Reduce stress and anxiety. Chakras and herbal baths of Vedic Astrology. Interest ing medicinal plants.

Blog updated on 7th December 2010 (Vedic month Margashirsha Shukla Dwiteeya. Moo la nakshatra at sunrise). Dr. Jayashree Joshi's Blog Email My website herbaltradition@yahoo.com http://www.herbaltradition.com/

The Seven Chakras in our Body. Each of us "lives" in them according to our basic needs and desires. A person inclined towards the pleasures of life would live in his three lower ch akras, one who is compassionate would live more through his heart chakra, an enl ightened person would live mostly in his higher chakras and so on. 1. Mooladhar chakra: This is controlled by the planet Mars. It gives a person aw areness of their body. It also gives them six inclinations (called shad-ripu in Sanskrit) which are necessary for life's basic needs. This focus should be used sparingly and within limit. A person should not live excessively in this chakra, as it would lead to increased selfishness. 2. Swadhisthan chakra: This is controlled by the planet Venus and concerns sensu al pleasures. 3. Manipur chakra: This is controlled by the Sun. It controls Ego, desire for fa me and popularity. 4. Anahat chakra: This is also called the Heart chakra. It is controlled by the planet Mercury. It controls compassion, sympathy and empathy towards others. It governs emotions and sentiments. 5. Vishuddha chakra: This is controlled by the planet Jupiter. It governs knowle dge and wisdom. 6. Agnya chakra: This is governed by the planet Saturn. It gives knowledge of th e siddhis. 7. Sahastrahar chakra: Is governed by the shadow planet Ketu, and it gives selfenlightenment. (Read more about healing the chakras for healing the Body and Mind... at the bot tom of this page) Energy is spoken of in feminine terms in Indian philosophy and is called Shakti. Every (living) Being on this planet is filled with and surrounded by energies o f different kinds. Energy flows through the body in the form of streams or channels (called nadis). But at the point of entry / exit from the body, this flowing stream of Energy i s called dhi. Energies of the Universe enter and exit the human body through the Umbilicus. Sixty-four streams of energy (64 dhis) are said to enter our body from outside, through the Umbilicus from where thirty dhis go upwards, thirty travel downwards and two each travel laterally, making sixty-four dhis in all. Further, these dhis branch out into progressively smaller channels (now called n adis that contain all visible and non-visible elements that 'flow' in the body. There are in all 72,000 nadis in our body and they find a description in Yoga. The nadis carry energy from incoming dhis to the Seven Chakras that lie along th e Spine. In the Chakras, the 'messages' brought by the dhis are processed and are acted u pon. Outgoing messages are created, which are then taken by other nadis to the variou s visible and invisible parts of our body...... to all our Organs, Organ-systems and to our Mind. The latter in turn, respond to the messages and behave as they are told to behav e, dictated by the messages they receive. This, in a nutshell, is how our body is thought to be governed by the various Fo rces and Energies of our Universe, described in ancient Vedic times.

Herbal Baths of Vedic Astrology can probably reduce adverse planetary effects.A description of herbal baths with specific churnas (powdered herbs) is found in a ncient Vedic Astrology. This traditional Hindu wisdom has come down to us throug h ancient lineages of Vedic astrologers of India. When I analysed the concept of herbal baths by reading the available literature and looked at it from the point of view of modern medicine, I realised that this ancient practice is worthy of being revived, as it has the potential to help us overcome stress and anxiety. Herbal baths are advised to offset and counter unf avourable planetary forces and it is possible to calculate from a Vedic horoscop e, when exactly they would be necessary or would work, in a person's life. Aushadhi snaan (herbal baths) might have the potential to affect our Chakras and make them less responsive to and therefore, less vulnerable to, the effects of planets. The Bhrajak pitta of our skin controls absorption of various substances, includi ng absorption of various energies, through our skin. Planetary forces are thought to act on us through different Energies but most de finitely, they act through Light Energy. It is interesting to note that each pla net influences one particular Colour of light in the spectrum. By their action on the bhrajak pitta of the skin, some special herbs can block o r modify the absorption of these planetary energies and protect us from the male fic effects of their corresponding planets. Our Seven chakras are the gateways through which Forces from outside our bodies enter, act on and influence our Autonomous Nervous System, which governs our lif e. Herbal baths can be used to reduce anxiety and stress caused by adverse planetar y forces and to improve our health and general well-being. The system of dasha a nd bhuktis, which is used to calculate adverse planetary periods, is unique to V edic astrology. Aushadhi snaan consists of adding powdered herbs to one's bath water. It is safe and without side-effects. Improvement can be very real, though gradual. --FASTING for good Health and Well-being. What happens when we fast? How does fasting help us? This article is based on my interpretation of the Indian Shastras. You know that Sunlight is made up of seven visible colours of the spectrum. Each colour corresponds to one of the seven planets. When we eat food, our jatharagni is stimulated and we begin to digest our food. Jatharagni is a concept in Ayurveda; it refers to the the energy required to 'bu rn and digest' our food........ it is the energy that releases the digestive enz ymes. Good jatharagni is said to be powerful only during the daytime and is weak at ni ght. (Hence, Ayurveda also says we should avoid eating at night. Night is called Raakshas kaal, when the agni of Raakshas ganas is said to be str ong). On each day of the week, our jatharagni is stronger in the colour of light which governs that particular day. Food eaten on that day would be digested by agni stronger in rays of that partic ular colour and ras-dhatu (which can be loosely equated with lymph) formed from it would carry characteristics of the planet which governs that particular colou r. Ras-dhatu is the first of seven dhatus that build our body. The other dhatus are formed sequentially, from the ras dhatu. When we fast, less food is consumed, less ras-dhatu is formed on that day and so the dhatus would store less planetary energy belonging to that particular plane t. Regular fasting on that day of the week would significantly reduce malefic effec ts from that planet. It is possible to find out which planet is responsible for ill-luck and adversit

y for a person, from the birth horoscope. Fasting on the day ruled by this plane t will significantly reduce the effects of this planet in a person's life. Email: joshi@herbaltradition.com or drjoshi@farawaysister.com Telephone: 91-9822386673 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Have you ever wondered why different people respond to a different extent when t he same medical treatment is given to them? This is because those who respond po orly are going through bad planetary dasha-bhuktis, which prevents them from rep sonding favourably to any treatment given. They can be helped significantly by h erbal baths and fasting on certain days. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Article: REMEDIES from Vedic Astrology for each PLANETAll living beings on earth are nour ished by Sunlight. The light we receive from our Sun is the ultimate source of E nergy for us all. SUNLIGHT is composed of SEVEN colours - Violet, Indigo, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange and Red ( VIBGYOR ) and each one of the Seven planets is r esponsible for bringing the rays of one colour from the Sun to the earth. Cosmic energy from the Sun therefore reaches us through the medium of the Planet s. These cosmic rays which come down as rays of a particular colour, enter our body and act on the seven chakras or energy-centres that lie along our Spine. Here they perform several functions that result in the body's maintenance, growt h, health and metabolism by influencing and regulating the Endocrine System of a n individual. The Endocrine System produces Hormones, which in turn act on all the organs of o ur body and so it is the endocrine system that is in ultimate control of life an d all the functions of a living Being. So you can see how closely the Planets are related to our Bodies (and to our min ds). It is hardly surprising, therefore, that we can tap the potential of astrologica l remedies to solve our problems of health and wellbeing, so that we live a life in complete harmony with the Universe. SUN In the visible part of the spectrum, it governs the colour orange-red.Its cosmic planetary energy comes to Earth in the RED rays of Sunlight. Gems Ruby or Garnet. Herbs (general, not specific) cayenne, black pepper, dry ginger, long pepper, ca rdamom, saffron, calamus, bayberry and cinnamon. Aromatic oils and fragrances camphor, cinnamon, eucalyptus, saffron. Mantras -"OM SURYAYA NAMAHA" "OM ADITYAYA NAMAHA" "OM RAVAYE NAMAHA" "OM SAVITRE NAMAHA" MOON In the visible spectrum, it governs the colour pale white. Its cosmic planetary energy comes to Earth in the ORANGE rays of Sunlight. Gems Pearl, set in silver. Herbs (general, not specific) marshmallow, slippery elm, comfrey root, solomon's seal, shatavari, white musali, bala, rehmannia ( particularly taken in milk dec octions ). Aromatic oils and fragrances white flowers like jasmine, gardenia, lotus and lil y. Sandalwood oil. They can be applied over the heart or the third eye. Mantras : "OM SOMAYA NAMAHA" "OM CHANDRAYA NAMAHA"

MARS In the visible spectrum, it governs the colour RED. Its cosmic energy reaches Earth in the YELLOW rays of Sunlight.. Gems Red coral, pink coral. Herbs (general, not specific) ginseng, astragalus, ashwagandha, guugul, myrrh, t urmeric, garlic, onions, asafoetida. Mantras : "OM KUJAYA NAMAHA" "OM ANGARAKAYA NAMAHA" "OM MANGALAYA NAMAHA" MERCURY In the visible spectrum, it governs the colour GREEN. Its cosmic planetary energy comes to Earth in the GREEN rays of sunlight. Gems Emerald, peridot, jade, green zircon, green tourmaline. Herbs (general, not specific) gotu kola, bhringaraj, skullcap, passion flower, b etony, jatamansi, zizyphus, chamommile, mint, sage and holy basil. Aromatic oils and fragrances frankincense Mantras : "OM BUDHAYA NAMAHA" "OM VISHNAVE NAMAHA" JUPITER In the visible spectrum, it governs the colour yellow-orange. Its cosmic planetary energy comes to Earth in the BLUE rays of Sunlight. oGems Yellow sapphire, yellow topaz, citrine, set in gold. Herbs (general, not specific) ashwagandha, bala, liquorice, ginseng, astralagus ( especially taken with ghee or clarified butter ). Nuts like almonds, walnuts, cashews. Aromatic oils and fragrances ghee, sesame oil, almond oil. Mantras : "OM BRISHASPATAYE NAMAHA" "OM SHREEM" VENUS In the visible spectrum it governs the colour pure white. Its cosmic planetary energy comes to Earth in the INDIGO rays of Sunlight. Gems Diamond, clear zircon, quartz crystal. Herbs (general, not specific) rose, saffron, jasmine, lotus, lily, iris ( flower s ). Shatavari, white musali, amalaki, aloe gel, rehmannia, dang gui, red raspbe rry. Mantras : "OM SHUKRAYA NAMAHA" "OM HREEM" SATURN In the visible spectrum it governs the colour Black. Its cosmic planetary energy reaches Earth in the VIOLET rays of Sunlight. Gems Blue sapphire, lapis lazuli, malachite or amethyst. Herbs (general, not specific) myrrh, frankincense, guggul, ashwagandha, shilajit , haitaki, comfrey root. Triphala. Aromatic oils and fragrances sandalwood, frankincense, cedar, juniper. Mantras : "OM SHANAISHCHARAYA NAMAHA"

RAHU Gems - Gomedha ( hessonite garnet ).Herbs - (general, not specific) camphor, bay berry, sage, eucalyptus. Aromatic oils and fragrances - calamus, sandalwood, lot us, frankincense. It is a shadow planet and has no physical mass. It is associated with Smoky colo ur. Mantras : "OM RAHAVE NAMAHA" "OM RAHM" KETU Gems - Cat's eye ( chrysoberyl family ).Herbs - (general, not specific) sage, ca lamus, bayberry, wild ginger, juniper, gotu kola, bhringaraj, skullcap, passion flower. Aromatic oils and fragrances - camphor, cedar, myrrh, frankincense. It is a shadow planet and has no physical mass. Mantras : "OM NAMAHA KETAVE" ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Vedic Astrology says that each panch-mahabhoota corresponds to and is affected b y, one particular gemstone, as follows: Earth (Prithvi) - emerald Water (Aap) - pearl Fire (Teja) - ruby Air (Vaayu) - diamond Ether (Akaash) -Blue sapphire ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ As has been written in the beginning of this Blog, each chakra comes under the m ajor influence of one particular planet..... like for instance, the 2nd or Swadh ishthan chakra is ruled mainly by Venus. When Venus is conjoined or aspected by malefics like Mars, Saturn, Rahu or Ketu in a horoscope, the person will suffer ailments in those spheres of his life tha t are controlled and influenced by the planetary rays of Venus. Correcting these rays will therefore improve the functioning of this Chakra, thr ough balancing the hormones and enzymes that are secreted in response to instruc tions going out to the various organs, from this chakra. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Article: some interesting medicinal plants (you may email me for details about a ny of these plants). Costus igneus, commonly called the "Insulin plant", is widely used in India by D iabetics today, to keep their blood sugar under control. One leaf of this plant is chewed and eaten every morning. Leaves of the Stevia plant are used to sweeten tea and desserts. It contains zer o calories and no fats, at all. Author: Dr. Jayashree Joshi (M.D.) http://www.herbaltradition.com/ E mail : herbaltradition@yahoo.com Telephone: 91 - 9545890611 Om Sai Ram!