Starve the Cold and the Fever Swami Vicharananda Saraswati Most people who follow a yogic lifestyle

soon arrive at a relatively disease-fre e state, where they are no longer troubled by chronic physical complaints. Nevertheless, there are times in everyone's life when extra demands are made on one's physical , emotional or mental resources. Often these periods of high stress precipitate a sudden disruption of physical health. These acute episodes of sickness are often referred to as healing crises. They should not be considered as disease states; in fact they are an expression of the body's healthy response to stress and overwork. Th e most important thing to remember at these times is to heed the message of the body, which is frantically signalling the need for a complete rest. Most natural healers agree that these states of physical reaction can be traced to a high level of toxicity in the body. This occurs when the tissues are overloading the body with more waste materials than can be handled by the standard processes of elimination. Toxins can build up after long periods of overeating, eating the wr ong foods, living in polluted environments, or as a result of mental or physical ove rwork. They affect the mucus membranes of the hollow organs of the body, such as the lining of the throat, nose and sinuses, the gastrointestinal tract and the uroge nital tract. These mucus membranes become inflamed and provide excellent sites for infection. The exact location of an illness depends on many factors. Each individual has a unique pattern of illness which will determine which organs or systems will be primarily affected by systemic toxemia. Genetic predisposition, residual pranic weakness from previous illnesses, environmental factors such as pollution and climate, and psychological factors all help determine the exact form a healing c risis may take. Nevertheless, it should always be kept in mind that no disease can be isolated to just one specific part of the body. All states of physical unrest re flect a generalized imbalance in the body-mind complex as a whole, and must be treated i n as holistic a manner as possible. Symptoms of the healing crisis typically include physical tiredness, loss of app etite, and a general loss of motivation and interest in life. When the respiratory syst em is the focus of the reaction, the commonplace infections of the nose, throat, sinus es and lungs occur as responses to the overall physical toxemia. The organs of the gastrointestinal tract are also highly susceptible, and when they are affected c ramps, gastritis, diarrhoea and other digestive problems result. When the urogenital sy stem is at risk, non-specific infections of the bladder, urethra and vagina may devel op. Boils, eruptions and skin disorders are yet another way in which the body respon ds to high levels of toxicity. Any of these symptoms may be accompanied by fever, which reflects that the heart and the immune system are working overtime to rid the body of its excess of poisons.

The proper functioning of the body is based on a complex system of interaction a nd feedback which is controlled by the central actions of the nervous system and hormones. Therefore, when one system of the body is malfunctioning, it usually h as multiple, harmful repercussions on other systems as well. Any of the primary symptoms mentioned above can generate many secondary symptoms. For example, a problem with the digestive system may affect the circulation, and lead to diso rders of the teeth and gums, joints and connective tissues, and the skin. Infections w hich initially take hold in localized areas are spread by the lymphatic fluid and blo od to all areas of the body. And various forms of physical discomfort, even if they do not originate in the mind, can act as powerful triggers which bring up all kinds of negativity to the surface of the mind, thus effecting a mental, as well as physi cal purification. For this reason, fasting, in conjunction with other forms of yogic therapy, is a n ideal