Vamana Dhouti
Vamana Dhouti is a process whereby a person takes one to two liters of warm salt water as quickly as possible until the person drinking then feels like vomiting it out. After taking in water, stand with feet apart in waist-bending position and use fingers to massage the back of the throat until vomiting commences. Continue this process until all the water has been expelled from the stomach. After completing the process, it is important to rest. It is also advised to eat a light, bland meal with ghee about ½ hour after rest.
During the vomiting process, it is important to remember to keep your neck straight in order to not accumulate water into the sinus cavity. It is also important that this practice be done in the morning prior to any food intake. These practices should be avoided if a person has abdominal pain, acute peptic ulcer, hernia, sore throat, tonsillitis, hypertension, and people with diabetic eye problems and during pregnancy.
Vamana dhouti is able to aid in digestion by cleansing the stomach to address flatulence and indigestion. This process also reduces hyper acidity and it removes excess mucus through the strong contractions of stomach muscles thus helping with respiration and reduction of asthma symptoms. This practice is also said to release pent-up emotions and emotional blocks.
Pancakosa
Pancakosa is a Vedantic concept that can be translated to mean the five layers of life existence. These five layers are discussed in the Traittiereya Upanishad, as the “student sitting close to the teacher” in order to gain learning and understanding of these five levels.
The five levels of pancakosa that are thought to be the layers through which human beings can travel toward Atman. The levels here include, Annamaya kosa; that which deals with the physical body it consists of five elements (earth, water, fire, wind, space). It represents the densest kosa. The next is Pranayama kosa; the pranic body or “our life force personality from which even annamaya kosa comes out.” It consists of five dimensions (udana, Prana, Samana, Apan and Vyana). The third kosa is the Manomaya kosa; this is the mind based aspect of our mental personality. Manomaya kosa has a component included called Bhavanas. Bhavanas are the rapid recycling of thoughts that constitute emotions. Thus the manomaya kosa is the seat of likes, dislikes, joy, and distress. Manomaya kosa is described as a mental and emotional library and a subtler layer of our existence. The Fourth level of pancakosa is the vijyanamaya kosa. At this level, the intellectual personality is seated. This is the part of humans that guides action or inaction; this kosa is said to differentiate man from animals. The last aspect of personality is Anandamaya kosa; this level is the subtlest form of human beings. This state is reached when a person is devoid of any form of emotions. It is a state of silence of the mind, emotions and intellect. Although this is the highest form, it is not the Atman because it is still characterized by limitations. During the journey towards truth and ultimate reality, humans move through these kosas and transforms gradually by tapas or practices that assist with growth.
The third kosa, Manomaya kosa is important because of the fact that it is a bridge between the denser and subtler layers/sheaths. Manomaya kosa is bridges the internal and external layers and can be thought of as both internal and external. This kosa is responsible for those ego characteristics that form the sense of “I.” Because it is concerned with emotions, this layer can override our discriminatory ability to act according to right or wrong. By becoming caught up in our desires we are unable to move past this kosa to reach higher states of being.
Pratyahaar
Pratyahaar is the fifth element of the eight stages of Ashtanga yoga as described in Pantanjali’s Yoga Sutra. The importance of Pratyahaar is the withdrawal of the senses from contact with objects in the external world. This is about maintaining focus without being controlled by the senses. An individual that is able to internalize consciousness is able to control the sensations gained from the five senses and thus the individual can then move into the next stages of yoga. This fifth stage is also important in that it is the bridge between the external aspects of yoga and the internal aspects of yoga.
Blood
The main components of blood are the fluid plasma and the solid cells. Plasma represents approximately 55 percent of blood while the solid cells represent about 45 percent of blood’s make-up. All of the cells are responsible for a particular function for the body. Plasma carried the nutrients for the body and some amount of oxygen. All blood is made in the bone marrow of the body. In children blood cells are produced in the bone marrow of all the bones. Yet in adults blood cells are produced in only certain bones; some of those being, the vertebral column, ribs and skull bones. There are three types of cells in the blood, red blood cells (rbcs), white blood cells (wbcs) and platelets.
Platelets are in charge of clotting blood in order to prevent a person from excess bleeding; they are also concerned with repairing blood vessels by filling the gaps in perforated veins until repaired by new tissue growth. Platelets are also responsible for keeping the temperature equal throughout the body. Platelets are small bodies and have a half-life of approximately 7 days. Platelets are also known as thrombocytes because they are responsible for releasing thrombin which aids in the clotting process.
Red blood cells (rbcs) are responsible for the transport of oxygen to the organs and tissues and carbon dioxide from the tissues to heart then lungs. The red color in blood cells is due to hemoglobin. Rbcs are very small and have a biconcave shape that allows for greater efficiency of blood flow. Although small in size, they survive in the body for approximately 120 days. Average count for rbcs in the blood range from 4.8 million to 5.4 million/uL. This range is dependent on gender and the amount of oxygen present in the atmosphere. For example individuals living at higher altitudes will form more rbcs to compensate for lower oxygen levels in the atmosphere.
White blood cells (wbcs) or leukocytes have five categories of cells. Each of the five categories of wbcs has individual size and shape. The five categories of white blood cells are: Neutropils, lymophcytes (memory cells), monocytes, eosinophils, and basophils. They range is sine from 5u to 15 u in diameter. Wbcs are in charge of defense against infections and infection causing bacteria and foreign invaders of the body. Some white blood cells work to attack short severe infections while others attack more chronic infections. The wbcs can do this through phagocytosis in which they eat the harmful bacteria or foreign particles. Still other cells defend by moving through cells to guard against infections. A change in the number of white blood cells is a sign of infection in the body.