Last weekend we had the opportunity of hosting Awakin Talks with Dr. Arun Sharma.

Dr. Arun Sharma is the founder of the International Institute of Mahayoga and Natural Hygiene (IMANAH). He has guided and inspired hundreds of people around the globe to lead healthy lives based on the natural sciences and drawing from the ancient Indian Vedic wisdom.

Rahul opened the call with this thought from the Bhagvad Gita which is the Arjun Vishad (despondency) Yoga, which talks about Arjuna’s despondent state of mind and how Krishna guides him to synthesize that into yoga. Dr. Arun Sharma is one such person who has lived and continues to live many such experiments of alchemy where you try to draw some synchronization with the inner laws of nature and convert this despondency into yoga.

And, with that he opened with this Shanti mantra (peace prayer) from Keno Upanishad

ॐ आप्यायन्तु ममाङ्गानि वाक्प्राणश्चक्षुः
श्रोत्रमथो बलमिन्द्रियाणि च सर्वाणि।
सर्वम् ब्रह्मोपनिषदम् माऽहं ब्रह्म
निराकुर्यां मा मा ब्रह्म
निराकरोद निराकरणमस्त्व निराकरणम् मेऽस्तु।
तदात्मनि निरते य उपनिषत्सु धर्मास्ते
मयि सन्तु ते मयि सन्तु।
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः॥

oṃ āpyāyantu mamāṅgāni vākprāṇaścakṣuḥ
śrotramatho balamindriyāṇi ca sarvāṇi.
sarvam brahmopaniá¹£adam mā’haṃ brahma
nirākuryāṃ mā mā brahma
nirākaroda nirākaraṇamastva nirākaraṇam me’stu.
tadātmani nirate ya upaniṣatsu dharmāste
mayi santu te mayi santu.
oṃ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ..

May my limbs, speech, vital air, eyes, ears, strength, and all the senses be fully developed, all that is revealed by the Upanishads is Brahman. May I never deny Brahman, May Brahman never disown me, Let there be no repudiation (from Brahman), Let there be no infidelity from my side, May all the dharmas extolled by the Upanishads shine in me, Who am intent on knowing the Self. May they shine in me Om! Peace! Peace! Peace!

And here are some quotes and nuggets from the talk :)




On health and disease according to nature cure:

• The natural health science is like an ocean. I am sharing is just a little part of it. There is a lot to learn out there.
• Nature cure means ‘patience’. It takes it’s own time in healing just the way a flower takes it’s own time to bloom. And, that is a beautiful sight to see
• Psychologically, physiologically, spiritually there are many definitions of what health is. But with today’s audience I will share this definition - “Health is the sum total of our physical fitness, mental enthusiasm and spiritual detachment to the results of our action.”
• In simple terms “"pranasya nirmale dehe cheshthitam swasthya namakam, pranasya samale dehe cheshthitam roga namakam”. Life’s activity in a clean body is called health. Life’s activity in an unclean body is called disease. Life is all the time struggling to make our body cleaner and healthier. When there is accumulation of too much filth in out body, life has to take extraordinary effort to clean the body. This extraordinary effort tells us that we do not have to put food in our body and let it clean itself. We have to see that our food gets digested. If the food does not get digested, it sits in the body and rots. Rotten food creates more diseases and problems.
• People think that food is a source of energy. It is only a detachment of life energy from another source i.e. digestion. When you have body pain and you eat, somehow the pain goes away. That happens because now that cleaning work has stopped and that life energy is used in digestion. Continue fasting when there is pain in the body. When the pain goes away, the energy returns. It takes that much time. The truth is farther away. You have to wait and see, open it up and see and all that takes time.
• Life is an opportunity. And, we have to live our life just as Kabir says, “Kabira jab hum paida hue jag hase, hum roe. Aise karni kar chalo, jag roe hum hase.” (When we are born in the body, the world laughed and we cried. Live such that when you depart from this life, the world cries that such a noble soul has departed and you go smiling, happily, comfortably, peacefully — do such good deeds that you can leave in this way).
• We can look at life's impermanence and take problems as opportunities. We can work on a problem by seeing the reality. The reality of disease is that it is trying to make your body healthier. The lack of ‘ease’ is because the body is engaging itself in a cleaning process.
• To make the body healthier we have to give it some ingredients to repair itself. The lost cells have to replenished with healthier cells. Our body has many organs such as the heart, lungs, kidney etc. They all operate in conjunction with one another. If someone says, this is good for heart, this is good for lungs etc – that does not mean anything in nature cure. In nature cure they would ask -’is it good for health, is it good for the whole body?”.
• As a popular saying goes medicine – is a sin of meddling with nature. When we meddle with nature, we face consequences which are not pleasant. When we help nature, we enjoy life.
• Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. If the ultimate reaction is bad but immediate reaction is good, don’t opt for that kind of reaction. There are two opposite reactions. Bhagavad Gita talks about ‘preyash’ and ‘shreyas’. Preyash is the immediate reaction and Shreyas is the ultimate reaction. Immediate reaction is there only for a short while but the ultimate reaction stays for a longer time. E.g. Eating spicy food could be enjoyable in the short run, but the ultimate reaction is not good for health.
• Unhealthy food leads to an unhealthy mind. And an unhealthy body and mind both come from an unhealthy lifestyle.
• Wait till you become hungry. When you eat after you become hungry, the same food tastes very good.

Story - Walking in Nanded and eating a burnt pumpkin:   I was told I will get laborers from a village behind the hill for my brick factory. When I walked towards the hills, I saw the hills walking away from me! What seemed near was far. It took me two and a half hours to reach the foot of the hill. With a lot of courage we climbed uphill and what we saw from there was beautiful. I saw a stream flowing down and from under the shade of a big tree. When I saw this I ran down. In life also, going down the hill is very easy. Climbing up is hard.

Resting my tired, burning feet in the water of the stream, it was heaven. I lay down and went to sleep. I was woken up by the guide who had a black pumpkin in his hand and he offered it to me. The black skin of the burnt pumpkin was from cooking over firewood. I ate this with a spoon fashioned from the same gourd. And it was the most delicious meal I have ever eaten in his life, because my hunger had matured. Work hard, rest for a bit and then eat when your hunger matures!

Bridging the gap between knowing and practice:

• We talk about the three P’s - Plan, Provide & Prepare. You can do this for a few days and eventually it will become a part of your life. Like I have a rule for myself that I do not eat till I finish my morning prayers and exercise. This helps you form good habits.

Nature Cure food habits call for a lot of adjustment from family:

• In a family, each member has different demands and requisitions. Every family needs to have a family meeting, at least once a week. We sit in circle, hold hands, chant om, meditate for a bit, and then each person has to say one good thing about each member. This opportunity makes us more friendly with each other. Unless we express appreciation a bond between each other cannot be built, we end up taking it for granted. Every good act will be rewarded. We don’t have to worry at all.
• Likes and dislikes will be there in a family. Most of the times our family wants to help us. They are just a bit disturbed with the choices we make. Each will take into account the other’s needs, when we learn to give positive feedback. These are all intricacies of a healthy lifestyle.
• When people come for our camps we sing and dance on the tune of this song. People come to us very sick, but they forget that they are fasting and sing and dance with us. And as we sing and dance we slowly introduce the key ideas and values of nature cure.

On Pranayama and Yoga:

• Pranayama includes four parts – Inhale, Hold, Exhale, Hold. In each of this step there are so many important things that are happening in the body. When you are exhaling, you have to exhale through the nose first and the remaining air can be blown out of the mouth and exhale completely. Even if you exhale completely, there is some air in the lungs otherwise they would collapse. After you exhale, you hold the breath. Wonderful things happen as you hold the breath. So, when you are inhaling and holding the breath lungs are working, when you are exhaling lungs are working and when you are holding the breath after exhaling, lungs are resting.
• When you are holding the breath and not breathing (kumbhaka in Pranayama or Yoga), you are entering into a recurring deposit scheme and this get compounded and is available at the end of days of your life.

Viruses and Vaccines:

• Virus is a product of filth. When food rots in the body, virus multiplies. All the viruses flourish on filth. If there is no food in the body (you fast), the virus leaves. The next element in this is fear. There is a popular saying. “fear kills more then fever”. If you can get rid fear, you can heal better.

Duality Within Us:

Chanting hymn from the Upanishad:

Na karmana na prajaya dhanena,
tyagenaike amrta tvamanasuh,
parena nakam nihitam guhayam,
vibhrajate yadyatayo visanti

Neither by actions, nor by (acquiring) progeny and wealth, but by renunciation alone is immortality attained. (That Supreme State ) is far beyond the highest heaven, and the sages perceive it, hidden in the cave of the heart, shining brilliantly therein.

Vedanta vijnana suniscitarthah
samnyasa yogadyataya suddha sattvah
te brahma lokesu paranta kale
paramratah parimucyanti sarve

(Those) sages, who have a clear understanding of the principles of Vedanta, who have purified themselves by means of the yoga of renunciation,and who are (thus) established in the state of supreme beatitude, are totally liberated in Brahman at the time of dissolution of the body.

Dharam vipapam paramesma bhutam
yad pundarikam puramadhya sagastham
tatrapi dahram gaganam visokam
tasmin ya dantastatu pasidavyam

Located in the center of the city of the body is the subtle lotus of the heart, pure and untainted, which is the abode of the supreme. Meditate on the supreme being residing in that inner expanse, which is subtle and free from sorrow.

Yo vedadau svara proktah vedante ca pratistitaha
tasya prakriti linasya yah parahssa mahesvaraha

That which is described as the primal sound (om) in the beginning of the vedas, has been fully established as the supreme truth at the end of the Vedas ( the Upanishads) . The one who realizes that Supreme Principle is beyond the pale of those totally immersed in physical realities. Indeed, He is none other than the supreme Lord !

Na tatra suryo bhati na candra tarakam
nema vidyuto bhanti kutoyam agnihi
tameva bhantam anubhati sarvam
tasya bhasa sarvam idam vibhati

There the sun does not shine, nor do the moon and the stars. These streaks of lightning do not shine there either, (so) what to speak of this fire? That, shining, makes all others shine. By virtue of its luminosity, all these (manifestations) are illuminated.

• No matter what we do, there are things we know, there are things we do not know. What we know compared to what we do not know is very small. Even what we think we know is not fully known.
• We think we know, something about our body, but whatever we know is nothing. We understand that the body can heal itself but we think we have to help the body to heal itself. When we leave it, the body heals itself. While it is healing itself, it gives you pain. We do not want the pain, so we choose to release ourselves from the pain. And to release ourselves from pain we introduce medicines or remedies.
• Any wrong practice followed by a number of people, over a number of years becomes a norm. It is a strange situation. E.g. Earlier in India when a woman became a widow, we shaved their head, made them wear white and treated them as inauspicious. What about the man? He is not dishonored in the same way. There are so many such wrong practices. We should know that these are wrong practices and we know can know that by analyzing.

Essence of Dharma

• It is not what you read, but what you remember makes you learn it. It is not what you eat, but what you digest makes you healthy. It is not what you preach but what you practice makes you righteous.
• Once I had eczema in my skin. I covered up with socks and gave lectures on nature cure. My cousin pointed out and said, ‘physician heal thyself.’ I understood and worked on it for three months and healed myself. After that again I did some violation in food practices and it came back. It came back to tell me that I did this not to show the world but to grow in practice. Everything comes as a reminder in life.

Story - Supermarket with son: Once I had gone to the supermarket with my son. I love salted cashews and the supermarket was advertising this baskets of enticing nuts. All of this attracting and enticing and calling my attention. My hand without asking my permission went to grab some cashews. My 12 year son says, ‘dad you didn’t pay for it.’ I got a slap on my face when my son was almost telling me not to steal. (laughs .. ) To keep my own respect, I told him, I was just checking which one is better this one or that one. How do we know which one to buy. My son said, okay keep a count on the number cashews you eat and tell the person on the counter to charge for that or deduct that much from what you buy. I told him that was a good idea. Just to keep my own respect I bought cashews that day (laughs..).

The next time again I went to the supermarket and my hands went to grab the cashews. This time my intellect came into action, it said, ‘now that your son is not there, you are taking it’. Well you see we always have a choice. I left the cashews and I could control myself.

• If we pause ourselves before we do any action, our intellect will save us from any wrong action.
• Life gives us many opportunities to correct ourselves and keep moving on. Life is a game and play it well.

Some audience questions and responses from Dr. Sharma:

Question: I am thin and underweight for my height. Is it safe for me to fast? Any guidelines to follow for people who are underweight?

AS: If one feels weakness, we need to address that. Follow guidelines of health, attempt to improve health, not weight. Improving health will bring you to your optimal weight. Fasting is to be done by obeying its rules and in a non violent manner.

Question: I suffer from migraine. I tried to fast to cleanse my body, but I ended up with migraine :-(Finally I had to take tablets to feel better, because I have a toddler and a school going kid to take care. Do you have a suggestion or approach for me to follow?

AS: Migraine is to be psychologically addressed along with physical addressing. Better to have a period of approach to fasting where one eats healthy food for sometime, using more cleansing foods. Slowly one can take up half day fast and then a full day fast.

Question: According to circadian rhythm it says, morning 8am to 11 am it is a time for elimination. But, we are being taught to have breakfast like a king. The proverb "have breakfast like a king" seems to contradict with the circadian rhythm. Pls throw some light on this.

AS: Having breakfast like a King is true because the king of foods is fruit! So have fruit for breakfast!

Question: How important is it to be regular with your meals? Doctors and Nutritionists often recommend eating meals at regular times. But if I am not hungry after a heavy breakfast, can I skip lunch if I am not hungry?

AS: Do not eat when the bell rings in the clock but when the bell rings in the stomach. Regularity in eating is not a rule of health. Regulated eating is a rule of health.

Question: Dr Sharma, you said health is enjoyed in a "clean body" would you be able to expand on that? How would natural health science holistically explain clean body. Would you be also able to speak more about fasting? In this eating driven culture.

AS: When we say life's activity in a clean body is health. We all enjoy a certain amount of health and entertain some amount of toxins. Our health level depends on timely and effortless elimination. The main activities in the body can be divided into Assimilation and Elimination. Elimination improves as assimilation improves. To improve assimilation, we need to improve water, fiber and life content in food. It is life in the food that matters, not food in our life.

Having 2 raw meals will give us enough water, fiber and life. When we eat like this, health is established. When health is established, timely and effortless elimination happens everyday. It is better to fast periodically for a small duration so any elimination that has been held up can be completed in that time.

Question: Want to have a course on nature cure under guidance of Dr. Arun Sharma. Kindly guide.

AS: Please write to me at mahayoga99@gmail.com

Question: Thank you for sharing your experience and giving us valuable lessons in living a healthy life. I liked the tip about not taking cooked food for breakfast. I would like to know if you have any recommendation for hot drinks at breakfast time -- say coffee or tea. I like to have my coffee with oat milk every morning. Thank you!

AS: If you can postpone cooked food like oat milk to a later time, it will be good. Combining fruits with any cooked food or beverage will not be appreciated by the body.

Question: We feel that we can't see or intellectually understand a bacteria or virus, and we are completely helpless against them? Can you talk a bit about tuning in to the subtle internal intuitive intelligence of the body to take care of itself?

AS: We need to have trust in nature and be free of fear. Once these are established, recognition of what is good and what is not aligned will come to each one of us. In Vedanta, we have these lines: Aham vaishvanaro bhutva praninam dehamaashritah. I see every living being as being the life in you. Your life will do the very best for you.

Question: Though we know the principles of NC, when we see the bad food, we forget everything and want to eat it. How to handle this?

AS: Pausing and observing will give us insights into the nature of this craving. Also remember to recall the short term effect and the long term effect of every action.

Question: What should be the daily way of life in terms of physical activity, mental enthusiasm and spiritual detachment?

AS: Follow the 5 guiding principles of Nature Cure and get yourself educated in an experiential way (stated in Nature Cure Primer)

Question: If someone wants to pursue the study of a natural lifestyle, do you teach it?

AS: Yes. Please write to me at mahayoga99@gmail.com

Question: Dr. Sharma mentioned "Tona" at least twice. Can we get additional details please? What is it made of and where can we get it from? Thank you!

AS: Tona is an enema can that is used in a non violent way. It is filled with nothing but 150 ml of drinking water at room temperature and used like a regular enema can. Enema cans or pouches are generally available in khadi stores and medical stores.


Nature Cure Song:
(Tune modeled on Harry Ballefonte – Down the bay when the nights are gray, Sad to say on my way)

No meaning in all your wealth
If you have lost the treasure of health
There’s no beauty in artifice
Nature’s beauty is hygiene's price

Non-violence is the rule to pick,
In acts of life and treating sick,
In fasting feast on Ether pure
Supreme Medicines that ills do cure

Breathe in deep and Breathe out too,
Build up chest and energy true,
Sun in morning does healthful toning,
Light and porous be your donning

Kill not hunger before its birth
Lest you increase your groin’s girth
Work and digestion go together ill,
One at a time you fare too well.

Load your stomach least by day,
Laziness goes that way
Drink no water during meal
Even though thirst you feel

Minimize intake salt to-day
Pains of summer go away
Drink solids by chewing well,
Liquids need to be eaten well.

Extend life by Vital Reserve
See it you energy conserve
Be no slave to addictions
Become no prey to afflictions

Pleasures are of fleeting nature
Leave you ill a crying creature
Exercise in eating thrift
Happiness is a divine gift

- By Ganesa Sarma