A Practical Guide to Holistic Health

by Swami Rama

The new yet ancient concept known as holistic health affirms the complete interrelationship between body, mind, and spirit. As an authority in both Eastern and Western techniques, Swami Rama presents a philosophy of total health. Maintaining that each individual possesses the responsibility and the tools to regulate his own well-being, he discusses the practical aspects of cleansing, nourishing, being still, utilizing the emotions, self-training, and exercise.

Genres: Religion, Health

134 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

About the author

Swāmī Rāma was born Brij Kiśore Dhasmana or Brij Kiśore Kumar,to a northern Indian Brahmin family in a small village called Toli in the Garhwal Himalayas. From an early age he was raised in the Himalayas by his master Bengali Baba and, under the guidance of his master, traveled from temple to temple and studied with a variety of Himalayan saints and sages, including his grandmaster, who was living in a remote region of Tibet. From 1949 to 1952 he held the prestigious position of Shankaracharya of Karvirpitham in South India. After returning to his master in 1952 and practising further for many years in the Himalayan caves, Swami Rama was encouraged by his teacher to go to the West, where he spent a considerable portion of his life teaching, specifically in the United States and Europe.
He is especially notable as one of the first yogis to allow himself to be studied by Western scientists.
Swami Rama authored several books in which he describes the path he took to becoming a yogi and lays out the philosophy and benefits behind practices such as meditation. One of the common themes expressed in such books as "Enlightenment Without God" and "Living with the Himalayan Masters" is the ability of any person to achieve peace without the need for a structured religion. He was critical of the tendency for yogis to use supernatural feats to demonstrate their enlightenment, arguing that these only demonstrated the ability to perform a feat.

Reviews

[Jenifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This "manual" has helped me change my life and find an alternative to Western medicine that is so crammed down our throats prescription after prescription after prescription. If you are interested in holistic health, this book is a good place to start.

[May Ling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: I read this as a suggestion from MTV. It was good, but I don't have a lot of take aways that aren't from other nutrition books.

I would recommend this if you are just getting into the idea of healthy living. I like that it doesn't try to push any one way of thinking about food. Instead, it gives the ideas that he has thought about from his own practice and what it might mean to clean the body through food. From here, you can decide what eating practice is right for you.

I gave it 4 stars because I like this idea of the connection between body, food, action, and mind.

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely fundamental and invaluable guide to holistc health. Anyone who's health-conscious should implement it in their daily life. I'd just like to add that, contrary to Rama's perception, there is actually a modern poet who wrote a poem about sunrise and that is Sergey Yesenin. It's expressed with great beauty and sensitivity. Of course quite irrelevant to the topic, but couldn't help mentioning it.

[Viral · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book on taking control of your health. The book is very easy to read and provides simple advice to put in practice. The book focuses on physical and mental well being. It also links spiritual development. The major chapters include body cleansing, nutrition, exercise and emotional wellness.