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The Breathing Room Presents: Ayurveda… The Balanced Life with Dr. Conte

Ayurveda. Empower yourself with well-being rituals and change your life forever. Learn how to heal thyself.

By The Breathing Room Yoga and Wellness

Date and time: Saturday, October 8, 2022, 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM EDT

Location: The Breathing Room Yoga & Wellness 

63 Hamburg Turnpike Riverdale, NJ 07457

Link to Eventbrite or Register below to pay at the door.

REGISTER

About this event

Join our special guest, Dr. Patrick Conte. Dr. Conte is a licensed medical doctor and is board certified in Radiology and in Nuclear Medicine. With an amazing career behind him, currently, he is the Chief of the Nuclear Medicine Section of Radiology at St. Joseph University Medical Center in Paterson, NJ. Dr. Conte holds a PhD degree in Ayurveda Medicine from Westbrook University. He has published three books.

We are extremely excited to bring his knowledge and insight to our community! Please join us for this very special event.

Empower yourself with well-being rituals and change your life forever. Journey with us toward your embodied, goddess life through the lens of Ayurveda, the 5000-year-old sister science to yoga. Dr. Conte will decode the key principles of a complex, ancient system and bring them to life in the real world, so you come away with a personal road map to harmony and well-being.

Also featured is the “White Light Meditation for Healing and Protection”

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SPIRITUAL GUIDES – WE ARE NEVER ALONE

There are times that we feel despondent, alone, and confused in this lifetime.
The spiritual world is a reality, and we have loving spiritual guides and guardians to help us get through this life. We affectionately refer to them as our angels. These spiritual beings realize the complexities and difficulties we experience during our lifetimes on Earth, and they are here to help. All we need to do is ask for their help. Unfortunately, we do not realize or accept these beings into our lives. We may shun them from our lives or be totally unaware that they exist. Just because we cannot see them it does not mean that they do not exist. They only exist in a non-physical form of energy, spiritual energy – but they exist if
you allow them into your heart. Many times, when I personally experienced mishaps and confusion in my life, I felt a guiding hand helping
me. I know others have experienced the same feelings. One time I prayed to my spirit guides and guardians at night and asked for a specific sign in the morning to indicate that they are listening. To my amazement, the sign appeared the next morning. I am not trying to convince anyone that there is a spiritual world out
there, but if you believe, a sign will appear. When good things, whether great or minor, occur, I thank my guides, and they frequently respond. They appreciate gratitude. As Marcus Tullius Cicero said, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of all virtues but the parent of all the others.” We tend to think we are alone and
may become frightened, but our guides and guardians are always there to provide comfort and protection. All we have to do is to pray to them, and they will guide us. Ask them to direct your path. When bad things happen, it may be a sign to redirect your path in life, or this may be a means to help eliminate negative karma. You may see only one set of footprints on your lonely path, but they may not
be yours. Sometimes we get carried over the finish line. Amen.

Prayer to our Guardian Angel

SELF-REFLECTION

During this time of semi-isolation or even quarantine, we may find ourselves alone or expressing self-pity. Some people may be working from home or just hanging around with a lot of time on their hands. Some may even fell caged, depressed or despondent. But it would be a good idea to perform some self-reflection. What have we accomplished in our lives, what are our goals and aspiration, what is our life’s purpose? What is expected of our lives? How can we become a better person? You are here for a reason but only you know what that reason is. Maybe to be better at your job, a better spouse, a better parent, a better person in general. Have you been able to forgive yourself and others? Can you express unconditional love for yourself and others? You will begin to realize that you have a goal in life – to be a better person and to help others. In this way you will be able to lessen the shackles of Karma and prepare yourself for your ultimate destination.

KARMA

Karma is like the merit/demerit system. During our lives, we accumulate merits and demerits. Karma is not indelible or permanent. Through the righteous exercise of our free will, we can lessen and expunge karma leading us to spiritually evolved thoughts and actions. Humans are the only earthly species that have this capability of removing karma. Thus, human life is extremely precious because it is during this earthly existence in human physical form that we get a chance to eliminate karma. In this way, we can achieve our final goal, that is, to be reunited with the Almighty Creator God. Karma is the cause of our present life situation and the cause of our future destinies. This outcome all depends on our thoughts and actions in this lifetime. Thus, misfortunes and infirmities in this life result from our past actions, misdeeds, and transgressions committed in previous lives. In this life, we must accept and learn from our miseries of our current life’s situation. Karma is the reason “why bad things happen to good people.” When we appease karma and erase those Karmic demerits, we can better enjoy our next incarnation and progress spiritually. When karma is totally eliminated, the soul is purified and does no need to undergo any further incarnations. The soul then may become an ascended spiritual master, guardian, or may reincarnate to become a spiritual teacher or give proper direction to humans on Earth.

WHAT IS THE ATTRACTION OF ATHEISM?

Why are so many good people turning away from the belief in God and embracing atheism? Well! I believe there a number of reasons. Some honestly question the stories written in the bible. Did Abraham truly speak with God? Why would God say ” Let us make man in our image and likeness.” Do we look like God? Who was God talking to and does God actually talk? What human was around then to know what God said before God made man? In the King James Bible, it is written that God made the Firmament and divided the waters above and below the Firmament. What is the Firmament and what waters are they referring to above and below? Did it take only six days for God the create the universe and He got tired and had to rest on the seventh day? Are these Earth days the bible is referring to or Divine days, however long these are? NASA scientists claim that the Universe is about 13.7 billion years old and it took millions of years for the stars and galaxies to form?

If God is all merciful and loving, why would He become angry and try to wipe out all of humankind by creating a great deluge and drown every living creature on the planet’s surface. All these questions are answered in my book Revelations of the Ancient Past – How Extraterrestrial Gods Influenced the Evolution and History of Humankind. Hint, these stories really do not pertain to the True God, the Creator of the Universe and all things. These stories relate to the Anunnaki so-called gods that came to the Earth about 450,000 years ago from their home planet Nibiru that orbits our sun every 3,600 years. They came to the Earth searching for gold that they needed to repair the dissipating atmosphere of their home planet. they mined the gold in South Africa and shipped it back to Nibiru. This is not science fiction. Using in vitro fertilization techniques they accelerated our evolution by several million years converting Homo Erectus to Homo Sapiens. These newly formed “Primative Workers” helped the miners procure the gold. It was hot as “Hell” working in these mines, which is why we associate hell with being in the Earth. (There is no Hell as we have been taught, only Karma). This fact, however, does not let you off the hook to commit whatever sin or crime you wish. Like they say “Payback is a bitch!” Read my section above on Karma.

Another reason why people are atheists, is that they reject authority and ecclesiastical rules. They just want to live free of the yoke of authority and religious demands. They just don’t want to be told what to do and are totally independent. Many of the clergy break the rules themselves, and through their own pompous actions turn people off. People don’t want to be bothered. They have enough of their own problems to deal with and don’t want any others. You could be spiritual and not religious, however. But then you would believe in God and the spiritual world.

If you were brought up in an atheist society, such as the Soviet Union, you may not have any interest in religion, especially since it is not ingrained in you when you were a child.

Another reason for atheism, is that people do not understand not only Who is God but What is God. In catechism, we are told that God made the word. He is infinite, eternal, omnipresent, omniscient, and had no beginning and has no end. God is neither male or female. God is energy, as stated in Einstein’s formula – E= mc2. According to the First Law of Thermodynamics, all energy in the universe is constant, it cannot be created or destroyed. It is eternal. Everything has a consciousness and Energy this vast has a massive consciousness. I also address this concept in the appendage of my book, Revelations of the Ancient Past. Energy has a propensity to form matter, thus the Big Bang and the creation of the universe. God did not only create matter but also the spiritual world where we will all end up eventually. Dr. Vasant Lad, a Vedantist and Ayurvedic physician, refers to God as the Universal Cosmic Consciousness and we possess the Individual Cosmic Consciousness making our way back to the Universal source.

Religion serves a major purpose whatever theist religion you choose because it does give everyone direction in life and prepares us for our ultimate goal, eternal salvation, once you get past Karma. If you don’t fulfill your life’s purpose during this lifetime, you are doomed to relive it in future lives until you eliminate Karma. But your future lives may be a lot worse than this one. What did I say about payback?

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CHAKRA BALANCING

THE SEVEN SECRETS TO OPTIMUM HEALTH

The subject of Chakra Healing is thoroughly covered in this book – Mysteries of Life, Death and Beyond. Each chapter also includes explanations, colors, mantras, affirmations, meditations, guided imagery, and yoga asanas for the seven chakras. It includes the mental and physical conditions associated with imbalances of the chakras, whether deficient or excessive. The book provides stepping stones to aid in the ascension of the chakras to achieve spiritual bliss.

THE FIRST CHAKRA

ROOT CHAKRA – MULADHARA

This chakra refers to our physical identity – our physical characteristics, our bodily needs and expressions, our anatomy and physiology, our welfare, and even the welfare of our family. The root chakra is first and lowest chakra that is located at the base of the spine between the region of anus and the external genitalia, referred to as the perineal area. Muladhara in Sanskrit means root or support and represents our Foundation Center. This chakra has the lowest vibrational energy because of the solidity of the dense Earth Element (Kapha dosha). The root chakra has limitations and boundaries because of the predominating physical nature of this energy center. This chakra provides a strong, solid foundation in life. Muladhara represents our connection with Mother Earth and gives us an awareness of our earthly material existence. This root chakra instills strength and courage, provides structure in our lives, and gives us ability to be grounded in reality (to be present in the here and now). A strong root chakra wards off the spacey lightheaded feeling, thus giving a sense of belonging and being in touch with reality.The first chakra is represented by a downward-pointing red triangle and four lotus petals. Coiled within this triangle is the dormant serpent goddess Kundalini – Shakti . When awakened, the goddess ascends up the spinal cord (shushumna)and excites each chakra in succession to reach the crown chakra. She then returns to the first chakra and again rests. Thus, the body’s vitalizing and nourishing energy is stored in the root chakra and is replenished through rest.This root chakra is the part of our consciousness that deals with our physical survival and security. It helps to provide for our basic animal necessities of self-preservation, such as food, water, shelter, clothing, warmth, air to breathe, and the basic comforts of life. The physiologic functions of the reptilian brain or brain stem govern our respiration, circulation, temperature regulation, reproduction, digestion, and the activation of the “flight or fight” survival response to imminent danger. This is composed of the medulla, pons, globus pallidus portion of the basal ganglia, olfactory bulbs, and the cerebellum. The cerebellum regulates coordination of movements. At this level of physical existence, the attributes of the reptilian brain prevail. Being the oldest part of the brain, the Reptilian brain is present in all vertebrates, and provides all the physical and physiologic functions necessary for survival and self-preservation. This is the common link of all vertebrates.

Thus, the root chakra through the reptilian brain reminds us of our animal nature, and allows us to live and survive as members of the animal kingdom. As humans, this root chakra addresses our relationship with our home, job, career path, and means of earning money. It deals with our relationships with family and friends, and how we perceive ourselves. It gives us a sense of belonging and makes us feel safe and secure in this world. It helps to ground us and connect us with Mother Earth. It gives us a sense of feeling worthy and builds our self-esteem. When in balance, we have a good feeling of self-worth, a sense of security, a strong foundation in life, and a strong moral and physical character. We experience good physical health and have the courage to face all adversity. Our nurturing Earth Mother provides nourishment, caring, and unconditional love. A balanced root chakra brings fulfillment of all desires, bestows wisdom, and provides revelation of the entire universe as one ascends to the higher chakras. Without a strong root chakra (Muladhara) the higher chakras will remain weak thereby impeding one’s spiritual ascension and entrance into the higher energy dimensions. One’s consciousness will be stuck at the lower chakra levels during this lifetime and carried over into the spiritual realm after death, and consequently a great deal of karmic debt will accrue. Newborns and babies lack motility and are non-communicative, thus they are totally dependent upon others to satisfy their needs. Since babies cannot talk or fend for themselves the ID part of the personality (reptilian brain) is necessary for them to express their needs and wants by crying until their requirements are granted by their caregivers. After about one year, they start to develop their Ego as explained by Freud. By this time they have developed some motility and basic communication skills. Their reasoning powers of the Ego start to become apparent and they develop their own personality. It isn’t until later that the Superego develops. Then the Ego acts as the referee between the ID and the Superego.

Children may pout or burst into a temper tantrum in order to get what they want. This is characteristic of the actions of the reptilian brain and the rulings of the ID. Children know if they keep pestering their parents and using annoying behavior, the parents often succumb to their demands just to keep them quiet and stop annoying them. Unfortunately, many of these traits of the ID or reptilian brain may spill over into adulthood. Fulfillment of all our desires and needs may not be practical or a realistic possibility as adults and may be overruled by the Ego. When one is ruled entirely by this portion of the personality, boorish or disruptive behavior may result. Unconstrained satisfying of these cravings and addictions possibly may lead to antisocial or criminal behavior (I’m O.K., You’re Not O.K.) resulting is severe consequences or death-induced drug overdose. At this point, the root chakra is contaminated by the excesses of the second and third chakras.Furthermore, if one continues to be ruled by the ID portion of the personality and rely too much on others for satisfying their own basic needs, such as providing for their own welfare and the basic necessities of life, the root chakra will be weak. This caution does not pertain to the infirmed or the handicapped because they do not make a conscious effort to live through the ID portion of the personality but may not have a choice in requiring others to provide for their basic needs. Able bodied people that rely heavily on government subsidy programs and make a conscious decision to live by the desires of the ID portion of the personality may cause an imbalance of this chakra, and thus imbalance the higher chakras. If they reject providing for their own needs and desires while depending too much on others they will fail to build a strong foundation in reality and evade strengthening the root chakra. This imbalanced root chakra may become deficient or excessive and block the proper ascension into the higher energy chakras.For those that are living in poverty and are needy, government assistance programs and charitable giving should be a means for these people to help themselves so that they may be in a position to ultimately balance the root chakra and rise above such adversity.“You cannot help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves.” ― Abraham LincolnAs James Altucher preaches in his book, Choose Yourself, he reminds us that the Industrial Revolution is over. No longer are the days that big industrial corporations practically guarantee a safety net for their workers including pension plans and health coverage during retirement. The Industrial Revolution failed and left most workers without jobs, benefits, and the needed safety nets. Security of job benefits and employment became scarce. In retrospect, we see that this was a false sense of security. People lost their sense of self-sufficiency and became totally dependent on the corporations to provide for their basic needs. But people had nowhere to turn. Big governments in Europe, through their expansive socialistic programs, replaced the safety and security of the industrial corporations. The dependency on the root chakra lessened even more as well as the self-sufficiency of the individual. Today the biggest corporation in the world, the United States government, proposes to provide all the basic needs of its people and then some, thereby usurping the individual’s sense of security and self-sufficiency. The government now proposes a general safety net for everyone from the cradle to the grave. Is this too providing a false sense of security? What consequences will people suffer if the government fails to keep its obligations? Could what is happening in other countries in financial trouble happen in this country? All we have to do is look and see what is happening in Greece. How safe and secure is the United States with its $ 24,000,000,000,000.00 debt and growing and will soon reach $ 26,000,000,000,000.00, TWENTY FOUR TRILLION DOLLARS IN DEBT. There will always be a certain segment of the population that may be impoverished because of unseen circumstances; the handicapped, the elderly, and the infirmed that will need public assistance. A combination of charitable giving and governmental subsidies should provide for these individuals’ basic needs. The answer is not in making people automatons and governmental dependents, but in education and not regulation. Educating young people to choose themselves and become self-sufficient should be a primary goal of government and society. Provide technical and vocational education in the earlier grades in order to be able to become self-sufficient upon graduation. College tuitions are much too high and should be lowered so more students could attend without the fear of enormous debt. A career should be attached to every college degree so that the college graduate is not left in the lurch with only a piece of paper and a degree stamped on it. College should prepare students with a career path so upon graduation the graduate will have some sort of skill to begin to provide for their basic needs. Student loan programs only serve to postpone the debt when the individual really needs money to get married, raise a family, buy a house, buy a car, pay for all kinds of insurances, and other necessities to build a strong foundation of the root chakra.A college degree no longer guarantees being hired by a big corporation that will provide for that elusive lifelong safety net. By choosing yourself, you will build a foundation of self-sufficiency and a means of survival. Will your future job(s) pay enough money to accomplish all these requirements? Furthermore, James Altucher indicates that we have “to help ourselves.” We have to help ourselves to maintain good health or restore our health. We need to give ourselves more choices and not be dependent on others. We need to provide for ourselves “financial wealth, emotional wealth, and spiritual wealth.” All these can be accomplished by developing a strong root chakra in order to ascend into the higher energy levels. The chakras provide a perennial roadmap to happiness, peace, fulfillment, and spiritual growth. All this is predicated on a balanced and strong root chakra. The root chakra is also necessary for self-preservation and incites the “fight or flight” response to fear, stress, or any threat to survival. A strong and balanced root chakra will provide courage and strength to quell these negative emotions, whether real or imagined. This reaction involves the autonomic nervous system and the amygdala of the limbic system, which stimulate the adrenal glands to secrete (epinephrine) from the adrenal medulla, and the hypothalamus to signal the release of cortisol from the adrenal cortex. Fear is a major negative factor that weakens the first chakra and crumbles our basic root foundation.

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. – Lao Tzu

Modern Science is based on the study of physical principles to conquer nature.

Ayurveda requires deep spiritual insights in order to live in harmony with nature.

—————–Anonymous

Seven Chakras

Part One: Introduction

            The word “chakra” is derived from Sanskrit which means “wheel” or “disk.” Chakras are sometimes referred to as “wheels of light.” According to ancient Hindu culture, there are seven major chakras of the body that are aligned with the spine and head (Central Nervous System).  The origin of chakras dates back before 2,500 BC. According to the four Vedas or ancient books of wisdom, the ancient Hindu god Vishnu descended to earth carrying a chakra, conch shell, club and a lotus flower.  But the concept of chakras goes back even further before the written word when the mystics passed down their knowledge verbally because they felt that the written word lost the energy of the verbal message. The ancient Vedas seem to indicate that these mystics had super-cognitive abilities and exceptional memories that memorializing this information in writing was not necessary at that time. Thus, the concept of chakras well predates the written word. These mystical ancient sages of India called “yogis” or “rishis” employed chakra healing for thousands of years as a vital part of their holistic health system. They understood that disease is frequently manifested as an unbalanced chakra before its appearance as a physical, emotional or mental disturbance. They knew that an illness could not be completely cured as long as the chakras remained out of balance.

            The rishis referred to the chakras as seven “maps of consciousness” that deal with optimum health and exist in the “subtle body”.  These mystics believed that thoughts originate in the subtle body and are received and processed by the mind and ultimately effect our physical body.  Thus, we do not cease to exist at our skin surface, but in the energy field that surrounds us, that is, the subtle body. The subtle body is often referred to as the “aura”. This subtle body is considered a part of our individual cosmic consciousness and a part of the universal cosmic consciousness or universal cosmic force (God energy). Dr. Vasant Lad, a renowned Ayurvedic physician, says we are all unique and individual expressions of the universal cosmic consciousness.

            Thoughts are a form of energy that affect our physical body and illustrate the importance of the mind/body/spirit connection to our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health. Thoughts become reality, energy becomes matter, and the “word became flesh.”  This is analogous to an architect who conceives the style of a building, designs the plans, and eventually effectuates its construction.

            Chakras may be considered junction points where energy and matter come together in very high concentrations.  Chakras are metaphysical spinning vortices of energy connecting the physical body with our “subtle” body energy system or aura. Chakras are energy centers that emanate from the shushumna, which is the mystical or spiritual tube that travels up the spinal cord to the brain chakra at the top of the head, called the sahasrara, the thousand petalled lotus or crown chakra.  “Sa” means soma, lunar and relates to female energy; “Ha” relates to solar or male energy. This chakra represents the union of both male and female energies and all definitions dissolve into one. Sahasrara is considered the seventh chakra, the thousand petalled Lotus or crown chakra, and corresponds with the pineal gland.   

            Chakras are localized energy fields that connect the physical body with our “subtle” body energy system or aura. These moderators of subtle energy normally spin in a clockwise fashion when they are balanced.  When the chakras are in balance, this energy flows freely throughout the body and we exist in a state of good health; physically, mentally, psychologically, and spiritually.  We are in harmony with our own natural constitution, our environment, our relationships, and with the entire universe. When out of balance, the chakras may spin too rapidly, too slowly, erratically, or not at all.  Such imbalance(s) may be expressed through emotional and psychological disorders, excess stress, or physical symptoms affecting certain areas of the body that relate to a specific chakra. By bringing the chakras back into balance, we can alleviate stress, improve our outlook, and restore our mental and physical health. According to Ayurveda, optimal health is a balance of not only physical and mental health, but also of life’s purpose, spiritual relationships, soul development, and spiritual evolution. All these are contained in the major seven healing energy centers or Chakras. According to people who have experienced out-of-body states, it seems that the consciousness expressed and developed through the chakras determines our level of soul development, which will carry over into the realm of spiritual existence when we die. If our consciousness is stagnated in the lower chakras, then our soul will exist in a lower energy state and will not enjoy all the blessing and blissfulness of what the afterlife has in store for us. Holy persons, yogis, and saints develop a high degree of purification of the spirit at the crown chakra level after balancing all the lower chakras. Therefore, they exist at a high level of spirituality, enjoying all the beauty, splendor and blessings of heaven, and their communion with our creator. These people whose consciousness has been purified at all seven chakra levels, probably do not need to return in physical form for any more soul development or purification through the process of reincarnation.

            But how is this ancient system of chakra healing really relevant in this modern age? Should we place any credence to its concepts and practices? Is it necessary today with all our modern day medical therapies? Chakra healing is a holistic approach that encompasses our entire human existence, that is, our mind, body and spirit. Thus, in order for chakra healing to occur, we must be in total harmony with ourselves-physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.  These seven major chakras are interrelated and are portals of energy flow in the subtle body that channel “Life Force” into our bodies. This Life Force is referred to as “Prana” or “Breath of Life”.

            Our Life Force or Prana flows through the channels or nadis of the body and is stored in these energy centers or chakras. On either side of the spinal cord, shushumna, there are two channels or nadis that travel adjacent to the spine. The left nadi is called the Ida and the right nadi is called the Pingala. These correspond anatomically with the chains of sympathetic nerve ganglia of the autonomic nervous system and specific endocrine glands.

 We cannot physically detect our chakras because they operate as energy fields vibrating at a rate that is undetectable by our five senses.  We now know what we take for granted as solid matter is really made up of atoms which are primarily 99.9999% empty space filled with vibrant energy, according to quantum physics.  Although we cannot physically experience chakras, we do experience their effects whether in balance are out of balance.  In the same way, we do not directly experience electricity, but what we experience is the effects of electricity, for instance, when we flip on the light switch at night.

THE SEVEN SECRETS TO OPTIMUM HEALTH

These chakra energy centers control our physical, mental, emotional, psychological and spiritual health.  They are closely associated with spinal cord nerve plexuses, specific organs, and endocrine glands of the body.  The chakras are metaphysically connected with the physical body at various levels of the spine and brain and are interconnected with the autonomic nervous system and the endocrine glands.  They form a nexus with our physical body and our “subtle” body which envelopes the physical body and is made up of vibrational energy, “aura”. The chakras are less dense than the physical body but more dense than the subtle body.

            The chakra symbols are traditionally depicted as lotus flowers, each with different number of lotus petals, each resonating at specific vibrational energies or frequencies.  The frequencies correspond to the colors of the rainbow and are aligned from the base of the spinal column to the crown of the head.            

In order to better understand the chakras, one must first have a basic understanding of Ayurveda, the wisdom of life.

According to Ayurveda, all matter in the universe, including each one of us, is composed of  5 great Elements (pancha mahabhutas): Space (Ether), Air, Fire, Water, and Earth. The ancient Vedic teachings indicate these Elements originate from the energy emanating from the Universal Cosmic Consciousness (God, Brahman, or Divine Force).

            Space, the first Element to be created, is necessary in order to accommodate a material world. The vastness of space is needed to accept all matter in the universe – the galaxies, stars, planets, etc., and the space must be much greater than the matter so that the stars and planets do not continually bump into each other (although sometimes this does occur). According to the “String theory,” empty space seems to be composed of an infinite number of tiny filaments of energy. This represents the greatest form of vibrational energy and is related to electromagnetic and nuclear energy. The holistic approach to viewing the fabric of the universe as being made up of a balanced sea of vibrating energies, according to the string theory, provides a basis of the unified Field theory in which all matter and energy in the universe, as well as in our bodies, are interconnected.  Space or ether (akasha) is the first manifestation of universal consciousness. This vibrational energy produces movement.

            Air (vayu), the next Element of creation, connotes movement and is related to electrical energy. We do not live in a static universe. The earth rotates on its axis every 24 hours and it revolves around the sun every 365 days. Galaxies rotate and all matter in the universe travels through space at tremendous speeds according to the “big bang” theory. Air also governs all sensory and motor movements of the body. Thus, Air is the principle of movement.

            Next,  Fire  (agni) was created by friction produced by rapid movements in the air. Massive explosions at the time of the big bang singularity and great masses of matter in space were pulled together by the forces of gravity, which eventually produced burning masses of plasma, what we call stars. These stellar objects are of varying sizes and temperature output. Massive amounts of  hydrogen undergo fusion producing prodigious nuclear reactions and release tremendous amounts of heat and energy. Therefore, fire is related to heat or radiant energy.  Fire (agni) in the universe is manifested as the heat and energy that radiates from the stars, including our own sun. Fire exists in the earth and is released from the earth’s inner core in the form of molten lava. The potential for fire exists in the atmosphere, wood, oil products, certain gases, and other flammable agents. Fire has the energy to transform one substance into another. Thus, Fire is the principle of transformation.

The English word “ignite” is derived from the Latin word “ignis,” which shares a common root with the Sanskrit word “Agni.”  Ignis means to ignite or set fire.  In the human body, this Fire energy or Agni is expressed as body temperature, digestion and all metabolic processes. The most important fire in the body is located in the stomach and is referred to as jathara agni, that is, gastric digestion or digestive fire. This Fire or Agni is necessary for proper digestion, by converting and transforming – complex carbohydrates into simple sugars, proteins into amino acids, and long chain fats into fatty acids and glycerol.

            Water (apas), the 4^th Element of creation, connotes the fluidity in which all matter in the universe flows and obeys the laws of physics. We know that when cold air and heat are combined, condensation occurs. Water droplets form on hot pipes in the winter, and our car windshields fog up when there is a temperature differential within and outside the car.  The water element is associated with chemical energy. Water is a universal solvent and is a component of plasma, lymph, cellular cytoplasm, cerebro-spinal fluid, vitreous humor of the eye, glandular secretions, saliva, gastrointestinal secretions, urine, sweat, synovial fluid (joints), reproductive fluids, and all serosal secretions in the pericardial, pleural and peritoneal cavities of the body.

            The fifth and last Element of creation, Earth (pruthivi), represents the lowest vibrational energy, characterized by solidity and tangibility. This element of Earth is associated with mechanical energy and is represented by the minerals and supporting structures of the body. Its attributes are thick, heavy, solid, strong, supporting, and dense.

            These elements by themselves are inanimate or inert in the universe, as well as in the human body.  But when these Elements unite, they produce the three principles or regulatory energy forces called the doshas. Space (ether) and Air create Vata dosha, Fire and Water create Pitta dosha, and Water and Earth create Kapha dosha. These are otherwise known as the principles of Air, Fire, and Water, respectively. Vata is the principle of Movement, Pitta is the principle of Transformation, and Kapha is the principle of Solidity or Structure.

These three energy forces exist throughout the universe and in each one of us. These energy forces called doshas flow throughout our bodies and affect our physical health, psyche, emotions, mental health, and spiritual progress. These energy forces must flow freely throughout the body and should not become encumbered or obstructed. Thus, they become out of balance. The doshas also play an important role in understanding the chakras – when in balance or when out of balance. Later, we will see the importance of the doshas when discussing the chakras. Stay tuned.

Ayurveda teaches that each person is characterized by a unique constitutional profile composed of these three energy forces . When we refer to these forces in the body, we refer to them as the three biologic forces or doshas. These forces or doshas may vary in proportion but are imbued within each one of us at the time of our conception. Biologic forces are unique to each one of us and flow throughout our bodies according to our individual pathophysiologic constitution. They vary in proportion ond our blueprints of our health. According to Doctor Vasant Lad, they govern all the biological, psychological and psychophysiological functions of the body, mind and consciousness. Each one of us this characterized by a certain proportion of these three bioenergy forces. As long as these forces are in balance we will experience good physical and mental health. But when the proportion of these energy forces become out of balance, we begin to develop physical or mental problem. If the imbalance continues long enough disease will develop.  This is more fully explained in my book Converging Paths of Ancient Ayurveda and Modern Medicine. 

Usually one of these forces predominate in our bodies, but sometimes two may be relatively equal. Very rarely are all three doshic forces equal. The basis of the doshas depends upon which germ cell layer predominated during embryogenesis or the development of the fetus in utero. There are three germ cell layers – the endoderm, ectoderm and the mesoderm. This is also the basis of describing the three body types – endomorph, ectomorph and the mesomorph. Ayurveda uses the terms, Kapha, Vata and Pitta.

DOSHIC PROFILE

Take the dosha profile test below to better understand your physical and mental constitution. This way when we discuss the chakras you will know how they pertain to you specifically.

Read the characteristics in capital letters in the left hand column and circle the choice(s)to the right that best describe(s) you. If you have difficulty choosing one answer, circle the two that most closely fit your judgement. Choose answers according to your normal or natural constitution and disposition. Ignore any recent physical or mental problems or chronic ailments. The answers should reflect you in your normal state when you were healthy. Add up the circled answers in each column separately for both the physical and mental characteristics. Place the summed numbers in the appropriate columns. Usually one dosha will predominate but sometimes two may be dominate, that is, about the same number in the physical or mental dosha profile. These are your physical and mental dosha profiles, which you should try to maintain throughout your lifetime.

 PHYSICAL DOSHA CHARACTERISTICS

BODY            Vata                        Pitta                       Kapha

FRAME         Thin                         Medium                      Large

NAILS          Thin/cracking              Medium/soft/pink        Thick/White

WEIGHT       Low/Bony                  Medium/Muscular         Heavy/Thick

STOOLS        Small/hard/gas         Loose/burning             Moderate/solid

FOREHEAD    Small                        Medium                    Large

EYES           Small/unsteady             Medium/focused           Large/white

VOICE          Low/weak                   High/sharp                 Slow/resonant

SPEECH       Quick/talkative             Moderate/incisive           Deep/tonal

LIKES          Travel/nature                Sports/politics             Water/flowers

DISLIKES      Cold/dry                    Heat/sun                     Cold/damp

LIPS            Thin/dry/cracking          Medium/soft                 Large/smooth

APPETITE      Weak/variable             Strong/sharp                 Low/constant

PULSE          Weak/rapid(>90bpm)  Strong(70‑90bpm)          Slow/regal(<70bpm)

SKIN            Dry/cracking              Moist/reddish               Oily/soft

TONGUE       Dark coating               Colored coating                White coating

WEIGHT        Difficult gaining           Relatively same            Difficult losing

 Totals         ______________           _____________            ______________

MENTAL DOSHA CHARACTERISTICS

MIND             VATA                       PITTA                  KAPHA

SLEEP              Light                      Moderate                   Heavy/Deep

TEMPERAMENT Nervous/fearful       Impatient                    Easy going

DREAMS         Flying/anxious          Violent/color                 Romantic/water

EMOTIONS      Enthusiastic              Warm/leader                 Calm/loving

STRESS           Worry/anxiety          Anger/hate                    Attached/greed

                    Fear/nervous               Intolerance                    Depression

MIND          Quick/adaptable         Critical/Penetrating      Slow/lethargic

MEMORY    Quick learner/soon forgets   Sharp/clear  Slow learner/never forgets

Totals                    ______________     _____________       ______________

It should be noted that some Ayurvedic practitioners combine both the physical and mental doshic profiles into one total doshic profile. If you prefer, you could add all the numbers and make one doshic profile for Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Swami Sada Shiva Tirtha, my mentor, believes in separating the two and this makes more sense to me personally. It is your preference. In my experience, it makes more sense to me to separate the two because I have found that at times the mental doshic profile does not match the physical profile. I include myself in this number.

Text me if you have any questions.

THREE BASIC BODY TYPES

Vata – (Ectomorphs) individuals are primarily dominated by sympathetic nervous system stimulation and epinephrine release from the adrenal medulla. Therefore, they have a tendency for nervousness and excitability. They are hypermetabolic and do not easily gain weight. They have a thin body frame and tend to be tall and slim or quite short. Vatas talk fast, walk fast, move quickly, tend to be restless, difficult gaining weight, and dominated by movement. They learn quickly but tend to forget easily. They are vivacious, comedic, adaptable, and usually have an outgoing friendly personality. Their tendons, veins and bones are prominent because they have little subcutaneous fat. Vatas tend to have a faster heart rate than Pittas and Kaphas, usually 80-100. When stressed they tend to become fearful, anxious, depressed, nervous, and worry a lot. They are light sleepers, and tend to dream as if they are floating in air, or have frightening and anxious dreams. Vata dosha is composed of Ether and Air elements.

Kapha – (Endomorph) body types are primarily dominated by the parasympathetic nervous system. Consequently, they are slow moving, calm, not easily excited, relaxed, and slow to learn but they never forget.  They have a thick body frame with lots of subcutaneous fat but may or not be obese. They tend to be light on their feet. We usually cannot see their veins an bones. They have slow digestion, and tend to have a slow heart rate of approximately 50-70 beats per minute. They are loving people and are concerned for others. When stressed, they tend to become greedy, attached to money and things, excessive savers of anything, and easily gain but difficult to lose weight because of attachment from stress. their dreams are depressing. Kaphas can become despondent and severely depressed. Kapha dosha is composed of Water and Earth elements. Their dreams are sometimes romantic or about water. They are heavy sleepers.

Pitta (mesomorph) body types dominated by coactivation of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.  Pittas tend to have a heart rate of approximately 70-80 beats per minute. They are of medium height, medium build, muscular, medium amount of subcutaneous tissue, and somewhat of a ruddy complexion. Pitta is made up of Water and Fire elements. They are warm, decisive, action oriented, passionate, make strong leaders, intelligent, critical, and have a sharp memory. When stressed, they exhibit anger, hatred, intolerance, aggressiveness, and are impatient. They are moderate sleepers and usually dream in color but, when stressed, their dreams may contain violence.

Basic tenets of Ayurveda

The basic principle of imbalance in Ayurveda is predicated upon the rule of “like increases like,” or like causes produce like effects.  This means a dosha(s) becomes aggravated or out of balance by eating certain foods, expressing specific emotions, practicing a life style, or exhibiting behavior that amplifies and aggravates the characteristics of the dominant doshas. Therapy is based upon the concept that “opposite causes produce opposite effects.” This is necessary to bring the imbalanced or aggravated dosha back into harmony with the person’s natural constitution.

By now, you should have had enough time to determine your dosha profile and your dominate dosha. The explanations of the three doshas are for your review so that you can get acquainted with your natural and normal characteristics. This will give you a better understanding of your balances and imbalances, especially when we discuss the disharmonies of the Chakras.

Three Basic Life Forces- Vata, Pitta, Kapha.

1. Each person is born with a specific proportion of the three doshas

2. This proportion is characteristic for each particular person

3. Dosha profile remains constant throughout our lifetimes

4. Dosha profile imbalances cause symptoms and dis-ease.

5. Basic tenet – “Like increases Like”

Example below:

Your dosha profile also suggests what diseases you are prone to develop.

Chakras – the Seven Energy Centers of the Body

ROOT CHAKRA – MULADHARA

The root chakra is first and lowest chakra that is located at the base of the spine between the region of anus and the external genitalia, referred to as the perineal area. This refers to our physical identity. Muladhara in Sanskrit means root or support and represents our Foundation Center. This chakra has the lowest vibrational energy because of the solidity of the dense Earth Element (Kapha dosha). The root chakra has limitations and boundaries because of the predominating physical nature of this energy center. This chakra provides a strong, solid foundation in life. Muladhara represents our connection with Mother Earth and gives us an awareness of our earthly material existence. This root chakra instills strength and courage, provides structure in our lives, and gives us ability to be grounded in reality (to be present in the here and now). A strong root chakra wards off the spacey lightheaded feeling, thus giving a sense of belonging and being in touch with reality.

This root chakra is the part of our consciousness that deals with our physical survival and security. It helps to provide for our basic animal necessities of self-preservation, such as food, water, shelter, clothing, warmth, air to breathe, and the basic comforts of life. The physiologic functions of the reptilian brain or brain stem govern our respiration, circulation, temperature regulation, reproduction, digestion, and the activation of the “flight or fight” survival response to imminent danger.

This root chakra addresses our relationship with our home, job, career path, and means of earning money. It helps us provide shelter and food for our family. It deals with our relationships with family and friends, and how we perceive ourselves.  It gives us a sense of belonging and makes us feel safe and secure in this world.  It helps to ground us and connect us with Mother Earth.  It gives us a sense of feeling worthy and builds our self-esteem. When in balance, we have a good feeling of self-worth, a sense of security, a strong foundation in life, and a strong moral and physical character. We experience good physical health and have the courage to face all adversity. Our nurturing Earth Mother provides nourishment, caring, and unconditional love. A balanced root chakra brings fulfillment of all desires, bestows wisdom, and provides revelation of the entire universe as one ascends to the higher chakras. Without a strong root chakra (Muladhara) the higher chakras will remain weak thereby impeding one’s spiritual ascension and entrance into the higher energy dimensions. One’s consciousness will be stuck at the lower chakra levels during this lifetime and carried over into the spiritual realm after death, and consequently a great deal of karmic debt will accrue.

Deficient Root Chakra (Muladhara):   This situation results from a weak Kapha Dosha and allows a vitiated Vata Dosha to dominate. A weak root chakra has its basis in the limbic system and is the storehouse of all emotions. A deficient root chakra (decreased Kapha or solidity, but increased Vayu or air) causes problems such as, stress, worry, fear, nervousness, anxiety, insomnia, anorexia, a “spaced out” feeling, flightiness, restlessness, inability to mentally focus or concentrate, feel disconnected with the body, over active, agitated depression, disturbing stressful emotions from the past, or lack a regular lifestyle. 

Fear is the prevalent destructive emotion of the root chakra and must be tamed. It is the most damaging of all emotions and is the opposite of love. Fear and anxiety are borne out of our attachment for our desires, but, change, foreseen and unforeseen, continually occurs in this physical earthly world, thus often thwarting such self-desires. Consequently, insecurity intervenes in this uncertain world and as such propagates fear and anxiety. Fear is associated with a distressed Vata dosha that then predominates the Root chakra with deficient Kapha dosha and its solid foundation in reality. We become anxious for fear that another outcome will occur rather than the one we hoped and expected. As long as we are attached to our desires and expectations while in this physical and emotional human condition, insecurity with all its attached negative emotions is inevitable. The controlled dramas exhibited under stress because of the Vata (vayu) influence include fickleness, unreliability, and irresponsibility. stressful emotions from the past, or lack a regular lifestyle. 

Excess root Chakra – Muladhara:  Excess root chakra (increased Kapha) may cause mental lethargy, low physical energy, heaviness, sluggishness, worry about your safety or your money, hoarding of possessions, have a feeling of loneliness or isolation, depression, greediness, overeating, weight gain, and obesity. Solid tumors and growths may also be associated with this Chakra spinning too slowly or reversed. Kapha is the principle of solidity and structure, and its element is Earth. Thus, it is the heaviest and the most dense of all the five elements. When in excess, there is increased heaviness and excess need to increase weight, money, riches, clothes, cars, toilet paper, food or some other commodity or material because of insecurity. Must add to what we already have leading to hording and/or greediness. Always wanting more and more, thus increasing heaviness (the Earth Element, the densest and heaviest of all the elements of the chakras). The controlled dramas include withdrawal, stubbornness, and indifference. Assuming a “I don’t care attitude” and doesn’t want to make a decision. The root foundation becomes too weighty and the energy stagnates causing too little flow of the Earth energy into the higher energy centers.

(Parts excerpted from my book – Mysteries of Life, Death and Beyond

Stay tuned: How to balance the Root Chakra

CHECK OUT MY POST ON: OVERCOMING FEAR

Fear is the most detrimental emotional block hindering your root chakra.

In his book Recreating Your Life, Morty Lefkoe indicates that the meaning we give to certain events will cause us pain, anxiety and suffering. He gives the example of the disorder of BULEMIA. In those suffering from this condition, they see themselves as “fat” no matter how skinny they really are. They assume this mistaken psychological position because they feel – I’m NOT OK, YOU’RE OK. The meaning they give to this notion of being “fat” evokes negative emotions and feelings, thus causing anxiety and suffering. These people have a sense of low self-esteem. They are fixated on a meaning or a misinterpretation of a certain past event. If one can change the meaning of the event or situation, the negative feelings change. If one can dissolve or change the meaning you apply to the situation or event, you can eliminate your suffering. And you will overcome your road blocks to success, happiness and abundance.

The inciting Situation or Event has, for the most part, a basis in reality. The meaning we transfer to that Event is subjective based upon our stored patterns learned in childhood from our parents or guardians. But the key is that the Event can have multiple meanings and one of which may not evoke such a destructive emotion or feeling and even eliminate the suffering all together. We do not have to be prisoners locked in a cell of misinterpreted or misdirected meanings that keep us waffling in a state of confusion and inaction. Once you change your meaning to the provoking Event, you can change the negativity and anxiety engendered by the Event and eliminate the negative feelings and hindering emotions.  Your suffering will stop and you can get on with your life and pursue what makes you happy. We then transfer this reaction from our hurt insecure CHILD ego state and to our non-emotional rational ADULT part of our personality. This is the executive portion of our personality that takes non-hampered action and gets things done. This release from inhibiting negative emotions paves the way to success, happiness, money and abundance.

Recreating Your Life: Morty Lefkoe

It is the subjective Meaning we apply to an objective Event that may cause pain, fear, anxiety and suffering. These negative reactions hinder us from proceeding to a desired goal in life. We must dissolve and eradicate the inhibiting negative Meaning we attribute to the Event in order to remove the suffering. There can be many meanings to a particular Event. We can give an alternate Meaning to the Event that is less offensive or even encouraging. Remove the road block to your success by easily changing the Meaning you attach to the Event. The Event could have other meanings that may not engender pain, anxiety, suffering or inhibition. We assume that the Meaning we attribute to the Event is inherent in the Event. When we realize that they are not one and the same, we can change the negative Meaning into something positive. Remember that the Meaning is subjective and exists in our mind, although the Event exists in reality. You do not necessarily have to equate the two. You may not be able to change the Event but you can change the perception of the Event by applying a different Meaning or interpretation of the Event. Put yourself in control, apply the proper meaning, and remove the suffering. You must eradicate the inhibiting or painful Meaning and not just suppress it. We instinctively equate the Meaning with the Event because of our programmed patterns learned during our formative years.

The Event may be past, present or future. A past event has already happened and cannot be changed but the perception of the Event or the Meaning attributed to the Event can be changed since it is a subjective opinion or interpretation and not subjected to the rigid circumstances of past reality. We cannot change what happened in the past only our Meaning or interpretation of the Event and the consequent feelings, emotions and sufferings. The hurtful and inhibiting feelings come from programmed Meanings will apply to certain Events according to the patterns learned during early childhood before our powers of critical judgment and reasoning have fully developed. Many of these learned patterns inflicted upon us by our parents may be faulty, unreal, misdirected or misinterpreted. As a mature adult we can rationalize the Events without the negative accompanying emotions. When we learn to avoid the reactions of the Rebellious angry Child or the Adaptive fearful Child in our psyche and operate on the level of our Adult ego state without any emotional overlay or encumbrance, we can then proceed with our productive lives. We do this by applying a different Meaning to the past situation that does not produce suffering. We have to change the pattern of reaction. This may not be easy to do without help. Some form of counseling or hypnosis may be required. In your everyday life, practice changing the Meaning of minor Events. Give several Meanings of these Events and dissolve the negative emotional Meaning and replace it with rational non-emotional Meanings.

If you were bullied in school when you were young and have been living in fear of that bully since, you carry that excess weighty burden on your shoulders all your life. You may have felt humiliated and ashamed cowering in fear of that person or persons. You were devastated because you thought everyone was laughing at you. When you think of that situation you break out in a cold sweat, become anxious, and maybe even trembling. You give the Meaning of humiliation, shame and loss of self-esteem to the inciting Event. You are cowering in the fearful Adaptive Child of your personality that has grown into a gigantic ferocious dragon in your mind that can become relentless in suppressing your social development, psychological well-being and economic advancement.  

When we move into our Adult portion of our personality, we eliminate the emotional aspect to our Event or disturbing situation. We can then apply a different non-emotional rationalization. Bullying is a learned behavior or pattern incurred at an early age. Bullying is the present or current Event but the Meaning we usually attribute with this behavior is loss of self-esteem, lack of self-worth, depression, loneliness, rejection, self-doubt, and fear of being ostracized by your peers. You feel you have become the object of ridicule that you can never overcome. This demeaning behavior is viewed as an unfortunate Event occurring in the present. The Event and the Meaning are one and the same in your mind.  They are viewed as of equal importance and go had and hand causing all kinds of negative emotions. You now assume all the emotional instability and frailty as the bully. The bully probably was bullied by someone else at a young age that made them humiliated or angry.  He probably learned this demeaning pattern very early in life. So in order to feel better they have to bully someone else to raise their own self-esteem and battle their own demons. They need the acceptance of others when they bully someone else. They want the encouragement and cheering of their friends in order to raise their own self-esteem, self-worth and acceptance by their peers. The bully is the one that needs the psychological help more than the bullied. You may not be as strong or tough physically as the bully, but that is OK. You can maintain the position I’M OK by separating the Meaning from the Event and stop the suffering. You may be more intelligent, more athletic or creative than the bully. The bullying should spur you on to achieve more than the bully and to reach your full potential. Bulling will end; it cannot go on for a long time. If it does there are laws to take care of that. When people have to go through life bulling others, they eventually end up in a bad place sooner or later.

If you are currently being bulled at school or at work, maintain your “I’M OK” position. They are the ones with the problem because they need the acceptance by their peers. They are the ones with the self- esteem problems that they want to pass off onto you to make themselves feel better.  There may be an emptiness in their lives and should be pitied. They could poke fun at you, but do not react with emotions, such as anxiety, self-doubt, low self-esteem, fear, and depression. If you do react emotionally, they win and you lose. If you react in a calm, cool and unemotional manner, you win and they lose. The best thing to do is to ignore what they say and get on with your life. That may frustrate them and cause them to move on to someone else or learn their lesson and stop bullying others. Meditation would help bring you serenity and peace within yourself. Meditation would allow you to improve your own self-esteem and ward off the slings and arrows of the bullies. Howard Cosell, an old-time sports announcer, quipped when people were poking fun at him, “It is like shooting spit-balls at a battle ship.”  Their degrading and demeaning comments had no effect on him or his career.  Marcus Aurelius said:

Though must be like a promontory of the sea, against which,

though the waves beat continually,

yet it both itself stands, and about it are those

swelling waves stilled and quieted.

Hold steadfast in your demeanor and let the bully become frustrated because their words or actions have no effect on you. The more they try to beat you down the stronger you become. Do not get into a confrontation with them; this is what they would like. Recruit people that are sympathetic to your plight, such as your parents, siblings, close relatives, clergy, people in authority, teachers, co-workers, therapists and anyone you think you can trust. You do not have to go it alone. Find people that can give you encouragement and raise your self-esteem. You can change schools, move, change jobs or, if you feel strong enough, ignore the problem. Throw the problem back at them and tell them they need help if they have to bully others to make themselves feel better. Hypnotherapy can help strengthen your resolve and your psyche in dealing with bullying. The object is to face the problem or Event in the Adult ego state without emotion and move out of the fearful and hurt Child ego state. The Adult part of our personality gets on with life and makes decisions without being stymied by stressful emotions. It is the executive part of our personality that sets goals and determines what road to take for success in reaching your desired goals.

OVERCOMING FEAR

Fear is the prevalent destructive emotion of the root chakra and must be tamed. It is the most damaging of all emotions and is the opposite of love. Fear and anxiety are borne out of our attachment for our desires, but, change, foreseen and unforeseen, continually occurs in this physical earthly world, thus often thwarting such self-desires. Consequently, insecurity intervenes in this uncertain world and as such propagates fear and anxiety. We become anxious for fear that another outcome will occur rather than the one we hoped and expected. As long as we are attached to our desires and expectations while in this physical and emotional human condition, insecurity with all its attached negative emotions is inevitable.

Emotions and Self-Hypnosis -Name that face!

When emotions become extremely disturbing and stressful, they may become refractory, unruly and inexplicable. We cannot understand emotions because they are not tangible or intelligible. They rattle around in our limbic system and wreak havoc on our nervous system. They can also affect our reptilian brain, the Freudian ID, and the inner Adaptive frightened Child or the angry Rebellious Child part of our personality or our Ego state. So how can we handle and tame these disturbing emotions, such as the primary negative and obstructive emotion of fear.

Emotions are feelings and are not rational entities. They are irrational emotions, often difficult to explain and identify. They don’t come with a tag, a name, or a definite mental picture. They are purely subjective or an uneasy feeling. Thus, we must objectify the disturbing emotion. We have to remove it from the limbic system, the repository of irrational thoughts, and present it to the rational thought centers of the evolved neocortex, the Freudian Ego, and the Adult Ego State of transactional analysis. We must open the doors of the limbic system in order to send it to the more evolved areas of consciousness, thus removing it from the subjective status and transforming it to an objective state for critical review. These higher areas of consciousness are better equipped to handle objectified emotions.

So how do we objectify negative emotions? First we must give this emotion, such as fear, a name. It may relate to a person, thing or event. This name may or may not ease the emotion. But now we must belittle, denigrate, disparage, or insult this emotion with a “pet” name, a silly name or any degrading moniker. We must cut this emotion down to size so we can shrink the dragon and put it in a tiny cage, lock it up and throw away the key. Give the emotion a size, shape, form, color, maybe a face, (name that face!) or whatever else that will help you to tame this vexing chimera, etc. Let the rational brain and your consciousness examine it, analyze it, demean it, laugh at it, and refer to it with your personal “pet” name you gave it. Now you can deal with this emotion on a rational basis. Shrink it down and lock it away. You could place it in a rocket ship headed to the sun to be destroyed and vaporized forever or send it to the far outreaches of the universe. You can send it down from your mind in the current of manifestation into the root chakra. From there you can drive it down your roots into the molten hot inner core of the earth where it will be incinerated. Use whatever means of ridding it from your consciousness you please or whatever you can conjure up. (excerpted from the book Mysteries of Life, Death and Beyond)

Whatever the mind can conceive and believe; it can achieve.

                                                                  – Napoleon Hill

These are just a few techniques that can help handle irrational fear. Sometimes deep seated fear may require further intervention, such as past life regression, hypnotherapy, psychiatric intervention, psychological counseling, meditation, religious devotion, etc. But most cases of fear can be assuaged by looking at the frightening event or situation in a different manner.

Now this is scary!

From Conte Funeral Home to House of Frankenstein
Part One:
One of the earliest memories I have as a very young child occurred shortly after moving into the Conte Funeral Home with my family. I was no more than five years old at the time so my memory may be slightly distorted and vague. Apparently, it was a nice Sunday afternoon and business was dead, sorry I mean business was slow, no body was around. (Sorry, I just can't help myself.) My father, the Funeral Director, decided it would be good for the family to go to the movies. Do you believe there was no television in those days and people had to talk to each other? How boring! Everybody seemed to be in favor of taking a nice trip to the movie theater even just to get away from the mortuary. Things were really dead. My family consisted of my father, my mother and my two older brothers. Because of my young age I had no say in the choosing of the exciting, featured movie. I suspect that neither my mother nor my brothers had participated in the choosing of such movie. My father probably chose that movie because of the movie time schedule and he had to hire someone to fill in for him while we took a short break from sitting around the funeral home and waiting for the phone to ring.  Hopefully, this would mean that someone had died and “come now to pick up the body.” This is considered mortuary lingo. After all, this was the means of making a living when people died. I used to joke that "people were just dying to get into our home." Sorry if it sounds cold and callous, but a little humor to break the tension is necessary when you are so close to dealing with death and sorrow as we were. But  there was no joking around my father about the "business".
Well, there were many wonderful recently released movies at that time. How about the Academy Award winning musical comedy "Going My Way" starring Bing Crosby and Barry Fitzgerald, or "The Adventures of Mark Twain" starring Fredric March and Alexis Smith, or the comedy "Aboard with Two Yanks featuring William Bendix, Helen Walker and Dennis O’Keefe," or even the adventure movie "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves" starring Jon Hall, Maria Montez and Turhan Bey. Then there was Frank Capra’s famous comedy "Arsenic and Old Lace" starring Cary Grant and Raymond Massey, or the musical "Meet Me in St. Louis" directed by Vincente Minnelli and starring Judy Garland, Margaret O’Brien and Mary Astor, a movie that received four Oscar nominations. Actually, I must confess that we did eventually see "Meet Me in Saint Louis" a little later. So my father’s taste in the theater was not so bad after all. 
So what movie did my father take his beautiful wife and young children to see? You guessed it! It was the House of Frankenstein, not quite a family movie and definitely not a musical comedy. What was he thinking, maybe how can I make a lasting impression of horror on my youngest child, and that he did? I became a horror film addict and a glutton for punishment with many excruciating nightmares. I think I saw all the Gothic Frankenstein and Dracula movies of that genre. It all seems pretty funny now that I am an adult. Well pretty much so! 
I will give a synopsis of the movie and some fun facts on my next blog.

Part Two:
With the help of his hunchback lackey Daniel (J. Carol Nash), the escaped prisoner Dr. Gustav Neimann (Boris Karloff), promised to give Daniel a new more perfect body without a hump on his back,  meet up with Professor Lampini (George Zucco), a traveling showman with his horror exhibit featuring the so-called dead Count Dracula (John Carradine).  The infamous duo murdered Lampini and stole his exhibit. Neimann revives Count Dracula to help him avenge his imprisonment by Burgermeister Hussman (Sig Ruman). 
The film focuses on the exploits of the vengeful Dr. Gustav Niemann (Boris Karloff), who escapes from prison. He is helped by the hunchback Daniel, for whom he promises to create a new, beautiful body. The two murder Professor Lampini (George Zucco), a traveling showman, and take over his horror exhibit. To exact revenge on Bürgermeister Hussman, who had once caused his imprisonment, Niemann revives Count Dracula (John Carradine). Dracula seduces Hussmann's granddaughter-in-law Rita (Anne Gwynne) and kills Hussmann himself, but in a subsequent chase, Niemann disposes of Dracula's coffin, causing the vampire to perish in sunlight.
Niemann and Daniel move on to the flooded ruins of Castle Frankenstein, where they find the bodies of the Frankenstein Creature (Glenn Strange) and Lawrence Talbot the Wolf Man (Lon Chaney, Jr.) preserved in the frozen waters. Nieman thaws out the two and promises to find Talbot a cure for the curse. However, he is more interested in reviving the Creature and exacting revenge on two former associates than in keeping his promises. Talbot transforms into a werewolf and kills a man, arousing the villagers.
Talbot is also envied by the hunchback Daniel, as both love the young and beautiful, Ilonka (Elena Verdugo), a gypsy girl. She has fallen in love with Talbot. Daniel reveals Talbot's curse to Ilonka but she is not deterred and promises to help him fight the curse.
Events reach a crisis point when Niemann revives the Frankenstein monster and Talbot again turns into a werewolf. Ilonka shoots Talbot with a silver bullet, thereby releasing him, but passes out on top of Talbot afterwards. Daniel blames Niemann and begins to strangle him. The Creature intervenes, throws Daniel out of the window, and carries the half-conscious Niemann outside, where the villagers begin to chase them into the marshes. There, both the Creature and Niemann drown in quicksand.
William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), better known by his stage name Boris Karloff, was an English actor.[2]
He was widely known for his roles in horror films, particularly for his portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in Frankenstein (1931), Bride of Frankenstein (1935), and Son of Frankenstein (1939), which resulted in his immense popularity. His best-known non-horror role is as the Grinch, as well as the narrator, in the animated television special of Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966). Karloff guest starred in a (1966) TV episode of "The Wild Wild West", The Night of the Golden Cobra. He also had a memorable role in the original Scarface (1932). For his contribution to film and television, Boris Karloff was awarded two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.