Articles
Effects of Transdermal Marma Therapy™ on Balancing pH in Reference to the Reception of Prana
By Vaidya RAMA K. Mishra and Mélina Takvorian (PhD)
Concept
the concept of acid-alkaline balance was present in the most ancient ayurvedic texts dating back to the dawn of civilization. In several texts, protocols were developed to measure and evaluate the acid-alkaline balance of the human physiology. The ancient techniques used yielded accurate results on par with the accuracy index allowed by contemporary scientific technology. However, the concept of the three vipakas developed according to distinct parts of the human physiology shows that acid-alkaline balance was more exhaustively understood in Ayurveda than it currently is by modern science.
This paper examines the ayurvedic strategies of pH balance by focusing on the concept of prana in its connection to acid-alkaline balance testing. The correlation between the circulation of prana and pH balance in the human physiology is examined and measured according to the parameters of Transdermal Marma Therapy, a multi-dimensional healing protocol developed by Vaidya R.K.Mishra.
Material
pH paper, Arjuna Transdermal, Brahmi Transdermal, Ashwaganda Transdermal, 4 beej mantras.
Method
Thirty healthy male and female subjects were randomly selected for the evaluation of their salivary pH before and after Transdermal Marma Therapy. The Transdermal creams were applied on the pulse, on the Adhipathi, Talahridaya, and on Hridaya marmas in clockwise circular motion, 21 times, chanting a specific set of mantras quietly, while applying gentle pressure. Subjects were asked to breathe deeply.
Results
the pH test results revealed an increase from an average pH of 5.5 before TD application to 7.4 after the transdermal applications in 50%-80% of the subjects.
Conclusion
The Transdermal approach of Ayurveda proves itself to be a unique and effective strategy for optimizing well-being and overall health. Its primary beneficial effects are correlated with the dramatic increase of the reception and circulation of prana in the physiology. The increase in the index of prana is concretely measured through the bio-chemical changes the physiology experiences after a transdermal application as evidenced by an increase in the body's alkalinity.
The Transdermal Marma System protocol is easy to use and can be readily adapted into a subject's daily routine. The creams have a fast delivery system, as well as aromatic qualities specifically designed to yield therapeutic benefits. When a physiology's marma points are activated with the Transdermal creams, vibrationally enhanced by the mantra chanting, it was observed that the physiology responds immediately and positively nine times out of ten. The results of the test-runs conducted were encouraging and suggested that future detailed assessment with additional precise measurements will further prove this original hypothesis.
Discussion:
The concept of transdermal delivery has gained in primacy over the past decade given the set-backs that the oral delivery system has been exhibiting, proving itself to be less effective due to sluggish or incomplete activity in the digestive tract and/or the liver. A brief experiment was conducted to prove the efficacy of the ayurvedic transdermal delivery system over non-ayurvedic transdermal systems. The ayurvedic transdermal system makes use of the ancient science of marma points in addition to the knowledge of the selection and preparation of herbs in synergistic formulas targeting specific conditions. In addition, the ayurvedic Transdermal Marma System™ as developed by R.K. Mishra is further delineated itself from current transdermal systems in that it correlates the bio-chemical changes effected in the physiology after the application and absorption of transdermal herbs with the increase and the circulation of prana. The prana index is concretely measured and correlated with the balance of acidity and alkalinity in the physiology, the pH balance.
Over the past several years, contemporary western medicine has become acutely aware of the benefits of a balanced pH for the human physiology. It is a means of determining the negative log of the hydrogen ion (H+) concentration. Acidity is measured on a scale of 0 to 14. A reading of 7.0 indicates a neutral pH. The pH in the plasma is maintained within a narrow range of 7.35 to 7.45. There are many ways of determining a physiology's pH balance, e.g., through the urine, the plasma, the saliva. Blood pH is preferred in many cases because urine pH can be affected by several factors immediately after its collection. The saliva's pH is the one closest to the blood and is thus amenable to monitoring changes on a regular basis.
PH measurement is an important but easy tool that can help monitor and optimize health on a daily basis; unfortunately, it is approached in a fragmented, one-sided manner. Only an integrated perspective, such as Ayurveda's, can show how to incorporate this tool more effectively. Within the age-old Ayurvedic perspective, balancing pH does not just affect regulating acidosis, since a balanced pH is directly correlated with the overall health of the human physiology - physical, mental, as well as spiritual. This is a truth that is being confirmed by the recent findings of western researchers; however, scientific research is only able to trace the correlations between the physical body and the pH index, oblivious of the mental, emotional, and spiritual bodies. On the other hand, according to Ayurveda, pH balance is an index for the total health of the body: when the pH is too high or too low, it disrupts the "balancing factor" itself, a situation which, in turn, can lead to complications under the guise of various diseases. A disease is the late manifestation of a much subtler imbalance that can be ayurvedically detected and addressed.
The centrality of this "balancing factor" cannot be underestimated, and yet it is never addressed. What is this "balancing factor?" The human physiology thrives on prana. This term is increasingly invoked in relation to yoga and meditation. However, it is generally ignored that prana is the ultimate "balancing factor" of the human physiology. According to the ancient Vedic medical texts, prana connects the body to the soul, as well as to the mind and heart. While the definition of prana as the essential life-force of the human physiology is recognized, its concrete particular workings are unwittingly ignored. The Vedic texts explain how the human soul, a vibration partaking of the nature of God, is the kernel around which the human physiology is organized. The seat of the soul is the human heart. The body interacts with its soul, in the heart, through prana.
Prana flows into the physiology from nature, the environment. The body is set-up such that it can incorporate this prana into itself. Hence, an impaired prana, indicated for example through an imbalanced pH, has far-reaching consequences on the overall physiological, as well as the mental, emotional, and spiritual health of the individual. Many alternative healers these days recognize that physiological dis-ease, or illness, is strongly correlated with the spiritual dimension. Some even proclaim that disease has its roots primarily in the mental and the spiritual domains. While "dis-ease" might have its origins in the mental and spiritual realms, there are many concrete factors that may also trigger its genesis.
Thousands of years previous to the emergence of contemporary medical science, Ayurveda made use of several strategies in order to isolate and identify a declared pathology. Thus, the concept of acid-alkaline balance was present in the most ancient ayurvedic texts dating back to the dawn of civilization. In several texts, protocols were developed to measure and evaluate the acid-alkaline balance of the human physiology. The ancient techniques used yielded accurate results on par with the accuracy index allowed by contemporary scientific technology. However, the concept of the three vipakas developed according to distinct parts of the human physiology show that acid-alkaline balance was more exhaustively understood in Ayurveda than it currently is by modern science.
The notion of maintaining different pH balance points in the physiology originates with Ayurveda; in addition to that valuable observation, however, the ayurvedic texts also provide explanation as to why there should be different pH points, as well as guidance as to how to correct and maintain those different pH balance points.
The digestive system goes from neutral through acidic to alkaline stages. Everything we ingest should initially maintain a neutral pH. The Charak Samhita calls that "madhur vipak." In modern terms that means that in the first stage of digestion, in the mouth, saliva should be able to maintain the pH of the ingested food neutral, just like the ideal pH value of the blood. When the food is swallowed, however, and reaches the stomach, it has to turn acidic. The enzymatic environment in the stomach works towards enhancing acidity without which the digestive process would fail to occur. In accordance with modern medical findings, centuries before western science proclaimed itself on the subject, the ayurvedic Samhita explained that all ingested food had to acquire an "amla vipak" at this point, that is, a sour acidic quality.1 Modern science confirms the ayurvedic texts' findings when it states that the stomach pH should be below 6.3 in order to allow for the digestion of proteins, for example. The Samhita, however, continues by saying that the small intestine should be a predominantly alkaline environment, and modern science, once more, confirms this fact by explaining that the small intestine's alkalinity is necessary in order to enable the unhindered flow of the pancreatic enzymes. The same is needed for the bacterial flora to circulate in the large intestine.
Ayurveda explains that prana has three primary components called: soma, agni, and marut. Soma is characterized in the ancient texts as the substance that carries the vibrational energy of the moon, while agni carries the vibrational energy of the sun. Marut is an expression of the air and space elements. These three components of prana, as found in nature, constantly interact with the human physiology through the body's involvement with the environment. They are specifically channeled into the human physiology through the Mahamarma, the Adhipati marma, located on the foremost top part of the head. Prana also enters the physiology through the intake of food, water, breathing, as well as exposure to surrounding sound.
More specifically, within the human physiology a pH reading correlated with the levels of prana can be translated into the dosha system. A person with a low pH will exhibit signs of an overactive pitta dosha. High pH will indicate more soma, that is, a kapha dosha predominance. Both cases need to be corrected, because they represent imbalances in the ayurvedic perspective. An imbalanced pH indicates that the "balancing factor" of the physiology, the prana, is not at its optimal, that it is either depleted, or its mobility has been affected by the accumulation of substances in the micro-circulatory channels, blocking its reception as well as the evacuation of the used prana energy. Before an imbalance is expressed as a full-blown disease, the individual will experience various external signs, such as: chronic bad breath; chronic fatigue; allergies; headaches. If prana depletion has been present over a long period of time, then an individual might experience chronic yeast/fungal infections; boils; canker sores; hypoglycemia; osteoporosis; joint problems; fibromyalgia; hot flashes; dryness and/or burning sensation in various parts of the body; PMS. Mood swings are also a very good indicator when taken into account with other key factors.
With the depletion of prana, there is a decrease in the body's ability to absorb minerals and other nutrients; a decreased production of energy in the cells; a decrease in the body's ability to repair damaged cells; a decrease in the body's ability to detoxify heavy metals. Such factors make the body more susceptible to fatigue and an array of illnesses, and in the long run, may be conducive to the multiplication of cancerous cells. It is significant to note that contemporary medical science correlates these symptoms with low pH levels as well, thus setting the scientific grounds for the comparative study of the pH and prana factors.
While the intake of herbal supplements in addition to an intelligent diet can be a major factor that can help correct imbalances in the physiology resulting from or leading to abnormal acid or alkaline levels, the oral delivery system is proving itself to be less effective due to an over-taxed digestive system and liver. This partially accounts for the impact that the introduction of the transdermal delivery system has had over the past few years, and its increasing popularity in allopathy as well as naturopathy. It is in line with the logic of addressing the current needs of the western physiology that an ayurvedic transdermal protocol was developed. More specifically, this paper examines the ayurvedic strategies of pH balance by focusing on the concept of prana in its connection to acid-alkaline balance testing. The correlation between the circulation of prana and pH balance in the human physiology is examined and concretely measured according to the parameters of Transdermal Marma System™ - a multi-dimensional healing protocol conceived and developed by R.K. Mishra - according to the following parameters.
The Transdermal Marma System utilizes several strategies to target and address a pranic imbalance. It operates on a gross material level mobilizing and correcting at the same time the subtle vibrations operating in that zone. The Transdermal Marma System operates through the application of all natural potent herbal creams that are also endowed with aromatherapeutic qualities. The creams are applied in minimal quantities on the marma points of the human physiology. Marmas constitute the junction points where soma, agni and marut, the three aspects of prana as received from the natural environment, are present in high index. Marma points are thus highly charged vibrational junction points that exhibit heightened receptivity. They constitute optimal delivery points for vibrationally potent applications. Furthermore, marma points may be manipulated to activate or de-activate the flow of prana in the physiology. The science of the amount and quality of pressure to be applied on a specific set of marma points in view of bringing about specific desired results is currently being rediscovered in Southern India after a long period of dormancy due to foreign rule. As such, marma points constitute optimal delivery stations for materials that are transmitted to and circulated throughout the physiology.
The Transdermal Marma System further enhances the potency of these vibration stations through the use of specific mantras. The subject applying the Transdermal Cream on a specific marma point enhances the potency of the application by chanting a specific set of beej mantras, while gently circling the marma point in clock-wise concentric motion. The vedic texts explain that beej mantras are sound vibrations recognized by the human physiology on a subtle level. They are thus endowed with the capacity to travel through the vibrational channels of the physiology. When beej mantras are chanted in parallel to the transdermal application of targeted herbal preparations, they enhance the delivery of the vibrational molecules of the herbs as well as the aroma. As will be seen below, this enhanced delivery of targeted herbs to the physiology produced dramatic results in a relatively short period of time. In concrete terms, the Transdermal Marma System works towards enhancing the reception and circulation of prana, as well as the evacuation of the utilized energy abounding in nature. This results in an immediate feeling of well-being experienced on a deep tissue level. The immediate changes affected by the Transdermal Marma System were concretely measured through monitoring the fluctuation of blood pH.
The experiment was designed as follows. The materials needed were: pH paper; three Transdermal products - Arjuna Transdermal, Brahmi Transdermal, Ashwaganda Transdermal (formulated by R.K. Mishra; and 4 beej mantras.
The pH paper was used to test the subjects' salivary pH before and after the application of the transdermal creams.
The three transdermal creams were chosen for their specific effects.
Arjuna TD, is a sadhak pitta pacifying preparation that provides strength to the emotional heart while alkalizing the blood through its specific herbal attributes.
Brahmi TD enhances the coordination between "dhi dritti and smritti," given that dhi represents soma, dritti represents agni, and smritti represents marut - the three component of prana. As such, Brahmi TD enhances the reception as well as the use of soma, agni and marut.
Ashwaganda TD was selected for its adaptogenic characteristics, in addition to the fact that it is an herbal substance that enhances the coordination between heart, mind, and the senses.
The four beej mantras were specifically selected to enhance the delivery of the transdermal applications from the marma points to the targeted centers in the physiology, such as the heart, the mind, and the entire circulatory system.
Method
Randomly chosen healthy male and female subjects were selected for the evaluation of the salivary pH before and after Transdermal Marma Therapy. As preparation they were told to relax. The three Trandsermals were applied in sequence: brahmi on the pulse on the wrists 7 times (a maximum of 21 times) in clockwise motion, then Arjuna TD on Talahridaya which is found in the palms and on the soles, and on Hridaya in the center of the chest in clockwise circular motion, 21 times, chanting a specific set of mantras quietly, while applying gentle pressure. Subjects were asked to breathe deeply but gently.
Subsequently Ashwaganda was applied on adhipati, soles and palms (Talahridiya) gently, while pressing soles and palms with the thumb. Application of transdermals is always done with the ring finger. Subjects were asked to breathe deeper. The results are listed below.
Results
the pH test results revealed an increase from an average pH of 5.5 before TD application to 7.4 after transdermal application in 80-90% of the subjects. It was concluded that TMS (Transdermal Marma System) enhances the reception and use as well as timely release of used vibrations of soma agni and marut. Specfically, Arjuna Transdermal enhanced the reception of soma to the heart, Brahmi Transdermal enhanced the reception and use of soma agni and marut - affecting a higher coordination between dhi dritti and smritti; and Ashwaganda Transdermal improved the circulation, both physical as well as vibrational.
Applying these transdermals and chanting the mantra supported the flow of vibration to bring out these results. Overall, the subjects expressed having experienced emotional mental and physical relaxation. The experiment was repeated three times with different groups.
Group A
| Subjects | Before TD | After TD |
|---|---|---|
| Ken | 4.4 | 6.8 |
| Scott | 6.5 | 7.2 |
| Aimee | 6.8 | 7.0 |
| C.N. | 7.0 | 7.5 |
| J.P. | 6.3 | 7.1 |
| Felicia | 6.0 | 6.5 |
| Nancy | 6.8 | 6.2 |
| Kim | 6.8 | 6.6 |
| Stephanie | 6.7 | 6.3 |
| Ann | 5.5 | 6.4 |
Group B
| Subjects | Before TD | After TD |
|---|---|---|
| Michael | 6.8 | 7.0 |
| Mary-Louise | 6.4 | 6.8 |
| Sharon | 6.6 | 6.8 |
| Mark | 6.4 | 6.8 |
| Natalie | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| Janis | 5.8 | 6.1 |
| Tamara | 6.0 | 6.2 |
| Jane | 5.5 | 6.6 |
| Brett | 6.2 | 6.4 |
| Alicia | 6.0 | 7.4 |
Group C
| Subjects | Before TD | After TD |
|---|---|---|
| Tom | 6.0 | 6.5 |
| Rose | 6.8 | 7.4 |
| Marsha | 6.0 | 7.0 |
| Johnny | 6.8 | 6.5 |
| Munjal | 6.2 | 6.5 |
| Marie | 7.0 | 7.2 |
| Joan | 5.2 | 5.8 |
| Helen | 5.6 | 5.9 |
| Evangeline | 6.8 | 7.0 |
| Patrick | 5.5 | 7.0 |
Interpretation
Group A exhibited a 20% decrease of pH in tested subjects; 40% experienced an increase in the pH index equal to or above 7.0, while it was observed that 40% noted a dramatic increase (x > 1 point, where x is the factor of increase).
Group B exhibited a 0% decrease in pH balance in tested subjects; a 30% increase bringing the pH equal to or above 7.0; 20% percent experienced a dramatic jump of one or more points.
Group C exhibited a 10% decrease in pH; a 50% increase equal to or greater than 7.0; and a dramatic jump for 20% of the tested subjects.
Conclusion
While overall results yielded by this experiment vary given different environmental factors (e.g., the pH of the air) as well as individual idiosyncratic factors (body constitution, etc), the remarkable conclusion to be drawn at this preliminary stage of research is that no subject's pH was observed to have increased beyond the normal point of 7.4, while a good range experienced the desired increase. TMS proves itself to be a safe and easy protocol at this stage.