Healing the Future : The Journey Within/Deepak Kashyap. New Delhi, New Age Books, 2001, xxii, 208 p., plates, $13 (pbk). ISBN 81-7822-039-3.

Contents: Preface. I. The transition : 1. The beginning. 2. The Goa miracle. 3. The dawn. II. The science of Yoga : 1. Yoga and the times. 2. Yoga and ‘health’. 3. Yoga and medicine. 4. Yoga and physics. III. Yoga in perspective : 1. The twilight and after. 2. Patanjali. 3. Post Patanjali. 4. Contemporary Yoga. IV. The body : 1. The microcosm. 2. The defences. 3. Disease. 4. Neuro-peptides. 5. The genome "spell check". V. The "bodies" : 1. Koshas. 2. Nadis. 3. Chakras. 4. Prana. 5. Kundalini. VI. Planets and free will : 1. Astrology: destiny deciphered? 2. K. N. Rao. 3. Yukteswar Giri. 4. Muktananda. 5. The roots. VII. Shaktipat : the ‘lightning’ Yoga : 1. Shaktipat. 2. Initiation. 3. The Mantra. 4. Guru. 5. Karma transference. VIII. Reiki : 1. ‘The universal life energy’. 2. Treatment and cure. 3. Reiki possibilities. 4. My experiences. 5. Reiki—a karmic trap? IX. Yogi Hans Baba : 1. The Enigma. 2. The early days. 3. Vindhyachal. 4. Hans becomes Paramahans. X. Healing the future : 1. Healing the future? 2. The alphabet of healing. Glossary. Bibliography. Index.

"It sounds crazy in these ‘physical’ times, yet is a fact that the greatest possibilities of body-cure lie in our ability to ‘forget’ the body. As we gradually lose body-consciousness—identifying more and more with the spirit—physical disability and mental trauma wear off on their own.

"To practise yoga is to climb from body to mind, and from mind to spirit. Healing (literally, to make whole), is then much more than riddance from physical imperfections. It is the process that signifies our graduation from body to spirit via the mind, and catapults us to a state of existence that is proactive and literally, creative of our own healthy future. In other words, each time we experience healing, we effectively order for ourselves a fresh destiny.

"Having accessed many secrets of ‘higher living’ in the course of his meditation, the author intends to share his insights with readers, with practical tips on successful and effortless practice of yoga. ‘Healing the Future’, is then likely to powerfully, yet musically impact the reader’s sensibilities, ushering him into a world of healing that is as much scientific as spiritual. It is an attempted tip-off on the little secrets of holistic living that can be mastered in easy, small steps. Equally, it is an attempt at interpreting the ancient Upanishadic wisdom through the prism of the author’s own scientific outlook and spiritual experiences, so as to help place your evolving destiny in your own deft hands. Quite literally, this book urges you to treat consciousness as a canvas, and begin adding new colour, shine and texture to your tomorrow from this very instant."

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