All it takes are just a few drops of a floral essential oil in the infuser, an aromatic candle, or a scented soap in the shower, and the air is clear, your mood is lifted, your emotional fog is dispersed. Flower and aromatic plant essences carry and deliver potent healing and balancing properties faster and more effectively than anything else. Of the 3 possible paths, or marga-s, of delivering herbal healing to the body that the Charak Samhita discusses, the aromatic path is the most efficient: 1) transdermal: through the skin; 2) oral, through the digestive system and organs; 3) aromatically.

When you inhale a pleasant aroma, it communicates with your limbic system instantaneously affecting molecular chemical changes in your brain chemistry and firing up neuronal pathways that generate waves of well-being. From the brain, the aromatic molecules enter the blood stream and are delivered to the whole body. The Susrut Samhita says it clearly: pleasant aromatic molecules have the power to deliver instantaneous deep bliss as they are very small in size and they travel faster than any other molecules, crossing the blood-brain barrier and entering into the deepest recesses of our cellular system. The Susrut Samhita says that “sughand,” or a pleasant scent, is:

 

It generates “sukha” or bliss, in the mind, as it carries soft and pleasant aromatic micromolecules. And when Mother Nature gives, she does so profusely – she has bestowed upon us thousands of aromatic plants and flowers, each carrying bliss-infusing molecules that not only uplift, but that can also heal us! Two of these aromatic plants are Vetiver and Sandalwood, reputed as ideal ingredients for the Summer time.

 

When plants carry life-supporting, balancing, and bliss-enhancing properties, they are known as “divine.” Vetiver and Sandalwood are definitely members of that family of select ayurvedic plants favored over others, and used widely even for ritual purposes. The vibrational energetic frequencies of Vetiver and Sandalwood are so elevating and efficient, they are known to travel unencumbered to the mind and the satwa instantly. Their “prabhava,” or subtle vibrational effect,   is called:

 

Their aroma creates (“janani”) coherence in the “manas” or mind, by strengthening and connecting in all functional aspects of the mind – the dhi, dritti, and smritti – the three powers of identifying, storing, and recalling. But such divine plants also bring many more healing and balancing properties as well.

 

Sandalwood

For example, Sandalwood deodorizes – it is known to be a “durgand hara” – eliminates foul smell. When used transdermally, as a local application it can pacify burning: “daha” = burning as a “lepanam” = paste application; it is also “nirvan” = it gets rid of; and is “shreshtam” = is the best for such local cooling applications.

 

Here is a word-by-word explanation of the above verse from the Dhanvatari Nighantu:

shrikhandam = white sandalwood

sitalam = cooling

svadu = flavorful

tiktam = bitter

pitta vinashinim = pacifies pitta

 

rasaprasadanam = cleans the rasa dhatu

vrishyam = supports shukra dhatu

antara daha pahrakam = gets rid of the body’s internal burning

 

pittasravi= pacifies pitta generated toxins (or amavisha) related burning in the blood, and it is also krimignam = supports the body’s immune system against krimis or microbes through supporting the immune system

 

guru = it’s heavy

ruksha = it is drying

 

sarvam = always

sattiktam = it has a flavor/bitter taste

 

chandanam = always cooling

 

sisiram = pleasantly cool

param = best

 

This verse illustrates well why Sandalwood is such a prized item in India, and the rest of the world as well, as its uses for overall balance and bliss abound. However, Vetiver, carries just as many amazing properties, and deserves just as much praise. Here is what we can say about Vetiver.

Vetiver 

 

usiram = anothe name for vetiver

sitalam = cooling

tiktam = bitter

dahaklanti = removes burning and sadness – it’s uplifting

hara = removes

tat = that

 

vataghnam = pacifies vata

jvara= pacifies fever

trnmeha = rehydrates

nud = thirst due to fever

raktam = blood

yogatah = including pacifies the heat of the blood due to fever

 

usiram = vetiver

sveda = sweat

daurgandh= bad smell of the sweat and also pacifies pitta

snigdha tiktakam = it is unctuous and bitter

 

Another verse from the Raaj Nighantu says that Vetiver is:

 

usiram = vetiver

sitalam = cooling

tiktam = bitter

daha=burning

sramahar = removes fatigue

param = best for

 

pitta jvara samana = removes fever through pacifying pitta

jala saugandha dayakam = it perfumes water

 

Another verse  says:

 

 

usiram = vetiver

pacanam = digestive

sitam = cools

stambhana = firms the skin

laghu = light

tikt = bitter

 

Vetiver pacifies pachak pitta/is a digestive, it also has an immediate action of cooling and firming the skin; it is also light and bitter in its properties, further pacifying pitta.

 

lamajjakisire = [when] vetiver [is administered in the form of] paste

daha= removes burning of skin

tvag dosha = removes toxins and pacifies all doshas

swedapa nayana = cleans the sweat

pralepanam = application of the paste

 

Sandalwood displays many beneficial properties that are similar to those carried by Vetiver. With some differences, for example: Sandalwood is “guru,” or heavy, and “usir,” or light, on the skin. Sandalwood has “ruksha” or drying properties, while Vetiver carries an unctuous quality – it is “snigdham.” In the big picture, Vetiver not only carries all the properties that Sandalwood has, but long term use of Vetiver is “tvagadosha” it pacifies all the doshas, by helping eliminate and evactuate all toxins from the skin. One last desirable property it carries for the skin, it is “stambhanam” – it is firming for the skin with long term use.

 

This Summer, choose Vetiver over Sandalwood. And choose it well. I make all my SVA formulations with two distinct types of Vetiver oil. One type is the crude Vetiver oil, or oleo-resinous oil which has bigger molecules. This Vetiver oil I use in all my soap and detergent products. The other kind of Vetiver oil that carries smaller water-soluble molecules and also has a wonderful aroma, is the more highly prized version of Vetiver oil. It is also very expensive. It carries all the properties we discussed above in our article, but in an amplified manner, so it’s even more balancing to the physiology in the summertime.

 

So, this Summer, if you are looking for the perfect SVA formula to cool off from the scorching heat, go for my newest Vetiver formulation, the Aloe and Vetiver Body Lotion. In this formula, as you might have read in last week’s newsletter, the power of Vetiver is combined with Aloe, another excellent plant for the skin.

Also, favor Vetiver soap over other soaps for more seasonal balance. Or use my Vetiver essential oil on your wrists – the essential oil will be transported transdermally into your blood stream instantly and give you cooling and soothing so you can enjoy your Summer even more.

Wash your laundry with the all natural Soap Nut and Vetiver Detergent I have put together. Read more about my full range of SVA Vetiver formulations on my pranic formulations’ website: www.chandika.com.

When it’s hot outside it gets hot inside: when temperatures in the environment rise, our circulatory channels dilate, our metabolic fire gets re-ignited and circulated at full flow, increasing pitta, or liquid metabolic juices, in our body. And if by chance, we happen to have accumulated hot/acidic toxins stuck in our channels, then we can easily tip over and feel emotionally and mentally heated up! This is enough to ruin our joyful summer, making us cranky, snappy, and overall miserable!

Ayurveda offers plenty of solutions to help us cool off. Diet is of course number one, also making sure we are keeping our work load pleasantly light and taking enough breaks to refresh. You can read about all the details on Vaidya’s blog. Here is a list of different articles to learn how to manage heat and pitta dosha in the summer time:

SVA Summer Care Tips

Summer Smoothie

Summer Skin Care and Ojas

Otherwise, there’s more you can do by harnessing the intelligence of natural plants and ingredients. Such as Vetiver. Or Aloe. In Vaidya’s ancestral village in NorthEast India, there is a long local tradition of using vetiver to refresh and cool things off on hot summer days. That’s has has inspired him to put together a brand new SVA lotion, the “Aloe Vetiver Summer Lotion.”

This new summer lotion carries the following herbal synergistic preparation:

Vetiver (Chrysopogon zizanioides); Aloe vera; Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis); Saffron (Crocus sativus); Flame of forest (Delonix regia); Devil’s Apple (Solanum linnaeanum); Punarnava (Boerhaavia diffusa); Manjistha (Rubia cordifolia); Turmeric (Curcuma longa); Gotu kola (Centella asiatica); Brahmi (Bacopa moniera); Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans); Mucuna (Mucuna pruriens); Green tea (Camellia sinensis); Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera); Lemon (Citrus  limon); Indian Sarsaparilla (Hemidesmus indicus); Asoka (Saraca asoca); Shirish bark (Albizzia lebbeck); Sensitive plant (Mimosa pudica); White grapefruit (Citrus paradisi).

This herbal synergy is pranically preserved as per Vaidya’s lineage formulation techniques, and added to a base of organic coconut (Cocos nucifera), Grapeseed oil (Vitis vinifera), Vegetable stearic acid, Organic aloe juice, Neem (Azadirachta indica), Kosher vegetable glycerin, Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), and Emulsifying wax (NF).

 

How does it work?

Before the use of Air Conditioning devices was introduced in remote Indian villages, and even nowadays, Indian homes in North India used vetiver grass mats hanging on their windows to cool off from stifling summer heat. Freshly woven Vetiver grass mats not only infuse a delightful cooling aroma to the entire house, but the scented molecules actually carry cooling properties.  Ayurveda teaches us that, property-wise, vetiver is: sheeta (cooling); snigdha (unctuous or anti-drying); and sugandha (highly aromatic.)  Vetiver nurtures the first layer of the skin called udakdhara (water-holding), and penetrates even deeper to the raktadhara (blood layer.)  In summer, the increased agni in the environment increases the heat in the blood.  That’s why we experience more heat in the body and brain.  Vetiver aromatically cools off the blood and with regular use can even cool the muscle and fat tissues.

When you combine Vetiver with Aloe Vera, you get double the power!

Aloe Vera is famous world-wide for soothing topical burns.  Mostly water soluble, aloe offers refreshing coolness to the first layer of the skin – udakdhara (water holding) – and enhances the skin’s luster and complexion. Aloe is also known for cooling raktadhara – (blood holding layer) – as well. Transdermally, aloe quickly reaches the liver and spleen, and cools off and detoxifies the liver.

When combining Aloe with Vetiver, the way Vaidya Mishra has done, in his Aloe-Vetiver Summer Lotion, you get a wining combination of cooling and soothing aromatic herbs ideal for use in the hot Summer days. The lotion will not only refresh but protect your skin against pitta imbalances as well, supporting it to maintain normal functioning and optimal intelligence, so the skin can also carry out its daily central task of detox through sweat.

 

See what the Ingredients Can Do For You

All of Vaidya Mishra’s SVA formulations contain an intelligent pranic blend of specific herbs that work together to enhance eachother’s actions and results in the body. Each herb carries balancing properties as well. Here is a list of what you can expect from each ingredient.

Aloe Vera:  Calms and soothes the skin through its deep cooling effect on rasa (plasma) and rakta (blood.)  It is present in a highly active form.

Vetiver: carries the following ayurvedic properties –  Sheeta (cooling); Snigdha (unctuous); and Sugandha (cooling aromatic). Vetiver’s properties are magnified when it is combined with Aloe.

Jojoba: is an ideal tridoshic cooling skin lubricant that blends in well to uphold the properties of Vetiver and Aloe.

Saffron:  is hands-down the best ayurvedic “varnya”  – skin complexion enhancer.  It helps preserve skin tone and texture.

Flame of Forest:  Enhances the intelligence of the skin to fight against sunlight and is also an excellent “varnya.”

Devil’s Apple:  Increases cellular intelligence of the skin to help our skin maintain its youthfulness against climactic and other factors.

Punarnava:  Mobilizes and evacuates toxins from the udakdhara layer (water layer) of the skin.

Manjishta: Maintains skin intelligence & pacifies bhrajaka pitta – the governing factor of the skin that can get easily aggravated by overexposure to the sun.

Turmeric:  Fights against inflammation of the skin created by over-exposure to  sunlight

Gotu Kola:  Supports collagen synthesis

Brahmi:  Maintains intelligence of the skin

Nutmeg:  Maintains normal skin pigmentation

Mucuna: Supports dopamine production to maintain coordination between mind and skin (prana and vyana)

Green Tea: is a great anti-oxidant for the skin. Prevents free-radicals (amavisha) that can result from overexposure to sunlight

Ashwagandha:  supports the tactile nerves of the skin

Lemon:  checks against excess pigmentation caused by sun exposure

Indian Sarsaparilla:  acidic toxins (amavisha) released from sweat irritates the skin. Indian Sarsaparilla helps clean the sweat and the sweat glands.

Ashoka:  maintains the bliss of the heart and thus helps balance bharajak pitta of the skin

Shirish bark:  provides long-term slow but steady skin detoxification

Sensitive Plant:  nourishes and repairs the tactile nerves from the damage arising from excess sun exposure

Neem:  supports the immunity of skin

Rosemary:  dilates the channels of the skin without heating things up

These ingredients are added to a synergistic base containing: White grapefruit  for natural preservation; Organic Coconut  for adding a cooling, nurturing, and lubricating layer; Organic Aloe Juice; and Emulsifying wax; in a base of Kosher vegetable glycerin.

This is a great lotion to apply at all times, and it can be used by all body types and skin types. Whether you are exposing yourself actively to the sun or not, go ahead and put it on, the high index of solar energy saturating the environment affects your skin health regardless of whether you are in the shade or not. You may be apply this lotion on your body as well as your face. If you already use a facial cream in the morning, you can use it as usual, and then a few hours later start applying this lotion for added coolness as temperatures rise. Apply liberally on areas of the body directly exposed to the sun.

 

Contradictions:  Not for use in pregnancy.  

Disclaimer: The information above is for educational purposes only. This product and the statements above have not been evaluated by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). It is not intended to be used to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent, any disease. 

 

What could be more than a powerhouse of vitamins, minerals , antioxidants, polyphenols, including plant fibre, with zero or minimal calories, and still taste good? In the Spring and Summertime, we get spoiled with a rich array of fruits – apples, grapes, pears, cherries, ripe berries. Fruits are a great gift of Mother Nature, delicious and refreshing. But not all fruits were created equal! Some are more special than others, because eating some may reduce your risk of chronic disease, prolong your life, improve your metabolism… I was very fortunate to grow up consuming fresh amla berries. And it still remains my most favorite fruit.  My father, Vaidya Kameshwar Mishra, loved amla as well and placed it in the highest regard as an ingredient in several of his ayurvedic preparations to heal the sick and to maintain the health of the healthy.   In her kitchen, my mom used amla extensively as well, creating delicious ayurvedic chutney and preserve recipes.

Growing up eating fresh or freshly prepared amla fruit was a blessing.  I personally experienced the amazing health benefits of this light-green berry-size fruit.  When I started my Ayurvedic practice in the West in 1996, I was very eager to bring the healing properties of amla to my clients as soon as possible.  In 2003, I used wild harvested amla berries for  one of my very first SVA formulations – the Wild Amla Tablets.  I used only the amla fruit growing “in the wild,” in un-harvested lands and forests, vs the hybridized, high-yield variety extensively used in commercial applications.

It’s a Divyaushadhi

The Amla fruit, also called amalaki, Indian Gooseberry (Emblica Officinalis in the Latin), grows on a moderate-size deciduous trees primarily in India.  Arguably, it is the most important medicinal plant in Ayurveda – and for good reason.  The fruit is used either alone or in combination with other plants to treat many ailments: for the common cold and fever; as a diuretic; a laxative; a liver tonic; to pacify stomach colics; its considered a restorative; a highly prized anti-inflammatory; a hair tonic whether used internally or transdermally; it has also been shown to prevent peptic ulcer and dyspepsia.  The ancient Puranic texts go so far as to glorify amla as belonging to the realm of divyaushadhi – a divinely conceived plant that carries unsurpassed healing restorative powers. Of course the Guduchi plant and

Turmeric root are also part of this family of divine plants.  However, the Amla berry stands unparalleled. Did you know that it is the only fruit that has a special day assigned it for ritual worship? It’s called the day of Amla Naumi, observed in the month of November. On this day, people offer flowers, and all arrays of desirable gifts – kumkum or sandalwood powder, tying beautiful mantra-charged sacred threads around the trunk of the amla tree, reciting its life-bestowing properties with gratitude, and asking its permission, with heartfelt gratitude, for the use of its fruit and all other parts for human consumption. This festival is observed throughout India.

But what really are these “divyaushadhi plants?” It’s something to call them divine and healing; but what does that mean? All things, everything, under the sun, is made of its own vibrational blueprint. The ancient sages of India knew this, they described and categorized the innermost vibrational make-up of all things in creation by creating a specific language to match this knowledge, a language where words vibrationally reflect the very properties they are describing. Our bodies are also highly complex and organized packets of vibrational energy. We can support our individual body’s innate vibrational make-up, or disrupt it. Through activities, sound, food, etc. So it is that some fruits re-align, nourish, nurture, and balance our bodies through their vibrational properties and frequencies; while others drag it down, disrupt it, undo it. These properties can be extreme: life-saving or destructive. So it is that some fruits such as the amla berry, can help the body recover from great dis-ease, such as cancer, or auto-immune diseases, when used in conjuction with full dietary and other life-style protocols.

My Father used to say that if a healthy person adopts and regularly consumes amla and turmeric in their daily diet, they will be bestowed a great armor against any life-threatening diseases, nowadays so prevalent in modern society – of course, no one ingredient alone can work any magic unless one also maintains a good diet and healthy routine as you know by now.

For me, personally, the most amazing vibrational property, as described in the shastras, of the amla is that it cleans the sattva guna – the light or aura of our soul.  The Upanishads say that along with a clean diet and balanced lifestyle, taking amla regularly can wipe-out the karmic residues, I like to call them, i n my father’s terms, ‘dark bugs’  that cast a shadow on the light radiating from our souls. Amla is one of the most sattvic foods that can take care of one’s karmic load, silently and surely.

Medical Science is researching and validating the ancient wisdom found in the shastras, including these divyaushadhi plants – turmeric, amla, etc.   With regards to amla, research has found that amla modulates the behavior of the cellular system to destroy cancerous cells without damaging healthy cells through ‘selective nutrition.’  Amla also makes the normal cells even more intelligent so that they do not themselves become cancerous.

Selective nutrition is not a new concept.  In my Pulse & Marma Course (2014-2016), I talk extensively about understanding this biological process using the ‘nyayas.’ Nyayas are a structured system of reasoning in Vedic wisdom used to facilitate the understanding of a particularly complex issue. For understanding selective nutrition, we use the “khale kapothan nyaya.”

It works like this: Rasa dhatu (the clear part of plasma) carries all ingested materials – the fats, proteins, minerals, salt, etc. It’s the first bodily tissue that gets formed directly after we eat. The physiology has a system whereby all these nutrients are guided to nourish the targeted tissues or organs. The khale kapothan nyaya helps us understand how the body does this.  Khale means intelligent or smart; kapota means pigeon. We use the image of ‘pigeons’ – seven pigeons for seven tissues.  These ‘pigeons’ directly deliver nutrients to the tissues according to the needs of that tissue.  For example, there is a pigeon to select and deliver calcium molecules to the bone tissues.  Pigeons are smart energy which help amla perform many functions in physiology – like nurturing the good cells and eliminating or dismantling erratic cells.  Theirs is a symbiotic relationship.  Amla makes the pigeons more intelligent in their ability to select and deliver the appropriate nutrients to a specific dhatu or bodily tissue. Look at the extensive list of scientific properties the amla berry has been known to carry:

• Amla is a chemo-protective: it empowers normal cells to become more intelligent to fight against the damage of chemotherapy selectively protecting the normal cells against the deleterious effects of chemotherapy.

• Amla is an immuno-modulator: its actions serve as an effective protective shield against emerging infectious diseases and certain cancers. Amla enhances natural killer (NK) cell activity and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity in BALB/c mice bearing Dalton’s lymphoma ascites tumor.

• Amla is chemo-preventative: it is reported to be effective in stopping initiation, promotion, and progression of cancer.

• Amla is radio-protective: studies have shown that administering (50, 100, 200, 400, and 800 mg/kg b.wt./day) amla once daily for 7 consecutive days before exposure to sub-lethal dose of γ-radiation (9 Gy) protected mice against the radiation-induced sickness and mortality.

• Amla is anti-mutagenic: studies carried out in the last two decades have conclusively shown that amla supports the repair of DNA damage brought about by different carcinogens and mutagens.

 

[Source: European Journal of Cancer Prevention and in the Nutrition Facts Amla vs Cancer Video]

Interestingly, cancer research has also found that animal protein feeds cancer cells and may also complicate auto-immune conditions.  In SVA we know that the micro molecules of animal protein have a tendency towards rapid oxidization and consequent damage to the cells.  If your body needs daily protein but you would like to avoid consuming animal flesh, you can try my Easy-to-digest Green Protein Recipe – I have specially formulated this to supply easily available nourishing protein molecules. Daily consuming my Maha Wild Amla Tablets can also help by protecting the protein molecules during synthesis – if you do need to stay on an animal protein diet. But there’s more!

The Amla Berry further Empowered through Advanced Processing with 14 Bhavanas 

The divinity of amalaki has inspired me so much that whenever I think about its properties and benefits, I find divine guidance to make new amla formulations! After formulating Wild Amla Tablets 13 years ago, I added several new amla rich products in my SVA pharmacoepeia, such as:  

• SVA Tamarind Wild Amla Preserve

• Wild Amla HMN (Herbal-Memory Nectar)

• Maha Amla Loha HMN

• Maha Wild Amla HP

• Chyawanprash Herbal Tonic Paste

• Chyawanprash Sugar-Free Fat-Free Syrup

 

In Ayurveda, there is a specific method of boosting the power of an already powerful plant of ingredient, it is called “bhavana.” We take the fresh amla fruit and remove the seeds and fiber. Next we dehydrate and then pulverize the amla fruit into a fine powder.  The next step is to add freshly extracted amla juice to this pulverized amla, in order to get a thick paste.  This mixture is  then further dried and ground into a powder and mixed with more fresh juice of the amla fruit. Usually, this procedure is repeated for 7 ties. I have put together a new tablet, the Maha Wild Amla Tablets, where this procedure is meticulously repeated for a total of 14 times! My new Maha Wild Amla Tablets are made with this specific SVA handling methods to further protect the divinity of the amalaki berry from being disrupted or lost during the preparation. Besides selecting the best quality of wild harvested amla, I take extreme care in processing it, as amla is more delicate and complex than many other plants grown in the wild.  Consequently, amla must be handled carefully to maintain is purity and divine qualities. All these multiple bhavanas and special handling steps make my new Maha Wild Amla Tablets many times more powerful than the simple fruit or powder and enhances its rasayana qualities many times over.

Super Anti-Oxidant Power:  Amla is a super anti-oxidant. Its anti-oxidant power goes deeper into the tissues. However, the anti-oxidant action and other health-bestowing benefits, especially the vibrational powers, are only retained through strict adherence to the following points:

1. The amla must be the smaller ‘wild’ variety, grown in pure clean energy of the dense forest.  My amla berries are sourced from remote, dense forests in Madhya Pradesh.

2. Amla should be picked seasonally and fully mature and used to produce the product right away (not stored) – so as not to lose its lively pranic divine properties.

3. The heat of the drying process should be minimal and moderate so as not to damage the bio-availability of the fruit’s properties.  I use actual solar energy (not solar electric) to gently dehydrate the fruit during the bhavana process.

4. In the final product, there must not be any ingredient which brings in disruptive elements, such as any chemical additives, preservatives, bad binders, etc.

All of my amalaki products are made only with the wild amla variety, gently processed, and free from any unnatural additives, bases, or preservatives.

If you are still wondering whether or not Wild Amla is for you, in one of its many forms – drops, tablets, or paste – then hear my video talk about the Top 25 Benefits of Wild Amla! here:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1JRT_ekL7E

Top 25 Benefits of Wild Amla!

1. Protein syntheses: Amla is the known and confirmed number one ingredient for protein synthesis.  It nourishes and maintains the muscle tissue and tones it by enhancing the absorption and digestion of proteins.

2. Vitamin C Super-source:  Amla is a super-source of Vit C.  It contains a particular molecule of Vit C that does not decompose in heat. Most forms of Vit C are heat sensitive and become damaged in hot areas of the body like the acidic environment of the stomach.  Amla’s Vita C molecules are bound with heat-resistant tannins.  They do not decompose under heat like regular ascorbic acid.  Amla does not create acidity in the body, but alkalizes the body by its sweet post-digestive effect. In addition, it has been shown to have 60 times the regular content of Vit C in citrus fruits.

3. No Malas – toxins: ‘A-mala-ki’ means no mala or toxins ‒ it supports the digestive system, strengthening pachaka agni so the body makes less or zero ama or toxic build-up ‒ the number one cause for disease. As a result of correct digestion and assimilation, amla facilitates optimal elimination as well.

4. Vyastha: Amla is said to bestow everlasting youth because it is balancing to all body types, and highly alkalizing.

5. Skin Beauty and Health:  Amla is the best nurturing fruit for the skin.  Highly nourishing for rasa dhatu, the first layer of the skin, and rakta or blood which is the second layer. Healthy first and second tissues give the skin its glow. No malas or toxins stand a chance of accumulating in and affecting the skin, giving it all kinds of associated problems of discoloration, sagging, fudginess.  The collagen or protein of the skin is supported by increased protein synthesis supplied by the amla berry.

6. Liver Health:  Amla helps produce clean rasa so the liver’s job of detox is made easier. Due to its alkalizing effect, it further supports the liver to detoxify the blood.

7. Balancing for all Body types: did you know that the amla berry contains 5 out of the 6 possible tastes – all tastes except for salt? It is sweet, sour, bitter, astringent, and even slightly pungent. This makes the amla berry a most perfect fully balanced fruit ideal for daily consumption by all body types and all constitutions. Ayurveda recommends daily consuming all 6 tastes not just for physical but for emotional and mental balance as well.

8. Hormonal Modulator:  For both men and women – amla maintains optimal hormonal health and enhances fertility via support for the seven tissues and support for the shukra dhatu or reproductive tissue.

9. Medhya:  Highly nourishing for the brain and its 3 functions of mental activity “dhi, dhriti, and smriti” ‒ gathering storing and recalling information. Thus, amla is especially beneficial for   students and the growing intellect of children.

10. Rasayana: amla berry is famed for being a rasayana of choice – a rejuvenative substance. Many herbs have wonderful life-supporting properties, but not all carry the property of rasayana or rejuvenation as well.

11. Amrita:  A means no; mrita means death. The amla berry is a known “amrita” – its regular consumption promotes and extends one’s life span.

12. Dhatri: the amla berry is known to be as pure and divine and nourishing as Mother’s milk! Freely giving, or dhatri, in its health and life sustaining properties.

13: Tishyaphala: did you know that the amla fruit eliminates misaligned vibrations from the body?  It connects the mano-buddhi (mental intellect) to the satya-buddhi (spiritual

intellect) to make all thoughts and actions auspicious and integrated and thus powerful.

14: Three Dosha Pacifying: pacifies vata dosha because it is amla (sour) and madhura (sweet), and through its nourishing properties. It pacifies kapha due to its kashaya rasa or astringent taste,  and ruksha guna or drying property. It pacifies pitta dosha due to its seeta guna or cooling properties, and sweet taste and vipak, or post-digestive effect.

15. Enhances Food Absorption:  balances and enhances all 13 agnis and all the deha agnis, or cellular agnis, for maximum nutrient absorption and assimilation.  Amla’s astringent rasa supports the absorption of food in the colon.

16. Balances Stomach Acid:  The sour taste supports normal levels of acid in the stomach. The sweet post-digestive action ensures no excess acidity.

17. Hridya:  Supports the physical heart.  Regular use of the amla berry reduces cholesterol.  Amla will alkalize the body,  hindering inflammation, and prohibiting the production of C-reactive proteins.

18. Lung Support:  the Chyawanprash paste where the primary ingredient is amla, is known to be the best rasayana for the lungs.  Amla supports oxygen exchange in the lungs through supporting normal pH levels of the blood.  It facilitates the lungs’ functioning by boosting oxygen levels in the blood.

19. Elimination Support:  the amla berry works with the brain centers that are connected to colon functioning, simultaneously addressing and nourishing both.  An ingredient of the classical formula called triphala, or three fruits (phala), amla is balanced in that it promotes neither too much absorption nor too much elimination. It is thus ideal for daily use for bowel regulation.

20. Urinary System:  Balances the blood and urinary ph and the coordination between the kidneys and the brain.  A pro-diuretic, especially combined with coriander seeds as in the SVA Tamarind Wild Amla Preserve.

21. Hair Beauty and Health:  the amla berry nurtures all aspects of hair – its luster, strength, glow, and color.

22. Eyes and Visual Support:  the Ayurvedic shastras state that amla is best for the eyes, as it balances the ranjaka pitta of the liver and alochaka pitta that governs the eyes.

23. Chelating Agent:  amla can bind garvisha (environmental toxins) facilitating their safe removal through the srotas or physical channels.

24. Glucose Intolerance:  the bitter rasa or taste, and the agni enhancing qualities of amla can support/maintain normal sugar levels.

25. Shodhana: it’s bitter rasa detoxifies the body, opening and awakening the micro-channels of the cellular system, to help flush out toxins.

You can choose from any/all of my available formulations, keeping in mind that my most recent Maha Wild Amla Suppl will supply you the most potent dose of this divine rasayana. To sum it all up: if you are looking for that one-size-fits-all daily nutritional supplement for overall physical, mental, and emotional health support, the Amla berry is your best bet!

Maha Wild Amla will nurture your eyes; calm and nourish your nerves; boost your appetite; build your healthy muscle tissue; clean your fat tissue; act as a brain tonix; detoxify your colon and bodily tissues; it is also great for lactating mothers and during pregnancy. It is not recommended for children 12 years and below.

All my other formulations, including Chyawanprash Syrup for children starting age 3 and above. The SVA Tamarind and Wild Amla Preserve is also a childrens’ favorite as it passes for having the look and taste of Ketchup, minus the side-effects, plus with side-benefits!

Precautions: Maha Wild Amla Tablets possess a strong tonic effect on the heart.   DO NOT take if you are currently on medical prescription drugs containing beta blockers, or if you have any established heart condition.

 

This product and statements have not been evaluated by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and are not intended to be used to diagnose, treat or cure any disease. All of the information above is intended to be used for educational purposes only and may not be used to replace or compliment medical advice.

Do-it-yourself SVA PK: The 7-Tissue, 7-Week Home Detox Plan

Two weeks ago, in our SVA Newsletter (June 24, 2016 No. 24, Vol. 6), I discussed the numerous pros and cons of panchakarma (PK) as traditionally practiced in India and nowadays in PK centers all over the world.  If you missed that issue, you can find it on my blog: https://www.svayurveda.com/knowledge/pk-pk/

Today, I would like to pick up where I left off and give you practical tips.

However, you now understand that your PK destination needs to be properly and fully investigated. For those of you who do not wish to take the risk, or who can simply also not afford it, as it can get pricy, I have put together a SVA Home PK Protocol that you can safely adopt without disrupting your daily life. It addresses all of the issues we have discussed thus far.  We take care by using safe and effective herbal transdermal creams, transdermal massage oils, herbal waters, and a tailored SVA diet.  My home program awakens the intelligence of the body to safely release and evacuate toxins without using any heavy-duty raw or toxic herbs. Of course, it is nice and sometimes much needed to get away, be in a new context, it helps unwind and gives a break from stressful hardened daily routines, specially if you do not live alone. However, the flip side needs to be considered as well: if you cannot find a good spa resort where you can trust the PK they will be administering, you’re better off planning and organizing things for yourself at home. Here’s why.

The SVA Home PK Detox plan/program is simple and easy without compromising efficacy.  Depending on how well you follow this plan, you can, in just seven weeks, get the same or better results as you would at a shorter duration, but riskier, traditional PK center.  This plan can even be followed without leaving your job and other worldly responsibilities.  This is how it works:  For seven weeks, try to simplify your daily dietary and activity routines as much as you can.  This is your time to make well-being top priority.  Avoid unnecessary stress and make sure you don’t miss your own scheduled down-time.  Eat on time, eat good food, evacuate on time, get more rest during the day, and by all means go to bed early during this program.  Minimize TV, cell-phones, unnecessarily computer work, and other distractions.  Other than that, there are only a few other things.  But, these things are essential to follow.  Each point on its own is deceptively simple.  But all put together, you get a powerful yet gentle enough protocol that will initiate the evacuation of accumulated toxins from the deeper cellular system.  Remember: slow and steady wins the race.

Steps of the 7-Tissue, 7-Week Detox Plan for SVA Home PK

Step One: Read my “Home Detox Manual with Recipes” and watch my “SVA Home Detox DVD.”

Timing: schedule your home cleanse when the weather is not extreme – neither too cold nor too hot.  Proper detox requires that the srotas (channels) be open, dilated.  The srotas do not like extreme temperature changes.  The channels are very “intelligent.” They respond immediately to climate change. When temperatures fall, channels shrink and narrow. When temperatures rise, channels dilate and relax allowing for fuller flow. So schedule your home PK for when the weather is stable over the duration of the plan – don’t do it in early Spring, or early Fall when things are shifting from one season to the other with repeated changes).  Generally speaking, mid-Autumn and late Spring are the best time.  You can do this gentle program in summer if – and this is important – you are not too much heat sensitive, if you can tolerate high heat.  I Do Not recommend to do this program in the winter.

Food: You will be taking a simple diet consisting mainly of khichari (split mung dhal and basmati rice.)  Khichari will be the staple of your plan.  Unlike regular PK, you can and should also eat a variety of vegetables and round out your diet with other grains listed below.

Daily Foods/Spices/Grains to Support Your Energy and Cleansing

• Khichari:  This is your staple food to eat every day.  Light and nutritious, khichari is perfect for home detox.  It consists of split yellow mung & basmati rice.  Always choose organic dhal and rice.  Cook well with ample Mum’s Ghee, Soma Salt, & your specific Garcinia Masala (see below.)

• Mooli (white-daikon radishes) – in the ratio of 50% along with Asparagus 50%

• Mum’s Ghee (increase your daily intake of ghee by 20% for internal oleation)

• SVA Moringa Leaf Soup Mix:  Moringa is a very special vegetable because it not only gives excellent nutrition, but also has wonderful prabhava (post-digestive subtle qualities) for detoxification. Moringa is not always easy to find fresh, or even frozen, so you can use my  SVA Moringa Leaf Soup Mix – this is a fast and effective way to get the benefits of moringa as a tasty soup.  Consume daily during your detox program.

• Use only Soma Salt (other salt will cause toxins retentions of toxins instead of facilitating elimination)

• Virgin Cold-pressed Olive Oil is a good oil, in addition to Mum’s Ghee, for cooking your veggetables

• Besides rice in khichari, you can eat separately quinoa, barley, rye, and millet.  Choose a different grain for different days so that you do not get bored and keep things lively enough for your senses and not fall off the program!

• Fruits for afternoon snacks: if you are sugar sensitive in any way, favor low-glycemic blue berries, kiwi, and cherries.  If you are not sugar sensitive, you can add fresh plums and figs – these help elimination, alternately you can also use dry prunes and figs, but soak them overnight before eating so you ease up their digestibility

• Yellow squash and green zucchini, as well lauki (from Indian or Asian grocery stores) will be your best friends during your cleanse

• Well-cooked okra (not raw/crunchy) and taro root.  These act as sure-fire binders for the mobilized reactive toxins, amavisha. Incorporate these daily into one of your meals.

• Garcinia Masala: Based upon your doshic constitution and season, use either Garcinia Masala for Vata, Garcinia Masala for Pitta, or Garcinia Masala for Kapha

• Green Protein with Chicken:  Non-vegetarians needing and accustomed to eating meat can eat – during the week (not on weekend) – Green Protein prepared with Organic Chicken.  Watch the YouTube video and refer to page 31 of the Home Detox Manual.  You may substitute chicken for the paneer and use the Garcinia Masala of choice.  Green Protein on YouTube

• SVA Instant Vegan High-Protein Powder:  Use this daily.  This will support your bala (strength) during the cleanse. Find out which high-protein recipe is most suited for you Vegan High-Protein Powder Recipes.  If you are using protein powder with yoghurt (pro-biotic support) recipes, have it only at lunch.  Do not have yoghurt for dinner. The instant Vegan Protein powder will not only give you easy-to-digest protein, but will also supply your body with mucilage to help with elimination.

• *Optional Chicken bone-marrow broth: If you feel like your immune system is low, if you are experiencing persistent allergies and hyper-sensitivity to change of seasons, you may need additional support in the bone tissue.  You can support your majja (bone marrow) by eating bone-marrow soup every other day.   Find the easy recipe at the end of this article.  Alternately, if you are vegetarian, you can have the Green Protein recipe to support your immunity.

Other Points on Diet:  Eat on time.  Use less salt than normal (even Soma Salt.)  If your calf muscles feel stiff even before starting your detox, then toxins may be stuck in them.  In which case, alternate cooking one day with Shroto Shudhi Masala and the next day with Garcinia Masala. Also add this herbal tea to your daily routine – drink morning and afternoon: bring 8oz of water to boil, add 1-2 tablespoons of coriander seeds and bring to a boil (3-5 minutes); take off the heat, filter, and add 3-5 fresh mint leaves and drink. If you don’t have fresh mint leaves, you can use a teabag of peppermint – don’t boil it, just dip into your filtered tea for 5 minutes and remove and drink.

Dinacharya (Daily routine supporting the detox) 

• Maintain a regular, easy routine.  No stress. Try to finish your stressfull workload before taking on your detox. Finish the big projects and make sure your days will be a little ligther in terms of responsibilities. Make time for your body to unwind. Make sure to schedule some fun stuff you like to do during your detox – watch comedies, do some light creative activity – playing music, writing, etc; or listen to some uplifting spiritual talks, etc. Your thoughts will help retain or release toxins – doing some uplifting activities will help you let go of emotional and mental stressful memories and these will in turn release blockages in and from your body…

• Samadhi Set daily before meditation/prayer/yoga.  Also, apply Mahamarma Oil on Adhipati Marma  Samadhi Set Protocols

• Swipe the entire spine top to bottom, if possible every night, with either Flex ‘n Flow Cream, or alternately swipe with DGL Transdermal first, followed by SuperSport Transdermal formula (you may use either roll-on or transdermal cream.)  If applying to yourself, swipe as much of the low back as possible – always go in top to bottom movement.

• Self-Massage every other day. The skin is one of the best and largest organs of detox. Your skin is a living breathing organ that absorbs nutrients (and toxins if exposed to them) and releases unwanted particles through sweat. So you can see how self-massage (abhyanga) with a good herbal oil blend is essential. It not only supplies transdermal detoxification for the whole body through the skin, but re-enlivens the skin’s intelligence and supports it – the skin is our barrier against the world where good and bad elements co-exist! When doing abhyanga, focus especially on the lower legs, below the knees.  This will help make sure that the flow of vata downwards and out is regulated and maintained – preventing vata (air and space elements) from moving abnormally upwards in your body. Massage your entire body every other day as per the instructions, using a massage oil appropriate for your physiology and the season as described in Abhyanga and Transdermal Benefits 

• SVA Bath Pouches.  Massage and bath constitute transdermal detox.  Ample toxins will be evacuated transdermally (via the skin.) Use my bath pouches 2 x weekly – once during the week and once on a weekend day.  Vata & Kapha predominant types should use my Detox & Relax Bath Pouches.  These pouches have magnesium (yogavahi) for deeper penetration and will activate the intelligence of the detox channels to release a lot of toxins via the skin.  Pitta types should use only the milder SVA Rasayana Bath Pouches.  Everyone should read Bathe to Detox  Caution: Detoxing with these pouches can cause loss of electrolytes.  If you feel inordinately weak and thirsty after bathing, you MUST make the rehydration drink (pg. 46 of Home Detox Manual) on the day you use the pouches. You may also drink some before bath.  Don’t wait until you feel dehydrated. To make things easier, prepare the drink and set it aside ready for you to drink once you finish your bath.

• Sleep.  Nothing will support your detox program like going to bed before or by 9 PM.  Should you need sleep support, use one or all – up to five options exist – products from the Soma Nidra group. The oral spray, the transdermal roll-on or cream, or the herbal tea, or even the aroma oil. They will all help induce calm and silence your senses so your body can go into restorative sleep. You can prep your bedroom for sleep by putting the Soma Nidra Aroma oil in a diffuser an hour or so before you go to bed. Dim the lights, and make sure the air in your bedroom is fresh without being cold.

• Eat on time.  Skipping or delaying meals will produce additional toxic load. Your body follows the cycles of the sun in terms of its readiness to digest and metabolize food. This means that, even though sometimes you don’t feel hungry, if it is anywhere between 11am and 2pm, your stomach has already released digestive enzymes in preparation of food you might be ingesting. When, due to stress or other factors, you do not eat your lunch at that time, you are allowing those acidic digestive enzymes to go unused and create an acidic environment in your stomach. Overtime, if you make it a habit to skip or delay your meals, the acidic stomach conditions will go to further aggravate adjoining organs and organ systems, resulting in greater generalized imbalances and eventually chronic symptoms and a full blow condition. So when you are not hungry, eat at least a slice of fruit, or a handful of soaked or salted spicy nuts, or have a drink of the Vegan Protein Powder with 1/4 tsp shredded fresh ginger and lime to entice your appetite into having a full meal.

• Nasya each day with the appropriate SVA Nasya Oil.  Nasya is shirovirechena (detoxification for the head & throat regions.)  Nasya cleans the mind, sinuses, & respiratory tract. Choose one of my nasya oils based on Daily Nasal Hygiene

• Oral detoxification.  During SVA Home PK the whole body is detoxifying and these toxins can reflect to the oral cavity.  Sometimes you see more tongue coating during home PK – don’t distress. This is a good sign!  This shows that oral cavity is detoxifying water & oil soluble toxins coming from channels all over the body. Support this process with my SVA Oral Care Products, especially the Gandusha Oil Pulling Oil and Mukh Shudhi Oral Mists.  Water & Lipid Soluble Gandusha.  If you have history of dental amalgams, also select and use the Rasa Sodhaka products: Oral Mercury Toxicity  Use a silver tongue scraper daily to clean the tongue and to assist removing toxins from all over the body.

SVA Home PK Detox Mode:  When you activate the detox pathways the whole physiology goes into detox mode.  All the channels ‘wake up’ and are called in to start to release toxins.  Sometimes the sweat will smell bad, showing that ama & amavisha are being released from the fat tissue.  As mentioned, you see more ama coating the tongue.  Ear wax may be more evident, showing toxins released from fat, muscle, and bone tissues.  The organs are detoxing as well, including the major pathways of the colon and lungs.  This is a complete program.  Silent but potent. For these seven weeks, we are covering all facets of detoxification.

7-Week Detox Herbal Water:  During these 7 weeks you will be making an herbal water to sip throughout the day.  I designed this water to detox the tissues safely and effectively.  The only precaution is that if you have any medical condition or are currently taking medications, please first consult with your medical provider.  Bring 32oz of high pH good spring water to a rolling boil.  Pour the water into a stainless steel thermos and steep the herbs and spices for five minutes, then strain.  Put the herbal water back in your thermos.  Sip a little throughout the day but not after sunset.  Drink slightly warm but not hot.  At the end of the day, clean your thermos and dry it readying it for the next day.  Make fresh batches daily. Do not drink previous day’s leftover tea. If leftover, discard it. The ingredients of your herbal tea are below, with some pointers as to which area, organ, or tissue they support for detox.

Herbal Tea Ingredients and Proportions:

• For Rasa or lymph tissue, add  Sunthi (Ayurvedic ginger) 2 pinches.  Enhances the intelligence of and cleans the first tissue, rasa.

• For Rakta or the blood tissue, add Manjishta & Black Pepper Corn: Manjishta 1 pinch; Black Pepper Corns 6.  Manjishta pacifies the reactivity of toxins floating in the blood.  Black pepper corn will ignite the agni to digest ama.

• For Mamsa or the muscle tissue, add: Mamsarohini 1 pinch; Amla powder 2 pinches

• For Meda or the fat tissue, add Indian Sarsaparilla 1 pinch (pulls toxins through the sweat); fenugreek 1 pinch – a dipani spice burns ama all the way up to majja or the bone marrow.

• For Asthi or the bone tissue, add Bone Herb, 1 pinch to clean the bone tissue

• For Majja, or the bone marrow tissue, see the diet section above and incorporate the optional chicken bone-marrow broth. Do not add this to the herbal water – bone marrow detox is distinct from other tissues and needs actual food support, not just an herb.

• For Shukra or the reproductive tissue, add Safed Mushali 2 pinches

• Also: Coriander seeds, 1/8 tsp, to release toxins through the urinary system

• And: Punarnava root 1 pinch – increases detox intelligence of the kidneys

• As well as: Marshmallow Root, 1 pinch to lubricate your channels so that reactive toxins don’t damage the micro channels on their way out.

• Finally, Pushkarmool root, 1 pinch to pull out toxins out from the respiratory system

7 Weeks to Optimal Health “What to do each day” Steps

This plan can be thought of has having two parts – weekdays and weekends.  Weekdays simply eat according to the section above Daily Foods/Spices/Grains to Support your Energy and Cleansing. Weekend is more a day of extra rest and additional cleansing through virechan – specific cleansing through extra bowel movements – using SVA transdermals & tablets.

Weekend Program

1) Friday and Saturday nights:  No Salt.  Eat 2 – 4 TBSP of Prune/Tamarind Chutney – find this on page 43 of my Home Detox Manual.   Eat lightly, only soupy khichari.  Use more ghee, eat less quantity.   At bedtime, apply Anushudhi Transdermal Cream on lower abdomen to support colon detox.  Apply Prakrit TD on lower spine swiping downward.  This will connect prana & apana (mind & colon) as lack of downward flow is one reason for constipation.  SVA is very careful on colon care as the colon is delicate and sensitive, even more so than the mind! Gentle transdermal support with Anushudhi TD and Prakrit TD supports cleansing and evacuation without adversely stimulating the colon, as would be the case with strong purgatives.

1a. Prakrit Tablets or Triphala for High Pitta:  On Friday and Saturday nights, take at bedtime either Prakrit Tablets or Triphala for High Pitta capsules.  The goal is to have 4 loose bowel movements on Saturday and Sunday.  Based on differences in colon type, one person may need two tablets or capsules; another person may need up to six.  Prakrit is best for vata & kapha.  High pitta types may need Triphala for High Pitta.  Prakrit and Triphala for HP not only evacuate the malas (gross waste), but they also help remove ama and amavisha released from the cellular system.

1b. Whether using Prakrit or Triphala for High Pitta you must determine your individual set point and dose.   Start with two tablets or capsules and adjust as needed. Let’s say you take two tablets/capsules on Friday night and nothing happens next day for bowel movement.  Then, for Saturday night you may try doubling the dose.  You can also apply this reasoning week to week.  Suppose first week you did not have the desired number of loose bowel movements, then next week you can double the dose.  Again, the goal is to have 4 loose bowel movements on Saturday and Sunday.  Do not go beyond six tablets or capsules a day.  On the other hand, suppose you had too many loose motions, then the next week reduce the dose.  To help you understand more colon care, read Colon Care Individual Body Type

1c. Should the tablets or capsules not work at all you may need to add mucilage in the form of psyllium seed husk.  Use 1 – 2 tsp. in water.  Mix well.  Psyllium binds toxins and lubricates the colon.

1d. Drink the rehydration drink (pg. 46 of Home Detox Manual) early on Saturday and on Sunday. Don’t wait until you feel weak to start drinking this.

1e. Dehydration can happen with excess bowel movements.  Should you have an excessive number of movements and need to stop them, drink the following recipe 2 – 3 x daily.

• Pomegranate juice 2 ounces

• Warm water 2 ounces

• Crushed & dry toasted cumin seeds ¼ – ½ tsp.

• Nutmeg powder 1 pinch

Paschatkarma (Post Home PK):  After this 7-week program, you will feel very good –  sleep better, digest better, and have more energy.  All you need do now is avoid slipping into bad habits of diet and routine.  Gradually start eating a normal SVA diet.  Go slowly.  Otherwise, the body will go into shock if you suddenly jump from a weekend of khichari to a full-course meal on the following Monday.  Continue to rest more for a while.

Rasayana (rejuvenation) is also part of paschatkarma.  You have successfully cleaned your tissues; now you can effectively rejuvenate them.  Soma Shakti is one of the very best rasayanas. I talked about it extensively in my newsletter and blog:  Soma Shakti – Rejuvenation & Youthful Energy. Take 1 tablet after breakfast and one after lunch.  Wild Amla (1 tablet after breakfast) or take Chyawanprash Herbal Tonic Paste – ½ tsp every morning, you can take it on an empty stomach or also mix it in with ½ glass of water.

The SVA Home Detox PK Plan is easy to practice, it goes slow but most steady.  Powerful herbal waters with only ‘homeopathic’ pinches of herbs fully awaken the detox system with overwhelming any of the tissues or systems in your body.  We do this also without creating any detox crises, because we are simultaneously addressing all the detox channels especially through the skin, lubricating and pulling the toxins all the while being careful to pacify vyana vata, which usually becomes aggravated in harsh, shorter-term PK.  Now, we just make sure we are not making new ama.  The old ama coming out from the macro and micro channels of the organs and seven dhatus (tissues) will then either be neutralized by the body’s digestive power or eliminated through the colon, skin, oral cavity, nasal pathway, or lungs.

Suggestions & Precautions  

Although this plan and protocols are safe and user friendly, I highly recommend you do this plan start to finish under the expert supervision of a SVA practitioner.  They can guide you and also support you, should any detox issues arise.  Moreover, if you are currently under the supervision of a SVA practitioner, you must let him or her know that you are starting this plan.  They may need to, and will know how to, adjust your plan with your existing SVA protocols. 

Call us if you have any detox crisis symptoms at all and stop the detox immediately – 1.818.219. 5499. Do Not use this plan if you have or you suspect you may have any of the following conditions: ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis, bleeding hemorrhoids, or any medical conditions.

If you do not currently work with a SVA expert, you may still take on the Home PK Program on your own. While you are on it, if you have questions, you may email us at: SVAHealth@prana-center.com, and we will be happy to help you. Happy Detoxing!

• Recipe for Chicken bone-marrow broth for supporting majja dhatu

For one person, organic chicken bones (drumstick, backs, wings) about ½ pound.  Cook covered for about ½ hour with your garcinia mix and Soma Salt.  The idea now is to shake or break apart the bones to extract the marrow – you can use a blender to roughly chop to do so. Once you do that, you must strain the bones/broth in a coffee filter or other means to remove every piece of bone.  Be sure to strain well to remove all pieces.  You may garnish with cilantro and add a little olive oil as well.  Consume approximately six tablespoons.  

 

Disclaimer: The products and statements included herein have not been evaluated by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and are not intended to be used to diagnose, treat or cure any disease. All of the information above is intended to be used for educational purposes only and may not be used to replace or compliment medical advice.

 

 

Do-it-yourself-SVA-PK: 7-Tissue 7 Week Detox Plan for SVA Home PK

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Looking back on my childhood, I remember the relationship with my father,Vaidya Kameshwar Mishra, being emotionally tough: he was as stern as my mother was sweet. He would interrupt playtime with my friends to drag me home to go to bed by 8 pm. He would ring a bell at 4 am to get me to wake up to take a cold shower with well water, and then recite my prayers to start my studies. I was forbidden to share food with my friends or eat anything outside the home, lest it contain onion and garlic, or any other “non-kosher” ingredients!

So it was that my mother’s arms were not only my refuge from the world, but from my father’s severity as well. I respected and feared him, but I loved her.

Until I graduated from college in 1974, an accredited physician in Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery. I remember coming back home to announce my full emancipation from my father’s disciplinary regimens, ready to start life on-my-own-terms, as an adult and young graduate. But he had other plans for me.

My heart literally sank when he announced to me that the time had finally come for me to intern with him. For seven years. He explained how he wanted to relay the ancestral knowledge and know-how of our SVA lineage to me, and further train me daily by seeing patients in his clinic.

There was no way I wanted to stay. I had just graduated and felt confident to embark on my own journey, fly with my own wings in the world. I challenged him to test me out, to prove to him I did not need to intern with him. He agreed.

So my father asked me to ayurvedically prepare highly toxic plants for medicinal intake. In Ayurveda, there are special methods whereby which plants and ingredients that are highly toxic can be processed to become great rasayanas, rejuvenating elixirs. I was not flustered by his request. I was confident in my knowledge and skills. I gathered the ingredients and took the 2-3 days’ time and prepared the ayurvedic mixture and proudly took it to my father to show that I had successfully completed the challenge he had set me to.

My father took the vials and examined them for color, texture, making sure they met the standard. He then asked me to pour some out into a separate container, which I did. He then took that container to his lips and was ready to drink it down and I sprinted over and snatched it from his hands in great panic, as he calmly observed me. He was about to consume my preparation: when the preparation is made right, it is a life-bestowing nectar; if it is not, it can be a lethal instant poison. I knew I had made it right. But there was always that 0.0001 chance I might have not… I had failed. Yet again. In my father’s eyes. Or in my own eyes, in front of my father – this greater-than-life figure who inspired me with such awe.

Cool and composed, he asked me why I had snatched away the mixture from his hands. I explained that I could not take the risk of him consuming it, even if I knew I had prepared it right, I could not bear the thought of the mixture harming him, even if I knew it would not…

He answered: “This is exactly the point! You have all the knowledge, all the know-how, now you need to gain the confidence. This you will only acquire after you intern with me for 7 years.”

I knew he was right. He was always right. And so very wise. But my ego did not want to accept him as a teacher, because I felt I already knew more than him, being a recent college graduate! After all I had studied volumes upon volumes of books, passed exams, and was accredited by qualified teachers and the State.

But, dear father, you unclouded my ego with your great wisdom. When I challenged you to test me out, you gave me a test and I failed poorly! And that not only compelled me to become your student for 7 years, but to do so with great reverence. Thank you again, and again, for that.

I thank you for those 7 years spent with you, and mom, as a young adult, for imparting upon me infinite ayurvedic wisdom, not bookishly, but as a living tradition. And hard as it is for me to say this, I also do thank you for being stern and strict with me during my wild teenage years when I used to skip school to play climbing up on the mango trees with my friends and wallow in the ponds with my favorite buffalo, Rani.

Dad, you were and always are my beacon, the memory of your words and actions guides me even today, and keeps me from faltering. You are my father, but I was also fortunate to have you as my ayurvedic guru, my teacher. You have given me all I ever needed, and more. For that, I am eternally grateful and bow down to your lotus feet:

 

let your father be your god….

Vaidya Mishra