicines and medicated steam bath. Herbal baths are also used.Kayakalpa Chikitsa
Prime treatment for retarding the ageing process, arresting the degeneration of body cells and immunization of the system. Includes intake of Rasayana (special Ayurvedic medicines and diet) and comprehensive body care programmes. Most effective for either sex if undertaken before the age of 50.Sweda Karma
Medicine steam baths eliminate impurities from the body, improve the tone and complexion of the skin, reduce fat and are recommended for certain rheumatic diseases, particularly for pain. Precious herbs and herbal leaves are boiled and the steam is passed over the entire body for 10 to 20 minutes daily.Hand massage with herbal oils or herbal powder improves blood circulation and tones up the muscles.Meditation and Yoga
Mental and physical exercises meant to isolate the ego from the body and mind-designed to home your concentration, improve health and help attain peace of mind through 8 stages of training.Disciplined behaviour yama Self purification niyama Bodily postures such as the lotus position asana.Control of breathing Pranayama Control of the senses Pratyahara, fixing of the mind on a chosen object dharsana. Meditation dhyana and Samadhi - a state of being where you experience absolute tranquility and well being.Beauty care
Herbal face pack, herbal oil massage, intake of herbal tea etc. improves complexion and beautifulness of the body.Body Slimming
Medicated herbal powder and medicated herbal oil massages, and Ayurvedic diet of herbal juices etc. are part of the programme.Overal Fitness
Panchakarma Treatment
A five fold treatment for mental and physical well being tunes the body, organs, mind, breath, nerves and purifies the blood.Therapeutic Programmes
Treatment for chronic head-aches, insomnia, mental tension and cases of hysteria, hallucination and insanity.Dhara: Herbal oils, medicated milk or buttermilk and decoctions are poured on the forehead/whole body in a special manner.
Variations include Oorhwanga Dhara (good for diseases of the eyes, ears and skin). Takra Dhara (for those suffering from memory loss, severe headache or insanity) and Sarvanga Dhara (for both head and body).
Treatment to alleviate osteoarthritis, leukemia etc.Snehapanam: Medicated ghee is given internally in a gradually increased quality of specific periods.Treatment for spondilosis, rheumatic diseases like arthritis, paralysis, hemiplegia, nervous weakness and nervous disorders.
Pizhichil: Lukewarm herbal oil is applied with fresh linen all over the body by trained masseurs in a rhythmic manner for a period of 1 to 11/2 hours daily for 7 to 21 days.
Treatment for diseases like hemiplegia, paralysis, obsety and certain rheumatic ailments.Udvarthanam: Therapeutic massage with herbal powders.
Treatment for musculoskeletal ailments due to trauma or accidents.Marma Chiksta: Treatment that works on the extremely sensitive vital points of the body (the 107 marmas).Treatment for nasal ailments:
Nasyam: Inhalation of medicated herbal preparations, decoction oils, ghee etx. to eliminate the morbid factors from the head and neck area.Treatment for ear ailments
Karnapooranam: Medicated oils are applied to the ear for 5 to 10 minutes daily to clean as well as treat specific ailments.Preventing cataract and strengthening vision:
Tharpanam: A treatment for the eyes effective in preventing cataract and strengthening the optic nerve.Treatment for wasting of muscles, all types or rheumatism, sports injuries, pain in the joints, emaciation of the body or parts of the body and certain kinds of skin diseases.Navarakizhi: The whole body is made to perspire by the external application of medicated rice packs in the form of blouses tied in muslin bags.
Treatment for dryness of nostrils, mouth and throat, severe headaches, facial paralysis and burning sensation in the head.Sirovasti: Lukewarm herbal oils are poured into a leather cap fitted on the head for specific durations as per physician's recommendation.********************************************************************************************
Jayachandran.R.
Author is a freelance content writer who also owns http://www.aayurmart.com. For more details mailto:ayurmart@gmail.com
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Internet Marketing and Public Speaking: The Murder Board Practice – Internet-Marketing
Internet Marketing and Public Speaking: The Murder Board Practice
I recently posted an article titled "Internet Marketing and Public Speaking: Ten Tips for When the Twain Shall Meet." One of the tips concerned a means to practice your sales presentation with a "Murder Board." I received several emails requesting a fuller explanation of this practice method.I decided to write two explanatory articles, so vital is this method to improve one's public speaking, specifically in preparing a presentation aimed at selling off-line your on-line product. In this article, I'll provide an in-depth explanation of this practice method; in the second, I'll cover the seven steps need for a successful Murder Board.Simply stated, the Murder Board is a realistic simulation of the actual presentation to be made. Colleagues role-play the audience, asking the type of questions they believe this specific group is likely to ask. It is intended to be more difficult than the actual presentation.If you want to become an effective and persuasive presenter to boost your on-line marketing, this realistic practice session is the most effective shortcut to speaking excellence. It allows you to make your mistakes when they don't count, increasing the odds that you will shine when the actual presentation is made.The Origin of the Murder BoardThe term Murder Board has its origins within the U.S. military, specifically within the extensive training system of the U.S. Army. When a person has been selected to be an instructor at an Army school, he or she must go through a demanding instructor training program.Graduation and designation as an instructor is dependent not on a written test, but successful delivery of a 50 minute class from the curriculum of the school.The audience for this crucible can be instructors who have gone through their own Murder Board, and are determined that this would-be instructor will experience the same frustration and humiliation they did. They ask tough, realistic, questions, the type of questions their students are asking.At the end of the 50 minute class, the aspiring instructor gets a a thumbs up-meaning he or she can now join this band of brothers and sisters as an instructor, or a thumbs-down, meaning another "opportunity" to go through a Murder Board.Lessons from the PentagonThis realistic simulation has permeated the military culture. As an example, when I ran the Defense Intelligence Agency's (DIA) briefing team, we had three Murder Boards before the daily briefing to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.The first one was at 5:30 AM, the second at 6:30 AM, the third in front of two General officers and all the analysists, one hour later. By the time my briefer or I was standing in front of the Chairman, those intense sessions had provided the right answers to virtually any conceivable question the Chairman was likely to ask.Why have a Murder Board?This painstaking practice session has two overriding objectives:1. Hone delivery skills2. Anticipate probable questions and objections so succinct, accurate answers can be developed.Many presenters, while accepting the need to sharpen delivery skills, reject the idea of a Murder Board, confident they can anticipate the difficult questions likely to be asked, and need not practice in front of others, especially their peers. These people may actually be displaying a false bravado to mask their discomfort at speaking in front of a group, perhaps exposing their lack of skill in the presentation art, and/or their apprehension at giving a less than sterling performance in front of their colleaqgues.They are also very mistaken. I have given more than 3000 presentations, and always find it beneficial to conduct a Murder Board before an important talk. No matter how hard we try to think of tough questions that may be asked, a little censor in our mind generally provides only questions to which we already have answers. In my executive training workshops, I always emphasize the importance of a Murder Board, and the practice presentations made by my clients are set up as Murder Boards to get them accustomed to this simulation.I am in good company in believing that we need other minds to assist us in preparing for a sales or other presentation.. The man who possessed perhaps the greatest mind of the 20th Century, Albert Einstein, realized that even he needed help. He once said:"What a person does on his own, without being
stimulated by the thoughts and experiences of
others, is even in the best cases rather paltry and
monotonous."The Murder Board is the presenter's version of the actor's dress rehearsal, what lawyers do in preparing a witness to face cross-examination in a trial, what the flight simulator is to the pilot.Just as with the actor, the witness, and the pilot, this simulation permits the presenter to learn from his/her mistakes, so that the actual presentation is (1) more responsive to the informational needs of the audience, (2) answers are developed for likely questions to be asked, and (3) overall speaking confidence and competence enhanced.The Murder Board enables you to visualize the presentation in advance. Not only is proficiency in speaking increased by such a meticulous practice, so too is self-confidence. Public speaking ranks high in the pantheon of phobias because, in large measure, of the apprehension that one is going to be embarrassed by not being able to answer questions from the audience.If you have been able to anticipate questions, then you can develop answers ahead of time. Think back to when you were in college or graduate school. Your GPA would probably have been higher if you could have seen the questions before the final exams. The Murder Board permits the presenter a look at the audience's probable "exam questions."The only obstacle to developing a question-anticipating simulated presentation is your imagination and willingness to take hard hits in practice so you can be more effective in the actual presentation.Copyright 2005 Larry TracyThis article is excerpted from Larry Tracy's book, The Shortcut to Persuasive Presentations. Larry, a retired Army colonel, has been cited in numerous publications as one of the top presentation skills trainers in the US. His website is at top of Google for "persuasive presentations. Visit it for FREE tips and additional articles:
http://www.tracy-presentation.com
SoulCollage – Combining Collage Fun with Spiritual Practice
SoulCollage - Combining Collage Fun with Spiritual Practice
SoulCollage? is a unique blend of spiritual practice and the fun of collage. Using our intuition and imagination, we create a deck of collaged cards where each card reflects a different aspect of who we are. The cards are then used to assist us to access our own deep wisdom and help us answer our life's questions. You don't need to be an artist to do SoulCollage?; all you need is a willingness to go within.This delightful, introspective craft is also:
total creative fun and enjoyment,a healing process that takes us on an inward journey of discovery and delight,a way to heal our inner separations,a way to connect with other individuals who enjoy collage and a spiritual path, and
a powerful tool for self-reflection.
SoulCollage? is a creative process wherein we make something unique, something that never existed before. It is an imaginative process that takes us to those "inner worlds" we seldom take the time to explore. And it is an intuitive process that encourages us to activate our innate intuition as we spend time listening to our deepest self.The creative craft of SoulCollage? attracts both professional and nonprofessional artists as well as those of us who would never call ourselves an "artist" in a million years. So even if you don't think of yourself as an artist, that's okay.
When you are immersed in the process of creating your cards, you are an artist and it won't be long before you are more comfortable defining a part of yourself in this way.When making and interpreting your SoulCollage? cards, you are released from the expectation of being "good" or creating something that someone will want to buy or hang in their gallery, because that is not its purpose. The purpose of each card is for you and you alone! It doesn't really matter if your friends and family understand (or even like) your cards. What matters is that you understand them and like them, because each one expresses a unique part of your being.Seena Frost, M.Div., M.A., created the process of SoulCollage? during the 1980's while working with clients in her psychotherapy practice. The materials used are few and simple: mat board, scissors, glue, and magazines.Each of us is on our own spiritual life journey and we can make the journey smoother and more joyful by practicing SoulCollage.Anne Marie Bennett is a freelance writer and self-taught artist who enjoys playing with mixed-media collage, and all forms of color and words. She has a BS degree in Education from Southern Connecticut State University and has taught children, teens and adults throughout the East Coast. She is a breast cancer survivor and feels closest to her own soul when she is writing, creating art, teaching, and sharing the gift of SoulCollage