Natural Living in the US

Download this lecture from iTunes: www.IslamOnDemand.com Thislecture is part 2 of a complete series of 6 lectures entitled “Natural Health and the Islamic Tradition”: 1) www.youtube.com 2) www.youtube.com 3) www.youtube.com 4) www.youtube.com 5) www.youtube.com 6) www.youtube.com We are the original producer of this video. Your purchase supports the production of new videos! See our catalog of lectures at www.IslamOnDemand.com Renowned natural healer and Muslim convert Hakim Archuletta takes you on a journey into a wonderfully refreshing perspective of natural health. Whether you are a health professional, serious student of alternative medicine, or simply seeking a more fulfilling spiritual and healthy life, this series is for you. What are some ways that our modern lifestyle has affected our health? What is the significance of hamd (praise) and shukr (thanks) in our physical health? What can we do to achieve wholeness and reconnect with ourselves, our Creator and creation? And why is this important for real health? The speaker answers these and many other questions during this three day seminar. Many fascinating topics are explored such as new approaches to trauma therapies, energy medicine and the four humors. He explains the concept of hikmah (simple truths), the principles of ‘prophetic’ medicine and shares anecdotes from his years as a healer. This seminar is full of eye-opening information that may change the way you look at all medicine and your health. Hakim …

There have been many miraculous cases of people who have healed themselves by clinging to religion or positively thinking themselves out of a life-threatening ailment. Psychologists have been studying the idea of “mind over matter” for decades now, with little scientific proof as to the mechanics of miracles.
The proof lies in the end result for these anomalies. In traditional Chinese medicine, philosophy and Buddhist religious principles are the groundwork for medical therapies. Obviously, if you’ve been in a car accident or are in need of emergency medical attention, it’s best to rush to the nearest emergency room; but if you are suffering from a painful long-term ailment or are just looking to improve your general well-being, then Chinese, natural medicines may be for you!
Many Americans don’t realize that traditional Chinese medicines date back nearly 5,000 years, passed down by oral tradition until about 3,000 years ago when people began writing down their findings in ancient texts like “Basic Questions of Internal Medicine” and “A Treatise On Cold Damage.” In the 1930s, the Nationalist government forbade doctors from practicing what was then called classic Chinese medicine because they feared missing out on scientific progress.
However, thirty years later, Mao Zedong chose ten highly respected doctors to create a traditional but standardized practice called Traditional Chinese Medicine. Today TCM is taught in all Chinese schools and has even made its way around the world, opening schools in England, the US and Russia.
One of the basic principles of TMC is the Taoist idea of “Yin and Yang.” The term is used by the school of Chinese medicine to describe a series of opposites; for example, hot and cold, dark and light or moving and still.
Just like the changing of the seasons or the fading of day into night, the body goes through constant motion as well. If the cycle of equilibrium is disrupted and there’s an excess of something or deficiency of something, then the body naturally breaks down.
The Zang Fu Theory of traditional Chinese medicine describes the functions and interrelation of various organs within the body. For instance, a Yin organ like the lungs is required to disperse Qi (energy) throughout the body.
The lungs govern skin, hair and thwarting external illnesses. If the lung is weakened by dryness or emotional grief, then the sufferer may show signs of eczema, coughing or may be prone to the flu.
In addition to medical procedures like Chinese acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine covers things like herbal remedies. TCM practitioners say the answers are easier than one would think. You don’t need Lunesta to help you sleep.
Instead, a chamomile tea and some light meditation just before bed will help you fall asleep right away and you will wake up feeling rejuvenated. Or instead of Tums for your bellyache, a mint leaf could do the trick.

Become a licensed acupuncturist, Tuina therapist, or Oriental medicine doctor when you choose to pursue some of the unique careers in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Boasting rich, ancient medical traditions rooted in Eastern philosophies, principles and applications — careers in traditional Chinese medicine offer individuals fascinating perspectives in natural medicine and energy healing including the Five elements, meridian therapy, yin and yang, Chi, Tai Chi, Qigong, and more.Dependent upon which one of the Oriental medicine career paths you choose to pursue, you can expect between a few months to a few years’ training and education. For example, if you are primarily interested in Eastern massage techniques, there are some careers in traditional Chinese medicine like Tuina therapists, acupressure practitioners, and meridian therapy practitioners. While no two healing arts schools offer the exact same curricula in these fields, individuals can anticipate educational programs that range between 200 and 1,000+ hours. In addition to earning your diploma or certificate of completion, there are some training courses that meet national certification requirements in which you may be eligible to earn.Professional careers in traditional Chinese medicine like Oriental medicine practitioners must be substantiated by three to four years of in-depth training in an accredited acupuncture and Oriental medicine program. In many cases, these 3,000+ training hours consist of academic and clinical studies in biomedicine, Chi cultivation, Oriental massage (i.e., Shiatsu, acupressure, and/or Tuina), theories of TCM, acupuncture theory and practice, Chinese herbology, and associated professional studies.Individuals, who have successfully completed all educational and training requirements to become a licensed Oriental medicine practitioner, find that these careers in traditional Chinese medicine offer a plethora of healing services to clients and patients. Some of the many natural health services that Oriental medicine practitioners provide include treatments in acupuncture, herbal remedies, Eastern bodywork, Tai Chi and Qigong, moxibustion, cupping, and holistic nutritional counseling, among others.High-level careers in traditional Chinese medicine like Doctors of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (D.A.O.M.) can be achieved through educational commitment and a sincere desire to help in healing. This is one of the highest degrees awarded to TCM practitioners, and is one profession that requires a substantial amount of academic and practical training. In order to become a successful D.A.O.M., interested individuals should carefully research prospective acupuncture schools or Oriental medicine colleges to determine if they are accredited by the ACAOM (Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine), tuition costs, program length, and what prerequisites are necessary to apply. These particular careers in traditional Chinese medicine typically require a minimum of Master’s level training in acupuncture and Oriental medicine prior to enrollment (into a D.A.O.M. program). According to the NCCAM (National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine), over eight million U.S. adults have used alternative medicine like acupuncture to help in healing. As natural healing medicines like TCM, massage therapy, and acupuncture continue to grow in demand, students who have chosen careers in traditional Chinese medicine can anticipate both personal and professional rewards for a lifetime. If you (or someone you know) are interested in learning more about these or other TCM occupations, let professional training within fast-growing industries like massage therapy, naturopathy, acupuncture, Chinese medicine, Reiki, and others get you started! Explore careers in traditional Chinese medicine near you.Careers in Traditional Chinese Medicine© Copyright 2008The CollegeBound NetworkAll Rights ReservedNOTICE: Article(s) may be republished free of charge to relevant websites, as long as Copyright and Author Resource Box are included; and ALL Hyperlinks REMAIN intact and active.

www.TravelsWithSheila.com After the visit with a Moxi local, our feet headed back down one of Moxi’s two remaining old blocks past a traditional Chinese doctor prescribing to his patient. Stopped to chat with him (via Mr. Wang and Dondup) and discovered he is 95 years old and still treating patients! His only physical complaint despite smoking cigarettes like a fiend is eyes (probably cataracts). He said “I can’t see that well”…no kidding…he is 95 and has no intention of retiring. When you’ve got the longevity gene, you’ve got the longevity gene no matter what you do! Doctor showed us his roots, herbs, other natural medicines and described what they are used for. Interesting and informative…

You may have heard of “homeopathy” but you are not sure what it is. Simply put, it is a system of medicine that treats a condition with highly diluted natural substances that mimic the symptoms of the condition being treated. This concept seems paradoxical to most.
Homeopathy is a difficult concept to grasp. How do you cure someone of an illness by giving them a tiny concentration of something that can actually cause the disease? One would think that this would simply make the person even more sick.
But, according to proponents of the science, homeopathy not only works, but is much more effective than conventional medicine. They claim that conventional medicine only suppresses the immune system and prolongs the illness.
There are actually quite a few homeopathic products in your local pharmacy. The FDA requires that homeopathic products indicate what kind of product it is somewhere on the packaging. The easiest way to tell what kind of product you are buying is by examining the list of ingredients on the back or the on the side of the packaging.
With homeopathy, all of the ingredients are diluted, so each ingredient in such a product has the letter “X” after it. So, if one of the ingredients is “Zinc 20X”, that means the product contains Zinc that has been diluted 20 times. One of the most popular cold medicines on the market, “Zicam,” is actually a homeopathic remedy that consists of diluted zinc in the form of a nasal gel.
There are homeopathic remedies available for almost every condition. Cold, flu, allergy, even bedwetting; there is a homeopathic remedy available for almost every condition.
Homeopathy is universally recognized as being safe, as the ingredients used are natural substances diluted many times over. Because there is such a small concentration of the ingredients, many opponents of the science, including the drug companies that make conventional medicines and are afraid of the growing popularity of natural medicine, claim that any relief an ill person receives after using a natural product is the result of the placebo effect.
Since the FDA does not require most natural products to undergo clinical testing before being sold to the public, the detractors feel that it does not actually work. So, who is telling the truth? Does homeopathy really work or is it a bunch of nonsense?
In my opinion, it works. There have been several clinical trials done over the years to test the efficacy of homeopathic products. Liddell Laboratories makes a product called Vital HGH. Vital HGH is designed to treat the symptoms of aging and/or a rundown condition.
In a small clinical trial performed years ago, a group of test subjects who were deficient in human growth hormone, ranging in age from 45 years and up, were given the Vital HGH formulation. The results speak for themselves. During the five month clinical trial, the levels of HGH in the blood increased in every test subject, and more than doubled the average level of HGH.
Homeopathy does work. I speak from personal experience. I used such a remedy to deal with the allergy attacks I was having, and the medicine not only stopped the attacks faster than the Claritin I had been taking previously, but it also prevented subsequent allergy attacks.
So, why is there a controversy? Well, there is a public perception that homeopathy is the same thing as holistic healing or faith-based medicine. This is simply not accurate.
Homepathy and natural medicine in general make big drug manufacturers worry that such products might be more effective for treating common illnesses as opposed to the more expensive prescription versions that make the pharmaceutical companies rich. Most natural products are incredibly cheap. A prescribed conventional medicine costs a lot more.
If the public began demanding natural remedies to treat their ailments, drug companies would have to make these kinds of products to stay in business, and then their profits would shrink. Imagine if Pfizer had to stop manufacturing Viagra, which they sell at $20-$30 per pill, and instead make a homeopathic product that would retail for only $20 for a one month supply.
This is why drug companies often spend significant amounts of money to debunk claims that homeopathy works, using a wide variety of misinformation tactics to instill a belief in the public that natural medicine is is not effective for treating common ailments.
I am not saying that you should discontinue the use of conventional medicines. But, next time you go to the pharmacy, take a look at some of the natural brands on the shelf and give them a try. For common ailments that are not life threatening, a homeopathic product is probably a cheaper and more effective alternative.

If we cherish the belief that a garden design must be a place of restfulness as well as a place of visual beauty, then water must surely be the essential ingre­dient. Of all nature’s elements, water is the one that brings a feeling of peace to the landscape. It plays on all the senses- sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste- and offers a cornucopia of design possi­bilities in gardens of all sizes and styles.

On a grand scale, imagine a country garden design complete with a lake edged by gently sloping banks, a meandering stream spanned by a Monet-style bridge; on a minimal scale, think of a Japanese water fountain with a stone water bowl providing a cool resting place for native birds.

Our Past Heritage of Water Garden Design

The role of water in garden design has a long and illustrious history, both in the East and in Western gardens. During the time of Plato, public fountains adorned parks and temple groves, while sacred fountains and shrines to Pan, nymphs, and the muses nestled in pri­vate garden sanctuaries. Homer’s Odyssey describes the Sanctuary of Nymphs at Ithaca, where streams tumbled over rocks and boulders to a shrine known as a Nymphaeum, dedicated to the nymphs and complete with fountains designed to represent a natural grotto.

Ultimately, the development of hydraulic engineer­ing and aqueducts in Rome produced many ornamental fountains and water garden designs including Hadrian’s villa at Tivoli, which boasted an extravagant dis­play of waterworks in the form of streams, canals, fountains, and pools. Even today in the Vatican you can see the wondrous gilt Byzantine fountain La Pigna in the shape of a pine cone sprin­kling water. In the Paradise Gardens of Islam, water was an integral feature with water canals representing the ‘four rivers of paradise, dividing garden plots.

The luxurious villa gardens of rural Pompeii are recorded in wall paintings and engravings that show elaborate trellises and urns. Rills (small constructed rivulets) are mentioned in literature describing the period columned terraces with fountains and deep channels that formed artificial rivers. The beauty of these garden designs, buried beneath volcanic ash and for 16 centuries, was uncovered early in the 18th century when workmen digging a well accidentally stumbled upon the remains. The region was rich in natural beauty; and water must have been plentiful to have supported a variety of ornamental water garden designs.

Water was also a powerful theme in the gardens of the Mogul Empire, usually around mosques and places where people bathed. In China and Japan the influence of water was pervasive; no Chinese garden was designed without a combination of water and mountains. The landscape of these two countries is for their use of water: streams, springs ponds, small fountains and lakes cleverly designed to emulate wild nature. The use of boulders and rocks, and the selection of carefully scaled plant material, add to the beauty and serenity of these gardens.

In Egypt, the gardens of the Pharaohs and other members of the wealthy had two priorities-water and shade—to combat the relentless heat. Garden designs were always an oasis of beauty, with scented shrubs forming an understory to shade trees. Walled gardens, established to create a cooler microclimate, contained simple rectangular pools, with spouts from the roof playing water into the pool, where ornamental fish were probably kept. An Egyptian garden design discovered in the tomb of a high official at Thebes demon­strates a quite sophisticated irrigation system, as well as vine-covered places and terraces of sycamore and palm trees.

In European gardens of the Middle Ages a fountain or water basin was considered essential, and was usually located in the middle of a walled area. Monastery gardens, where herbs were grown for medicinal purposes, are well recorded; and here water was also impor­tant as a religious symbol of purification. Garden designs were practical as well as spiritu­al features, producing vegetables and fruits for the families who dwelt inside the walls and cloisters.

A more classical or formal approach to water garden design can be seen in the Italian gardens of the Renaissance, including the magnificent Villa d’Este at Tivoli which included such sumptuous sights as the ‘Pathway of a Hundred Fountains’, considered by many to be the most imaginative use of water in land­scape history. The parterre gardens of Tuscany, both modest and grand, have inspired many contemporary landscapers, and here water gardens are a recurring theme. Symmetrical pools and sculptural fountains added to the more formal approach. Beds edged with clipped trees and potted lemon trees were common accessories.

Throughout history, we have learned that regardless of climate or location, water provides a place of beauty and enjoyment. Even in the small city garden design, garden fountains or small ponds can bring a restful place to refresh our spirits and our soul.

Environmental Protection Agency Researchers showed that typical homes have 2-5 times more pollution than the air outside. The cause of indoor air pollutions is the toxins created by our household products such as air fresheners, floor and furniture cleaners.
These kinds of toxins cause environmental health disorders. This makes us more prone to diseases like birth defects, allergies, declining of sperm counts, psychological abnormalities and almost all kinds of cancers.
Most of the cleaning products are containing harmful chemical ingredients like, Neurotoxins, allergens, heavy metals, central nervous depressants etc. These chemicals increase the risk of having cancer, respiratory illnesses, allergy related illnesses, reproductive disorders and behavioral problems. Also, the harmful chemicals from the products also pollute and contaminate soils, water and can even harm plants and animals.
These are some list of the harmful chemicals than can be found in our traditional cleaning products:
1. Trisodium nitrilotriacetate – this chemical can disrupt the elimination of metals in wastewater treatment facilities, this is a carcinogen in most of our laundry detergents.
2. Chlorine bleach (sodium hypochlorite) – detergents and other products contains this chemical alone, this can cause organochlorines if compounded with water that is toxic to fishes, chlorine is toxic to all organisms that live on soil and waters
3. Phosphates – this can cause algae to bloom, this can kill fish and aquatic plants, these are toxic to animals and people who drinks water, this can be found in your laundry detergents and dishwashers.
4. Napthas and mineral spirits – neurotoxins and considered as harmful waste materials, mental spirits contaminates air and waters because this breaks down very slowly, this chemical is commonly found within your furniture polishers.
5. Formaldehyde – this is a cancer causing agent in animals and a potential carcinogen in human, this ingredient can be found in various cleaning products and furniture polish.
6. Phthalates – causes genetic defects in both humans and animals because this chemical can disrupt hormone functions, this can also be found in your furniture polish.
7. Sulfuric acid and sodium hydroxide – this can cause pH of the water to change and leads to the death of fishes, commonly found in drain cleaners.
8. Ether-type solvents,butyl cellosive, methylene chloride and petroleum distillates – these hazardous waste can contaminate air, water and soil, found in our oven cleaners.
How can you take all those harmful toxic out in your house?
It is as simple as being natural. I mean not yourself but the cleaning products you use in your homes. There are natural cleaning products for household cleaning, dishwashing liquids, laundry detergents and soaps. This can improve our lives and create a worry free environment for our pets, plants and for humans.
Natural cleaning product promises a toxic free environment, low cost alternatives for us. Even we can make these products just by searching proper information about organic cleaning products. It will be a great help to know more about this natural cleaning products.
When you know you’re living without harmful toxics in your environment, you will feel better, and have a cleaner outlook in life.

Chris Karis of PNGFrontierAdventures shows us how to prepare fish with bamboo or banana leaves in a village along the mighty Sepik River. Then we visit a typical MuMu in Tari: wild pig prepared over hot stones in the bush.