Lethal Spots, Vital Secrets provides an ethnographic study of varmakkalai, or "the art of the vital spots," a South Indian esoteric tradition that combines medical practice and martial arts. Although siddha medicine is officially part of the Indian Government's medically pluralistic health-care system, very little of a reliable nature has been written about it. Drawing on a diverse array of materials, including Tamil manuscripts, interviews with practitioners, and his own personal experience as an apprentice, Sieler traces the practices of varmakkalai both in different religious traditions-such as Yoga and Ayurveda-and within various combat practices. His argument is based on in-depth ethnographic research in the southernmost region of India, where hereditary medico-martial practitioners learn their occupation from relatives or skilled gurus through an esoteric, spiritual education system. Rituals of secrecy and apprenticeship in varmakkalai are among the important focal points of Sieler's study. Practitioners protect their esoteric knowledge, but they also engage in a kind of "lure and withdrawal"--a performance of secrecy--because secrecy functions as what might be called "symbolic capital." Sieler argues that varmakkalai is, above all, a matter of texts in practice; knowledge transmission between teacher and student conveys tacit, non-verbal knowledge, and constitutes a "moral economy." It is not merely plain facts that are communicated, but also moral obligations, ethical conduct and tacit, bodily knowledge. Lethal Spots, Vital Secrets will be of interest to students of religion, medical anthropologists, historians of medicine, indologists, and martial arts and performance studies.

Biomedical Science Chinese herbal medicine represents complementary or adjunctive therapies that often can improve the efficacy of Western medicine to achieve the pharmacological effects, especially in cancer treatment. However, the combination of herbs with therapeutic drugs can raise potential health risk. Building a bridge between Western medicine and herbal medicines, Active Phytochemicals from Chinese Herbal Medicines: Anti-Cancer Activities and Mechanisms gives you useful information on how integrated medicines can work for cancer therapy. It discusses the therapeutic uses of phytochemicals, adverse effects, and interactions with (Western) cancer drugs. The author takes a unique approach to integrated pharmacology of herbal medicines, examining the development of phytochemicals and their mechanisms of action in the context of the cancers and diseases they are used to treat. He covers biologic action of the active phytochemicals at the molecular, cellular, and organ levels. The book covers the principles of the interaction of phytochemicals and the related drug actions. It also addresses the common pathways affecting cancer development before discussing the phytochemical classes and specific phytochemicals that have been recently reported in journal papers for the management of cancer and other diseases. Highlighting the increasingly important aspects of pharmacology, including health benefit and drawbacks of phytochemicals, the book presents the relevant background of the biochemistry of the cancer. It includes illustrations and tables with adverse reactions that highlight important issues related to phytochemical actions. These features and more make the book a useful reference on phytochemicals obtained from herbal medicines. It blends coverage of fundamental mechanisms of anti-cancer action and the use of phytochemicals to manage cancers and other human diseases, allowing you to explore how herbal medicines can enhance conventional protocols.

Ayurveda is the world's oldest system of natural medicine, originating in India thousands of years ago. Yoga, now practiced by tens of millions of Americans, is derived from it. This unique book reveals the ancient yet ultramodern Ayurvedic perspective on depression. Filled with time-tested techniques to untangle the root of depression, it offers a holistic approach that includes wisdom on yoga, breathing techniques, meditation, nutrition, exercise, lifestyle, and spirituality.

Nancy Liebler, PhD (Bloomfield Hills, MI), is a clinical psychologist, professor, and lecturer. Liebler is on the board of the David Lynch Foundation and has spearheaded conferences for Stress-Free Schools. Sandra Moss, MSPH (Ann Arbor, MI), is an Ayurvedic practitioner in private practice. An active researcher and writer, Moss lectures and consults throughout the country.

Packed with hundreds of proven herbal remedies, this resource shows readers how to ease symptoms, fight disease, and super-charge immunitywithout drugs or chemicals.

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Soothe your soul and boost your immunity with these easy and delicious soup recipes that incorporate Traditional Chinese Medicine. Combining the trends of culinary medicine and seasonal eating and adding a dash of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Healing Herbal Soups is the first book of its kind to focus on boosting immunity and weathering the seasons, by a mother-daughter, Chinese-American duo. Rose and Genevieve have been making Chinese herbal soups in their kitchens all their lives. They made broths to help their bodies adapt to the seasons, and now, for the first time, they're translating these traditional recipes-all of which have been vetted by Dr. Shiu Hon Chui, a preeminent TCM doctor, researcher, and professor-into English. Healing Herbal Soups provides a complete herbal encyclopedia and more than fifty tasty recipes-with full-color photographs-that mix herbs with meat and vegetables to create healing broths. These easy-to-follow recipes are here for you whenever you feel unwell, or if you're just looking to add healthy soups to your weekly meal rotation. Armed with an introduction to TCM and special sections on tea, ginger, and ginseng, as well, at last, you can feel less dependent on Western concoctions of drugs and chemicals, and start using traditional Chinese herbs right in the comfort of your own home.

For centuries, Pacific Islanders have used Piper methysticum the Kava plant for healing, religious ritual, and relaxation. Now Westerners are discovering the calming, centering effects of the plant, and Kava potions are served at many health clubs and coffee-houses. Kava is rapidly becoming a healthy, natural alternative to alcohol and tranquilizers, and a welcome addition to social gatherings or spiritual circles. Kava-Kava is an in-depth look at the history, botany, chemistry, culture, and use of the Kava plant. Filled with rare illustrations and photographs, the book examines how the Pacific Islands' native peoples grew and processed the plant, how it's used in both traditional and contemporary beverages, and how its unique properties affect the human body and mind. Kava-Kava explores the increasing interest in its use as an alternative to alcohol. Users report that kava drinking reduces alcohol intake, resulting in weight loss, gains in strength, better sleep and health in general. Kava has anti-anxiety properties that help fight stress and promote sleep. Kava-Kava is built upon the Dutch botanist, Dr. E.F. Steinmetz's classic early pamphlet, Kava-Kava: Famous Drug Plant of the South Sea Islands with addition of considerable new information about health, social, and spiritual uses. A fact-filled look at this fascinating plant, Kava-Kava belongs in the library of anyone interested in intoxicants, herbal medicine, or shamanistic practices.

Herbalists, naturopaths, plantspeople, witches, and natural healers will love the empowering information, engaging stories, and heartfelt meditations and rituals of natural herbal medicines. Written by well-respected urban herbalist Robin Rose Bennett with over 180 easy-to-follow recipes, this book offers readers who want to take charge of their health an immersion into a myriad ways to use plant-based remedies to care for themselves and others on physical, emotional, and spiritual levels.

"The Practice of Traditional Western Herbalism" places the function of western herbs in their true historical context, apart from homeopathy, traditional Chinese medicine, and Ayurveda. Recently there has been a revival of interest in western herbalism, but practitioners haven't been able to explore its benefits due to a void of information on the topic--the system of medicine the herbs fit into had all but disappeared. To remedy the situation, herbalist Matthew Wood has researched the old-time practices and reconstructed them for modern use. In resuscitating western herbal medicine and bringing it up to date, he gives his readers a powerful tool for holistic theory and treatment. Wood makes the point that plant medicines, because they are made from a broad range of chemical components, are naturally suited for the treatment of general patterns in the body. He argues against the biomedical model of standardization, in which herbs are refined and advertised as if they were drugs suited to an exact disease or condition.

Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to a broad range of medicine practices sharing common theoretical concepts which have been developed in China and are based on a tradition of over 2,000 years, including various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage (Tui na), exercise (qigong), and dietary therapy. Although these practices are considered alternative medicine in the Western world, they are a common part of medical care throughout East Asia, accounting for an estimated 40% of all health care delivered in China. Topics discussed in this book include a comparison of Chinese views with Western perspectives on traditional Chinese Medicine and complementary alternative medicine; cinnabar and realgar in traditional Chinese Medicine; metabolomic analysis of herbal medicines; Chinese Herbal Medicine in health care; and acupuncture for patients with cerebral apoplexy.

Dagmar Wujastyk explores the moral discourses on the practice of medicine in the foundational texts of Ayurveda. The classical ayurvedic treatises were composed in Sanskrit between the first and the fifth centuries CE, and the later works, dating into the sixteenth century CE, were still considered strongly authoritative. As Wujastyk shows, these works testify to an elaborate system of medical ethics and etiquette. Physicians looked to the ayurvedic treatises for a guide to professional conduct. Ayurvedic discourses on good medical practice depict the physician as highly-educated, skilled, moral, and well-mannered. The rules of conduct positioned physicians within mainstream society's and characterized medical practice as a trustworthy and socially acceptable profession. At the same time, professional success was largely based on a particular physician's ability to cure his patients. This resulted in tension, as some treatments and medications were considered socially or religiously unacceptable. Doctors needed to treat their patients successfully while ostensibly following the rules of acceptable behavior. Wujastyk offers insight into the many unorthodox methods of avoiding conflict while ensuring patient compliance shown in the ayurvedic treatises, giving a disarmingly candid perspective on the realities of medical practice and its crucial role in a profoundly well-mannered society.

Combines the best that Eastern and Western medicine can offer in the understanding, treatment, and prevention of digestive conditions, diabetes, and obesity. All the while, boosting your immune system! True Wellness for Your Gut combines the best that Eastern and Western medicine have to offer in the understanding, treatment, and prevention of gastrointestinal disease, diabetes, and obesity. By blending modern research with ancient practices, this book will help readers stay positive and keep motivated along their journey toward better health and overall well-being. The authors have helped thousands of people through the use of surgery, pharmaceuticals, acupuncture, herbs, qigong, tai chi, meditation, and life-style counseling. They explain how Western medicine has substantiated a long-held understanding of the gut held by Eastern medicine - that digestive health significantly impacts and is impacted by sleep, emotions, movement, food, and social support. The authors discuss how sleep, exercise, nutritious food, stress management, acupuncture, and qigong favorably impact the gastrointestinal system. These modalities restore balance in the nerves, hormones, and neurotransmitters that improve digestion and metabolism. A special section is devoted to discussing the human gut microbiome, the bacteria we harbor in our intestines, and how the microbiome is essential to our health. Drs. Kuhn and Kurosu strongly recommend a collaborative approach, encouraging readers to engage with their Western healthcare providers so that serious conditions can be addressed safely. The authors share ideas about how the reader can create a multidisciplinary care team, involving practitioners of both Eastern and Western healing systems. The science behind meditation, acupuncture, and qigong are explained. Understand how the microbiome is essential to good health. Readers are offered recommendations of proven Eastern and Western therapeutic interventions that will calm the mind, decrease stress, improve sleep and nutrition, strengthen digestion, and normalize metabolism. True Wellness for Your Gut includes a step-by-step guide and qigong exercises designed to promote overall gastrointestinal health. The authors recognize that digestive disease is complex and requires a multifaceted approach for successful treatment. By blending the ancient wisdom of Eastern Medicine with cutting-edge Western discoveries, True Wellness for Your Gut will help readers stay positive and achieve optimal health, whether through prevention or treatment of digestives conditions, diabetes, and obesity.

We all need a personal sanctuary - a place where we can be in harmony with the natural world and can nurture our bodies, minds, and souls. And this sanctuary doesn't have to be an exotic destination, it can be in your own backyard. In her new book, Creating Sanctuary, bestselling author Jessi Bloom taps into multiple sources of traditional plant wisdom to help readers find a deeper connection to the outdoor space they already have - no matter the size. Equal parts inspirational and practical, this engaging guide includes tips on designing a healing space, plant profiles for 50 sacred plants, recipes that harness the medicinal properties of plants, and simple instructions for daily rituals and practices for self-care. Projects include herbal-based salves and creams, an herbal dream pillow, a smudge stick, a more. Hands-on, inspiring, and beautiful, Creating Sanctuary is a must-have for nature lovers and gardeners seeking new ways to revitalise their lives.

For acupuncturists and birth professionals, this book explains how yin/yang and other principles of Chinese medicine can improve birth experiences as well as outcomes. Acupuncture and Chinese medicine can shift and support the physical and emotional journey of birth and provide nonpharmacologic treatment approaches for commonly occurring disorders of labor such as malposition, asynclitism, slow cervical dilatation and inadequate contractions, as well as postpartum and post C-section care. Accessible and engaging, the book includes an overview of Chinese medicine for women's health; information on what happens before, during and after birth from both a biomedical and Chinese medical perspective;and a toolkit of treatment strategies for birth work. The techniques described include acupressure, Tui Na (Chinese medical bodywork), needling, auricular acupressure and electrostimulation.

This eighth volume describes 272 species of 13 families of medicinal plants, which are commonly used in Chinese medicine. The most important species are Adenophora stricta, Adenophora tetraphylla, Codonopsis pilosula, Codonopsis tangshen and Platycodon grandiflorus of Campanulaceae; Lobelia chinensis of Lobeliaceae; Hyoscyamus niger, Lycium barbarum and Lycium ruthenicum of Solanaceae; Cuscuta australis, Cuscuta chinensis, Erycibe obtusifolia of Convolvulaceae; Lagotis brevituba, Rehmannia glutinosa, Scrophularia ningpoensis of Scrpophulariaceae; Aeginetia indica, Cistanche deserticola, Cistanche of Orobanchaceae; Campsis grandiflora, Oroxylum indicum of Bignoniaceae; Andrographis paniculata, Strobilanthes cusia of Acanthaceae; Callicarpa formosana, Callicarpa kwangtungensis, Clerodendrum cyrtophyllum, Clerodendrum fortunatum, Verbena officinalis, Vitex trifolia of Verbenaceae; Agastache rugosa, Ajuga decumbens, Clerodendranthus spicatus, Clinopodium chinense, Glechoma longituba, Lamiophlomis rotata, Leonurus japonicus, Lycopus lucidus var. Hirtus, Mesona chinensis, Perilla frutescens, Pogostemon cablin, Prunella vulgaris, Salvia bowleyana, Salvia miltiorrhiza, Schizonepeta tenuifolia, Scutellaria baicalensis of Lamiaceae. In each specie, it introduces the scientific names, medicinal names, morphologies, habitats, distributions, acquisition and processing methods of these medicinal plants, the content of medicinal properties, therapeutic effects, usage and dosage of these medicinal plants, and attaches unedited color pictures and pictures of part herbal medicines of each species. This book series has 10 volumes in total, which covers over 2000 kinds of Chinese medicines that are commonly used. These volumes not only introduce the efficacy function and some prescriptions of the medicines, but also introduce the biological characteristics of them in detail with clear photos of the habitats, so that readers can identify them in the field. Apart from the growing environment, the books expound the distribution areas and other information to facilitate researches and other applications. The volumes are targeted at readers of general interests and it is also of high referential value for scientific researcher and teachers. It can be used as a guide to researchers, clinical doctors, and students in the department of pharmaceutics and traditional Chinese medicine.

A fascinating and practical guide to herbs and their uses Includes delicious recipes and advice on making herbal medicines and cosmetics Packed with practical information on growing your own herbs, plus storing and preserving Herbs have been used for centuries and have myriad uses - this fascinating guide is a wonderful insight into the herbs that can be found growing throughout the British countryside. Information on each plant includes a general description for easy recognition, alongside the culinary, nutritional, cosmetic and medicinal properties of the plant. Delicious recipes are given throughout, while myths, legends and historical tales demonstrate how these versatile plants have been used throughout the ages to treat a range of ailments and flavour a wide variety of dishes. The book is packed with practical advice on how to pick and grow your own herbs, alongside information on propagation, cultivation and warding off pests and diseases from your herb garden.

This book presents an in-depth analysis using a 'whole evidence' approach of Chinese medicine treatments for diabetic kidney disease. It is the 10th volume in the Evidence-based Clinical Chinese Medicine series and is an essential reference tool for Chinese medicine practitioners interested in kidney diseases and nephrology.The book provides a comprehensive description of diabetic kidney disease from conventional medicine and Chinese medicine. It includes a summary of Chinese medicine treatments used in classical Chinese medicine books, as well as treatments that have been verified in clinical studies.Written by internationally recognized, well respected leaders in Chinese medicine, this book is ideal for Chinese medicine practitioners and students who want to keep up to date with the latest research to support their clinical practice. Providing summaries of the classical and modern literature in one book gives readers easy access to the evidence that will ensure their clinical practice incorporates an evidence-based approach.Chinese medicine treatments in the book include herbal medicine, acupuncture and combinations of these therapies. Treatment effects are described in terms of progression of disease, change in kidney function, markers of kidney damage, and indicators of risk factor control. Herbal formulas, herb ingredients and acupuncture points are analysed and discussed in relation to treatments described in clinical textbooks and guidelines, clinical trials and those identified in classical literature.

Like many of the traditional medicines of South Asia, Ayurvedic practice changed dramatically in the later nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. With Doctoring Tradition, Projit Bihari Mukharji offers a close look at that transformation, upending the widely held yet little-examined belief that it was the result of the introduction of Western anatomical knowledge and cadaveric dissection. Rather, Mukharji reveals, what instigated those changes were a number of small technologies that were introduced in the period by Ayurvedic physicians, men who were simultaneously Victorian gentlemen and members of a particular Bengali caste. The introduction of these devices, including thermometers, watches, and microscopes, Mukharji shows, ultimately led to a dramatic reimagining of the body. The new Ayurvedic body that thus emerged by the 1930s, while different from the biomedical body, was nonetheless largely compatible with it. The more incompatible elements of the old Ayurvedic body were then rendered therapeutically indefensible and impossible to imagine in practice. The new Ayurvedic medicine, therefore, was the product not of an embrace of Western approaches, but of a creative attempt to develop a viable alternative to the Western tradition by braiding together elements drawn from both the West and the East.

This is a full-color laminated poster. Three anatomical representations show the meridians in their corresponding colors according to the Chinese medical tradition. At the back of the chart, it contains the Chinese names of all the meridians, with their translations and number as well as a summary of chronobioenergetics.

The stress of modern life is at the root of a host of problems...stomach ailments, impotence, blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes...which is why stress is termed as the silent killer. To combat stress, one needs to induce a sense of relaxation and well-being in oneself. For millennia, the Ayurvedic herb, Ashwagandha, has been known to do just that. This booklet highlights preventive, curative, sedative, relaxing and restorative properties of Ashwagandha, as well as the anti-stress characteristics of the herb that help to tackle multiple diseases, with a special emphasis on stress-induced ailments.

With references to traditional Taoist and Chinese texts, as well as influences from the author's background in psychology and psychotherapy, this book by Lorie Dechar demonstrates how practitioners can work with the spirit of acupuncture points in modern practice. The concept of 'kigo', a Japanese word meaning 'season word', is used to understand the seasonal energy of the points and how the body relates to the universal flow. As an understanding of the spirit of the point brings focus and potency to a practitioner's needling, it also strengthens their ability to touch a patient's soul and spirit, besides the physical body. Tying in the macro cosmic connection of the body to the universe with a poetic force that amplifies and deepens the effect of acupuncture, Kigo is the perfect companion not only for acupuncturists, but also for chiropractors and psychotherapists, doctors and nurses, and other practitioners who use the points as part of their clinical work.

Medicinal plants of the world is an scientifically accurate guide to the best-known and most important medicinal plants, including those of special commercial or historical interest. The title aims to conceptualise this rapidly expanding field of study and includes: Descriptions of more than 320 medicinal plants and their close relatives. Each entry gives a short summary with the following information: a description of the plant, the geographical origin, therapeutic category, historical and modern uses, active ingredients and pharmacological effects. More than 800 full-colour photographs that will assist in the identification of the plants and related or similar plants. Introductory chapters on various healing cultures of the world, general concepts, common ailments and their treatment with modern phytomedicines and with traditional remedies and the study of active compounds and their pharmacological effects. A quick guide and checklist of all the most important and well known medicinal plants of the world, listed according to scientific name but giving the common names, family name, region of origin, therapeutic category, and plant parts used.