The Ageless Secrets

Copyright © 2012 Success Vantage Pte Ltd All rights reserved. Published by Chris D’Cruz No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopied, recorded, scanned, or otherwise, except as permitted under Canadian copyright law, without the prior written permission of the author. Notes to the Reader: While the author and publisher of this book have made reasonable efforts to ensure the accuracy and timeliness of the information contained herein, the author and publisher assume no liability with respect to losses or damages caused, or alleged to be caused, by any reliance on any information contained herein and disclaim any and all warranties, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy or reliability of said information. The publisher and the author make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for every situation. It is the complete responsibility of the reader to ensure they are adhering to all local, regional and national laws. This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that neither the author nor the publisher is engaged in rendering professional services. If legal, accounting, medical, psychological, or any other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. The words contained in this text which are believed to be trademarked, service marked, or to otherwise hold proprietary rights have been designated as such by the use of initial capitalization. Inclusion, exclusion, or definition of a word or term is not intended to affect, or to express judgment upon the validity of legal status of any proprietary right which may be claimed for a specific word or term. The fact that an organization or website is referred to in this work as a citation and/or potential source of further information does not mean that the author or publisher endorses the information the organization or website may provide or the recommendations it may make. Further, readers should be aware that the websites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read. Individual results may vary.

Table of Contents Foreword ..................................................................................................................4 Chapter 1: The Age Old Truth ..............................................................................9 Chapter 2: Energy Centers ...................................................................................24 Chapter 3: Accessing Your Inner Immortality ..................................................36 Chapter 4: The Ancient Rites ...............................................................................56 Chapter 5: Oriental Remedies for Immortality .................................................70 Conclusion..............................................................................................................90

Foreword Is it still possible to live as long as Methuselah?

According to the Bible, Methuselah lived to the ripe old age of nine-hundred-and-sixtynine. It's an open question as to whether or not this was his exact age at the time of death. The debate over Methuselah's age has several schools of thought, which won't be touched upon here. Regardless, the mystique surrounding the possibilities of humans living far beyond the normal boundaries of a typical lifespan is just as intriguing today as it was centuries ago.

Longevity claims are nothing new, because every society on earth seems to have a few members who live to a ripe old age. In this case, we're talking about living into your 90s and 100s. Although many people would love to stick around as long as Methuselah, there's simply no evidence that this is at all humanly possible in our modern world. However, it is possible to become a supercentenarian or someone who has reached the age of 110.

Before the days of modern record keeping of birth and death dates, longevity claims were the stuff of rumors, stories and myths passed from person to person. There wasn't a lot of focus on the accuracy of a person's age back then, so everyone just sort of took an older person's word when it came to their age. The old sage in the village could easily be pointed out as someone who was wise because they had seen many generations come and go, and had survived long enough to witness cultural changes, deadly illnesses and wars. People have always respected those who seem to have won the longevity lottery, and we are sure they've got a secret about how they do it.

These days, you'll notice that every time the media covers someone who has lived to the age of 100+ years, they are always asked what the secret to living such a long life is. As if they hold the key answer that will allow the majority of us to follow suit. Well, instead of the key of life, these older folks often just go about their daily business without overly obsessing about being perfectly healthy.

The oldest recorded supercentenarian was Jeanne Calment (February 21, 1875 – August 4, 1997), a French woman who lived to the age of 122. And what did Jeanne attribute her longevity to?

For one thing, she liked to stay in shape, taking up fencing at the age of 85. She also enjoyed bicycling and kept at it until the age of 100. Jean believed that olive oil kept her looking youthful and liberally poured it over her food and used it on her skin. But, she was no health nut. Jeanne enjoyed smoking cigarettes up until she was 117, often drank port wine and ate 2 pounds of chocolate each week.

So, when turning our attention to what kinds of things can help us, in this day and age, live longer, we must look at the past as well as the current for answers.

As with most things in life, there are people who are interested in living as long as they can, and those who seem to feel that whatever number of years you're given is not really up to us at all – it's just fate.

Because you are reading this book, I'm going to assume that you fall on the optimistic side of things. But, please understand that the information in this book is for your personal enrichment only. And, while I do hope that you, indeed, live to a ripe old age, I cannot guarantee that following anything you read within these pages will help you achieve that goal. Everyone is different, and everyone who reads this information will

absorb it and use it differently. However, I'm of the belief that it sure doesn't hurt to be aware of what's out there, so use it to your advantage if you wish.

Having said that, is this book going to take you on a fanciful journey to discover the hidden Fountain of Youth?

After seeing how well that worked out for Ponce de Leon and others, I'd have to say no. There is no water or elixir that you can kick back and sip on like fruit juice that magically wipes the years away overnight. It would be great if there were such a thing, because it would make the quest for longevity so much easier. However, anything worth having in life involves a certain amount of effort and commitment. Looking and feeling younger than you do now means you'll have to get off the couch and take some action. There's no getting around this.

This book will introduce you to ancient and modern concepts and techniques that explore the prolonging of life and youth. You'll find a lot of East meets West here when it comes to philosophy and practice. This is no accident. Eastern ideas about the

mind/body connection have been around for thousands of years, but are only now being taken more seriously by those who traditionally practice westernized medicine.

If you grew up in a westernized environment, your view of healing often involves being given a pill or an operation by a doctor. The eastern way of thinking is more focused on turning inward and getting in touch with your natural energy to prevent disease and aging. This book leans heavily towards the eastern view of self-healing. The Ageless Secrets are here for you to explore if you are willing to embrace them. They cannot do anything for you unless you're ready to take a step towards making some changes in your current lifestyle. You are the one who will make the final determination on whether or not these secrets bring you any value. I'm just the messenger.

I wanted to write this book because I do believe that there are specific practices that a person can do to prolong their youthfulness. As a matter of fact, people are beginning to live longer these days. On July 9, 2009, the Associated Press (AP) put out a story proclaiming that Centenarians (people 100 years old) are a fast-growing age group. A report by the National Institute of Aging projects that by the year 2050 there will be 6 million Centenarians living among the worldwide population. This longevity has a lot to do with advances in diet, lifestyle and a reduction in life threatening diseases like heart disease and stroke.

So, who says we have to stop at 6 million?

Why can't it be 20 million or 100 million?

If the information in this book inspires you to shoot for membership in the 100-year old club, I think that's a good thing. But, it's not just about making it to 100. It's also about quality of life. Nobody wants to be an old geezer who can barely get out of bed in the

morning. What you should aim for is to be an extremely active and healthy 100-year old who continues to have a zest for life.

Are you ready to become ageless?

Read on.

Chapter 1: The Age Old Truth Did Ancient People Really Live Longer than Us? Many people believe that people who lived in ancient societies tended to live a lot longer than we do today. After all, they didn't have to deal with a huge tear in the ozone layer, poisonous pesticides sprayed on their food, exposure to dangerous levels of pollution, artificial additives in heavily processed food, drug and alcohol addiction or the everyday stresses of modern day life.

A popular view of the ancient lifestyle is that people worked and lived in simple housing made out of materials that came directly from Mother Earth. They made tools out of forged metal and made clay earthenware to store and serve food. Their food came from the freshest sources of plants, grains, vegetables and animals. Being surrounded by family and community was common and most people felt like they were a part of the whole of humanity. At night, they gathered around the fire and often shared stories and song until it was time to go to bed.

This simple lifestyle is thought to have contributed greatly to their being able to add extra years onto their lives. While it's true that the ancient people had a much purer natural environment to live in than we do today, the idea that many of them had a longer lifespan as a result, is more theory than fact. It would be nice to think that they didn't face as much disease, hardship or stress as we do, but this theory fails to take into

account one big advantage that we have that they didn't have…knowledge about how to fight off common illnesses and properly repair physical injuries.

Ideally, if you were a strong young person between the ages of 20 – 30 back then, you should have every reason to expect to live a long and healthy life. If there wasn't any war that you had to go off and fight or defend yourself against, if you weren't a slave and if there was plenty of food, water and shelter for you to live comfortably, you should have it made. Except that, just like today, people experienced common injuries like broken bones that exposed them to internal infections. A minor cold could turn into pneumonia. A virus, tumor or mysterious illness could quickly debilitate an otherwise healthy person.

A lot of the treatments we take for granted today were not available to ancient peoples, and so they tended to die early from not having any way to heal infections or diagnose and treat certain illnesses. A lot of the human remains that have been recovered and studied by scientists have belonged to people under the age of 40. This suggests that many people succumbed to minor medical events that are considered very treatable today.

Yet, it's still an open question as to how long ancient people were capable of living in their day. Researchers are currently studying this and every once in a while, come up with an intriguing glimpse into ancient agelessness.

David Finch, a professor at the USC School of Gerontology, published a 2009 article in the Journal of Aging, Humanities and Arts that detailed his research into the ancient writings such as the History of Herodotus and the Roman Pliny's Natural History. The professor was looking for some clues about how ancient people viewed longevity and less disease in relation to better nutrition. In Greco-Roman writings, Herodotus is

considered "the father of history" and is identified as someone with knowledge about specific diets and their effects on the human lifespan.

Now, before your eyes start glazing over, I want to assure you that I'm not going to go into a long spiel about the writings of Herodotus, or even Professor Finch. Actually, I'm only going to relay the story Herodotus told about Persian scouts meeting up with a group of Ethiopians (called Athiops by Herodotus) from the 6th Century B.C.

Apparently, some Persian scouts were sent out on a spy mission to the upper Nile around Egypt. While they were in the area now known as modern Sudan, they came across these ancient Ethiopians and seemed to have a fairly pleasant visit with the Ethiopian king. The conversation got around to health and the king wanted to know what kind of food the Persians ate to prolong life.

The Persians thought they had this in the bag. They boasted that they drank wine and ate bread that came from grain that was fertilized with dung. This was their secret for living up to the great old age of 80.

The king and his entourage tasted some of this Persian wine and thought it was pretty good, but there was one problem…it wasn't quite good enough. The king concluded that the dung was the one element that was keeping the Persians from living a truly

long life. The king then went on to explain that their Ethiopian men often lived to the age of 120 years. Their secret was boiled flesh and milk. The amazed Persians returned home and related the story to their people.

In some of his other tales about the Ethiopians, Herodotus related that the men were tall, handsome and lived long lives. While Professor Finch doesn't necessarily believe that ancient people lived past 100 on a regular basis. This story does bring up an interesting theory. As a whole, ancient people didn't live any longer than us, but there seems to be pockets of people, here and there, who had uncovered the secret to ageless living.

Discovering the Secrets of Longevity in Our Modern World In the 1970s, Dannon Yogurt ran a popular commercial claiming that people of the Georgian region of Soviet Russia commonly lived to be 100 or more due to their heavy consumption of yogurt. This commercial was a hit and led to many Americans adding yogurt to their diet as a way to increase health and vitality. But, of course, there's more to the story than that. While there are no studies to prove that yogurt alone will extend your life, there are a lot worse things you can eat for nourishment. So, if you enjoy yogurt, keep eating it, but it doesn't have to be Dannon or any other particular brand.

Getting back to the point of there being clusters of communities where people tend to live longer, there are other provable case studies. The Republic of Azerbaijan is about the size of Maine. The country was occupied by the Soviet Union from 1920-1991. They are a close-knit people who strongly believe in community and

maintaining strong bonds among all generations. They have a lot of respect for their elderly members, who have a prominent role in both family and community life.

The Azerbaijanis enjoy modern conveniences and are even fond of Western TV shows. However, when it comes to diet, they traditionally eat lots of fruit, vegetables, eggs, milk, cheese, bread, grains, herbs and yogurt. Their meat choices are lamb, mutton and sheep, which contain a lot of animal fat. However, rural residents do not eat meat as often as the city dwellers. And, this diet that is light on meat and heavy on fruit, vegetables, dairy and grains is thought to contribute to the high incidence of longevity among the rural elderly in Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan has gained fame as having an extremely high percentage of people who live to be 100 or more compared to other world communities. Some of this longevity is due to genetics, but the simple diet of cheap, healthy food that has been passed down from generation to generation also is a big factor. The Azerbaijanis don't know much about cholesterol or this or that diet. All they do is eat what their long living ancestors ate, stay active and enjoy close bonds with their family and extended community.

So, this example seems to prove that eating, fresh, wholesome foods that are prepared simply and without all the fancy sauces, additives and excessive sweetness, provides the body with everything it needs to stay relatively healthy. In the U.S., the movement towards having more farmers' markets, and making freshly grown fruits and vegetables more readily available to urban dwellers is a good thing. In our culture, the convenience of processed foods has taken over the average American diet, and it's time to get reacquainted with naturally grown food that comes straight out of the earth.

A Russian magazine interviewed some elderly people in Abkhazia, an independent state near the Black Sea, about their daily diet and found out that most of them ate a moderate amount of lamb, liberal amounts of yogurt, fruits and vegetables and enjoyed

drinking wine. Their diet seems very similar the Azerbaijanis. Of course, the benefits of this wholesome diet tend to disappear when it is replaced with a modern diet that includes lots foods that are high in fat, sugar and calories.

Another group of people that are being studied by scientists because of their extraordinary longevity is the Hunzakuts from the Himalayan Mountain region. These people live way up in the mountains, which means they are somewhat remote from other communities, and many of them live to be over 100 years old. But, this is not a new discovery. Back in 1920, this picturesque place called the Hunza Valley was visited by a British researcher named Sir Robert McCarrison. Dr. McCarrison was intrigued by the Hunzakuts overall health, vitality and longevity.

The Hunzakut people enjoy the distinction of being some of the world's oldest living people. The elderly in their communities commonly live to be 100, 110 and even 120. Some people think that this region is where the true Fountain of Youth resides. Even back in the 1920s, Dr. McCarrison could easily see the distinction between the Eastern and Western diet and lifestyle. In the book Hunza, Secrets of the World's Healthiest and Oldest Living People, by Dr. Jay M. Hoffman, Dr. McCarrison reveals his personal observations. "Here is a land where people do not have our common diseases, such as heart ailments, cancer, arthritis, high blood pressure, tuberculosis, hay fever, asthma, liver trouble, gall bladder trouble, constipation or many other ailments that plague the rest of the world. Moreover, there are no hospitals, no insane asylums, no drug stores, no saloons, no tobacco stores, no police, no jails, no crimes, no murders, and no beggars."

Only a small, closely-knit, isolated community could maintain such a Shangri-la type utopian existence. Left to their own devices for centuries, the people in this region were naturally friendly, hospitable and strong as horses. No wonder western visitors were amazed. They'd never seen anything like it before or since. Because they live so high up in the mountains (8,000 feet), not many wanted to make the journey to interfere with their little slice of heaven on earth. The Hunza Valley is tucked away between the borders of four different countries: China, Russia, India and Pakistan, yet was apparently rarely visited by anyone from these places.

The doctor also discovered that the Hunzakuts were immune to the common cold and the flu. Imagine what it would be like to never know the misery of having a runny, stuffy nose or flu symptoms. Of course, that ship has already sailed for most of us, and all we can hope is to change our dietary and lifestyle habits so that we can cut down on the frequency of these illnesses coming into our lives. Does this information give you pause for thought about the human body's ability to fight off attacks from bacterial infections and viruses?

Hopefully.

In 1927, the British government appointed Dr. McCarrison Director of Nutrition Research in India. This gave him the perfect opportunity to conduct experiments of the Hunza diet and its effect on longevity. Please note that if you are against animal research, this section may be offensive to you.

The doctor selected 1,189 albino rats for his first experiment. He decided to feed the rats the equivalent of the Hunza diet for approximately 27 months, which is 45 human years. The rats were fed the diet from the time they were born. The diet consisted of everything the Hunzakuts ate, except for fruit. This diet consisted of cabbage, carrots, unboiled whole milk, water and a weekly portion of meat with bones. At the end of the 27 months, the rats were killed and examined for any diseases they may have developed. To the astonishment of Dr. McCarrison, the rats were "remarkably free from disease." Overall, this group of rats did not die of natural causes, had no infant mortality and had no trace of disease anywhere in their body.

The common thread that the Hunzakut people shared with other such enclosed communities is the eating of simple, wholesome foods on a daily basis. They had constant access to locally grown and organic fruits, vegetables, fresh dairy products and whole grains. Meat was a small part of their diet.

Could this diet be a key secret to the Fountain of Youth?

If it is, the western world is certainly slow to embrace it. Despite this information being reported over 80+ years ago, there is still not enough insistence from the medical community that people adopt a diet of wholesome foods over processed ones. A lot of this has to do with the commercial food industry being so powerful and making tons of money from processed foods. Americans and Europeans have become addicted to eating lots of sugar, fat and empty calories. Short of imprisoning everyone and force

feeding them organic foods, there's not much that's going to change until the majority of people make healthier food choices.

Meanwhile, most people who are overweight and struggling with various illnesses, keep jumping from one diet plan to another, hoping to find the one diet that quickly melts away the excess pounds and transforms them into a super healthy person. Some don't even bother with diets; they simply want to take the next miracle weight loss pill that supposedly helps them shed pounds overnight. False claims, but it sells a lot of diet pills.

It's kind of a shame when you think about it. It seems like our modern society is losing the battle to keep millions of people healthy enough to live to the age of 65 years old. Many people are literally dying from obesity related complications. Oversized coffins are becoming increasingly in demand as people who weigh more than 300 pounds need to be laid to rest with dignity.

Eating disorders are common due to an unhealthy relationship with food. Some people eat too little (anorexia), some eat and then empty their stomachs immediately (bulimia), while others suffer from chronic emotional eating (obesity). It's sad that so many people are not able to really enjoy the food that they eat. If you are struggling with one of these eating disorders (or have in the past) then you are all too familiar with the emotional roller coaster involved in living with one.

Yet, the people who live in Hunza Valley don't ever experience such things. When they sit down to eat, they aren't worried about how many calories are being consumed, how many carrots are on their plate, if the milk is non-fat, 1% or 2% fat, if that piece of meat has too much fat on it, or do they have the right mix of vegetables to keep their energy levels up. They truly get to enjoy their food with family and friends in a hospitable environment.

Okay, so you and I are never going to live and work in this type of utopian setting. But, that doesn't mean that we can't have a little slice of it for ourselves. In our modern world, I think we tend to complicate things too much. Each year, there seems to be several new diets that come out that promise to help us live long, healthy lives if we just do everything that it says. Deviate one little bit and we fail. After that, you just wait for the next miracle diet to come out and repeat the cycle.

This kind of thinking is what leads to yo-yo dieting and constant gaining and losing of large amounts of weight, which isn't good for the body's metabolism. Eventually, the body goes off-track and this opens up the door to disease.

Good Health is Really a State of Mind Have you ever heard that old saying, "If you think you can do a thing, or think you can't do a thing, you're right?"

This is a simple, yet powerful statement about how our thoughts often control the success or failure of whatever we attempt to do in life. It's really common for people to talk themselves out of opportunities, because they don't feel that they can handle the challenge. You've probably been in a situation where you were wishing for a change in

your personal circumstances and told yourself that if only you had the chance to do this or that, things would be different. Then, out of the blue, a golden opportunity comes along that offers you the chance to take a step towards getting what you want. However, this is when that little nagging voice in the back of your mind pops up and takes center stage. "Well, let's think about this for a moment," the voice says. "I know that I don't have any experience in doing this. What if I fail?"

You begin listening to this voice and as you give it more weight, that golden opportunity starts looking a bit sketchy. Self-doubt arises and begins raining on your parade. The less than enthusiastic opinions of others chime in as well. "Are you sure you wanna get yourself mixed up in this? It seems kind of risky/weird to me."

You start doubting your ability to take on this challenge because it has become scary in some way. That little nagging voice keeps chirping away. "You know what? I'm not really comfortable with this, so why don't I just let it pass and maybe someday I'll be able to handle this."

So, you drop it and let the opportunity pass you by. And, this could be about anything. People who are filled with self-doubt often have a hard time moving forward in life. Setting a goal is easy, but pursuing it with persistence takes a measure of strong belief in your ability to achieve it. When it comes to personal wellness, a lot of people are stuck in a rut because they feel overwhelmed by their inability to trust that they have the inner strength to pull it off.

So, this is why it's important to take a moment here and look at how your thoughts and feelings have a lot of influence over your ability to live a healthy life. Negative thoughts have a lot of power, but so do positive thoughts. The whole idea behind positive

thinking is to train your mind to provide you with strong reinforcement that leads to positive actions. However, this is easier said than done.

"I wanna get healthy, but I've tried everything and nothing works."

This is a strong statement that is pretty common to hear. What this person really means is that they've tried various things and haven't yet found a remedy that works for them. Most likely, they've been chasing after too many solutions that offer false promises, and when those fail, it can make a person feel like there's not much hope of ever achieving what they want. But, in life, there's always hope that one day the answer to your problem can be found.

By declaring that nothing works, this sets that person up for yet another failure. The universe responds to energy, and when you put negative energy out into the atmosphere, you get negative energy back. So, if you start out on a new path with the belief that nothing works for you, this belief causes you to eventually talk yourself out of completing your goal.

"I've never done this before, but I'm excited about learning a new way to get healthy."

This is a strong statement that puts you in the right frame of mind from the get go. You are acknowledging that you have no prior experience with this new thing, but you're open to discovering a different path that helps you achieve your goal of being healthier. You get to choose how you approach this particular challenge.

Life is full of small decisions that can have a major impact on your life. Right this very moment, you are on a journey of self-improvement that could enrich you in many ways. Your attitude and mental thinking is going to have a lot to do with how far you go with all of this. When that nagging voice of self-doubt pops up, simply ignore it and replace it with a self-empowering thought or action.

How to Retool Your Mind and Body to Live Longer In the next several chapters, you'll be discovering some age-old, yet simple techniques that are proven to be highly effective in regenerating the mind, body and spirit. I don't how you happened to come upon this book, but I believe there are no coincidences in life. Therefore, this must be your time for whole body renewal.

You're probably already familiar with some of the methods in this book. They've been around for ages, and are currently being practiced my millions. Yet, there are many more millions of people who have never attempted to try any of these life-extending techniques. It's understandable, because a lot of this information is often dismissed as "that New Age mumbo jumbo" by many skeptics.

It's okay to be curious or skeptical about it, and if you are then hey, go ahead and try these techniques anyway. You've got nothing to lose. If you feel they don't work for you then you can at least get the satisfaction of knowing that it's not for you. But, if you try one or more and discover that you are gaining your youth and vitality back, then it will all be worth making the effort.

As I said earlier, I can't guarantee anything one way or another, because I don't know you personally, or your level of dedication. What I do know is that many people in the U.S., and other westernized countries around the world, are suffering greatly because they are stuck in an unhealthy lifestyle.

People are slowly dying from bad habits that can be reversed if some positive changes are made.

Bad dietary habits and the eating of too many processed foods are causing people to gain excess weight. When they try to lose weight by going on fad diets or popping useless pills, this just causes their metabolism to go into a tailspin. And, then there are those who don't get enough quality exercise, either because they don't like it, or they just don't want to bother doing any more physical activity than is required for them to get around each day.

Let's not forget that silent killer called stress. Too much stress at the job and in one's personal life can accumulate over time. When your body can't release this pent up stress in a healthy way, it dissipates into your system. Stress is a major cause of high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.

The mind body connection is always in play and always working in your life whether you are aware of it or not. Right now you have a great opportunity to learn how to get control over your thoughts and emotions, and channel your energy into reshaping your physical body. By following the secrets in this book, you will gradually see the layers of age peel away from your mind and body in a way that you've never experienced before. If you truly believe that it's possible for you to look and feel years younger, then you will become ageless.

Chapter 2: Energy Centers What is an Energy Center? When you are walking around during the day you are surrounded by an invisible energy source. You can't see it, smell it or taste it, but it's there with you at all times. Energy isn't just used to run household appliances or as fuel for cars, it is also recognized by many people as a powerful source of healing for our mind and body. Many Eastern healing traditions are centered around this concept of hidden energy. In fact, practitioners of eastern style healing believe that each person has several different energy centers (or points) that correspond to a specific part of the body. These energy points are called Chakras.

Each of the body's main organs, glands and functioning systems has a chakra associated with it. In the Indian language of Sanskrit, the word chakra means wheel. So, you can think of a chakra as being a sort of mini spinning vortex that whirls around at a certain rate of speed – kind of like a tornado. The chakra can pick up various energies and vibrations from anything that comes in its path. And just like a tornado, it sucks all of this energy up into the center of the vortex like a vacuum.

There are actually dozens of these spinning wheels to be found all over our body, but there are seven main chakra centers that control most of these other chakras. They can also pick up energy, as well as, radiate it outward. Your chakras are intimately connected to the health and well being of the inside and outside of your physical body,

as well as, to whatever are going on in the immediate environment that surrounds you. Therefore, when you walk into a busy office, your chakras will immediately pick up on the vibrational energy all around you. They will absorb any negative or positive things that you encounter.

For instance, if there's a lot of stress and pressure on you to get a task done as quickly as possible, because the boss is breathing down your neck, all of this outward stress is turned into energy that gets absorbed into your own personal energy core. This negative pressure can disperse throughout your body and do harm to you, unless you become aware of these chakras and how they can be used to your benefit.

The seven major chakra centers are related to your emotional, mental, physical and spiritual essence. Your chakra centers also emit energy at the same frequency, so they work together in harmony. A lot of the eastern philosophy on healing the body involves getting in touch with your physical chakras that control your major energy centers. For example, there are chakras for your heart, lungs lymph glands, immune system and circulatory system. All of the seven main chakras are perfectly aligned with your spinal column in a vertical fashion. The seven main physical chakra points are the crown, brow, throat, heart, solar plexus, spleen and root.

Each chakra also has its corresponding color that makes it easy for you to identify it when looking at the chakra system on a chart.

Crown Chakra = Violet Brow Chakra = Indigo Throat Chakra = Blue Heart Chakra = Green Solar Plexus Chakra = Yellow

Spleen Chakra = Orange Root Chakra = Red

When your chakra is active, it is believed that it radiates this color vibration as well. If you have ever heard the idea about people having an aura that surrounds them, this is what they are referring to. An aura is another way of expressing the idea that the human body is surrounded by unique points of energy. Is your aura going to be different than someone else's aura? Yes, because everybody's level of energy is constantly fluctuating and unique to that person.

Each individual chakra has its own center of influence over specific aspects of our mental, emotional and physical well being. It is important to understand what each colorful chakra represents in relation to our body because sometimes they can be out of balance. If you are sick or unhealthy, this means that one or more of your chakra centers is out of balance. In order to restore your health, you need to bring them back into balance with each other.

Here's how your chakras correspond to the glands in your body:

Crown Chakra = Pineal Brow Chakra = Pituitary Throat Chakra = Thyroid Heart Chakra = Thymus Solar Plexus Chakra = Pancreas Spleen Chakra = Gonad Root Chakra = Adrenal

Maybe you think that it sounds kind of farfetched to think that you can influence your health through these invisible energy centers. However, if you look at it from the perspective that the human body is made up of energy, and is always surrounded by forces of nature, which includes lots of energy, this really isn't so hard to believe. Again, it comes down to whether or not you feel comfortable with this particular concept.

Chakras are power centers that absorb energy, disperse it throughout your body, and expel excess energy into the atmosphere. They are always spinning at various speeds and levels, which correspond directly to how you are feeling emotionally and physically. When your energy levels are down, your chakras are spinning slowly. When your energy is up, your chakras are spinning fast. Ideally, you always want to have your chakra energy centers spinning at a good pace – not too slow and not too fast.

A Brief History of the Chakra Concept As you may have guessed by now, the concept and study of chakras as we know it today first originated in India. Chakra healing has been practiced in that part of the world for centuries. As was stated in an earlier chapter, the eastern philosophy about medicine is one that always stems from the inside out. The mind, body and spirit all work in harmony to heal specific ailments.

Ancient texts like the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (circa 200 B.C.) and Yoga Upanishads (circa 600 A.D.) mention chakras in the context of being psychic centers of consciousness. In the 7th century, chakras had become an important part of Tantric yoga philosophy. The West was first introduced to the concept of chakras in 1919 by Arthur Avalon and his book The Serpent Power, which was a translation of 1577 writings called the Sat-CakraNirupana and 10th century descriptions in a text called the Padaka-Pancaka. The Gorakshashatakam, another 10th century text written about chakra meditation, also contributed to western understanding about this healing concept.

Over the years, the westernized versions of chakras and energy centers have become increasingly popular. The study and practice of chakra healing continues to grow and expand. As more and more people are exposed to these concepts, it will slowly become intertwined with western medicine and become more acceptable. There was a time when acupuncture was considered "quack science" by the majority of the western medical community. Now, it's considered a viable "alternative" treatment that can be included along with more conventional methods of treating physical pain.

Maybe our culture is finally starting to get it. Healing the body does not have to involve a "one size fits all" approach. Several methods can be combined to treat the whole person and not just one small part. In our multi-cultural world, the concept of energy centers is another valuable tool that people can use to improve their quality of life.

The Deeper Meaning of Chakras Previously you learned how chakras or energy centers correspond to points inside of the physical body. But, they also have deeper meanings attached to them. If you wanted to, you could spend hours studying these deeper meanings, but to save you time and effort, I'm going to briefly discuss these additional elements.

Crown Chakra The crown chakra vibrates around your brain and is the energy center of intuition and spirituality. This is the highest point of your chakra energy and it connects

you to the universe and a higher power. When it is out of balance, you may feel depressed. It is also associated with brain disorders.

Brow Chakra The brow chakra vibrates around your pituitary gland and is the energy center of intuition and focus for meditation. This is considered your third eye, which is also connected to psychic abilities. When it is out of balance you may experience headaches, nightmares, problems with vision and develop sinusitis.

Throat Chakra The throat chakra vibrates around your throat area and is the energy center of endurance, communication and self-expression. This allows you to communicate your thoughts and feelings to the world around you. When it is out of balance you may develop a sore throat, tonsillitis, thyroid problems or have hearing difficulties. You may also experience problems with communication like losing the ability to speak or speaking too much.

Heart Chakra The heart chakra vibrates around your heart and is the energy center of compassion and love. This is where all of your various emotions are felt and processed. When in balance you feel very satisfied with your relationships in life. When out of balance you may have trouble expressing feelings of love for others, or accepting love from others. You may also experience physical ailments such as heart conditions, high blood pressure and immune system problems.

Solar Plexus Chakra The solar plexus chakra vibrates around your naval area and is the energy center of personal power. This is where your feelings of self-worth, inner peace and tolerance reside. When balanced, you have a strong sense of identity, are passionate and feel you can accomplish just about anything. When it is out of balance you may feel a strong need to dominate others or obtain security and wealth at all costs. Physical ailments include diabetes, stomach problems, liver disease or ulcers.

Spleen Chakra The spleen chakra or sacral chakra vibrates around your reproductive area and is the energy center of sexual expression and strong emotional feelings. This is also the place where your feelings of friendship towards the people in your life are located. You are also very open about sharing your feelings. When it is out of balance you may be prone to worry, emotional issues and sexual problems.

Root Chakra The root chakra vibrates at the base of your spine and is the energy center of belonging, survival and feeling secure in the world. This involves your connection to the earth and nature. When balanced, your life is on solid ground. When it is out of balance you may have a lack of trust about the natural environment or focus too much on material possessions. You may also experience constipation, hemorrhoids or hip problems.

Chakra Healing When one or more of your chakra energy centers is out of balance, you want to bring them back to a state of harmonious balance as quickly as possible before any major health problems arise. Or, if you are already experiencing unwanted physical or mental symptoms, you can seek out a remedy to help you heal and get back to a healthy state as soon as possible.

Chakra healing is more of an art than a science. Therefore, when you go to a chakra healing practitioner you need to approach it with an open mind. The chakra healer has many tools at their disposal to bring about this rebalancing. These tools may include chants, music, mantras, meditation or special healing stones.

Before getting started, the healer will ask you several health-related questions designed to pinpoint the exact area that they need to focus on. It's important that the healing session targets the chakras that are currently blocked or off-balanced in some way. After they evaluate you, the healer will select the tools to be used that they feel are most powerful for your situation.

Chakra Meditation One of the most popular methods of dealing with an unbalanced chakra is chakra meditation. In general, meditation means getting into a completely relaxed state of mind and then allowing yourself to absorb peaceful energy. During chakra meditation, you will focus on each individual chakra energy center, starting from the root and moving all the way up to the crown.

In your mind, you'll envision each whirling circle and how you think it looks. As you continue to focus on it, your mind will help to release all of the energy for that particular chakra, and you'll continue this energy flow upwards. As each chakra gains strength, the blockages that are causing you problems will be removed.

As you see, this is a completely different way of approaching the concept of healing the mind and body from various ailments. But, it makes perfect sense if you approach it from the perspective that the mind can be a powerful ally when its energy is directed towards healing yourself from the inside out.

Taking Care of Your Energy Centers Now that you know about chakras and energy centers, you probably see your body in a whole new light. That's a good thing, because you will no longer think that you are simply a collection of separate parts. You now understand that each section of your body is interconnected with another section. Each organ is intricately a part of another. You are a whole person and your energy connects you with others around you, as well as with your environment.

In a way, this gives you more power and control over your own health. When you see a doctor and he breaks the news that you are developing diabetes, heart problems or have a stress related emotional issue, you often feel powerless to do anything except take some prescription pills and hope it goes away.

With your new knowledge of energy centers, you can now focus on doing what is necessary to bring your body back into harmony. If you have ever heard of cases where people have been completely healed of a bad disease, but doctors can't explain it because all of their treatments were ineffective, then you have been exposed to the

power of mind, body and spirit healing. Often those who were healed say that they strongly believed that they'd be cured because of their belief in a higher power.

These people managed to tap into their healing energy without really being aware of what they were doing. You too can begin tapping into this energy and see what kind of positive results you experience.

Chapter 3: Accessing Your Inner Immortality The Eternal Quest for Immortality Throughout the ages, people have dreamed about the possibilities of living forever. Immortality has always been exclusively reserved for various gods and mythical beings, but we like to dream that there is some secret source that holds the key to keeping our physical bodies alive for hundreds of years.

Why do we hold onto this idea so much?

Maybe it's because this earth realm is the only one we know. Life is full of people and animals we love. We enjoy the beauty of nature and being a member of a community. While immortality isn't the kind of thing that most people contemplate on a daily basis, when it does pop up in our minds, we often fantasize what we would do if we could live forever.

Let's be honest. You and I just love being here on this planet and we wanna stick around for as long as humanly possible. That's not so bad, is it?

In fact, it's a perfectly human desire.

While most people have to make due with their private fantasies, there have been a few people throughout time that have had the money and power to try and find the hidden secret to immortality. One such person was a Chinese King named Qin Shi Huang. He ruled ancient China from 246 B.C. to 221 B.C.

Qin Shi Huang was a highly effective ruler and was responsible for the unification of China. He considered himself to be the First Emperor and was skilled at economics and politics. In 1974, his mausoleum was discovered and people marveled at the amazingly lifelike 8,000 terra cotta soldiers created to protect his tomb.

But, this emperor never intended to be laid to rest in that tomb. In addition to his being a very important ruler in his day, he was also known for being very afraid of death and evil spirits. These fears made him extremely eager to try all sorts of remedies that promised to make him immortal.

During his earlier travels, he had met a magician named Anqi Sheng, who claimed to be 1,000 years old. The emperor never forgot this extraordinary man and decided that he must send out an expedition of ships to seek out this magician. Anqi Sheng had told Qin Shi Huang about the elixir of life and now he wanted his people to bring this magic potion back to him so that he too could live forever. Hundreds of young men and women were sent out in search of the mystical Mount Penglai where Anqi Sheng was thought to reside. Unfortunately for the emperor, they never returned.

Ironically, Qin Shi Huang ended up dying from taking mercury pills given to him by his court physicians. The physicians were trying their best to come up with a formulation that would make their leader immortal. Oh, well.

Centuries later, history would record the quest of Ponce de Leon and his famous search for a similar elixir of life.

So far, no one has found this special elixir, so should we humans just give up and quit trying? We could, but that would take all the fun out these sorts of quests, now wouldn't it?

What Immortality is Really About A wise man should consider that health is the greatest of human blessings, and learn how by his own thought to derive benefit from his illnesses. – Hippocrates (Ancient Greek Physician)

Okay, if immortality isn't about finding that secret elixir that regenerates youth forever, what does it mean for you in an everyday sense?

Maybe it's about gaining some kind of higher understanding of what it really means to be a human being on this planet. Often we get caught up in life's unavoidable responsibilities like going to school and getting decent grades, showing up at our job and putting in a full day's work, making sure that pile of bills gets paid on time, taking care of a child or older relative who needs us…we never think about getting sick until it hits us out of the blue.

An illness forces you to take stock of how you've been taking care of yourself like nothing else does. It has a way of making us face our mortality for either a short time, or a long, extended time depending on what the medical issue is. When you get a bad cold or the flu, all you want to do is find a warm bed and crawl into it, or plop down on a cozy couch.

Sure, the world goes on around you, but you have a hard time keeping up with it. You feel like crap and all of your energy has drained out of your body. You take some cold medicine and hope it gets you through the day, but you're still stuck with a miserable

feeling. Your thoughts wander towards the origins of your current misery. Where did you pick up these stupid cold germs?

Maybe that's not the question you should be asking yourself. Maybe you should be asking yourself why you pick up those cold germs. If you take a moment to think about it, you'll realize that you left yourself wide open to receiving those germs.

Have you been running yourself ragged lately?

Is your body getting enough protein and iron?

Have you been eating enough fruits and vegetables?

Are you really stressed out over work or a personal problem?

Are you feeling down or depressed about something?

All of these things can impact your immune system in a negative way. When you get sick you are forced to slow down and take a look at what's going on in your life at the moment. The illness is a sign that something's wrong with the energy around you, and it's causing you to become sick. If you don't want to continue being sick, then you've got to figure out what you're going to do to prevent it from happening again.

Make a decision to learn from your illness so you can start making small changes that can lead to improved health. The part can never be well unless the whole is well. – Plato (Ancient Greek Philosopher)

Often, when one part of your body breaks down, you tend to focus only on that one part. For instance, when you get a headache, you feel a familiar throbbing pain that makes it hard for you to concentrate on anything else. Technically, the headache is only happening in a small section of your body, but the headache is only a symptom of something much larger. Because headaches are pretty easy to cure for most people, you grab some pain relief medication and wait for it to be over. However, the real reason why you got that headache remains hidden somewhere inside of your body or outside in your surroundings.

For people who work in high stress conditions, tension headaches are quite common. The stress being absorbed on a daily basis is concentrating into one area of the body. All of this negative energy has to be dealt with in some way, so your body manifests a headache that causes the blood vessels around your temple area to constrict. Blood isn't able to flow freely through those veins so they cause pain to alert you that something is wrong.

The pain medication opens up the vessels and gets the blood flowing again. However, that's an artificial fix. Unless you take a look at the whole picture and deal with the cause of your headaches (excessive stress), they will keep coming back again and again. The medication can only treat the temporary physical discomfort, but it does nothing for your stress. Men worry over the great number of diseases, while doctors worry over the scarcity of effective remedies. – Pien Chiao (Ancient Chinese Physician)

Have you ever watched a medical drama on TV where the doctor looks solemnly at the patient laying in the hospital bed and says, "Sorry, but there's nothing more that I can do."

The patient has one of two reactions. They become visibly upset and begin crying, or a stoic look washes over their face and they turn away and stare at the wall or out the window. This is a dramatic turning point in the story and you get a foreboding feeling that this patient is not going to survive.

Western medical science teaches us from an early age to trust our doctors and always look to them for the answers to our medical problems. But, sometimes they are not able to come up with any type of satisfactory answer for us. That's when it's easy to become scared, because if modern medical science can't fix the problem, then maybe there's no hope of recovery.

Modern medicine has come a long way in the past 50 years. People are surviving diseases and rare illnesses that used to be hard or impossible to treat. Diagnostic equipment has become more sophisticated and easier to use, so that your whole body can be seen scanned in just minutes. It's really impressive. And yet, they still don't have all the answers.

The human body is so complex that it may take another 1,000 years before most illnesses can be cured by one or two visits to the doctor. So, in the meantime, you need to take more responsibility of your own health.

Leaving your health entirely up to medical science is not a good way to extend your days on earth. Before healing others, heal yourself. – Gambian Proverb

Some people have such a strong nurturing instinct, that they always put the needs of others before themselves. Being a giver is a great quality to have, and more people should be less selfish, but when it comes to taking care of your health, you should not keep pushing this aside for later. Sometimes later is too late.

Caregivers often feel guilty about taking the time to focus in their own personal needs. They get such deep satisfaction out of taking care of other people that they have a hard time feeling like their needs are just as important. But, the main problem with this type of existence is that sooner or later the caregiver body breaks down from all of this outward focus.

Their bodies are out of balance because there's too much energy going out and not much coming back in. Most are totally oblivious to this, of course, until they come down with a major illness. Even then, they try to get out of bed and go through their familiar routine.

What they don't realize is that by putting some time into taking care of their own well being, they are giving their loved ones a wonderful gift – the ability to spend more time together. Caregivers should always spend some time rejuvenating their mind and body. The mind has great influence over the body, and maladies often have their origin there. – Moliere (French Playwright and Actor)

People who walk around with a chip on their shoulder are often good candidates for all sorts of disease and illness. Those who put out a lot of negative vibes by being angry, insensitive and mean have deep seated issues that they're not dealing with.

Something from their past is bugging them and these hidden issues are literally eating away at their quality of life. Oh, I know that it's hard to feel sorry for people like this,

because they spend so much time making other people's lives miserable. The angry, bitter person doesn't really have any good friends because they spend so much time pushing people away. If you get too close, you might discover how insecure they really are inside.

On the flip side, you've got the people who are real downers to be around. That old Debbie Downer skit on Saturday Night Live is so funny because it's true – there are people like this in real life. You don't dislike them like you would an angry person, but their annoying habit of always looking at life from a negative perspective drives you nuts.

Negative people are uncomfortable to be around because they feel unhappy most of the time. Unfortunately, the more they indulge in their negative thoughts and behaviors, the more they attract misery into their lives. Just like you can think yourself well, you can also think yourself sick.

The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, not to worry about the future, or not to anticipate troubles, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly. - Siddhartha Bautama Buddha (Ancient Spiritual Teacher and Founder of Buddhism)

Sometimes we can get so caught up in the past that we forget that we've got a present to live in. We all have memories from our past that we treasure. Every now and then we like to pull them out, examine them and reflect on how they make us feel. When we're done, we put them back into our memory banks to enjoy another time.

For some people, the past never goes away, but continues to be with them on a daily basis. When a person feels a great sense of loss, they can sometimes mentally stay in that place that made them happy. They may feel that their present life doesn't have

much to offer them, and cannot compare to those days gone by when everything was so much better.

There are others who spend a lot of their time worrying about what might happen. They conjure up all sorts of bad scenarios in their head and can't seem to completely relax because they expect these imaginary things to come true.

The only way to truly appreciate life and enjoy it is to be fully present and aware of every moment.

Live in rooms full of light; Avoid heavy food; Be moderate in the drinking of wine

Take massage, baths, exercise, and gymnastics; Fight insomnia with gentle rocking or the sound of running water; Change surroundings and take long journeys; Strictly avoid frightening ideas Indulge in cheerful conversation and amusements; Listen to music. - A. Cornelius Celsus (Ancient Roman Encyclopedist)

The above quote came from an Ancient Roman writer, but it sounds like something you could hear nowadays from an enlightened person who is really into enjoying life. Billions of dollars are spent each year on various health remedies, and yet, here it is all laid out for us in simple language. Most people would find this advice pretty easy to follow.

You can change it up and add your own touches, but basically this is a pretty good blueprint for nourishing your mind and body. Knowledge is like a garden; if it is not cultivated, it cannot be harvested. – African Proverb

The best knowledge tends to get passed down throughout the ages. The only reason why we know anything about chakras or yoga is because someone valued these teachings enough to translate them. In our modern era, eastern philosophy on health and spirituality has been embraced and adapted into western culture.

Ancient gurus continue to be influential and inspiring to modern Indian gurus, who then pass along their interpretations to the rest of us. Here is just a small glimpse of some of the modern day teachers of mind and body healing:

Swami Sivananda Swami Sivananda studied medicine in Tanjore and became a doctor. He practiced medicine in Malaysia for 10 years and always treated the poor at no cost. Gradually, he began to feel that medicine could cure the physical body, but not the spirit. His spiritual quest brought him back to India where he ran a charitable clinic. His yoga focuses on proper breathing, relaxation, a vegetarian diet and positive thinking.

Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev is the founder of Isha Yoga, which promotes the belief that the body is a temple of the spirit. Good health is considered to be important to both spiritual and physical development. Practitioners believe that Isha Yoga transforms a person's inner chemistry and releases emotional, mental and physical blocks.

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Maharishi Mahesh Yogi is the creator of Transcendental Meditation and the movement that supports his philosophies and techniques. This traditional form of yoga is said to help a person achieve a higher state of consciousness by increasing mental alertness. While the mind stays alert, the body is completely relaxed.

Bharat Thakur Bharat Thakur is the founder of Artistic Yoga, which blends ancient yogic techniques with modern experimental methods. By focusing on vigor, stamina, flexibility, body awareness, alertness and meditation, a person can get relief from back and gastric problems, lose weight and increase energy.

Mata Amritanandamayi Mata Amritanandamayi is a much loved and revered spiritual leader in India. Her nickname is the "Hugging Saint" because she hugs and enjoys every person who attends her talks. She has always felt a deep attachment to her fellow human beings. Her calm voice and soothing words provide a welcome retreat from the stresses and worries in the world.

He who has health has hope, he who has hope, has everything. – Arabian Proverb

Finally, no matter what your current state of health may be, you owe it to yourself to keep reaching for your own version of immortality. Reclaiming your youthful vitality and feeling fantastic is within your reach. Never give up hope that you can achieve this goal.

The 3 Keys to Inner Immortality You are now stepping into a place where you can begin gaining access to your own immortality. This is the kind of immortality that exists inside of your mind. If you follow these 3 principles, you will gain more inner peace, strength and wisdom.

Meditation Almost every time you turn on the TV you see an advertisement for a medication that helps to lower high blood pressure or reduce your chances of having a heart attack or stroke. The pharmaceutical companies are selling a ton of these pills and making millions off of people who are suffering the ill effects of a stress-filled lifestyle. Doctors prescribe these pills as a quick way to deal with the problem and reduce the effects of these alarming symptoms before the body reacts in a catastrophic way.

While these pills are helpful to many people, they can have bad side effects that make taking them a risk in itself. I won't go into what these side effects are here but you can

easily go online and research these medications yourself. The point is that taking pills to deal with stress, and stress related illnesses, is usually the first remedy that is offered to those who are having these issues. But, what if you could get your blood pressure down in a completely natural way – would you choose that method instead?

If so, meditation is the perfect all natural remedy for any sort of stress related health problems. You may already know a little bit about meditation, because it's gotten a lot of publicity over the years. Basically, meditation is a practice where you sit quietly for several minutes and allow you mind and body to relax and focus only on non-stressful thoughts. The traditional goal of meditation is to create enlightenment towards a deeper understanding of yourself and the world around you.

For centuries, spiritual leaders and followers of many persuasions have practiced meditation. It is well known that monks in China, Japan and Tibet spend years mastering the art of meditation. Meditation came to western countries mainly from the teachings of gurus and yoga masters in India. Surprisingly, there is also a centuries old tradition of meditation among Christian spiritual leaders and followers as well.

Christians tend to label it as "deep contemplation" or "reflection" instead of meditation. While there are several different methods and schools of thought regarding meditation, it all boils down to the same simple idea of going into a state of calmness and relaxation.

One of the great things about meditation is that anyone can do it. Age, race or religion is not a barrier to learning and practicing this technique. To begin meditating, all you need is a quiet place to sit, 15 to 20 minutes of free time and a desired method of meditation. There is no right or wrong way to meditate, you can do it casually, or follow a popular method. It's important that you choose a meditation style that works

best for you personally. It's also okay to try different methods. If one doesn't work, another may be more appealing to you.

If you're still wondering if meditation is a viable alternative to taking pills for stress relief, there have been all sorts of research studies conducted on the effects of meditation by reputable institutions. Because of its positive benefits to mental and physical health, meditation has proven to be a fascinating subject to study.

A study by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) conducted a mortality rate study on people age 55 and older. The first group practiced Transcendental Meditation and the second group used other relaxation methods of achieving improved health. The study was conducted for 8 years. The findings were that those practicing TM lived 30% longer than the people in the control group. This is considered a remarkable achievement. They also report a reduction in common stress related problems like anxiety, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

A study featured in the American Journal of Hypertension reported that a group of people doing meditation had a 23% reduction in use of hypertension drugs than those who did not meditate.

The American Heart Association informs us that numerous studies show that meditation can increase artery health by at least 69% when done regularly.

Two recent studies did by Charles Drew University – Los Angeles and the University of Hawaii – Koala involved African American and Native Hawaiian participants. The studies were to show the effects of Transcendental Meditation on depression. Over a 9 to 12-month period, there was an overall 48% decrease of depression in those who were doing TM.

How to Do Transcendental Meditation Since the 1960s when the Beatles spent some time hanging out with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, there has been much written and discussed about Transcendental Meditation (TM). These days, it is one of the most popular methods of meditation for people around the world. While there are still some stereotypes about those who engage in TM, most people accept that TM is a great way to clear your mind, get focused and feel more at peace.

It is recommended that you do TM at least 3 times a day for 20 minutes for maximum benefit.

Step 1 – Find a room where you can be completely alone. Ideally, the room should have a soothing color. Clear the area of any distractions – you could even use a closet for this. Find a comfortable chair to sit in, or put some cushy cushions or pillows on the floor. This is now your designated meditation space.

Step 2 – Choose a short, simple phrase for your Mantra. A mantra can be a word like "ohm" or "love" or "peace."

Step 3 – Set a timer for 20 minutes. Sit down and close your eyes. Focus only on your own breathing. When you feel a sense of calm come over you, begin repeating your mantra word in your mind or out loud. Thoughts will come to you and when they do go ahead and acknowledge them, because you can't completely clear your mind of these thoughts. Allow them to drift away. Certain truths will come to you while meditating.

How to Do Mindfulness Meditation Another extremely popular form of meditation in the U.S. and elsewhere is Mindfulness Meditation. This form of meditation is all about focusing your mind on the present, gaining insight and learning not to judge yourself. It also has lots of beneficial health effects including improving mood and boosting the immune system.

It is recommended that you do Mindfulness Meditation at least 2 times a day for 1520 minutes for maximum benefit.

Step 1 – Find a quiet space or room to sit in. Make sure your head, neck and back are straight, but not stiff. Set a timer for 15 or 20 minutes.

Step 2 – Focus your mind only on what's happening right now. Become very aware of your breathing and feel your belly rise and fall in rhythm. Feel the air enter and leave your nose and mouth. Pay attention to how each breath you take changes from the next.

Step 3 – Make a mental note of thoughts drifting in and out of your mind. Don't engage them – just acknowledge they are there. Remain calm and focused on your breathing while these thoughts come and go. Quietly observe thoughts of anxiety, fear, worry or hope while not judging yourself one way or another. These thoughts are coming from your inner being and will bring you insight.

Step 4 – As your meditative session comes to a close, keep still for a couple of minutes and allow your mind to become aware of your immediate surroundings. Open your eyes, get up and appreciate being here.

Positive Thinking Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude. – Zig Zigler

Every day you wake up in the morning feeling good, bad or indifferent about yourself and your life. From the moment your feet hit the floor, your mental attitude is already determining what type of day you'll have. Most likely, you never give this much thought, but it's true. Okay, I know you're thinking that you can't possibly control everything that happens to you during the day, so what does your state of mind have anything to do with anything?

It's true. You don't really know what sorts of obstacles may face you in the coming hours. Or, maybe you do and aren't looking forward to it. Maybe you're expecting to have a good day, but something ominous is waiting around the corner. We really never know, but let's look at attitude from a different perspective for a moment.

A little boy by the name of Mattie is suffering from an incurable disease that is slowly robbing his body of oxygen and mobility. He is relegated to spending all of his waking hours in a customized wheelchair. He cannot bath, dress or feed himself and is totally dependent on others for his personal needs. However, he has such a giving spirit that when he found a nickel on the sidewalk, his mom urged him to keep it, but he insisted in returning it to its rightful owner.

In later years, Mattie went on to share his special thoughts about love and caring in a best-selling book. His book attracted lots of attention and he eventually appeared on the Oprah show. When Oprah announced that she was thinking of retiring after her 20th season, Mattie wrote her a thoughtful letter and told her why she needed to reconsider and continue with the show. His letter prompted Oprah to do another 5 years.

Unfortunately, Mattie passed away from his debilitating disease, but his spirit continues to live on, and Oprah proclaimed on one of her last shows that he was one of her alltime favorite guests. So, what did it take for Mattie to wake up and face each day?

Probably a lot of inner courage.

Yet, he did so with an amazingly positive attitude for such a young person. And, because he shared his positive view about life with others, he had a major impact on millions – and continues to do so even today.

The power of positive thinking can definitely influence how you handle the obstacles that come your way. We could all learn a thing or two from Mattie about how to keep our inner light shining throughout the day. When good things are happening, we can be grateful. When bad things are happening, we can make the most of it by showing we have determination and strength to get through anything.

You can motivate yourself to engage in more positive thinking by reading or speaking positive affirmations about yourself and the things you wish to accomplish. You can find lots of great affirmations in books and online, or write your own. Here are examples of affirmations:

I relinquish my anger, let go of impatience and accept peace and joy into my heart.

I am open and receptive to all the universe has to offer me without limits, restrictions, judgment or criticism.

I take the initiative to bring about change in my life and I believe I am worthy of success.

Visualization Visualization is the mental technique where you allow an image of something you desire to come into your mind. You focus intensely on this image, while at the same time, letting yourself believe that this image is already a reality. Basically, you are visualizing something that you wish to have happen and allowing your mind to think that it is already happening.

If you have ever had a daydream about something then you are already familiar with how to visualize a person, place or event. Daydreaming and visualization are very similar, except that when you visualize, you are much more focused on something in particular that you want to bring into your life.

Visualization is often used with positive affirmations to speed up the process of attracting whatever someone desires. There's a lot of discussion about what makes this a powerful technique, but you don't really need to spend a lot of time contemplating how or why it works. All you should care about is that it is another tool you can use to bring about positive changes in your life.

Successful people often use visualization to achieve a goal. Top athletes see themselves breaking records or scoring a lot of points to win a game. Entrepreneurs see people buying their products and services. World leaders see their ideas and policies taking hold in their countries.

Here is another simple technique that you can easily do anywhere and at anytime. It doesn't require any money or making a special effort. You can choose to keep your eyes open or closed. You could be riding in a car, bus, plane or train while visualizing. Or, you could be taking a stroll in your neighborhood or the park.

If you want to make your visualizations even more powerful, you can create a dream board or book. All you do is cut out pictures that represent the things that you desire and glue them onto a piece of cardboard, or into a scrapbook. When you look at these images, you can more easily see exactly what it is you want. This makes your desire a lot more real in your mind.

For instance, if you desire to own a new car, you could find a picture of the exact make and model you wish to own. Paste it into your book and maybe write "my new car" next to it. Go one step further and while looking at the picture, you imagine yourself driving around in this car and going to various places. Smell the interior and allow yourself to use the stereo and various amenities that come with your car.

Don't spend time wondering when your visions will come true – that's up to the universe. Just keep doing them and you'll eventually attract what you desire.

Chapter 4: The Ancient Rites The 5 Tibetan Rites to Eternal Youth Many years ago a British officer, Colonel Bradford, who was stationed in India, decided to go on a little adventure. During his time in this enchanting country, he'd often heard stories from wandering villagers about a group of monks living in a remote monastery who knew the secret to eternal youth. At first the Colonel thought it was just a fantastical story, but as he kept hearing it repeated by several other people familiar with these monks, his curiosity grew into a strong desire to discover if it was true.

Thus, he decided to set out to find this monastery and meet these miracle monks for himself. The only problem was that no one knew the exact location of the monastery. Undaunted by this obstacle, he kept gathering as much information as he could. He marveled at the stories told to him about old men becoming young again after they'd lived among these monks for a time. Illnesses mysteriously vanishing before their eyes. Could this really be possible?

Although he was only 40 at the time, Colonel Bradford was already experiencing the signs of premature aging. The rigors and stress of a lifetime of military service was taking its toll on his health. If there was a way to reverse the aging process, he would be the first to participate – if only he could find the source for this Fountain of Youth.

His curiosity quickly turned into an obsession and while he didn't find the location of the monks while in the service, it had never quite left his mind. Years went by and the retired Colonel moved to California, lived his life and continued growing old. As he reached his twilight years, he decided that he must give this Fountain of Youth thing

one more shot. He gathered up all of his notes and returned to India determined to not give up until he found the hidden monastery.

Bradford relied on his years of experience while in India to piece together a more exact location for the fabled remote area. Through his network of contacts there he felt he finally had enough credible information to set off on an expedition to the remote regions of the Himalayan Mountains. This was no small task for an elderly man to take on, but there was nothing in this world that was going to stop him now.

After a difficult trek, Colonel Bradford laid eyes on the legendary monastery that held the secret to eternal youth. The friendly monks welcomed him in and he was free to stay there as long as he wished. One of the first things that he noticed was that there were no "old" people living there. In fact, he was the oldest person among them. All of the monks were filled with lots of energy and youthful vitality. They were strong, healthy and mentally fit as a fiddle.

At a later time, when he was recounting his story, he remarked, "I was like a fish out of water. I marveled at everything I saw, and at times could hardly believe what was before my eyes." Being an old man who needed the assistance of a walking cane, he knew that he was in for quite an experience of a lifetime.

After spending many weeks at the monastery and following some of the practices of the monks, one day he found himself inside of a library filled with ancient manuscripts. This room contained centuries old secrets that have been carefully preserved in this remote place.

However, it wasn't the manuscripts that caught his attention; it was the full length mirror sitting in one part of the room. This was the first time he'd had a chance to see his reflection since he'd arrived – and the image he saw in that mirror startled him.

As Colonel Bradford stepped in front of the mirror, his eyes were fixated on the man he saw before him. It took him a few moments to accept that the man he was looking at was indeed him. Why, he looked 15 years younger!

Amazed, he realized that all of the stories that the villagers had told him about the remote monastery that caused old men to become young again were true. He knew because it had now happened to him. To achieve this miracle reversal of time, all he had done was eat a simple, healthy diet, listen to their teachings and follow the 5 Rites as the monks had instructed.

The monks believe that the body has 7 energy centers called Chakras that are like spinning wheels that move at a high rate of speed. This is the same mind/body health philosophy that is popular in other Asian countries. However, the monk's teachings included their own brand of yoga that was created to invigorate these energy centers and promote good health and longevity.

This style of yoga would later become known and the 5 Tibetan Rites or T5T for short. A few more years passed before Colonel Bradford returned to California. The people who knew him before he left could barely believe their eyes. He had left there an old man and came back a youthful one. Most people who didn't know him well guessed his age to be somewhere in the early 40s, but he was really in his early 70s! Not content to keep this Fountain of Youth to himself, he shared his knowledge of the T5T with others in India and in America. Soon, it spread throughout the U.S.

How to Do the 5 Tibetan Rites The T5T are a group of yoga exercises that was developed by Tibetan monks living in a rugged mountain region. These movements were designed to be performed in a continuous fashion and are excellent for increasing stamina and strength. They should be performed early in the morning or in the evening for 10-20 minutes. The maximum number of repetitions you should do is 21.

You should start out very gently and do only a few repetitions at a time until you get used to each movement. Most people will need an adjustment period to build up their agility and strength, so don't be concerned if you can only to a few reps at first. If you cannot do a specific movement at all, it's okay to skip it. Or, you may find a way to modify it and make it easier for you to perform.

If you are healthy and fit: You should start out by doing 3 repetitions of each exercise. Gradually increase the repetitions as you gain strength and endurance. If you are overweight, have health problems or are out of shape: Do only one out of the first 3 exercises for the first 3 days. This allows you to slowly build up strength. If you feel like continuing, then add on one more exercise per every 3 days. Keep repetitions low until you gain strength and endurance. You can also prepare your body for the 5 Rites by walking every day.

These exercises are meant to be a positive addition to your life, so don't force yourself to do something that makes you uncomfortable. Each movement has its own health benefits so feel free to use one or all.

A word of caution: If you have any pre-existing medical conditions like heart problems, multiple sclerosis, arthritis of the spine, Parkinson's Disease, uncontrolled high blood pressure, hyperthyroid problems, vertigo or take medication that makes you dizzy,

please consult your doctor before doing these exercises. The above health conditions may be aggravated by spinning and stretching movements. If you experience any uncomfortable side effects after doing these movements, please consult your doctor.

Proper Breathing An important element of the 5 Tibetan Rites is proper breathing while you are performing the movements. You will inhale and exhale at certain points of the exercise.

Deep Breathing Practice

Inhale Hold breath in your lungs for a beat Exhale Hold your empty lungs a beat

Rite #1: Spinning Spinning is probably something you did as a young kid for fun. You twirled around and around until you got dizzy and this made you laugh. It just so happens that the very first rite brings back this old childhood favorite. This is a very simple move that is designed to get the chakras in your body spinning energetically.

Because you are now an adult, you should not attempt to do a large amount of spins starting out. After about 6 repetitions you will begin to feel very dizzy, this is common for beginners. When you do get real dizzy, this is your cue to stop. Sit down or lay on the floor and allow your body to recover. In fact, it's better to not even let yourself get to the point of extreme dizziness. When you feel mildly dizzy you should end there.

Here's a tip to reduce your dizziness during this movement. Dancers and figure skaters are famous for their ability to spin around like a revolving top for many repetitions without stopping. When they are learning how to do this, they are told to focus their eyes on a specific point and stare straight ahead. As your body turns, keep your eyes on that point for as long as possible. Turn your head around quickly and focus your eyes again on that same point. Mastering this trick cuts down a lot on the dizziness.

Let's Get Started Important: Always spin from left to right.

Stand completely erect and stretch both arms out to your sides in a horizontal direction. Your arms should be lined up with your shoulders and your palms should be facing down. Begin spinning your body around like a top for up to 21 repetitions.

Breathing: Inhale and exhale deeply while doing each spin movement.

Rite #2: Head and Leg Raises The second rite continues the stimulation of your chakra centers. For this movement you'll need to lay down on the floor. It's best to lay on a rug, carpet or exercise mat. This movement is also very simple to do and you probably have done it before in the past. When you lay down on the floor you want to keep your body as straight as possible.

If you are older or out of shape, please do not overexert yourself on this one. Remember that everything is achievable with time and effort, so if you find that you cannot lift your head or legs up off the floor that much, do what you can and feel good about making the effort. Eventually, it will get easier.

The Colonel relates a story about an elderly man who was in one of his T5T classes. The man was very old and weak and could barely lift his legs into a straight position. Instead of giving up on the movement, the man decided to bend his legs while hanging them a little in the air. This was all he could do and he was comfortable with it. Gradually, he gained his strength and at the end of three months could do the movement perfectly.

Let's Get Started Lie down on the floor or mat and place your arms tightly against your body. Lay your hands flat on the floor alongside of your hips. Keep your fingers close together. Raise your head off of the floor while tucking your chin into your chest. At the same time, raise your legs off the floor, while keeping your knees very straight, in a vertical position. Hold this position for a moment or two, and then allow both your head and body to lower back down to the floor. Repeat this movement up to 21 repetitions.

Breathing: As you lift up your head and legs, breathe in deeply. As you lower your head and legs, exhale.

Rite #3: Back Arches Rite number three is a movement that allows you to focus your attention inward. The monks believe that everything that we are as human beings begins from within us. The Colonel noticed that while he watched the monks perform these rites in unison, they seemed to turn off all outward distractions. The full force of your energy is hidden inside of you and by focusing inward; you can harness this energy to rejuvenate both mind and body.

Back arches should be done immediately after the head and leg lifts. The first three movements work in harmony to stimulate your energy levels and get you mentally centered.

Let's Get Started Kneel down on a rug or mat and keep your body fully straight. Arms should be down at your sides and palms laid flat against the hips. Slowly bring your head forward and tuck your chin against your chest. Next, bring your head all the way back and lean your body back as far as possible. As you does this second movement allow your arms to

bend. Brace your arms against your back hips for support. Return to an erect position and relax for a moment. Repeat this movement up to 21 times.

Breathing: Inhale deeply as you arch your back. Exhale as you return to an erect position.

Rite #4: The Table Now we are at a point where you will need to extend a little more effort to do this particular movement. Starting from a sitting position, you're going to turn your body into a table. I know it doesn't sound comfortable, but it's really not that bad once you get used to doing it. Remember, your body is very flexible and can be stretched into various positions once the muscles are trained.

Many elderly and out of shape people have a difficult time doing this fourth rite when they first attempt it. It requires a certain amount of strength to be able to lift your body up into the table position. Colonel Bradford admits that he had a really tough time with it in the beginning, and so did the older people in his classes. However, with persistence most were able to complete the movement after a while and add on many more repetitions as time went on. This may be a movement that you'll need to modify for the time being and then go at your own pace until you become stronger. For instance, you can use an exercise ball or a bench to help you.

Let's Get Started Sit down on the floor and put your legs straight out in front of you. Spread your feet about 12-inches apart. Your back and torso should be straight. Your arms are at your sides and your palms are face down on the floor a little ways from your hips.

Lean your head forward and tuck your chin into your chest. Gently drop your head backward as far as it can go. Using your arms and legs for support, raise your body up off the floor while keeping your arms straight. Your knees should bend to form the "legs" of the table. When you are in the correct position, the top of your body should be completely flat – just like a coffee table.

Tense up your muscles and hold this position for a few moments. Allow your muscles to relax as you return to the original sitting position. Rest a moment or two before repeating up to 21 repetitions.

Breathing: Inhale deeply as you raise your body up into the table position. Hold your breath as you tense your muscles. Exhale fully as you relax and return to a sitting position. Keep up your rhythmic deep breathing during the rest period.

Rite #5: Modified Cobra This fifth and final rite increases your strength, flexibility and balance and is done as one continuous movement. By now, your chakra centers are fully stimulated and you are supporting this renewed energy and extending your longevity. The previous exercises should have warmed your body up by this point, making this movement easier to perform.

Important: Your hands and feet should be two feet apart during the entire movement.

Let's Get Started Lie down with your face towards the floor. Lift your torso up by extending your arms up straight (similar to a push up). Palms are flat on the floor. Support your legs with your toes. Lean your head back as far as it will go and arch your back at the same time.

Push your hips up off the floor as far as you can until your body forms an upside down "V" position. Tuck your chin into your chest and hold for a moment. Relax your muscles as you allow your body to come back down into the original position. Perform this movement up to 21 repetitions.

Breathing: Inhale deeply as you raise your body. Exhale as you lower your body.

Benefits of the 5 Rites There are many people who perform these 5 Tibetan Rites every day and report that they enjoy them and have a renewed mind and body. It is said that Colonel Bradford's gray hair actually returned to its original color. While this may not happen for you, some of the widely reported benefits others are experiencing are:

Improved vision Improved memory Improved posture Improved digestion Feeling more energized Reduction of mood swings Relief from stress and muscle tension Body toning and elimination of excess fat Feeling relaxed and generally more happy Increased physical strength, stamina and flexibility

Maybe by now you're wondering if these 5 simple exercise movements can really do all of this for a person. Well, one thing is for sure, you'll never know unless you give it a try. Everyone is different and your results may be the same or unique from other people's experience with this. The important thing to remember is that these rites have been done for centuries by monks and others who live in remote regions of Asia.

Some people consider these simple isometric exercises and dismiss them because they are so simple. But, hey, consider that the monks live in a mountainous region where they don't have a big supermarket or mall to grab what they need. If they need food, clothing or material goods, they must often make it themselves or travel for miles on

foot. These simple movements are necessary to keep them alive and strong enough to endure their living conditions.

Why does the key to a longer life have to be so complicated?

You certainly won't find health and rejuvenation in any of the pharmaceutical drugs commonly available in our society. Although, many would like you to believe those colorful pills are the only things that will extend your life.

The 5 Tibetan Rites work so well because they ARE simple to do.

Everybody who is paying attention these days knows that eating healthier foods and exercising adds years to your life. People are spending thousands a year on diet plans, vitamins and health club memberships. Yet, we still see too many people who are not able to stick with any one thing for a significant period of time.

So, why not try these simple exercises and see if you can extend your life in just 10 minutes a day. Everybody has 10 minutes they can spare. Doing a little spinning and stretching for a few minutes is going to be such a revelation for you that I bet you'll actually look forward to it each day.

Get started today and you'll be one step closer to becoming ageless.

How Soon Will You See Results? From the day you begin doing the 5 Tibetan Rites your body will react to these movements. It may be just a small change at first, but as soon as you put these rites into motion you will greatly influence your energy. Life comes from energy and each time

you spin or stretch your body, you are replacing the energy that has been zapped out of you by life events.

When it comes to actually feeling the effects in a larger sense, many people say they can notice a difference in their overall health and well being after only a week. It really depends on how dedicated you are to doing the movements. The body was designed to move and in order to reclaim your youthful vitality; you've got to get moving.

The cool thing is that you don't even have to change out of your pajamas to do the rites. You don't need any fancy exercise clothes or shoes. You don't have to go outside or jump onto an exercise machine. And, you don't have to watch an exercise guru try to teach you complicated steps that forces you to sweat like a pig.

Simply get out of bed, spin and stretch.

Awesome.

Chapter 5: Oriental Remedies for Immortality The Road Towards Longevity Points East To western culture, Asia has always been seen as a land of mystery and hidden secrets. For hundreds of years, adventure seekers have trekked to the land of the orient to find knowledge, health or treasure. Most Asian cultures are centuries old and have long held traditions that seem foreign to our eyes. And yet, we still can't keep from wanting to learn more and more about the people of Asia and their various cultural practices. This shouldn't be too surprising, though, the world is constantly shrinking and with today's technology, you can visit anyplace in the world if you have an Internet connection.

It's hard to believe that only a few decades ago, China was closed off to most modern Americans. Now we are common trade partners. India is the same way. While the British have had a long and sometimes turbulent history with India, Americans only knew about it from books and movies until very recently. Fortunately, we are now catching up with the rest of the world and embracing the accumulated wisdom that has been passed down throughout the ages.

Our fast-paced western culture is not designed to promote long life and extended youthful vitality for its citizens. Sure, there's a huge diet and healthcare industry that thrives on churning out all sorts of information and remedies that's supposed to help us all live longer, but in reality, the dominant culture is very unhealthy. We are encouraged to work our little fingers to the bone on the job to make sure our company earns enough profits to allow us to keep our job. The pressure to remain highly productive, regardless of how much compensation we actually receive, is often the cause of much work related stress. And, do we Americans take enough vacation to get away from it all?

Nope. Unfortunately, the majority of Americans don't even use all of their vacation days. That tells you right there that we are not getting enough rest and relaxation time to recharge our batteries. But, we don't even seem to notice this at all. Another thing that is cutting into our longevity is the lack of taking good care of our physical bodies. Eating foods that truly nourish our body and getting in enough exercise is a major problem. Obesity is flourishing among kids and adults alike.

When we look towards Asia, we often see people who are thinner, healthier and aging better than we are. Yet, we have all of this modern technology at our disposal. We like to pride ourselves in being such a technologically advanced country, yet we are also a country that is aging faster and dying younger than everyone else. We are desperate to find the answers that can stop this slide into mental and physical disrepair. When you take all of this into consideration, it's no wonder that the health secrets of Asia are becoming increasingly popular here.

There are literally billions of people in Asia and most of them use some form of holistic remedy to fight off illness, or promote the continuation of good health. The amount of knowledge they have about various herbs, plants, roots and fruits are simply amazing compared to what we know. You see they have had their physicians testing out the components and health effects of these herbal solutions for centuries. Some of these remedies have been used for thousands of years. Sure, we have great technology, but they have the wisdom of the ages on their end.

Because the United States is such a cultural melting pot, it was only a matter of time before some of the more popular holistic medicines and practices entered into our normal lives. But, holistic medicine isn't something new - it's just being revisited. Before

the era of modern pharmaceuticals took over, earlier Americans relied a lot on herbal preparations made from nature. Doctors and average citizens often took plant based remedies for all sorts of ailments. Some worked and some didn't, but it was very common and widely accepted.

As medicine became more sophisticated, people were encouraged by doctors and the medical community at large to turn away from holistic cures, and instead, rely solely on manufactured medications. As more people moved into the cities and away from rural traditions, it was easy to simply pick up a pill or syrup at the corner drugstore that was mass produced. As the population grew, standardization of drugs was needed in order to ensure public safety. Holistic medicine was seen as something "old fashioned" and was pushed aside in favor of synthetic drugs. While holistic medicine never fully went away in America, it was no longer considered mainstream.

With the new cultural openness of the 1960s and 70s, attitudes began to change, and Americans began to look towards the East for healing of the mind, body and spirit. Today, it is quite common to walk into a drugstore, or health food store, and find all sorts of natural herbal remedies that have their origins in Asia.

We are now still "discovering" holistic healing methods and wonder drugs that have existed in the east for a very long time. In this chapter you will learn about some popular oriental remedies that are making a real splash in this part of the world.

Ayurveda Medicine In the Indian language Sanskrit, Ayruveda means the "science of life" and is an accurate way of describing the world's oldest existing medical system. Ayurveda is a combination of practices and treatments that originated in India, Nepal, Persia and

Tibet. It differs from the western version of traditional medicine in that it is completely holistic in nature. In other words, treatment involves the mental, physical and spiritual aspects of an individual. In India, this 5,000-year old medical science is their primary healthcare system. Over 90% of the Indian population uses some form of Ayruvedic therapy.

In the West, Ayruveda has been championed by such well-known people as Deepak Chopra, who himself became a convert after becoming a conventional doctor. Chopra trained to become a traditional westernized doctor and eventually became the Chief of Staff at New England Memorial Hospital. Although very successful in his career and personal life, he also had a lot of stress in his life, drank a ton of black coffee and smoked a pack of cigarettes each day.

In 1981, Chopra met a prominent Ayurvedic physician by the name of Brihaspati Dev Triguna, who told him that his life was moving too fast. He also told him that he was in danger of developing heart disease. Alarmed, Chopra decided to slow things down and become more mind and body aware. Chopra also began to practice Transcendental Meditation daily, which he credits with helping him think more clearly and recover quicker from stressful situations. In 1984 he met the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi who advised him to learn all about Ayurveda, which he chose to do.

Only a year later, Chopra became the director of the Maharishi Ayurveda Health Center for Stress Management in Lancaster, MA. During this time he also founded the American Association for Ayurvedic Medicine. Subsequently, he began to devote his life to the practice and consultation of Ayurveda. This led him to write several bestselling books and appear on numerous talk shows. While the U.S. and other western countries would have eventually discovered this ancient form of medicine from other sources, it cannot be denied that Deepak Chopra had a lot to do with the speed of which it has been accepted in the west.

Today in the U.S., Ayruveda is considered to be an acceptable alternative healthcare treatment that supplements traditional medicine. Some of the most popular treatments among Americans are meditation, massage therapy and cleansing therapies. When you visit an Ayurvedic physician, you will not be given a "one size fits all" type of treatment. The philosophy behind this practice is that each individual must be evaluated according to their own unique body and lifestyle makeup. A full medical history is taken first and then you are given recommendations for exercise, nutrition, personal hygiene, social interactions and other lifestyle elements.

Compare that to the typical visit to a traditional American doctor's office. You go in and the doctor examines you briefly. You may chat about your previous or existing medical conditions. Shortly, you are either sent home with advice to rest and take it easy or you are given a prescription for a medication to address the problem. Any other discussion concerning your personal life is left for chitchat. There is very little discussion, if any, about how your medical problems may be connected to the other parts of your body, or if your sense of contentment with life is out of sorts.

Ayruveda treatments involve the use of numerous medicines derived from herbs, animals and minerals, sesame and sunflower oils rubbed on the body or added to food, head, body or foot massage, herbal facial masks, steam box therapy, detoxification

therapy, acupressure, dietary recommendations, lifestyle and spirituality counseling, meditation and yoga.

It can be an empowering experience to have someone speaks to you directly about your mental and spiritual health in addition to the physical. This isn't about religion, though, it's more about your connection to the divine within and without. It's thinking about your body like it is a temple - and you wouldn't want to mistreat a temple. You are living in the only body you're ever going to get and you are its caretaker. No one else can possibly care about it as much as you do, because you are the only one that really knows what exactly is going on inside of you.

Ayruveda also offers rejuvenation therapy that claims to reverse or slow down the aging process, increases virility and improves fertility. Because the treatment is very individualized, you would need to see a practitioner in your area to find out more about the full range of treatments available to you.

A word of caution: About 20% of the Ayruvedic herbal preparations that are sold in local shops or online contain high amounts of mercury, lead or arsenic. This includes medicines for children. About 80 people, who were known to have used these medicines, developed lead poisoning and needed chelation therapy to recover. There are two forms of herbal medicines: rasha shastra and non-rasha shastra. A random sampling that was researched found that the there were higher levels of dangerous metals in the rasha shastra medicines. This is largely due to the rasha shastra practice of mixing herbs with metals like lead, mercury, iron and zinc. Gems such as pearls are also added to the mix. Most of these medicines are not tested, so be very careful where you get your Ayruvedic medicines and insist on proof of safety.

Chinese Herbs For centuries, Chinese herbs have been used to make medicines for the treatment of a wide range of health conditions. Traditionally, Chinese herbs are rated according to their "Qi" or blood energy. This means that each herb has been tested according to the type of energy it produced in the human body. This testing was actually done by Chinese physicians who took the herb themselves and then carefully observed and wrote down the energetic qualities they experienced. As a result, the herbs were categorized and matched up to treat a particular ailment.

It is believed that these herbs can restore a person's energy and this is why traditionally, a Chinese physician will meet with a patient, evaluate them and determine which herbs are needed to cure the affliction. Medicine is often prescribed and formulated on a caseby-case basis. This is much different than how things are done in the U.S. and other western countries. Our medicines tend to be formulated and packaged in a standardized dosage. Everyone must take the same dose regardless of their body type or personal energy requirements.

Another interesting thing about Chinese herbal medicine is that they are also rated according to four distinct categories: cold, cool, warm and hot. These classifications work in harmony with their concept of "yin" and "yang" or the duality of nature. In other words, cooling herbs are used to cool what is hot and warming herbs heat what is cold. Herbal remedies revolve around how they can create balance in an individual.

Before a physician prescribes an herb, they will consider:

Does the herb have a warming or cooling effect? What kind of energy does the herb produce – more energy or less? What part of the body is this energy directed towards?

Most Chinese herbal remedies come from various plants, roots and fruits and are commonly used for both medicinal preparations, as well as, in basic cooking. For instance, a soup dish may contain a favored medicinal herb that promotes a strong immune system.

Chinese herbs have 5 main tastes that include sweet, sour, salty, bitter and pungent. Each taste is associated with a particular function. For instance, a pungent tasting herb can speed up the body's metabolism and create a feeling of vitality. A bitter tasting herb removes excessive body heat. A sweet tasting herb brings the body into harmony. Contrast that to the medicine that you normally taste. If it has any flavor at all, it is to make it go down easier, and not related to what it does in the body.

When selecting which herbal medicines to give their patients, a traditional Chinese physician will take all of these things into consideration. They must first evaluate the energy and specific needs of the patient, and then find the correct herbs that have the right energy combination that can effectively target the problem. Currently, westernized medicine is turning to these ancient herbal remedies for answers to some of today's perplexing diseases. These herbs are being studied and examined for their active properties. Some of these herbs are finding their way into new western drug formulations. Still, there is much more that can be studied about Chinese herbs and their relation to healing the human body.

When it comes to longevity, Chinese herbs have a long history here as well. Certain herbs, foods and spices have long been used in China to create medicines that promote

long and healthy living. A few of these have gained popularity in this country and are also used in common meals.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is often used in western countries as a flavor enhancement for dessert dishes. You sprinkle a little in your favorite fruit pie, or shake it on top of a cup of eggnog or creamy coffee. And, let's not forget our devotion to that classic pastry treat – the cinnamon bun. To us, cinnamon makes things taste better by adding just the right amount of spice. However, in traditional Chinese medicine it is valued as a warm herb that can treat allergies and a variety of blood related illnesses. Ginseng

For thousands of years, ginseng has been considered a sweet tasting herb that increases energy levels. It is given to people in need of additional energy to fight off disease. Ginseng tea is a popular tonic for good health and longevity.

Mushrooms

To most westerners, mushrooms are something that you add to a salad, sprinkle on top of a hamburger or pizza or fry in deep batter for a snack. We kind of take them for granted as an optional food source. However, in China they are viewed as something much more. Mushrooms are used in both traditional Chinese cooking and in many medicinal preparations. They are prized for their immune boosting properties.

There are other, less well-known longevity herbs that we are just now finding out about. One such herb is the medicinal cornel fruit or morinda fruit. This is a sour tasting date that is used to boost the kidney, liver and lung area of the body. In the third

century A.D. it was a major ingredient in a popular longevity medicine called "eight flavored tablets," that was prescribed to treat serious conditions like diabetes and chronic nephritis. It was also given to people suffering sexual weakness.

During the Manchu Dynasty, most emperors were known to live shorter lives due to their lifestyle excesses and stressful political environments. However, there was one emperor who defied these odds and lived to the age of 89, which was the longest lifespan for an emperor up to that point. His name was Qian Long and he lived during the 1700s.

Emperor Qian Long called himself the "long life emperor" and was proud that he continued to have youthful vitality into his senior years. This was even documented by a British ambassador to China at the time that wrote, "When I met Emperor Qian Long, he was already at the age of 83, but he looked as if he was only 60 years old. He was in perfect good health and surpassed young men in energy and spirits."

There are many traditional Chinese physicians who credited the emperor's longevity to herbs and, in particular, medicinal cornel fruit, which he consumed regularly. So, it appears that when taken appropriately, and in the right amounts, Chinese herbal remedies are another way to promote good health and a long life.

Juzen-taiho-to The Japanese also have a long cultural tradition of using herbal medicines to enhance health, happiness and overall well being. Thousands of years of cultural exchanges with the Chinese have influenced how the Japanese use their own herbal preparations. However, in modern Japan, herbal remedies must pass through rigorous tests and meet certain standards of safety in order to be officially approved for use.

A longevity formula that is very popular among today's Japanese is called Juzen-taihoto, which is a medicinal remedy containing 10 herbs that is used to treat a variety of illnesses. The remedy is mainly viewed as a strengthening tonic for those who are sick or elderly. It is commonly taken to address such health problems as chronic fatigue, rheumatoid arthritis, anemia, ulcerative colitis, night sweats and circulatory problems.

Right now, if you live outside of Japan, you are more likely to be able to read about this in a book than actually lay your hands on the actual remedy. It's not that wide spread at the moment. There may be some online resources that will help you locate a trusted source, but you should be wary of imitations.

Effects on Immune System Studies conducted on the health benefits of Juzen-taiho-to show that it does wonders for the immune system and helps the body fight cancer and tumor growth. Laboratory tests on mice show that the remedy retards the growth of tumors. Japanese cancer patients often take Juzen-taiho-to to improve their energy and decrease the negative side effects of chemotherapy.

What are the 10 herbs?

The 10 herbs in Juzen-taiho-to are:

Astrogalus Root – An antiviral herb used for fatigue, diarrhea, loss of appetite, lowering blood pressure and increasing circulation.

Atractylodes Rhizome – A botanical herb used for digestive problems, bloating, diarrhea, fatigue and easing joint pain.

Chuangxiong – An herb used for promoting good blood circulation and as a pain reliever.

Cinnamon Bark – An herb used for easing indigestion, diarrhea, flu symptoms, parasitic worms and stimulating the appetite.

Dong Quai – An herb used for menopause symptoms, regulating blood sugar, anemia and preventing blood clots.

Panax Ginseng – An herb used for improving digestion, lung function and overall energy.

Hoelen – A botanical used for high blood pressure, sedation and also acts as a diuretic.

Licorice – A botanical used as an antiviral remedy and a cough suppressant.

Peony Root – A botanical used for anemia and poor circulation.

Rehmannia Root – A botanical used for blood pressure, improving blood flow in the brain, improving cholesterol and countering weakness. May also help to prevent premature balding and graying.

Thai Miracle Herb Most people look to China or India when seeking out herbal remedies for various ailments. However, hidden away in Southeast Asia, a simple plant has been hailed for centuries as a miracle herb for its amazing abilities of rejuvenation. Pueraria mirifica (PM) or kudzu as the local people of Thailand call it, has been around for centuries, but is just now gaining a lot of attention in the west.

The earliest recorded accounts of this wonder herb date back to 14th century Thailand. Tonics made from the herb were often given as gifts to Northern Kingdom monks from visitors. In the 1930s Thai scholars translated numerous ancient palm leaf paper scrolls detailing the extraordinary benefits derived from ingesting the PM plant.

Centuries later, the people of Thailand are still taking medicine and tonics made from pure PM. Many believe that it is the key to their own version of the Fountain of Youth. This is no small claim. Visit with any elderly Thai villager who consumes PM on a daily basis, and they'll tell you that they feel young, vibrant and full of energy. People in their 80s are walking around with full heads of thick wavy hair that has not a speck of gray. It is also taken to ward off other visible signs of aging like wrinkles and sagging skin.

One of the most promising attributes that PM is said to have is the ability to relegate hormone levels in both men and women. The main active ingredient this plant is miroestrol, a compound that is very similar to one of the three main estrogens found in the human body. While there are other herbal alternatives that also mimic estrogen, PM is said to be 100 times more powerful than even red clover, a popular menopause relief herb.

In fact, the estrogen like receptors in PM act as a balancing agent in that it can naturally regulate the body's amount of estrogen. For example, if your estrogen levels are too

high, the herb provides added estrogen; too low and it decreases estrogen levels. That's pretty amazing when you think about it. Especially in light of the fact that there is much discussion about what types of medicinal therapies are safe for menopausal women to take. To this end, there have been some studies done with mixed results.

There is no doubt that PM has excellent hormone regulating properties, but at the same time, there are some side effects that have been experienced in one research group. These side effects include breast pain, headaches, vaginal discharge and some spotting in a few cases. Another side effect noticed in a 2004 study was short-term anemia. Additional studies are being conducted on its cancer fighting effects – especially breast cancer. Breast cancer rates in Thailand are much lower than in the U.S.

Another popular use for PM is as a natural breast enhancer. Those same estrogen properties are said to have the effect of enlarging the breast somewhat. There are now lots of preparations sold to western women for this very purpose. Apparently, even some of the LA Lakers cheerleaders have been known to take it for perkier breasts.

While this all sounds exciting, keep in mind that the Thai villagers have access to a natural and pure form of PM. In remedies that are sold in stores or online, it's hard to know if you are getting the real herb or another similar herb. There are 13 different species of kudzu plants and they all look very much alike. Someone must be extremely skilled at picking out the exact PM herb in order to ensure the purity of the formula; and that a person experiences these health benefits. The look-alike herbs can cause unpleasant side effects. This is why you should try to research your source for PM very carefully before purchasing it.

Massage Therapy Have you ever felt completely tense in the area of your neck and shoulders and had someone come along and give you a quick neck massage? I bet you felt a sense of immediate relief afterwards (considering the person giving you the massage was someone you liked and trusted). It's amazing what a little muscle manipulation can do for the body.

And that's exactly what massage is on the surface. Technically it's the manipulation of soft body tissues (muscles, tendons and ligaments) with the hands, fingers or other instruments. This massaging action has the effect of releasing tension and relaxing those soft tissues. Okay, now that you know the official definition, let's discuss some reasons why you should incorporate regular massage into your alternative health regimen.

Pain Relief When muscles tense up, they can sometimes go into spasms that send a signal to your body's pain sensors. Some of the areas where muscle pain is often a big problem are the neck, shoulders, back and legs. Depending on the level of pain you are experiencing, it can be annoyingly tolerable all the way to completely debilitating. Back pain in particular falls into this category. We've all heard stories about a person suffering from such chronic back pain where they literally beg someone to walk on their back in order to get some relief.

Clinical style massage therapy is often recommended for those suffering from painful muscle tightness, injuries, nerve compression and scar tissue problems. Clinical massage specifically targets a problem area for rehabilitation. Specific massage techniques such as kneading, hot or cold therapies, static compression, resistive stretching or skin rolling may be used to ease pain and strengthen muscles.

Styles of clinical massage include:

Lymphatic Drainage Myofascial Release Myofascial Trigger Point Neuromuscular Therapy Orthopedic Massage Post Surgical/Injury Therapy Rehabilitation Rolfing Sports/Athletic Therapy Structural Integration Thai Massage

Stress Relief Relaxation style massage therapy is recommended for relief from physical and mental stress, as well as, overall good health and well being. At some point during the course of a lifetime, most people will experience symptoms related to stress. This stress could be brought on by personal matters, school matters or work-related matters. It's common for people to just absorb all of this stress from internal and external sources into the

muscles of the body. This causes muscles to tense up and become stiff and uncomfortable.

When this happens, you may rub your shoulders a little with your hand and roll your neck around a few times. However, this response is only touching the tip of the iceberg of your embedded stress. In order to root out this accumulation of stress from your body completely, you should visit a massage therapist who is trained in various stress reducing techniques.

I do not say this lightly, because stress is a known cause of many types of illnesses. It always starts out with feelings if intense stress, but if untreated, ends up turning into deeper physical and mental problems. So, when you feel that stress is hampering your sense of wellness, it's time to weed it out so that you can return to a balanced state of being.

In addition to stress relief, you may experience increased circulation, improvement of mood, better sleep and increased energy. Common relaxation massage techniques are gliding, kneading, hand rolling, percussion, rocking/jostling, passive stretching and vibration.

Styles of relaxation massage include:

Chair Massage Esalen Massage Geriatric Massage Infant Massage LaStone Therapy Lomi Lomi

Medically Fragile Patient Massage Pregnancy Massage Spa Massage Therapy Swedish Massage Watsu

Tai Chi Chuan What if you could obtain better health and reclaim your youthful vitality simply by moving your body in a series of slow, stretching motions?

This is exactly what people all over China and around the world are doing today to stay in shape and ward off debilitating disease and illness. Tai Chi Chuan or "Tai Chi" for short is a form of martial arts exercise that was originally invented for self-defense, but in modern times has been widely adapted as a health and healing art form. In China, for instance, you'll find scores of senior citizens doing their Tai Chi Chuan exercises outdoors in unison. There slow moving movements are mesmerizing and intriguing at the same time.

In fact, the exercises are so slow that it makes you wonder how it can extend a person's energy levels so much. I mean, in the U.S. we often associate beneficial exercise with lots of physical exertion and taxing movements that can often make us sweat and beg for a break. And yet, here are these seniors who are in great shape and they stay that

way doing slow moving exercises without breaking a sweat. Maybe it's time to reconsider our view of what exercise has to be, you think?

The exercises focus on using inner power to exert concentrated strength through the pushing of hands. Here again, we find the popular Asian philosophy of turning inward to find the real source of power and then projecting it in an outward fashion. The good news is that you don't have to know anything about martial arts, or even like regular exercise, to participate in this method. Anyone can do this, but as with all things of this nature, you first have to learn how to put it all together in a synchronized fashion.

Although, Tai Chi Chuan seems deceptively simple to outsiders, in reality, it does take some time to learn all of the most popular movements. The slowness of movement has nothing to do with how much benefit the muscles in the body are getting. Each muscle group is being stretched out and manipulated for maximum energy releasing benefits. This is great for older people because we all tend to slow down with age. Unfortunately, the less you move your body around, the easier it is for the muscles and tendons to become stiff and susceptible to pain.

But, Tai Chi Chuan compares favorably with yoga in that it gets the whole body moving in rhythm and engages both muscles and joints. The more you stretch your muscles, the more the blood in your circulatory system can move with ease. Your circulatory system is connected to your major organs and your organs are connected to your energy centers, etc. So, you can quickly see how all of this movement starts a chain reaction throughout your body and stimulates all points of energy to foster increased stamina.

Many medical experts now consider Tai Chi Chuan as one of the best exercises one can do for reducing the symptoms of arthritis, musculoskeletal conditions and rheumatism. Studies also show that the exercises can lower blood pressure, reduce stress and provide relief from inflammation. Those suffering from Multiple Sclerosis (MS) may also find some benefits.

Tai Chi Chuan is certainly one of the most popular of the Asian alternative health practices that has crossed into the mainstream health community. Tai Chi Chuan classes are taught in numerous communities throughout the U.S. You can also find lots of great teachers who have put these exercises on DVD for enjoyment in the home. Because it is so readily available and easy to do, this should definitely be one of the things you add to your growing list of longevity boosting activities.

Conclusion The Power of Ageless Thinking Now that you have read this book, you can no longer sit by and allow yourself to keep growing older and weaker while feeling powerless to do anything about it. The information in this book has exposed you to the wisdom of the ages that so many before you have sought to learn. You are at the beginning of a new chapter in your life. Your new ageless thinking is going to take you on a journey to discovering your own inner immortality.

You now know that it's not just a pipe dream to expect to live a long and healthy life. And not only can you look forward to increased longevity, but you can also keep all your mental and physical attributes working in tip top shape. The popular view of aging used to be that after 65 you just sat around and watched the world go by as you remember the "good old days" of your youth. There was nothing that old people should look forward to as their best days were behind them.

Fortunately, this is no longer the acceptable view of aging. Aging today, means being fully engaged in life and in living every day like it means something. And, it does mean something no matter what age you happen to be. Remember, "age is just a number" and your chronological age has nothing to do with your mental and physical age. I mean, there are some 50 year olds who walk around like they're 80 and 80 year olds who have

the vitality of people in their 30s. Your inner age is whatever you want it to be. So, how old do you want to be right now? Think young and you'll feel young.

Let's briefly review what you've learned in this book. In Chapter One you discovered the Age Old Truth about immortality and how the desire to live a long time has been around since ancient times. This planet is our home and it's natural to want to stick around and enjoy it for as long as possible. There have been kings, emperors and explorers all looking for the magical secret that extends life. In reality, the search for immortality begins on the inside of each person. You've got to look inward and examine how you currently are living your life. This includes taking an honest look at what your mental and physical state of being is at the moment.

Good health is really a state of mind and your thoughts have a lot to do with what goes on in your physical body. If you have negative views about your ability to successfully change your habits from unhealthy choices to healthy ones, you will continue to be stuck in a weakened state. On the other hand, if you decide to take up a positive attitude while taking action on eating better and exercising, you'll be able to achieve your goals a lot easier.

In order to begin reversing the aging process, you need to retool your mind to adapt to a new way of thinking about aging. The mind and body connection is very strong and cannot be separated from one another. Once you begin believing that you can become ageless, your physical body and overall health will change too.

In Chapter Two you learned about Energy Centers and how they are like spinning wheels that determine how well you function both mentally and physically. In the

eastern tradition, these energy centers are called Chakras and there are 7 chakra points that correspond to a specific part of the body.

All of the body's major organs, glands and the central circulatory system are connected to a specific chakra. The chakras themselves are identified by various colors and meanings. The concept of chakras can be traced back to texts from ancient India and this information has been passed down by each generation of spiritual leaders and teachers.

These energy centers in your body are constantly spinning at a specific rate of speed. Ideally, they should be spinning very rapidly to ensure good health. However, sometimes these energy centers slow down and go off balance. This is when illness and disease can take over and overwhelm the body. In order to reverse this imbalance and return the body to a healthy state, it's necessary to take action to get all energy centers working in harmony with each other again.

In Chapter Three you began Accessing Your Inner Immortality by going deeper into thinking about what it really means to be immortal. It's not necessarily about living forever; instead, it's about extending the quality and duration of your life for as long as possible. Because the body breaks down as we age, certain steps must be taken to ensure that this process is greatly slowed down. When you can do that successfully, you'll increase the quality of your daily life by tenfold.

Fighting the aging process is not about taking pills and addressing various illnesses only when they pop up out of the blue. It's about being proactive in your ageless thinking and taking preventative measures to not get sick in the first place. Modern medical science doesn't have all the answers to keeping you healthy. If they could do this, there wouldn't be such a high incidence of sickness and disease in our society. So, instead of sitting back and letting the stresses and strains of life take their toll on you,

it's time to take charge of your own well being and create your own life preservation program.

You also learned about the 3 Keys to Immortality, meditation, positive thinking and visualization. Meditation is a wonderful tool that you can use to find inner peace and a deeper understanding about yourself. It is also a proven means for relieving high blood pressure and various cardiovascular problems. The two most popular types of meditation are Transcendental Meditation (TM) and Mindfulness Meditation. Both are beneficial to your sense of well being.

Positive thinking is something that is sometimes hard to do because people tend to focus too much on the negative parts of life. However, if you can harness the power of positive thinking on a daily basis, you will have an easier time making your way in the world. A positive mental attitude will take you far in life, while a negative one will leave you feeling unhappy and unfulfilled.

Visualization is a mental technique that is very similar to daydreaming. The difference with visualization is that you are targeting something that you really want to have happen. Successful people often visualize themselves accomplishing something in order to help it become a reality. To enhance your visualizations you can use positive affirmations. The objects that you visualize will seem more real to you if you cut out pictures and paste them onto a dream board or inside a scrapbook.

In the Fourth Chapter you were introduced to The Ancient Rites and the 5 Tibetan Rites of Eternal Youth. For years, only a few lucky people ever got a firsthand look at a remote monastery in Tibet where monks were said to hold the key to eternal youth.

A British officer by the name of Colonel Bradford went on a quest to uncover the secrets and came back with his own amazing story of youthful rejuvenation. He discovered that the monks performed exercises each morning that they called the 5 Rites.

Colonel Bradford subsequently began teaching these 5 Rites to others and now they are treasured as an easy way for anyone to regain mental and physical vitality.

In Chapter 5, some popular Oriental Remedies for Immortality were revealed that have been a part of Asian cultural health traditions for thousands of years. We in the westernized world are just now gaining more knowledge about these holistic remedies. India, China, Japan, Thailand and other countries embrace the use of powerful herbs, roots and fruits to address an array of illnesses. These remedies are also often used to provide the body with boundless energy.

Some of the remedies are not herbal formulations, but exercises like Tai Chi Chuan that are a series of slow movements designed to increase strength and flexibility. Many elderly people do these exercises in the morning and they do not experience the debilitating physical effects that are often associated with old age.

Massage therapy is a common element in health and well being practices throughout the east. Massage can be enjoyed for relaxation or used as a pain relief therapy. Having a massage is a wonderful way to loosen up stiff muscles and allow the energy to flow freely through your body.

I really hope that you enjoyed everything you read in this book. The Ageless Secrets are now yours to enjoy and use to your benefit however you see fit. Times have changed and our modern world is filled with a lot of busy activity and distractions. Sometimes it's difficult to take a break from it all and allow yourself to relax and contemplate. If

nothing else, I know that these secrets will make you stop and think about your life and health in a new way.

Change doesn't happen overnight, but in small increments. You don't have to do everything listed here in order to become ageless. If you just focus on one or two things that may be enough to see dramatic results in your health. As I said earlier, it's all up to you and how you wish to approach living the rest of your life. These secrets can take you on a journey toward boundless youthful energy and mental calm.

I wish you much joy and happiness on your journey.

Good luck!