RECOVERY RESOURCES
(full text)
Part Three:
Advanced
Recovery
Tools
THE ADVANCED RECOVERY TOOLS
Once you are stable in your recovery and have addressed potential mental disorders, you are ready for the advanced recovery tools described throughout this book. Below, they are listed in the general order I hope you will learn them. Which tools are needed and how you use them is different for each person. However, everyone should start by getting expert advice on balancing their mind, their body, and the influences from their environment -- take advantage of meditation, ayurveda, and jyotish. Once you have done that, study how the mind and body work. And keep looking for ways to increase self-referral. This process will increase inner vitality, purity, and coherence -- benefiting all aspects of your life.
A Spiritual Awakening: Learn to Meditate
Transcendental Meditation is taught in five ninety-minute sessions. It must be learned personally from a qualified instructor; you can't learn it from a book. My observation is that people who try to learn a meditative technique from a book don't get quality instruction, and hence don't have depth of experience; consequently, they don't stick with it. Plus, with a book, there is no follow-up and no one to ask questions. When you first meditate, you dive deep within the mind. You have subtle experiences of an abstract nature -- ones that are completely new. You want someone experienced as a guide. Like a beginning scuba diver, you want an expert, right there next to you, taking you through the steps.
To connect to a nearby meditation center -- called a Maharishi Vedic School, a Maharishi Enlightenment Center or Peace Palace-- call 888-532-7686. You can also go to www.tm.org and click on "Where to learn the TM technique." Enter your area code, and you'll get the phone numbers of all teachers and centers near you.
Detoxify and Balance Your Body
Get an ayurvedic consultation, and if you can comfortably afford it, schedule a week of panchakarma. For a referral to an ayurvedic doctor or health educator contact The Raj (www.theraj.com or 800-248-9050). The Raj, featured in a patient vignette in Andrew Weil's Eight Weeks to Optimal Health, is a luxury in-residence facility with just about every ayurvedic therapy you could ask for. If you can (treatment is labor intensive and therefore not cheap), spend a week, or even better two or more weeks, and do everything. Along with the physical purification programs, they can teach you meditation, yoga, and the theory of ayurveda. Their Web site describes the programs. They currently have facilities in Iowa and Massachusetts, and are in the process of opening more.
While we're on the subject of ayurvedic doctors, it should be noted that, as with any other specialty, experience and quality vary. Try to find one with some exposure to addiction. On the phone, briefly interview them. Ask questions like: How long have you practiced ayurvedic medicine? How many patients with addictive backgrounds have you seen? What have been the results? In a typical treatment, what ayurvedic therapies would you prescribe? People with addictive backgrounds often respond better to a series of incremental treatments. So ask if the doctor will be available for short, follow-up consultations and how much these will cost.
Healing Supplies
Maharishi Ayurveda Products International has a full range of body-balancing goodies including ayurvedic herbs, rasayanas (such as the antioxidant Amrit Kalash), teas, aroma oils, ghee, massage oil, and gandharva CDs. Their Web site is www.mapi.com and their phone number is 800-255-8332. Call them and they'll send you a catalog. The Web site is worth exploring, as it includes an educational section with tips and suggestions for common disorders such as insomnia, anxiety, and other chronic health problems.
Jyotish: Know Thy Karma
According to Vedic Astrology or jyotish, your entire family (and their karma) has a strong influence on you. Therefore, Maharishi Jyotish analyzes not only your birth chart, but simultaneously that of your parents, your spouse, and your children-giving rise to an especially comprehensive analysis of the duties, opportunities, and apparent limiting factors in your life. As far as I know, this extended-family assessment is a unique service.
To learn more about Vedic Astrology, start with your local Maharishi Vedic School or Peace Palace. Once you have a basic understanding of jyotish, call the regional office in your time zone and ask for an information packet and application. A jyotish consultation is a prerequisite for yagyas.
www.tm.org/explore/vedic_astrology.html
MaharishiYagya@Maharishi.net
Pacific time zone: 650-843-0830
Central time zone: 859-977-0875
Eastern time zone: 301-230-0923
Build a Healthy Home
If you plan to move to a new home-either to build, buy or rent-consider vedic architecture (sometimes called Sthapatya Veda), which is based on design according to proper vastu (VAH-stoo). Vastu is a Sanskrit word for the integrity of a house or building; it takes into account the ability of a building, and the site it is on, to nourish and bring success to its occupants. Good vastu is based on the structure's orientation (in relation to north-south alignment, local geography, and terrain), the placement and size of each room, and the inclusion of a central area, such as a courtyard, that harmoniously pulls together all the components of the house. A global initiative is underway to update the design and construction methods of all housing, and even the planning of cities, to be more in accord with the fortune-promoting principles of Maharishi Vastu. This will be done starting with smaller building projects offering vastu housing and office space. These Web sites provide more information:
www.vedicarchitecture.org
www.sthapatyaveda.com
www.maharishipeacepalace.org
There is an excellent DVD called Global Reconstruction Program for Permanent World Peace. A copy can be obtained from any Maharishi Vedic School or Enlightenment Center. The DVD shows dozens of magnificent vastu buildings from around the world, describes the theory of vastu, and gives guidelines for site selection and building orientation. Based on the principles of vastu (easily and quickly learned from the above sources), you can analyze the effects, both good and bad, that your current home or any past home has had on your health, relationships, and prosperity.
Study Vedic Science
You can study vedic science at home, in almost any language, through the Maharishi Open University's Web site (www.mou.org).Take advantage of this; it is a great opportunity. Local Maharishi Vedic Schools offer classes in ayurvedic theory, self-pulse diagnosis, and Maharishi Yoga.
The Maharishi Vedic Vibration Technology
The Maharishi Vedic Vibration Technology (MVVT) uses vedic sounds to treat chronic disorders. Sound therapy is one of the leading edges of advancing medical technology; it is a promising but still experimental program. Chronic disorders are stubborn and difficult to bring to complete remission, but many people have found MVVT helpful and worth the money. A number of people have successfully used it to soften the emotional problems associated with addiction. The site listed below has a more detailed description, including which disorders respond best:
www.vedicvibration.com
information@vedicvibration.com
800-431-9680
Read More
After you start meditation, read one or both of these books by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi: The Science of Being and Art of Living, and The Bhagavad-Gita: A New Translation and Commentary. For most people, neither of the books make sense until they have learned Transcendental Meditation -- experiencing the effortless dive to the bliss within. These books will advance your knowledge of how the mind works. The first was written for the Western mind (logical and a little dry, but filled with profound insights), the second for the Eastern mind (somewhat esoteric). The Bhagavad-Gita is a complete, condensed textbook on the philosophy of yoga. Both books expand on the themes of bliss, behavior, and enlightenment -- and remind you of the importance of the experience of Being.
There are four more books I would like you to study. These will advance your understanding of how to take care of your body. These books were chosen because they are the simplest and clearest. After you read these, you will be ready for more advanced books and courses.
A Woman's Best Medicine: Health, Happiness, and Long Life through Maharishi Ayurveda. Nancy Lonsdorf, M.D., Veronica Butler, M.D., and Melanie Brown (Putnam, 1994; $17; 380 pages). A thorough guide to ayurveda -- readable and spiritually elevating. Although written for women, men should still buy it and read it.
The Book of Ayurveda: A Holistic Approach to Health and Longevity. Judith Morison (Fireside, 1995; $16; 190 pages). A beautiful, full-color book that covers all bases while keeping things simple.Body, Mind and Sport: The Mind-Body Guide to Lifelong Fitness and Your Personal Best. John Douillard (Crown, second edition, 2001; $14; 250 pages). This offers a practical, step-by-step approach to exercising in the zone, using ayurvedic and yogic techniques. Many professional athletes use Dr. Douillard's methods.
Buy one or both of:
Heaven's Banquet: Vegetarian Cooking for Lifelong Health the Ayurvedic Way. Miriam Hospodar (Dutton Penguin, 2001; $22; 620 pages). Provides all you need to know about ayurveda and food -- popular with both novice and experienced cooks.
Ayurvedic Cooking for Westerners. Amanda Morningstar (Lotus Press, 1995; $20; 400 pages). A well-thought-out cookbook that explains how to prepare familiar recipes according to ayurvedic principles.
Here are a few books to consider as resources:
Self-Recovery: Treating Addictions Using Transcendental Meditation and Maharishi Ayur-Veda. Dr. David O'Connell and Dr. Charles Alexander (Haworth, 1994; $25; 525 pages). If you are a therapist or counselor, this is essential reading. Although possibly too academic and technical for the average reader, it is comprehensive, including theory, research, case studies, and the perspectives of clinicians and clergy.
The Yoga of Herbs: An Ayurvedic Guide to Medicine. Dr. David Frawley and Dr. Vasant Lad (Lotus Light Publications, 1986; $16; 150 pages). This is good way to learn the effects of common, everyday spices, as well as the more unusual, medicinal herbs.
For a Blissful Baby: Healthy and Happy Pregnancy with Maharishi Vedic Medicine. Dr. Kumuda Reddy, M.D., Linda Egenes, and Margaret Mullins, R.N. (Samhita Productions, 2000; $17; 260 pages). After giving birth, 80 percent of mothers experience mild depression; 10 percent experience severe and prolonged depression. The authors explain how to avoid this -- and, of course, how to take care of your baby. Every mother I have talked to who has read this book recommends it.
Vedic Cuisine: A Gourmet Guide for Bliss Consciousness. Scott Peterson (ISBN 0966184955, 1997; $20; 430 pages). This self-published, spiral-bound, no-frills cookbook is packed with straightforward recipes. Although hard to find in stores, most ayurvedic households have a copy on their shelf. Currently out of print.
(There are many Indian vegetarian cookbooks not specifically ayurvedic. One of the best and most comprehensive is Lord Krishna's Cuisine: The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking by Yamuna Devi.)Human Physiology: Expression of the Veda and the Vedic Literature. Tony Nader (Maharishi Vedic University, fourth edition, 2001; 600 pages and quite expensive). The textbook used for advanced courses at the Maharishi Open University. It is dense and not for the beginner -- Dr. Nader is an M.D. with a Ph.D. from MIT.
Ayurveda is coming into its own. Every year several new books come out, many of them excellent. To see which are good, search an online bookstore and sort by "best selling". Maharishi Ayurveda Products has introductory books on Maharishi Ayurveda, many of which you won't find elsewhere. Three of these are Freedom from Disease: How to Control Free Radicals and Forever Healthy, both by Hari Sharma, and Awakening Nature's Intelligence by Kumuda Reddy.
Quite a few books explain the benefits, in different areas of life, of raising consciousness: for business, Enlightened Management and Invincible Leadership; for schools, Growing up Enlightened and Maharishi Speaks to Educators; for rehabilitation, The Crime Vaccine and Inside Folsom Prison; for world peace, Creating Heaven on Earth: The Mechanics of the Impossible and The Maharishi Effect -- Creating Coherence in World Consciousness, as well as the recently published Permanent Peace and Victory Before War. Most of these books are sold through the Maharishi University of Management Press, www.mumpress.com.
