Ancient Wisdom Proven with Modern Science

The first week of my stay at the Yoga Retreat I was immediately impressed by the guest speakers. Dr Eben Alexander, along with his assistant Karen Newell, gave an unbelievable presentation on Sacred Acoustics which he was inspired to explore after a near death experience. The former Harvard Neurosurgeon was sent into a coma from a rare form of meningitis which effectively shut down his neocortex; yet, shockingly he woke up with extremely vivid memories of another dimension that he describes in his book Proof of Heaven.

Now he travels sharing his message of love and aspiring to change the way doctors and hospice workers address death and dying with a concept beyond space and time. His work now focuses on using sacred acoustics, also known as binaural beats, to induce a similar veiling effect on the neocortex by timing layered frequency signals to activate many simultaneous paths to primordial consciousness in the listener. Most effective when used in conjunction with a consistent meditation practice, these vibrations are best experienced with headphones, and are available for free on YouTube - with different tonal layering specific for different uses such as deep sleep, lucid dreaming, astral projection, creativity, focus, improved memory, healing or chakra balancing.

Another speaker that I found to be fascinating was  Dr. John Douillard, founder of www.LifeSpa.com as well as an Ayurvedic clinic in Boulder, CO. He defines the purpose of Ayurveda (science of life) as the transformative approach to create clarity of the mind and to free yourself. He discussed the interconnectedness of detoxification and digestion and their roles in how to make the body less dense. By perfecting digestion we increase our body's natural ability to detox and effectively burn fat. He provides a plethora of interesting material and research on his website including the "Colorado Cleanse" as well as a library of videos and articles regarding all things health and wellness. He also advocates the idea of being more in tune with the seasons and following a diet that is connected to the seasonal changes in our bodies and environment. Stating that the average American eats 100% more food than is necessary and most have no idea what foods are even "in season" - I felt inspired to take a more vested interest in connecting with what I am eating AND how well my body is digesting it! 

A few tips from Dr Douillard:

1. Drink 1-2 glasses of lemon water ~20 minutes before meals

2. When cooked these fats are completely UN-digestible: canola oil, sunflower oil. safflower oil

3. Remove ALL processed sugars

4. Beets & leafy greens will increase your digestive fire

5. Ginger with lemon & salt before meals will speed digestion

6. Relax while eating & be mindful

7. No cold drinks

8. No eating before bed (at least 3 hours!)

9. Practice oil pulling (ideally with coconut oil) 10 minutes a day

10. Make a daily ritual of abhyanga - a full body oil massage to recharge & rejuvenate your mind and body

image from LifeSpa.com

Yet, it is most important to remember that all these tips and hints and ancient practices are for the ultimate goal of transformation by unlocking the energy within us and utilizing food as medicine to strengthen and support the systems of our bodies.

"The deeper the Self Realization of a man, the more he influences the whole universe by his subtle spiritual vibrations, and the less he himself is affected by the phenomenal flux" -Yogananda from Autobiography of a Yogi