Meditation As Medicine: Activate the Power of Your Natural Healing Force

by Dharma Singh Khalsa

Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa “shows us how the tremendous power of medical meditation can heal not only the body but also the mind and soul” (Deepak Chopra) in this practical and engaging guide to natural healing.

Proven effective by scientific research and presented here by Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa and Cameron Stauth, the practice of Medical Meditation revolutionizes the healing process. By balancing and regenerating the body's ethereal and physical energies through simple meditations, Medical Meditation unites the mind, body, and spirit into a powerful triad.

Each Medical Meditation here has a specific physiological effect, targeting afflictions from arthritis to ulcers to cancer. Dr. Khalsa details the five unique attributes that endow this type of meditation with far more power than standard meditation. The combination of special postures and movements; exact positioning of the hands and fingers; particular mantras; specific breathing patterns; and a unique focus of concentration can change your entire biochemical profile, easing you into a calm, healing state. Practiced in conjunction with conventional or alternative medical treatments, cutting-edge Medical Meditation activates the healing force within you.

Genres: Health, Meditation, Spirituality, Nonfiction, Self Help, Psychology, Personal Development

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Isabel Barreto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meditation is a crucial tool that we can use so we are able to control our minds, lives, and emotions instead of having them control us. This book explores different exercises that we can do to cure certain ailments, or issues. Our lives are a product of what we think, what we think about manifests, so why not direct our thoughts to the path we want to go to. Dr. Dharma is very passionate about brain longevity and a credible Dr. as well as a practioner and teacher of Kundalini Yoga.

[Jeremiah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Given to my by Clare, this book offers specific breathing, yoga and chants to heal your body. An examination of the seven or eight 'chakras' representing different areas of the body for ethereal healing are then explored. The book starts with the medical studies that show the benefits of meditation up to page 63. As a frequent meditater, I can attest to the positive benefits to this practice. After that through, the book progresses through the each of the seven chakras, their associated body elements, and specific poses and chants that are used to heal the body. It would have been nice to see the medical studies that support these techniques but at this point, each chakra section offered only an anecdotal story of a patient who used the technique for their benefit. I enjoyed reading about the chakras and see parrallels to western psychology like Maslow's hierarchy of needs. This book provided the context to link's Maslow's hierarchy to certain parts of the body. I didn't understand the chants (or why i needed to use the Hindu pronunciation rather than the English meaning). It was interesting to read about a belief system (other than my own) that traces back well into the Old Testament periods and much more focused on your own physical body. It certainly got me more interested in chakras, yoga, meditation and their various origins.

[Alana Cash · Rating 1 out of 5]

I stopped reading this book shortly after this paragraph:

"On the plane [from New Delhi to Amritsar] was a group of tourists, prototypical Ugly Americans wearing plaid shorts and golf shirts, with cameras around their necks, intent upon getting the 25-cent tour of the holy hot spots: first the Golden Temple in the City of Immortality, and then a quick bus run up the road to Dharmsala, the Place of truth, where the Dalai Lama lived. Then lunch, then shopping. Then dinner, then back to the New Delhi Hyatt, for CNN and the stock quotes." (page 101-102)

First of all, this paragraph is judgmental and lacking compassion or any attempt at empathy or understanding. Even if one believes that he actually saw tourists in plaid shorts with cameras around their necks, how can Khalsa know the intention of anyone except himself? All of this is his projection. He is the "Ugly One" rushing around India (and the world) looking for enlightenment. And second, he lives in the U.S. with all us Ugly Americans, not in India where he looks for holiness.

This book is about the practice of Kundalini yoga and there is nothing like the real thing - attend a class in this branch of yoga to experience fully the effects of chanting and mudras, posture and breathing. If you can't attend a class in your town, look on YouTube, buy a DVD, or see what's available at your library.

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

i have many friends holding on to their tattered, worn copy that they picked up after i suggested it. this is a keeper - the ultimate yoga reference.

[Ingrid Exner · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me, Meditation As Medicine became a pivotal primary resource when I was writing my own e-book on health and wellness. Written in a very straight forward way (including diagrams of exercises and poses) this all-in-one book is a perfect combination of physical, medical, spiritual and psychological wellness information. Meditation as Medicine... is chalk full of invaluable information about human anatomy, relaxation, the names of various poses and the specific ailments in which they help to relieve symptoms. What I enjoyed most about this book was its comprehensiveness of the read as well as it's accessibility to anyone. Written in plain language... both those new to meditation as well as those experienced with its healing ways will reap invaluable benefits from reading this book.

[Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you are particularly interested in the science of meditation, particularly all types of meditation, not just the kind this book advocates for, you’ll probably enjoy this book! Also if you are looking for a new meditation practice or to radically update your meditation practice, this book might be for you. I am not that person however, and I did not enjoy wading through what I found to be an absurd amount of medical evidence and anecdotal stories. I didn’t need to be convinced that mediation works (or at least I didn’t need hundreds of pages of convincing), and I certainly didn’t need to learn about the types of meditation this book doesn’t teach. All of this made the made the book dense and less enjoyable to read. But I also have an existing meditation practice that I’m happy with and not looking to change up…so I’m probably just not the right audience for this.

[Terrin Marino · Rating 5 out of 5]

This books is the missing piece for me! It speaks to the science about everything I already knew and believed intuitively! I can’t recommend this book enough! The power of meditation, chanting, prayer, energy, and how balancing all the elements that make us can bring so much healing! Thank you thank you thank you for writing this book!

[Ingrid Exner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read about Karen Salzberg when I started practising Loving Kindness. I wanted to update and streamline my meditation and read that she had written a book, Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation- A 28 Day Program. I LOVE this book. It is appropriate for beginners as well as those who have been doing meditation for a number of years. Aside from talking about meditation as a whole, Karen discusses Mindfullness, Concentration, Happiness and really all the "nuts and bolts" that make up meditation. This book is a good primer and reference for both those new to meditation and to those who have been living the benefits of meditation for many years.

[Phil Calandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the fourth book that I have read by Dharma Singh Khalsa and, in all probability, the most important. The book is a multi prong approach of achieving maximum health including nutrition, stress management, exercise and pharmaceuticals. "Meditation as Medicine" is an in depth focus on the importance of "Medical Meditation" in which Kundalini Yoga is the primary component. The explanations and diagrams are very clear and easy to understand if one chooses to follow this program. I would highly recommend this book.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book offers some science about how and why meditation benefits one's health (and Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa issues a standing offer to share further evidence). I found the information contained here valuable -- the right chanting meditations really have changed my outlook and how I physically feel.

[Karen Hyatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started practicing Kundalini Meditation/Yoga and was encouraged to read this book. I was absolutely amazed at all the information that this book contained. I learned so much. I am adding this book to one I want to own and have on my shelf for quick reference. I recommend this to anyone in the pursuit of healing and good health.

[Fred · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was in collaboration with Dharma Singh Khalsa, M D. His meditations and mantras are based on kundalini yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan. Dr Khalsa and Ms Stauth also collaborated in writing two other books, Brain Longevity and The Pain Cure.

[Debra Brunk · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book for anyone interested in better understanding the mind-body connection and the potential power of meditation. The author provides a lot of case studies, which are interesting to read, as well as a number of targeted meditations.

[Prakash Murthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a remarkable book talking about some very remarkable concepts and could possibly help with my battle against cancer. Even if it doesn't meet that lofty goal the book definitely is valuable as it has a lot of good information about how to use meditation, yoga, breathing exercises, chanting, and mental focus to target and heal specific health conditions. So it is quite likely helpful at the very least in calming down when upset/angry.

The book gives a very good in-depth description of chakras, nadis, tattwas, and other concepts related to the ancient Hindu healing methodologies. Very understandable that it is the followers of Sikhism religion that brought this arcane and secret knowledge base out from under the brahminical domination and into the public sphere.

I have purchased a personal copy of this book to re-read and refer to it regularly. Also, plan to buy more books related to Kundalini and Yogi Bhajan to understand more about the concepts in this book.

[Deb Sawdon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I greatly admire the work done by Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D.
This book contains an excellent introduction to medical meditation, along with information on healing the physical and ethereal bodies and explanations of how medical meditation works and documented scientific research.
It then goes on to include healing elements, breath work and techniques and then connects medical conditions to the chakras, with specific meditation recommendations.

[Aaron Levin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wouldn't recommend for a general intro to meditation but it is an interesting look at both the Science behind the medical use of meditation as well as a good intro to several specific healing practices from kundalini yoga.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not as informative as I would have liked. I enjoyed the first chapter, but subsequent chapters had a lot of examples of patient success that were not necessary to my being interested in the meditations and the research.

[Maddie (Linda) Maddocks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely worth having in your library. Even if Bhajan was a rapist and a liar, the mishmash of meditation techniques he learned from his (gotta be) more ethical teachers in India are really effective IMO. Maybe they don't work as described, but they DO help.

Kundalini is a funny thing...

[Carolina · Rating 5 out of 5]

No tengo palabras para describir este libro, es un regalo. Uno de los mejores libros que leí en mi vida, por no decir que el mejor. Me nutrió de tantos conocimientos nuevos que no sabía que necesitaba.

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this book as a part of my yoga therapy training. This is one of my most preferred books on yoga and meditation. I often find myself delving into it to reread some of my favourite sections or to seek inspiration for my practice and teaching.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though yoga books are hard to understand in my opinion. It was full of the health information I REALLY like to know about.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of my most referenced books for meditation

[POIOMof2 · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is the third time that I enjoyed this book. This time I decided to listen to it and I always discover something new. the neditations are simple and reassuring.

[Lisa Burrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very detailed about meditation and the Chakras, I learned a lot I did not know and would recommend it

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read online. This is one of those books that I want a physical copy to own.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

And now the challenge will be to incorporate the meditations into my practice, some of which I already have.

[Michael A. Johnston · Rating 3 out of 5]

I might be interested in meditation, but talk of chakras and auras starts to make my eyes roll after a while.

[L F Gillman · Rating 5 out of 5]

a must read

Entertaining and well written.
Author has great insight and it is essential reading. Plan to put book into practise .

[Frida❦ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great knowledge in this book.

[Jeremy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't get as much out of this as other meditation books but it introduced me to Khundalini Yoga which I do get a bit out of.