Sleep deprivation can cause loss of mental function, mood disorders and promote inflammatory diseases and pain.

In order to have good quality of sleep, you need to prepare for it, and take steps to ensure that your body and mind can optimise the time available. This involves signalling to the body that it is night-time; ensuring you have a comfortable environment; completing other functions such as digestion in good time; and relaxing the body and mind so you go straight into the deep, restful states of sleep.

Create a routine around sleep; better still create a ritual that celebrates the vital process of sleep.

Sleep Routine

Have dinner early – at 6-7 pm – and have a light, digestible meal. Reduce carbohydrates, dairy and sweets, and prefer soups.

Use the daily cycles of the ayurvedic Doshas – Vata from 2-6 o’ clock; Kapha from 6-10; and Pitta from 10-2. Go to sleep in Kapha time – around 10 pm – as this is the time of heaviness. Wake up in Vata time – around 6 am – as this is the time of lightness.

Start winding down at around 8-9 pm:

• Switch off the TV and computer; and dim the lights. This signals to the brain that it is night-time.
• Engage only in quiet activity and gentle, peaceful conversation.
• Do some gentle yoga stretches – forward bends, twists, recovery poses.
• Do some gentle deep breathing – Alternate Nostril Breath (Nadi Shodhana), Black Bee Breath (Brahmari) or Throat Awareness Breath (Ujjayi). Have a Yoga Therapy consultation for a complete programme.
• If you do drink milk, have half a glass of milk warmed with a selection from ginger powder, cinnamon, cardamon. Add a pinch of nutmeg, and some honey. For a more potent effect – especially if you wake up during the night – take an ayurvedic herbal formula that I can prescribe for you.
• A simple 10 minute meditation such as breath awareness in the nostrils.
• Lying in bed on your back, visualise a wave moving up the legs and body as you breathe in; down the body and legs as you breathe out. Slow the breath down, and feel the body getting lighter and lighter. Alternatively, listen to a Yoga Nidra MP3 that we can provide.

If you follow this routine for some time, you will find the quality of your sleep improves. Even if you don’t get a full night’s sleep, the deep sleep in the early part of the night will recharge you sufficiently. As a result, your health and wellbeing will improve.

If you need a complete programme, contact us for a consultation.

Copyright Gerald Lopez 2010. All Rights Reserved.

When: 8-9pm Thursday 10th June 2010
Where: Harvest Natural Health Centre, 407a Richmond Road, Grey Lynn, Auckland (above Harvest Whole Foods)

Gerald Lopez, Ayurveda and Yoga consultant, explains how the ancient sciences of Ayurveda and Yoga help you optimise your health and wellbeing – and look after your family.

Includes an introduction to:

• The Five Elements
• The Three Doshas
• Food and eating habits
• Body therapies
• Exercise and breathing
• Deep relaxation
• The science of Longevity

Refreshments of delicious Ayurvedic teas kindly sponsored by Maharishi Ayurveda Products!

Be in the draw for a free Ayurvedic Massage or Ayurvedic Consultation!

Book your place now by emailing us, or calling 0800 235 023. Bring your friends, or share this page (click Share This button below) if you are not coming!

Where to find it:

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Sharn Rayner - Pod Consulting

Science of Life has teamed up with Pod Consulting Ltd; to provide powerful stress management programmes for businesses.

Stress situations offer opportunity for growth – provided the stress is effectively and systematically managed. Many progressive businesses are finding that well-managed workplace stress offers significant bottom-line benefits.

Expected results include:

• Improved health and wellbeing
• Better sleep and ability to relax
• Reduced absenteeism and improved workplace productivity
• Improved communication and relationships within the workplace
• Improved communication and relationships with clients and suppliers, enhancing the business brand

Gerald Lopez - Science of Life

The comprehensive programme includes the following:

• Assessment of participants for current stress levels and ability to manage pressure.
• Practical workshop on definitions, causes, effects and signs of stress; and simple and powerful stress reduction techniques.
• One-on-one coaching to integrate workshop knowledge, set goals and devise action plans.

Your coordinators and facilitators for this exciting new programme are Sharn Rayner of Pod Consulting Ltd, and Gerald Lopez of Science of Life. They offer combined experience and skills in Human Resources and Stress Management.

Contact us now for further information. Phone 0800 235 023 or email us.

By focusing on disease, we create anxiety and fear, which itself creates disease by causing stress and disarming the immune system. Instead, by focusing on health, women can move from a position of fear to a position of empowerment.

For the benefit of our beloved womenfolk, I now share vital (from the Latin vitalis “of or belonging to life”) information on staying healthy.

Vital foods

Eat organically-grown foods with vital colors – the bright greens of broccoli and avocados, the bright reds of tomatoes and strawberries, the sunny colours of lemons and pomegranates, the purples of grapes and blackberries. These and many other vegetables and fruits are chock-full of antioxidants and proven anti-cancer agents.

The colorful signals of health-giving nutrients

The rich colors of spices are similar signals of health-giving nutrients and digestive stimulants. According to Ayurveda, strengthening the digestion with spices helps eliminate toxins and optimises absorption of food nutrients. Turmeric and ginger are known anti-cancer spices.

Rosemary and broccoli are known to promote healthy oestrogen over cancer-causing oestrogen, while resveratrol (found in red grapes and wine) blocks harmful oestrogen.

Don’t believe the anti-fats hype, and balance your fat intake with fish oils, olive and flaxseed oils, and saturated fats like butter, ghee (clarified butter) and coconut oil.

Good fats are necessary to nourish the nervous system and our cell membranes, and to prevent inflammations and cancers.

Definitely avoid hydrogenated fats (also called trans-fats) found in many commercial foods – these are artificial fats which wreak havoc with the body’s messaging systems and immune system, and promote uncontrolled cell division in the breasts.

Smart skincare

What you apply on your body goes into your body. Would you eat your detergents, lipstick and skin creams? If not, think twice about applying them. Breast tissue has been found to store many cancer-causing substances found in detergents and skincare.

Use products which are as natural as possible – and use the least possible. Allow your skin to breathe – it is a major organ of elimination.

Regularly soak your bare skin in early morning sunshine, just for 15-20 minutes. Research has found that vitamin D can significantly reduce cancer risk – perhaps by over 50%. What is the cheapest and best source of vitamin D? Sunshine! Plus, it reduces stress and improves mood – further strengthening the immune system.

Become more proactive in demanding safer personal care, cosmetics, and household products for our women, children and men.

Relaxation for breast health

Chronic stress is known to disrupt the immune system – the healthy functioning of which is the key to preventing cancer. My dear women, whether you are mothers or career people, you owe it to yourselves and your loved ones to take time out to relax. Relaxation is the body’s most powerful healing mechanism.

Yoga postures & breathing for relaxation

Yoga postures and breathing, done with awareness, are among the most effective methods of relaxation known – they have been tried and tested over thousands of years. Adopt a daily personal practice, and you will reap many benefits.

Moving lymph

Lymph forms part of the body’s immune and waste-disposal system – and the breasts are surrounded by lymph tissue. Tight bras restrict breathing – and deep breathing is the lymphatic system’s main pump.

Regularly allow the breasts “breathing space” by spending time without a bra. Practice movements like yogic Sun Salutations, emphasising deep in and out breaths. Women with larger breasts can perform more gentle movements.

Another way to move lymph and increase circulation is to get regularly massaged, or perform self-massage as part of your daily routine. When having it done for you, ask for the breast area and underarms to be gently massaged.

Breast self-massage is a much more positive, enjoyable and loving act than anxiety-inducing breast “self-examination”. Use a nourishing oil like warming sesame or cooling coconut – depending on your body type (see Body Types article).

Thermography – the safer testing method

Thermography is a gentle, non-invasive method of detecting early abnormalities which may lead to cancer. It does not expose womens’ breasts to X-rays, which are known to cause cancer – rather it detects changes in the temperature of the breasts.

As cancer is now understood to begin with inflammation, it makes more sense to detect early signs of inflammation, which enables women to proactively take charge of their health with a natural anti-inflammatory regime.

Breast thermography is becoming more available, and there are now a number of centres in New Zealand. Ask Gerald for further information.

Detox and rejuvenate

Breast tissue is fatty, and is a prime target for accumulation of environmental toxins such as pesticides, which can remain for decades. It is advisable that women periodically undergo a detox programme. Research on ayurvedic detox programmes called Panchakarma, have shown that they can significantly clear PCBs and other fat-soluble toxins.

Following detox, Ayurveda considers it essential to support the tissues with diet and herbs that are nourishing, and that offer antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-stress and anti-cancer actions. This is Ayurveda’s secret for slowing the ageing process and maintaining optimum health.

Recovering our lost treasure

Last year, I asked the foremost female writer and authority on Ayurveda, Swamini Mayatitananda (formerly Maya Tiwari), what she felt was the essence of breast health. Her message, specially for this ezine article, is this:

“ Over thousands of years we have lost touch with nurturing Mother energy and consciousness. This has resulted in wars, pollution and disrespect for our bodies and for each other.

Breast cancer is a product of that disconnection. Women – as well as men – need to reconnect with the archetypal, primal Mother consciousness.

Awareness is the key, self-awareness gained by pausing our obsessive Doing, and practising the state of Being. ”

The breasts are more than private organs to be stowed away for the most part of the day. The human tragedy is that womens’ breasts have been the subject of shame, guilt and conflicted thinking – both for women and men. Conflicted thinking causes disturbed energy, or Prana; finally causing a disturbance and breakdown in cellular organisation – also known as cancer.

Yet, in truth, breasts are profoundly symbolic organs of femininity and nurturing motherhood. They are the energetic guardians of the heart, of the emotions of bonding and family, of feminine sensuality. To men, they create a deep longing, usually interpreted as sexual attraction. But I believe it is a longing for something more primordial – perhaps the longing for the return of nourishing Mother consciousness on Earth.

My beloved women, may you care for yourselves and stay eternally healthy, and may we share in the return of a nurturing consciousness.

If you feel this article would help someone you know, please share it with them by clicking below!

For a comprehensive breast health programme, have a consultation with Gerald. Call on 0800 23 50 23 or book online.

Copyright Gerald Lopez 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Blue lotus - symbol of the heart chakra

The Art of Eating

Have you ever wondered why some people may eat all the “right” food but still get sick? Whilst some eat “wrong” food but remain healthy?

Part of the solution may be due to HOW they eat.

Our eating habits have changed drastically over the last 50 years:

Where we used to sit at the family table and say Grace, we now eat on the run or in front of the television. Where we used to feel grateful for a successful hunt or harvest, we now take pre-packed, processed foods for granted. Where we used to eat heartily, we now feel guilty about our many little “indiscretions”.

The Indian ayurvedic author Charaka offered a number of eating rules around 2,500 years ago — See for yourself if they still make sense today…

Eat food that is warm and unctuous

Warm, unctuous food is appetising and delicious, and thus stimulates digestion. Hippocrates (Charaka’s Greek contemporary) said, “It is better to have worse food that is palatable; than better food which is unpalatable.” Research recently found that eating unctuous foods (i.e. foods containing fats) helped obese people lose weight. It satisfied them sooner than when they ate fat-free foods – and so they ate less.

Eat food in proper quantities

Charaka said that food taken in the right quantity “promotes the life-span, easily passes down to anus, does not disturb the digestive fire, and gets digested without discomfort.” Modern research has found that over-eating significantly reduces life-span. How do you know what is the right quantity? By eating with more awareness (your body will tell you). A good rule of thumb is to eat until half full — Charaka said to leave 1/4 for fluids to moisten the food, and 1/4 empty for the digestive “fire” to work!

Eat only when previous food has been digested

Piling new food onto partly-digested food messes things up — Would you add fresh pasta to a pot of already half-cooked pasta? The best signal of completed digestion is your hunger – usually 3 to 6 hours after the last meal. Learn to differentiate real hunger from emotional need for food.

Eat in a favourable place

A pleasant environment is relaxing, and medical texbooks tell us this activates our digestive function. Avoid eating in noisy, messy places; in cars; in front of the television. Instead, create a beautiful table setting and celebrate your meal!

Eat at a moderate pace

Eating too fast doesn’t allow proper chewing and digestion, and disrupts our awareness, concentration and full enjoyment of the food. We also tend to overeat, as the body’s signals of sufficient food take time to register. On the other hand, slow, long-drawn meals encourage us to overeat as well – think Christmas lunch!

Avoid excessive talking and distractions while eating

Modern medical textbooks talk about the “Cephalic Phase” of eating, i.e. how the sight, smell and taste of food stimulates the brain, which then stimulates digestion. This phase, plus proper chewing, prepare the food so it can be easily digested in the stomach. So give the food all your attention for ultimate digestion.

Relax into your meal — before, during, and after

Digestion is a major process, which uses up a lot of energy. When you are involved in work, study and travel, your body is in active (“Fight or Flight”) mode and shuts down digestion. When you allow your mind and body to enter relaxation mode, the digestive function is re-activated. Calm your mind, take some slow deep breaths, bless the food — Choose your method to enter relaxation mode, and try to maintain it for at least half-an-hour after the meal.

Digestion is no longer given its due importance today. We eat to fill a hole, and to keep going through the day. We eat on the run. We feel guilty about what we eat. Preparing and eating food is an inconvenience which needs to be got out of the way as easily, cheaply and speedily as possible. We imagine that some scientifically-calculated “balanced” formula of dietary chemicals can keep us healthy.

I hope this article reminds you that the nourishment comes not only from WHAT we eat, but also from HOW we eat; from actively and mindfully receiving the gift of food. By shifting our attitude to our food and to the process of eating, our body will respond differently, more positively — Eating then becomes a relationship with the world, a meditative ritual, an opportunity for intuitively knowing what our body really needs to stay healthy.

Yoga is a prehistoric science of human physiology and psychology and, perhaps most importantly, of human potential. This practical science was carefully handed down through lineages of teachers; and from time to time, was written down in cryptic verses, called Tantras. In the 20th century, one of the most outstanding and radical yoga teachers, Swami Satyananda Saraswati, rediscovered yoga nidra among these tantras, simplified it, and made it accessible to the modern world. He had become fascinated by the technique of yoga nidra when he discovered that one could learn vast amounts of information while being exposed to it during sleep. In this way he taught a young boy scriptures like the Bible, Upanishads, and Srimad Bhagavatam; and three languages, in the space of two years. Since then, much research has been done, and much has been discovered about the potential benefits of yoga nidra.

The stages of yoga nidra

Yoga nidra is a form of guided imagery relaxation; a technique of achieving deep mental, emotional and physical relaxation. Such a level of relaxation offers many benefits – some of them scientifically verified – which have been experienced by practitioners through the ages. It is a form of relaxation which allows the body to resume its functional balance, or homeostasis. This state of balance enables the body to re-coordinate the many trillions of individual activities it performs every second; especially important after periods of stress, which have been found to adversely affect this balance and coordination. Thus, yoga nidra is a powerful technique to maintain and increase good health; and to assist the healing process during and after illness or surgery.

Releasing the emotional knots

Yoga nidra moderates the emotions in two main ways. Firstly, relaxation and release from stress allow the flushing and reducing of the chemicals that cause emotions (read The Molecules of Emotion by Candace Pert). Scientists are now telling us that excessive amount of emotion chemicals in the body – apart from being addictive – actually deprive our cells of nutrients. So, moderating emotions through relaxation will allow our tissues to be better nourished.

Secondly, yoga nidra gives us the opportunity to release emotional knots, while maintaining objectivity and equanimity. This gives us the experience of stepping back from the emotions, rather than identifying with them and being swept along by them. Objectivity defuses extreme emotions, so we can eventually become independent of them. This is not to say we become emotionless – rather we can more effectively maintain contentment in spite of the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune!

Relaxing the mind

Possibly the most important effect of yoga nidra is on the mind. Yoga nidra diverts our mind from its everyday frivolous activity – its tendency to free-associate from one idea to another, rather like surfing the Internet! This activity is actually tiring, but again, addictive – we find it so hard to focus on what we need to do, so hard to let go of these streams of thoughts.

Also, when we are under stress, we tend to go over the stressful events again and again in our mind, actually flooding the body with more stress and emotion chemicals. This chemical treadmill often continues until the body breaks down in protest and becomes ill. The process of mental diversion and withdrawal from the senses – called pratayahara in Sanskrit – is the key to achieving complete mental relaxation and emotional health.

Power napping – the high achiever’s secret

We often tell ourselves we are too busy to take time out to relax – this is actually the time when we most need it! Mental relaxation helps us to focus much better, and maintain a broader perspective, enabling us to solve problems more efficiently. Try doing a short yoga nidra when you are stuck trying to solve a problem. It is reported that Napoleon Bonaparte would do this in the middle of battle, by retiring to his tent for a while – then coming out and leading his army to victory.

A 10-minute power nap is also the fastest way to rest and recharge the body if you are feeling tired. Try one of Gerald’s relaxation audio tracks for a quick recovery from mental and physical overload. This is great in the middle of the day, or can also be used just before bed for high-quality sleep.

Learning and changing mental habits

Swami Satyananda rediscovered yoga nidra through its ability to increase learning ability. Mental relaxation allows the mind to comprehend information more easily, absorb it faster, and retain and recall it better. Yoga nidra can be used to learn languages, remember certain points of a topic, or to absorb a whole text or scripture.

Yoga nidra enables the mind to release its intellectual state, and achieve a more receptive state. This is very useful for changing mental patterns and habits. By using a positive mental affirmation, or resolve, daily for several weeks, people have achieved significant changes in their lives.

Achieving human potential

According to yoga, mental relaxation enables us to increase our self-awareness and achieve full human potential. Our daily thoughts are like swirling sand muddying up a pond. By allowing the sand to settle, we can then see clearly to its depths. The same applies to our consciousness – as our mind quietens down, the deeper layers of our self reveal themselves, allowing us greater understanding and acceptance. We then begin to realise our place in the scheme of life; we can then shed our fears and find a deep sense of contentment. The ultimate goal in yoga is the realisation of the essential self:

“Yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind. Then the seer becomes established in
his/her own essential nature. Otherwise there continues identification with the mental
fluctuations.” – Patanjali (c. 500 BCE)

General guidelines

Yoga nidra is most effective when done regularly, especially if you want to achieve a desired result. Try it once daily for at least a month – if you are seriously ill, then do it more often. Good times are first thing in the morning, mid-afternoon, or before going to sleep at night.

Make sure you have a comfortable environment. You may need to cover yourself as body temperature does drop. It is better to lie on the floor rather than on a soft bed, unless you are ill.

Try not to do yoga nidra just after eating. Allow a couple of hours after a main meal, or an hour after a light meal.

Do some gentle stretches first – or a few rounds of Sun Salute – to release energy. Then some deep, long breaths with full awareness of the movement of the breath.

Get a yoga nidra soundtrack from Science of Life!

The easiest way to experience the benefits of yoga nidra is to download an MP3 audio track. Gerald Lopez has recorded a variety to choose from, available for purchase at our online store.

Stress creates the opportunity for growth – physically and mentally. The important point is that periods of stress must be followed by periods of recovery for growth to occur – otherwise, instead, there is damage or burnout. This is the principle that is used in world-class athletic training – and can be applied to all aspects of life.

Burning the candle at one end…

In the 21st century, we find ourselves burning the candle at both ends. We have increasingly-plentiful causes of stress, for example:

• more changes in life – in jobs, homes, locations, friends and colleagues
• more brain stimulation – ads, tv, news, email, computers
• more electromagnetic stimulation – radio waves, microwaves, house appliance electromagnetic forces
• more body challenges – chemicals, poor food choices, stimulants, drugs (even medicines!)
• social challenges – raising families in isolation, immigration, urban living
• economic challenges – “recessions”, corporate restructuring, higher costs of living

Then at the other…

Yet we have less opportunities for recovery, such as “time out” after work, silence, family time and support, etc.

The problem is, when we are stressed we start “coping” – we accept higher and higher levels of stress. Then – too late – we reach a tipping point when we definitely “feel stressed out”, or worse, “burned out.” Even worse still, our bodies can break down with diseases like inflammation (heart attacks, arthritis), autoimmune disorders, or cancer.

This happened to me two years ago: all the signs of stress were there, and I ignored them. Then my left eye became completely inflamed and I lost my sight. Six months later the retina detached, needing emergency surgery. After two years, my eyesight has not yet recovered. How many people are paying the price for ignoring the symptoms and signs of stress?

I see this every day: a little prevention is better than a huge amount of cure.

The signs of stress

Here are some signs of stress:

• feelings of anxiety and reduce ability to cope – often feeling overwhelmed
• pain or tightness in the shoulders, neck or other places; headaches
• digestive problems, increased cravings and need for stimulants
• raised blood pressure, palpitations
• increased frequency and duration of colds and flus
• impaired sexual function
• fatigue, lethargy, poor sleep
• irritability, impatience, not having “enough time” – especially for relaxation

Unmanaged stress is a serious condition. As a health practitioner seeing so many victims of unmanaged stress – including myself – my sincere advice to all of you is: Have a stress management plan – it could save your life, and possibly the lives of others as well.

I often see overhwelmed mothers who feel they can’t take time out because of their children. They become tired, sick, and miserable; and then they snap at the kids. What model of healthy, sensible, organised lifestyle are they teaching their children? I have offered free massages and treatments to these women – and still they didn’t come!

Read this carefully:

A sure sign of stress is when you feel you don’t have the time to do something to manage it!

If you didn’t get it the first time, please read it again.

Stress nutrition

For a start do what the ancients have always done: stop what you are doing, and sit down properly for meals. A meal is an important event – and not an opportunity to fill a hole on the run. Consciously wind down before eating, and you will experience improved digestion, better resistance to stress, and improved mood.

Eat meals made from fresh, wholesome ingredients. Avoid processed foods and high-sugar foods. Increase colourful vegetables and fruits. Cut down on coffee, cola drinks, and alcohol.

Good eating habits, and nutritious foods, not only promote relaxation rituals to counterbalance stress during the day. They also provide the essential ingredients for your body to deal with stress efficiently.

Relaxation is the opposite of…

You got it! Nature’s remedy for stress is proper relaxation! This does not mean beers at the pub, or Martinis in front of the tv; nor gossiping with the girlfriends, or surfing the ‘Net (except for reading a page like this one!).

Proper relaxation involves turning your attention inwards – to yourself. How often do you do this?

There are thousands of relaxation techniques for stress relief. It doesn’t really matter which techniques you use; what matters is increasing self-awareness and consciously relaxing the body, emotions and mind. One of the profoundest, most systematic and most comprehensive methods for doing this is the science of Yoga.

Here is a powerful relaxation tip:

1. Sit comfortably with the spine upright, chest open, eyes and mouth shut.
2. Become aware of the natural flow of breath through the nostrils.
3. Deepen the breath and follow it in and out for several minutes.

Deep relaxation

After many years of “coping” with stress, it may take many people quite a while before they can recover a true sense of relaxation. Deep relaxation is a feeling of complete letting go, and of stillness of mind and body. It is at this point that a natural sense of serenity and joy resurfaces. It is at this point that the body can rebalance itself – and repair and regenerate itself.

Most people nowadays need to be guided towards deep relaxation. They need to be led to a space where they are reminded of what it feels like to be deeply, truly relaxed.

For people with serious illnesses like cancer, hypertension and depression, deep relaxation can offer them the best chance for healing, in whatever way is appropriate for them.

We can guide you

At Science of Life, we have created an amazingly effective programme to manage stress and allow you to lead a more productive, healthy, joyful, fulfilling life – for the whole of your life. We know how frustratingly difficult it can be to manage stress by yourself – and manage it you must.

After an in-depth consultation, we offer a programme of time-tested, synergistic tools to help you achieve deep relaxation, recover from chronic stress, and henceforth skilfully manage your stress as part of a healthy lifestyle.

The programme may include:

• diet and lifestyle recommendations
• traditional herbs for stress-adaptation, mental relaxation, improved sleep, and rejuvenating the tissues
• massage and body therapies to induce deep relaxation and improve health
• training in Yoga exercises, breathing techniques, meditation and guided relaxation
• Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation (CES), an effective and safe microcurrent technology
• counseling and mental tools to reshape your beliefs around “stressful” factors

Stress management is the key to growth

As I said earlier, stress is the key to growth on all levels. It provides the opportunity to stretch your limits, to strengthen your muscles, to discover yourself. In the ancient Sanskrit writings it was described as Tapas, the fire that tempered the steel of your mind, to amazing sharpness and strength.

By managing stress in an organised way, you will come to see obstacles as challenges rather than as “problems” – in fact you will welcome them for the gift they bring. This is an incredibly empowering shift of consciousness. In a flash you will no longer see life as a series of fatalistic stressful events; but as a glorious journey of growth and creativity.

At Science of Life, we consider it a privilege to assist people achieve this shift in consciousness. In the future, I plan to offer more material to guide and inspire you in this process of transforming stress.

In the meantime, to find out more about the Science of Life Stress Management Programme, email us or call on 0800 23 50 23.

Copyright Gerald Lopez 2009. All Rights Reserved.

The main distinguishing features between cold and flu symptoms, are that flus are often accompanied by muscle aches and high temperatures. Flu in addition tends to infect the lungs and cause  more malaise (feeling “under the weather”).

In most cases colds and flus are self-limiting – the body’s immune system just deals with it. However, if the immune system is compromised – due to stress, poor diet, prescribed drugs, etc – complications can arise, the most common being pneumonia.

There has been a lot of government and media coverage about Swine Flu (a so-called H1N1 virus) with assertions that it will mutate into a virulent and fatal pandemic, similar to the 1918 Flu Epidemic. This prediction appears entirely untested and unproven, which calls into question the agenda behind the coverage. The Swine Flu symptoms are the same as any moderate common flu.

Treatment of colds and flus

There is no current medical treatment for cold or influenza. There is a French saying: “An untreated cold goes on for seven days; a treated cold lasts for a week!”

The best course is to allow the body’s immune system to do its job:

• Take a rest, relax the mind and sleep.
• Reduce heavy, energy-draining diet and go on a light, digestible diet such as soup and stewed fruits.
• If there is moderate fever, try to go through with it – fever is the body’s way of dealing with the viruses and should be encouraged until sweating occurs.
• Take lots of warm fluids – water, lemon water, ginger tea, Tulsi (Holy Basil) tea, licorice tea.
• Reduce sugar, take honey instead.
• See a health practitioner for herbal support for sinuses, lungs and fever. For those in poor general health, or for young children, see a health practitioner in high fever or if cough has persisted for several days. If a child has high fever, stiff neck and/or a high-pitched cry, take to ER immediately!

Prevention – the best policy!

The most sensible plan is to avoid prolonged colds and flus by boosting the immune system and actively managing excellent health. Here are some tips for you and your family:

• Manage your stress – today, fear and stress is the prime cause of compromised immunity. Do Yoga, breathing techniques, relaxation techniques. Remember, the 1918 Flu Epidemic happened in a time of extreme stress.
• Avoid smoking in the house – better still, don’t smoke.
• Eat well – freshly-made foods from high-quality, organic, local ingredients.
• Sleep well – good-quality sleep relieves stress and enables the body to grow, repair and heal.
• Moderate exercise boosts immunity. Extreme exercise can cause stress and fatigue. Yoga is ideal, especially the strengthening poses.
• A daily deep breathing exercise reduces stress, enlivens Prana (subtle energy), and strengthens the lungs. Ask a good Yoga consultant about a suitable technique for you.
• Take fruits and vegetables which are high in vitamin C.
• Take immune-boosting, stress-adapting and anti-viral herbs as prescribed by a natural health practitioner.

There is an ancient ayurvedic formula that contains one of the most potent vitamin-C fruits – Amla or Amalaki (Embilica officinalis) – and is in the form of a delicious paste called Chawanprash. This is excellent for maintaining good immunity throughout life. A high-quality product is Ayush Herbs Amla Plex, available at our online store.

Visit your ayurvedic or other natural health practitioner, and get an effective seasonal health plan. You will then find colds and flus become less frequent, less disturbing and don’t last as long. In addition, you will find yourself worrying less about the flu pandemic hype, and getting on in life with a positive attitude – your best protection.

Copyright AmUnivers

Natural health is all about understanding the influences around you – your foods, local geography and climate, the seasons; and even the clothes and gemstones you wear, and the positions of the planets and stars!

The seasons of Spring and Autumn represent major shifts in energy – Spring being the time of renewed vigour and the rising sap; and Autumn the time of slowing down, of withdrawing for hibernation and rest. In traditional societies, Autumn is the time of the final harvests; processing and storing foods; and preparing for the short days and cold, dark nights of Winter.

Here in the Southern Hemisphere, Autumn is upon us with its qualities of change, of wind and sudden cold. Many people experience cold, cramps, anxiety, insomnia, dry skin, constipation – the symptoms of increased Vata.

To balance these qualities and symptoms, we need to bring in the opposite qualities: of warmth, regularity and rhythm, sweetness, grounding, settling, nourishing.

Cleanse first…

Before balancing, it is a good idea to detoxify the body first; to eliminate the accumulated wastes, toxins and doshas (humours) from Summer. Regular detoxifying is one of the secrets of excellent health and longevity, and Ayurveda does this with Panchakarma. Panchakarma consists of a cleansing diet with detoxifying herbs, ingestion of ghee or oils to penetrate the fatty tissues, massage and heat treatments to mobilise the toxins, and a powerful elimination therapy. This is followed by a special diet to normalise digestion, and a programme of anti-ageing herbs.

Consult an ayurvedic practitioner about a Panchakarma programme; or contact us to discuss a programme we could offer you.

Alternatively, you could do a gentle 3-5 day detox diet at home – having freshly-made veggie soups for lunch and dinner, stewed fruits for breakfast and snacks, and sipping hot water and ginger tea through the day.

Then nourish…

Then think of a warming, nourishing routine. Eat warm, unctuous, slightly heavier foods; reducing the salads, toast and raw fruits. Think of stews, casseroles, thick soups. The ideal tastes are sweetness, and some sourness and saltiness. For sweetness, eat roots such as kumera (sweet potato), vegetables such as pumpkin, and grains such as basmati rice and quinoa.

Use warm or sweet spices such as ginger, black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom – in your savoury as well as sweet foods. You can use that combination to make delicious chai teas!

Increase your intake of high-quality fats and oils. Good fats and oils are not as bad for health as many people think – they have just been the victims of bad press. Take olive oil, coconut oil, butter or ghee (clarified butter). This will stimulate digestion, reduce the amounts of food you need to eat, and keep your skin (and the rest of your body) moist and well-lubricated. Good fats also decrease the risk of inflammations causing rheumatism, heart disease etc.

Take a formula of nourishing, anti-ageing herbs; such as Shatavari Gulam or Amla Plex, which can be purchased at our online store.

Massage for health

Use raw, warmed sesame oil for self-massage – daily or at least every few days. Rub it vigorously on your head, face, arms, shoulders, etc., working down to the feet. Keep it on for 15-20 minutes, then take a warm shower. Use a gentle soap, and just soap the “necessary” bits – this leaves a warming layer on your skin. Soon your skin will be glossy and radiant – unlike the dry and dull skin many people have at this time of the year. Try this for at least a month and see! You can obtain a good quality massage oil at our online store.

Every few weeks, have an ayurvedic massage given to you. This is wonderful for the body, emotions, mind and spirit. Increased Vata can create a sense of isolation and emptiness; of depletion and loneliness. Receiving care from another person fills the heart and raises our self-esteem. We feel reconnected, and feel valued. This has very profound effects on our mental and physical health.

At Science of Life, we use rich herbal oils for the massages we offer. Gerald has over 20 years experience in giving massage, and uses ayurvedic principles to tailor the massage to suit each client. Our clients almost invariably say that the ayurvedic massages are beyond anything they have experienced in the past…

Massage is one of the mainstays of ayurvedic medicine – it just offers so many benefits.

Strengthen with Yoga

Autumn is a time for rhythmic, strengthening, grounding ways of practising Yoga. Sun Salutes are great, done slowly and smoothly. Use Warrior Poses to strengthen the legs and feel the ground. Warm up the hips, stretch the legs and strengthen the core.

Do warming breathing exercises such as Bellows Breath (Bhastrika), followed by a calming exercise such a Alternate Nostril Breath (Nadi Shodhana). Finish with a relaxation in which you connect with the ground beneath you.

Honour the seasons

All traditional cultures have honoured the seasons, and celebrated the changes. This keeps us aware of the universal rhythms and what they mean to us on physical, emotional and mental levels. Being connected to natural rhythms gives deep meaning to our lives, reducing the effects of stress and enhancing our health and happiness.

Wear warming colours, eat the right foods, change your Yoga and exercise with the times; be aware of the shifts, and flow with them. And teach your children to do the same.

Science of Life is now offering a holistic approach that includes herbal anti-inflammatories, ayurvedic massage therapies, diet and lifestyle recommendations, gentle exercise – and the latest technology, called Microcurrent Electrical Therapy (MET).

Microcurrent electrical therapy (MET) has been developed over 30 years in the US, and is approved as a medical treatment by the US Food and Drug Administration. It is also approved by New Zealand Medsafe. Practitioner reports and clinical studies have shown much higher success rates than most drug treatments – with none of the side effects.

MET is being used by many hospitals to manage chronic pain worldwide. MET is different from TENS machines used in our hospitals, in that TENS masks pain and is temporary – while MET helps the body to heal, and the results are cumulative.

MET uses the findings of researchers that the body has a constant electrical current (Becker RO and Nordenstrom BEW), while injured areas have altered currents. Passing a tiny current of a particular waveform through the injured (i.e. painful) tissue, triggers pain reduction and healing.

We can offer solutions for all kinds of pains, such as arthritis, myalgia, neuralgia, fibromyalgia, back pain, frozen shoulder, carpal tunnel syndrome, etc.

While we will not interfere with what your GP or specialist has prescribed for you, you may find that you can reduce drug doses in consultation with your medical practitioner. Ayurveda can offer herbal anti-inflammatories that have been found to be as efficacious as most drug treatments, and ayurvedic massage with herbal anti-inflammatory oils is also a wonderful pain reliever and healer.

A key factor in pain is stress, which amplifies pain’s intensity and interferes with the body’s healing and repair capabilities. At Science of Life, we can help you manage stress with a powerful range of therapies and tools.

We start with a full consultation including ayurvedic assessment; then we offer a comprehensive programme of synergistic treatments that suit you in every way. The benefits are holistic and profound.

Email us for an obligation-free discussion on whether we could help you recover a pain-free life; or call on 0800 23 50 23 or: