Health HavenDharma Haven
The fundamental principle of preventive health care is that one can adopt a style of life that will support health and healing. Diet, exercise, behavior, spiritual practice -- each individual can learn how to be more healthy in all these aspects of life.
According to ancient medical wisdom, basic sanity and compassion are the essential basis of real health and well being. Working with any illness should begin by examining the individual's habitual behavior and lifestyle, including relationships with other people, livelihood and diet. By making appropriate adjustments in behavior and diet, according to seasonal changes, time of day, time of life and individual characteristics, one can learn to live in harmony with ones actual, changing situation and ones own nature.
Unfortunately, in our modern world of endless change and alternative possibilities, deciding exactly what changes in diet and behavior would be appropriate can be a real challenge. Many conflicting sources of advice on these matters are now widely available. The best advice we've heard is to choose a system that appeals to you and stick with it for long enough to see if it really works for you.
The systems we suggest on this page offer Chinese, Tibetan, and Western perspectives .
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for Life: Secrets of Tibetan Ayurveda
This comprehensive guide to physical and mental health distills a wealth of traditional Tibetan health practices and teachings into a manual of preventive health care for people of all ages and constitutional types -- guidelines on nutrition, exercise, relaxation, rejuvenation, detoxification, meditation and spiritual practices, as well as other activities for creating strength, vitality, and mental clarity. A self-profile test will help readers determine their physical/personality type according to the traditional Tibetan system. The book keys dietary and lifestyle recommendations to these different personal types.
Healing Tradition of Medicine Buddha" -- Robert Sachs
The Tibetan Book of Healing
The Tibetan approach to life has points in common with Ayurveda from India and with Chinese medicine. Its goal of wellness is defined by the following:
- Freedom from serious psychological and physical disease.
- Adherence to a health plan based on your personality, your body type and needs, and your capacity to fulfill and meet those needs.
- An understanding of the changing and impermanent nature of life and, within that understanding, the awareness of a purpose in life.
- Acceptance of the stress and change found in relationships, the environment, the seasons and the aging process.
- A sense of moral responsibility and a willingness to learn and grow,
- A feeling of positive accomplishment, contentment and appreciation for being human.
The book discusses how to test for constitution, diagnostic techniques, nutrition, behavior, Tibetan Pancha Karma, herbal therapeutics, spiritual practice, rejuvenation therapy, self-healing through the Medicine Buddha Practice, and how to use the Tibetan horoscope for health maintenance.
Secrets of Health and Longevity
A Six-Audiotape Set Produced by Sounds True -- This professionally produced and edited set of six 90 minute audiotapes includes an introduction to Chinese medicine, general principles of Chinese lifestyle modification for preserving health and attaining long life, and geomancy and health. It covers Chinese dietary therapy, the impact of the emotions on health, qi gong relaxation & spiritual development exercises, self-massage for improved digestion, sleep, and sexual vitality.
discusses the Chinese medical theory and practice of yang
sheng, nourishing life. Nourishing life is the Chinese term for seeking
good health and long life. The author begins by introducing the Chinese
medical theories concerning life, death, and longevity. These revolve around
the key concepts of essence, qi, and spirit or what are called the Three
Treasures. He then goes on to describe the importance of a regular lifestyle,
proper diet, moderation in sex, rest and relaxation, self-massage, exercise
and stretching, qi gong, Chinese herbal medicine, and treating disease
early. All this is presented in a very clear, easily understandable style,
and the book is infused with the authorís obvious deep knowledge and common
"Health is a dynamic and temporary state of equilibrium destined to break down as conditions change."
"[Weil] suggests gradual changes: clean your pantry of whatever cooking oils you have there, except olive oil; start taking vitamin C three times a day; walk a few minutes a day; eat some fish and broccoli. The program is so simple and sensible that anyone trying it probably will feel better in a week.
The program then gets progressively more involved--more supplements; more of a shift toward a diet based on whole grains, fruits, and vegetables; more exercise. Besides these steady changes, each week's program has a focus: In week 2, you start drinking bottled or filtered water; week 3 focuses on organic produce; week 4, on sleep; week 5, using a steam bath or sauna; week 6, trying a "universal tonic" like ginseng; week 7, volunteering in your community; and finally, in week 8, figuring out how to integrate permanently the elements of the program into your life.
Even those who don't go for the entire program will probably
find something here to like--the recipes, maybe, or the suggestion that
you cut back on strenuous types of exercise like running and competitive
sports in favor of brisk walks. It's perfectly useful either way: as a
total lifestyle overhaul, or a series of suggestions, any one or two of
which will probably help you feel better."
See also the Alternatives section of our NetQuest Health Links page.
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Revised on August 19, 2000
Copyright © 2000 Dharma Haven
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