“I have a question in regards to turmeric. I know Turmeric should be cooked or sautéed in ghee and added to your meal with lunch and dinner but can anyone drink it? In the You Tube video Vaidya says it is ok to drink milk with Turmeric but for example can one boil it in water or even tea, or should it be toasted, than you may boil it in water or tea? Or should one instead use Turmeric HMG, if they want to drink turmeric? Also what is the best tridoshic product one can use to help remove marks from the sun? Maybe the SVA Purifying Cream? I don’t know, please advise, thank you, Michael A.”

Dear Michael: in the SVA tradition, we do not recommend drinking turmeric to be consumed alone in a liquid/water base. Why? We always recommend people to boil turmeric in milk, because milk contains both lipid and protein molecules in addition to a liquid base. Protein and lipid molecules bind themselves to the turmeric molecules and travel together balancing each other. In addition, when you add cinnamon and cardamom to the mixture, you facilitate the breakdown of the sugar and the protein in the milk, making it even easier for absorption. Altogether, after all this “samskar” or process of boiling, we are binding turmeric with other molecules, and this gives it a more steady sustained delivery to the cellular system, making sure that the liver is not getting overwhelmed. A quick note that it is also ok to drink turmeric with goat milk, or home made almond milk – for the same reasons.

Otherwise, if you would still like to drink Turmeric in a water base, yes it is ok to use the Turmeric Herbal Memory Nectar drops – add 2 drops in 32oz of good high pH Spring water and sip slowly throughout the day.

With regards to your other question, my SVA Aloe sandalwood lotion is the best for helping with sun marks, but remember to also apply DGL transdermal cream on the liver, a sun marks are a product of a “hot and cranky” liver, also add Nectar drops of Turmeric and Bhumi Amla: 2 drops each in 32 oz of water.

“Namaste, Vaidya Mishra, Thank you for your latest blog posting about marma therapy and massage for babies. I found it very interesting and useful, as I perform daily abhyanga on my baby daughter. I do not know much about the marma points, however, and the illustrations did not seem to match up with the descriptions of which marma points to use. Could you please provide clearer illustrations or perhaps a video on your YouTube channel to help your readers/viewers/customers better understand how to do the marma therapy on babies?
In gratitude for your knowledge,
Lisa”

Dear Lisa: thank you for your email. Here is a clearer numbered sequence of the names of the marma points and the corresponding images. And thank you for your suggestion, we will be posting a YouTube video for SVA Shishu and Bal Marma soon – stay tuned for more!
Shishu Marma Steps:

Step 1: All 4 Talahridiya points. Talahridiya means “extensions of the heart:” the energetic heart literally vibrates at these points in the palms and the soles. Massaging these points brings pranic support to the whole physiology at the outset and facilitates the massage of the remaining points for the overall flow of prana.
Step 2: now you move on to the knees or Jhanu. We have 2 points in the  frontand 2 points in the back. Both pairs are found in dips on either side of the knee bone, and in the back, on either side of the soft tissue.
Step 3: now you move on to the elbows. Just like the knees, we have 2 pairs of points on the inside and the outside of the elbows, on either side of the elbow bone where there is a dip, and on the inside on either side of the soft tissue.
Step 4: this is the most tender yet most powerful marma point, the Adipathi, that connects directly to the cosmos. Follow the directions and do not touch this marma, just cup your hand and hold on top for a minute or so. Final step: you are now ready to swipe down the spine. Hold your “shishu” on your forearm and gently glide down his/her spine several times, 7 times is a good number. You have now completed your SVA Shishu Marma Massage and you may proceed to do a general massage, now that pranic flow has been enhanced and optimized, your baby will enjoy the massage more and get even more benefit out of it.

For your toddler Marma Steps, repeat steps 1, 2 and 3 of Shishu Marma
massage. Then:
Step 4: Ans or middle of the shoulders, where we also, as adults, get all the tightness and stress accumulated!
Step 5: Ans Phalak or the midpoint of the shoulder blades as shown in the image, another point of stress accumulation as we grow older….

Step 6: is the fontanel, or the soft spot on the top of the head. Follow the same recommendations and cup your toddler’s fontanel.
Step 7: Finish off your marma massage with the spinal swipe – always top to bottom, go down as many as 7 times or more as desire, s/he will love it, it will calm them down by helping release the used pranic energy

“Dear Vaidya,I am seeing fresh turmeric root at the store. Is this something we can or should be using? If so, how do we prepare it?
Many Thanks
Gail H.’

Dear Gail: fresh turmeric root contains all of its oils and properties in raw crude form, and as anything in its raw or crude form, can be too harsh on the physiology to handle. However, regardless of this, traditionally, in ayurvedic India, raw turmeric was and still never is used before being processed because it is very heating for the liver – it over-activates it. It should always be processed then powdered to abate its heat. There are many methods of processing, some simple and others complex. Here is a simple  method you can do at home: boil the roots once – bring them to a boil in water and then turn off. Throw out the water. Spread out your roots on a pan and dry them. After they are thoroughly dried pulverize them for use.
Please do not follow the recent trend of so many health guru-s and hip health recipe advocates and websites that are recommending making turmeric tea with freshly grated turmeric root, adding lemon and ginger and honey as a sweetener! When it comes to ancient herbs, we should always consider the tradition that comes along with it. Just because science is confirming the benefits of turmeric for so many imbalances that plague our contemporary culture, we should not lose track of our common sense, and always use caution when incorporating spices and herbs into our diet in novel ways. It is always best to consult with an expert and a time-tested tradition. Thank you for your lovely question.

“Since I found Mr Vaidya Mishra with all of his teachings and knowledge, I began following his recommendations and buying some products. For instance, I just  bought ghee and turmeric, but I need a little more information regarding turmeric. Since I live in the west coast, the only way to clarify my questions regarding the products Mr. Mishra sells, is through the internet.

1. If a person in “not” sick, how much turmeric is recommended daily when cooking (how many tsp a day?)
2. If one feels sick, (fibromialgia, arthritis), how many tsp(s) a day?

With gratitude,
Moni R.”

Dear Moni: please go to my SVA Health Channel on YouTube and watch the video on “How to use turmeric.” In general, for a healthy person, I recommend ¼ to ½ tsp turmeric powder cooked or sautéed in ghee in added to your meal with lunch and dinner.
Remember: NEVER consume raw turmeric, as it can heat up the liver too much too quickly. And never consume large amounts of turmeric alone. Always cook it in ghee or with your vegetables and protein. My YouTube video will give you additional details.
If someone has a medical condition as you mention, they should always check with their medical physician concerning whether they should consume any turmeric at all.

“Hello Vaidya, […] I have a patient who became quite perplexed after reading your response to the question on herb/drug and herb/spice interaction in issue #35 (August 29, 2013)… He is on several medications and has now stopped eating all spices in fear. My question is: how can we learn to navigate the use of spices in tandem with diseases? Thanks, Dr. Lisa Raskin”1

Here is an excerpt of the article that Dr Lisa Raskin is referring to (issue #35, vol. 3, August 29, 2013): “So how should an ayurvedic practitioner deal with medical conditions, even as and when they work hand in hand with a medical physician? As you can see, it is not a good idea to avoid food or spices when they create a synergistic interaction. On the contrary, that synergistic power should be used to the benefit of the patient ,to help gradually minimize the doses of medication, because in this case food materials will not have unwanted side-effects as they are managed wisely. In this situation, we are attempting to get the desired results from food materials and spices rather than medicine. But just as synergistic interaction is beneficial and can be tailored safely while working with an MD and getting testing regularly by a lab, antagonistic reactions should be avoided. This means: measures should be taken so that a diet should not create roadblocks for the medicine. Food or spices that can potentially reduce or block the effect of any drug should not be used and consumed. So, in conclusion, dear Nancy, this is a big topic and a very pertinent question, here I tried to answer it as succinctly as possible. I hope to elaborate on this further in the future. In the meantime, I hope this helps.”

Dear Dr Raskin: there are several things to consider in the use of spices when a client is on heavy doses of medicine. That response I had given was focusing on individuals who are consuming large quantities of spices in supposedly therapeutic, because modern science has confirmed their medicinal properties. As I explain and re-iterate all the time, it is very important to have the proper samyog and samskar, or in other terms, the combination and the preparation. What are you combining your spices and herbs with? Do you have the proper carrier to ensure safe delivery? And second, how are you preparing them? There are means and methods to prepare herbs and spices for safe and effective delivery and consumption. I can never stress these two points enough. In theory, in Ayurveda, almost every ingredient can

be consumed safely and effecting by adopting this theory of proper samyog and samskar. For example, you must be familiar with the spice mix I generally recommend to individuals who are just getting started with Ayurveda with baby steps, it’s my: 1/1/6/6, or 1 part turmeric, 1 part cumin, 6 parts coriander and 6 parts fennel mix. Now while turmeric has now known and confirmed medicinal properties that can be detrimental to an individual who is already on high doses of multiple medicines, if that same amount of turmeric is consumed with cumin to enhance absorption, with coriander and fennel to pacify the heat of the turmeric, and also help flush out through the urinary tract the toxins that the turmeric is going to mobilize, then turmeric becomes that indivdiual’s best friend. In his sense, recipes like Mum’s Masala are safe for almost everybody to consume – unless one is experiencing liver disease or any other kind of severe medical condition then it is always necessary to check with one’s medical doctor first. So how come Mum’s Masala that contains 18 different ingredients is safe? How does it work? Each ingredient in Mum’s masala is toasted at a different temperature, because the toasting time of each spice is different. This is part of the samskar of this formula. Toasting makes all the properties of the spices more readily available and cuts down on cooking time both on the stove and in the stomach! Then ingredients like cumin can even more easily enhance absorption; fennel and coriander better cool off; fenugreek pulls out toxins from the fat tissue faster; curry leaf supports the liver so it can better handle turmeric; green cardamom supports protein metabolism more effectively; clove unblocks the channels faster; likewise, turmeric will be more effective at its job of supporting the liver in its complex detox process. In this sense, Mum’s Masala, because of the way it is put together and processed, it’s safe for almost everybody.
The point is: no one should be consuming turmeric capsules or to take turmeric alone as a tea (with hot water and lemon etc). So SVA masala mixes or the personal 1/1/6/6 spice mix based on body type imbalance and age etc are safe to use. These are time-tested formula-s that have the shatras and deep ayurvedic knowledge as back-up. They are not a hype! Like the capsules and the turmeric tea hype currently circulating on websites. And remember: these spice mixes are either to be cooked (or just sprinkled in the case of the Mum’s Masala) with your vegetable, lentils, with a fat and water, etc. During the inaugural SVA conference, Dr. Hari Sharma, a pioneer researcher on turmeric and cancer, explained to us that turmeric can help the body prevent and correct imbalances in 80% of diseases.
My point is: do not give up on turmeric, due to fear. But if the shadow of a doubt is still lurking on one’s mind, I have made the safe Herbal Memory nectar drops, and the Turmeric nectar drops are safer to consume as they only contain the nano-particles of turmeric and the “intelligence” of turmeric, which even bypasses the liver!

1 Dr Lisa Raskin has now a clinic in Florida: 2600 N. Military Trail, Suite 330, Boca Raton, Florida 33431. She can be reached at drlraskin@gmail.com

Unlike mainstream Ayurveda, Vaidya Mishra’s SVA tradition puts extra attention on the role that the body’s vibrational channels play in your health. These are known as “nadi” in Sanskrit. These channels are so important that even if you are able to maintain 100% of any healthy daily regimen, when your vibrational channels are not “perfect” in their functioning, you may still feel off. It is important to distinguish these non-physical vibrational channels from the micro and macro physical channels in your body to understand how things work.

Think of it this way: imagine your body is a metropolis or a big busy city, (perhaps New York City), with non-stop high regular traffic going in all directions. This means cars, buses, subways, and people going up and down and left and right and in and out and along the main traffic arteries. Just like the city if made of major road and highways, as well as smaller side roads and pedestrian walk-ways, our bodies are made of macro and micro physical channels. The macro channels are called “Sthoola Shrotas” and the micro channels are called “Shukshm Shrotas.” We can see the macro channels with our naked eye, but the micro channels can only be seen under a microscope. If there were a blockage anywhere on any of the pathways, it would affect the rest of the traffic through a domino effect. In a similar way, our bodies have pathways, some large some small, they are physical channels that carry actual physical material and particles that can be viewed under the microscope. Some of our physical channels are: the intestines; the blood vessels (arteries, veins, etc); the bronchial tube; the bronchial channels; etc. When food is ingested, it gets broken down in the stomach, then transformed into blood in the liver, absorbed as nutrients in the intestines, and the unused material gets evacuated through the feces. But along with the visible, there is always an invisible aspect! Think of all the non-visible traffic that accompanies all the physical activity in the city, the stuff you cannot see with your eyes, such as all the electronic information and data that is being transmitted every second to keep the subways running on time; or the movement of heat and energy that gets released and generated by the traveling engines and walking people; or think of all the sound that is also being generated by each mobile entity and traveling all over the place; and then you can even think of more and more subtle things as well, such as the thoughts of each individual, the feelings they are carrying. All these non-visible things also occupy space and get transmitted, even if on a much more subtle level that we still cannot fully measure with machines and our technology. This kind of non-physical material needs special non-physical channels to get transmitted with. In our bodies, this is somewhat similar to the vibrational channels discussed in the Vedic tradition, called the nadi-s.

The knowledge of the nadi-s is not specific to Ayurveda. In fact, you can read most about it in a text called the “Shiva Samhita.” The Shiva Samhita (śivasaṁhitā also Siva Samhitā) is a Sanskrit text on yoga, whose author is unknown. It is a conversation between Shiva and his consort Parvati. It is a central classical treatise of Hatha yoga. The second chapter of this treatise focuses entirely on the nadi-s, listing them, naming them, describing their location and direction. For example, some of the most important nadi-s or vibrational channels are: Ida and Pingala (Ida through the left nostril and Pingala through the right nostril); the Sushumna nadi, or the main vibrational nadi that is aligned along the spinal chord; the gandhari nadi in the left eye, hastijihva in the right eye, etc. In total there are, according to the Shiva Samhita, seventy two thousand nadi-s spread throughout the body. They originate like sprouts from the navel area.
Just like the macro and micro physical channels carry physical material, the vibrational channels or nadi-s carry non-physical vibrational material which is primarily pranic in nature. Vaidya Mishra’s SVA lineage uses the knowledge of prana and the nadi-s very concretely. Prana is the primary vibrational energy that our bodies are made-up of, and the Shiva Samhita maps out the different channels and pathways through which this prana travels in our bodies after entering it through the Adipathi Marma point and the nadi-s. The SVA lineage uses the knowledge of prana, the life-giving, healing and nurturing energy made of Soma Agni and Marut, and Marma points, the transformative pranic delivery juncture points in the body to correct imbalances that can result in physical dis-ease.
The nadi-s are the connecting and communicating factor between cosmic energy and the physical body. Nadi-s receive prana from the environment and distribute it in the body through the sandhi-s after enteringthrough the marma points. Sandhi-s are the gaps or synapses, the junction between two nerve cells. A synapse consists of a minute gap across which impulses pass by diffusion of a neurotransmitter chemical. We have learnt through SVA that Prana is made up of Soma or lunar energy, Agni or fiery energy, and Marut or spatial energy. In our bodies, Soma predominant pranic energy travels on the left side; Agni predominant pranic energy travels on the right side of the body; finally, Marut predominant pranic energy travels in the spinal chord, being received and delivered to the whole body through the spinal chord.

While the nadi-s have a major impact on the health of the physical channels, the physical channels do get disrupted through physical materials as well. If we eat channel-clogging foods such as: large beans; or vegetables from the night-shade family (bell-pepper, eggplant, potato, tomato); or if we consume too much bread, or soy products. If we consume too many sour and/or acidic foods, or bad vegetable oils, then they become inflamed. It is somewhat easy to document and follow the deterioration of the physical channels. But how do the vibrational channels become imbalanced? Since they are so tiny and subtle and beyond the material realm, should they not be forever healthy?

We may tend to forget that we live in a world that is carried by very powerful non-physical energies. Particularly in this day and age, our bodies are exposed to very high quantities of vibrational pollution. What is vibrational pollution? EMF, EMR, and any/all frequencies emitted by electrical and/or magnetic devices. Cellphones, computers, pads, etc.! The polluting electrically charged vibrational energy from these devices enters our physiology and gets mixed up with our pranic energy. EMF being of a fiery agneya nature, it burns up the Soma in our bodies and creates imbalances. Many symptoms emerge when you are over-exposed to high quantities of agneya energy. Some people become more short-tempered and snappy; others feel fatigued very easily; yet others develop skin rashes or other more serious chronic conditions. The nadi-s or vibrational channels not only receive pranafrom the universe but they also filter unwanted vibrational energies that the body may be exposed to. When the body is exposed to too much EMF on an ongoing basis, then the nadi-s become overwhelmed, and this, in its turn, affects the marma points and the sandhi-s or gaps in our cells. But it is not just vibrational pollution that affects these nadi-s. A good diet can nourish and maintain these nadi-s in good health.

Did you know that, as per the SVA perspective, the ultimate benefit from our food or herbs goes to nourish these very same nadi-s? The ultimate nourishment that you get from any physical material is called “prabhav.” Prabhava constitutes the specific vibrational make-up of any ingredient. It is vibrational in that it cannot be examined under the microscope, but the vedic texts list a prabhava for every ingredient under the sun. For those who have pure physiologies, the prabhavas can be experienced or felt exactly as the texts describe them. For others who may have clogged channels, the prabhava may not be felt at all.

The prabhava of any ingredient operates only on the vibrational level and nourishes the vibrational pathways or nadi-s. Most of the time, when people are ingesting herbal supplements and not getting any benefit out of this, it is because either poor digestion, or weak assimilation, or an overloaded liver, or the lack of yogini-s (friendly bacteria in the colon), are disrupting the flow and energy and delivery of the prabhava of the herbs.

The health of the physical body matters, what you eat physically matters, but you have to also consider the vibrational health of your body through the nadi-s. Taking care of the nadi-s will automatically take care of the sandhi-s and the marma points. Vaidya relates that his father used to say: “nadi-s are the single vibrational channels, sandhi-s are when one channel branches out into many, and marma points are where all three nadi-s of all three pranic energies (Soma, Agni, Marut) are flowing unhindered, connected at each point to the individual light of the soul. So when you take care of the marma, you are taking care of the nadi-s because of pranic flow, and taking care of the sandhi-s, of everything!”

Besides food, there is also another highly effective way of supporting your nadi-s, and that is transdermally. You see, the “lom randra”-s, or every hair follicle of your body is connected to a nadi. So when you apply any topical or transdermal product which has the prabhava of the herb captured in a good living natural base, it will penetrate the body through the nadi, and reach the gap or sandhi-s and marma-s. You can also guide, based on your need, how and what to apply where in order to supply specific herbal prabhavas for specific organs or organ systems. Vaidya Mishra’s SVA Transdermal Marma System™ teaches this method, so you can apply specific creams on specific marma pints to target specific organs or sandhi-s connected to that marma point.

In this sense, the very first transdermal product Vaidya made in order to support, to open, clean, and nourish the nadi-s was about 10 years ago. He called it SuperSport. It contains Prasarini as its main ingredient, a very important ayurvedic herb that is commonly used in the SVA tradition to enhance the reception of prana to the nadi-s, sandhi-s, and marma points. In addition to Prasarini, Vaidya’s formula also contains:

• Parijat: a specific herb that supplies prana directly to the nerves;
• Vitex nigundo, or nirgundi, dilates the gaps for the proper reception of pranic energy;
• Camphor: clears the physical channels to receive prana more readily;
• Tea-tree: unblocks the physical channels from ama to receive prana;
• Guggul: unblocks and cleans the fat channels to receive prana;
• Mimosa pudica: enhances the reception of prana to the nerve endings;
• Ashwagandha: supplies more pranic energy to the physical nerve;

When you apply Vaidya Mishra’s SuperSport herbal synergy either as a cream or a roll-on on your marma points, you are taking care of the marma point itself, but also addressing the sandhi, and the nadi-s that connect to that marma point. When you enhance coordination between these three vibrational aspects(marma, nadi, sandhi), you are then supporting your physical channels and nurturing your physical organs and systems from the inside out!

What happens when your physical channels, organs, and systems are able to receive prana in an unhinder edmanner? It supports them by re-establishing Nature’s intelligence in them, so each cell in your body can run optimally by itself as it has been programmed to, for detox, and self- maintenance. When pranic flow to all the physical aspects of the body is unhindered, then any physical approach a physician takes to heal physical organs will work even better.

The SuperSport Herbal Synergy, either in the cream format, or the lipid and water soluble roll-on formats also helps if you have to work in a highly electronically charged environment, if you are highly exposed to EMF at work or at home. The SuperSport group of products also help calm the mind and enhance the coordination between mind and body, by allowing for the free unhindered flow of prana all over the physiology.