yoga yoga

article405

2008-03-10T02:28:00.000-07:00

Is Cold Calling Dead?

And if laws are being passed to put it to rest once and for all, how do we generate business from now on?

Opinions on the subject vary greatly depending on the background of the individual. For example, most of the old-timers are vigilant in preaching their belief that the only possible way to succeed in the world of selling is to make no less than fifty calls each and every day. On the other hand, younger salespeople tend to become frustrated with this rather quickly and begin looking for more innovative ways to generate business.

I was just reminded of how ingrained this cold calling belief is. I spoke with a friend who left a sales position with a major merchant processing bank only a few weeks after starting. The reason? He was required to make a minimum of 400 cold calls each and every week and to document his activity with business cards. He is highly experienced and knows how to generate business without knocking on 400 doors per week and decided to discuss the strategies that have worked for him in the past with his managers. Their response? This is how we've done it for forty years and we're not about to change.

That response, in my opinion, is the reason we're seeing record business bankruptcies today. The world and our economy have changed and are breaking into bold, unchartered territory. But the management of most business organizations insists on doing things the old way, even though the old way produces less and less results as time goes on.

The concept of "Permission Marketing" is slowly but surely gaining popularity as the old idea of "Interruption Marketing" becomes less efficient and more wasteful. There are several reasons why cold calling in particular has become less effective as we move further into the Information Age. It destroys your status as a business equal. It forces you to spend time with unqualified prospects while the qualified ones are buying from your competition. It annoys people and is increasingly considered to be rude and disrespectful. Moreover, it may now be illegal (and in several states it's been illegal for quite some time). But, most importantly, it destroys sales peoples attitudes.

Where is the good news in all of this? Well, the great news is that if you begin using new, innovative, "Information Age" methods for prospecting, you'll be miles ahead of your competitors who are wasting their time annoying people with cold calls. In this age of the Internet and vast communication networks, why on earth would anyone knock on doors or make cold phone calls to look for business?

Think of the power at your fingertips: there are literally dozens of ways to use the Web and e-mail to let the idea of Permission Marketing do its magic. Allow customers to raise their hands and let you know they're interested. Begin finding, implementing and reaping the benefits of this bold, new Information Age we are in. Your competitors will be the ones standing in bankruptcy court and explaining their "do-not-call" violations to the government while you are happily taking orders.

article404

2008-03-10T02:27:00.000-07:00

MLM Success Training: Why Some People Become Wealthy in Network Marketing and Others Don’t.

Regardless of whether you watch the Oprah Winfrey show or not, the story of her success is fascinating. You can't say where she is today is the result of any special advantages she had growing up.

In fact, she came from a broken family and she was abused as a child. She's also African-American and a woman, so discrimination was likely a factor that counted against her somewhere along the way.

So why is she now worth a billion dollars while many Harvard-educated, white males who grew up with every advantage only make a comfortable living?

Ever wonder why success seems to come easily for some people while others struggle at everything they do? What makes the difference?

Success in Multi-Level Marketing (MLM), Network Marketing, or anything else in life is predictable and can be duplicated by following time-tested principles that all millionaires use.

In fact, if you don't receive training in these principles of wealth, you can NEVER have it in your life. At least not for long. If you do somehow become wealthy in MLM without learning these principles, you won't keep it.

Want proof? Just look at people who have won the lottery:

- William "Bud" Post won $16.2 million in the Pennsylvania lottery in 1988. Now he lives on his Social Security and food stamps which amounts to $450 a month.

- Ken Proxmire was a machinist when he won $1 million in the Michigan lottery. He moved to California and went into the car business with his brothers and he filed for bankruptcy within five years.

- Suzanne Mullins won $4.2 million in the Virginia lottery in 1993. Today she's deeply in debt to a company that loaned her money using the winnings as collateral.

- "Winning the lottery isn't always what it's cracked up to be," says Evelyn Adams. She won the New Jersey lottery not just once, but twice (1985, 1986), in an amount of $5.4 million. Today she lives in a trailer and all the money is gone.

- Janite Lee from Missouri won $18 million in 1993. She generously gave her money to a variety of causes including politics, education and the community. According to published reports, eight years after winning, Lee had filed for bankruptcy with only $700 left in two bank accounts and no cash on hand.

- Willie Hurt of Lansing, Mich., won $3.1 million in 1989 and two years later he was broke and charged with murder. His lawyer says he spent his fortune on a divorce and cocaine.

- Charles Riddle of Belleville, Mich., won $1 million in 1975. Later he got divorced, faced several lawsuits and was indicted for selling cocaine.

People have a "financial thermostat" and just like the thermostat that controls the heating or cooling in your house, your thermostat is currently set for the amount of money you have.

If you somehow receive more money from your MLM business than your financial thermostat is set for, like the lottery winners above, you'll waste it away until you are back to your set level.

If you want more money from your Network Marketing business, or you want to keep the money you are receiving, you have to raise your financial thermostat. It's that simple.

How do you raise your thermostat? By learning and practicing the principles of wealth. All self-made millionaires live by these principles.

If you're not currently having MLM success, it's likely because you aren't applying the same principles that Oprah and all other billionaires and millionaires apply to achieve their success. All that's standing in the way between you and success is the application of these general principles.

So where do you learn these success principles?

The best place is directly from people who understand the principles and have had success using them. There's no quicker way to get where you want to go than to find a mentor to guide you along your way.

The person you want is someone who is currently where you want to be, and is willing to teach you the wealth principles. Of course, not all successful people fully understand these principles even though they naturally apply them.

Another good way to learn the principles of wealth is through the greatest success book of all time, Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich. The principles you need to understand are in this book. You'll need to do some work to uncover them, understand them, and put them into practice, but they are in the book.

Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich is all about using the same resources that millionaires use to get the same results as them.

If you are not experiencing the kind of financial success you desire, perhaps all you need is a little MLM success training from a mentor or by learning and practicing the principles in Think and Grow Rich. Sometimes all it takes is few subtle shifts in your thought processes to create a GIANT difference in your results!

article403

2008-03-10T02:26:00.000-07:00

Money Management For the Work At Home Mom - Auto Recovery

One of the most difficult aspects of working at home may very well be the money management. Even if you’re making great money, many people find it difficult to make ends meet when there’s not a weekly paycheck. Consider some of the problems that arise and why the work at home mom may feel that she’s really not making any money at all.

When you’re working for an employer who hands you a paycheck on a regular basis, you quickly learn to manage your money with that payday in mind. You know when the money is going to arrive, how much it’s going to be, and you probably already know where the majority of it is going to be spent. If you have some bills coming due, you know without a doubt that there’s gong to be a paycheck on a specific date to pay them.

When there’s not a paycheck on a certain day, you may very well be starting to wonder how you can pay those bills on time. It’s human nature to worry about money and the work at home mom is no exception. There are some common pitfalls that you can avoid if in your quest for good money management.

One of the most tempting things to do is to spend money as it arrives. Most work at home moms aren’t fortunate enough to have a regular income arriving in the mailbox every week or two. Money comes in sporadically, and when it does arrive it may not be large amounts at a time. When those small payments do appear, avoid the temptation to spend them immediately. If it’s not enough to pay bills that are coming due, put it aside until you have additional checks to meet those bills.

This is the same pitfall that waitresses face. Many people in the food service industry depend on tips as a major part of their income. They collect those tips every day and it’s tempting to treat it as “extra” money. But when the paycheck arrives, it’s seldom enough to pay bills and make ends meet until the next paycheck. So the cycle repeats.

If possible, send your checks directly to the bank. If not, pace yourself to save everything you make for at least a week (or two). Then cash or deposit everything at one time and take stock of your income as opposed to your bills and expenses.

Another tactic to use when it feels that you’re not making any money is to keep a detailed list of what does come in. When you look back over that list, you may be surprised at how well you’re doing – and it may be time to take stock of your money management practices.

There’s nothing like receiving tax statements at the end of the year to make you realize how much (or how little) you made during the previous year. Most work at home moms won’t get tax statements, or at least won’t get a single tax statement, for the previous year. Your records will be the true statement of how well (or how badly) your business is doing.

Many people find that keeping the records is the most difficult part of money management for the home based business. You’ll likely be paying taxes on your income so don’t overlook the potential for deductions. Make an appointment with a tax professional early in the year to get a grip on what expenses will be deductible. If you have an office in your home, or if you’re just using your home as a base of operations, you’ll probably find that some household expenses are deductible. If Internet access is necessary for your business, you’ll be able to deduct a part or all of that cost. In many cases, you’ll be able to deduct a set amount for “renting” your office.

A good filing system is also an important part of good money management. You don’t have to have a degree in bookkeeping to understand the need for keeping receipts and records of transactions.

If your business warrants it, you may find that it’s in your best interest to set up a business account for your banking transactions. While it may seem an unnecessary step considering the amount of money that will be going through the account, it will help you keep more accurate records. Your bank statements can sometimes serve as proof of income. If you decide to take out a business loan, the fact that you’ve taken the initiative to set up a business account will look good to potential lenders.

One of the most important things about good money management for the work at home mom is simply to be proactive in the “management.” If you’re passive about keeping records, filing receipts and tracking your income and expenses, you may never feel that you’re really making as much as you thought you could.

Good money management takes practice, patience and diligence. It’s easy to get on with the work and ignore the need to track your income and expenses. But as the old saying goes, “it ain’t over till the fat lady sings.” With home based business, it’s not complete until the paperwork and records are done.

article402

2008-03-10T02:25:00.000-07:00

MORAL ARMOR'S Economic Warning for Americans

For years we’ve suffered under recession, prompting us to ask, When will it end? My answer is, “It’s only the beginning.”

Historically, recessions are the result of high interest rates, pushed up as the result of loose money policies. Recovery comes when citizens begin to spend more wisely, save money and pay off their debts, but not this time. Never before have credit policies been so loose for so long, and there has been no decrease in consumer debt. It’s still on the rise, but Americans are NOT fundamentally to blame; immoral monetary policy is.

Banks used to consider a safe loan applicant to have a 36% or less Debt to Income Ratio (debt divided by gross income). This percentage is a time-proven figure indicating the financial health of an individual. Now, during the worst economy in twenty years and with no signs of recovery, our banks gladly loan to applicants with a 56% Debt to Income. What has changed? Are banks suddenly more generous? I don’t think so. One good question to ask is, Why are banks willing to accept the additional risk? But the real question to ask is, Where is this money coming from?

Not one in a thousand Americans knows the true nature of our banking system, so they have no idea that what happened in 1929 is about to happen again. Nor do they know that it was done deliberately then, and is being done deliberately now.

We have in this country one of the most corrupt institutions known to Man, and I refer to the Federal Reserve. Since it’s inception in 1913, every dollar created has interest being paid on it as if it were borrowed. This debt cannot be extinguished without destroying the currency itself, and has spawned a nightmare of debt that presently amounts to over $360 Billion in interest paid per year, accounting for half the personal income tax of the nation. Due to this, America is forced to create $7 Billion daily to cover the $1 Billion it pays in interest daily due to the Federal Reserve System. This is where the public comes in.

Federal Reserve bankers have to find a way to spend $6 Billion every day while masking the inflation it causes. Throughout the nineties it was done through real estate and the stock market. Now it is almost exclusively being put into real estate. How on Earth could so many mortgage companies be offering interest only, no money down, multi-hundred thousand or million dollar loans with high applicant debt ratios?

Here is a hypothetical example of what’s going to happen: Your mortgage banker tells you that with a 56% debt ratio, you can afford a $300,000 home, no money down. You secure the loan at 4%, costing $1432 per month. A few years later, you’re thrown out of work for three months. Back payments amount to $4296 plus late fees, legal fees, etc., and another $5k on cars, credit cards and everything else. Unable to catch up, you’ll try to refinance, but interest rates have moved up to 7%. A $310,000 loan now costs $2062 per month—more than you can afford, but banks will have tightened lending policies back to 36% and you no longer qualify for the home you own anyway. Accounting for all other debt, you now qualify for a shocking $360 per month. You are trapped, and the new bankruptcy laws they pushed for will never let you walk away.

You owned this home in a perfect numbers scenario, but any complications—unemployment, salary reduction, interest rate increase, debt ratio change, bruised credit rating, depressed home values--and you’re cooked. One mishap and every financial measure works against you. Your financial angel has suddenly become your greatest enemy. Welcome to the Federal Reserve System and their freshly engineered worldwide depression.

If you were to approach the housing market fresh, you would find that you only qualify for a $55k house now, along with the market of buyers you were hoping to unload your balloon-house on. The bank forecloses, auctions it off and you’re personally responsible for the difference, which could be massive. Bankruptcy is right around the corner, and deplorably, you are the only one who will be held accountable. You will then be a debt slave as the Federal Reserve intends, and game over.

My advice is to get as financially stable as you can. Mathematically, our situation is much worse than that of the Great Depression. No matter how generous these bankers appear, pare down monthly outlays to 36% D/I or less. Set aside three to six months of mortgage payments in case you become unemployed. Make sure you can ride out the storm.

We are coming to a point in American society to where it’s either them or us, and mass awareness is the key to our survival. Most believe the Federal Reserve is a part of the government, but it’s just a name. The Fed is a private corporation set up for private gain, with a dark history of stock market crashes, financial panics, political manipulation and ultimately, mass poverty and hunger riots. Our struggle is not new: currency control has switched from public to private hands EIGHT times since our country’s inception, and needs to be reclaimed by the people, one last time.

Don’t think you can play helpless and expect our political leaders to protect you from financial calamity; they never have. You must become Morally Armed on your own. Don’t be coaxed into believing the system is optimized for the good of all. The Federal Reserve System is not an equitable institution, and it was never intended to be. They believe if they have us strung out on debt, we are no threat to them. Let us prove otherwise.

Currency reform is the most important issue facing Americans today. How it plays out will determine whether you and your children eat or not, whether you have a place to live or even a future to look forward to. The major media will ridicule anyone speaking against the Fed, so to validate history’s greatest moral dilemma for yourself, just “Jackson bank veto.”

America must abolish the Federal Reserve System to regain control over the economy and our government. For a concise history of world monetary policy and how it shapes world events, see Moral Armor. Then share this knowledge with your friends. Email this article to everyone in your address book and stay tuned for further developments. We’ll change the system together and bring a brighter dawn to Mankind.

article401

2008-03-10T02:23:00.002-07:00

Multiple Clients Create Your Independent Business

Would you rather have one good client paying you five
thousand dollars per month or ten smaller clients paying
you five hundred dollars each per month? Here are two good
reasons for choosing multiple clients over just one client.

1. Avoid Dependence on One Client

Don't put all your eggs in one basket. If you have only one
major client and lose them, you have zero income overnight.

Knowing that they are your sole (or main) source of income,
some clients will make some unfair, unreasonable demands of
you. They can get away with it because they know you are
in a very poor bargaining position.

You could also end up losing a good client for reasons
beyond your (or even their) control. Bankruptcy, sale or
bequest of the business to someone else, or a new manager
who has made other arrangements are just a few ways you
can lose such a client.

You are much better off to have several clients. If you
lose a client that represents ten percent of your income,
you still have ninety percent of your income left.

2. Clarify Your Self-Employed Status

Self-employment status has certain tax advantages over
being employed. Although there are other factors to
consider in making this determination, the more clients
you have, the less likely that you will be classified by
the tax authorities as being an employee.

For example, if you do all your work for one client at his
office, a good case could be made that you are his employee.
If you work for two different clients at their offices (or
even your own), a case could be made that you have two
different part-time jobs.

On the other hand, if you have a hundred different clients
you work for, it is unlikely that anyone would argue that
you have one hundred part-time jobs.

So, to avoid dependence on any one client and to clarify
your self-employed tax status, choose several clients over
just one or two clients. For increased success and to be
a truly independent business, obtain multiple clients.

article400

2008-03-10T02:23:00.001-07:00

The Five Niyamas of Yoga

The second limb of Patanjali's eight-limbed yoga system contains the five internal practices of Niyama (observance). These practices extend the ethical codes of conduct provided in his first limb, the yamas, to the practicing yogi’s internal environment of body, mind and spirit. The practice of Niyama helps us maintain a positive environment in which to grow, and gives us the self-discipline and inner-strength necessary to progress along the path of yoga. Shaucha (purification) is a central aim of many yogic techniques, and is the first principle of Patanjali's five Niyamas. The yogis discovered that impurities in both our external environment and our internal body adversely affect our state of mind, and prevent the attainment of real wisdom and spiritual liberation. The practices of asana, pranayama and meditation cleanse and purify the body and mind, as well as strengthening their capacity to maintain a pure state of being. We must also consciously work at surrounding ourselves with a pure environment (including food, drink, friends, entertainment, home furnishings and transportation) to not add any external impurities back into our bodies or minds.

Samtosha (contentment) is not craving for what we do not have as well as not coveting the possessions of others. The yogis tell us that when we are perfectly content with all that life gives us, then we attain true joy and happiness. It is easy for the mind to become fooled into thinking that we can attain lasting happiness through the possession of objects and goods, but both our personal experience and the teachings of the sages prove that the happiness gained through materialism is only temporary. Practicing contentment frees us from the unnecessary suffering of always wanting things to be different, and instead fills us with gratitude and joy for all of life’s blessings.

Tapas (asceticism) is a yogic practice of intense self-discipline and attainment of will power. Basically, Tapas is doing something you do not want to do that will have a positive effect on your life. When our will conflicts with the desire of our mind an internal “fire” is created which illuminates and burns up our mental and physical impurities. This inner fire can also be used as a source of spiritual energy; the yogis say the sole practice of Tapas can lead to the release of kundalini and attainment of enlightenment. Tapas transforms and purifies us as well as enables the conscious awareness and control over our unconscious impulses and poor behavior. Tapas builds the will power and personal strength to help us become more dedicated to our practice of yoga .

Svadhyaya (self-study) is the ability to see our true divine nature through the contemplation of our life’s lessons and through the meditation on the truths revealed by seers and sages. Life presents an endless opportunity to learn about ourselves; our flaws and weaknesses give us the opportunity to grow and our mistakes allow us to learn. Examining our actions becomes a mirror to see our conscious and unconscious motives, thoughts, and desires more clearly. The yogic practice of Svadhyaya also involves the study of sacred and spiritual texts as a guide to our interior world where our true self resides. Self-study requires both seeing who we are in the moment and seeing beyond our current state to realize our connection with the divine.

Ishvara Pranidhana (devotion) is the dedication, devotion, and surrender of the fruits of one’s practice to a higher power. This Niyama fuses two common aspects of yoga within it: the devotion to something greater than the self and the selfless action of karma yoga. Patanjali tells us that to reach the goal of yoga we must dissolve our egocentric nature and let go of our constant identification with ourselves. To do this, our yoga practice and all of the benefits we may receive from our practice must be seen as an offering to something greater than ourselves. Through this simple act of dedication we become reminded of our connection to our higher power, and our yoga practice becomes sacred and filled with grace, inner peace, and abounding love.

The foundation limbs of Patanjali’s eight-fold path of yoga, yama and niyama, create a solid foundation and strong container for the yogini to move into the deeper stages of yoga with focus, inner-strength, and success. Practicing the Yamas and Niyamas is a journey and process. Take one step, one Yama or Niyama at a time and proceed with compassion and without worry of perfection. As Swami Sri Kripalvanandaji said, " When you pick one petal from the garland of yamas and niyamas, the entire garland will follow

article399

2008-03-10T02:22:00.001-07:00

Yoga for Insomnia

Insomnia is a sleep disorder that is characterized by difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, waking too early, and/or feeling tired upon waking. Acute insomnia (lasting from one night to a few weeks) is the most common and is usually caused by stress, hormonal changes, and/or emotional problems. Fortunately, the stress reducing, calming and natural balancing effects of yoga make it a perfect remedy for mild and acute insomnia, and along with good sleep habits insomnia can often be prevented or quickly cured. A gentle practice of calming yoga poses will be generally effective to reduce stress and balance the body’s systems to promote good sleep. Since forward bending poses are traditionally known for their inherent calming effects, try to practice several of the following: seated and standing forward bends, downward facing dog, child, seated angle, seated head to knee, and yoga mudra.

If there is an emotional component to your insomnia that includes depression and anxiety, then incorporate the following poses to strengthen the energy of the body and open the heart center: fish, bridge, cobra, puppy dog, camel, goddess, warrior 1 and 2, and twisting squat. Also, practicing the Buddhist Metta meditation to cultivate loving-kindness to remove negative thought patterns will be helpful.

Hormonal imbalances are often a cause of insomnia. If so, forward bends and inversions will be particularly effective. Poses that massage the reproductive organs and activate the endocrine system will also be helpful, such as: bow, boat, bridge, crocodile, and seated twists.

If stress is contributing to your insomnia, then a more active or flowing approach to yoga would be warranted. Including some of the following hip openers and side bends in your yoga practice would also be beneficial: prayer squat, seated and standing angle, supine bound angle, half moon, half circle, and side seated angle. Establishing a daily meditation practice will also be important to calm the mind and effectively manage stress.

Always end your yoga practice with a 7-10 minute shavasana (relaxation) pose. You can also add a progressive muscle relaxation or a guided relaxation during shavasana to further calm and relax the body and mind.

Inversions, such as shoulderstand, plow, and headstand will be helpful to practice when you are having difficulty falling asleep. Also, practicing dirga pranayama, especially with an extended exhalation, will also be deeply calming to the body and mind, and can be practiced while lying in bed.

Chronic insomnia (lasting least three nights a week for a month or longer) will be harder to treat with yoga due to the possible underlying factors of other health conditions and/or side effects of medications. If chronic insomnia is present, consulting with a doctor or health professional will be essential to address any underlying medical issues.

A complete list of yoga postures, meditations and pranayamas that prevent and quickly cure mild insomnia is now available in our premium yoga therapy section. A yoga pose sequence for the calming the Heart and Mind is available in our premium yoga sequence section.

article398

2008-03-10T02:21:00.001-07:00

The Five Yamas of Yoga

At the beginning of Patanjali’s eight-fold path of yoga lays the Yamas: the moral, ethical and societal guidelines for the practicing yogi. These guidelines are all expressed in the positive, and thus become emphatic descriptions of how a yogi behaves and relates to her world when truly immersed in the unitive sate of yoga. While we may not strive to reach such a pure state ourselves, the Yamas are still highly relevant and valued guides to lead a conscious, honest and ethical life.

Patanjali considered the Yamas the great, mighty and universal vows. He instructs us that they should be practiced on all levels (actions, words, and thoughts) and that are not confined to class, place, time or concept of duty (YS 2.31).

Ahimsa is the practice of non-violence, which includes physical, mental, and emotional violence towards others and the self. We create violence most often in our reactions to events and others, habitually creating judgment, criticism, anger or irritation. I have found the Buddhist practice of compassion to be an excellent tool to foster non-violence in my life. Compassion is the ability to accept events as they are with an open and loving heart. It is a letting go of reacting to a situation in a conditional and negative way, and replaces those thoughts or feelings with kindness, acceptance and love. At first practicing compassion is hard, frustrating and not fun. But the key is to have compassion for oneself for not having compassion, and to smile at this contradiction.

Satya (truthfulness) urges us to live and speak our truth at all times. Walking the path of truth is a hard one, especially while respecting Patanjali’s first Yama, Ahimsa. Since Ahimsa must be practiced first, we must be careful to not speak a truth if we know it will cause harm to another. Living in your truth not only creates respect, honor and integrity but also provides the vision to clearly see the higher truths of the yogic path.

Asteya (non-stealing) is best defined as not taking what is not freely given. While this may on the surface seem easy to accomplish, when we look further this Yama can be quite challenging to practice. On a personal level the practice of Asteya entails not committing theft physically and/or not causing or approving of anyone else doing so--in mind, word, or action. On the level of society, Asteya would be in opposition to exploitation, social injustice and oppression. While not easy, practicing Asteya encourages generosity and overcomes Lobha (greed). And as Patanjali tells us, “when Asteya is firmly established in a yogi, all jewels will become present to him/her.” (YS 2.37).

Brahmacharya (continence) states that when we have control over our physical impulses of excess, we attain knowledge, vigor, and increased energy. To break the bonds that attach us to our excesses and addictions, we need both courage and will. And each time we overcome these impulses of excess we become stronger, healthier and wiser. One of the main goals in yoga is to create and maintain balance. And the simplest method for achieving balance is by practicing Brahmacharya, creating moderation in all of our activities. Practicing moderation is a way of conserving our energy, which can then be applied for higher spiritual purposes.

Aparigraha (non-coveting) urges us to let go of everything that we do not need, possessing only as much as necessary. The yogis tell us that worldly objects cannot be possessed at all, as they are all subject to change and will be ultimately destroyed. When we become greedy and covetous we lose the ability to see our one eternal possession, the Atman, our true Self. And when we cling to what we have we lose the ability to be open to receive what we need.

In a practical sense, the practicing the Yamas eliminates or reduces the accumulation of bad karma as well as prevents the draining of our energy when we lead a false and/or unconscious life. When we practice the Yamas we are striving towards living a healthier, holier and more peaceful life and at the same time we strengthen our powers of awareness, will and discernment. Engaging in these practices is not an easy task, yet by doing so we fortify our character, improve our relationships with others, and further our progress along the path of yoga.

article397

2008-03-10T02:20:00.001-07:00

The Hatha Yoga Pradipika

What is commonly considered Yoga in the West is in actuality just one of the many paths of Yoga, and is technically called Hatha Yoga. The oldest and most widely used ancient text on the physical practices of Hatha Yoga is the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. This book was composed in 15th century CE by Swami Swatamarama and is derived from older Sanskrit texts, the teachings from well-known teachers and from Swatamarama's own yogic experiences. The main goal of this text is to illuminate the physical disciplines and practices of Hatha Yoga and integrate these with the higher spiritual goals of Raja Yoga (meditation). Swatamarama begins with explaining the relationship between Hatha Yoga and Raja yoga, informing us that Hatha is a preliminary practice for Raja Yoga. He tells us that obtaining self-control and self-discipline is much easier when we start with the physical and energetic body, verses trying to directly control the mind as in Raja Yoga. Through the mastery of the prana, or energy of the body, we can then easily master the control of the mind and obtain success with Raja Yoga. In verse 1:41 he tells us that when the flow of prana is stabilized through the practices of Hatha Yoga, the breath stops spontaneously and a mindless state naturally arises.

Although Swatamarama’s instructions on how to practice this yoga are quite detailed and a bit dated, Westerners can still apply the most important and relevant points to their practice. Swatamarama tells us that the room where one practices yoga in should be clean, pleasant, comfortable and free from insects and animals. He also details the qualities that bring success in yoga, that cause failure, and also supplies ten rules of conduct and ten personal observances for the beginning yogi to follow. In brief, he tells us that to be successful in the practice of Hatha Yoga we must live a quiet, pure, honest and moderate lifestyle and avoid any excessive behaviors.

The bulk of this text details the techniques of the main practices of Hatha Yoga: Asana (postures), Pranayama (breathing exercises), Shatkarma (internal cleansings), mudra (energy seal), and Bandha (energy locks). After some basic preliminary requirements, Swatamarama makes clear the first stage of Hatha Yoga is Asana, the physical postures that we are most familiar in the West. Asana creates firmness of the body and mind, and diseaselessness and flexibility of the body. It is here where we first learn to control and discipline the body. Swatamarama tells us that once a practice of Asana has been established then Pranayama can be begun. The goal with these breathing exercises is to control the prana and the subtle energies of the body, which in turn can be used to control the mind. Swatamarama tells us that if there is excessive mucus in the body, this will need to be removed using the six purification techniques of Shatkarma. These purifying techniques as well as the Pranayama help to purify the energy channels of the body and allow the prana to move more efficiently through these nadis. Utilizing Mudra and Bandha further activates the energy of the body, concentrates it and channels it into the main energy channel, the sushumna, that runs from the base of the spine to the top of the head and intersects all seven chakras. Mudras are complex movements of the whole body in a combination of asana, pranayama, bandha and visualization. Bandhas are engagements of specific groups of muscles at the base of the pelvis, the abdomen and the throat to “lock” the prana energy of the body inside the torso. Both of these techniques are challenging to master and should only be attempted after one is competent and skilled in both Asana and Pranayama.

At one level, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika details a very similar yoga of what is practiced in the West, while a very different yoga is shown by the intent of the deeper practices described within. Traditionally, Hatha Yoga is uniquely focused on transforming the physical body through purification and the cultivation of the life force energy of prana. And all of the techniques of Hatha Yoga are seen as preliminary steps to achieving the deeper states of meditation and enlightenment found in the path of Raja Yoga. Considering this, we are only getting a small taste of what yoga can offer us here in the West. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika gives us a valuable map to these deeper practices of yoga, as well as providing the knowledge and tools to travel to these depths if we so choose.

article396

2008-03-10T02:19:00.000-07:00

Cultivating devotion through the Puranas

The most revered and pertinent texts in the Bhakti Yoga tradition are the Puranas, the ancient stories of the Indian gods and goddesses. In Bhakti Yoga the devotional aspect of yoga is emphasized, in which the practitioner develops faith and unconditional love to become united with the Divine. This faith and love is cultivated through the Puranas personalization of the Devas (gods and goddesses) with vivid and entertaining myths, stories and legends. The Puranas also serve to detail the spiritual practices and modes of worshiping and invoking the universal energies encapsulated in the Devas. The essential teachings of the ancient Vedic texts were popularized through the entertaining stories of the Puranas, giving the common people access and understanding to these potent spiritual teachings and complex yogic philosophies. These myths, stories, legends and allegories provided concrete examples of living one’s life according to both dharma (duty, righteousness) and bhakti. The Puranas instructed one on having a personal relationship with the Devas through the explanation and encouragement of the practices of yoga, vows, puja, prayers, and spiritual sacrifices. The Puranas also served to provide a common mythological history to the Indian people through its stories of the lives of saints, kings and great men, and the chronicles of great historical events.

The Puranas are written in Sanskrit verse, and were composed between the 4th century BCE and the 1st century CE. There are eighteen major puranas, as well as a similar number of minor puranas and their length varies considerably: the Skanda Purana has 81,000 verses, while the Markandeya Purana has only 9,000 verses. The ancient Sanskrit scholar Amarasinha defined a purana as having five characteristic topics: "(1) The creation of the universe; (2) Its destruction and renovation; (3) The genealogy of gods and patriarchs; (4) The reigns of the Manus, forming the periods called Manwantaras; (5) the history of the Solar and Lunar races of kings."

Overall, the Puranas primarily tell of the numerous battles between the devas and the asuras (demons), which are viewed as allegorical accounts of the struggle within each person between the forces of good and evil. And through the heroic deeds and noble qualities of the Devas we become inspired to lead a better life, become a better person and overcome our limitations.

article395

2008-03-10T02:18:00.000-07:00

Yoga for Purifying Mind, Body and Spirit

Purification (shaucha) is a central aim of all the yogic practices, and is the first principle of self-discipline (niyama) in Patanjali’s eight-limbed approach. The yogis have discovered that impurities in our internal body adversely affect our state of mind, and prevent the attainment of real wisdom and spiritual liberation. Through the yogic practices of asana, pranayama, tapas and shatkarma, the body and the mind become cleansed and our spiritual development is accelerated. The physical postures of yoga purify the body through movements that increase and improve the flow of blood, oxygen and prana (life force energy) in the tissues, muscles and organs. The yoga poses squeeze and massage the muscles and organs to move out old stagnant blood and bring in fresh blood full of nutrients and oxygen. In the more dynamic postures, heat is created and sweat is produced to facilitate the release toxins through the pores of the skin.

The breathing techniques of pranayama purify the mind and body through the balance and cultivation of energy throughout the whole body. Different pranayamas have different actions on the body and thus different purifying effects. Kapalabhati (breath of fire) is warming and energizing, purifying the body through the creation of heat and the movement of energy. Nadi Sodhana (alternate nostril breath) is calming and cleansing, purifying the body through reducing stress and removing blockages in the nadis (energy channels).

The intensive self-discipline of Tapas purifies the mind and spirit through the “burning up” of the desires in our mind. Basically, Tapas is engaging the will to do some action you do not want to do or not doing some action you want to do. This creates a conflict between our will and the desire of our mind producing an internal “fire” which illuminates and burns up our mental and physical impurities.

The six cleansing practices of shatkarma purify the body by physically removing excesses of mucus or phlegm. These are primarily esoteric practices that must be learned and performed with the supervision of a qualified teacher. The shatkarmas are described as six groups of yogic cleansing techniques: Neti: nasal cleaning and irrigation, Dhauti: cleansing of the digestive tract, Nauli: abdominal massage, Basti: colon cleaning, Kapalbhati: purification and vitalization of the brain, and Trataka: blinkless gazing. The goal of these practices is to purge out excesses in order to bring the three doshas (physical constitutions) into balance. If the doshas are already in balance, then it is recommended to not practice these intense cleansing practices. There are easier, gentler and more accessible ways of balancing the doshas through the healing techniques of Ayurveda that can be utilized as an alternative of the shatkarmas.

When the mind, body and spirit have been purified through the various practices of yoga, the overall result is an increase in the flow of prana through the whole body, improving our capacity to work, think, digest, taste, feel, and experience life. And not only do these practices make us feel more alive, they also foster our spiritual development, inner awareness and equanimity.

article394

2008-03-10T02:17:00.002-07:00

Sankhya's Map of the Universe

Sankhya philosophy, one of the oldest and most influential of the six systems (darshans) of Indian thought, has had a profound impact on the beliefs, values and concepts used in the practice of yoga. At the time of the Buddha, Sankhya philosophy revealed a detailed map of the universe to serve as a guide towards realizing the unitive state, the ultimate goal of yoga. Sankhya philosophy divides the universe into 25 distinct yet related principles called tattvas. The tattvas are guideposts to orient ourselves within the map and to see what we experience as separate concepts are truly part of a larger whole. Acknowledging and understanding these tattvas refines our discrimination, affirms our consciousness and brings us towards self-realization. Patanjali drew heavily upon Sankhya philosophy in the development of his Yoga Sutras, and many of the practical methods and techniques of yoga rest on Sankhya’s philosophical foundations.

The fundamental distinction in Sankhya philosophy is the separation of Brahman (oneness of all elements in the universe) into two distinct parts: Purusha (pure consciousness) and Prakriti (nature, primeval matter). Samsara or bondage arises when Purusha enters into a state of advidia (not knowing), loosing its identity and confusing itself with the physical body - which is seen as a distinct evolute of Prakriti. Purusha becomes liberated when the discriminate knowledge of the difference between conscious Purusha and unconscious Prakriti is realized.

These 25 elements were further simplified into two other maps of the body-mind-spirit: the three Shariras (bodies) and the five Koshas (sheathes). These both identify layers within our experience, which correlate with each other and the tattvas. The Shariras and the Koshas are both used to draw one’s awareness inside, traveling from the physical, to the energetic and casual bodies, towards the very essence of our being, which Sankhya tells us is Brahman, pure undivided oneness. This moving from the physical to the subtle deeper experiences of the body is an important tool in the practice of meditation and inner contemplation.

While the dualism apparent in the Sankhya system soon became incongruent with further developments in yogic philosophy, Sankhya’s core concepts became ingrained into yogic teachings as well as into other Indian systems of science, art and knowledge. Sankhya’s core concept of seeing all aspects of the created world as having the same essence remains an important realization to remove fear, separation and suffering and to lead us towards a state of experienced oneness.

article393

2008-03-10T02:17:00.001-07:00

Yoga with common injuries

We often bring injuries with us into our yoga practice – both from pushing ourselves too hard in yoga and from overworking our bodies in other exercise or daily activities. Yoga can provide a therapeutic tool for healing and recovery from an injury – but it can also be an impediment to healing or even worsen the injury. By adhering to some simple guidelines we can safely practice yoga with an injury and utilize yoga to support the healing process by activating the body’s lymphatic system and by improving local circulation. There are three main stages of healing after an injury has occurred. By being aware of these three stages and following the recommended guidelines for each stage we can expedite the healing process and reduce the risk of re-injuring the area.

Acute Stage During the first stage, the acute period, rest the injured area for 4-6 days. Do not perform any movements that require strength, aggravate the injury, or produce any pain. At the beginning of this stage inflammation is usually present, and elevating the affected area will help to control any swelling to help reduce any throbbing or discomfort. Inversion poses will be very helpful to reduce inflammation by activating the lymphatic system, and will also provide elevation if the injury is located in the lower body. Using ice and compression (wrapping with an ace bandage) on the injured area during the first 2-3 days after the injury is also recommended to help relieve inflammation and pain, and to expedite the recovery process. After the swelling has subsided (usually after the first 48 to 72 hours), very gentle and slow range of motion movements can be performed, but do not stretch the muscles that trigger the pain. Even though the area may feel like it needs a stretch, stretching will not help with the healing process and most likely will re-injure the area to prevent further healing.

Subacute Stage The subacute stage of injury follows the acute stage and lasts between 1-3 weeks. During this time the injured tissue is very fragile and susceptible to re-injury. Very gentle stretching is the first step of rehabilitation. Stay focused on the breath and the sensations of the stretch, but do not stretch to the point of pain. The next step of rehabilitation is to slowly and gently strengthen the muscles involved in the injury. Begin with slow, gentle non-weight bearing movements and gradually increase the amount of motion and number of repetitions. As symptoms resolve, gradually resume using weight-bearing movements. An adequate warm-up before and correct alignment during yoga is essential in this healing stage.

Move into the poses slowly and gently; use long hold times and practice slow deep breathing in the poses. Any movements that increase your symptoms should be avoided. If a yoga pose causes any pain, tingling, or numbness, stop immediately.

Chronic Stage The chronic stage of injury follows the subacute stage and may take up to 12-18 months for complete healing to occur. During this time the injured site may feel healed but it is still susceptible to a re-injury and/or chronic inflammation if excessive force is used on the area. It is important to know that care must be taken during this stage and that the injury will not be 100% healed until after this stage has passed .

Following these guidelines will allow you to continue your yoga practice while allowing and encouraging the healing of your injury. While using the above guidelines can effectively heal most minor injuries, a yoga practice should be used only to supplement conventional therapy, not replace it. Severe pain lasting more than a few days without improvement requires medical attention.

article392

2008-03-10T02:16:00.001-07:00

The Five Vayus

Through their exploration of the body and breath, the ancient yogis discovered that prana (life force energy) could be further subdivided into energetic components they called Vayus (winds). The five Vayus of prana all have very subtle yet distinct energetic qualities, including specific functions and directions of flow. The yogis were able to control and cultivate these Vayus by simply bringing their focus and awareness to them. Through this conscious control and cultivation they were not only able to create optimal health and well-being, but were able to activate the primordial Kundalini energy to obtain states of enlightened Samadhi. Complete mastery over the Vayus is not necessary to benefit from using them to improve our inward focus and the ability to feel the subtleties within the body. Cultivating a basic awareness of one or more of the Vayus will help us deepen our awareness of body and breath to enrich our yoga practice.

The two most important Vayus are Prana-Vayu and Apana-Vayu. Prana-Vayu is situated in the head, centered in the third-eye, and its energy pervades the chest region. The flow of Prana-Vayu is inwards and upward. It nourishes the brain and the eyes and governs reception of all things: food, air, senses, and thoughts. This Vayu is the fundamental energy in the body and directs and feeds into the four other Vayus. To experience Prana-Vayu: Close your eyes, sit or stand with a long spine and relaxed body, and as you inhale feel an energy flowing up the torso from the belly to the third-eye.

Apana-Vayu is situated in the pelvic floor and its energy pervades the lower abdomen. The flow of Apana-Vayu is downwards and out and its energy nourishes the organs of digestion, reproduction and elimination. Apana-Vayu governs the elimination of all substances from the body: carbon monoxide, urine, stool, etc. To experience Apana-Vayu: Close your eyes, sit or stand with a long spine and relaxed body, and as you exhale feel an energy flowing down the torso from the top of the head to the tailbone.

Vyana-Vayu is situated in the heart and lungs and flows throughout the entire body. The flow of Vyana-Vayu moves from the center of the body to the periphery. It governs circulation of all substances throughout the body, and assists the other Vayus with their functions. To experience Vyana-Vayu: Close your eyes, sit or stand with a long spine and relaxed body, and as you inhale feel the breath radiating outward from the navel to the arms and legs.

Udana-Vayu is situated in the throat and it has a circular flow around the neck and head. It functions to “hold us up” and governs speech, self-expression and growth. To experience Udana-Vayu: Close your eyes, sit or stand with a long spine and relaxed body, and as you inhale and exhale feel the breath circulating around and through the head and neck.

Samana-Vayu is situated in the abdomen with its energy centered in the navel. The flow of Samana-Vayu moves from the periphery of the body to the center. It governs the digestion and assimilation of all substances: food, air, experiences, emotions and thoughts. To experience Samana-Vayu: Close your eyes, sit or stand with a long spine and relaxed body, and as you inhale and exhale feel the breath rising and falling in the front, sides and back of the torso.

Awareness of one or more Vayu has several applications in yoga, and is most easily illustrated within a yoga posture. The awareness of Prana-Vayu creates a focus to lift, lengthen and open the upper body. The awareness of Apana-Vayu creates a focus to ground and stabilize the lower body. The awareness of Vyana-Vayu creates a focus of strength and fluid movement body. The awareness of Udana-Vayu creates a focus to maintain a long spine and a correct posture. The awareness of Samana-Vayu creates a focus to open and relax the body.

article391

2008-03-10T02:15:00.000-07:00

The Vedas

The Vedas are considered the most sacred and treasured texts of India. The Vedas are a collection of hymns that were received by the ancient rishis (sages) as shruti, divine revelation. As hymns and mantras, these works were actively recited out loud to both praise and invoke the powers of the spiritual realms, and had been verbally passed on for many generations before written down on delicate palm leaves. These Vedic mantras were utilized in yagas and yajnas (ritual sacrifices and ceremonies) for promoting the well being of individuals, society and the world. As the oldest texts in any Indo-European language, it’s astounding that within these works the foundations of yoga are established, with yoga being defined as "yoking" and as a "discipline." The Vedas provided the spiritual core and philosophical foundations for the future development of both yoga and Hinduism.

There are four texts that compose the Vedas: Rig-Veda, Sama-Veda, Yajur-Veda and Atharva-Veda.

The Rig-Veda is the oldest, dating back to 1500 B.C.E., and is the most revered and important of the four. The Rig-Veda’s collection of inspired hymns and mantras were used to invoke courage, happiness, health, peace, prosperity, success, and wisdom. In the Rig-Veda we learn the now famous Gayatri mantra, which is still used today for its potent spiritual qualities. We also find the first use and definition of the word yoga. These verses provide the foundation and material for the remaining Vedas.

The Sama-Veda is purely a devotional collection of melodies (saman) used to elevate one’s consciousness. The hymns in the Sama-Veda are combined with musical notes, and their content was heavily drawn from the Rig-Veda, providing no distinctive lessons of their own. This use of music combined with mantras formed the foundation for the Bhakti yoga practice of kirtan, devotional chanting.

The Yajur-Veda is devoted entirely to the worship of the deities and the instruction for the technical aspects of ceremonies. The Yajur-Veda served as a handbook for the Vedic priests who executed sacrificial acts through simultaneously chanting the hyms and mantras while following the sacrificial formula (yajus).

The Atharva-Veda consists of spells and charms to dispel evil, disease and misfortune. Its hymns are of a more diverse character than the Rig-Veda and were composed of a simpler language making them more accessible to the general population.

The Vedas expounded a diverse set of practices, ideas and concepts; among them was an primitive form of yoga as well as one of the world’s oldest, diverse and complex spiritual philosophies. Six main schools of philosophy emerged from these teachings. These Darshanas (viewpoints) all systematically represent the core ideas illuminated in the Vedas. They are: Nyaya (logic), Vaiseshika (analysis of the universe), Samkhya (classification of the universe), Yoga (union with the Divine), Mimansha (ritual interpretation of the Vedas), and Vedanta (inquiry into the Self).

Because all of these philosophical systems draw from the same source, they are seen to complement rather than compete with each other. Over time, Vaisheshika, Nyaya, and Mimamsa have become somewhat obsolete and are not actively practiced. Samkhya, Vedanta, and Yoga continue to have a strong importance and influence in Indian thought and many of the practices that evolved out of these Darshanas continue to be practiced today.

article390

2008-03-10T02:13:00.002-07:00

Ganesha: the Elephant Headed Prince

With an elephant head and a round potbelly, Ganesha is perhaps the most popular and best known of the Hindu deities. Ganesha is most notably known as the “remover of obstacles” but also resides over the realms of wisdom, luck, doorways, the household and writing. Before Ganesha was born, his father was often away from his wife, Parvati, fighting distant battles or spending long stretches of time in deep meditation. Shortly after Shiva’s departure for yet another battle trip, Parvati gave birth to a son who she raised over the years while Shiva was still out to battle. When Shiva finally did return home, he found a young boy guarding the entrance to his cave. Since Ganesha had never met his father, he stood his ground to protect his mother while she was bathing inside the cave. Unfortunately, thinking they were both an enemy, they fought each other, and in a fierce rage Shiva chopped off Ganesha’s head with his sword. Hearing a ruckus outside, Parvati emerged from the cave to find her son decapitated and sternly ordered Shiva to remedy the situation. Shiva and his army quickly scavenged the local area to find a suitable replacement for Ganesha’s head. Shiva was able to save Ganesha’s life by replacing his head with the head of a young elephant.

The complicated form of Ganesha is rich with symbolism. Ganesha is normally depicted with four arms: one using a mudra of protection, one holding a modaka (sweet), one holding a ankusha (elephant goad), and one holds a pasa (noose). The modaka symbolizes the sweet rewards gained while on the spiritual path. The ankusha is a tool used for training elephants and represents Ganesha’s role in prodding one out of inertia and back onto their spiritual path. The pasa symbolizes Ganesha’s powers at curbing the ego, restraining passion and conquering delusion. His potbelly signifies the bounty of nature and his large head is symbolic of the wisdom of the elephant.

Ganesha is most famously known as the “remover of obstacles.” He has the power to remove any obstacle, whether it is physical or spiritual, from the path of his devotees. If one is not respectful or faithful to Ganesha, he is known to place obstacles in one’s path to render worship fruitless and cause one’s undertakings to fail. Ganesha is venerated as the deity of letters and scriptures. Legend states that Ganesha, using his own tusk as a quill scribed India’s greatest epic, the Mahabharata. Ganesha also rules over the threshold. As he guarded his mother's doorway from unwanted guests, so does he guard the entrance into the inner sanctum of the spirit. Thus, Ganesha is traditionally invoked and honored at the beginning of important rites of passage and rituals, as well as before starting upon any new project.

Ganesha has many stories detailing his symbolism and roles as well as describing his cleverness, playfulness and wisdom. To read more on Ganesha and his many tales, explore the following titles: Ganesha: The Auspicious... The Beginning The Book of Ganesha In a World of Gods and Goddesses

article389

2008-03-10T02:13:00.001-07:00

Focusing on a Drishti

A drishti (view or gaze) is a specific focal point that is employed during meditation or while holding a yoga posture. The ancient yogis discovered that where our gaze is directed our attention naturally follows, and that the quality of our gazing is directly reflected in the quality of our mental thoughts. When the gaze is fixed on a single point the mind is diminished from being stimulated by all other external objects. And when the gaze is fixed on a single point within the body, our awareness draws inwards and the mind remains undisturbed by external stimuli. Thus, the use of a drishti allows the mind to focus and move into a deep state of concentration. And the constant application of drishti develops ekagraha, single-pointed focus, an essential yogic technique used to still the mind. A drishti is commonly used in meditation to focus and concentrate the mind. The most useful drishti points used are the breath and the third eye center. External focal points can also be used, such as the tip of the nose, a candle or mandala.

In yoga postures, a drishti is used to deepen the primary movement of the pose, as well as to keep the mind engaged and focused. To use a drishti while in a yoga pose, simply select the point where your gaze is naturally directed by the alignment of the posture. The use of drishtis in yoga postures is to be developed slowly over time. First one must develop and focus on the alignment of pose, then the breath, and then finally the drishti. Using a drishti is especially helpful if you are holding a posture for an extended period of time, and will be enormously helpful while practicing balancing poses.

In Ashtanga yoga, eight specific drishtis are used and described: Nasagrai Drishti, gaze at the tip of the nose, as used in upward facing dog and standing forward fold poses. Angusta Ma Dyai Drishti, gaze at the thumbs, as used in warrior I. Nabi Chakra Drishti, gaze at the navel, as used in downward facing dog. Pahayoragrai Drishti, gaze at the toes, as used in hand to toe pose and most seated forward bends. Hastagrai Drishti, gaze at the hands, as used in triangle and warrior II. Parsva Drishti, gaze to the side, as used in seated spinal twists. Urdhva Drishti, gaze upwards, as used in warrior angle, balancing half moon, and prayer twist. Naitrayohmadya or Broomadhya Drishti, gaze at the third eye or forehead, as used in fish, upward forward fold, and reverse warrior II.

When using a drishti, do not strain the eyes. The muscles around the eyes should be relaxed and the gaze should be soft. Generally, it is recommended to use bahya (external) gazing for externally oriented yoga practices and antara (internal) gazing for contemplative and meditative practices. But there is also value to having the eyes closed and using antara drishti during yoga postures, as this creates a deep state of meditation and inward focus while holding the pose.

In bhakti yoga, drishti is used in a slightly different way: a constant loving and longing gaze is turned toward the concept, name or image of God. Drishti can also be thought of in a broader context, of having the proper view or perspective of one’s life. By developing the ability to adapt one’s perspective to accommodate the continuous change in the world, we can avoid the unnecessary attachments that cause us suffering.

article388

2008-03-10T02:12:00.000-07:00

Yoga for Heart Health

According to the American Heart Association, coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States, causing about 1.5 million heart attacks each year. Recent research has shown yoga and meditation to reduce blood pressure, lower the pulse rate, improve the elasticity of the arteries, regulate heart rhythm, and increase the heart’s stroke volume. Yoga, in short, is good for your heart. Stress is considered a major contributing factor in heart disease. Stressful situations raise your heart rate and blood pressure, and release stress hormones, which all can injure the heart and the blood vessels, especially during prolonged or repeated exposures. Yoga is widely known for its ability to reduce stress and promote a calm relaxed state, which in turn reduces stress hormones, decreases the heart rate and lowers blood pressure, helping to control and prevent heart disease.

The breath has a strong influence on the rhythm of the heart through the inner connections in the central nervous system. Slow deep breathing is encouraged by hatha yoga, pranayama (yogic breathing exercises) and verbal recitation of mantras. And this smoothing and lengthening of the breath slows the heart rate, regulates the heart rhythm, oxygenates the blood, and induces a feeling of calm and well-being. All of the benefits of establishing a slow steady breath rhythm have been shown to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Because of their effects on both the physical and energetic bodies, specific types of yoga postures can be used to control and prevent heart disease. Upper back-bending poses open the chest to improve heart function and respiration. Side-bending poses open the energy channels of the liver, gallbladder and heart to help remove physical and energetic blockages in the heart and chest. Spine lengthening poses promote good posture to reduce compression on the heart and lungs and to facilitate proper functioning of the heart. Shavasana (corpse or relaxation pose) is deeply calming and has been shown to reduce high blood pressure in just a few weeks. Inversions help to rest the heart muscle and improve blood circulation, but are contraindicated with unmedicated high blood pressure. Findings show that people who practice yoga and meditation at least three times a week may reduce their blood pressure, pulse and their overall risk of heart disease.

Meditation is renowned for its ability to calm the mind and reduce stress. It also can reduce heart-harmful emotions, such as anxiety, hostility and hopelessness. And studies have shown that a daily meditation practice can reduce the amount of fatty deposits in the arteries, as well as lower blood pressure.

Practicing yoga naturally leads one to choose a healthier lifestyle, which most often eliminates or minimizes heart disease’s dietary risk factors of refined sugar, alcohol, high cholesterol and fat rich foods, and caffeine.

While all of these yogic practices have been shown to help prevent and control heart disease, when they are practiced together they create powerful healing synergy on the heart. Dr. Dean Ornish’s famous study has shown that heart disease can not only be controlled, but can actually be reversed through diet, meditation, group support, and yoga.

A complete list of yoga postures that prevent and control heart disease is now available in our premium yoga therapy section. A yoga pose sequence for the Heart and Chest is available in our premium yoga sequence section.

article387

2008-03-10T02:11:00.002-07:00

Unlocking the Mystery of Om

Om (also written Aum) is the oldest and most sacred sound found in yoga, Hinduism and Buddhism. Not only does Om represent the entire universe, known as Brahman, it is also said to be the source of all creation. Om represents all time: past, present, and future; and is beyond time itself. Om represents the eternal oneness of all that is, and thus represents the ultimate goal of yoga: to become unified in body, mind and spirit. Chanting the mantra Om is perhaps the oldest of yoga’s spiritual practices. In the Mandukya Upanishad we find this beautiful passage: “The body is the bow, Om is an the arrow, the arrow’s tip is the focused mind, and the ultimate Mystery is the target.” Thus, meditating on Om is used to guide one to discovering the higher Self, and the true nature of the universe. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali instructs one in contemplating the meaning of Om as a direct path to enlightenment. “The repetition of the sound of Om, along with a deep contemplation of the meaning of what it represents, brings both the realization of the individual Self (Atman) and the removal of obstacles that normally block this realization” (Yoga Sutras 1.27-1.29).

Om is said to be the essence of all mantras, and is used as the mula-mantra, the root and beginning of most mantras. Om is the bija (seed) mantra of the sixth chakra or third eye and chanting Om activates and opens this energy center. Om is also known as the adi-bija, the primary seed mantra. Om is used within sacred chants to increase their power and potency as well as to draw the practitioner into a deep internal state.

It is very important when repeating Om to pronounce the "O" sound correctly. In Sanskrit, the sound "O" is a diphthong-- a subtle speech sound that begins with one vowel and changes to another vowel within the same syllable. This “O” sound begins with an “A” sound as in “law” and ends with a “U” sound as in “put.” When these two vowel sounds are combined in this diphthong, it produces a single, pure vowel sound. Thus, when you pronounce Om it should sound like “home” without the beginning “h” sound. When pronouncing Om the sound should emanate from the navel, with a deep and harmonious vibration, and gradually rises upwards to resonate in the nostrils.

Though indivisible, Om has four subtle sounds that correspond to four levels of consciousness. The first sound of "A" represents Vaishvanara, the conscious waking state. The second sound of "U" represents Taijasa, the subtle, unconscious dream state. The third sound of "M" represents the Prajna, the casual, subconscious deep sleep state. The fourth sound is the silence that follows the sound of Om which represents Turiya, the absolute consciousness that illumines and pervades the three prior states.

When chanting Om, equal measure should be given to both the “O” and the “M” sounds, i.e. “oooommmm” and not “oommmmmm” or “oooooomm.” The mantra Om may be chanted aloud, whispered, or repeated mentally. The chanting of Om should be easy and natural, without strain. Usually when Om is chanted out loud it is long and when chanted mentally is it short, but experiment and do what feels most comfortable for you. When chanting Om you can also focus your gaze on the third eye center, the sixth chakra. If using Om as a mantra meditation you may wish to use a mala to count repetitions of 108.

article386

2008-03-10T02:11:00.001-07:00

The Power of Shakti

Shakti is the dynamic force animating all of creation, which gives us life and moves the planets in a cosmic dance called “lila.” This universal energy is considered feminine in nature, and is often personified as the Divine Mother or Paravati, the consort of Shiva. Shakti is extremely diverse in nature; it can both be an agent of change and destruction as well as the means to fulfill our desires and dreams. This dynamic power can be experienced both externally and internally. There are distinctive types of Shakti inside and outside of us that are experienced in different forms and different levels. Para-Shakti is the Shakti working on a cosmic level: the light generated by the sun, the rotation of the planets, heat and other forms of gross energy. Jnana-Shakti is the Shakti of the mind: of thought, wisdom and intuition. Iccha-Shakti is the Shakti of our will, action and intention. Kriya-Shakti is the Shakti of manifestation, creativity, and inspiration. Kundalini-Shakti is the most significant form of Shakti. Seen in nature as electricity and magnetism, Kundalini-Shakti is also the internal hidden Shakti coiled at the base of our spine.

The complementary force to Shakti is Shiva: universal consciousness. Without the animating power of Shakti, Shiva lies asleep. Internally, Shiva resides dormant at the crown chakra. Shakti is described as a coiled serpent of atomic energy at the base of the spine that only outputs the minutest of energy into the body. The path of liberation in yoga is the path of Shakti moving through the nadis (energy channels) and up the seven chakras (energy centers) to be united with Shiva.

Even if our goal is not enlightenment, conscious awareness and cultivation of Shakti can be very beneficial. As you increase the amount of Shakti in your body, your chakras and nadis adjust to contain the additional wattage of Shakti. With your energy system able to accommodate higher amounts of energy, the Kundalini-Shakti then increases its output of Shakti energy in the body. As more Shakti flows in our body, it manifests in its many forms to produce creativity, inspiration, intellect, wisdom and will.

article385

2008-03-10T02:10:00.000-07:00

Jnana Yoga: The Yoga of Wisdom

Jnana (wisdom or knowledge) is considered the most difficult of the four main paths of Yoga, requiring great strength of will and intellect. In Jnana yoga, the mind is used to inquire into its own nature and to transcend the mind’s identification with its thoughts and ego. The fundamental goal of Jnana yoga is to become liberated from the illusionary world of maya (thoughts and perceptions) and to achieve union of the inner Self (Atman) with the oneness of all life (Brahman). This is achieved by steadfastly practicing the mental techniques of self-questioning, reflection and conscious illumination that are defined in the Four Pillars of Knowledge. The Four Pillars of Knowledge (sadhana chatushtaya) are the prescribed steps toward achieving liberation in Jnana Yoga. These practices build upon each other and thus should be practiced in sequential order. Even if one does not have the goal of achieving liberation, practicing these techniques will cultivate spiritual insight and understanding as well as reduce one’s suffering and dissatisfaction of life.

Viveka (discernment, discrimination) is a deliberate, continuous intellectual effort to distinguish between the real and the unreal, the permanent and the temporary, and the Self and not-Self.

Vairagya (dispassion, detachment) is cultivating non-attachment or indifference toward the temporal objects of worldly possessions and the ego mind. "It is only when the mind is absolutely free from the attachment of all sorts that true knowledge begins to dawn." - Swami Sivananda.

Shatsampat (six virtues) are six mental practices to stabilize the mind and emotions, and to further develop the ability to see beyond the illusions of maya. • Shama (tranquility, calmness) is the ability to keep the mind peaceful, through moderating its reaction to external stimuli. • Dama (restraint, control) is the strengthening of the mind to be able to resist the control of the senses, and the training of the senses to be used only as instruments of the mind. • Uparati (withdrawal, renunciation) is the abandonment of all activities that are not one's Dharma (Duty). A simple lifestyle is followed that contains no worldly distractions from the spiritual path. • Titiksha (endurance, forbearance) is the tolerance of external non-conducive situations that are commonly considered to produce suffering, especially in extreme opposite states (success and failure, hot and cold, pleasure and pain). • Shraddha (faith, trust) is a sense of certainty and belief in one's guru (teacher), the scriptures and the yogic path. • Samadhana (focus, concentration) is the complete one-pointedness of the mind.

Mumukshutva (longing, yearning) is an intense and passionate desire for achieving the liberation from suffering. In order to achieve liberation one must be completely committed to the path, with such longing that all other desires fade away.

It can be difficult to grasp or comprehend the intellectual approach of jnana yoga, and since one can easily overemphasize intellectual attainment it is important to cultivate humility and compassion on this path. It is easy to become entangled in the constructs and thoughts of the mind and loose sight of the goal of jnana: to realize the divine oneness inherent in all beings. Obviously, this approach would be contraindicated for anyone with a history of mental disease or emotional instability. It is also highly advised to find a competent teacher before divulging deeply into the path of jnana yoga.

article384

2008-03-10T02:09:00.000-07:00

The Power of Mantra

A mantra is a word or series of words chanted aloud or silently to invoke spiritual qualities. Chanting is used as a spiritual tool in virtually every cultural and religious tradition. In the yogic tradition a mantra is a Sanskrit word that has special powers to transform mind, body and spirit. Translated, mantra means, “that which when reflected upon gives liberation.” Mantras are unique mystical formulas of sacred syllables, which were originally revealed to the Rishis (seers or sages) in the deepest states of meditation. Mantras were one of the earliest components of yoga and are quite possibly the first type of meditation that was developed. There are three main types of mantras, Bija (seed), Saguna (with form), and Nirguna (without form). The Bija mantras can be used individually, but are most often incorporated into Saguna mantras to invest them with a special “seed” power. The Bija mantras correlate to the 7 chakras and to the main Hindu deities. The Saguna mantras invoke the forms of the individual deities or personalized aspects of God. It is said that the recitation of the Saguna mantras gives rise to the actual form of the particular deity, thus manifesting its power.

The Nirguna mantras originate from the Vedic texts and are thus the oldest mantras of the three types. As no deities or personalized aspects of God are invoked with these mantras, they are very difficult to interpret and are considered to not have a specific form or meaning to them. These mantras are said to have their identification with all the creation, and contain the fundamental truths in yogic philosophy. It is said that the mind must be very strong to be able to concentrate on the abstract Nirguna mantras, and thus they are not recommended for beginning students .

As each mantra invokes a precise power, they can be used for very specific purposes: spiritual development, the healing of diseases, and for the attainment of worldly desires. When combined with the user’s intention, mantras can become even more targeted and empowered. The mantras are said to increase in power in direct relationship to the number of times repeated. A mantra is fully empowered by becoming “seated” in the heart after 125,000 repetitions, achieving what is called Mantra Siddhi.

The practice of chanting a mantra is considered the easiest form of meditation. Sitting in a comfortable position, with the eyes closed, the mantra is repeated silently or aloud. Pay careful attention to the speed and rhythm of your chanting, the correct pronunciation, aim, and esoteric meaning of the mantra. Allow the mind to be focused on the mantra, letting the thoughts go and maintaining a slow and deep breath. A Mala (string of beads) can be used to count series of 108 repetitions of the mantra.

Like prayer and affirmation the repetitious use of mantra can have powerful effects on the mind, body, spirit and emotions. Mentally, mantra meditation increases concentration, and improves memory and focus. Physically, mantra meditation lowers the heart rate, reduces blood pressure, and activates the relaxation response to allow healing and rejuvenation to occur. Mantra meditation builds self-confidence and self-empowerment, reduces stress and balances the emotions. Spiritually, mantras are said to dissolve one’s bad karma, produce jnana (wisdom) and are considered one of the many yogic paths towards self-realization.

On our Membership Site: A complete list of mantras, with their meanings and audio pronunciations.

article383

2008-03-10T02:08:00.000-07:00

How Yoga Heals

t has become common knowledge that yoga is good for you. Currently yoga is being used as a therapy for cancer, infertility, lung disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, insomnia, high blood pressure, and joint pain. Yet there is very little awareness and understanding on exactly how yoga heals, even in the yoga and medical communities. The key is to understand the relationships between stress, yoga and disease. Medical research estimates as much as 90 percent of illness and disease is stress related. A few of the many diseases and conditions that have been linked to an over active stress response include: cardio-vascular disease, depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, some types of diabetes mellitus, some autoimmune diseases, colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, reproductive problems, and suppression of the immune system.

What we feel as stress, is the product of the sympathetic nervous system or the “fight or flight” response: an almost instantaneous surge in heart rate, cardiac output, blood pressure, sweating, shallow breathing, and metabolism, combined with a tensing of muscles. Internally, the “fight or flight” response shuts down digestion and elimination and reduces blood flow to the internal organs. Short term, this stress reaction is a good thing. The “fight or flight” response prepares us to respond to any environmental threat by fighting against it or fleeing from it. But long term, continuous exposure to stress is harmful, placing excess wear and tear on the body’s systems and severely limiting the body’s natural maintenance and healing abilities.

Chronic stress can lead to continuously high levels of cortisol. This hormone at normal levels helps to maintain an active, healthy body (including regulation of metabolism and blood pressure). But excessive amounts of cortisol can suppress the immune system and cause sleep disturbances, loss of sex drive and loss of appetite. High levels of cortisol can also increase your heart rate, blood pressure and your cholesterol and triglyceride levels (risk factors for both heart attacks and strokes). The byproducts of cortisol act as sedatives, which can lead to changes in mood, especially to feelings of depression.

Fortunately, the body has a natural counterbalance to the “fight or flight” response, called the parasympathetic nervous system or the “relaxation response.” The parasympathetic nervous system becomes activated when the threat or stressor has passed or ended, but it can also be consciously activated by deepening the breath and by relaxing the skeletal muscles.

When activated, the parasympathetic nervous system lowers blood pressure, heart rate and respiration (the pace of the breath). Digestion and elimination are allowed to be stimulated, and blood is free to travel to the digestive, reproductive, glandular, and immune systems — systems necessary for the promotion of long-term health. The “relaxation response” is also known as the “rest and renew” stage, when the body has the time and resources to heal the body and to respond to illness. Obviously, by increasing the frequency, time and depth of the “relaxation response” we not only allow our body to recover from illness and disease, but we also practice preventive medicine by allowing the body to perform all of its essential maintenance tasks.

Yoga’s emphasis on long, deep breathing and conscious relaxation activates the parasympathetic nervous system and promotes its “rest and renew” functions. In fact, a recent study has shown yoga to decrease the level of the stress hormone cortisol in the blood. The meditative practices of yoga help to reduce the reactiveness of the mind to stressors and to lessen the intensity of the “fight or flight” response. Yoga also teaches us to see potential stressors as challenges rather than threats, enabling one to avoid the stress response entirely.

Not only does yoga’s ability to activate the parasympathetic nervous system reduce stress and allow the body to heal itself, but the practice of yoga also improves the body’s inherent healing abilities. The inverting, twisting and compressing that occurs in yoga postures enhances the circulation of blood and body fluids. This increase in circulation not only improves the body’s ability to deliver the materials needed to allow healing to take place, but also activates the lymphatic system to maintain normal functioning of the immune system and inflammation response. Yoga poses also improve muscle strength, flexibility and range of motion, all very important for the healing and prevention of musculoskeletal diseases such as arthritis and osteoporosis. Yoga’s emphasis on deep breathing combined with backbends improves lung capacity and function. Practicing yoga also encourages one to lead a healthier lifestyle, through developing the self-awareness and discipline required for positive behavior modification.

While yoga possesses such a strong support to the body’s healing mechanisms, it is important to view yoga as an adjunct or complementary therapy, and not relied upon as the only therapy for healing disease.

article382

2008-03-10T02:07:00.000-07:00

Bhakti Yoga: the Yoga of Devotion

Bhakti Yoga is one of the four main yogic paths to enlightenment. Bhakti means “devotion” or “love” and this path contains various practices to unite the bhakta (Bhakti Yoga practitioner) with the Divine. Bhakti Yoga is considered the easiest yogic path to master and the most direct method to experience the unity of mind, body and spirit. While Hatha Yoga requires a strong and flexible body, Raja Yoga requires a disciplined and concentrated mind, and Jnana Yoga requires a keen intellect, the only requirement for Bhakti Yoga is an open, loving heart. But Bhakti Yoga complements other paths of yoga well, and it is said that jnana (knowledge or wisdom) will dawn by itself when you engage in the devotional practices of Bhakti Yoga.

This deeply spiritual practice draws heavily on the Hindu pantheon of deities. Each of these deities is seen as representing a humanized aspect of the single Godhead or Brahman – much the same way the Christian saints represent specific attributes and qualities of God. The use of Hindu deities in Bhakti Yoga can be a large obstacle for Western practitioners, especially for those with a deeply religious background. But the use of the Hindu deities is not required for this practice – in fact, finding your own object(s) of devotion will be all the more effective in achieving yoga (union) with the Divine.

There are nine main practices of Bhakti Yoga that can be practiced independently or together. Each of these limbs creates a specific bhava (feeling) that appeals to different inner constitutions of practitioners.

The Nine Limbs of Devotion 1. Shravana – “listening” to the ancient scriptures, especially potent if told by a saint or genuine bhakta. 2. Kirtana – “singing” devotional songs, usually practiced in a call-and-response group format. 3. Smarana – “remembering” the Divine by constantly meditating upon its name and form. 4. Padasevana – “service at the feet” of the Divine, which incorporates the practice of karma yoga (selfless service) with bhakti (devotion). 5. Archana – the “ritual worship” of the Divine through practices such as puja (deity worship), and havan or homa (fire offering). 6. Vandana – the “prostration” before the image of one’s chosen image or representation of the Divine. 7. Dasya – the “unquestioning” devotion of the Divine involving the cultivation of serving the will of God instead of one’s own ego. 8. Sakhya – the “friendship” and relationship established between the Divine and the devotee. 9. Atmanivedana – the “self-offering” and complete surrender of the self to the Divine.

The most popular limb of Bhakti Yoga in the West is Kirtana (usually called Kirtan), with national and local Kirtan walas performing weekly in small to large cities. Bhakti Yoga can be practiced by itself or be integrated into other types of yoga or spiritual practices.

The benefits of Bhakti Yoga are immense, as Swami Sivananda writes, “Bhakti softens the heart and removes jealousy, hatred, lust, anger, egoism, pride and arrogance. It infuses joy, divine ecstasy, bliss, peace and knowledge. All cares, worries and anxieties, fears, mental torments and tribulations entirely vanish. The devotee is freed from the Samsaric wheel of births and deaths. He attains the immortal abode of everlasting peace, bliss and knowledge”.

The ultimate goal in the practice of Bhakti yoga is to reach the state of rasa (essence), a feeling of pure bliss achieved in the devotional surrender to the Divine.

article381

2008-03-10T02:05:00.000-07:00

Yoga for Tendonitis

Tendonitis is the inflammation or irritation of a tendon (the attachment of a muscle to bone). Excessive repetitive movements most often cause tendonitis, but it can also be caused by a minor impact on the affected area, or from a sudden more serious injury. The symptoms of tendonitis are: pain and stiffness, usually around a joint, which is aggravated by movement. Tendonitis is usually a temporary condition, but may become a recurrent or chronic problem. The healing of tendonitis occurs in two main stages, acute and subacute. Yoga supports the healing process in both stages by activating the body’s lymphatic system and by improving local circulation. Yoga is best used for healing in the subacute stage of tendonitis, as well as for preventing recurring bouts of tendonitis.

For acute tendonitis, rest the injured area for 4-6 days. Do not perform any movements that require strength, aggravate the injury, or produce any pain. Elevating the affected area during the inflammation stage helps to control any swelling thereby reducing the throbbing that often accompanies acute inflammation. Inversion poses will be very helpful to reduce inflammation by activating the lymphatic system, and will also provide elevation if the injury is located in the lower body. After the swelling has subsided (usually after the first 48 to 72 hours), very gentle and slow range of motion movements can be performed, but do not stretch the muscles that trigger the tendonitis pain.

The subacute stage of tendonitis follows and lasts between 1-3 weeks. Gentle stretching is the first step of rehabilitation. Stay focused on the breath and the sensations of the stretch, but do not stretch to the point of pain. The next step is to slowly and gently strengthen the muscles surrounding and attached to the injured tendon. Begin with slow, gentle non-weight bearing movements and gradually increase the amount of motion and number of repetitions. As symptoms resolve, gradually resume using weight-bearing movements. Strengthening the surrounding muscles restores full support to the effected joint and reduces the risk of recurrent tendonitis. An adequate warm-up before and correct posture during yoga is essential in this healing stage of tendonitis.

Once the acute and subacute stages of tendonitis or subsides, preventing recurrences is crucial to avoid developing a chronic condition. Developing conscious use of muscles, correct posture and good alignment as well as reducing repetitive movements are necessary. A regular yoga practice will address all these needs, as well as keep the tendons in good health. Care must be taken in yoga to not push or over stretch that can injure or irritate the tendons.

Tendonitis can sometimes recur with a return to physical activity, and prolonged bouts of this painful condition can lead to a thickening or rupture of the tendon. Thus, if the symptoms of tendonitis reappear, it is essential to return to following the movement guidelines for the acute stage.

A yoga practice should be used to supplement conventional therapy, not replace it. Talk to your doctor if your symptoms do not improve.

article380

2008-03-09T23:56:00.001-07:00

The 13 Obstacles of Yoga

The path of yoga can be long and hard, filled with obstacles, pitfalls, and detours. Luckily, yogic philosophy provides a roadside assistance program to aid you when you become stuck. The yogis who have traveled the path before us have left us a troubleshooting guide called the 13 obstacles of yoga. The nine main obstacles of yoga are:
1. Vyadhi - Illness, disease, physical or mental. It is difficult to do yoga if you are physically sick. Thus it is important to lead a healthy lifestyle for the prevention of illness and promotion of optimal health.
2. Styana - Apathy, disinclination towards performing ones kartavya or duty. By procrastinating, we avoid our practice and create excuses for not being on the path and doing the work.
3. Sanshaya - doubting ones capability or the result of yoga. We can only come to know Reality, declares the Brihad-Âranyaka-Upanishad (4.4.23), when we are free from doubt. It is important to cultivate faith in oneself as well as the yogic path.
4. Pramada - Heedlessness, carelessness, a lack of persistence. Yoga is both a science and art and approaching it without skill, care, respect and devotion will create erratic and possible negative results.
5. Alasya - Sloth, inertia of mind or body due to dominance of the tamasic element. Yoga requires discipline, zeal and tapas (will-power) to succeed on its path. Laziness will prevent you from attaining your highest potential.
6. Avirati - Overindulgence, attachment to pleasurable things. We must learn to “let go” of our attachments to desire and physical objects if we are to make progress in yoga.
7. Bhrantidarshan - False vision, a premature sense of certainty. The development of a false notion about the practice of yoga and its outcome can not only lead one off the path of yoga, but also create harm and disappointment.
8. Alabdha-bhumikatva - Non-attainment of the next yogic stage or accomplishment. This happens due to faulty or poor practice and creates a feeling of being “stuck” and leads to discouragement.
9. Anawasthitatwa - Instability, non-permanence of a yogic accomplishment or stage. Not able to maintain an attained stage can be a real drag. This again can be a result of faulty or poor practice.

When any of these primary obstacles are encountered, four minor obstacles may appear according to the circumstances:
1. Duhkha - Pain or sorrow
2. Daurmanasya - depression, pain caused by non-fulfilment of desires.
3. Angamejayatwa - the shivering of parts of the body.
4. Shvâsa-prashvâsa - disturbances in kumbhaka or breath retention causing the irregular breathing pattern that comes with mental agitation.

You will need to be able to remove all these obstacles at will to be successful in yoga. They may appear at any time, and if not conquered during their first appearance, they are most likely to return until you learn how to overcome them.

The key to the removal of any and all of the above obstacles is the cultivation of the one-pointedness of mind. These obstacles will naturally pass with time unless we allow ourselves to become entangled and bogged down in them. By focusing all of your attention on a single object the obstacles dissolve and begin to lose their importance and power.

article379

2008-03-09T23:55:00.000-07:00

Mudras

Mudras (gesture, seal) are subtle physical movements of the hands, face, and or body. Complex mudras involve the whole body in a combination of asana, pranayama, bandha and visualization, while simple mudras range from hand positions to meditation techniques. The purpose of a mudra is to activate and create a circuit of prana in the body. This circuit channels the prana in a specific way to create a subtle effect on koshas and to regulate and awaken the prana, chakras and kundalini, Mudras are used only after proficiency in asana, pranayama and bandha has been achieved, and when one has obtained some cultivation and awareness of prana. In hatha yoga, the level of progression is asana, pranayama, bandha, mudra, samadhi. Thus, mudra is the advanced practice leading up to the attainment of enlightenment or samadhi. Mudras are the bestowers of the eight divine powers. They are held in high esteem by all the siddhas and are difficult for even the gods to attain. (Hatha Yoga Pradipika, 3:8)

Hasta (hand) mudras used primarily in meditation, but can also be incorporated in asana and pranayama as well as in daily activities. Hasta mudras redirect the prana traveling through the fingers back into the body. These mudras are the most common and numerous of the categories of mudras. Many of the hasta mudras have been developed to help with mental and emotional issues as well as heal physical diseases. Hasta mudras should be done with both hands, with light pressure of the fingers and held for 5-45 minutes.

Mana (head) mudras utilize the sense organs of the eyes, ears, nose, tongue and lips. These mudras are done only as meditation exercises and require intense concentration to engage for even short periods of time. Mana mudras are deeply inwardly focusing and induce higher states of consciousness.

Contraction mudras involve the engagement of subtle skeletal muscles, mostly in the area of the pelvis. These mudras concentrate the prana in the body and prime the energy channels (nadis) for the awakening of kundalini.

Kaya (postural) mudras are similar to asana, but combine the other types of simple mudras with pranayama and concentration. These are the most complicated mudras and require the most amounts of concentration and focus to hold. Kaya mudras invigorate the prana in the body and direct the prana into specific chakras (energy centers).

With the exception of hasta mudras, these techniques have traditionally been kept secret and could only be learned from a guru. A list of hasta mudras is now available in our premium yoga poses section.

article378

2008-03-09T23:54:00.000-07:00

Moksha and Maya

Liberation is not a place; it does not exist in the heavens, the earth or the spirit-world. Freedom has no space, no time, no location; it can only exist in the now, in the present moment. Moksha (liberation, freedom) is the state of non-ego, where the “me” vanishes and one stands free from all desires, actions and consequences in a total state of oneness. We are bound to this material world through attachment, desire, and the inability to see or experience the oneness of all life. Maya (illusion) is both the psychological separation between ego and the universe and the psychological filter that colors all of our experience. Maya is our memories, conceptions, judgments, and biases that present a distorted sense of reality. These impressions of past experiences become superimposed or projected on current experiences creating a false reality. Maya reinforces the ego, strengthens attachment, and defines our individual “story” that defines who we are and our relationship to the external world.

To achive moksha, maya must be cast off, anava (ego) must be dissolved, and both our attachments to pleasure and our aversions to discomfort must be severed. Moksha arises spontaneously when we become completely absorbed in the sensation of an experience without thought. This “taste” of total absorption is common yet fleeting. Through the practice of yoga, we seek to create the tools to consciously and willfully "pierce the veil" of maya and see the transcendent nature of reality. These tools include selfless work (karma yoga), self-dissolving love (bhakti yoga), absolute discernment (jnana yoga), and meditative immersion (raja yoga).

The most fundamental tool yoga gives us to create moksha is conscious awareness. Through the use of awareness we can slowly begin to see our projections, desires, attachments and judgments for what they are. Once these distorting factors become conscious, they are able to dissolve and unblock the way to a direct experience of reality. When we become liberated from the illusionary world of maya we are able to be in yoga: the union of the inner self (Atman) with the oneness of all life (Brahman).

article377

2008-03-09T23:53:00.000-07:00

Yoga for Tendonitis

A yoga practice should be used to supplement conventional therapy, not replace it. Talk to your doctor if your symptoms do not improve.

article376

2008-03-09T23:52:00.000-07:00

Yoga Therapy for Eating Disorders

In the United States, anorexia nervosa and bulimia affect nearly 10 million women and one million men, primarily teens and young adults, according to conservative estimates. Often thought only as a mental disease, new research is finding that eating disorders have a physical component as well. Eating disorders are complex and potentially life-threatening conditions that arise from a combination of behavioral, emotional, psychological, interpersonal, biological, and social factors. People with eating disorders often use food and the control of food in an attempt to numb or avoid feelings and emotions that are over-whelming. Yoga can be an effective tool to restore the imbalances in both the body and the mind that occur with eating disorders. Yoga has a profound ability to balance the emotions and has been shown to help relieve depression, anger and anxiety and to promote equanimity: a calm, clear focused mind. Yoga can also promote self-esteem and a positive body image, which play primary roles in eating disorders, through the cultivation of non-judgment, confidence, self-acceptance, openness and inner strength. Physically, a regular yoga practice can help rebuild the strength, energy and bone density that is damaged and lost with Anorexia.

Eating disorders are viewed as a dysfunction of the first chakra in the yogic energetic system. To balance this chakra, use poses that target the area of the base of the spine, such as: staff posture, bound angle, crab, full wind relieving pose, pigeon and locust. Use grounding postures such as Warrior 1 and 2, mountain, goddess, standing squat, child, and prayer squat to connect with the body, to become rooted to the earth and to build strength and courage. If depression is a strong contributing factor, backbending poses will be beneficial for their energizing, tonifying and heart opening qualities. If anxiety is a primary contributing factor, forward bends can be utilized for their calming and nurturing aspects.

When practicing yoga postures, the use of Pratyahara (inner focus) should be applied. The exterior alignment should be de-emphasized and the focus should be drawn deeply inwards to experience and explore the feeling and sensations that arise in the poses. By withdrawing attention from the external environment and by focusing inwards on the breath and sensations, the mind can be stilled and the awareness of the body increases. With this awareness and focus it is possible to move deeper into the practice of yoga and increases the ability for one to move through any limitations, fears and expectations.

Pranayama (yogic breathing exercises) are also helpful to calm the body and mind and to balance the energy in the body during the recovery stage of the disease. Nadi Sodhana Pranayama (alternate nostril breathing) is balancing, calming and reduces anxiety. Dirga Pranayama (three part breath) is calming, grounding and nurturing.

As eating disorders have a large mental component to them, the practice of meditation is very beneficial to cultivate a sense of control over life’s events and to reduce obsessive thoughts. A general meditation practice will be beneficial, but using an active and targeted meditation would be more effective. Practice any or all of the following based upon what calls you to be invoked within yourself: Inner Peace Meditation, Third Eye Meditation, Root Chakra Meditation or Prana Healing Meditation. If it becomes uncomfortable to practice with the eyes closed, have them slightly open with a soft downward gaze.

The most important aspect of healing from an eating disorder is the individual’s awareness and acceptance that there is a problem and the genuine desire for change. Unfortunately, the denial that there is a problem often does not change until the late stages of the disease when serious complications arise. Yoga’s inherent ability to promote self-awareness and self-acceptance can play a role in realizing the problem is within, although yoga is usually more readily embraced in the recovery stages of the disease.

Yoga is not a substitute for conventional medical treatment; please consult your medical professional before starting a yoga practice.

On our Membership Site: A complete list of yoga poses for Eating Disorders and a yoga therapy resource guide for Eating Disorders.

article375

2008-03-09T23:51:00.002-07:00

(NewsTarget) A cocktail of nutrients can improve the quality of life in those diagnosed with HIV infection and markedly slow deterioration into full-blown AIDS, according to the results of a new trial conducted at the Mengo Hospital in Kampala, Uganda.

The study, published in the latest edition of The Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine, involved 310 patients divided into two groups, one of whom received daily multivitamin and mineral capsules containing 30 nutrients, whilst the second group received capsules containing the same multinutrients in combination with specific antioxidants, such as selenium, N-acetyl-cysteine and alpha-lipoic acid, designed to raise levels of the natural antiretroviral enzyme glutathione peroxidase. The scientists also sought to measure the effect of the nutrients on CD4 T lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell, low levels of which are often associated with HIV/AIDS progression), as well as body weight and quality of life parameters.

Of the 263 patients who completed the trial, average CD4 and glutathione peroxidase counts improved significantly in both groups, as did average weight (by approximately 1kg), along with some apparently remarkable changes in physical condition; 'many patients... described significant appetite increases, together with the return of their ability to walk long distances' wrote lead author Edith Namulemia.

The trial was conceived of by Dr. Harold Foster of the University of Victoria, British Columbia, who has previously authored a book on the subject of nutritional treatment for HIV infection. The premise behind both Foster’s book, entitled What Really Causes AIDS and the trial is that HIV causes AIDS by 'hijacking' cells, impersonating glutathione peroxidase, and stealing four key nutrients that are needed to produce it, those being tryptophan, cysteine, selenium and glutamine.

These deficiencies, claims Dr. Foster, account largely for the various symptoms experienced by the HIV-infected patient: a severe deficiency of selenium and glutamine being responsible for rapid immune system deterioration, while tryptophan abnormalities are associated with psychological disturbances, which tend to appear during the latter stages of the disease. It is also selenium, Foster notes, that appears to be deficient in the soil of the most prevalent areas of HIV/AIDS in Africa. The discovery that HIV acts in such a way was made by Dr. E. W. Taylor and colleagues at the University of Georgia, and the so-called 'selenium CD4 T cell tailspin' theory of AIDS appeared to gain some credibility from two smaller trials elsewhere in Africa, in which patients diagnosed as HIV infected improved through taking the four nutrients central to Foster's AIDS hypothesis.

Dr. Foster is not the first scientist to question the validity of the original theory of AIDS. In 1987, Dr. Peter Duesberg, a virologist at the University of California, Berkeley, created controversy with an article that claimed HIV may have no relationship with AIDS at all. Since then, Duesberg has been joined by a number of other scientists, including Nobel Prize winner Dr. Kary Mullis, in calling for a reappraisal of the true causes of the disease. However, 'the epidemiology and geography of the AIDS pandemic', argues Foster, 'clearly illustrate that Duesberg and his supporters are wrong'.

This latest study, the scientist and his co-authors suggest, adds further credence to the possibility that HIV infection causes immune system abnormalities that can be reversed with targeted nutritional supplementation, and concluded that 'nutrient combinations, taken by HIV-positive patients receiving no antiretroviral drugs, can significantly slow their decline into AIDS'. This calls for further studies to establish optimum dosages and nutrient combinations.

article374

2008-03-09T23:51:00.001-07:00

(NewsTarget) "The greatest lie ever told is that vaccines are safe and effective," said Dr. Len Horowitz. I am a father, and in the course, I have spent a reasonable amount of time researching vaccines in order to determine the most sensible cause of action for my daughter.

According to the US government's own Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) in 1998 there were 88 vaccine related infant deaths, in 1999 there where 73 infant deaths, and in 2000, 73 infant deaths. This trend of between 70-90 reported infant deaths continues yearly through 2007.

In 1993, FDA commissioner David Kessler reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association that, according to one study, “Only about 1% of serious events are reported to the FDA.”

Based on this report, and other studies regarding the reporting of “serious events,” one comes up with an estimated figure that 1-2% of all serious adverse vaccine reports are actually recorded. When you combine the VAERS data together with the adverse events reporting studies, there is only one dreadful conclusion. In the United States each year, anywhere from an estimated 3,900 to 7,800 infants are poisoned to death, as a direct result, of being vaccinated.

If this figure is too startling or shocking for you to swallow, consider an ultra-conservative figure that states that 10% of adverse vaccine events are reported. Even with that figure, we can be sure that about 780 infants are poisoned to death every year.

When one child is murdered by a violent person, as a culture, we put forth the maximum amount of anger, hatred, and punishment towards such a sick person. We all know in our hearts, that children need to be honored, cherished and protected from harm. We are united as a culture in the belief that hurting children is bad, and wrong.

However, when there is documented evidence that proves, beyond any doubt, that hundreds, and likely thousands of infants, are murdered every year by vaccines in this country, we consider it to be good public policy. With the recent vaccine events in Maryland, one can conclude that since a certain percentage of children will die, and a higher percentage will become permanently disabled, that Maryland's state vaccine policy is a policy of state sponsored child debilitation.

I want you to really take a moment here to pause and reflect on this experience that is so painful and vast; that many of us do not want to take the leap of faith to realize the gravity of what I am, as well as many others, are saying about vaccines. We have a national policy that supports the murder of completely innocent infants. The cost is particularly high to the parents who are shocked when they find their newborns poisoned to death. Part of a way our government has decided to mitigate this harm is through a system of compensation for vaccine injured children. The burden of proof to receive compensation for this program is extremely high. Very few parents who apply for an "award" qualify for the money. In the past 18 years, the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) has paid out $782,638,751.16 for 908 “awards.”

Look At Vaccines Moralistically

As a culture, we accept, tolerate, advocate, and make laws that promote the unlawful murder of thousands of infants because we have a belief system, and a public policy, that allows these children to be the “necessary” sacrifices of what is believed to be an unassailable system of vaccinations. The purpose of murdering perhaps several thousand infants per year is because we think that the good of the vaccine policy helps other children live and thus supposedly outweighs the known harm caused.

Now, I am going to bring up a critical example to show you the error of the current vaccine paradigm that allows for children to be harmed. Imagine that one of these children was your own. Or, imagine that one of these individuals was your mother, your sister or brother, or a saint. Are you telling me that one of the greatest examples of the cruelties of humanity, sacrificing helpless infants, is justifiable to supposedly save others? Is it really good public policy to crucify some children to supposedly prevent diseases in others?

If it was your child, would you volunteer your child to be the sacrificial lamb of our public policy?

Do not volunteer your child anymore and allow them to be the next lamb of our hideous public policy, do not vaccinate your child!

The truth is, every child's and every infant's life is valuable. Each being is precious, full of life and warmth, each infant is god-like. Every person on this planet counts and deserves the chance to live a healthy life. Since we have a public policy that allows for innocent children to be harmed, and at times murdered, then this policy must stop immediately.

We know for sure that at least 70 or more children are murdered yearly, and more likely several thousand children are murdered every year. When any individual or government sponsors vaccines; this is the equivalent to sponsoring the crime of murder. This is an outrage!

This first argument against vaccinations has come to you allowing the broad assumption that vaccines work, and that the losses of human life are thus justifiable because many more lives are supposed to be saved by vaccine public policy.

Yet the belief that vaccines work, flies in the face of any reasonable scientific inquiry because there has never even been one. Expert vaccine researcher Dr. Philip Incao MD testified that, “Incredible as it sounds, such a common-sense controlled study comparing vaccinated to non-vaccinated children has never been done in America for any vaccination.”

In simple English, we have no real, double blind scientific studies that show that any vaccination works as it is intended to work. In case you are wondering, normal vaccines are approved for use with only short-term studies, many times the studies are 30 days or less. It is hardly scientific to study the effects of vaccines for such a short term, when vaccines are designed to work for several years at a time. Thus, the long term effects, and the long term effectiveness of vaccines, have never been proven; let alone reasonably studied by the people who unconditionally believe in their good.

Because “Safety testing of many vaccines is limited and the data are unavailable for independent scrutiny”; in the year 2000, the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons passed a resolution calling for a moratorium on vaccine mandates. With such limited evidence, they stated that mandatory vaccination “is equivalent to human experimentation.” Unethical human experimentation was banned by the Nuremberg Code after the horrors of World War II were exposed (Nazi experiments on their prisoners).

Not only do vaccines not work, they actually cause diseases. According to the same US government Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System, there were approximately 1400 serious events from vaccinations for people of all ages, per year, from 1991-1996. Serious events include: permanent disability, hospitalization, and life threatening illnesses. And we can know for sure, due to the low reporting of serious vaccine events, that the actual number of diseases caused by vaccinations is 10 - 100 times this number, meaning vaccines cause 14,000 - 140,000 serious events (diseases) per year. In some cases, such as with the Hepatitis B vaccine given to infants and children, the vaccine causes more harm and injury that the disease of Hepatitis B in infants and children.

Published studies from reputable journals have linked vaccines to causing AIDS, autism, cancer, diabetes, hearing/vision loss, hepatitis B, mumps, measles, polio and rubella.

At this point you might be wondering how it is that vaccines can cause so much destruction.

Why Vaccines Cause Diseases

Our body is equipped with an immune system. The immune system I am referring to is not just helper cells and anti-bodies, we have several lines of defense against infection and illness. We have saliva that is full of germs, and we have skin to protect our organs. We have a liver and kidneys to cleanse our blood and excrete toxic waste. We have our lungs to take in fuel, and excrete the waste of cellular metabolism.

In order to make a vaccine, one needs to render the virus, or germ, ineffective and find a way to introduce it into the body. In order to make many batches of this virus for injection, the virus needs food to grow off of. To grow a vaccine virus, the virus is cultured on a variety of nutrient rich substances; like monkey kidney cells, aborted human fetuses, calf serum, guinea pig embryonic tissue, fetal tissue, and other foul things. Once you have this large batch of “disease,” and you can imagine how sick and putrid this mix is, you need to remove all the impurities and isolate the virus (or germ) that you want to inject into someone. Now isolating just the virus from this milieu is impossible. Yet we try anyway, we bleach and cleanse the serum and get mostly the virus, plus many contaminants. Now, when the body gets injected with this virus, it will immediately seek to repel it, especially since it is rare for a disease to be introduced into the body directly through the blood stream. Vaccine creators had to find ways to keep the altered virus or germ from being immediately repelled from the body, and this is one purpose of adjuvants, vaccine additives.

Every vaccine contains MSG as one such additive; other vaccine additives include, thimerosal which is mercury, antibiotics, anti-freeze and other poisonous and acidic compounds.

Now imagine your helpless infant. They hardly have an immune system as their bodies' lines of defenses. Their organs are still growing and forming. It is our public policy to inject infants soon after birth, directly with a syringe full of foreign substances. The injection dosage is not carefully measured to be specific to the exact body weight of the infant, and the dose has never been independently screened to be free of contaminants. Immediately after the injection, the body goes into life saving procedures. If you have a healthy and robust child, you will be lucky to get away with a cold or flu-like symptoms, as your child's body tries to excrete all of the impurities just injected through its organs of purification: such as the kidney's, the liver, and the skin. If you have a less robust child, their body's defense mechanisms can fail one after the next, especially after repeated injections. When the body's internal purifiers fail, the blood-brain barrier becomes compromised; that is why a known side effect to vaccines is a high-pitched screaming. The screaming is the nervous system of an infant being damaged and breached as it was never meant to be. Many children are autistic because of vaccinations as the toxic poisons in the vaccines get lodged into places that can alter and affect the nervous system; including brain and spinal column development.

Dr. Albert Sabien, developer of the oral polio vaccine, has changed his vaccine position widely. In a 1995 lecture, he said, "Official data have shown that the large-scale vaccinations undertaken in the US have failed to obtain any significant improvement of the diseases against which they were supposed to provide protection."

With this in mind, we have before us one of the most horrific, disturbing, and incompressible crimes ever committed. Each and every day, thousands of parents along with local and state governments, schools, doctors and politicians, allow this crime, and even promote this crime, as it continues to go unnoticed by the masses.

Let me add one final note to this article. You may have heard of these supposedly great humanitarian organizations going into the third world and providing community service by vaccinating poor children against diseases. Given your new awareness about the lack of evidence of vaccine efficacy, you might wonder what these organizations are really doing? This is what the World Health Organization asked themselves in an internal review, after noticing that an AIDS epidemic seemed to follow where they were vaccinating.

Vaccines in the Third World

On May 11, 1987, The London Times, one of the world's most respected newspapers, published an explosive article entitled 'Smallpox Vaccine Triggered AIDS Virus'. The story suggested the smallpox eradication vaccine program sponsored by the World Health Organization was responsible for unleashing AIDS in Africa. Almost 100 million Africans living in central Africa were inoculated by the WHO
(www.conspiracyplanet.com/channel.cfm?channelid=34&contentid=1377&page=2) .

In Dr. Campbell Douglas's 1987 report titled 'W.H.O Murdered Africa' he writes that, “There is no question mark after the title of this article because the title is not a question. It's a declarative statement.” (www.biblebelievers.org.au/who.htm)

Wangari Maathai, the first African woman to win Nobel Peace Prize claims, what is a common belief in some parts of Africa, that, "In fact it (the HIV virus) is created by a scientist for biological warfare."
(www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0,,2-11-1447_1602547,00.html)

Kihura Nkuba spoke about Polio vaccine genocide in Uganda. “At the main hospital in Mbarara during that month of 1977 more than 600 children had died following polio vaccination. 600 children! So even some of the timid medical practitioners who were initially afraid to come out, started coming out giving information and saying 'Oh, we knew this oral polio vaccine was trouble because as soon as the child receives it, they get a temperature and their health goes downhill and there is nothing that you could do.'” (www.whale.to/a/nkuba.htm)

You need to know why you have been led so far from the path of truth. You need to know that when you see media reports that promote the good of vaccines and their effectiveness, such as news or television reports, that these reports are completely fake and fabricated.

This leads me to the conclusion that some of the most powerful forces are at play, since they can easily and freely put manipulative and false material into the public's eye.

Healthy children come from healthy parents who eat whole and unrefined organic foods, who avoid processed foods like pasteurized milk, processed sugar, cheap vegetable oils, infant formulas, and processed flour products that are so prevalent in our food supply.

If you want your child to be healthy and disease free, do not give them a polluted body. Do not violate the purity of your child's blood.

Loving our children means not giving them vaccinations and it means that we need to inform other parents as well that vaccines are indeed shown and proven to be deadly.

Spread the word and do your part in ending this heinous crime.

“The greatest lie ever told is that vaccines are safe and effective,” and now you know why.

May you and your children experience peace and happiness beyond vaccines.

Learn more about vaccines and their harms from this free, well referenced resource that includes many detailed and specific vaccine links as well as references to many points made in this article. (www.healingourchildren.net/vaccine_side_effects.htm)

article373

2008-03-09T23:49:00.002-07:00

Think U.S. health authorities have never conducted outrageous medical experiments on children, women, minorities, homosexuals and inmates? Think again: This timeline, originally put together by Dani Veracity (a NewsTarget reporter), has been edited and updated with recent vaccination experimentation programs in Maryland and New Jersey. Here's what's really happening in the United States when it comes to exploiting the public for medical experimentation:

(1845 - 1849) J. Marion Sims, later hailed as the "father of gynecology," performs medical experiments on enslaved African women without anesthesia. These women would usually die of infection soon after surgery. Based on his belief that the movement of newborns' skull bones during protracted births causes trismus, he also uses a shoemaker's awl, a pointed tool shoemakers use to make holes in leather, to practice moving the skull bones of babies born to enslaved mothers (Brinker).

(1895)

New York pediatrician Henry Heiman infects a 4-year-old boy whom he calls "an idiot with chronic epilepsy" with gonorrhea as part of a medical experiment ("Human Experimentation: Before the Nazi Era and After").

(1896)

Dr. Arthur Wentworth turns 29 children at Boston's Children's Hospital into human guinea pigs when he performs spinal taps on them, just to test whether the procedure is harmful (Sharav).

(1906)

Harvard professor Dr. Richard Strong infects prisoners in the Philippines with cholera to study the disease; 13 of them die. He compensates survivors with cigars and cigarettes. During the Nuremberg Trials, Nazi doctors cite this study to justify their own medical experiments (Greger, Sharav).

(1911)

Dr. Hideyo Noguchi of the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research publishes data on injecting an inactive syphilis preparation into the skin of 146 hospital patients and normal children in an attempt to develop a skin test for syphilis. Later, in 1913, several of these children's parents sue Dr. Noguchi for allegedly infecting their children with syphilis ("Reviews and Notes: History of Medicine: Subjected to Science: Human Experimentation in America before the Second World War").

(1913)

Medical experimenters "test" 15 children at the children's home St. Vincent's House in Philadelphia with tuberculin, resulting in permanent blindness in some of the children. Though the Pennsylvania House of Representatives records the incident, the researchers are not punished for the experiments ("Human Experimentation: Before the Nazi Era and After").

(1915)

Dr. Joseph Goldberger, under order of the U.S. Public Health Office, produces Pellagra, a debilitating disease that affects the central nervous system, in 12 Mississippi inmates to try to find a cure for the disease. One test subject later says that he had been through "a thousand hells." In 1935, after millions die from the disease, the director of the U.S Public Health Office would finally admit that officials had known that it was caused by a niacin deficiency for some time, but did nothing about it because it mostly affected poor African-Americans. During the Nuremberg Trials, Nazi doctors used this study to try to justify their medical experiments on concentration camp inmates (Greger; Cockburn and St. Clair, eds.).

(1932)

(1932-1972) The U.S. Public Health Service in Tuskegee, Ala. diagnoses 400 poor, black sharecroppers with syphilis but never tells them of their illness nor treats them; instead researchers use the men as human guinea pigs to follow the symptoms and progression of the disease. They all eventually die from syphilis and their families are never told that they could have been treated (Goliszek, University of Virginia Health System Health Sciences Library).

(1939)

In order to test his theory on the roots of stuttering, prominent speech pathologist Dr. Wendell Johnson performs his famous "Monster Experiment" on 22 children at the Iowa Soldiers' Orphans' Home in Davenport. Dr. Johnson and his graduate students put the children under intense psychological pressure, causing them to switch from speaking normally to stuttering heavily. At the time, some of the students reportedly warn Dr. Johnson that, "in the aftermath of World War II, observers might draw comparisons to Nazi experiments on human subjects, which could destroy his career" (Alliance for Human Research Protection).

(1941)

Dr. William C. Black infects a 12-month-old baby with herpes as part of a medical experiment. At the time, the editor of the Journal of Experimental Medicine, Francis Payton Rous, calls it "an abuse of power, an infringement of the rights of an individual, and not excusable because the illness which followed had implications for science" (Sharav).

An article in a 1941 issue of Archives of Pediatrics describes medical studies of the severe gum disease Vincent's angina in which doctors transmit the disease from sick children to healthy children with oral swabs (Goliszek).

Researchers give 800 poverty-stricken pregnant women at a Vanderbilt University prenatal clinic "cocktails" including radioactive iron in order to determine the iron requirements of pregnant women (Pacchioli).

(1942)

The Chemical Warfare Service begins mustard gas and lewisite experiments on 4,000 members of the U.S. military. Some test subjects don't realize they are volunteering for chemical exposure experiments, like 17-year-old Nathan Schnurman, who in 1944 thinks he is only volunteering to test "U.S. Navy summer clothes" (Goliszek).

Merck Pharmaceuticals President George Merck is named director of the War Research Service (WRS), an agency designed to oversee the establishment of a biological warfare program (Goliszek).

(1944 - 1946) A captain in the medical corps addresses an April 1944 memo to Col. Stanford Warren, head of the Manhattan Project's Medical Section, expressing his concerns about atom bomb component fluoride's central nervous system (CNS) effects and asking for animal research to be done to determine the extent of these effects: "Clinical evidence suggests that uranium hexafluoride may have a rather marked central nervous system effect ... It seems most likely that the F [code for fluoride] component rather than the T [code for uranium] is the causative factor ... Since work with these compounds is essential, it will be necessary to know in advance what mental effects may occur after exposure." The following year, the Manhattan Project would begin human-based studies on fluoride's effects (Griffiths and Bryson).

The Manhattan Project medical team, led by the now infamous University of Rochester radiologist Col. Safford Warren, injects plutonium into patients at the University's teaching hospital, Strong Memorial (Burton Report).

(1945)

Continuing the Manhattan Project, researchers inject plutonium into three patients at the University of Chicago's Billings Hospital (Sharav).

The U.S. State Department, Army intelligence and the CIA begin Operation Paperclip, offering Nazi scientists immunity and secret identities in exchange for work on top-secret government projects on aerodynamics and chemical warfare medicine in the United States ("Project Paperclip").

(1945 - 1955) In Newburgh, N.Y., researchers linked to the Manhattan Project begin the most extensive American study ever done on the health effects of fluoridating public drinking water (Griffiths and Bryson).

(1946)

Continuing the Newburg study of 1945, the Manhattan Project commissions the University of Rochester to study fluoride's effects on animals and humans in a project codenamed "Program F." With the help of the New York State Health Department, Program F researchers secretly collect and analyze blood and tissue samples from Newburg residents. The studies are sponsored by the Atomic Energy Commission and take place at the University of Rochester Medical Center's Strong Memorial Hospital (Griffiths and Bryson).

(1946 - 1947) University of Rochester researchers inject four male and two female human test subjects with uranium-234 and uranium-235 in dosages ranging from 6.4 to 70.7 micrograms per one kilogram of body weight in order to study how much uranium they could tolerate before their kidneys become damaged (Goliszek).

Six male employees of a Chicago metallurgical laboratory are given water contaminated with plutonium-239 to drink so that researchers can learn how plutonium is absorbed into the digestive tract (Goliszek).

Researchers begin using patients in VA hospitals as test subjects for human medical experiments, cleverly worded as "investigations" or "observations" in medical study reports to avoid negative connotations and bad publicity (Sharav).

The American public finally learns of the biowarfare experiments being done at Fort Detrick from a report released by the War Department (Goliszek).

(1947)

Col. E.E. Kirkpatrick of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) issues a top-secret document (707075) dated Jan. 8. In it, he writes that "certain radioactive substances are being prepared for intravenous administration to human subjects as a part of the work of the contract" (Goliszek).

A secret AEC document dated April 17 reads, "It is desired that no document be released which refers to experiments with humans that might have an adverse reaction on public opinion or result in legal suits," revealing that the U.S. government was aware of the health risks its nuclear tests posed to military personnel conducting the tests or nearby civilians (Goliszek).

The CIA begins studying LSD's potential as a weapon by using military and civilian test subjects for experiments without their consent or even knowledge. Eventually, these LSD studies will evolve into the MKULTRA program in 1953 (Sharav).

(1947 - 1953) The U.S. Navy begins Project Chatter to identify and test so-called "truth serums," such as those used by the Soviet Union to interrogate spies. Mescaline and the central nervous system depressant scopolamine are among the many drugs tested on human subjects (Goliszek).

(1948)

Based on the secret studies performed on Newburgh, N.Y. residents beginning in 1945, Project F researchers publish a report in the August 1948 edition of the Journal of the American Dental Association, detailing fluoride's health dangers. The U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) quickly censors it for "national security" reasons (Griffiths and Bryson).

(1950)

(1950 - 1953) The U.S. Army releases chemical clouds over six American and Canadian cities. Residents in Winnipeg, Canada, where a highly toxic chemical called cadmium is dropped, subsequently experience high rates of respiratory illnesses (Cockburn and St. Clair, eds.).

In order to determine how susceptible an American city could be to biological attack, the U.S. Navy sprays a cloud of Bacillus globigii bacteria from ships over the San Francisco shoreline. According to monitoring devices situated throughout the city to test the extent of infection, the eight thousand residents of San Francisco inhale five thousand or more bacteria particles, many becoming sick with pneumonia-like symptoms (Goliszek).

Dr. Joseph Strokes of the University of Pennsylvania infects 200 female prisoners with viral hepatitis to study the disease (Sharav).

Doctors at the Cleveland City Hospital study changes in cerebral blood flow by injecting test subjects with spinal anesthesia, inserting needles in their jugular veins and brachial arteries, tilting their heads down and, after massive blood loss causes paralysis and fainting, measuring their blood pressure. They often perform this experiment multiple times on the same subject (Goliszek).

Dr. D. Ewen Cameron, later of MKULTRA infamy due to his 1957 to1964 experiments on Canadians, publishes an article in the British Journal of Physical Medicine, in which he describes experiments that entail forcing schizophrenic patients at Manitoba's Brandon Mental Hospital to lie naked under 15- to 200-watt red lamps for up to eight hours per day. His other experiments include placing mental patients in an electric cage that overheats their internal body temperatures to 103 degrees Fahrenheit, and inducing comas by giving patients large injections of insulin (Goliszek).

(1951)

The U.S. Army secretly contaminates the Norfolk Naval Supply Center in Virginia and Washington, D.C.'s National Airport with a strain of bacteria chosen because African-Americans were believed to be more susceptible to it than Caucasians. The experiment causes food poisoning, respiratory problems and blood poisoning (Cockburn and St. Clair, eds.).

(1951 - 1956) Under contract with the Air Force's School of Aviation Medicine (SAM), the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston begins studying the effects of radiation on cancer patients -- many of them members of minority groups or indigents, according to sources -- in order to determine both radiation's ability to treat cancer and the possible long-term radiation effects of pilots flying nuclear-powered planes. The study lasts until 1956, involving 263 cancer patients. Beginning in 1953, the subjects are required to sign a waiver form, but it still does not meet the informed consent guidelines established by the Wilson memo released that year. The TBI studies themselves would continue at four different institutions -- Baylor University College of Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, the U.S. Naval Hospital in Bethesda and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine -- until 1971 (U.S. Department of Energy, Goliszek).

American, Canadian and British military and intelligence officials gather a small group of eminent psychologists to a secret meeting at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Montreal about Communist "thought-control techniques." They proposed a top-secret research program on behavior modification -- involving testing drugs, hypnosis, electroshock and lobotomies on humans (Barker).

(1952)

At the famous Sloan-Kettering Institute, Chester M. Southam injects live cancer cells into prisoners at the Ohio State Prison to study the progression of the disease. Half of the prisoners in this National Institutes of Health-sponsored (NIH) study are black, awakening racial suspicions stemming from Tuskegee, which was also an NIH-sponsored study (Merritte, et al.).

(1953 - 1974) The U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) sponsors iodine studies at the University of Iowa. In the first study, researchers give pregnant women 100 to 200 microcuries of iodine-131 and then study the women's aborted embryos in order to learn at what stage and to what extent radioactive iodine crosses the placental barrier. In the second study, researchers give 12 male and 13 female newborns under 36 hours old and weighing between 5.5 and 8.5 pounds iodine-131 either orally or via intramuscular injection, later measuring the concentration of iodine in the newborns' thyroid glands (Goliszek).

As part of an AEC study, researchers feed 28 healthy infants at the University of Nebraska College of Medicine iodine-131 through a gastric tube and then test concentration of iodine in the infants' thyroid glands 24 hours later (Goliszek).

(1953 - 1957) Eleven patients at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston are injected with uranium as part of the Manhattan Project (Sharav).

In an AEC-sponsored study at the University of Tennessee, researchers inject healthy two- to three-day-old newborns with approximately 60 rads of iodine-131 (Goliszek).

Newborn Daniel Burton becomes blind when physicians at Brooklyn Doctors Hospital perform an experimental high oxygen treatment for Retrolental Fibroplasia, a retinal disorder affecting premature infants, on him and other premature babies. The physicians perform the experimental treatment despite earlier studies showing that high oxygen levels cause blindness. Testimony in Burton v. Brooklyn Doctors Hospital (452 N.Y.S.2d875) later reveals that researchers continued to give Burton and other infants excess oxygen even after their eyes had swelled to dangerous levels (Goliszek, Sharav).

A 1953 article in Clinical Science describes a medical experiment in which researchers purposely blister the abdomens of 41 children, ranging in age from eight to 14, with cantharide in order to study how severely the substance irritates the skin (Goliszek).

The AEC performs a series of field tests known as "Green Run," dropping radiodine 131 and xenon 133 over the Hanford, Wash. site -- 500,000 acres encompassing three small towns (Hanford, White Bluffs and Richland) along the Columbia River (Sharav).

In an AEC-sponsored study to learn whether radioactive iodine affects premature babies differently from full-term babies, researchers at Harper Hospital in Detroit give oral doses of iodine-131 to 65 premature and full-term infants weighing between 2.1 and 5.5 pounds (Goliszek).

(1955 - 1957) In order to learn how cold weather affects human physiology, researchers give a total of 200 doses of iodine-131, a radioactive tracer that concentrates almost immediately in the thyroid gland, to 85 healthy Eskimos and 17 Athapascan Indians living in Alaska. They study the tracer within the body by blood, thyroid tissue, urine and saliva samples from the test subjects. Due to the language barrier, no one tells the test subjects what is being done to them, so there is no informed consent (Goliszek).

(1956 - 1957) U.S. Army covert biological weapons researchers release mosquitoes infected with yellow fever and dengue fever over Savannah, Ga., and Avon Park, Fla., to test the insects' ability to carry disease. After each test, Army agents pose as public health officials to test victims for effects and take pictures of the unwitting test subjects. These experiments result in a high incidence of fevers, respiratory distress, stillbirths, encephalitis and typhoid among the two cities' residents, as well as several deaths (Cockburn and St. Clair, eds.).

(1957)

The U.S. military conducts Operation Plumbbob at the Nevada Test Site, 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas. Operation Pumbbob consists of 29 nuclear detonations, eventually creating radiation expected to result in a total 32,000 cases of thyroid cancer among civilians in the area. Around 18,000 members of the U.S. military participate in Operation Pumbbob's Desert Rock VII and VIII, which are designed to see how the average foot soldier physiologically and mentally responds to a nuclear battlefield ("Operation Plumbbob", Goliszek).

(1957 - 1964) As part of MKULTRA, the CIA pays McGill University Department of Psychiatry founder Dr. D. Ewen Cameron $69,000 to perform LSD studies and potentially lethal experiments on Canadians being treated for minor disorders like post-partum depression and anxiety at the Allan Memorial Institute, which houses the Psychiatry Department of the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal. The CIA encourages Dr. Cameron to fully explore his "psychic driving" concept of correcting madness through completely erasing one's memory and rewriting the psyche. These "driving" experiments involve putting human test subjects into drug-, electroshock- and sensory deprivation-induced vegetative states for up to three months, and then playing tape loops of noise or simple repetitive statements for weeks or months in order to "rewrite" the "erased" psyche. Dr. Cameron also gives human test subjects paralytic drugs and electroconvulsive therapy 30 to 40 times, as part of his experiments. Most of Dr. Cameron's test subjects suffer permanent damage as a result of his work (Goliszek, "Donald Ewan Cameron").

In order to study how blood flows through children's brains, researchers at Children's Hospital in Philadelphia perform the following experiment on healthy children, ranging in age from three to 11: They insert needles into each child's femoral artery (thigh) and jugular vein (neck), bringing the blood down from the brain. Then, they force each child to inhale a special gas through a facemask. In their subsequent Journal of Clinical Investigation article on this study, the researchers note that, in order to perform the experiment, they had to restrain some of the child test subjects by bandaging them to boards (Goliszek).

(1958)

The U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) drops radioactive materials over Point Hope, Alaska, home to the Inupiats, in a field test known under the codename "Project Chariot" (Sharav).

(1961)

In response to the Nuremberg Trials, Yale psychologist Stanley Milgram begins his famous Obedience to Authority Study in order to answer his question "Could it be that (Adolf) Eichmann and his million accomplices in the Holocaust were just following orders? Could we call them all accomplices?" Male test subjects, ranging in age from 20 to 40 and coming from all education backgrounds, are told to give "learners" electric shocks for every wrong answer the learners give in response to word pair questions. In reality, the learners are actors and are not receiving electric shocks, but what matters is that the test subjects do not know that. Astoundingly, they keep on following orders and continue to administer increasingly high levels of "shocks," even after the actor learners show obvious physical pain ("Milgram Experiment").

(1962)

Researchers at the Laurel Children's Center in Maryland test experimental acne antibiotics on children and continue their tests even after half of the young test subjects develop severe liver damage because of the experimental medication (Goliszek).

The FDA begins requiring that a new pharmaceutical undergo three human clinical trials before it will approve it. From 1962 to 1980, pharmaceutical companies satisfy this requirement by running Phase I trials, which determine a drug's toxicity, on prison inmates, giving them small amounts of cash for compensation (Sharav).

(1963)

Chester M. Southam, who injected Ohio State Prison inmates with live cancer cells in 1952, performs the same procedure on 22 senile, African-American female patients at the Brooklyn Jewish Chronic Disease Hospital in order to watch their immunological response. Southam tells the patients that they are receiving "some cells," but leaves out the fact that they are cancer cells. He claims he doesn't obtain informed consent from the patients because he does not want to frighten them by telling them what he is doing, but he nevertheless temporarily loses his medical license because of it. Ironically, he eventually becomes president of the American Cancer Society (Greger, Merritte, et al.).

Researchers at the University of Washington directly irradiate the testes of 232 prison inmates in order to determine radiation's effects on testicular function. When these inmates later leave prison and have children, at least four have babies born with birth defects. The exact number is unknown because researchers never follow up on the men to see the long-term effects of their experiment (Goliszek).

(1963 - 1966) New York University researcher Saul Krugman promises parents with mentally disabled children definite enrollment into the Willowbrook State School in Staten Island, N.Y., a resident mental institution for mentally retarded children, in exchange for their signatures on a consent form for procedures presented as "vaccinations." In reality, the procedures involve deliberately infecting children with viral hepatitis by feeding them an extract made from the feces of infected patients, so that Krugman can study the course of viral hepatitis as well the effectiveness of a hepatitis vaccine (Hammer Breslow).

(1963 - 1971) Leading endocrinologist Dr. Carl Heller gives 67 prison inmates at Oregon State Prison in Salem $5 per month and $25 per testicular tissue biopsy in compensation for allowing him to perform irradiation experiments on their testes. If they receive vasectomies at the end of the study, the prisoners are given an extra $100 (Sharav, Goliszek).

Researchers inject a genetic compound called radioactive thymidine into the testicles of more than 100 Oregon State Penitentiary inmates to learn whether sperm production is affected by exposure to steroid hormones (Greger).

In a study published in Pediatrics, researchers at the University of California's Department of Pediatrics use 113 newborns ranging in age from one hour to three days old in a series of experiments used to study changes in blood pressure and blood flow. In one study, doctors insert a catheter through the newborns' umbilical arteries and into their aortas and then immerse the newborns' feet in ice water while recording aortic pressure. In another experiment, doctors strap 50 newborns to a circumcision board, tilt the table so that all the blood rushes to their heads and then measure their blood pressure (Goliszek).

(1964 - 1967) The Dow Chemical Company pays Professor Kligman $10,000 to learn how dioxin -- a highly toxic, carcinogenic component of Agent Orange -- and other herbicides affect human skin because workers at the chemical plant have been developing an acne-like condition called Chloracne and the company would like to know whether the chemicals they are handling are to blame. As part of the study, Professor Kligman applies roughly the amount of dioxin Dow employees are exposed to on the skin 60 prisoners, and is disappointed when the prisoners show no symptoms of Chloracne. In 1980 and 1981, the human guinea pigs used in this study would begin suing Professor Kligman for complications including lupus and psychological damage (Kaye).

(1965)

As part of a test codenamed "Big Tom," the Department of Defense sprays Oahu, Hawaii's most heavily populated island, with Bacillus globigii in order to simulate an attack on an island complex. Bacillus globigii causes infections in people with weakened immune systems, but this was not known to scientists at the time (Goliszek, Martin).

(1966)

U.S. Army scientists drop light bulbs filled with Bacillus subtilis through ventilation gates and into the New York City subway system, exposing more than one million civilians, including women and children, to the bacteria (Goliszek).

(1967)

The CIA places a chemical in the drinking water supply of the FDA headquarters in Washington, D.C. to see whether it is possible to spike drinking water with LSD and other substances (Cockburn and St. Clair, eds.).

In a study published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers inject pregnant women with radioactive cortisol to see if the radioactive material will cross the placentas and affect the fetuses (Goliszek).

The U.S. Army pays Professor Kligman to apply skin-blistering chemicals to Holmesburg Prison inmates' faces and backs, so as to, in Professor Kligman's words, "learn how the skin protects itself against chronic assault from toxic chemicals, the so-called hardening process," information which would have both offensive and defensive applications for the U.S. military (Kaye).

Professor Kligman develops Retin-A as an acne cream (and eventually a wrinkle cream), turning him into a multi-millionaire (Kaye).

Researchers paralyze 64 prison inmates in California with a neuromuscular compound called succinylcholine, which produces suppressed breathing that feels similar to drowning. When five prisoners refuse to participate in the medical experiment, the prison's special treatment board gives researchers permission to inject the prisoners with the drug against their will (Greger).

(1968)

Planned Parenthood of San Antonio and South Central Texas and the Southwest Foundation for Research and Education begin an oral contraceptive study on 70 poverty-stricken Mexican-American women, giving only half the oral contraceptives they think they are receiving and the other half a placebo. When the results of this study are released a few years later, it stirs tremendous controversy among Mexican-Americans (Sharav, Sauter).

(1969)

Experimental drugs are tested on mentally disabled children in Milledgeville, Ga., without any institutional approval whatsoever (Sharav).

Judge Sam Steinfield's dissent in Strunk v. Strunk, 445 S.W.2d 145 marks the first time a judge has ever suggested that the Nuremberg Code be applied in American court cases (Sharav).

(1970)

Under order from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which also sponsored the Tuskegee Experiment, the free childcare program at Johns Hopkins University collects blood samples from 7,000 African-American youth, telling their parents that they are checking for anemia but actually checking for an extra Y chromosome (XYY), believed to be a biological predisposition to crime. The program director, Digamber Borganokar, does this experiment without Johns Hopkins University's permission (Greger, Merritte, et al.).

(1971)

Stanford University conducts the Stanford Prison Experiment on a group of college students in order to learn the psychology of prison life. Some students are given the role as prison guards, while the others are given the role of prisoners. After only six days, the proposed two-week study has to end because of its psychological effects on the participants. The "guards" had begun to act sadistic, while the "prisoners" started to show signs of depression and severe psychological stress (University of New Hampshire).

An article entitled "Viral Infections in Man Associated with Acquired Immunological Deficiency States" appears in Federation Proceedings. Dr. MacArthur and Fort Detrick's Special Operations Division have, at this point, been conducting mycoplasma research to create a synthetic immunosuppressive agent for about one year, again suggesting that this research may have produced HIV (Goliszek).

(1973)

An Ad Hoc Advisory Panel issues its Final Report on the Tuskegee Syphilis Study, writing, "Society can no longer afford to leave the balancing of individual rights against scientific progress to the scientific community" (Sharav).

(1977)

The National Urban League holds its National Conference on Human Experimentation, stating, "We don't want to kill science but we don't want science to kill, mangle and abuse us" (Sharav).

(1978)

The CDC begins experimental hepatitis B vaccine trials in New York. Its ads for research subjects specifically ask for promiscuous homosexual men. Professor Wolf Szmuness of the Columbia University School of Public Health had made the vaccine's infective serum from the pooled blood serum of hepatitis-infected homosexuals and then developed it in chimpanzees, the only animal susceptible to hepatitis B, leading to the theory that HIV originated in chimpanzees before being transferred over to humans via this vaccine. A few months after 1,083 homosexual men receive the vaccine, New York physicians begin noticing cases of Kaposi's sarcoma, Mycoplasma penetrans and a new strain of herpes virus among New York's homosexual community -- diseases not usually seen among young, American men, but that would later be known as common opportunistic diseases associated with AIDS (Goliszek).

(1980)

According to blood samples tested years later for HIV, 20 percent of all New York homosexual men who participated in the 1978 hepatitis B vaccine experiment are HIV-positive by this point (Goliszek).

The first AIDS case appears in San Francisco (Goliszek).

(1981)

The CDC acknowledges that a disease known as AIDS exists and confirms 26 cases of the disease -- all in previously healthy homosexuals living in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles -- again supporting the speculation that AIDS originated from the hepatitis B experiments from 1978 and 1980 (Goliszek).

(1982)

Thirty percent of the test subjects used in the CDC's hepatitis B vaccine experiment are HIV-positive by this point (Goliszek).

(1985)

A former U.S. Army sergeant tries to sue the Army for using drugs on him in without his consent or even his knowledge in United States v. Stanley, 483 U.S. 669. Justice Antonin Scalia writes the decision, clearing the U.S. military from any liability in past, present or future medical experiments without informed consent (Merritte, et al..

(1987)

Philadelphia resident Doris Jackson discovers that researchers have removed her son's brain post mortem for medical study. She later learns that the state of Pennsylvania has a doctrine of "implied consent," meaning that unless a patient signs a document stating otherwise, consent for organ removal is automatically implied (Merritte, et al.).

(1988)

(1988 - 2001) The New York City Administration for Children's Services begins allowing foster care children living in about two dozen children's homes to be used in National Institutes of Health-sponsored (NIH) experimental AIDS drug trials. These children -- totaling 465 by the program's end -- experience serious side effects, including inability to walk, diarrhea, vomiting, swollen joints and cramps. Children's home employees are unaware that they are giving the HIV-infected children experimental drugs, rather than standard AIDS treatments (New York City ACS, Doran).

(1990)

The United States sends 1.7 million members of the armed forces, 22 percent of whom are African-American, to the Persian Gulf for the Gulf War ("Desert Storm"). More than 400,000 of these soldiers are ordered to take an experimental nerve agent medication called pyridostigmine, which is later believed to be the cause of Gulf War Syndrome -- symptoms ranging from skin disorders, neurological disorders, incontinence, uncontrollable drooling and vision problems -- affecting Gulf War veterans (Goliszek; Merritte, et al.).

The CDC and Kaiser Pharmaceuticals of Southern California inject 1,500 six-month-old black and Hispanic babies in Los Angeles with an "experimental" measles vaccine that had never been licensed for use in the United States. Adding to the risk, children less than a year old may not have an adequate amount of myelin around their nerves, possibly resulting in impaired neural development because of the vaccine. The CDC later admits that parents were never informed that the vaccine being injected into their children was experimental (Goliszek).

The FDA allows the U.S. Department of Defense to waive the Nuremberg Code and use unapproved drugs and vaccines in Operation Desert Shield (Sharav).

(1992)

Columbia University's New York State Psychiatric Institute and the Mount Sinai School of Medicine give 100 males -- mostly African-American and Hispanic, all between the ages of six and 10 and all the younger brothers of juvenile delinquents -- 10 milligrams of fenfluramine (fen-fen) per kilogram of body weight in order to test the theory that low serotonin levels are linked to violent or aggressive behavior. Parents of the participants received $125 each, including a $25 Toys 'R' Us gift certificate (Goliszek).

(1994)

President Clinton appoints the Advisory Commission on Human Radiation Experiments (ACHRE), which finally reveals the horrific experiments conducted during the Cold War era in its ACHRE Report.

(1995)

A 19-year-old University of Rochester student named Nicole Wan dies from participating in an MIT-sponsored experiment that tests airborne pollutant chemicals on humans. The experiment pays $150 to human test subjects (Sharav).

In the Mar. 15 President's Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments (ACHRE), former human subjects, including those who were used in experiments as children, give sworn testimonies stating that they were subjected to radiation experiments and/or brainwashed, hypnotized, drugged, psychologically tortured, threatened and even raped during CIA experiments. These sworn statements include:

Christina DeNicola's statement that, in Tucson, Ariz., from 1966 to 1976, "Dr. B" performed mind control experiments using drugs, post-hypnotic injection and drama, and irradiation experiments on her neck, throat, chest and uterus. She was only four years old when the experiments started.

Claudia Mullen's testimony that Dr. Sidney Gottlieb (of MKULTRA fame) used chemicals, radiation, hypnosis, drugs, isolation in tubs of water, sleep deprivation, electric shock, brainwashing and emotional, sexual and verbal abuse as part of mind control experiments that had the ultimate objective of turning her, who was only a child at the time, into the "perfect spy." She tells the advisory committee that researchers justified this abuse by telling her that she was serving her country "in their bold effort to fight Communism."

Suzanne Starr's statement that "a physician, who was retired from the military, got children from the mountains of Colorado for experiments." She says she was one of those children and that she was the victim of experiments involving environmental deprivation to the point of forced psychosis, spin programming, injections, rape and frequent electroshock and mind control sessions. "I have fought self-destructive programmed messages to kill myself, and I know what a programmed message is, and I don’t act on them," she tells the advisory committee of the experiments' long-lasting effects, even in her adulthood (Goliszek).

President Clinton publicly apologizes to the thousands of people who were victims of MKULTRA and other mind-control experimental programs (Sharav).

President Clinton appoints the National Bioethics Advisory Committee (Sharav).

Justice Edward Greenfield of the New York State Supreme Court rules that parents do not have the right to volunteer their mentally incapacitated children for non-therapeutic medical research studies and that no mentally incapacitated person whatsoever can be used in a medical experiment without informed consent (Sharav).

(1996)

Professor Adil E. Shamoo of the University of Maryland and the organization Citizens for Responsible Care and Research sends a written testimony on the unethical use of veterans in medical research to the U.S. Senate's Committee on Governmental Affairs, stating: "This type of research is on-going nationwide in medical centers and VA hospitals supported by tens of millions of dollars of taxpayers money. These experiments are high risk and are abusive, causing not only physical and psychic harm to the most vulnerable groups but also degrading our society’s system of basic human values. Probably tens of thousands of patients are being subjected to such experiments" ("Testimony of Adil E. Shamoo, Ph.D.").

The Department of Defense admits that Gulf War soldiers were exposed to chemical agents; however, 33 percent of all military personnel afflicted with Gulf War Syndrome never left the United States during the war, discrediting the popular mainstream belief that these symptoms are a result of exposure to Iraqi chemical weapons (Merritte, et al.).

President Clinton issues a formal apology to the subjects of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study and their families (Sharav).

(1997)

In an experiment sponsored by the U.S. government, researchers withhold medical treatment from HIV-positive African-American pregnant women, giving them a placebo rather than AIDS medication (Sharav).

On Sept. 18, victims of unethical medical experiments at major U.S. research centers, including the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) testify before the National Bioethics Advisory Committee (Sharav).

(1999)

Adil E. Shamoo, Ph.D. testifies on "The Unethical Use of Human Beings in High-Risk Research Experiments" before the U.S. House of Representatives' House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, alerting the House on the use of American veterans in VA Hospitals as human guinea pigs and calling for national reforms ("Testimony of Adil E. Shamoo, Ph.D.").

Doctors at the University of Pennsylvania inject 18-year-old Jesse Gelsinger with an experimental gene therapy as part of an FDA-approved clinical trial. He dies four days later and his father suspects that he was not fully informed of the experiment's risk (Goliszek)

During a clinical trial investigating the effectiveness of Propulsid for infant acid reflux, nine-month-old Gage Stevens dies at Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh (Sharav).

(2000)

The U.S. Air Force and rocket maker Lockheed Martin sponsor a Loma Linda University study that pays 100 Californians $1,000 to eat a dose of perchlorate -- a toxic component of rocket fuel that causes cancer, damages the thyroid gland and hinders normal development in children and fetuses -- every day for six months. The dose eaten by the test subjects is 83 times the safe dose of perchlorate set by the State of California, which has perchlorate in some of its drinking water. This Loma Linda study is the first large-scale study to use human subjects to test the harmful effects of a water pollutant and is "inherently unethical," according to Environmental Working Group research director Richard Wiles (Goliszek, Envirnomental Working Group).

(2001)

On its website, the FDA admits that its policy to include healthy children in human experiments "has led to an increasing number of proposals for studies of safety and pharmacokinetics, including those in children who do not have the condition for which the drug is intended" (Goliszek).

In Higgins and Grimes v. Kennedy Krieger Institute The Maryland Court of Appeals makes a landmark decision regarding the use of children as test subjects, prohibiting non-therapeutic experimentation on children on the basis of "best interest of the individual child" (Sharav).

(2002)

President George W. Bush signs the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act (BPCA), offering pharmaceutical companies six-month exclusivity in exchange for running clinical drug trials on children. This will of course increase the number of children used as human test subjects (Hammer Breslow).

(2003)

Two-year-old Michael Daddio of Delaware dies of congestive heart failure. After his death, his parents learn that doctors had performed an experimental surgery on him when he was five months old, rather than using the established surgical method of repairing his congenital heart defect that the parents had been told would be performed. The established procedure has a 90- to 95-percent success rate, whereas the inventor of the procedure performed on baby Daddio would later be fired from his hospital in 2004 (Willen and Evans, "Parents of Babies Who Died in Delaware Tests Weren't Warned").

(2004)

In his BBC documentary "Guinea Pig Kids" and BBC News article of the same name, reporter Jamie Doran reveals that children involved in the New York City foster care system were unwitting human subjects in experimental AIDS drug trials from 1988 to, in his belief, present times (Doran).

(2005)

In response to the BBC documentary and article "Guinea Pig Kids", the New York City Administration of Children's Services (ACS) sends out an Apr. 22 press release admitting that foster care children were used in experimental AIDS drug trials, but says that the last trial took place in 2001 and thus the trials are not continuing, as BBC reporter Jamie Doran claims. The ACS gives the extent and statistics of the experimental drug trials, based on its own records, and contracts the Vera Institute of Justice to conduct "an independent review of ACS policy and practice regarding the enrollment of HIV-positive children in foster care in clinical drug trials during the late 1980s and 1990s" (New York City ACS).

Bloomberg releases a series of reports suggesting that SFBC, the largest experimental drug testing center of its time, exploits immigrant and other low-income test subjects and runs tests with limited credibility due to violations of both the FDA's and SFBC's own testing guidelines (Bloomberg).

In October 2005, the American Chemistry Council gave the EPA $2.1 million to study how children ranging from infancy to three years old ingest, inhale or absorb chemicals. Like IG Farben was for the German pharmaceutical companies of Nazi Germany, the American Chemistry Council acts much like a front group for chemical industry bigwigs like Bayer (which was incidentally also a member of IG Farben), BP, Chevron, Dow, DuPont, Exxon, Honeywell, 3M, Monsanto and Procter & Gamble. Studies have already proven that the chemicals made by these companies have long-term effects on children and adults. A short, two-year study like CHEERS would of course fail to reveal these long-term effects and the American Chemistry Council could then publicize these findings as "proof" that its chemicals were safe.

2006 - 2007

Merck begins pushing U.S. states to mandate the vaccination of teenage girls with Gardasil, a vaccine they claim prevents HPV, a sexually-transmitted virus. In February 2007, Texas Gov. Rick Perry -- who was revealed to have financial ties with Merck, the vaccine manufacturer -- mandates the vaccine in teenage girls (see http://www.newstarget.com/021572.html ). A key Merck lobbyist named Mike Toomey, it turned out, had served as Gov. Rick Perry's chief of staff.

The Texas decision to mandate the vaccine was a notable and troubling milestone in public health policy because it is the first time a vaccine is mandated for a disease that cannot be contracted through casual contact in public schools. It also invoked "gunpoint medicine," or the threat of arrest at gunpoint for not agreeing to receive state-mandated injections.

The Gardasil vaccinations remain a grand medical experiment being performed on children because it is not yet known what the long-term side effects of the vaccination will be, nor whether the vaccinations will actually lower rates of cervical cancer as intended.

2007

Maryland's governor and public health officials, fed up with the unwillingness of over 2,000 parents to have their children vaccinated, invoke gunpoint medicine yet again by threatening the parents with arrest and up to 30 days of imprisonment if they don't submit their children to state-mandated vaccinations. The children and parents are later rounded up at a county courthouse, guarded by attack dogs and security personnel, while a district Judge oversees the mass injection of schoolchildren with vaccines that contain toxic mercury. (See http://www.newstarget.com/022242.html )

Present day: New Jersey mandates the mass vaccination of all children with four different vaccines, stripping away the health freedoms of parents and unleashing a mass medical experiment that exploits the bodies of children and enriches pharmaceutical companies while criminalizing parents who refuse to participate.

Works Cited

Alliance for Human Research Protection. "'Monster Experiment' Taught Orphans to Stutter.". June 11, 2001.

Barker, Allen. "The Cold War Experiments." Mind Control.

Berdon, Victoria. "Codes of Medical and Human Experimentation Ethics." The Least of My Brothers.

Brinker, Wendy. "James Marion Sims: Father Butcher." Seed Show.

Burton Report. "Human Experimentation, Plutonium and Col. Stafford Warren."

Cockburn, Alexander and Jeffrey St. Clair, eds. "Germ War: The U.S. Record." Counter Punch.

"Donald Ewan [sic] Cameron." Wikipedia.

Doran, Jamie. "Guinea Pig Kids." BBC News. 30 Nov. 2004.

Drug Development-Technology.com. "SFBC."

Elliston, Jon. "MKULTRA: CIA Mind Control." Dossier: Paranormal Government.

Environmental Working Group. "U.S.: Lockheed Martin's Tests on Humans." CorpWatch.

Global Security. Chemical Corps. 2005.

Goliszek, Andrew. In the Name of Science. New York: St. Martin's, 2003.

Greger, Michael, M.D. Heart Failure: Diary of a Third Year Medical Student.

Griffiths, Joel and Chris Bryson. "Toxic Secrets: Fluoride and the Atom Bomb." Nexus Magazine 5:3. Apr. - May 1998.

Hammer Breslow, Lauren. "The Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act of 2002: The Rise of the Voluntary Incentive Structure and Congressional Refusal to Require Pediatric Testing." Harvard Journal of Legislation Vol. 40.

"Human Experimentation: Before the Nazi Era and After." Micah Books.

Kaye, Jonathan. "Retin-A's Wrinkled Past." Mind Control. Orig. pub. Penn History Review Spring 1997.

"Manhattan Project: Oak Ridge." World Socialist Web Site. Oct. 18, 2002.

Meiklejohn, Gordon N., M.D. "Commission on Influenza." Histories of the Commissions. Ed. Theodore E. Woodward, M.D. The Armed Forced Epidemiological Board. 1994.

Merritte, LaTasha, et al.. "The Banality of Evil: Human Medical Experimentation in the United States." The Public Law Online Journal. Spring 1999.

Milgram, Stanley. "Milgram Experiment." Wikipedia. 2006.

New York City Administration of Children's Services. Press release. 22 Apr. 2005.

"Operation Plumbbob." Wikipedia. 2005.

"Operation Whitecoat." Religion and Ethics (Episode no. 708). Oct. 24, 2003.

Organic Consumers Association. "EPA and Chemical Industry to Study the Effects of Known Toxic Chemicals on Children". 12 Apr. 2005.

Pacchioli, David. Subjected to Science. Mar. 1996.

"Placebo Effect." Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine. 2006.

"Project Paperclip." Wikipedia' target='_blank'>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Paperclip">Wikipedia. 2005.

"Reviews and Notes: History of Medicine: Subjected to Science: Human Experimentation in America before the Second World War." Annals of Internal Medicine 123:2. July 15, 1995.

Sharav, Vera Hassner. "Human Experiments: A Chronology of Human Rsearch." Alliance for Human Research Protection.

Sauter, Daniel. Guide to MS 83 [Planned Parenthood of San Antonio and South Central Texas Records, 1931 - 1999]. University of Texas Library. Apr. 2001.

"Testimony of Adil E. Shamoo, Ph.D." News from the Joint Hearing on Suspension of Medical Research at West Los Angeles and Sepulveda VA Medical Facilities and Informed Consent and Patient Safety in VA Medical Research. 21 Apr. 1999.

University of New Hampshire. "Chronology of Cases Involving Unethical Treatment of Human Subjects." Responsible Conduct of Research.

University of Virginia Health System Health Sciences Library. "Bad Blood: The Tuskegee Syphilis Study." 2004.

U.S. Department of Energy. "Chapter 8: Postwar TBI-Effects Experimentation: Continued Reliance on Sick Patients in Place of Healthy "Normals." Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments (ACHRE) Final Report.

Veterans Health Administration. Project 112/Project SHAD. May 26, 2005.

article372

2008-03-09T23:49:00.001-07:00

(NewsTarget) The developing world sees more deaths from diarrhoea than AIDS, or malaria annually. And yet, many people have been lead to believe these diseases are the true killers in places like Africa. AIDS is a devastating disease, and can take years to slowly kill someone, but a bad case of diarrhoea for a child that is chronically malnourished can kill in days.

According to UNICEF and the World Health Organization, the number of children that die from diarrhoea reaches 2.2 million a year. Malaria kills over one million, 1.1 million children under 15 in Africa are living with HIV, and a total of 4 million in the world for children under 15 are living with the retrovirus. A total of 610,000 deaths from AIDS occur in children annually. These numbers are staggering – but worst of all, a case of diarrhoea can be solved very simply through rehydration. This involves dissolving a sugar based product and salt in water, and giving this to the child.

Granted, the water used to make this mixture must be clean. But cleaning water, thanks to an invention that costs $5 as reported in a previous Newstarget article, can be an inexpensive while saving lives. As reported in a Science Daily article, a simple “biosand” filter, which are concrete containers that hold gravel and sand, have been shown to reduce the cases of diarrhoea by up to 40%. The researchers wanted some verifiable proof that the biosand filters did the job, so they studied a few Dominican Republic villages and came up with very good results which can easily be adopted in many poor countries.

Many health practitioners would not recommend using refined white sugar, and would recommend honey products instead for the rehydration mixture. Dried honey could be substituted in these mixtures giving many additional health benefits, besides rehydrating the child.

Honey has anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal properties, and is a natural humectant (attracts and retains moisture). Liquid honey never goes bad when left on the self and can be used topically as an antiseptic. And if that wasn’t enough, daily consumption of honey raises blood levels of protective antioxidant compounds in humans. This is according to research presented at the 227th meeting of the American Chemical Society in Anaheim, CA, March 28, 2004.

In addition to honey, a high quality sea salt, or rock crystal salt, would increase the health benefit of the rehydration mixture. Halite, or rock sat, is the mineral form of sodium chloride, your typical table salt, usually highly refined and stripped of trace minerals. By adding this high quality salt to the rehydration mixture, these malnourished, dehydrated children, would be getting extra minerals along with the desperately needed electrolytes.

There has been other, natural, advances to help combat deadly, bacteria induced diarrhoea in children. Scienc Daily reports that ginger can be added to the arsenal. An extract of ginger blocked the toxin responsible for diarrhoea caused by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (E. coli), in studies using lab mice by Chien-Yun Hsiang and colleagues.

What can we do to raise awareness of this issue that is the easiest, and yet most deadly, problem for developing world children? Contact the Red Cross, UNICEF, World Health Organization, or your congressman, and spread the word to your friends and family. Many people will wear a pin or bracelet for AIDS, but a simple glass of water, with honey, sea salt and ginger could save more children’s lives this year.

article371

2008-03-09T23:47:00.000-07:00

Health officials in Lawrenceville, Georgia have arrested and jailed Francisco Santos, a teenager who tried to walk out of a hospital and go home after being diagnosed with TB (tuberculosis). Instead of allowing him to leave the hospital, health authorities arrested and jailed the teen, throwing him in into a 15 x 20 foot isolation chamber and not allowing him to leave until he submitted to chemical treatments pushed by doctors at the hospital. Francisco is being described as "...a threat to public safety" due to his tuberculosis.

Francisco's plight is the latest episode in a growing number of "gunpoint medicine" episodes where individuals are being arrested at gunpoint and thrown into jails or detainment centers until they submit to treatment with pharmaceuticals, chemotherapy, radiation or surgery. NewsTarget has covered other cases of gunpoint medicine, including:

• Katie Wernecke, a teenage cancer patient who was kidnapped by Texas authorities and forced to submit to chemotherapy. Her parents were arrested and subjected to actions by Child Protective Services, who took Katie away. This all happened because Katie's parents refused to subject their daughter to chemotherapy and wanted to pursue safer, more natural holistic medical therapies.

• Abraham Cherrix, a 16-year old cancer patient who also refused a second round of chemotherapy after the first round nearly killed him. His doctor was outraged that Abraham would refuse chemotherapy and called Child Protective Services who had Abraham's parents arrested at gunpoint. CPS then took over joint custody of the child and attempted to force the teen to submit to barbaric cancer treatments like radiation and chemotherapy.

In this latest example of Gunpoint Medicine, 17-year old Francisco Santos is now being held against his will and will apparently be incarcerated for as long as doctors believe he is a threat to the safety of others. He's also being told he cannot leave until he takes medication.

Patients, or Prisoners?

As these cases of Gunpoint Medicine clearly demonstrate, you now surrender your rights when you walk into a hospital. You are not a patient; you are a prisoner. And if the medical authorities, in their own opinion, perceive you as resisting their authority, they can have you arrested on the spot, without a court order, without a trial, and even when you pose no threat to others (such as having cancer). These medical arrests are taking place in clear violation of both the Fourth Amendment (protection from unreasonable search and seizure) and Fifth Amendment (due process) of the U.S. Bill of Rights.

Just as worrisome, law enforcement authorities are supporting these tyrannical actions of doctors, effectively providing firepower to what can only be called the "tyranny branch" of modern medicine. Any system of medicine that requires firearms to motivate patients is, in my opinion, more a system of control than a system of healing. Whatever happened to, "First, do no harm?"

Remember this the next time you enter a hospital or clinic: By subjecting yourself to the false authority of a doctor, you are in effect surrendering your freedoms and shall only be allowed to leave the hospital or clinic by the grace of the physician! If they decide that, for whatever reason, you should not be allowed to leave the hospital, you may be arrested at gunpoint and thrown into jail for an indefinite period of time until you agree to undergo their toxic -- even deadly -- treatments.

But isn't Santos contagious?

Skeptics of this assessment will point out that Santos has a contagious form of TB and is a genuine threat to society. Therefore, the thinking goes, medical authorities are justified in locking him up against his will, without a trial or court order.

That's a fascinating bit of delusional thinking. If you believe that, then you must also believe that health authorities should round up all AIDS patients and throw them into detention camps "for the safety of the public." After all, if you believe that TB is a disease that's dangerous enough to lock people away for having, then why not AIDS? Why not HPV, Hepatitis, or any upper respiratory illness that might pose a health hazard to some senior citizen? Once you cross the line of arresting people against their will for showing symptoms of one particular contagious disease, then you have to follow through and arrest everyone with similarly dangerous diseases.

Of course, if that happened, half the country would be behind bars, because the truth is that there are people everywhere who carry infectious germs. Simply walking through any airport exposes you to countless strains of bacteria, fungi and viruses that might pose a risk to your health.

And how about all the dangerous elderly drivers doped up on medication? I've seen some crazy Alzheimer's patients operating vehicles who should never be allowed to drive and are a clear threat to the safety of other drivers. Why aren't these people being locked up for the safety of the public? (I'm not saying they should be, but if you're going to be consistent here, locking up TB patients means locking up all kinds of other people...)

The gunpoint approach that has been invoked to imprison Santos is a demonstration of modern medical madness. The mainstream media has stirred the people into a frenzy over freewheeling lawyer Andrew Speaker and his TB infection, and now health authorities are so paranoid about being blamed for allowing a TB patient to walk free that they would rather trample on Santos' rights than expose themselves to professional risk. Apparently, the only requirement for locking someone up who shows symptoms of an infectious disease is that the particular disease has received a lot of mention in the press and the public is now scared silly over it.

Can you imagine the outcry if medical authorities started locking up AIDS patients? Don't dismiss this idea: It could be next. Any tyrannical health system that can stick a gun in the face of a teenage boy with TB and throw him in prison is perfectly capable of sticking a gun in the face of an AIDS patient and locking them away, too. Today it's TB, tomorrow it could be HIV. (Just wait for the "AIDS camps" to become official U.S. policy...)

Enjoy your freedom? Don't visit doctors

All this explains why I continue to encourage people to avoid doctors altogether. It's much better to take care of your health through exercise, strong nutritional habits, superfoods consumption and outright avoidance of toxic chemicals. Stay healthy and you won't need to see a doctor... ever! (I've known many people who have never seen a doctor in their entire lives, and yet are extremely healthy and long-lived.) I don't visit doctors, and I foresee no need to ever visit one unless I suffer some sort of accident or acute injury.

If you value your freedom, stay as far away from conventional doctors as possible. As you've seen here, they can have you locked up at their discretion, even without a shred of evidence that you're really dangerous to others.

Tuberculosis myths

This "highly infectious form of TB," for example, is largely a medical myth. Allow me to explain: The bacterium certainly does exist, and it can be passed through the air, but the most important point that still escapes the understanding of conventional medical authorities is that vitamin D prevents TB infections. The only people susceptible to TB infectious are those who are chronically deficient in vitamin D! That includes people who don't get enough sunlight (or who have been brainwashed into using sunscreen all the time) and who eat atrocious diets lacking in vitamin D sources like fish oils. The problem with TB is not simply the person walking around with the bacteria, it's the people who are in such poor nutritional health that they're practically begging to be infected by something.

This is why TB is now an epidemic in the UK, by the way: There's very little sunlight at that latitude, and more than 80 percent of UK citizens are vitamin D deficient. (It also explains the ongoing problems with dental health and bone fractures in the UK, but that's a different story...)

An incredible double standard

What's all this about doctors pretending to "protect the public" anyway? They claim to be locking up Santos in order to protect the health of the public, and yet they'll send patients home by the thousands with prescriptions for toxic pharmaceuticals that harm everyone! FDA-approved prescription drugs are now the 4th leading cause of death in the United States (tuberculosis isn't even close). I suppose if we were to really take steps to protect the general public, we should actually be locking up the drug-pushing doctors! They are right now killing far more patients than any infectious disease.

Think about it: Oncologists openly push dangerous chemotherapy drugs that cause permanent damage to the brain, heart, liver and kidneys, even while insisting that patients take no vitamins, superfoods or nutritional supplements to protect their healthy cells during the chemo treatments. General Practitioners send patients home with prescriptions for dangerous COX-2 inhibitor drugs, diabetes drugs, statin drugs and psychotropic drugs that kill, at minimum, tens of thousands of Americans every year through heart attacks, strokes, liver failure and suicides. Where is the call to protect the public from these dangerous chemicals that are causing casualty numbers resembling a world war?

Where is the effort to protect the public from all the dangerous cancer-causing food additives like sodium nitrite? Hydrogenated oils? Chemical preservatives and sweeteners? With the American population more diseased than ever before in the history of human civilization, and drug companies inundating the people with deadly chemicals, I find it astounding that health authorities would see one teenager with TB as such a huge threat that they have to arrest him at gunpoint. Doesn't this seem a bit strange to you?

If guns are to be drawn at all, they should be drawn during the arrest of corrupt FDA officials, evil Big Pharma operatives and unethical food company CEOs who are knowingly killing hundreds of thousands of Americans each year with their highly-profitable chemicals, additives and medicines. Francisco Santos is not a threat to your health, but modern medicine certainly is! And the FDA is without question a threat to your health and safety. In previous stories on this site, I've documented how the FDA is far more dangerous to Americans than any terrorist threat.

Take your meds or go to jail!

Our nation's health authorities have gone mad. They're all focused on the wrong things, and they've managed to get the public frenzied up about all the wrong things, too. They've got people scared silly about antioxidants, believing that vitamins will kill them (but that pharmaceuticals will save them!).

They've also managed to get people to believe that infectious diseases are caused SOLELY by the presence of the virus or bacterium -- an idea that's utter nonsense. An infectious agent is only a threat when the body is suppressed enough to be susceptible to infection. The real cause of an infection is just as much a weakened immune system as it is the presence of the virus, yet conventional medicine focuses solely on the presence of the virus and dismisses the role of the immune system in preventing infection.

I say we should Free Santos! He is no more of a threat to public health than your typical doctor, and no patient should be imprisoned by hospital authorities simply for having an infection of a disease that doesn't even pose a threat to healthy individuals.

The alternative is to turn the U.S. into a medical police state, where anybody with a cough is arrested at gunpoint, and AIDS patients are thrown into detainment camps, and anybody who refuses "treatment" with synthetic chemicals gets thrown into jail. Imagine being arrested for not taking your statin drugs, antidepressants or blood thinners. Big Pharma is trying to create a society where "treatment" with drugs is mandatory, and anyone who refuses to take their chemicals will be considered a criminal. Parents are already being arrested for not subjecting their children to chemotherapy or giving in to ADHD drugs. If this trend continues, it won't be long before anyone who rejects vaccinations, drugs and psychiatric medications will be considered a criminal (or terrorist). Parents, be warned: The State is out to medicate your child, and if you resist, you may have your children taken away!

In a nation where so many people claim we're sending soldiers off to war in order to "fight for our freedoms," I find it astounding that patients in hospitals are being treated like Guantanamo Bay prisoners. Personally, I think Santos should sue the hospital and local law enforcement authorities for violating his civil liberties. What, exactly, is his crime anyway? If being sick is a crime, then practically this entire nation should be locked up, because we're the most diseased population in the modern world.

article370

2008-03-09T23:46:00.000-07:00

NewsTarget) HIV patients may have an effective weapon to lengthen their lives, thanks to selenium. Taking a selenium supplement daily appears to keep HIV at bay and also strengthen the immune system, according to research by the University of Miami.

In a double-blind study of 262 HIV patients divided between patients receiving the supplements and placebos, the patients who received 200 micrograms of high-selenium yeast each day fought the disease much better. When each patient was given a comprehensive medical exam at the end of the study 9 months later, the ones who took selenium daily had a lower amount of the HIV virus in their bloodstream and better immune cell counts compared to those who hadn't.

"It's no surprise that selenium is finally getting the credit it deserves as a potent antiviral mineral," said Mike Adams, author of "The Seven Laws of Nutrition."

"In fact, combined with other natural antiviral medicines, HIV can be completely controlled without medications at all," Adams said. "The people of the world have been completely hoodwinked by the pharmaceutical companies into thinking there are no natural treatments for HIV, but in fact there are dozens."

The reason selenium may help people with HIV live longer is its antioxidant properies: it may help reverse damage that the disease does to the immune system. However, that does not make it a substitute for the antiretroviral therapy medications used to fight HIV, the researchers concluded.

The increased intake of selenium, while observed in other studies as having a positive effect in lowering mortality rates for people with lung, prostate and colorectal cancer, also may increase the risk of skin cancer, some studies have found. The verdict among scientists is not complete whether selenium is useful for cancer prevention.

With these initial findings, doctors have urged that more research be done to find out whether selenium is an effective tool in slowing down the effects of HIV.

article369

2008-03-09T23:44:00.002-07:00

"It's no surprise that selenium is finally getting the credit it deserves as a potent antiviral mineral," said Mike Adams, author of "The Seven Laws of Nutrition."

With these initial findings, doctors have urged that more research be done to find out whether selenium is an effective tool in slowing down the effects of HIV.

article368

2008-03-09T23:44:00.001-07:00

"It's no surprise that selenium is finally getting the credit it deserves as a potent antiviral mineral," said Mike Adams, author of "The Seven Laws of Nutrition."

With these initial findings, doctors have urged that more research be done to find out whether selenium is an effective tool in slowing down the effects of HIV.

article367

2008-03-09T23:43:00.000-07:00

NewsTarget) Raw honey – which has not been pasteurized or filtered, and ideally taken directly from the hive – is a treasure chest of nutritional value and medicinal remedies. It contains an abundance of vitamins and minerals and is a natural and powerful medicine, both internally and externally.

The list of honey's beneficial functions is a long one. Honey increases calcium absorption; can increase hemoglobin count and treat or prevent anemia caused by nutritional factors; can help arthritic joints, when combined with apple cider vinegar; fights colds and respiratory infections of all kinds; can help to boost gastrointestinal ulcer healing; works as a natural and gentle laxative; aids constipation, allergies and obesity; provides an array of vitamins and minerals; and supplies instant energy without the insulin surge caused by white sugar. Many have found raw honey helpful for its positive effects against allergies and hay fever, and one or two teaspoons last thing at night can help with insomnia. As an antiseptic, honey is also a drawing agent for poisons from bites or stings or infected wounds, and has outperformed antibiotics in treatments for stomach ulcerations, gangrene, surgical wound infections, surgical incisions and the protection of skin grafts, corneas, blood vessels and bones during storage and shipment.

"Raw honey is exceptionally effective internally against bacteria and parasites. Plus, raw honey contains natural antibiotics, which help kill microbes directly. Raw honey, when applied topically, speeds the healing of tissues damaged by infection and/or trauma. It contains vitamins, minerals and enzymes, as well as sugars, all of which aid in the healing of wounds."

So writes Dr. Cass Igram, D.O. in The Survivor's Nutritional Pharmacy. In a fascinating modern development, scientists and doctors are beginning to rediscover the effectiveness of honey as a wound treatment. In recent years, honey has been used effectively in clinical settings for the treatment of fist-sized ulcers extending to the bone, as well as for first, second and third degree burns. Complete healing has been reported without the need for skin grafts and with no infection or muscle loss. It can be applied full strength to such conditions, covered with a sterile bandage, and changed daily. When the wounds are clean, honey acts as a healer. This also is the same procedure for infected wounds, ulcerations and impetigo. Garlic honey can also be applied directly to infected wounds, which will help clean up the area of infection.

Dr. Peter Molan, professor of biochemistry at Waikato University, New Zealand, has been at the forefront of honey research for 20 years. He heads the university's Honey Research Unit, which is internationally recognized for its expertise in the antimicrobial properties of honey. Clinical observations and experimental studies have established that honey has effective antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Astonishingly, it painlessly removes pus, scabs and dead tissue from wounds and stimulates new tissue growth. "Randomized trials have shown that honey is more effective in controlling infection in burn wounds than silver sulfadiazine, the antibacterial ointment most widely used on burns in hospitals," explains Dr. Molan.

Dr. Molan believes that if honey were used from the start in cases of septicemia, there would be far less tissue damage resulting. "The remarkable ability of honey to reduce inflammation and mop up free radicals should halt the progress of the skin damage like it does in burns, as well as protecting from infection setting in", says Dr. Molan. "At present, people are turning to honey when nothing else works. But there are very good grounds for using honey as a therapeutic agent of first choice."

Researchers believe that the therapeutic potential of honey is grossly underutilized. With increasing interest in the use of alternative therapies and as the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria spreads, honey may finally receive its due recognition as a wound healer.

Indeed, it works: Raw honey makes a sterile, painless and effective wound dressing. Apply it directly to open cuts, abrasions and burns, and cover it with a piece of gauze. The results will occur quicker than with conventional alternatives, such as salves and creams.

Honey is also exceptionally effective for respiratory ailments. One Bulgarian study of almost 18,000 patients found that it improved chronic bronchitis, asthmatic bronchitis, chronic and allergic rhinitis and sinusitis. It's an effective treatment for colds, flu, respiratory infections and a generally depressed immune system. Whereas sugar shuts down the immune system, a good quality honey will stimulate it into action.

Here are some more ways to utilize the healing power of honey:

BURNS - Apply freely over burns. It cools, removes pain and aids fast healing without scarring. Apart from being a salve and an antibiotic, bacteria simply cannot survive in honey.

BED WETTING - A teaspoon of honey before bed aids water retention and calms fears in children.

INSOMNIA - A dessertspoon of honey in a mug of warm milk aids sleep and works wonders.

HYPERACTIVITY - Replace all use of white sugar with honey. White sugar is highly stimulating with no food qualities. Honey provides the energy without the "spike."

NASAL CONGESTION - Place a dessertspoon of honey in a basin of water and inhale fumes after covering your head with a towel over the basin. Very effective!

FATIGUE - Dissolve a dessertspoon of honey in warm water or quarter honey balance of water in a jug and keep in the fridge. Honey is primarily fructose and glucose, so it's quickly absorbed by the digestive system. Honey is a unique natural stabilizer: Ancient Greek athletes took honey for stamina before competing and as a reviver after competition.

FACIAL DEEP CLEANSER - Mix honey with an equal quantity of oatmeal, and apply as a face pack. Leave on for half an hour, then wash it off. Great as a deep cleanser for acne and other unwanted blemishes.

POOR DIGESTION - Mix honey with an equal quantity of apple cider vinegar and dilute to taste with water. This is also wonderful for the joints – and promotes weight loss.

HAIR CONDITIONER - Mix honey with an equal quantity of olive oil, cover head with a warm tower for half an hour then shampoo off. Feeds hair and scalp. Your hair will never look or feel better!

SORE THROATS - Let a teaspoon of honey melt in the back of the mouth and trickle down the throat. Eases inflamed raw tissues.

FOR STRESS - Honey in water is a stabilizer, calming highs and raising lows. Use approximately 25 percent honey to water.

ANEMIA - Honey is the best blood enricher by raising corpuscle content. The darker the honey, the more minerals it contains.

FOOD PRESERVATIVE – If you replace the sugar in cake and cookie recipes with honey, they'll stay fresher longer due to honey's natural antibacterial properties. Reduce liquids in the mixture by about one-fifth to allow for the moisture present in the in honey.

BABY'S BOTTLE - Four teaspoons of honey to a baby's bottle of water is an excellent pacifier and multivitamin additive. If the baby's motions are too liquid, then reduce the honey by half a teaspoon; if too solid increase by half a teaspoon. (Caution: Don't give raw honey to babies under 1 year old; it's just too rich.) For teething, honey rubbed on a baby's gums is also a mild sedative and anesthetic.

OSTEOPOROSIS – Research has shown that a teaspoon of honey per day aids calcium utilization and prevents osteoporosis – probably not a bad idea for anyone over 50.

LONGEVITY - The most long-lived people in the world are all regular users of honey. An interesting fact, yet to be explained, is that beekeepers suffer less from cancer and arthritis than any other occupational group worldwide.

MIGRAINE - Use a dessertspoon of honey dissolved in half a glass of warm water. Sip at the start of a migraine attack, and, if necessary, repeat after another 20 minutes.

CONJUNCTIVITIS - Dissolve honey in an equal quantity of warm water. When cooled, apply as a lotion or eye bath.

COUGH MIXTURE – Combine 6 ounces (170 grams) liquid honey, 2 ounces (55 grams) glycerin and the juice of two lemons. Mix well. Bottle and cork firmly, and use as required.

Raw honey may become granulated, as some does after a week and another maybe only after several years. If the granulations bother you, simply place the honey into a pan of hot water (not boiling) and let it stand until becoming liquid again.

Kelly Joyce Neff has an interdisciplinary degree in Celtic Studies which includes work in cultural anthropology, history, linguistics, language, and literature. She is a traditional midwife and herbalist, a reiki master, and an active craftsperson. She lives in San Francisco.

article366

2008-03-09T23:42:00.000-07:00

Hailed in ancient Eastern medicine as the "mushroom of immortality" and the "medicine of kings," you'd expect reishi to offer you some pretty astounding health benefits, right? Your assumptions are correct. This prized fungus may be able to boost your immune system, fight cancer, ward off heart disease, calm your nerves and relieve both allergies and inflammation.

"Reishi indeed sounds like a cure-all," writes Rebecca Wood in her book "New Whole Foods Encyclopedia." She goes on to explain reishi's wide range of uses: "An immunostimulant, it is helpful for people with AIDS, leaky-gut syndrome, Epstein-Barr, chronic bronchitis and other infectious diseases. It is used as an aid to sleep, as a diuretic, as a laxative and to lower cholesterol." It almost seems too good to be true.

How can one fungus help the human body in so many ways? Traditional Eastern medical science explains reishi's wide range of medicinal applications better, perhaps, than mainstream medicine ever could. According to Eastern thought, the body needs to defend itself against threats to its "equilibrium." These threats can be physical, such as viruses and bacteria that cause infection; emotional, such as stressors that cause anxiety; or energetic, in that they reduce alertness. Whatever the threat, reishi helps the body maintain its defense against these threats to its equilibrium, helping the body to maintain balance. In this sense, diseases like heart disease and cancer mean that the body is out of balance, which is why an equilibrium-enhancing remedy such as reishi can help so many diverse ailments.

Skeptics can doubt the previous explanation as Taoist "mumbo jumbo," but laboratory research proves many of reishi's medicinal applications. As Dr. Andrew Weil writes, reishi "has been the subject of a surprising amount of scientific research in Asia and the West." Research shows that the polysaccharide beta-1,3-D-glucan in reishi boosts the immune system by raising the amount of macrophages T-cells, which has major implications for people suffering from AIDS and other immune system disorders.

This immune-boosting action also works wonders in the prevention and treatment of cancer, as the T-cells are then able to fight cancer cells more effectively. However, reishi may help the body defeat cancer in not just one, but four ways. In addition to boosting the immune system, the glucan in reishi helps immune cells bind to tumor cells. Many experts believe that it also actually reduces the number of cancerous cells, making it easier for T-cells and macrophages to rid the body of them. Another substance in reishi, called canthaxanthin, slows down the growth of tumors, according to "Prescription for Dietary Wellness" author Phyllis A. Balch and other experts. As a result of these amazing anti-cancer abilities, laboratory research and traditional medicinal usage of reishi to fight cancer is so positive that the Japanese government officially recognizes it as a cancer treatment.

Besides cancer, reishi can help and treat another of America's top killers: cardiovascular disease. The protection reishi offers against heart disease and stroke is truly remarkable because it helps prevent so many different risk factors, due to its high content of heart-saving substances like sterols, ganoderic acids, coumarin, mannitol and polysaccharides. Experts believe that the ganoderic acids in particular lower triglyceride levels, remove excess cholesterol from the blood, lower blood pressure, reduce platelet stickiness and even help correct arrhythmia. In fact, for 54 people with hypertension unresponsive to medication, taking reishi extract three times a day for four weeks was enough to significantly lower blood pressure, according to a study reported by Burton Goldberg in "Heart Disease." Just imagine how the incidence of cardiovascular disease could be reduced if using reishi really caught on in the Western hemisphere.

While you protect your body against infectious disease, cancer and heart disease, your use of reishi can also help relieve your everyday discomforts. Do you have allergies? Japanese researchers discovered that the lanostan in reishi acts as a natural antihistamine. Do you suffer from muscle aches or arthritis? Dr. William B. Stavinhoa of the University of Texas Health Science Center found that reishi is as powerful as five milligrams of hydrocortisone, but with minimal side effects. What about anxiety or insomnia? According to "Mind Boosters" by Dr. Ray Sahelia, the reishi mushroom can calm the mind, as well as improve memory, concentration and focus. With all these benefits, reishi truly is the "medicine of kings."

Different types of reishi

Though there are six different types of reishi, all classified by color, herbalists generally call red reishi the most potent and medicinal variety, and thus it is the most commonly used form of reishi in North America, Japan, China, Taiwan and Korea. In the wild, the mushroom grows on deciduous trees in heavily forested areas of China and Japan, but it's now easily and widely cultivated commercially, so you don't have to venture into the forest to enjoy the benefits of what "Herbal Medicine-Maker's Handbook" author James Green calls a "remarkably beneficial fungus for the human body."

However, keep in mind that reishi isn't exactly the kind of mushroom you'll want to put in your next salad, either. Since it's more than 90 percent indigestible fiber, reishi has an extremely wood-like texture and to top it off, it's unpleasantly bitter. In spite of this bitter flavor, many reishi enthusiasts use ground reishi to make a life-enhancing tea or even use the mushrooms in soups. For the less daring, many health food stores offer reishi capsules, tablets and extracts, and Japanese research suggests taking vitamin C along with it may enhance reishi's medicinal effects.

So, how much reishi should you take? In the "Vitamin Bible for the Twenty-first Century," vitamin expert Earl Mindell advises an average dose of 100 milligrams of reishi extract daily to boost your immune system, reduce inflammation and ease joint pain. On the other hand, Dr. Linda B. White recommends up to three 1,000-milligram tablets up to three times per day in her book "The Herbal Drugstore." Because of this wide range of dosage suggestions and additional risks it might pose for pregnant or lactating women (even though reishi has no known toxicity) you should check with a physician, preferably a naturopath, before adding reishi to your regimen. Similarly, you should be aware that reishi does have some side effects, including abdominal upset, dizziness, nose bleeds and dry mouth and throat, according to "Natural Pharmacy" author Schuyler W. Lininger. In other words, it's up to you and your naturopath to decide which dose of reishi is right for you.

The experts speak on reishi:

Reishi's wide range of medicinal applications

Health Benefits: Reishi indeed sounds like a cure-all. An immunostimulant, it is helpful for people with AIDS, leaky gut syndrome, Epstein-Barr, chronic bronchitis, and other infectious viruses. It is used as an aid to sleep; as a diuretic; as a laxative; and to lower cholesterol. Reishi mushrooms are antioxidants and liver protectants..
New Whole Foods Encyclopedia by Rebecca Wood, page 288

One key function, identified long ago by Eastern medical science, is defense--that is, the body has the need and ability to defend itself against threats to its equilibrium, whether they be physical, emotional, or energetic. Having noted and studied the body's defensive capabilities, Chinese doctors then explored the natural world to find ways of maintaining and enhancing them, and they discovered a number of ways to do so, including the administration of herbal remedies. Among these remedies are ginseng, astragalus, and several mushrooms that grow on trees, such as Ganoderma lucidum (known to the Chinese as ling chih and the Japanese as reishi).
8 Weeks To Optimum Health By Andrew Weil MD, page 15

Not all of the active components in reishi have been isolated; like many other organic substances, the molecules in this plant are quite complex, though they are probably mostly polysaccharides and peptides. Dr. Terry Willard, a proponent of the medical uses of this mushroom, maintains that reishi also decreases free radicals by 50.4 percent through an as yet, unidentified antioxidant. ... Other researchers suspect that reishi may not have an antioxidant of its own but rather stimulates production of the body's own free radical scavenger, an enzyme called superoxide dismutase (SOD). According to the Bulletin of the Oriental Healing Arts Institute, reishi acts as an agent for promoting an increase in leukocytes, phagocytosis which in turn increase the number of disease-fighting T-cells in the bloodstream.
Attaining Medical Self Sufficiency An Informed Citizens Guide by Duncan Long, page 196

These powerful adaptogens -- Siberian ginseng, schisandra, ginseng, astragalus, and reishi--are among what Teeguarden calls the "superstars of Chinese tonic herbalism . . . incomparable, legendary herbal substances [that] have withstood the test of time." These five herbs also tend to be the ones with the most scientific backing for their strengthening and normalizing effects.
Off The Shelf Natural Health How To Use Herbs And Nutrients To Stay Well By Mark Mayell, page 291

Reishi and the immune system

Reishi is a purely medicinal mushroom, not a culinary one, both because it is hard and woody and because it tastes very bitter. But it is nontoxic and has been the subject of a surprising amount of scientific research, both in Asia and the West. Although most of the research has been in animals, the results are so promising that I think human studies will soon follow. Like maitake and other related mushroom species, reishi improves immune function and inhibits the growth of some malignant tumors. Additionally, it shows significant anti-inflammatory effect, reduces allergic responsiveness, and protects the liver.
8 Weeks To Optimum Health By Andrew Weil MD, page 140

Reishi is a supreme immune tonic. Because of its neutral energy, it is fine for anyone to take. It treats immune disorders including AIDS as it raises the T cell levels (an index of AIDS and immune disorders). It is also specific for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. It inhibits bacteria and viruses, treats cancer and tumors and its adaptogenic quality protects the body against stress. It treats heart disease, reduces cholesterel and lowers high blood pressure.
The Herbs Of Life by Lesley Tierra, page 195

Maitake, shiitake, and reishi mushrooms possess beta-1,3-D-glucan, a type of polysaccharide that stimulates the immune cells. Their immune-boosting power makes them essential for fighting the flu.
Prescription For Nutritional Healing by Phyllis A Balch CNC and James F Balch MD, page 469

In addition to being an effective energizer, reishi is an antioxidant that protects the body from the harmful effects of radiation and free radicals. It contains polysaccharides and other compounds that may combat bacteria and viruses and boost the immune system
Off The Shelf Natural Health How To Use Herbs And Nutrients To Stay Well By Mark Mayell, page 56

Reishi Mushrooms Known as kisshotake or the "lucky fungus," in Japan, reishi mushrooms were originally used in China in both cooking and traditional healing. However, for several thousand years the Japanese have used these delicately flavored mushrooms in their cuisine. reishi mushrooms, which are quite pricey, are available in Asian markets and gourmet shops. However, they may be worth their weight in gold. Recent studies show that reishi may stimulate the immune system, which increases the body's ability to ward off disease. In addition, reishi mushrooms contain compounds that are natural antihistamines and have strong anti-allergic activity. Other studies show that reishi can lower blood cholesterol levels and prevent the formation of dangerous blood clots that can lead to a heart attack or stroke..
Earl Mindells Soy Miracle Earl Mindel RPH PHD, page 107

reishi is a supreme immune tonic. Because of its neutral energy, it is fine for anyone to take. It treats immune disorders including AIDS as it raises the T cell levels (an index of AIDS and immune disorders). It is also specific for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. It inhibits bacteria and viruses, treats cancer and tumors and its adaptogenic quality protects the body against stress. It treats heart disease, reduces cholesterel and lowers high blood pressure.
The Herbs Of Life by Lesley Tierra, page 195

Herbal Medicine: There are numerous herbs useful in the care of infections. Some are directly antibacterial or antiviral while others are immune potentiators. Some herbs do both. Examples include goldenseal, licorice, astragalus, garlic, Panax ginseng, reishi and shiitake mushrooms, slippery elm, and echinacea.
Alternative Medicine by Burton Goldberg, page 1112

The third is reishi (Ganoderma lucidum), currently available in US health food stores. It is said to have been used as a "fountain of youth" elixir for centuries. A novel protein with immunomodulating activity in vivo has been isolated from the mycelial extract of reishi.
Cancer Therapy by Ralph W Moss PhD, page 248

reishi tones the immune system, supports nerve function, scavenges free radicals, protects the liver, and quells inflammation and allergies. According to Hobbs (1996), "reishi has the unique ability among medicinal mushrooms to calm and support nerve function." In his practice, he recommends reishi to people with chronic stress, anxiety, or insomnia.
Disease Prevention And Treatment by Life Extension Foundation, page 116

Reishi, shiitake, and maitake mushroom extracts or powders are all proven antivirals and are used as immunostimulants around the world for everything from colds to cancer.
Herbal Defense by Ralph T Golan ND, page 180

Immunity (increases) astragalus, codonopsis, cinnamon, ginger, ginseng, bayberry, schisandra reishi echinacea and American ginseng.
The Herbs Of Life by Lesley Tierra, page 231

The most common herbs used in fu-zheng are blood-vitalizing herbs, including astragalus, milletia, reishi, panax ginseng, schizandra, jujube, ligus-ticum, hoelen, salvia, ho shou wu, cordyceps, atractylodis, and codonopsis. Studies continue to demonstrate that these herbs have a dramatic impact on the enhancement of an immune system weakened by chemo and radiation therapies. They not only protect the immune and endocrine systems but also inhibit such diseases as influenza, upper respiratory infections, fungal infections, and chemically induced hepatitis. These diseases can cause serious complications for the person with cancer, requiring an interruption in treatment and a course of antibiotics that can lead to diarrhea and other debilitating problems.
Herbal Medicine Healing Cancer by Donald R Yance Jr, page 85

If yeast or other vaginal infections keep coming back, your best bet is to see a natural health practitioner who'll recommend an herbal tonic program that you'll use for a series of months. It will likely include herbs such as astragalus, reishi, shiitake, nettles, or burdock -- botanicals that gently and gradually rebuild the immune system and the many organs it involves. Such a program will likely include some diet changes as well, such as cutting down on caffeine and sugar.
The Herbal Drugstore by Linda B White MD, page 535

The once extremely rare and precious reishi mushroom is now cultivated and widely available. It is a very potent immune system and longevity tonic. Traditionally used to "nourish the heart and pacify the spirit," it has also been found to have numerous other health benefits.
The One Earth Herbal Sourcebook by Alan Keith Tillotson, page 190

Use one of the immune-boosting tonics, like maitake, reishi, or astragalus. In cities, people live in close proximity and come into contact with each other more frequently than in rural areas. Germs spread easily in dense populations, so give your immune system some help.
8 Weeks To Optimum Health By Andrew Weil MD, page 229

HERBS: Herbal medicine is best administered under the guidance of a professional trained in their use. The following herbs can be used safely as a self-care protocol, however. Dr. Bock recommends astragalus, ginseng, and maitake and reishi mushrooms for general immune support.
Alternative Medicine by Burton Goldberg, page 1043

Mushrooms, particularly Eastern varieties, revitalize the body. Various cultures consider them to contain the secrets of staying young. Reishi and shiitake mushrooms build resistance to stress by strengthening the immune system. They also provide key B vitamins to the liver and stimulate the adrenals with their high concentration of pantothenic acid. The common American button mushroom contains methionine, an amino acid high in sulphur. When combined with tofu, the result is a more complete protein.
Food Swings by Barnet Meltzer MD, page 258

Several species of mushroom -- including shiitake (Lentinus edodes), reishi (Ganoderma lucidum), and maitake (Grifola frondosa) -- are considered immune system stimulants. They contain compounds called polysac-charides that are similar to those found in other immune-boosting plants, such as astragalus and echinacea. These compounds increase the ability of white blood cells to devour germs.
Anti-Aging Prescriptions by James Duke PhD, page 163

This is the type of herbal tea I drink most frequently. After all, on a day-to-day basis, we mostly need to keep our good health intact. If I feel "immune challenged" or I want to start my day with an immune boost, I'll drink a cup of a blend that contains any of the following tonic herbs, known as adaptogens (herbs that strengthen or enhance the immune system, nervous system, and/or glandular system while they help the body cope with stress): Siberian ginseng, Panax ginseng, astragalus, shizandra, echinacea, ashwagandha, reishi mushrooms, licorice.
Caffeine Blues By Stephen Cherniske MS, page 324

Therapeutic and Healing Powers: reishi and shiitake mushrooms boost the immune system by producing interferon-like effects that fight viral infection. Mushrooms are also being studied for their anti-cancerous capabilities.
Food Swings by Barnet Meltzer MD, page 216

Mushrooms from Japan -- specifically, shiitake as a food, and reishi and maitake (which are currently available in the United States only as extracts) -- offer a host of immune-system benefits.
Herbal Defense by Ralph T Golan ND, page 152

All edible mushrooms contain both medicinal and nutritional qualities. Scientific research indicates that the major actions of medicinal mushrooms are stimulating the immune system and protecting against cardiovascular disease, free radicals, mutagens, and toxins. Most medicinal mushrooms contain polysaccharides (complex sugar molecules) called beta-glucans that increase RNA and DNA in the bone marrow where immune cells, like lymphocytes, are made. The combination of compounds in mushrooms is believed to target the immune system and aid in neuron transmission, metabolism, and the transport of nutrients and oxygen. Three mushroom varieties -- reishi, shiitake, and maitake -- have been studied intensively and have proven to possess strong medicinal properties. All mushrooms must be cooked to get the nutritional value. The cell walls cannot be digested unless they are tenderized by heat.
Prescription For Dietary Wellness by Phyllis A Balch, page 167

If you have a family history of cancer, have been a smoker, have worked in a hazardous occupation, or know that you have had toxic exposures, take one or more of the tonics that are cancer-protective and immune-enhancing. My first choices would be maitake and reishi mushrooms.
8 Weeks To Optimum Health By Andrew Weil MD, page 251

Ganoderma: Ganoderma lucidum, the Chinese "mushroom of immortality" called ling zhi (in Japan, reishi) has been extensively studied in the laboratory for antiviral activity and is well known for its immune-modulating activity. My teacher of Chinese medicine, the late Dr. York Why Loo, kept a specimen of dried wild Chinese ling zhi in a jar for use in his old age. So revered by Chinese doctors is ling zhi that it is frequently pictured on their business cards or displayed in their shop windows as a sign of respect for its importance.
Viral Immunity by J.E, page 292

In China, many pharmacological, chemical, and biochemical studies have been conducted with this remarkable mushroom. Results show that reishi meets all qualifications of being an ad-aptogen and tonic. Its use bolsters the immune system, stimulates health, and improves or prevents allergic conditions and a variety of degenerative and other disease conditions.
Miracle Medicine Herbs by Richard M Lucas, page 9

Try shiitake or reishi mushrooms with your veggies -- the Chinese use them to bolster the immune system.
Prescription Alternatives by Earl Mindell RPh PhD and Virginia Hopkins MA, page 283

Preliminary human research demonstrates some efficacy for the mushroom reishi in treating chronic hepatitis B, although this use still needs to be confirmed.
The Natural Pharmacy by Schuyler W Lininger, page 80

Many researchers are now recommending a combination of mushrooms to maximize effects on the immune system. "A complex blend of medicinal fungi can offer a powerful therapeutic punch," says internationally renowned mycologist Paul Stamets, known by some as "Mr. Medicinal Mushroom."1 Two other mushrooms that hold great therapeutic promise are reishi, or Ling zhi (Ganoderma lucidum), and maitake (Gri-Jola frondosa).
The Encyclopedia Of Popular Herbs by Robert S McCaleb, page 335

Improves conditions of viral hepatitis (70% of all cases with this condition showed marked improvement after taking reishi).
Miracle Medicine Herbs by Richard M Lucas, page 9

Chinese herbalists have long considered mushrooms to be the most beneficial of all medicinal foods; however, the ordinary culinary mushrooms found at the supermarket are not as advantageous to the immune system as the more exotic reishi, maitake, or shiitake mushrooms. Modern research has determined that these mushrooms can support immune function. Extracts of these mushrooms can be purchased in capsule form.
Prescription For Dietary Wellness by Phyllis A Balch, page 10

Immune tonics: reishi, astragalus, schisandra liver tonics: dandelion, fennel nerve tonics: scullcap, valerian nutritive tonics: comfrey, marshmallow.
The Herbs Of Life by Lesley Tierra, page 139

Immune-modulating plants often used by doctors of herbal medicine include Asian ginseng, eleuthero (Siberian ginseng, ashwagandha, and the medicinal mushrooms shiitake and reishi.
The Natural Pharmacy by Schuyler W Lininger, page 89

The reishi mushroom is traditionally used in Chinese medicine for asthenia-type syndromes, characterized by a deficiency of vital energy and functions of the lower body. reishi is the perfect remedy for the typical American suffering from constant stress. This type of individual has depressed vital force and is likely to be both deficient and toxic. When a person in such a state develops cancer and is then faced with the toxicities of chemotherapy, the situation calls for reishi. reishi's overall effects could be described as regulatory and beneficial to the restoration of homeostasis. Its effect on the immune system is total enhancement of immune function: increase of white blood-cell count, platelets, hemoglobin, and various tumor-fighting cells. reishi also improves both energy and sleep.
Herbal Medicine Healing Cancer by Donald R Yance Jr, page 156

Master the language of mushrooms. Forget those bland, almost tasteless specimens that you find in the typical mushroom omelet. Your immune system craves exotic mushrooms, notably shiitake, maitake, and reishi. "Shiitake and maitake mushrooms strengthen the immune system," notes Santa Cruz, California, herbalist Christopher Hobbs, L.Ac., the author of several authoritative herb guides. "reishi mushrooms build up bone marrow, where white blood cells are made."
Blended Medicine by Michael Castleman, page 10

Reishi is one of the most versatile medicinal mushrooms. It has long been used in Asia as an energy tonic to promote longevity and overall health. Studies indicate that reishi is an antioxidant and contains polysaccharides and other compounds that may boost the immune system. reishi is taken to counter bacteria and viruses and has shown promise as an agent to help prevent or treat cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome, and other conditions. Russian researchers at the Cancer Research Center in Moscow have had positive results using reishi extracts to boost the immunity of cancer patients.
Off The Shelf Natural Health How To Use Herbs And Nutrients To Stay Well By Mark Mayell, page 88

The fruiting body of reishi mushroom is sweet in taste and neutral to slightly warming in action. It calms the spirit; strengthens immunity; slows aging; strengthens the heart, lungs, and liver; and relaxes spasms.
The One Earth Herbal Sourcebook by Alan Keith Tillotson, page 190

Reishi and cancer

For the past decade, reishi has also been used as a cancer treatment in Japan, with some success. reishi appears to inhibit cancer via its beneficial effect on the immune system. Compounds in reishi can boost immune function by activating macrophages and T-cells, the disease-fighting cells that help rid the body of all foreign invaders, including viruses, bacteria, and cancer cells.
Earl Mindell's Supplement Bible by Earl Mindell RPh PhD, page 167

One of the reishi polysaccharides, called glucan, shows anti-tumor potential according to some researchers. Researchers speculate that glucan reduces the number of cancerous cells making it possible for the body's immune system to handle them more effectively.
Attaining Medical Self Sufficiency An Informed Citizens Guide by Duncan Long, page 196

Carbohydrate-proteins, called mucopolysaccharides, which are found in many herbs, such as echinacea and reishi mushrooms, not only activate macrophages but actually help them to bind to the antigen or tumor cell.
Herbal Medicine Healing Cancer by Donald R Yance Jr., page 93

Canthaxanthin acts as an antioxidant, boosts immunity, slows the growth of cancer cells, and may help to prevent skin and breast cancers. Food sources include mushrooms, particularly reishi, maitake, and shiitake.
Prescription For Dietary Wellness by Phyllis A Balch, page 50

Studies done at the Cancer Research Center in Moscow have found reishi to act as a host defense protector. It helps the body to fight cancer and slow down tumor growth.
Treating Cancer With Herbs by Michael Tierra ND, page 166

Ancient Chinese herbalists considered the reishi mushroom the most beneficial of all medicines and the emperors of Japan believed the reishi granted them immortality. Today, the Japanese government officially recognizes the reishi mushroom as a substance for treating cancer.
Prescription For Dietary Wellness by Phyllis A Balch, page 167

Because it is called ling zhi in Chinese, the scientists called this protein ling zhi-8. And Prof. H. Maruyama called the antitumor activity of a water extract of reishi as well as two other mushrooms "remarkably effective for inhibition of tumor growth."
Cancer Therapy by Ralph W Moss PhD, page 248

Scientific studies report this food's effectiveness in controlling cancers of the breast, lung, and prostate, and in minimizing the side effects of chemotherapy. Shiitake and reishi mushrooms, also called ganoderma mushrooms, exhibit anticancer properties as well, and are used by Orientals to enhance longevity. Animal research done in Japan showed a highly significant rate of tumor elimination in animals fed extracts of maitake, shiitake, and reishi mushrooms.
Complete Encyclopedia Of Natural Healing by Gary Null PhD, page 82

Besides its anti-tumor and immuno-modulatory properties, reishi also helps counteract stress. The crude extract of reishi has been found to be more effective in fighting free radical damage than isolated, synthetic compounds. reishi also contains bitter triterpenes. These strengthen the circulatory and immune systems, tone the liver and protect the body from physical stress. Triterpenes work as adaptogenics, antihypertensives and to control allergic reactions.
Treating Cancer With Herbs by Michael Tierra ND, page 166

Shiitake and reishi mushrooms will be magic because they help prevent cancer.
Asian Health Secrets by Letha Hadady DAc, page 477

The reishi and maitake mushrooms are two other fungi for which researchers are cheering in their fight against cancer and viruses.
The Complete Book Of Alternative Nutrition by Selene Y Craig, page 225

Other Herbs -- Other herbal medicines have been identified as potentially useful adjuncts to cancer treatment, including: pearl barley (Hordeum vulgare); reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum); shiitake mushroom (Lentin-ula edodes); cauliflower (Brassica oleracea); wax gourd (Benincasa hispida); calendula (Calendula qfficinalis); chaparral (Larrea divaricata and Larrea tridentata); white mulberry (Moms alba); Japanese pepper (Piperfutokadsura); thyme (Thymus serpyllum); Chinese cucumber (Tri-chosanthes kirilowii); and stinging nettle (Urtica dioica).
Alternative Medicine by Burton Goldberg, page 612

The reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum) has a sweet and warm energy, is both sedative and tonic, is a supreme deep immune system tonic, and nourishes the spirit, essence, and vital energy. It has strong anticarcinogenic properties and is rich in a number of complex phyto-chemicals, including ergosterol, fumaric acid, aminoglucose, and man-nitol; coumarins; alkaloids; lactone; and various enzymes.
The Way Of Herbs by Michael Tierra, page 313

Finally, evidence has shown that reishi, shiitake, and maitake mushrooms can serve as formidable opponents of cancer cells.
Complete Encyclopedia Of Natural Healing by Gary Null PhD, page 72

If you have cancer, you should work with a knowledgeable physician or natural healer. As a cancer treatment, doses are much higher than those for pain control -- you will need to take about 10 grams of reishi daily. But reishi is considered safe even at the highest levels; there is no known toxicity.
Earl Mindell's Supplement Bible by Earl Mindell RPh PhD, page 167

According to researchers at the National Cancer Center in Japan, there was complete tumor elimination in about 80% of cancer-induced animals fed extracts from maitake, shiitake, and reishi mushrooms. Compounds in each of these mushrooms increase the tumor-fighting activity of NK cells and improve antibody responses, but maitake seems to have the strongest and most consistent effect.
Alternative Medicine by Burton Goldberg, page 613

As with other medicinal mushrooms, this herb is rich in polysaccharides that increase white blood cells; it serves as a potent free radical scavenger and generally exerts broad anticancer and antitumor properties. Reishi contains the immune stimulating polysaccharide, beta D-glucan, which has been shown to be effective against sarcoma. The polysaccharide stimulates macrophage activity to produce tumor-necrosis factor (TNF-a), together with cancer killing interleukins. In another study the polysaccharides (PS) from fresh fruiting bodies of G. lucidum (PS-G) were isolated and used to potentiate cytokine production by human mono-cytes-macrophages and T lymphocytes. Results demonstrated that the levels of interleukins (IL)-l beta, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)- alpha, and IL-6 in macrophage cultures treated with PS-G (100 micrograms/ml) were 5.1, 9.8 and 29 fold higher, respectively, than those of untreated controls. In addition, the release of interferon (IFN)- gamma from T lymphocytes was also greatly promoted in the presence of PS-G (25-100 micrograms/ml). Furthermore, these cytokine-containing mononuclear cell-conditioned media (PSG-MNC-CM) suppressed the proliferation of both the HL-60 and the U937 leukemic cell lines. Further, a process of DNA labeling was able to induce cell death (apoptosis) only of cancer cells.
Treating Cancer With Herbs by Michael Tierra ND, page 166

Two other types of medicinal fungi, which have received considerable attention in the scientific community in the last few decades, are the reishi (pronounced REE-she) and shiitake (pronounced SHE-taw-key) mushrooms. They are venerated throughout the Orient for their marvelous healing properties, especially in the treatment and prevention of cancer. Laboratory and clinical studies done with both of them in man and beast alike have shown remarkable regression of malignant tumors, particularly through the injection method.
Encyclopedia Healing Herbs Spices by John Heinerman, page 243

Adding foods to the diet which contain significant amounts of the trace element germanium, which enhances the action of oxygen in the body. Germanium foods and supplements are commonly used as cancer remedies and for immune restoration in general. Among the more concentrated food and herb sources: "turkey tails" and related shelf or punk mushrooms that grow on the sides of decaying trees; other mushrooms including shiitake, ling zhi or reishi (Ganoderma luddum), and champignon; garlic; the herbs Suma (Pfaffia paniculata), ginseng, and unrefined aloe vera juice; chlorella micro-algae, and barley.
Healing With Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford, page 40

Medicinal mushrooms with immunomodulating activities have been traditionally used as tonics in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). They are now used in cancer treatments to counteract the toxic effects of radiation and chemotherapy. Mushrooms used in cancer therapies are generally processed into liquid or powder in order to obtain the necessary potency. It takes about 15 pounds of reishi mushrooms to produce 1 pound of the powdered concentrate. Medicinal mushrooms make a significant contribution to the healing process by enhancing and stimulating the body's own immune system. This is a very important factor in diseases like cancer and HIV, which have components unique to each individual. In my protocols for people with cancer, I always include one or more medicinal mushroom extract products. Descriptions of some of the more frequently used mushrooms follow.
Herbal Medicine Healing Cancer by Donald R Yance Jr, page 155

It is believed, they are more accessible to the immune system cell called the macrophage. Remember, these are nonspecific "Pac Man"-like immune cells that literally gobble up invaders. When the macrophage becomes activated, it signals helper T cells to get to work. From research in China and Japan, the immune cells being activated by reishi to kill tumor cells are primarily the macrophages and helper T cells.
Healing Pets With Nature's Miracle Cures By Henry Pasternak DVM CVA, page 114

Reishi calms the central nervous system, exerting a blood-pressure-lowering effect beneficial to the heart. It is now employed in China for treatment of autoimmune diseases and to calm hypersensitivity. Like many other medicinal mushrooms, reishi mushroom can be used to treat cancer patients due to its ability to activate NK cells, macrophages, T-lymphocytes, and cytokines, all important immune system components. Kee Chang Huang reports that reishi "exerts a synergistic effect with other anticancer chemothera-peutic agents or radiotherapy, to augment the clinical therapeutic effect in the treatment of cancer patients."
The One Earth Herbal Sourcebook by Alan Keith Tillotson, page 191

reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) contains carbohydrates, fiber, amino acids, protein, steroids, triterpenes, lipids, alkaloids, polysaccharides, glucoside, coumarin glycoside, volatile oil, vitamin B2 (riboflavin), and ascorbic acid. It also contains the minerals calcium, zinc, magnesium, copper, and germanium. Additionally, reishi contains ganoderic acid, which is a free-radical scavenger, giving reishi antioxidant powers. The polysaccharides in reishi mushrooms appear to activate a type of white blood cell known as a macrophage. These cells filter the blood, destroying cancer cells, viruses, bacteria, and other large particulate material. Macrophages also signal other white blood cells to seek out and destroy tumor cells.
Prescription For Dietary Wellness by Phyllis A Balch, page 168

Reishi is also being studied for its effects against arthritis, bronchitis, asthma, acute hepatitis, diabetes, allergies, insomnia, and altitude sickness
The Encyclopedia Of Popular Herbs by Robert S McCaleb, page 335

reishi. Several species of ganoderma have traditionally been used by the Chinese to prevent or treat cancer of the esophagus and other organs. Studies show that certain steroidlike compounds in reishi can help kill liver cancer cells. reishi extracts have also been shown to boost the immunity of cancer patients.
Off The Shelf Natural Health How To Use Herbs And Nutrients To Stay Well By Mark Mayell, page 226

One study showed that reishi strongly inhibited the growth of sarcoma 180, with an inhibition rate of 95.6 to 98.6 percent at an interperitonial dosage of 20 mg/kg for ten days in mice.116 Another study demonstrated that reishi polysaccharides significantly inhibited the proliferation of JTC-26 tumor cells, a human cancer-cell strain. Ganodermic acids U through Z, which are six types of cytotoxic triterpenes found in reishi, showed significant cytotox-icity on hepatoma cells grown in vitro.
Herbal Medicine Healing Cancer by Donald R Yance Jr, page 156

Reishi mushroom has impressive antioxidant and anti-cancer benefits, as do shiitake and maitake mushrooms.
The Encyclopedia Of Popular Herbs by Robert S McCaleb, page 421

Medicinal Mushrooms: Especially maitake, reishi, shiitake and turkey tail mushrooms. Maitake D- fraction has been shown to enhance the effects of chemotherapy as well as having anticancer and immune strengthening properties. New research shows maitake D-fraction also has apoptosis (cancer cell death) inducing properties. Planetary formulas Maitake Mushroom and reishi Mushroom Supreme have shown themselves to be very efficacious.
Treating Cancer With Herbs by Michael Tierra ND, page 374

Like the shiitake, reishi extract -- known as G. lucidum -- has shown immune-enhancing ability and may curb the growth of tumors, according to proponents. They also believe that reishis can help to fight a host of ailments, including high blood pressure, allergies, asthma, fatigue, arthritis, high cholesterol, dizziness, liver problems and congestion.
The Complete Book Of Alternative Nutrition by Selene Y Craig, page 225

Immune tonics such as reishi mushroom and astragalus can be given in higher dosage during the early stages of disease or to prevent recurrence. In the more advanced stages, tonics are also used but to a lesser extent, with greater emphasis on the use of eliminative, heat clearing herbs. In the middle stages of cancer one combines tonification and elimination substances equally.
Treating Cancer With Herbs by Michael Tierra ND, page 117

Kelp, reishi, and St. John's wort may help protect against the adverse effects of x-ray radiation.
Prescription For Nutritional Healing by Phyllis A Balch CNC and James F Balch MD, page 730

Antitumor: Prevents or helps alleviate tumors. Examples: chaparral, red clover, astragalus, reishi,fu ling.
The Herbs Of Life by Lesley Tierra, page 137

Cancer and HIV/AIDS Foods: beans and legumes; blueberries; carrots; cherries; cruciferous vegetables; flaxseeds; garlic; kelp; all leafy greens; maitake, reishi, and shiitake mushrooms; millet; papaya; peaches; red grapes; vegetables; soy foods; wheatgrass.
Prescription For Dietary Wellness by Phyllis A Balch, page 288

Herbal and nutritional therapies can make chemotherapy more sensitive to the particular cancer being treated. For example, bromelain and quercetin are especially compatible with most chemotherapies used in cases of breast, ovarian, and colon cancers, as well as leukemia and most melanomas, while reishi, coriolus, astragalus, and Siberian ginseng work well with all chemotherapies for all types of cancers.
Herbal Medicine Healing Cancer by Donald R Yance Jr, page 281

The immune potentiating effects of the astragalus polysaccharide was validated through research at the M.D. Anderson hospital in Houston, Texas during the 1980's. No patentable drug resulted from this research because of the difficulty of patenting plant polysaccharides. However, both in China and Japan a wide range of anticancer herbs rich in immune potentiating polysaccharides are used including a variety of medicinal mushrooms such as ganoderma (reishi), lentinus (shiitake), grifola (maitake) and coriolus ver-sicolor (turkey tails) and cordyceps (dong chong xia cao).
Treating Cancer With Herbs by Michael Tierra ND, page 77

Sabley said that reishi contains two major groups of organic compounds: Ganodermic acids (compounds with a structure similar to steroid hormones) and polysaccharides (long chains of naturally occurring sugar molecules or carbohydrates). Many believe that polysaccharides, commonly found in mushrooms, seaweed and numerous plants, have immune-enhancing properties, possibly capable of treating some forms of cancer.
Attaining Medical Self Sufficiency An Informed Citizens Guide by Duncan Long, page 196

Popularized by the Chinese and Japanese, ganoderma, also known as the reishi mushroom, is a general energy stimulant that also possesses cancer-fighting abilities. It is particularly effective when used along with astragalus and legustrum.
Complete Encyclopedia Of Natural Healing by Gary Null PhD, page 108<> reishi: immune booster, cancer preventive, system balancer
Off The Shelf Natural Health How To Use Herbs And Nutrients To Stay Well By Mark Mayell, page 19

The beta-glucans lentinan, grifolan, schizophyllan and SSG are available in Japan. Lentinan and schizophyllan are approved in Japan as drugs for the treatment of cancer. … Non-edible mushrooms that are rich in beta-glucans include the reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum) and the coriolus mushroom (Coriolus versico-lor).
PDR For Nutritional Supplements by Sheldon Saul Hendle and David Rorvik, page 316

Various types of mushrooms can be good sources of vitamin D, Bi (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), minerals, and amino acids. They have the ability to enhance the body's immune system T cells that seek and destroy cancer cells. Shiitake, zhu ling, enoki, reishi, and maitake mushrooms have all been reported to have anti-cancer properties.
Prescription For Nutritional Healing by Phyllis A Balch CNC and James F Balch MD, page 253

reishi MUSHROOM (Canoderma lucidum) Ling zhi All types of cancers when there is qi weakness, blood deficiency, low and/or threatened immune system, dampness, nervousness and anxiety. It is also used to offset the adverse effects of chemotherapy and radiation. Dose: 9-30g
Treating Cancer With Herbs by Michael Tierra ND, page 81

Ling zhi, the famous reishi mushroom, is not known for its sweet flavor so much as for its cleansing, anticancer effects. Although the mushroom itself is not sweet, the instant cube is.
Asian Health Secrets by Letha Hadady DAc, page 52

Reishi and cardiovascular disease

Reishi contains several constituents, including sterols, coumarin, mannitol, polysaccharides, and triter-penoids called ganoderic acids. Ganoderic acids may lower blood pressure as well as decrease low-density lipoprotein and triglyceride levels. These specific triterpenoids also help reduce blood platelets from sticking together -- an important factor in lowering the risk for coronary artery disease. While human research demonstrates some efficacy for the herb in treating altitude sickness and chronic hepatitis B, these uses still need to be confirmed.
The Natural Pharmacy by Schuyler W Lininger, page 456

Because there is some evidence that reishi extract lowers cholesterol and blood pressure and reduces platelet stickiness, another cardiovascular risk factor, it is being studied for its potential in the treatment of heart disease.
Off The Shelf Natural Health How To Use Herbs And Nutrients To Stay Well By Mark Mayell, page 56

This mushroom is prized in Japan and China, where its rejuvenating qualities have been known for over 4,000 years. Scientific studies have confirmed its medicinal properties. Published studies in humans show that it lowers blood pressure and reduces "bad" LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, another type of blood fat. It also reduces the tendency of blood platelets to accumulate, thus making blood less likely to clot and provoke heart attacks and strokes. Since the raw mushroom is woody and inedible, the traditional method of preparing reishi is to make a tea by simmering it for a long time in water. Fortunately, it is also available in a powdered form. Typical dosage: 1,000 to 9,000 milligrams in capsules per day,- or 50 to 75 milligrams in concentrated capsules three times per day.
The Herbal Drugstore by Linda B White MD, page 327

Chinese herbal medicine physicians regard the reishi mushroom as an "elixir of immortality." Research confirms that reishi is an effective cardiotonic. In a study of 54 people (average age, 58.6) whose blood pressure was over 140/90 and who were unresponsive to hypertension medication, those taking reishi mushroom extract in tablet form three times a day for four weeks experienced a significant drop in their blood pressure compared to the control group. The blood pressure of all the test subjects fell below 140/90.
Heart Disease by Burton Goldberg, page 205

Today, both shiitake and reishi mushrooms are used to treat a variety of disorders and to promote vitality. They are used to prevent high blood pressure and heart disease, to control and lower cholesterol, to build resistance to disease, and to treat fatigue and viral infections. They are also known to have anti-tumor properties valuable in treating cancer.
Prescription For Nutritional Healing by Phyllis A Balch CNC and James F Balch MD, page 80

Reduces excessive levels of cholesterol in the blood, thus improving circulation.
Miracle Medicine Herbs by Richard M Lucas, page 9

reishi has been shown in several studies to lower cholesterol levels, helping to prevent atherosclerotic changes in the blood vessel walls (reported in Huang, 1999).
The One Earth Herbal Sourcebook by Alan Keith Tillotson, page 191

Today, both shiitake and reishi mushrooms are used to treat a variety of disorders and to promote vitality. They are used to prevent high blood pressure and heart disease, to control and lower cholesterol, to build resistance to disease, and to treat fatigue and viral infections. They are also known to have anti-tumor properties valuable in treating cancer.
The A-to-Z Guide to Supplements by James F Balch MD, page 157

Reishi is a variety of mushroom that also fights infection and has traditionally been used to treat heart disease and lower blood pressure and cholesterol.
Alternative Medicine by Burton Goldberg, page 192

High Blood Pressure hawthorn berries ginkgo leaf, reishi dandelion, echinacea, chamomile, plantain
The Herbs Of Life by Lesley Tierra, page 231

Clinical studies at the Tongji Medical University, Wuhan, China, involving 15 healthy volunteers and 33 patients with atherosclerotic disease suggest that the mushroom may offer help for other diseases as well and the team reported that reishi also inhibited platelet aggregation.
Attaining Medical Self Sufficiency An Informed Citizens Guide by Duncan Long, page 197

Reishi (Ganoderma luciduni). Sixteenth-century Ming Dynasty texts say that this marvelous Chinese medicinal mushroom "mends the heart." And my good friend, pharmacognosist (natural product pharmacist) Albert Leung, Ph.D., says in his Better Health with (Mostly) Chinese Herbs and Food that reishi has considerable value in preventing and treating arrhythmia.
The Green Pharmacy by James A Duke PnD, page 121

This medicinal mushroom has long been used in China as a general heart tonic, as well as for a host of other conditions. If your arrhythmias are caused by stress, reishi is a good choice to add to your routine because it acts on the many body systems that can be affected by stress. Typical dosage: up to five 420-milligram capsules per day,- or up to three 1,000-milligram tablets up to three times per day.
The Herbal Drugstore by Linda B White MD, page 155

Morel, reishi, shiitake, and maitake are mushrooms that were touted by the ancient Chinese as superior medicines that give eternal youth and longevity. They prevent high blood pressure and heart disease, lower cholesterol, prevent fatigue and viral infections, and much more. They are found in supplement form as well as fresh.
Prescription For Nutritional Healing by Phyllis A Balch CNC and James F Balch MD, page 138

Since heart disease is America's most serious health risk, any program designed to maintain and optimize health must start with protecting the cardiovascular system. This means reducing artery-clogging cholesterol, preventing the oxidation of blood fats, and maintaining a strong, steady heart beat. The best-researched herbal remedies for reducing blood fat levels (cholesterol) and for obtaining other cardiovascular benefits include garlic, hawthorn, ginger, horse chestnut, bilberry, reishi mushroom, and the Ayurvedic herb
The Encyclopedia Of Popular Herbs by Robert S McCaleb, page 12

Reishi is a heart tonic, like hawthorn and ginkgo. It improves blood flow to the heart, reduces coronary demand for oxygen and helps ease the chest pain of angina. I make reishi tea using three to six teaspoons of dried herb per cup of boiling water.
The Green Pharmacy by James A Duke PnD, page 121

Reishi is a type of mushroom, contains several constituents that seem to help decrease triglyceride levels based on preliminary reports.
The Natural Pharmacy by Schuyler W Lininger, page 88

Perhaps one of the reasons the Chinese regard mushrooms as spirit medicine is the claim found in the oldest recorded botanical monograph on another powerful Chinese medicinal mushroom, the ling zhi or reishi mushroom (Canoderma lucidum). The Chinese claimed that it made the body lighter, which may refer to its ability to reduce cholesterol and blood lipid levels. Shiitake mushrooms have immune-potentiating properties similar to those of reishi mushrooms.
The Way Of Chinese Herbs by Michael Tierra LAc OMD, page 431

Reishi as an antihistamine

Japanese researchers have also found that reishi acts as an antihistamine, making it useful for treating allergies. Lanostan, a compound found in reishi, appears to control the release of transmitting chemicals in the body, thereby inhibiting the release of histamine. Since reishi also promotes the adrenal function and immune reaction, it has added effectiveness in controlling the body's reaction to an allergen.
Attaining Medical Self Sufficiency An Informed Citizens Guide by Duncan Long, page 196

reishi is a true adaptagen, enhancing health and normal functions of the body. For example, while it increases some components of the immune response to cancers, it also inhibits pathological immune functions in autoimmune diseases. It has also been reported to reduce the histamine release associated with allergic reactions, and even to help prevent life threatening ana-phylactic reactions.

article365

2008-03-09T23:41:00.002-07:00

(NewsTarget) There is often confusion surrounding the difference between two conditions known as diverticulosis and diverticulitis. I'm going to explain the difference and reveal how to treat the symptoms of diverticulitis naturally.

Diverticula are small, pea-sized, bulging pouches in the digestive tract. While diverticula can form anywhere, most occur in your large intestine and are many times found in people that experience frequent constipation.

Having diverticula in the intestines is known as diverticulosis. This condition is many times unrecognized by the person affected because diverticulosis seldom causes any problems. Every once in a while however, diverticula can become infected or inflamed. This condition is called diverticulitis.

Many experts believe that a low-fiber diet is a key contributor to diverticulitis. Reason being is lack of fiber in the diet can make stool sometimes harder to pass. The excess pressure can result in certain areas of the colon to become weakened and collapse. This results in marble-sized pouches (diverticula) protruding through the colon wall. These pouches, which are small at first, but become larger gradually; typically develop in the sigmoid and descending colon. These are the lower portions of your large intestine just above your rectum. They are often the result of straining during bowel movements over a number of years.

Sometimes stool can become lodged in one of the pouches and the result can be an infection. Small tears or perforations can also develop in an infected pouch, which can lead to an infection within your abdomen (peritonitis). A person may also develop a collection of pus called an abscess if the infection is limited to an area around the wall of your colon where the diverticula are inflamed.

Diverticulitis can be acute or chronic. The majority of people affected are usually between the ages of 50 and 90. One reason that older people are generally more affected is that the walls of the large intestine tend to weaken with age.

For many people, symptoms are non-existent or mistaken for simple indigestion. For those who do experience symptoms, a pain in the lower left side of the abdomen is common. The pain is typically severe and surfaces rather abruptly. However, sometimes a person can experience a mild pain that can worsen over several days and have a fluctuating intensity.

Other typical symptoms include abdominal tenderness, fever, nausea, and constipation or diarrhea.

Less common signs and symptoms of diverticulitis may include:

Vomiting
Bloating
Frequent Urination
Difficulty or pain while urinating
Rectal Bleeding
Tenderness in the abdomen
Blood in the Stool

While the reason is not exactly known, there is some evidence that links smoking & stress to symptoms becoming worse. Other factors that increase risk of diverticulitis are disease in the genes, gallbladder disease, obesity & coronary artery disease.

The best steps you can take in treating diverticulitis have to do with your lifestyle.

A high fiber diet has been shown to be protective against diverticular disease. You'll need at least 20 to 35 grams of fiber a day to help prevent problems from diverticulosis. Consume fresh fruits and vegetables, cereals that are high in fiber and bran. Be sure to drink plenty of pure water each day, as a high fiber diet will not be effective without adequate water consumption.

Studies have also shown physical activity, specifically jogging or running, to protect against symptomatic diverticular disease.

Avoid foods such as celery and corn as these foods contain indigestible roughage and use bran to prevent constipation.

Eat a diet with your primary source of protein being from fish & vegetables. Stay away from grains, seeds or nuts, as these foods can be hard to digest which results in bloating & gas. Other foods that should be avoided include dairy products, red meat, fried foods, spices, sugar products as well as processed & refined foods.

Also remember to:

Try not to strain during bowel movements
Avoid alcohol
Exercise moderately
Drink at least eight glasses of pure water a day
Avoid smoking

Establish a regular bowel routine by spending at least 10 minutes a day trying to have a bowel movement at approximately the same time.

Avoid extremely hot or cold foods and fluids (which cause gas).

When you feel an attack or pain coming on, give yourself a cleansing enema with 2 quarts of luke-warm water mixed with the juice from a fresh squeezed lemon. This will aid in ridding the colon of undigested food that has been trapped and will also relieve pain.

Aside from lifestyle changes, supplementing with the following can also be helpful:

Acidophilus (Take as directed on label) - Helps support a healthy intestinal tract (gut) and replaces the flora in the small intestine, primarily to improve assimilation.

Fiber (Take as directed on label) - Helps prevent constipation. Also prevents infection.

Super Greens Formula - Garden of Life provides an excellent greens formula that is high in chlorophyll, which is extremely beneficial for this condition. Diverticulosis sufferers also seem to do better when chlorella is part of the diet. Chlorella will provide you with all the benefits of magnesium, carotenoids, chlorophyll and much more.

Vitamin B Complex (100 mg 3 times daily) - Aids in proper digestion.

Proteolytic Enzymes (Take as directed on label, between meals) - Aids in digestion & reduces inflammation in the colon.

Essential Fatty Acids (Take as directed on label) - Aids in protecting the cells that line the wall of the colon.

L-Glutamine (500 mg twice daily. Take with water or juice but never with milk) - Maintains the absorption surfaces of the gut called the villi.

Vitamin C - Anti-inflammatory and boosts immunity. I recommend a minimum of 3,000 to 8,000 mg daily in divided doses.

Garlic - Aids in digestion and is a natural antibiotic. I personally use Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract by Wakunaga, which is a high-quality odorless organic supplement. Take 2 capsules 3 times daily.

Alfalfa (2,000 mg in capsules or tincture) - Natural source of vitamin K and essential minerals that most people with intestinal disorders are lacking. Also contains chlorophyll, which aids in healing.

Aloe Vera Juice (Drink ½ cup 3 times a day) - promotes healing of the inflamed areas.

article364

2008-03-09T23:41:00.001-07:00

hailand announced last week that because of rising prices of foreign-made HIV/AIDS drugs, it would issue a five-year license to manufacture an inexpensive generic version of Merck & Co.'s Efavirenz drug.

Though Merck -- which holds the patent on Efavirenz -- criticized the military Thai government's decision to make its own cheaper version of the anti-retroviral drug, health advocates and AIDS activists commended the Health Ministry.

"This is both a brave and a progressive step by the Royal Thai Government to place the interests of people living with HIV in Thailand front and center," said UNAIDS country coordinator Patrick Brenny.

The Thai government -- headed by the military after a September coup to oust former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra -- declared a "national emergency" under World Trade Organization rules that allow governments to issue compulsory licenses to manufacture patented drugs without consent from the patent holder. Merck will receive a royalty of 0.5 percent on sales of its generic version of the drug, which will cost half what Merck charged for Efavirenz.

Thailand's national drug program, which treats 82,000 of the 580,000 HIV/AIDS patients in the country, has gained international recognition for its efficacy. However, as AIDS patients live longer and foreign drug companies boost prices, the government has struggled with costs.

Thawat Suntrajarn, head of the Health Ministry's Department of Disease Control, said foreign companies' prices are "very high, making it a big hurdle for patients to access [HIV/AIDS drugs] and the government cannot afford them. In the long run [patients] need this anti-retroviral drug to live a normal life like others."

Consumer health advocate Mike Adams, a vocal critic of intellectual property rights for pharmaceuticals, said more and more countries are beginning to question the patent protection pharmaceutical companies are granted for chemical compounds.

"When it comes to AIDS and public health, most people in the world believe that drugs should be open source and available to the public at non-monopolistic prices," Adams said. "But drug companies want to soak the population for as much money as they can, without consideration for whether people have AIDS, cancer or other diseases.

"They want to enforce profiteering prices on everyone, and they use the protection of intellectual property patents to get away with it," he said.

Merck claims it makes no profits off Efavirenz in Thailand, and that the Thai government did not contact the company to attempt to resolve the cost problems before issuing the generic production license.

According to a World Bank study of the Thai drug program, the government took a risk in overriding Merck's patent, as the decision could result in trade repercussions. However, supporters of the generic manufacturing license say the move could bolster Thailand's ability to negotiate lower prices with other drug firms.

###

article363

2008-03-09T23:38:00.000-07:00

If you have a long, drawn-out, incurable but treatable disease, it's unfortunate for you but great for pharmaceutical companies. While you're suffering indefinitely, you're also buying expensive pharmaceutical drugs to make the disease "manageable."

"Managing" diseases is the trend in mainstream medicine, and it's the main message that pharmaceutical companies and the media market to consumers. "You have a mental disorder? That's okay. You can live a normal life, if you take these pills every day."

According to "AIDS: A Second Opinion" authors Gary Null and James Feast, the profits "stack up better" for pharmaceutical companies when people have to take treatments indefinitely for an incurable disease. HIV, for example, is a relative goldmine, since HIV-positive people have to take drug "cocktails" each day even before they develop symptomatic AIDS. Then, the profits add up even more after these people develop full-blown AIDS because they have to take drugs to treat opportunistic infections in addition to their regular drug cocktail.

Many people believe that pharmaceutical companies' hunger for profits triumphs over their desire to genuinely help the public, and that this blinded concern for profit above all has shaped -- and continues to shape -- mainstream medicine as we know it. The bottom line is simple: As Life Extension Magazine puts it, "Marketing issues frequently outweigh medical science in drug company decisions."

Modern medicine is a platform for profit, not health

This has implications that are more serious than one might initially think, especially considering the heavy role that pharmaceutical companies play in mainstream medicine. "Deep Healing" author Dr. Emmette Miller writes, "We have to remember that most medical research in this country is financed by pharmaceutical companies who are looking for new drugs they can produce and sell."

Now, things were not always this way. In his book, "Overdosed America," Dr. John Abramson describes the shift of medical research from the academic to the commercial sphere: "As the function of medical research in our society has been transformed from a fundamentally academic and scientific activity to a fundamentally commercial activity, the context in which the research is done has similarly changed: First in universities funded primarily by public sources, then in universities funded primarily by commercial sources, then by independent for-profit research organizations contracting directly with drug companies. And most recently, the three largest advertising agencies, Omnicom, Interpublic and WPP, have bought or invested in the for-profit companies that perform clinical trials." In my view, advertising agencies having financial ties to the companies that perform clinical trials – companies that are supposed to conduct objective research – is blatant conflict of interest; yet it's the basis of most mainstream medical research in the United States. In fact, according to Dr. Abramson, in the year 2000, only one-third of all medical research was performed in universities and academic medical centers.

Since, according to these and other sources, drug companies predominantly fund medical research, scientists have almost no choice but to mainly focus their time and effort on the most profitable, but not necessarily the most effective, treatments. Though an herb, which by its very nature cannot be patented, may treat and possibly even cure a disease, drug companies may nevertheless not fund research or marketing for it, leaving the general public largely ignorant of the herb's benefits. Mainstream medicine largely dismisses vitamins and minerals in the same manner as herbs.

Furthermore, research bias often continues into the doctor's office. As Gary Null writes in his Complete Guide to Health and Nutrition, "One report published in Fact magazine speculates that the principle reason vitamin C is not commonly prescribed is that it is not as profitable as those syrups and pills your doctor dispenses."

Stealing medicine from nature

However, this doesn't mean that pharmaceutical companies ignore plants and other natural medicines altogether; it's actually quite the opposite. According to Asian Health Secrets by Letha Hadady, approximately one-third of all pharmaceuticals are derived from plants' active ingredients. Though companies cannot patent natural plants in their whole form, they can patent plants' individual ingredients after a long, painstaking process of breaking down the plant into its components, isolating active ingredients and then claiming to have "discovered" these natural ingredients. However, this system, though profitable for drug companies, has a downside that Hadady reveals: "Many times the active ingredient does not work as well as the entire plant. According to tests done in Germany, Saint John's Wort, the entire herb, kills the AIDS virus in the test tube, while hypericum, the isolated active ingredient, does not." In other words, though the bottom line is simple, it means that this society is in a very dangerous predicament indeed.

This horrific state of modern medicine is a uniquely American phenomenon, according to "Innocent Casualties" author Elaine Feuer. She writes, "Because the U.S. is the only major industrialized nation that does not regulate the prices or profits of drug companies, prescription drugs generally cost 25 to 40 percent more than in other countries." In fact, drug companies rely on American sales for the bulk of their profits, even though many of their products are marketed worldwide, says "Natural Alternatives to Drugs" author Dr. Michael T. Murray.

Though this is bad for the average American consumer, it's great for pharmaceutical companies. According to Mike Fillon's book, "Ephedra Fact and Fiction," the global pharmaceutical market earned $364 billion in 2001, making it the world's most profitable stock market sector. Fillon writes that more than half of this revenue is from the United States alone, so although pharmaceuticals are more expensive for the American consumer, Americans still buy more prescription drugs than any other nation.

Hawking for Big Pharma

Now, at this point, you're probably wondering about the role the U.S. government plays in all this. In "Death by Prescription," Ray D. Strand writes, "The FDA is actually listening and catering to the industry's desires." According to Strand, the FDA facilitates the drug-approval process. Many people attribute the FDA's bias against herbs and other natural medicine to the agency's close "friendship" with the pharmaceutical industry, but it seems that they can't agree about the level of corruption. According to American Medical Publishing's book, "Prescription Medicines, Side Effects and Natural Alternatives," "The government is also part of the problem because it does not have the resources or the political will to do more about the dangers of prescription drugs. Also, powerful members of the American government, from the President on down, are all lobbied heavily by the cash rich drug companies."

In order for mainstream medicine to reach the level of effectiveness that it can and should attain, the inner workings of the medical community must change, starting with the pharmaceutical companies' hold on the government agencies that are supposed to protect American consumers. As Burton Goldberg writes in "Alternative Medicine," "To realize effective health care with cost reduction requires unlocking the strangulation hold of the pharmaceutical companies, the American Medical Association (AMA) and ... the FDA on all forms of fully effective, low-cost alternative, complementary, integrative, holistic medicine." Until then, mainstream medicine will remain the same, and that's the last thing American consumers need. It's time to put concern for public health, medicine and genuine science over corporate profits.

The experts speak on pharmaceutical companies and profits:

There is probably nothing more profitable to the drug companies than interminable treatment of patients with drugs that do not work. Yet countless patients, at great cost to our nation, are kept on these treatments because they have been proven to help two-thirds of people and health-care providers have no policies or procedures to do otherwise. When those who pay the bills realize how much of their money is being wasted, and how much can be saved by requiring policies and procedures to identify patients not helped by standard treatment and select alternatives for them, it may happen.
Alternative Medicine by Burton Goldberg, page 458

Diabetes is such a profitable business that physicians will put pre-diabetic patients, with only marginally high blood sugar, onto diabetes drugs before even trying weight loss and exercise.
Prescription Alternatives by Earl Mindell RPh PhD and Virginia Hopkins MA, page 403

With the growing epidemic of obesity, the drug companies can look forward to a financial windfall. Many millions of Americans will be taking their statin drugs to lower their cholesterol levels. And they could each be spending $3 a day, or $1100 a year, for the rest of their lives.
Health Care Meltdown by Robert H Lebow MD, page 229

Drug companies are profit-driven entities, so marketing issues weigh very heavily. Manufacturers feel great pressure to keep costs down while hastening new drugs to market. And drug companies aren't held responsible for the huge costs of dose-related side effects to the healthcare system. The result is that marketing issues frequently outweigh medical science in drug company decisions.
Disease Prevention And Treatment by Life Extension Foundation, page 723

We have to remember that most medical research in this country is financed by pharmaceutical companies who are looking for new drugs they can produce and sell. Psychoneuroimmunology research is aimed at showing that the body is capable of producing its own healing substances. The bottom line is that stockholders of the companies that invest in medical research can't see how they can profit from such research and so will naturally put their developmental money into the money-making ventures instead.
Deep Healing by Emmette Miller MD, page 138

As the function of medical research in our society has been transformed from a fundamentally academic and scientific activity to a fundamentally commercial activity, the context in which the research is done has similarly changed: first in universities funded primarily by public sources, then in universities funded primarily by commercial sources, then by independent for-profit research organizations contracting directly with drug companies. And most recently, the three largest advertising agencies, Omnicom, Interpublic, and WPP, have bought or invested in the for-profit companies that perform clinical trials.
Overdosed America by John Abramson MD, page 110

Moreover, if a drug company's profits increase because of slanted research, hasty marketing, and misleading advertising, other companies must adopt these same methods in order to remain competitive--and the race to the bottom accelerates. This is why in any area of endeavor, codes of behavior must be periodically reexamined. Doing so is a common occurrence in politics and sports, and it is what the drug companies must now undertake.
Overdose by Jay S Cohen, page 168

An independent research center could study other uses of new medications that were not studied by their manufacturers. It could research new uses or problems with generic drugs, which drug companies do not study because the patents of generic drugs have lapsed and there is little likelihood of profit.
Overdose by Jay S Cohen, page 175

In the United Sates, pharmaceutical companies support most medication research and development. Because they really can't earn a profit from natural substances, which they can't patent, they're reluctant to fund studies on plant estrogens. Fortunately, many medical centers are helping to bridge this research gap by establishing departments of complementary and alternative medicine. At the Rosenthal Center of Columbia University, for example, scientists are conducting studies of black cohosh and other phytoestrogens.
The Rhodiola Revolution by Richard P Brown MD and Patricia L Gerbarg MD, page 179

One of the reasons for this is economic. Herbs, by their very nature, cannot be patented. Because of this, drug companies cannot hold the exclusive right to sell a particular herb and they are not motivated to invest in testing or promoting herbs. The collection and preparation of herbal medicines cannot be as easily controlled as the manufacture of synthetic drugs, making profits less dependable.
Alternative Medicine by Burton Goldberg, page 252

The FDA estimates it costs over 7 million dollars to bring a new drug to market pharmaceutical companies put that figure closer to 70 million dollars. They say they need two million users of a substance just to break even. Since natural substances cannot be patented, there is even less room for profit in them.
Scientific Validation of Herbal Medicine by Daniel B Mowrey PhD, page 291

The pharmaceutical industry is, obviously, a very powerful force in American science, medicine, business, and politics. The industry must make large profits to realize a return on investment, particularly in a regulatory system where it costs $100 to $200 million dollars to bring a new drug to market.
Choices In Healing by Michael Lerner, page 613

While it is in the interest of such companies to find patentable cancer treatments, there is no corresponding incentive to develop non-patentable natural methods. Since it currently costs around $200 million to develop a new drug in the US, mainly to comply with Byzantine FDA regulations, the drug companies claim they must seek enormous profits from each and every drug.
Cancer Therapy by Ralph W Moss PhD, page 14

In order for pharmaceutical companies to earn a profit, they must develop drugs that are potent enough to patent and can be approved by the FDA. To gain FDA approval, these drugs must demonstrate an acceptable safety profile. However, the safe dose of potent drugs can vary considerably among individuals. What is safe for some people can be a lethal overdose for others. Yet doctors and drug companies usually recommend the same dose for everyone, even though lower doses of many prescription drugs can achieve the same beneficial effects, while dramatically reducing side effect risk and the cost of the medications.
Disease Prevention And Treatment by Life Extension Foundation, page 708

In addition, since niacin is a widely available generic agent, no pharmaceutical company stands to generate the huge profits that the other cholesterol-lowering drugs have enjoyed. As a result, niacin is not intensively advertised like the other drugs. Despite the advantages of niacin over the cholesterol-lowering drugs, niacin accounts for only 7.9 percent of all lipid-lowering prescriptions.
Encyclopedia Of Natural Medicine by Michael T Murray MD Joseph L Pizzorno ND, page 352

Unlike the standard treatments for heart disease, coconut oil is cheap, has no adverse side effects, and is readily available to everyone. Because it is a natural product that is already widely available, pharmaceutical and medical industries have no desire to fund studies or promote interest in this area. There is no profit for them. Since most of the information on MCFA and coconut oil are buried in scientific literature, few people are aware of the benefits. Knowledge about the true health aspects of coconut oil has to come from experienced clinicians, authors, and researchers who are familiar with the true facts about coconut oil. Yet they face an up-hill battle because they must fight prejudice and misguided popular opinion that is fueled by powerful profit-seeking enterprises.
Healing Miracles of Coconut Oil by Bruce Fife ND, page 85

By their very nature, prescription drugs are the perfect product for a monopoly. Drugs are patented and available from only one manufacturer, and prices can be increased at the discretion of the company with few consumer complaints. How many people who are ill question the cost of drugs prescribed by their doctor? During the 1980s, inflation rose 58 percent and pharmaceutical companies managed to triple their prices. In 1990 the drug industry was the most profitable industry in America, with 13.6 percent annual profits, more than triple the average Fortune 500 company. The 1991 median profit of a Fortune pharmaceutical company was $592 million. Because the U.S. is the only major industrialized nation that does not regulate the prices or profits of drug companies, prescription drugs generally cost 25 to 40 percent more than in other countries. For three out of four elderly Americans, prescription drugs are their biggest expense.
Innocent Casualties by Elaine Feuer, page 73

Drug costs are higher in the United States than anywhere else in the world. Most major industrial nations employ profit-control measures that limit how much a drug company can charge for a drug. Because most drug companies market the same drug throughout the world, they rely on American sales for the bulk of their profits.
Natural Alternatives To Drugs by Michael T Murray ND, page 23

The global pharmaceutical industry--which generated revenues of more than $364 billion in 2001--is the world's most profitable stock market sector. According to IMS Health, the leading drug industry market analyst, half the global drug sales are in the U.S. alone, with Europe and Japan accounting for another 37 percent.

article362

2008-03-09T23:37:00.000-07:00

(NewsTarget) The growing impact of AIDS in Africa, Asia and Latin America has prompted the United Nations World Food Program to appeal to donor countries to fund food and nutrition for those afflicted.

At the XVI International AIDS Conference in Toronto, Robin Jackson, chief of the World Food Program (WFP) HIV/AIDS Service, said, "It is time to deliver more than drugs."

Although those with HIV/AIDS often list food as one of their most desperate needs, nutritional support for HIV programs is usually not touched upon during international HIV policy debates, Jackson said, which leaves the programs seriously under-funded.

"The prioritizing of AIDS drugs over basic nutrition has been a grievous distortion that deprives AIDS victims of what they need most," says Mike Adams, a holistic nutritionist. "What good are drugs when a person is suffering multiple nutritional deficiencies that suppress immune function in the first place? These people need real nutrition, not false hope from patented synthetic chemicals."

Estimates by the WFP state that roughly 1 million of the 6.4 million people expected to enroll in 2008 antiretroviral programs will need nutritional support at a cost of approximately 65 cents a day per patient. Jackson said that when AIDS develops, nutrition and food security become important partners in treatment.

Currently, HIV patients are usually only given rations for 6 months until they can get back on their feet, but Jackson cited a recent study found that malnourished patients exposed to antiretroviral therapy are six times more likely to die than well-nourished patients; possibly because malnutrition impairs people's ability to absorb the triple-drug therapy and renders them unable to benefit from it.

Poor nutrition may also heighten susceptibility to HIV-related diseases, and an undependable food supply can increase the likelihood of individuals adopting lifestyles that often lead to infection.

Tests for HIV have become cheaper and more obtainable for governments, but this has unfortunately lead to standalone HIV testing programs that the Human Rights Watch has criticized for being coercive, discriminatory, lacking in confidentiality and deficient in prevention information.

These programs -- such as the proposal before government in Punjab, India that would require people to get tested to receive or keep a driver's license -- criminalize HIV transmission, are often applied in an arbitrary manner and are impotent to slow the spread of HIV, the Human Rights Watch said.

article361

2008-03-09T23:34:00.000-07:00

A newly redesigned antioxidant may play a critical role in preventing HIV-1-associated dementia, says a University of Missouri-Rolla chemist. Her research will be published in an upcoming issue of the journal Experimental Neurology.

“A third of the adults and half of the children with AIDS develop HIV-1-associated dementia,” explains Dr. Nuran Ercal, professor of chemistry at UMR and adjunct associate professor of internal medicine at Saint Louis University. “Cognitive impairment, postural disorders and tremors are among the most common symptoms encountered in patients suffering from AIDS dementia complex.”

Ercal collaborated with Dr. William Banks, professor of geriatric medicine at Saint Louis University, to determine whether the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine amide (NACA) could prevent cell death and reverse oxidative stress, a condition associated with many different irreversible neurological degeneration diseases, including Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

“There’s a beautiful balance in our bodies,” Ercal says. “We have these free radicals -- atoms and molecules with an unpaired electron that attack other molecules. Our bodies have developed a natural antioxidant defense system that includes enzymes and small molecules to overcome harmful effects of these attacks. If the balance is tipped over, then we have oxidative stress.”

The researchers narrowed their study to the blood-brain barrier, a selective barrier that controls the entry of substances from the blood into the brain. They believed two toxic HIV proteins -- the envelope glycoprotein (gp120) and transregulatory protein (Tat) -- could be disrupting the protective barrier and allowing toxic materials to pass through to the brain. If true, the proteins could be inducing oxidative stress in the cells and causing dementia in patients.

Using an artificial model of a rat’s blood-brain barrier, the researchers incubated cells with the viral proteins for 24 hours. Every parameter the researchers then employed to measure oxidative stress described the same scenario: both gp120 and Tat were inducing oxidative stress in the rat brain capillaries.

In previous studies involving lead poisoning and radiation exposure, Ercal had successfully used the originally formulated N-acetylcysteine (NAC), the drug of choice in treating acetaminophen overdoses, to combat the resulting oxidative stress. Unlike NAC, the newly synthesized NACA passes easily through cell membranes, leading researchers to believe NACA could reverse the oxidative stress levels in the blood-brain barrier.

“We found NACA, this new compound, prevented cell death,” Ercal adds. “NACA returned all parameters to their control levels, and it’s not harmful except in extremely high concentrations. Therefore, we determined that while treating AIDS patients, perhaps we should include antioxidants to prevent oxidative stress or prevent possible dementia.”

The researchers are now studying the brain and liver samples from transgenic rats. The animals have been genetically modified to contain gp120, allowing the researchers to further study the effects of this protein.

“If gp120 is causing these free radicals, then we should have lots of free radicals in these animals because they are continuously making this protein,” Ercal adds

article360

2008-03-09T23:33:00.000-07:00

(NewsTarget) A recent survey of 2,000 HIV and AIDS patients in Britain found that 69 percent were concerned with the long-term toxic side effects of HIV medications.

The survey, conducted by the UK Coalition of People Living with HIV and AIDS, also found that HIV patients were concerned about short-term drug side effects as well as the negative interactions of HIV drugs with other medications.

Edinburgh resident Nikk Bowden, who has been infected with AIDS for seven years, says he is concerned about what long-term use of HIV drugs could do to his body: "If you are expected to be on them for 30 to 40 years, as some doctors will tell you, what is going to happen further down the line?"

Bowden questions whether or not research on long-term side effects of the drugs is ongoing, or has been conducted at all. "It is a worry that you could be taking something that isn't fully understood over a period of time," Bowden says.

HIV drug side effects can include muscle pain and muscle wasting, pancreas and liver problems, nerve damage, fat redistribution and diabetes. Today, 40 million people worldwide are living with HIV/AIDS, and at the end of 2005, 1.3 million HIV-positive residents of poor countries had access to HIV drugs.

article359

2008-03-09T23:32:00.000-07:00

The crimes committed against children define some of the Holocaust's most morally despicable horrors. In It's My Story, Palmer told Handscomb of the abuses she received as a 13-year-old at Auschwitz. As a result of the damage done to her body by the contraceptive drug experiments forced upon her at Auschwitz, she had to undergo several painful surgeries immediately following the war and, even after the surgeries, Palmer remained unable to bear children for the rest of her life. Today, in her 70s, Palmer has cancer.

Now, no one can say for certain whether or not Palmer's cancer is linked to the medical experiments she underwent roughly 60 years earlier, but it is a likely possibility. Exposure to drugs and other chemicals produces extremely negative effects on children, especially those who are even younger than Palmer was during the experiments.

In the April 2004 Pediatrics article "Trends in Environmentally Related Childhood Diseases," Tracey Woodruff, et al. writes, "Children may be particularly susceptible to exposures in utero or during early life because the fetus' or young child’s physiology is undergoing rapid development, such as rapid cell division, changing metabolic activity, and evolving hormonal systems."

With this in mind, running experimental drug studies on children seems especially dangerous and thus horrendous, yet it is still a common occurrence even in modern society. In her Nov. 30, 2004 BBC News article "Guinea Pig Kids" and her subsequent documentary of the same name, Jamie Doran reveals New York City's Administration for Children's Services' (ACS) little-known practice of using HIV-positive children kept in the city's orphanages and foster care homes as human guinea pigs for experimental AIDS drugs. For his documentary and article, Doran interviewed Jacklyn Hoerger, a pediatric nurse who worked at the Catholic Church-run Incarnation Children's Home in Harlem. Hoerger maintains that social work authorities never told her that the drugs she and the other Incarnation employees were administering the orphans and foster care children were experimental. "We were told that if they were vomiting, if they lost their ability to walk, if they were having diarrhea, if they were dying, then all of this was because of their HIV infection," she said to BBC.

In reality, these symptoms were due to the experimental drugs that the workers were giving them. When BBC asked him his opinion on the experimental drug studies done on New York City's orphans and foster children, University of Berkeley visiting scholar Dr. David Rasnick explained, "We're talking about serious, serious side effects. These children are going to be absolutely miserable. They're going to have cramps, diarrhea and their joints are going to swell up. They're going to roll around the ground and you can't touch them." According to BBC reporter Doran, Dr. Rasnick went on to call the experimental AIDS drugs that were given to the children "lethal." If children refused to take them by mouth, workers at Incarnation force-fed them the drugs through feeding tubes inserted into their stomachs.

It's no doubt that these HIV-positive and AIDS symptomatic children needed medication. The question is why were they given experimental drugs, rather than the same medications that a child living in an expensive brownstone on the Upper East Side would have received? In the words of Alliance for Human Research Protection spokesperson Vera Sherav: "They tested these highly experimental drugs. Why didn't they provide the children with the current best treatment? That's the question we have. Why did they expose them to risk and pain, when they were helpless? Would they have done those experiments with their own children? I doubt it." Furthermore -- when you consider the fact that, according to the BBC article, 99 percent of the children in New York City children's homes are either African American or Hispanic -- issues of race and prejudice also come into play.

Hoerger told BBC that she didn't realize what was going on until she later took two children from Incarnation home as foster children. As a trained pediatric nurse, she decided to take the two children she was caring for in her home off the medications given to them while at Incarnation. This resulted in "an immediate boost to their health and happiness," according to BBC. However, soon after her decision, ACS came to her home and took the children out of her care. She was then labeled a child abuser in court and, after that, she never saw the children again.

Performing medical experiments on children is a serious accusation. Realizing this, while working on his documentary and article, Doran went to Incarnation for its side of the story, but it only referred him to its public relations firm. The expensive Manhattan firm told him that it didn't give comments about what goes on inside the home. In light of these accusations, former ACS Commissioner John B. Mattingly ordered a comprehensive review of all ACS records. By early April, based on the records they had examined, ACS staff members revealed just how common the experimentation Hoerger described at Incarnation was throughout the city:

Between 1988 and 2001, 465 foster care children and orphans were used in experimental AIDS drug trials.
Most of these children participated before 1996.
The majority of HIV-positive children living in New York City were diagnosed from the mid-1980s through the mid-1990s.
The highest number of AIDS-related deaths among New York City children happened from 1990 to 1995.
The 465 children used in the studies were in approximately two dozen different independent agencies operating under contract to ACS.

Then, on Apr. 22, 2005, ACS sent out a press release stating that it had "contracted with the Vera Institute of Justice to conduct an independent review of ACS policy and practice regarding the enrollment of HIV-positive children in foster care in clinical drug trials during the late 1980s and 1990s." It also asserted: "The last child to enter an HIV-related clinical trial while in foster care did so in 2001. There are no ongoing HIV-related clinical trials involving children in foster care in New York City." This directly contradicts the conclusion Doran writes in his 2004 article: "The experiments continue to be carried out on the poor children of New York City."

ACS maintains that it ordered the studies with the best interest of HIV-positive children in mind. "The purpose of the drug trials was to develop effective treatments for pediatric AIDS, at a time when there were no known, FDA-approved medications available to treat children with the disease, and many children were dying," reads the press release. As proof of the gravity of the AIDS crisis ACS faced when conducting the trials, the press release cites the following figures from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene:

Out of the 13,927 HIV-positive children under age 13 nationwide prior to 2003 (according to CDC estimates), the percentage of HIV-positive children in New York City was "the highest by far of any jurisdiction in the country."
From 1979 through 2003, 3,634 children living in New York City and under the age of 13 were HIV positive.

Even though ACS believes that its decision to give the experimental AIDS drugs to the 465 foster children and orphans was not wrong, it is nevertheless ordering the Vera Institute to conduct the independent study, so as to assure the public and the media. As Commissioner Mattingly explained, "We are taking this step because, while we believe that the policies in place at the time reflected good practice, we acknowledge the need for transparency in all of our dealings with the public. In order for us to be effective in our mission to protect New York City’s children, we must have a sense of mutual trust with those families we seek to serve." According to the press release, the Vera Institute "will research ACS policies and procedures to ensure that HIV-positive children and children with AIDS who were in the care of ACS were appropriately enrolled in the correct clinical drug trials." This includes finding out whether:

ACS obtained consent from the children's parents or other guardians before enrolling them in the experimental drug studies.
The children enrolled in the trials met the medical criteria to do so.
ACS adequately and properly monitored the children who were enrolled.
Enrollment was "appropriate based on sound medical knowledge at the time."

As of an Oct. 5, 2005 update to its web site regarding the analysis, the Vera Institute still had not completed its investigation. It writes that it is "assembling an advisory board of medical, child welfare, legal, and community experts to review our findings and assure the public of the independence of our research." Meanwhile, in its description of the project, the Vera Institute acknowledges both sides of the controversy:

"Opponents of involving foster children in clinical trials -- where the risks and benefits are often unknown -- worry that this highly vulnerable population may be too-easily neglected or even exploited. When it comes to children of color, in particular, they point to historic examples where the health care system has acted in discriminatory and prejudicial ways.

"On the other hand, those who favor including foster children in clinical trials argue that enrollment can provide high quality care and cutting-edge medicine to children who otherwise would receive only routine medical services. In this view, excluding foster children unfairly bars them from the best the medical profession has to offer."

It will be very interesting to see the Vera Institute's findings -- which are, according to the Institute itself -- "part of Vera's mission to improve government systems." "We hope that the information we provide will contribute to the public debate that will help shape future policies regarding clinical trials and children in government custody," the site reads. On a national level, between 12,000 and 13,000 children under the age of 13 have participated in National Institutes of Health-sponsored AIDS drug trials from 1986 to 2005.

Even though the Vera Institute's findings are not yet complete, the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Apr. 8, 2005 cancellation of its Children's Health Environmental Exposure Research Study (CHEERS) shows what a combination of intense opposition from environmental and public health groups (as well as a little help from Congress) can do to end experimentation on poverty-stricken children.

Child medical experiments at the EPA

In October 2005, the American Chemistry Council gave the EPA $2.1 million to study how children ranging from infancy to three years old ingest, inhale or absorb chemicals. Like IG Farben was for the German pharmaceutical companies of Nazi Germany, the American Chemistry Council acts much like a front group for chemical industry bigwigs like Bayer (which was incidentally also a member of IG Farben), BP, Chevron, Dow, DuPont, Exxon, Honeywell, 3M, Monsanto and Procter & Gamble. Studies have already proven that the chemicals made by these companies have long-term effects on children and adults. A short, two-year study like CHEERS would of course fail to reveal these long-term effects and the American Chemistry Council could then publicize these findings as "proof" that its chemicals were safe.

This represents an ethical problem in itself, but the demographic of the proposed child test subjects worsen the issue, especially in light of the use of foster children (the majority of which were African-American and Hispanic) by both the New York City ACS and the Tuskegee Syphilis Study. According to the EPA's original study proposal, portions of which were reprinted by the Organic Consumers Association, test subjects would be chosen from six health clinics in Duvall County, Fla. Given the characteristics of these health centers, page 23 of the study proposal itself highlights that minority children from low-income families would be the likely test subjects: "Although all Duval County citizens are eligible to use the [health care] centers, they primarily serve individuals with lower incomes. In the year 2000, seventy five percent of the users of the clinics for pregnancy issues were at or below the poverty level ... The percentage of births to individuals classified as black in the U.S. Census is higher at these three hospitals than for the County as a whole."

In fact, the health care centers report that 51 percent of their births are to non-Caucasian mothers, and that 62 percent of mothers received only elementary school or secondary school educations. If the EPA were to have proceeded with CHEERS, children born to these health care centers would have been used as human guinea pigs simply because they belong to minority groups and poverty-stricken families. In return for allowing their children to be exposed to toxic chemicals, the families were to have received $970, a free video camera, a T-shirt and a framed certificate of appreciation.

Fortunately, the EPA decided not to go through with CHEERS, once U.S. Senators Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) decided to put their feet down and block President Bush's nomination of Stephen Johnson for head of the EPA. In his Apr. 8 statement, Johnson reversed the EPA's earlier decision to await a report from an independent science advisory panel before making a decision about CHEERS. He explained his decision as being a result of public and media "misrepresentations" of the study:

"Last fall, in light of questions about the study design, I directed that all work on the study stop immediately and requested an independent review. Since that time, many misrepresentations about the study have been made. EPA senior scientists have briefed me on the impact these misrepresentations have had on the ability to proceed with the study.

"I have concluded that the study cannot go forward, regardless of the outcome of the independent review. EPA must conduct quality, credible research in an atmosphere absent of gross misrepresentation and controversy."

Boxer, who says that she will continue to oppose testing toxins on humans, called CHEERS an "immoral program to test pesticides on children" and "a reprehensible idea that never should have made it out of the boardroom" in her statement to the Associated Press following Johnson's decision. Luckily, unlike Tuskegee, the study was stopped before anyone got hurt.

This story continues in part three.